Lumos; Chapter Five
Luciano Grimaldi to Testify Against Father
Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement Margo Hughes released a statement today confirming that Luciano Grimaldi, the mysterious son of Damian Grimaldi, will appear in court today to testify against his father. Aurors have been receiving information from Luciano since the end of the war in 1997, but conflicting stories and missing pieces have made it impossible for the prosecution to convict Damian Grimaldi without the direct testimony of Luciano.
Many believe that Luciano did not step forward sooner due to fear of being arrested and tried for his own actions during the war. When asked if this was still a possibility, Tom Hughes, Luciano’s representative and member of the Wizengamot, said that it is unclear as of now if charges will be brought against Luciano.
Questions have arisen regarding what Luciano’s testimony will actually do for the case against Grimaldi. Elphias Dodge, the only member of the Wizengamot who has served since before The War, said that Luciano’s direct testimony is more for the sake of confirmation than to bring new evidence.
“We have testimonies from acquaintances of Grimaldi’s that directly contradict the information given to us by Luciano,” said Dodge. “Our hope is that having Luciano tell his side of the story, in person and under oath, will help to sway the council and the jury in our favor.”
Luciano is expected to make his first appearance since the war, in which he was still rather anonymous, late this afternoon. You can count on your friends at the Daily Prophet to bring you coverage events unfold.
*
Reid had never felt so nervous in his life.
They had spent the past two days arguing over whether or not Reid was even going to accompany Luke to the ministry before Luke finally broke down and agreed to let him come. Luke’s fears that being seen with him once his identity was revealed would somehow adversely affect him were nonsense, Reid insisted, and in fact, perhaps having a family member of one of those killed by Damian would help his appearance. How was Luke to argue with that?
Since no one knew Luciano’s true identity yet, it was easy enough for the couple to enter the ministry and make their way to Margo’s office without so much as a second look from any of the witches and wizards they passed. Luke did notice the reporters waiting outside of the courtroom, though, and he felt his body go cold. Reid seemed to notice as well, and a moment later a warm hand was holding his, giving Luke the push he needed to enter the office.
“I wish I was seeing you under different circumstances, Luke,” said Margo, hugging Luke awkwardly. “I just want you to know that I think this is very brave of you, and no matter what happens in that courtroom over the next few days, you can bet that this office will do everything within their power to protect you.”
Luke looked over Margo’s shoulder to see a handful of aurors standing around, all watching him with gentle looks on their faces and nodding to show that they agreed with Margo.
“Thank you,” he said to her, also looking to the others.
They relocated to Margo’s private office, where Tom was already waiting, shaking Luke’s hand and giving him a similar greeting. Luke in turn introduced them both to Reid, explaining his connection to the case. Margo and Tom seemed to agree with Reid, that having his support could do wonders for their image in this case.
“Are you ready, Luke?” Tom asked, putting a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “As soon as we walk through those doors, they are going to realize who you are. There will be cameras and questions, and it won’t stop once we’re inside the courtroom,” he warned.
Luke swallowed hard, turning to the man at his side. Reid stood confidently, reaching out for Luke’s hand and giving a silent nod of support.
“Yes,” said Luke, looking back at Tom. “I’m ready.”
*
Tom was right. The lights from the massive cameras were blinding. Luke gripped Reid’s hand tighter, trying to simply make it down the hallway without falling over. People were shouting at him, calling out his name - both of his names.
“Luke Snyder, is it true that you are in fact the infamous Luciano Grimaldi?”
“How were you able to keep your identity a secret all these years?”
“Is it true that you were working undercover for Dumbledore?”
The questions were not unexpected, but to hear them aloud was still startling for Luke. He’d spent most of the past six years trying to separate the life of Luciano Grimaldi and the life of Luke Snyder, and now he was forcing them to crash together violently, and for all the world to see.
“Reid Oliver,” came another reporter, suddenly shoving a notepad in Reid’s face, a Quick-Quotes Quill already writing away. “Your sister was one of the four aurors killed in 1997, possibly by Damian Grimaldi, and yet here you are supporting his son. Does this mean you believe that Luciano truly was a spy? That Grimaldi is innocent?”
