[HP] Three thousand days of innocence

Catering to the audience's hunger for drama and great performance, Harper had given them such a show, and Ginny knew it would be hard for her to match him.When Harper returned to his seat, she stood up calmly, nodded to his opening statement, and stepped in front of the Wizengamot as well.Only the trembling hands hidden in her robes betrayed her extreme nervousness.

"Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Wizengamot." Her voice sounded weak, so she cleared her throat and tried again.Out of the corner of her eye she saw John nod encouragingly. "It has been the duty of the courts since time immemorial to give those accused of crimes, no matter how heinous, a fair and just trial," Ginny said.Her voice resonated in her bones, all the way to the top auditorium.she can do it. "I am appalled and saddened to see my defendants not getting the same rights in this case."

Her words touched the Wizengamot - as Hermione had said.Thanks to her amazing sister-in-law, Ginny finds the little-known old judgment she needs. "That's a bold assertion, Mr. Weasley," said Kingsley thoughtfully. "Please elaborate, if you can."

"It doesn't matter what my defendant did or didn't do - he's still a wizard, isn't he? He's still protected by civil rights like the rest of us, isn't he?"

"Yes." said the dark-eyed wizard on Kingsley's left.

"Then for my defendant to receive such a trial, public prejudice must be removed." Ginny said. "I request that the trial of Draco Malfoy be closed to the public except with the special approval of the Wizengamot."

As Ginny had expected, the request threw the court into chaos.The audience stood up from their seats and protested angrily.Simon pumped his fists in the air and cheered excitedly.Ginny's voice overwhelmed the crowd. "Thanks to the wizarding press, this case has been greatly exaggerated," she said aloud. "Every time my defendant shows up, they get agitated and disrupt the legal process. You can see it yourself, Wizard Chief. Not only that, but they are convinced that my defendant is [-] per cent guilty, which is not even fully proven in this court. According to Patterson's ruling in the Tuthill Tornado case, if the Wizengamot fails to conduct a proper trial in the public eye, they have the power to remove the public from court."

Kingsley couldn't help showing an expression of admiration.The audience who was named was not so happy.

"She's right, Shacklebolt," said one of the Wizengamot witches in disbelief.

"Thanks Merlin," Kingsley said.He tapped the gavel and declared, "From now on, I'm going to make Patterson's rules. Anyone not related to the attorney or the accused, or who has nothing to do with the case, gets out."

Ginny had to do her best not to dance the victory dance as she strode back to her seat.She glanced at Draco to see that he was still as motionless as before.But she saw the slightly raised corners of his mouth and the smile lines in the corners of his eyes.He was delighted, almost as relieved as she was.

The trial paused for nearly 10 minutes as people reluctantly left the courtroom, leaving only a small group behind.Lucius Malfoy remained motionless, and Ginny saw Ron and Hermione now.Bill had been sitting in the back row, and now he was holding Victoire to a seat closer, whispering something in her ear.Molly and George sat down next to Ron and Hermione, and John and Simon reached out to greet them.There were a few people Ginny didn't know, whom she thought were Harper's.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Mr. Weasley." The last few people left, and after Angelina and Nigel closed the door, Kingsley said, his eyes sparkling.The Wizengamots gave a voice of approval. "Merlin, they're really bugging me. I'm sure the circumstances are better for the plaintiffs too?"

"Not bad," Harper said stiffly.Ginny suppressed a smile.He's clearly been hoping to capitalize on the public frenzy, but he's still dangerous.This is no excuse for her to let her guard down.

"You may proceed with your statement, defendant's counsel," Kingsley said, nodding to her.

Ginny took a deep breath. "Thank you." She said solemnly. "As I said before, this trial is likely to be overly influenced by the outside world, that is, the media. I am as happy as you are that they are gone. But I am saddened and not surprised to find that the public prosecutor is all over the wizarding world. One of the victims of the speculation and gossip of the [-]. He believes, and tries to convince you, that the things related to my defendant are completely untrue.

