trials is that of the Malfoys. Before you put this letter aside, I would like to suggest that I am only bringing the request (although I do not like playing the owl) and that it is not from my pen. Draco Malfoy is by far the youngest defendant at 18 years of age and given the "gravity" of his actions, his sentence will be mild. But he hopes to talk to them before the hearing. A lot is asked of you to listen to a defendant and I don't know what it will bring him. Please let me know whether you want to accompany me to Azkaban for the next few days or not. I expect your owl in the usual way.Sincerely, I remain in the hope of your correct decision
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic

Ginny put the letter aside. Harry stared at the envelope. A letter from Kingsley Shacklebolt and a request from Malfoy? His mind drove roundabout. Everything turned. “He doesn't have them all together anymore!” Ron uttered indignantly. "After all that crap lately? We have, or rather, you've saved his life twice or more and that disgusting gnome doesn't even thank you!" Hermione moved a little closer and put on her nineteen shrewd expression. "You're not really thinking of going to Azkaban, are you Harry? Harry?" He looked at her. “I don't know, Hermione.” And got up so that Ginny almost fell over. “I really don't know.” He paced slowly up and down the carpet. His gaze caught on an old tapestry. The noble and very old house of the Blacks. "Pure Toujours. Forever! Pah!" he muttered softly to himself. His eyes wandered over the fine golden threads, some of which had faded or also showed small and large burn marks. Something constricted his chest when he discovered the small burn hole where Sirius' name had once been. “My dear mother blew me away right after I left home.” “Where did you go?” “To your dad!” What would you have done Sirius? Harry shakes his head and looked at the last branch called Draco. “I'm going up!” And with that he turned on his heel and disappeared through the same door as Kreacher. He left three puzzled friends. Harry climbed the stairs to his room, outside the sky was turning blood red. It is hard to believe that yesterday at this time he had been here alone and longed for his friends. Now they were all here with him. He slowed down and finally stopped completely. Why had Malfoy turned to him, and through Kingsley?Did he really think Harry would jump just because he asked him? That was a fact, he had saved him and received no praise. Harry didn't have to jump off the astronomy tower to know the impact hurt. His visit could be as pointless as it is useless. Disgruntled, he slammed the door of his room behind him. He had moved into Sirius 'old room, he felt more comfortable here than in the bedroom one floor below, where he had to endure Phineas Nigellus' constant insulted sighs. Harry literally tore the room apart looking for things that could be proven to belong to him or his parents. He had found some things. He threw himself on the bed and looked at the red and gold Gryffindor banners that hung like wallpaper on the ceiling and walls. He reached for a teddy bear in love on the floor. This had belonged to his father, according to the little sign on his neck. It appeared to have been intended as a birthday present for his sixteenth birthday. But Sirius couldn't give it to him anymore. He hugged it briefly, tightly, but quickly let it disappear under his pillow when there was a soft knock on the door. “Harry?” Ginny's muffled voice penetrated through the wood. "Come on, please open up. Let's talk about it!"