Reid didn’t say anything, though it was difficult. He literally bit down on his bottom lip, fingers tightening around Luke’s.
Somehow they managed to follow Tom completely down the hallway and into the courtroom without saying a single word. Once the heavy, eaves-dropping-proof doors were firmly shut, Reid let out a soft groan, tugging his hands through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” Luke apologized pathetically. “I knew you shouldn’t have come.”
“Don’t start that again,” said Reid, rolling his eyes. “I’ve already lived through that pile of crazy, I think I can manage the rest.”
Luke smiled sadly, and Reid kissed him.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promised.
“It’s just about time,” said Tom, coming up beside them.
He led them both to their seats, Reid sitting along the back with a few others that had connections to the case but weren’t directly involved. He recognized a few of them as family members of other victims, and a few, seated apart from the others, as men he’d seen in the papers - followers of Voldemort under Damian’s control.
Luke was taken to the center of the room where he sat alone in a large wooden chair. Fifty or so witches and wizards in black and red robes and traditional caps sat before him, the Minister for Magic, Henry Hornsby, at the center. Eight jurors were seats to his left. To his right was an empty table with two chairs.
The room was eerily silent, the sound of fabric moving as people took to their seats making the only noise. Tom, dressed in the same red robes as some of those before them, stood beside Luke. Reid wished he could be closer, that he could at least see Luke’s face.
The silence was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a door on the far side of the room swinging open, the same door they had entered through only minutes before. The flashing of bulbs crept in, loud voices echoing through the chamber. Reid turned to see two men, dressed the same as Tom, escorting a man into the room. He was well groomed and handsome, wearing an obviously expensive suit. He would have appeared rather impressive, if it hadn’t been for the handcuffs.
It wasn’t the cuffs, though, that told Reid who this was. He’d seen pictures of Damian Grimaldi before, but pictures were never the same as seeing someone in person. The first thing he noticed were the eyes, the same eyes as Luke’s, the same eyes he’d stared into a thousand times over the past four months. His hair was darker than Luke’s, face a bit thinner and body leaner, but Reid couldn’t deny the resemblance.
While Damian and his defense were seating themselves at the empty table, Reid found Luke again, trying to get a sense of what the younger man was feeling. He could only see one shoulder and the top of Luke’s head around the massive chair, though. He was anxious, worried. He couldn’t stand being so far away, not now.
Damian was looking at Luke, smiling almost kindly, and it made the hair on Reid’s neck stand up.
“Luciano,” said Damian in an Italian accent. “It is good to see you, mio luce. I only wish it were under different circumstances.”
Reid was really getting sick of those words.
“Mi sei mancata, Luciano,” Damian continued. I missed you, Luciano.
“Non posso dire che sento la stessa cosa, papà,” said Luke. I cannot say I feel the same, Dad.
Reid was fluent enough to understand, but apparently not everyone appreciated their conversation.
“English, please,” said the Minister grumpily. Some things hadn’t changed in the Wizarding World, and a paranoid Minister for Magic was one of them.
“My apologies,” said Damian politely. Reid felt sick.
“Would you please state your name for the record, son,” said the Minister to Luke.
“Luke Snyder,” said Luke. “But I’m also known as Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi.” The name rolled off his tongue gracefully and with an accent that might have made Reid smile in any other situation, but today he could only hear the shame in Luke’s voice, and his heart sank.
“Well, Luciano Grimaldi, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” the Minister said patronizingly. “I hereby call this court to order. Counselor, you have the floor.”
*
It was well after midnight before they were allowed to leave the courtroom. Reid was at Luke’s side the moment he got out of the chair, helping the tired, drained man out of the room and through the sea of hungry reporters. Once they made it back to Margo’s Luke collapsed into a chair, Reid kneeling in front of him.
“Are you alright?” he finally had a chance to ask. Before Luke could answer, Reid started rummaging through a small bag hooked to the inside of his robe.
