FicWad

Chapter 17: The Law and Justice



Author's note: Myrtle is possessing Hermione's body; Hermione is somehow in control of an essensential(commonly known as a dementor). The Hermione/Myrtle combination will simply be known as Myrtle from now on, with an occasional reference to her being in Hermione's form. The Noir/Hermione symbiot will be known simply as Hermione, or the symbiot. I hope this cuts down on the confusion.



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Judge Vance saw Harry enter the Wizengamot and called a two hour recess.



"You didn't have to do that for me sir" Harry groused.



"Not at all Harry, truth be told, I need a break. We all do. What can I do for the Elfin Moses?" he smirked.



The young wizard groaned but took the mild abuse in good humor.



"I need a good lawyer sir; I've apparently inherited massive debt along with a mountain in Canada, and an island in the Caribbean and various and sundry cursed objects."



The judge's eyebrows climbed halfway up his forehead.



"And my parent's home in Godric's Hollow has been demolished; the property turned into a magical tourist trap."



Judge Vance shook his head in disbelief.



"My image is being used by no less than six products without my permission, products I never use and wouldn't dream of endorsing."



"Let me guess" the judge asked, "the 'Peace of Mind' Morning After potion?"



"Right in one sir" Harry said, scowling, "in an unrelated area, I'd like to remove Narcissa Black Malfoy from Azkaban, apparently as her Head of Family I'm allowed to, what is the phrase, ward her?"



"You wish to become Mrs. Malfoy's warder?"



"Perhaps, I need to speak with her first."



"Anything else Harry?" the judge asked.



"Yes sir, I would like to try to convince the ministry that the Kissed of Azkaban have suffered enough, I'd like to help Ginny Weasley's efforts as much as I can."



"You don't need a solicitor Harry, you need a bulldog; someone with a vindictive streak interlaced with unflagging tenacity. In short, a real pain in the arse."



"Have someone in mind?" he asked, hopefully.



"Oh yes," the judge chuckled, "this is right up her alley - I'd send her an owl but as Chief Justice that would tie me in to your representation and I'd have to recuse myself from any KoA cases that crossed my docket.



"I appreciate the recommendation sir, I'll owl her myself and hope for the best."



"Oh, she's the best alright; she's my ex-wife and Emiline's mother."



"May I have her address?"



"Zubediah Vance, pronounced 'Zoo- bay - duh,' if you say 'Zoo - buh - dye - uh' she'll kick you out of her office.



"Interesting name, sir."



"Turkish," he said proudly,"brilliant mind, but Merlin, what a temper! And she doesn't suffer fools gladly"he chuckled.



"You seem to be on good terms with her, I mean, ex-wife and all. . ."



"We're the best of friends, since we're not married anymore, oh lad," he looked wistful, "the fights we had!"



"You miss the fighting?"Harry asked, incredulously.



"Not at all, son, it was the making up again, and again, and again . . . oh yes!"



Feeling uncomfortable with the TMI he asked "Where is her office, sir?"



"She has a small office just over Flourish and Blotts, just send the owl to Z. Vance, Diagon Alley."



"Thank you sir, I will. Care to join us for a spot of lunch?"



"Someplace in mind Harry?"



"D' you like Chinese?"



They met Mrs. Potter in the Wok-n-Roll.



"Congratulations you two, best of friends already? Good, excellent in fact, best way to start out. Will you be hand fasting before the wedding or just wait until the first child is on the way?"



Experience had taught Harry the best way to learn about his wizarding heritage was to let people know when he didn't know what they were talking about.



"Sorry sir, I don't understand the reference."



Myrtle's encyclopedic knowledge of wizarding customs came to the fore, "in many wizard families a couple will be hand fasted, this constitutes a legal and binding marriage, the wedding often waits until the couple can demonstrate their fertility, once the woman becomes pregnant then the wedding takes place."



"Surely you've noticed the lack of large families in wizard families," Judge Vance interjected, "many couples come up unable to procreate, when this happens one or both partners may dissolve their hand-fasting without having to resort to divorce."



