[HP] Three thousand days of innocence

"Then tell us about it," Simon said, gesturing for her to continue. "Tell us why we had to wait for you. I mean, we thought we'd have to protect him for a year at most - and now eight years later, we're doing everything we can to get our Lady of Fire to do her damn Work."

"But—you know what? Stop it." Ginny struggled to her feet, her wand clutched tightly in one hand. "I'm sitting here listening to you guys tell an epic story, and it's been a lot of fun - the climax - but I don't think I believe a word of it."

John stood up, frowning. "Don't believe me?" he cried. "I gave up eight years of my life, and you—"

"That's another thing!" Ginny said, pointing at Simon. "I don't believe there's such a thing as prophets. My experience tells me they're all bullshit. No one can predict the future, and no one can foreknow the answer, or—won't you want me to believe you're a Squib? No! This is impossible!"

Simon stood up too. "Give me your wand, Palmer," he said.John threw it over and Simon caught it neatly with one hand. "What should I try?" He turned the cherry wand, bitter in his voice. "Freezing spells? Would you like some flowers, dear? Wingardim Leviosa," he said, pointing to Ginny's coffee table.

She waited for it to move.But it didn't budge.

"I'm a Squib," he cried.He tossed his wand aside, and John barely caught it. "Then you are going to review your shortcomings and mistakes?"

"Relax, Kinzie," John said, walking over to him.

"It's okay." Simon folded his arms across his broad chest, staring at Ginny with dark eyes. "If the only so-called seer you've ever met is Sybill Trelawney, then I can understand why you think that's nonsense. I hate that cow, too. But don't be so narrow-minded."

"Can you see the future?" Ginny asked contemptuously. "you know--"

"How is George?"

Ginny's heart beat into her throat, and the rest of her words remained silent. "How do you—"

Simon tilted his head to one side, staring at the corner of the room, his eyes suddenly becoming pure black spheres, as if swallowed by his pupils.Ginny was shaking violently; nothing disturbed her more than seeing him like this. "Ah." He said softly. "Fred isn't just his brother. They're twins."

"Draco told you about my brothers," Ginny stammered, her heart beating fast.A strange tension filled the room, humming just under her skin, as if a distant storm was approaching. "I told him their names, and he told—"

"I see a spider - big. Help me, man."

"Black widow, tarantula," John said. "Acromantula."

"That's it. You didn't tell Ben Hamilton this detail, did you?" Simon asked, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't tell him that Freddie died the same day Ben lost his memory?"

"I--"

"Oh, he didn't know George liked—what's her name?" Simon frowned at the ceiling, the charge in the air increasing.John stood between them, rubbing his arms, and Ginny noticed that her fingertips were numb. "Angel. Angela. Angelina, that's it. He's very guilty because she used to be Fred's girlfriend, so there's nothing he can do about it. He—"

"Enough," cried Ginny, her heart pounding.

"Okay, Jinzi." John said softly, and the air immediately stabilized and returned to normal.Simon was a little unsteady, and he shook his head. "Do you need further confirmation?" John asked Ginny.

"Well, I—trust you," Ginny said softly. "You're a squib and a seer. And you're—"

"Australian, but I'm afraid the only way I can prove it is if I deliberately restore my accent," John said slowly, and she could recognize his foreign accent now. "Should I call you hot chick?"

Ginny smiled, grateful to John for lightening the mood after Simon's unsettling testimony, but she corrected herself right away. "That's funny," she snapped. "If all this is so important—if I'm the Lady of Fire and Draco is the Shell—then why don't you say anything?" She strode up to John, who was half a foot taller than her, glared at him. "It's because of your silence that I'm here now, not with Draco, and he's sitting in the corner."

John flinched and looked away. "I know." He said softly. "I—I know very well that I screwed everything up."

"We didn't say anything because we thought we shouldn't interfere," said Simon, pulling John away from Ginny. "I ran into Palmer by chance, and we didn't look for the dragon boy. We thought you'd follow the prophecy unknowingly."

"The only reason the prophecy came true is because you made it come true," Ginny said. "If you hadn't been to Australia, hadn't met John, and still made this prophecy, nothing would have happened."

"I don't know," John said.

Ginny interrupted him with a smile. "Have you ever heard of Harry Potter?"

"Of course I've heard of it," he said, and Simon nodded.

"There was a prophecy about him and Tom Riddle," she explained. "Riddle believed it to be true. He believed it so much that he tried everything possible to avoid it, but it was because he did so that the prophecy became true. Who's to say if he didn't go after Harry, Harry is still the only one who can beat him?"

John frowned at her. "Who told you that?"

"Harry said it himself," said Ginny, tossing her hair back. "We've been dating for seven years. My brother Ron Weasley is a good friend of his."

"So I know your name!" Simon yelled, patting his head. "Weasley, Weasley!"

"It doesn't matter, because we believed in the prophecy and triggered it." John said dismissively. "Quickly answer Jinzi's first question."

"Which one?"

"Why are we waiting for you, why are you so against sending Draco back to his home and family?"

"Because I'm an Auror," she said. "Two witnesses claimed to have seen him kill eight years ago. I have been ordered to arrest him."

They looked at her in disbelief, then looked at each other with hesitant smiles. "Nonsense," John said. "It's total nonsense—"

"Are we talking about the same boy?" Simon said. "The guy who stood in line for seven hours for Morrissey concert tickets two years ago? The guy who ate sweets like he'd be obsolete? The boy?"