“I’ve been better,” Luke admitted. His eyes were red and puffy, his face drained of color. “I didn’t think it would be that hard,” he said.
“Here, drink this,” said Reid, handing hm a small vial. Luke didn’t hesitate, taking it in his hand and downing the contents in two gulps.
“Thank you,” said Luke. “For staying. I don’t think I could have done this without you.”
“I might as well have not been there,” Reid frowned. “I couldn’t even see you. And when he started yelling at you...” Reid made a fist. “It took two of the men sitting with me to keep me from running down right them.”
Luke choked out a laugh. “I knew you were there, and that was enough.”
Without a thought, Reid sat up and kissed Luke soundly on the mouth.
A moment later the door opened and Margo and Tom came in.
“How are you feeling?” asked Margo motherly.
“I’ll live,” said Luke. “How did we do?” he asked, turning to Tom.
Tom gave him a smile. “I think today went well,” he said. “Honestly. Your testimony was solid, spot-on with the information you’ve given over the years. Damian was nervous, everyone could see that.”
“But it’s not over,” Luke frowned.
“I’m afraid not,” nodded Tom. “I must warn you, Luke, tomorrow will be even tougher than today, I’m afraid. We’re going to have to show them your memories, first hand, and I have a feeling that today was just the start of them trying to turn things on you.”
Luke nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m confident though, Luke. Everyone remembers the papers, remembers his face and his name proudly plastered on the front page. He’s not going to win. You need to believe that.”
“We’ll leave you two alone,” said Margo. “We have cots you can use tonight, or we can set up a portkey to take you back to Hogsmeade.”
Luke shook his head. “There will be reporters waiting in Hogsmeade. I’m sure there’s a few outside of the castle already,” he said. “I’d rather stay here. McGonagall already said it’s alright for both of us.”
“Alright,” nodded Margo. “We’ll get something set up. Take your time.”
The two left, leaving Luke and Reid alone in the small office. Luke closed his eyes, struggling to breathe.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” he said shakily.
“You can,” Reid encouraged him, taking both of his hands. “Let’s get some sleep.”
*
“Luciano Grimaldi,” called the Minister. Luke stood. Even from a distance Reid could tell he was shaking. The Minister waved the court clerk forward. The young man moved forward, his wand in one hand, a vial in the other. Off to the side floated a pensieve.
The clerk raised his wand, setting the tip to Luke’s temple. Luke closed his eyes, concentrating quietly. When the clerk slowly moved his wand away, it was followed by a silvery strand of light. He directed it into the vial and capped it off. He produced a second vial from his pocket and retrieved a second memory before nodding to Luke, indicating he could sit down.
Reid watched as the clerk moved to the front of the room, motioning toward the pensieve with his wand. The pensieve began to move, following him to the front. Carefully he poured the first vial into the large round dish.
“The prosecution would like to enter this memory, belonging to one Luciano Grimaldi, into the record. The date of the memory is the 19th of January, 1997,” said Tom, speaking to the court.
Tom nodded to the clerk, who moved forward again. He waved his wand and muttered an incantation that Reid couldn’t make out. The contents of the pensieve began to swirl, moving upward in a misty fashion before seeming to explode through the room, catching a few people by surprise if their soft gasps were any indication. Reid even jumped a little. He’d heard about projecting pensieve memories at trials, but he’d never actually witnessed it happening and hadn’t known what to expect. He figured it out quickly, though, watching as the murky figures took on a more solid looking form in the open space at the center of the room. Three figures took shape, three men. It was clear within moments that the first two were Luke and Damian. The third was a man Reid didn’t recognize.
His mind immediately jumped back to that morning after Tom briefed them on what would be happening regarding Luke’s memories. They had gone to follow Tom but Luke had asked for a moment alone with Reid.
“Whatever you see in there today, please remember what I told you, that I had to play along, I had to convince Damian I was on his side,” Luke pleaded desperately.
“Of course,” said Reid, trying not to show how worried he was. He hated seeing Luke like this. “I know you, Luke. I know the truth.”