"The prosecutor wants you to believe that my defendant, in consort with the followers of Tom Riddle, knowingly committed atrocious crimes and instilled fear in innocent people simply because he found it amusing to do so. I will prove to you that This was not the case. My defendant was forced to do what he did not want to do, and if he failed, he was punished by watching his parents die. He did all this under extreme duress, and he was just a Minor. He is not the same as his peers in your eyes.

"Not only that, but above all, the prosecutor firmly believes that my defendant is, or was, a Death Eater. I can assure you, and I will prove to you, that he is not a Death Eater. Mr. Harper said, Wesson Gamour's job is to make sure we don't see a replay of WWII against Tom Riddle, and you'll find no one agrees with him more than I do. However, the purpose of killing is not only to protect wizards, but to punish criminals, so that he will never act evil against others again. My defendant is not a threat to anyone. No matter what he was eight years ago, he is now a law abiding citizen who just wants to be a contributing member of society .You'll find that he doesn't even want to think about committing the crime he's accused of committing again.

"You are well aware of his amnesia. He has forgotten everything - the past. He cannot tell friend from foe, family from stranger, wizard from Muggle. For many years he has struggled not to know his true identity, unaware of his magical abilities, this absence had a devastating effect on his spirit and self-confidence.

"In short - isn't his punishment of dissociative fugue not enough? What my defendant needs most at this moment is to slowly re-enter his world, get support from friends and family, and begin to create new memories. He didn't need this. He was punished for his misconduct more severely than any criminal."

Ginny pursed her lips tightly and bowed to the Wizengamot with pity, fear, and suspicion.Kingsley waved her back to her seat.Harper looked incredibly confident.Draco remained motionless.

Kingsley announced that the Wizengamot would adjourn for lunch and resume at one o'clock in the afternoon, when they would present evidence and witnesses.This is the part that Ginny is really worried about, because if Yaxley did see Draco kill Colin, she doesn't have any strong evidence to argue against.Regarding the use of memory as evidence, she found some weak precedents, but they were all case-by-case and there was no guarantee which one would apply.

Draco was escorted back to his cell for dinner - before leaving he exchanged a look with Ginny - who reluctantly waited for her family, along with Simon and John, to come down from the stands.Before they could get to her, Lucius Malfoy in black robes rushed forward like a bird of prey, catching her attention.

"Are you well prepared for this trial?" he asked.

Ginny nodded. "He won't surprise me," she vowed.

"You will do your best to prove my son's innocence?"

"I said I would, and I keep my word," Ginny said coldly. "Did you get my owl yesterday?"

"Got it." Lucius replied. "You're lucky, I expected that, otherwise it would have been buried with Narcissa." From inside his robes he drew a long ebony case—a wand case.Narcissa Black's name is engraved on the silver nameplate at the top. "Draco used this the night..." Lucius said tactfully. "I'll testify with it."

Ginny blinked. "But I'm just asking if it can be used as evidence—"

"I'll testify for him," Lucius told her, waving his hand like she was an annoying fly. "I'm ready. See you in two hours." With that, he tucked the wand case into his robes and strode away, his staff tapping the marble floor.

A low whistle drew her attention to the crowd behind her.John's brown eyes widened. "Damn it," he said. "I bet a hundred pounds that it's Draco's father."

"They really look alike." Simon said equally surprised. "It's incredible."

"Yeah, don't try to please him," said Ron sullenly, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist. "He hates Squibs and Muggle-borns most of all - no offense, of course."

"It's okay," John said. "You should have seen Draco when we first met him. I've never seen a more grumpy guy..."

He led the way out of the courtroom, followed by most of the people except Hermione and Simon.

"Ask about my prophecy," Simon said, nodding to Hermione. "No one has ever been this interested."

"Hermione works in the Law Enforcement Department," Ginny explained. "She likes research. It's her hobby."

"I just think it's amazing that you can control it without magic," said Hermione, shaking her head in awe.She stared blankly at Ginny. "Oh! Oh Kim, you've done a good job, really! I know Mr. Harper doesn't like the Patterson Rule at all, but I'm glad it worked."

"Me too," she agreed.