"The Ben Hamilton you know is nothing like the real him," said Ginny. "He's cruel and narrow-"

"He was a nuisance when we first met him," John said thoughtfully to Simon. "Very quiet, feeling nobler than us. A true nobleman."

"Yes, but we quickly extinguished his arrogance." Simon snickered.

"That doesn't seem to prevent you from falling in love with him," John said, raising his eyebrows at her.

Ginny bit her lip and looked away, trying not to think about Draco, and what he had been and was. "I didn't mean to," she said. "I just—should find him, bring him back, and they'll judge him—"

"Do you really believe he's going to kill?" John asked softly. "Ben Hamilton or Draco Malfoy?"

Ginny shook her head. "But it doesn't matter," she said. "A warrant has been issued for his arrest. If I don't take him back, someone else will, and nothing will change that."

"We can't let them arrest him for something he didn't do," Simon said to John.

"But prophecy," John said. "The Lady of Fire—"

"How is he going to be redeemed in Azkaban, huh?" Simon asked. "They can't throw him there unless I die."

"There's nothing we can do, Kinzie," John said. "Always. We're just supposed to keep him safe until Ginny arrives—"

"No." Simon shook his head. "I'm not going to let them try him for murder. He didn't kill, Johnny!"

"Kinzie-"

"You can testify at his trial, John." Ginny suddenly had an idea.They all turned to look at her. "I mean—Dr. Walcott is the one who really knows about dissociative fugue, but they won't let him testify because he's a Muggle. John can tell the Wizengamot what he knows— "

"I'm not a British citizen," John said.

"But they won't listen to Simon either, because he's a Squib," said Ginny, clasping her hands together. "certainly--"

"That's why you are so important, dear," said Simon slowly. "You know everything, the whole story—and you're a pure blood witch, right? In good standing? You've got to testify."

"I'm the Auror on his case, I can't—"

"Try it, Ginny. For your love for the dragon boy, go try it."

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she looked away, trying to calm herself down.It was just ridiculous that they threw everything at her in such a short period of time.The day is quickly over while she sleeps and talks to them.The setting sun shone through the windows, casting many shadows, and the rush-hour traffic became hectic.Ron was waiting for her to contact him.She had to act fast or he would fly over to her and find Simon and John in her living room.

"I must arrest him tonight," she told them. "Whether you like it or not."

Simon sighed, rubbing his sneakers on the carpet.

"I want to contact my brother, we will go to your house together." She continued. "You two can't be there, or Ron will wipe your memories."

"The last thing I need is an Oblivion Charm headache," John muttered.

"If -- if they make the pre-trial and trial public, I'll let you know the date and time," she said.

"I know how to get into the Ministry of Magic," said Simon, when John seemed about to ask.

"Can you—can you give us an hour or so to say goodbye?" John whispered. "I just don't want to - without saying anything - leave him, you understand?"

"Damn." Simon complained, turned and lowered his head.John gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Okay," Ginny said. "You can arrive at eight o'clock. Then..." She took a breath and exhaled tremblingly. "If there is another way—"

"There's nothing we can do," John said. "Only you can save him, not us. Our mission accomplished."

Simon sniffed hard and turned to look at them. "Let's go." He said hoarsely, his eyes were red. "I can't stand it anymore."

"Let's go now," John told him.He grabbed Simon's arm and gripped his wand tightly.Before Apparating, he took a look at Ginny.

"Do the right thing, Ginny," he said.

"I'll try it," she said softly.

With a clack, they left her apartment.

She had contacted Ron directly to let him know that Draco would be alone at his place that night.Ron congratulated her on her work and said he would meet her in front of Earls Court Tube station at 08:30.The Department of Mysteries, where the prisoner was held, had been notified that a new prisoner would be sent, and Harry knew that there would be arrests tonight.Everything is ready.There is no turning back.

Ginny seemed to be moving underwater, watching the world around her through the glass that separated her.When she Apparated, the usual squeeze of her lungs felt like a dull embrace, and Ron's brilliant red hair looked like rusted copper in the lights of the subway station.

"Are you ready?" he said, comfortably in Muggle clothes.

"I'm ready," she said hollowly.

They walked down the street until they reached Buxton Gardens, and then crossed the road towards the red brick house.There was a single light in the living room window.Simon's car, usually parked in front of Draco's, was gone too.

"Put a spell around the house," Ron ordered her. "Silent spells, Muggle-repelling spells or something. I'll help you secure the area, then go in and arrest him."

"Ok."

They were walking up and down the street, looking around to see if anyone noticed any suspicious activity.The nearby hotels were bustling as usual, but Draco's house was in the shadows, and the guests were preoccupied with themselves and their taxis.After thoroughly assessing the area and being satisfied with the results, they returned to the front porch.Ginny mechanically set the necessary enchantments.

"If you haven't heard me Apparate in five minutes, come in and get me," said Ron. "If I go, you follow me to the Ministry of Magic." Ginny nodded, and sat on the top step.She didn't watch as Ron magically unlocked the door and walked through the door.

She watched an elderly couple in expensive clothes, hailed a taxi, and got in.She saw a little girl take her mother's hand and reach for a hanging flower basket.

Ginny moved on the steps, wondering where John and Simon had gone.

There was a loud crackling sound in the room.

it's over.Draco Malfoy, who had been missing for many years, finally returned to the wizarding world.