Reid blinked when he heard voices, a cheerful laugh coming from one of the projections.
“It is so good to see you, mio luce,” said Damian happily, embracing his son in a full hug. Luke smiled happily up at his father.
“It’s good to see you too, papà,” said Luke.
“Lingley, please, come,” said Damian, gesturing for the third man to step forward. He had his other arm around Luke’s shoulders proudly. “I would like you to meet my son, Luke-“
“Luciano,” Luke correctly instantly, his accent flawless. “Luciano Grimaldi. It’s a pleasure,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.
Damian looked like he could cry with happiness.
“Come, we mustn’t keep the others waiting,” said Damian, motioning to a door that Reid only just noticed.
The memory shifted, swirling a little before rematerializing. They were seated at a table, a dozen or so blurry faces around them. Damian sat at the head of the table with Luke on his right, the one named Lingley on his left.
“The Dark Lord has a plan as far as Hogwarts go,” Damian was saying. “By the end of term he is confident that Dumbledore will no longer pose a threat.”
There was a murmur amongst the others at the table. Luke was smiling.
“And what if the Malfoy boy can’t do it?” someone asked from a few seats down.
“Such an occasion has already been considered,” said Luke this time. “The Dark Lord has made arrangements in case the boy fails. Have faith.”
“So what are we to do until then?” asked another.
“Lingley has already been briefed on a little trip we’ve been asked to take to Cornwall in the next few days. We are just waiting for the green light, so to speak,” said Damian.
“What does this ‘trip’ entail?”
“It seems there are a few writers for the Prophet that aren’t quite as happy with the Dark Lord’s return as we are,” said Damian, sounding amused. “Timothy Grahm and and Kellan Pickett to be precise.”
“Isn’t Grahm a muggle born?” someone asked, saying the word ‘muggle’ as though it were venomous.
“Yes,” said Lingley. “And Pickett is married to a muggle.”
More murmurs.
“I think we can take on a couple of filthy muggles,” someone spat. The rest of the group seemed to feel the same. Luke was still smiling.
The memory faded, swirling around the courtroom until it dissolved into the pensieve again.
Reid blinked, trying to regain his bearings as the real world took over again. He couldn’t see Luke, but Damian was staring at him, a mix of anger and genuine hurt in his eyes. His lawyers looked only a little concerned, shifting in their seats.
“The prosecution would not like to enter a second memory,” began Tom. “Also from one Luciano Grimaldi, dating 12 May, 1998.”
Again the clerk stepped forward, pouring the second vial into the pensieve. A moment later the familiar swirling sensation engulfed the room. When the memory settled, the room was dark. They were outside, or so Reid assumed. It was dark and smelled of fresh water. He could hear crying.
When the memory solidified, he saw a man cowering against a brick wall that had seen better days. He looked terrified as he stared up, a wand pointed directly at his face. The memory continued to slowly take shape, and as Reid and the rest of the room followed the wand, he nearly gasped allowed to see Luke’s face at the other end.
Luke looked scared himself, jaw clenched tightly. Reid had seen a similar expression many times over the past few weeks. It was hard to watch.
“Please,” the man sobbed. “Please don’t kill me. I’ve done nothing wrong.
“Go on!” shouted a blurry man in the distance, egging Luke on. “Kill him!”
Luke tensed, twisting his wrist.
“Please, please, please,” the man continued to cry pathetically.
“Don’t be such a pansy, Luciano!” the other man yelled gruffly.
“Silence!” came a fourth voice, the tone demanding but calming. Damian Grimaldi entered the picture, standing at his son’s side. He placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
“It’s alright, Luciano,” he said kindly in his son’s ear. Luke looked up, blinking back the tears he was trying to hard to hide. He nodded and lowered his wand.
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” the man on the ground cried, sounding almost more hysterical than before.
But his relief was short lived. Luke stepped back, and as soon as he did, Damian raised his arm, his own wand in hand.
“Avada kedavra!” shouted Damian without hesitation. The man barely had time to cry out before the green light struck him. Reid found himself flinching away from the horrible light, looking up only to see the man’s body twist away and crash into the wall before slumping down, his eyes open but unseeing.