"We have to have lunch now, I'm famished," said Hermione.She ran back to Ron.Ginny stayed behind, trying to collect her thoughts, after all she had just survived the most terrifying moment of her life, but to her surprise, Simon stayed behind too.

"That Hermione is kind of scary." He whistled under his breath. "Very clever, but scary."

Ginny laughed. "That's why we love her."

"But something she said got me thinking, dear Kim," he said, frowning. "You know, I can't handle strong emotions. I'm worried that I'm going to make a mistake in my testimony."

Ginny raised her eyebrows.She didn't think about it. "How about some tranquilizers beforehand?"

Simon shook his head. "One drop could set me down for hours," he said ruefully.

"But you'll be fine," she assured him. "I know you will. You ignore everyone else and pretend it's just me with you. You'll be fine."

"Not nervous, dear," said Simon. "Being in front of people doesn't make me nervous." He frowned, playing with his fur bag; he put on his formal Scottish clothes again.Unlike last time, however, this time he wore a green plaid over his shoulders, which she took to be the Kincaid emblem.A brooch fastens it to his shoulder, and the coat of arms bears the words "I will defend".

Ginny touched his arm. "Is it something else? Come on, Simon, I don't want you to do it if you don't feel comfortable."

"But it doesn't matter if I'm comfortable, right?" he pointed out.His dark eyes looked at her sincerely. "The important thing is to clear the name of the little dragon boy. I have already decided. I just thought I should warn you."

Ginny thought about his warning all through lunch.Simon seemed perfectly at ease; he and George hit it off, and when George burst out laughing at something Simon had said, Molly shed tears - a laugh he hadn't done in years.John and Bill were talking about ancient curses - John had apparently encountered some Aboriginal curses in Australia - and Hermione and Ron were teasing Victoire.To outsiders, they look like a family gathering for lunch.

It all depends on what evidence Harper finds, doesn't it?The two main charges of assault and murder were the only ones that would send him to Azkaban.Hermione had warned her that Harper would focus on those two charges, and he might even get Padma Patil and Dennis Creevey to testify, which just confirmed Ginny's suspicions.But who knows what Yaxley saw?Hogwarts was chaotic that night, full of doubts, fears, and exhaustion, and Ginny saw only the end of the battle.

After lunch, on the way back to the Ministry of Magic, Hermione gave her some final advice. "You have a good voice, Ginny," she said. "It shows you are confident and understand the case. Keep it up, it's important to the outcome. Just remember, you know what you're up against, you know What charges he has been charged with, everything you have to defend him is in your file."

"But they have my records too," Ginny pointed out.Before declaring to be Draco's defense attorney, one of the most important things she did was organize Draco's case file.She couldn't take it with her because it belonged to the Ministry of Magic, so she wanted to make sure that anything that might implicate her - like his favorite ice cream flavor - was erased.But they hold all she discovers about him. "They know exactly when and how to strike."

"You know that too," Hermione reassured her. "But there is one thing I want to point out to you right away—it has to do with Simon Kincaid."

By this time they were back in the courtroom, most of the Wizengamots already in their seats.Minutes to one. "Let's go on," Kingsley said, shifting into a more comfortable position in the chair.

"Can you wait a minute?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Take this, it's my research," she said hastily, pushing a folded piece of parchment into Ginny's outstretched hand.She smiled at her, and followed Ron and the other Weasleys back into the stands.

After everyone was back in their seats, someone went to fetch Draco from the cell, and Ginny sat at the table, unfolding the parchment.Hermione's note contained several mysterious words, some of which were not even in English.She wrote in neat handwriting:

Central Scottish Gaelic: HirammacDonnchaidmecAlasdairtoisechclainneIain

John's noble blood—the patriarch?

Ginny was very annoyed.What was so important about this John that Hermione was so eager to tell her?Draco was a pure-blood English wizard; she doubted there were any Scots in his immediate family.Simon, who is also pure-blood, may have been distantly related to him, but Simon was exiled by his Scottish family.How does this relate to this case?Is Simon a descendant of this noble John?What does this have to do with Draco?

As Kingsley tapped the gavel, she suddenly realized why the name Hiram sounded so familiar.

