Getting murmurs of consent, she said her goodbyes and left, not bothering to mask the sobs that could be heard all the way up to her room. Arthur followed shortly behind, once again leaving the small group alone with their thoughts.

~oOoOo~

They'd talked well into the early hours of the morning, or at least the others had talked while Harry sat and listened, offering only the occasional input. Percy had arrived at the Burrow shortly after his parents had retired for the night, and offered to take Georges chicken dinner up to him and see if he could get him to eat, or at least speak. After getting no response, he'd come and sat with them for a while, telling him all he'd heard at the Ministry. He hadn't been surprised to learn the teenagers had been approached by Minister Shacklebolt already, he'd heard whispers that they'd be calling on Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville as star witnesses at the Death Eaters trials. Nor was he surprised to hear his mother had sent the Minister away with a flea in his ear. He hadn't heard yet that Ginny was to be called too, some other 6th year students had been mentioned, but all so far had been of age. He, like his mother, had at first protested, though came round after some not-so-gentle persuasion from his little sister. When he'd left shortly before 10pm, he'd promised to support them in any way he could – and it was a sign of just how much he had changed recently that he promised this to them, even if it meant him losing his position at the Ministry.

~oOoOo~

After staying up til 3am, it was an exhausted Harry that dragged himself out of bed at 8am the following morning. He felt like he could have happily slept til long past noon, were it not for the sounds of Molly Weasley arguing at the top of her lungs with and unexpectedly early Minister Shacklebolt. He roused Ron from his slumber by pulling back the duvet and opening the curtains to let the bright morning light into the dingy room.

"Whassup? Go'ba'sleep." Ron mumbled before pulling the quilt back up over his head and rolling over to face the wall.

Harry briefly wondered if it would take casting a 'renervate' charm on his friend before he'd move, but decided on the less drastic shaking his shoulder option.

"Ron" he whispered, before he realised his folly and instead shouted "Ron! Get Up! Come on. Kingsleys here. Though maybe not for much longer if your mum finds her wand..."

"S'fine. If he wants us, he'll wait. Go back to bed"

"Ron! Get up, I don't want to do this any more than you do, but we should at least hear him out. Sssh, listen!" He walked over to the door and peered out. "The girls are already up and on their way down, you can't let them do it alone."

"Fine! I'm up! Keep your hair on! This had better be good." Swinging his legs over the side of his bed and glancing at the small sundial sat on his windowsill, he groaned aloud. "Not even 9'o'clock yet. The man is a bloody sadist. Did no-one tell him this isn't the way to get a group of teenagers on his side?"

Harry pulled a maroon jumper over his pyjama top, hoping he'd be able to go back to bed after seeing what Minister Shacklebolt had to say. He led the way downstairs, Ron following shortly behind. They met the two girls on the landing space on the floor below, and the four followed the sounds of slamming pots and pans.

~oOoOo~

In the kitchen, Molly Weasley had stopped shouting at the acting Minister, instead opting to make her feelings known through banging and slamming every object she could get her hands on. She'd known he'd be arriving today, she wasn't happy about it but she'd stand aside while he said his piece, she hadn't however anticipated he'd show up in her fireplace before she'd even taken her hair out of rollers. It didn't matter to Molly who you were, Minister, Mugwump or Muggle, it was the height of rudeness to turn up uninvited in someones kitchen before the day had even had a chance to start.

Kingsley saw the group before Molly or Arthur and spoke to them before either of the other adults had a chance.

"Good morning children" he offered what was meant to be a benevolent smile.

"We're not children anymore, Minister" Harry spoke for them.

"Of course not, of course. I apologise." He cleared his throat and started again "As you've been told, I'm here to speak with you on behalf of the new Ministry. Would you care to join me outside, maybe we could walk-"

"They'll do no such thing! You can sit here at this table and say your piece under our supervision."

Harry was torn, he wanted to hear what Kingsley had to say without risk of interruption from the family matriarch, but he knew they were already pushing her limits by even considering giving evidence at the trials. He sat down at the table across from where the Minister stood, out of the corner of his eye catching Molly give a self satisfied smile before going back to making their breakfast – albeit with less pot banging this time.

"Thank you for talking with me, I appreciate there must be many more things you'd rather be doing" When no-one contradicted him, he cleared his throat and moved on "well, with that in mind I'll get straight to the main reason I'm here"

It didn't escape Harry or Hermiones notice that in saying 'main reason' Kingsley had implied there might be more hither to undisclosed reasons for the acting Ministers visit. Hermione quirked an eyebrow in Harrys direction, which he acknowledged with a subtle nod in return.