Luke was shaking - the Luke in the memory and the real Luke. Reid knew that both versions were also crying.
“You will not try to force my son into something he does not wish to do again, do you hear me?” Damian said threateningly to the blurry man, who only nodded obediently. “Do not feel ashamed, Luciano,” said Damian now to Luke. Luke nodded, staring down at the body of the man as Damian patted him on the shoulder moved away.
The memory dissolved.
*
The court dismissed while the jurors and council members deliberated. Reid was one of the last ones to be escorted from the room and back to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement offices. Luke was already there, waiting in Margo’s office.
“He’s, well, you can imagine how he is,” Margo frowned as she led Reid to him. “I think he could really use some words of reassurance right now.”
“Thank you,” said Reid, only half hearing her as she opened the door to let him in before closing it behind him again.
Luke turned around, arms wrapped around his own chest and eyes wide and misty.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, voice cracking. “I’m so sorry that you had to see that.”
“Shh, stop,” said Reid, taking Luke’s face in his hands and rubbing his thumb under his eyes. “All I saw today was a man risking everything to help the good guys win, a man who even in the worst of circumstances never let go of his morals. I’m proud of you, Luke.”
That was all it took for Luke to break, crumbling against Reid who more than willingly held him close, held him together. Luke cried onto his shoulder without reservation, and Reid didn’t care. Truth be told he’d expected Luke to break down like this a lot sooner.
Two hours passed agonizingly slow. Once Luke had calmed down they left the door open, partly so they could see Tom and Margo coming, but mostly just so they felt connected to the business of the office. Damian’s case was not the only one occupying the department’s time and so the entire floor was rather busy. The movement, the sound of carts rolling and memo planes zipping through the air, all provided excellent distractions. Reid even got Luke talking about his classes and what he was thinking of doing for his N.E.W.T. exams. At one point he even got a smile out of him, and that was enough to make everything seem a little better.
When Tom finally arrived to tell them that it was time to return to the courtroom, all the happiness faded again. Reid took Luke’s hand.
“Whatever happens in there,” he said, “you’ve still one. You’ve still proven you’re the better man.”
“But what if he’s found innocent?” asked Luke. “What if he gets to walk away, even after what he did to your sister?”
Reid shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We know the truth, I know the truth. That’s enough for me.”
He leaned in and kissed Luke gently on the mouth, trying to convey every encouraging thought he had in that one kiss. It seemed to help at least a little, and he watched as Luke took a deep breath, a hint of confidence building in his eyes.
They all took their seats in the courtroom, though Luke and Tom got to sit at the table off to the side this time while Damian was brought to the front. Reid tapped his hand against his thigh anxiously, watching as the council filed into their seats.
A hand touched his shoulder and he nearly jumped, looking up to see Minerva McGonagall taking a seat beside him, giving him a supportive smile. He breathed shakily, eyes filled with emotions and Minerva linked her arm through his and patted his hand.
“Will the accused please rise,” said the Minister. Damian stood, again wearing a fancy suit thrown off by the metal cuffs on his hands. “The charges against the accused are as follows: Four counts of murder, two counts of torture and treason. The accused has pled not guilty on all charges.
“After hearing testimonies from both sides and considering the evidence presented to this court over the past few months, including new information provided by Mr. Luciano Grimaldi, the court will now vote take a vote. All those in favor of conviction on the four charges of murder,” the Minister announced.
Slowly, but sure enough, the majority of the council raised their hands. Seven of the eight members of the jury also raised their hands.
“All those in favor of conviction on the two charges of torture.”
Again the hands went up, more this time than before. Reid reached Minerva’s hand.
“All those in favor of conviction on the charge of treason.”
Every hand in the room went up and Reid found himself resisting the urge to raise his own hand.
“All those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges.”
Not a single person moved.
“I hereby find the accused, Damian Grimaldi, guilty of all charges.” The Minister banged his gavel on the wooden block, and the room erupted in applause.