"But the Weasleys have seven children!" Harry observed.



"Unusual to say the least, it's why women of the Prewitt line are so revered in our world, very passionate, very fertile" the old barrister mused, "And the last of the Prewitt line is caring for the Kissed in St. Mungo's at this moment."



"Yes sir, about that" Harry started nervously, "is there anything we can do about their situation?"



"It just so happens I have some ideas along those lines Harry, you are willing to ward Narcissa Black Malfoy?"



"I would like to speak with her first, but yes, I would be willing to do that."



"You will have to pay her fee, fines really for criminal penalties, court costs, food and lodging."



Harry looked horrified, "I have to pay for her lodging, is that what you call a cell in that stinking prison; /lodging/?"



"I know its ironic Harry, but the system has been in place for a thousand years, and you know the wizarding world is slow to change."



"Can anyone be warded?" Harry asked.



"No, those guilty of capitol crimes can't be - although having a dark mark is prima facia evidence of murder." He looked thoughtful for a moment and continued "if charges aren't brought against the accused they can be warded."



"I think my townhouse in Grimauld Place is going to get crowded. . ."



The judge smiled a predatory smile, "Would it interest you to know that prior to their marriage, there was no Malfoy manor, that it was in fact, the Black estate?"



Harry's eyebrows climbed to his forehead, "do say?"



"Yes, and if, as the Scion of the Black Family, you were to annul the marriage, all properties would revert to your control. Beautiful estate, a thousand hectares of pasture, a lake, amanor house that would put most resorts to shame. Lots of rooms. . ."



"I get it sir, I get it. May we see the soon to be ex Mrs. Malfoy this afternoon?"



"You'll need your solicitor and your properties manager in attendance; can you be in my chambers after four o'clock?"



"We'll be there sir."



The group assembled in Judges Chambers was eclectic to say the least, two guards, one newly assigned from St. Mungo's and one from Azkaban. Two prisoners, the close cropped Ginevra Weasley and the equally shorn Narcissa Black-Malfoy (apparently there still is aproblem with body lice in Azkaban). Harry and Myrtle (currently residing in Hermione's body) were standing in a tight group with Sharpclaw and a strikingly exotic woman of indeterminate age whom Judge Vance introduced as "Zed, solicitor of record for the families Potter and Black."



"Mrs. Malfoy," the judge started, "do you have any idea why you are in chambers this afternoon?"



"No doubt to deprive me of yet another property or privilege milord, although I don't know what else I may have of significance save my life, which is of very little value anymore."



She wasn't acting proud, she wasn't being sarcastic; she was simply stating the truth as she saw it.



"Milord" Harry interjected, "may I have a few moments in private with Mrs. Malfoy?"



The DMLE guards, Judge Vance and Zed said "no" simultaneously.



"But I can offer you discretion within these chambers," the Chief Justice offered, "simply sit at the end of the conference table and I will erect a privacy ward. That way you may speak in confidence."



Harry moved to the end of the table and pulled out a chair for her.



Mrs. Malfoy nodded her thanks as she sat gracefully.



Judge Vance cast the spell then turned his back to speak with Zubediah in a sotto voice, "can you see them m'dear?"



"Of course, you old goat" she grinned affectionately, "I don't suppose you told them that I can read lips?"



"Must have slipped my mind. . ."



Harry began, "Mrs. Malfoy, Ihave a proposition for you."



"Mr. Potter," she interrupted,"what can you possibly have to offer that I would accept?"



"I can get you out of Azkaban."



At that point he had her undivided attention.



"I have to know Mrs. Malfoy, did you support Voldemort?"



"Yes."



"Why?"



"Because I was required to Mr. Potter. My husband" she spat the word, "followed the Dark Lord, therefore I/followed the Dark Lord. And for him my - my /son was marked as well." A single tear traced down her cheek at this.



"I am still learning what it is to be a wizard and now I find myself the Head of House for two Noble Houses, two Noble Ancient Houses; my wife tells me that I need the help of someone who knows what it means to be Noble and Ancient."