Harry pushed open the kitchen door, Ron and Hermione, who were talking animatedly, fell silent on the spot. “Where's Ginny?” Asked Ron, raising his eyebrows so that they seemed to disappear under his hair. “Ron!” Hermione hissed, kicking his foot under the table. Had it been normal circumstances Harry would have laughed. “Still asleep,” he muttered, and trudged to the little room that was Kreacher's "room". He hated it when people talked about him and they were his best friends. He hit my fist against the boiler a little harder than intended. “Kreacher!” Nothing stirred. "Kreacher ?!" Still nothing. Maybe the elf was cleaning again.Harry kept pounding on the boiler. “KREACHER!” The kitchen door opened and Ginny shuffled in. "What's going on Harry? Has anyone been attacked?" Harry grumbled. “You can go back to sleep.” But Ginny had noticed a jug on the table. "Nope! Breakfast!" And she started looking for something to eat in the refrigerator. Harry gave up thrashing the boiler, it didn't work, except pain in his hand. So he got plates from the cupboard and took cutlery out of the drawer. Ron tossed a packet of toast on the table and Hermione carefully uncovered a few jars of jam. It was nothing like breakfast that she would expect at Hogwarts. Harry poked listlessly with the knife in one of the glasses. There was silence for a few minutes while everyone was busy with the meal, broken only by the clink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs. Then Hermione turned to Harry and set her toast aside. "Tell me Harry, do you have any idea what Malfoy wants from? And do you already know if you're going?" Harry sighed and threw down his toast with a cup of coffee and choked. "Uh, cough ..., uh phew ... I want ... cough ... not really," he managed to choke. "Ginny and I discussed it a lot last night, well with no real result. I should go and that's why I sent Kingsley an owl to the Ministry to take me to Azkaban next week." Harry ...! "But he held up his hand, a sign that she shouldn't answer anything. They were all silent for a while, then suddenly Ron said, changing the subject: "I have to go to George's Diagon Alley. He's been so depressed lately. Don't you want to come with us? We could also get our missing things for Hogwarts at the same time." "" But Ron, we don't even know ... "Ginny objected when suddenly four noble owls, as only Hogwarts sent them, appeared in front of the window.“I knew they were coming today! I'm a fortune teller.” “Yes, just as good as Trelawny!” There was a “pop,” Kreacher appeared, armed with a feather duster, and dutifully opened the window. "Mail from Hogwarts, Master Harry ... well, well ...!" The four of them took their letters at the same time. Most students would have to repeat the last grade. In view of the fact that in the previous school year, the lessons went a little differently than planned. Especially the 7th and 5th graders, who had already faced important exams. But Ginny and a few others in her year who had done the right thing got promoted to seventh grade. But without exception all students who should have finished their school days had to repeat the year. “Ginny, what's that shiny in your letter?” Ron asked curiously, trying to pull the envelope from her with pointed fingers. However, his sister absentmindedly pulled the letter out of his reach and looked down at him, confused. "But ... but that ... that," she paused, taking out the Quidditch captain's badge. "That ... that ... that must be a mistake! The ... you're the captain!" Ginny looked at her friend in horror, knowing how much Harry had been looking forward to playing Quidditch again. "Not anymore ..." Harry shook his head, looking like someone had shocked him. “What is Harry?” Hermione asked sensitively, standing next to him. Her hand went to her mouth with a cry. “Oh Harry!” She fell on his neck. “Oh, congratulations!” Confused, the siblings watched the spectacle. “What's going on now!” Still a little confused, Harry showed them a mother-of-pearl-colored badge with a capital "S" emblazoned in ruby ​​red letters. “Whoa!” Ron clapped. "Great, man! It was clear ... if else would you have ..." "But I ... I was never a prefect ..." "That's not necessary either!"Ron laughed and clapped Harry on the shoulder." Who would be better than you? The hero of the wizarding world! " "Do not call me that. "Harry mumbled, pawing the letters reverently. Head boy, what an honor! If his parents and Sirius were still alive, they'd be totally proud of him. He saw her smile at him, like in the Forbidden Forest, just before ... He took a deep, whistling breath: "Looks like you have found new teachers for everything ... Hogwarts is complete with us. Even if the castle will be full this year, because of the many repetitions and the new students. But, ... "Harry put the badge on his chest and pulled the list of school supplies out of the envelope, along with the usual notice that the school year starts on September 1st." ... Hey, what the heck let's in go down Diagon Alley! "He hurried upstairs, closely followed by the others, and grabbed his jacket.

As they stepped onto the front steps, Harry put his arms around Ginny while Hermione grabbed Ron by the sleeve to Apparate together. Kreacher waved to them through the hall window and his high-pitched voice came out muffled. “When Master comes back, Kreacher will make pie and treacle cake.” Hermione looked disgruntled, but Harry just grinned and leaned his forehead against Ginny's. "I know a very passable seeker ..." he whispered conspiratorially. She grinned back. “I'll take a look at him!” And she kissed him gently. “We're allowed to use the same bathroom now!” “Hey ...!” Ron growled. “I HEARD THAT!” All four of them turned on the spot and in the next moment they were gone from the stairs with a bang.

"Harry Potter, what an honor to see you again! Congratulations, my congratulations!" Harry opened his eyes. He still didn't like Apparating, he preferred brooms and hated the feeling of being squeezed through a narrow tube, which one felt when Apparating.They had landed in the "Leaky Cauldron" and Tom the landlord raised his hand in greeting. "What can I offer you, Mr. Potter? Butterbeer? Mead? Firewhiskey? Egg flip? Pumpkin juice" "I would like ..."