“Silence, silence,” the Minister demanded, banging his gavel again. “I must also announce that, concerning evidence presented in this trial, this court has also decided to bring charges against Luciano Grimaldi for his crimes during the war and his assistance to Damian Grimaldi and Lord Voldemort.”
His words were eaten by the uproar that followed. Reid was immediately on his feet, staring bewildered down at Luke, who looked petrified as two aurors moved toward him from the side. Tom was on his feet, too, trying to wave them off.
“On what charges?” Tom shouted.
“Treason and unknown accounts of murder,” the Minister responded, trying to sound important.
“That is absurd!” Tom cried, watching helplessly as the aurors took Luke by the arms.
Reid moved to rush down onto the main floor, but Minerva held his arm.
“If the court will allow,” she said, her voice echoing and demanding attention. The room quieted all eyes on the wise witch. “I worked with Dumbledore for many, many years, as you are all fully aware. I will vouch for this young man under the influence of veritaserum if it is necessary and swear that he was acting under Dumbledore’s orders for the good of the Order of the Phoenix, and was never truly aligned with this criminal,” she said bitterly, gesturing to Damien.
“Even if he was working for the Order,” said the Minister, his voice wavering. “There is still evidence to suggest that he killed innocent witches and wizards, a crime that is not excused simply because he was a spy.”
The shouting continued again from every corner of the room.
“If I may…”
The voices hushed and everyone looked to the center of the room where Damian was now standing, eyes focused on the Minister.
“You wish to bring charges of murder on my son, but do you truly have evidence proving that he killed anyone?” Damian asked.
The Minister looked flustered.
“We know that he spent the better part of two years under your command,” said the Minister. “and that your men were responsible for countless deaths. He has no proof that he did not take part in any of the torturing or killings.”
“I didn’t realize that one had to prove innocence. I was certain that my entire case was based on proving my guilt,” said Damian confidently. Reid could hardly believe what he was hearing. “You have come to the conclusion that I am guilty of the crimes you have charged me with, a conclusion no doubt enforced by the things said by my son these past two days,” he continued, gesturing to Luke. “Luciano has boldly stepped up against me in order to help you, and you use my conviction now against him. But you will not be able to convict him, not without my own testimony, ironically,” he said, a small smile on his face. “I guarantee you that neither myself nor any of the men who followed my commands during the war will give you the information you would need in order to find Luciano guilty, and that is because it simply does not exist. You saw Luciano’s second memory, all of you with your own eyes. I killed that man, not my son, because he would never kill anyone. I realized when he abandoned me during that final battle that he was never truly with me, that his heart was too good to ever harm someone in such a way for reasons he did not truly believe. My son never killed anyone. You can try to prove otherwise, but you never will.”
The room was silent save a few murmurs amongst the council and jurors. The Minister looked positively baffled, his face red and he appeared to be trying to find a way to keep the upper hand he clearly no longer had.
“Release him,” he said suddenly to the aurors holding Luke. “Sentencing for Damian Grimaldi will take place tomorrow at noon.”
The Minister banged his gavel a final time before abruptly standing and leading the others out of the courtroom.
The aurors did as they were told, letting go of Luke’s arms. Not a moment later he was being held again, but this time by arms that were far more welcoming. Reid hugged him tightly, though he’d never admit it was a hug.
Luke wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck, burying his face in his neck. It felt like they stood there forever, only half aware of the ‘congratulations’ and pats on the shoulders they were both receiving from people as they left the courtroom.
“I hate to interrupt,” came a friendly voice. Luke and Reid separated enough to look up and see McGonagall, her wise, kind eyes sparkling down on them as she smiled. “I always knew this day would come, Luke,” she said gently. “And I knew you’d be victorious. Dumbledore would have been proud of you.”
Emotion seemed to flood over Luke’s face again, and he released Reid long enough to share a hug with Minerva.
“Thank you,” he said breathlessly.
She sniffled, rubbing an arm up and down his back twice before releasing him.
“I expect to see you both back in class tomorrow,” she said.