"As I know Molly and Arthur would have told you already, we at the Ministry have decided to press ahead with the trials of the captured Death Eaters as soon as possible, the people need decisive action and that is what we're going to offer them. Those convicted of dark acts last time, who escaped during the recent breakouts will be tried and sentenced first – in closed courts in front of the Wizengamot. It's likely most will be sent to Azkaban to await the Dementors Kiss. " He paused to measure the reactions around the room, while the two brought up in the muggle world visibly blanched at the idea, the whole Weasley family nodded sagely as if the outcome was expected "They will present a defence, as is their right, but no-one will be called to give evidence for either side. Thank you Molly" he said as the witch put a steaming mug of tea in front of him, and toast in the rack on the table. "Moving on, I'm sure you're eager to hear where you come in so I'll get to the point. There were others of course who were only suspected of Dark Acts before, where this time we've caught them. It isn't enough however to simply say they were seen at Hogwarts that night, some have already tried to claim they weren't acting of their own volition. We need more than that, and that's why we need you all, especially you Harry. Your testimony of what happened the night Voldemort returned may be crucial. You told the Order who were showed up that night, and we know they could not have been imperioused by him that night, so to testify to that extent would to be to show them for what they are."

"Why do you need us then? We weren't there that night" Ron spoke.

"No, but there may be other occasions from your experiences over the past year that may prove to be the key to proving innocence or guilt. Which brings me onto the main reason I need to speak with you all, we need to know what happened during the time between the Ministry falling and the Battle at Hogwarts."

"No! No Kingsley, you mustn't!" Molly dropped the plate she was transferring bacon to, and stared at her old friend in horror. "They've been through it once, don't make them do it again!"

"Mum, please..." Ron gripped Hermiones hand on top of the table, stopping her from instinctively rubbing her left forearm where she'd been indelibly marked by Bellatrix Lestrange, his free hand running over his face. To the other side of Hermione, Harry also reached over for her hand, a comfort to his best friend and a show of solidarity in front of the Minister. The three of them held a silent conversation, a series of raised eyebrows, shrugged shoulders and tentative nods.

"What do you need to know?" Harry asked.

"Everything Harry, all you can tell us will be of most help I'm sure. One of my most senior Aurors will take down everything you tell them, and if you wish, we can arrange for a Healer to be in attendance should any of you require their services." He finished with a level gaze at Hermione. "I appreciate there may be many things difficult for you to speak of, and I wish I had no need to ask it of any of you, but it is imperative to record all we know, as soon as you feel able."

After again silently conversing with his two best friends, Harry responded that they would attend the Ministry the following Monday after taking part in the clean up at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, I understand what I ask is difficult. There is however one last thing which I must draw you attention to. It is my understanding that you may, all of you, be asked to give evidence for the defence in the case of Court V Malfoy."

"No way! Are they mad? Why would we defend them?" Ron spat, his face rapidly colouring to match his hair. "They're all Death Eaters, they'd all kill us as soon as look at us – and they've tried!"

"I understand Ron, really I do-" Kingsley tried to head him off.

"No you don't! You weren't there last year, you didn't hear Hermione screaming because of them, you weren't there when Harry dragged Ginny out of the Chamber or Secrets nearly dead because of him. You can't possibly understand!"

"Ron please..." Hermione spoke quietly, looking up at Ron while returning the squeeze on his hand to try and calm him. "Let him finish, I am presuming there is a good reason for this Minister?"

"Quite, Ms Granger. Thank you. Mr Lucius Malfoy has agreed to forego his right to trial and go straight to sentencing, something for which he knows will likely land him a long sentence in Azkaban, in return for leniency for his wife and son at their trials, something he believes will be helped by your agreeing to testify on their behalves."

"No way. No. They can all rot as far as I'm concerned" Ron spoke hotly. "We won't do it."

"You don't speak for me Ron" Hermione whispered.

"What? You..? You're actually considering this? Are you mad?"

"And if I don't? What does that make me? As bad as any of them, I'd say. Narcissa Malfoy lied to Lord Voldemorts face at the end, without that – who knows? Would be here to discuss this? Harry, what do you think?"

Harry sat and contemplated for just a moment, remembering all the times the Malfoy family had hurt him or his friends and couldn't help the small part of him that felt the same way Ron had. There was however a larger part of him that knew leaving them to potentially face the Dementors Kiss after they had in the end changed their allegiance to the Light, was entirely the wrong thing to do. He knew he'd never be able to look himself in a mirror again knowing he'd sent them to a fate worse than death when he knew how much courage it must have taken to defy the Dark Lord when it truly counted.

"I will stand for them" he stated, nodding at the Minister.

"Harry, no! He tried to kill me!" Ginny shouted, before running from the room, her mother following closely on her heels, scowling at the group around the table as she passed.

He could admit he hadn't taken into account her feelings when deciding whether to speak on the Malfoys behalf, but despite her outburst making her feelings known to him – he knew it would have made little to no difference.