"This court is now formally in session," Kingsley announced after the last official had taken his seat in the Wizengamot. "We are here to see and hear witnesses and evidence presented to this court in the case of Draco Malfoy v. the British wizarding world. The prosecution has decided to allow the defendant to present evidence first."

Harper sat at the table, smiling kindly at Ginny.

Not long after, Draco was escorted in, tall and elegant despite his borrowed clothes.He put on the three-piece suit that John Palmer had lent him again, and looked out at the court and the audience with an air that bordered on disdain.He looks a lot like the ruthless bully of old.Only Ginny knew that under his indifferent appearance, there was hidden fear and confusion in his heart.

She stood up, breathing evenly.Getting started is relatively easy. "Thank you, Chief Wizard," she said. "I'd like to start with the allegation that my defendant was a Death Eater."

"Go on, please," Kingsley said.

"The Wizengamot defines a Death Eater as someone who bears the stamp of Tom Riddle," Ginny said. "Can I have access to my defendant?"

Kingsley nodded, and Ginny walked over to Draco, who was gripping the arm of the chair tightly. "Extend your left arm, please," she whispered to him.He smiled at her and let go of his left hand.

"The Wizengamot could notice that there was no such marking on the defendant's arm," she said.She lifted Draco's arm, rolling the sleeve up to the elbow, so they could see his white skin bare. "We have established that the defendant has been living as a Muggle for the past eight years and is also suffering from amnesia, that is, he does not use magic or other cosmetic spells to conceal such markings. He is not a Death Eater only."

"It seems so." Kingsley said in surprise. "The Wizengamot will now make its verdict. Raise your hand who thinks Draco Malfoy was never a Death Eater."

Most members raised their hands.Only a few disagreed.

Kingsley tapped the gavel. "Based on this result, the allegation that he was a Death Eater will be expunged."

Ginny returned to her seat and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.One solved, nine more to come.

"The defense will now call its first witness," Ginny said.Simon, she thought, it's your turn.

Her thoughts seemed to blow a horn, and Simon got up from the stand and walked towards the chair that appeared in front of Kingsley.His movements were stiff, without any of his usual briskness, and he sat on the witness stand as if it had burned him.

Ginny noticed the sudden ferocity on the face of the official next to Kingsley.She'd seen the dark-eyed man before, the one who had argued at St. Mungo's that a pure-blood wizard shouldn't be made to endure Draco's horrible treatment.

During roll call, she also noticed that his name didn't sound like English, although his accent was pure.She remembered the note Hermione had given her.She knew nothing of Scottish Gaelic, but she dared to say that the black-eyed officer spoke Gaelic fluently.

Everything became clear.Simon's nervousness, Hermione's hint.Percy would be proud of her that she knew the name of a government official.

Please, Simon, she thought.Be strong, for Draco's sake.

"My first witness," she told the court clerk.

"Please tell the court your name," Kingsley told him.

"Hmm," Simon said bluntly, adjusting the plaid on his chest. "If we want to be formal, my name is Simon Dubhmac Hiraimmec DonnchaidtoisechclainneIain."

Hearing so many foreign words, the court clerk looked up in horror.

"It's all right, kid," Simon said, seeing his embarrassment. "In my community I am known as Black Simon, son of the patriarch, in the noble blood of John of Terenant."

"What about the Ministry?" Kingsley asked, a little annoyed.

Simon smiled and looked at the black-eyed wizard beside him.Simon's similar dark eyes gleamed. "For the Ministry of Magic, I'm Simon Kincaid. Isn't that right, Dad?"

Original note: John Kincaid of Terranant was a historically real person who was briefly raped during the witch trials in the seventeenth century, so I made him a wizard, and he later became the Wizarding Family Kincaid The founder of Germany, Simon is his direct descendant.The Kincaid family has a fascinating history, and Kincaid's tartan is mainly green with accents of black and red.The family coat of arms is a fist holding a dagger protruding from the stone tower, and the family motto is as written in the text.

The piece of paper Hermione gave Ginny read: "Hyram, son of Duncan, son of Alasdair, noble blood of John." Simon's name was clearly similar.