"Someone like me?" she asked, daring to hope.



"I would assume responsibility for you Ma'am, it would mean annulling your marriage-"



"My son would be declared bastard!"



"- my wife tells me he could still inherit from you, name, properties, begin to rebuild the good name of the Black family."



"Your lady wife knows our customs very well for a, um, muggleborn" she smiled tentatively.



"She is wise beyond her years Ma'am" he smiled in return.



"You would be willing to be my Warden?"



"If you would be willing to teach me the ways of wizard high society, yes."



"Let us speak to the Judge then"she said, rising with much more poise and confidence than before.



The first order of business was for Harry to place the Black family ring on his finger, he placed it on the middle finger of his right hand. Then before the witnesses in the judge's office he declared the marriage of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black to be annulled.



Narcissa had been holding both hands to her abdomen, eyes closed as in expectation.



"Am I free of him?" she asked tentatively.



"Yes" Judge Vance assured her.



She sat heavily in the chair behind her, "oh thank all the gods that ever were!" She looked up at her confused benefactors and explained "Lucius placed a disemboweling curse upon me so that if I ever sought a divorce my entrails would spill and burst into flame!"



Myrtle made the connection first, "but you didn't seek a divorce, so you're safe!"



"Yes!"



Second order of business, reclamation of the Black Estates near the Scottish border in Campeltown, and plans to convert it to a long term care and recovery ward for the dementor kissed. Sharpclaw looked at the deeds, the annual maintenance fees and general upkeep for such a large property and pronounced it a worthwhile and viable endeavor.



Ginny would be moving to the estates to oversee the day to day needs of the Kissed while Harry, Zubediah and the judge tried to convince the Wizengamot to release the Kissed of Azkaban into their care.



There was a discrete knock on the door as a folded parchment appeared under the door.



"Ah, I was expecting this," he handed the parchment to Ginny, "it's a summons for you to appear in the courtyard as your brothers demand satisfaction from young mister Malfoy on your behalf."



Ginny's face, already pale, went snow white.



"May we go quickly milord?"



The group arrived in the courtyard just in time to see Charlie and Bill pulling the chains tight stretching Draco's thin naked body into a painful "X". A small crowd was already forming.



As Charlie checked the restraints on Draco's leg he whispered, "Did you know that the femoral artery is just inside your thigh? When I cut your balls off I'm going to accidentally slip. By the time they get you out of this rig you will have bled out."



Draco didn't say a word, he just looked straight ahead.



"My only regret" Charlie continued, "is that I don't get to do this for every time you raped my baby sister!"



The boy on the rack just looked at the powerfully built Weasley as though he was saddened by the sight of him.



Charlie struck in anger, back-handing him, loosening teeth.



Draco spat blood and whispered,"Remember to twist the knife, I'll bleed out faster."



Bill Weasley held the lash, cracking the tip with practiced ease.



"Milord" Ginny asked, "May Ispeak with Draco?"



The judge nodded.



Bill looked curious and Charlie nodded in grim satisfaction as Ginny approached her attacker.



"Charlie," she whispered, passing close to her brothers on her way to Malfoy "may I have your wand for just a moment please?"



Expecting one of her famous "bat bogey" hexes Charlie surreptitiously slid his wand into her hand where she secreted it in her sleeve.



She walked up to the bound Malfoy and said "hello Draco."



"Hello Gin, come to watch?"



"You've looked better" she rejoined.



"You look great, even with the buzz cut."



She walked around behind him and placed her hands on his arms and shouted "bindus carpus e tarsus!"



The spell manacled her to his back wrist to wrist, ankle to ankle, luckily they were about the same height or it would have been excruciating for her.



Charlie screamed "Ginny, what are you doing? Get away from him!"



She looked back over her shoulder to her stunned audience, "go ahead Bill, twenty lashes, right? Only you'll have to go through me to do it!"



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In the U.K. judges are referred to as "Milord" when acting in their official capacity.