"I thank you again for your time this morning, I had rather hoped to speak with Miss Weasley about giving the Ministry her memories of her time at the School last year but, I feel it would be more prudent to wait a while." Kingsley stood and offered his hand to Harry, Hermione and Ron – the latter of which was the only one to remain seated and declined to shake the older wizards hands. "Arthur" he nodded his goodbyes before setting off to walk to the edge of the wards to apparate back to the Ministry.

Harry could see Ron was about ready to boil, and on this occasion he had no desire to be around to which the volcano erupt with fury. The talk with the Acting Minister had given him a lot to think about, above and beyond all that had already been swirling constantly in his overfull mind, and it was due to this he felt the need to beat a retreat to sanctuary. He made as if to leave the kitchen out of the back door before Ron beat him too it followed quickly by Hermione trying to reason with him. Turning back he saw Mr Weasley plating up some breakfast on a tray, deducing it to be for George he offered to take it up to the boys room.

"Would you Harry? Thank you. He doesn't speak much to us at the minute, he might with you" Arthur said sadly.

Nodding, Harry left the room.

~oOoOo~

He had anticipated it being a case of leaving a full tray outside the boys door, and taking away a still full tray from last night – and so was surprised when the door opened as he announced himself.

"Alright, Harry?" George asked as he opened the door wide ready for the black haired boy to enter.

As Harry stepped into the brightly lit room, he was surprised to see how organised everything was. He'd been imagining that George had been sat here in darkness since the day of Freds funeral, and was pleasantly surprised to find he'd been wrong. The only thing he could see amiss was the large mirror that hung above the chest of drawers had been smashed, the broken shards radiating out from the middle in a spider web pattern.

He offered George the tray laden with the breakfast foods, which George took gratefully motioning for Harry to sit on one bed while he took the other before tucking in to the plate of bacon butties.

"Did Mum send you up?" he asked Harry, he mouth half full of sandwich.

Harry shook his head "I think your Mums in her room resting, she isn't best pleased with me right now"

George hadn't failed to hear the shouting of earlier that morning, so simply accepted Harrys response.

"Are you packing?" Harry asked, eyeing the box at Georges feet. Looking round he noticed the room was looking bereft of belongings.

"Seems time. Can't stay here much longer, I'll go mad. Besides I need to get back to see whats left of our shop." George shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"Have you told your parents?" Harry asked.

George looked off out the window for a second, collecting his thoughts before answering "No, not yet. Its... difficult." He looked at Harry, noticed him frowning at him – realising the boys confusion he continued "Its easier to talk to you, or Hermione actually. She's been great. Its just... well. You can tell a Weasley can't you? You can tell we're all related, right? It's the hair isn't it? We all have i, this flamin' red mop. Fred too, of course. So it's like, when I'm looking at them, I'm looking at him, and it hurts Harry, oh Merlin it hurts." He finished quietly, returning his gaze out the window.

Harry nodded, now realising the significance of the smashed mirror. He himself had once been enthralled with the Mirror of Erised, showing him the one thing he truly wanted but could never have, he felt he knew a small part of how George must feel every time he saw his reflection staring back at him – a stark reminder of all he'd lost.

George pulled himself together and straightened up. "So I'm leaving, as you've noticed. Just a few more things to pack then I'll say my goodbyes and we'll get out of here." On 'we'll' he nodded at Fred small urn resting on top of the chest of drawers, not yet packed away. "Don't tell them yet please Harry, I just want to get going without any fuss."

"Dont worry, I won't say anything. I don't think your Mums talking to me right now anyway" he offered a crooked smile at the red head. "You need any help? I could come with you to the shop if you like? Just to help take down the wards or anything?"

"Nah, you're alright. Thanks for the offer though mate. I'll pop back and give you a shout if I change my mind, yeah?"

Harry nodded, standing and offering his hand to take the now empty plate. As he reached the door he turned back around and said "we're going to Hogwarts over the next few days to start getting it back in order, I'll drop in to the shop afterwards if thats ok? I'll make sure Ron stays here if that helps?"

"Thanks Harry, but there's no need really. We'll be fine"

Harry said his goodbyes and left the older wizard to finish packing his belongings ready to leave the family home. As he walked back to the kitchen he decided he'd give George time to unpack before going to see him, perhaps taking Hermione. He hadn't realised until that morning just how few people George had spoken to – and now, in knowing that he was one of just two, he knew he couldn't just leave the boy to find his way back to the surface on his own.

~oOoOo~

A/N – Another conversation heavy chapter, and a bit of scene setting for the next few chapters, where we'll be going to Hogwarts, seeing George at WWWheezes, and getting to the DE trials. I know JKR had the Malfoys all pardoned as they turned at the end of the war, I however can't forgive them quite so easily so they will all be going to trial. Thanks for the reviews & favourites, nice to know I'm not completely talking to myself here!