Reid laughed with relief. “Of course,” he said. “Thank you, Minerva.”
The old witch looked between them one more time before leaving with permanent smile.
“Luciano.” Luke looked up. Damian was standing a few feet away, two guards at his sides. “May I speak to you before you go?”
Luke turned to Reid uncertainly. Reid eyed Damian, and though he still didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him, he had to give him at least a little credit for what he had done at the end.
“Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll wait here.”
“Would it be alright if we spoke alone?” Damian asked his guards. They looked at Luke, who nodded.
“It’s alright. You don’t have to go far,” he assured them. They stepped away, giving Luke and Damian space to talk privately.
“I suppose I should thank you,” said Luke, feeling a little awkward. “But why? Why would you do that for me?”
“Because you are still my son, mio luce,” said Damian with unexpected emotion. He raised his cuffed hands, fingers just barely touching Luke’s face. Luke turned his head away. “I need to you know that regardless of my actions, I still love you very much, son. You may not believe me, but your safety and happiness is still the most important thing to me.”
Luke looked back up at him, taken aback by the sincerity in Damian’s voice, in his face.
“I know,” he said.
“My defense has told me of this man,” said Damian, nodding toward Reid, who shifted uneasily as father and son looked at him. “His sister, she was one of the young aurors.”
“Yes,” nodded Luke.
“I speak honestly when I tell you that I was not directly involved in her death, Luciano,” Damian said, his voice forceful. “But I cannot deny that I played a role in events that led to it. I know it means very little now, but please convey my apologies to him.”
Luke said nothing, just nodding. He wasn’t sure he could fill that request, but he wasn’t going to tell Damian that right now.
“You two seem close,” Damian commented. “I saw the way he watched you during the trials. He appears to love you very much.”
Luke turned red. “Perhaps,” he said.
“I am happy for you, Luciano,” said Damian. “I am sorry that I have brought such pain into your life. Perhaps this young man can help to fix some of the damage I have done.”
When Luke looked at him this time, he was shocked to see tears in his father’s eyes.
“I hope that someday you can forgive me, mio,” said Damian quietly.
“I hope so, too,” said Luke. “I… I know it’s probably hard to understand… I know that no one else would understand… but I still love you, papa,” he went on, swallowing hard.
“I know, my son,” said Damian, smiling sadly. He reached up again, and this time Luke didn’t turn away. “Ti voglio bene, Luciano. Sarai sempre il mio figlio ed io ti amerò sempre.” I love you, Luciano. You will always be my son and I will always love you.
“Anch'io ti amo, papà. Mi dispiace tanto.” I love you, dad. I am so sorry.
A single tear ran down Luke’s face, colliding with Damian’s thumb.
“It’s time to go,” said one of the guards, moving up to Damian’s side again.
Luke sniffled, wiping his eyes.
“Be happy, Luciano,” said Damian.
Luke never saw Damian again.
Part Six - Final Chapter
Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement Margo Hughes released a statement today confirming that Luciano Grimaldi, the mysterious son of Damian Grimaldi, will appear in court today to testify against his father. Aurors have been receiving information from Luciano since the end of the war in 1997, but conflicting stories and missing pieces have made it impossible for the prosecution to convict Damian Grimaldi without the direct testimony of Luciano.
Many believe that Luciano did not step forward sooner due to fear of being arrested and tried for his own actions during the war. When asked if this was still a possibility, Tom Hughes, Luciano’s representative and member of the Wizengamot, said that it is unclear as of now if charges will be brought against Luciano.
Questions have arisen regarding what Luciano’s testimony will actually do for the case against Grimaldi. Elphias Dodge, the only member of the Wizengamot who has served since before The War, said that Luciano’s direct testimony is more for the sake of confirmation than to bring new evidence.
“We have testimonies from acquaintances of Grimaldi’s that directly contradict the information given to us by Luciano,” said Dodge. “Our hope is that having Luciano tell his side of the story, in person and under oath, will help to sway the council and the jury in our favor.”
Luciano is expected to make his first appearance since the war, in which he was still rather anonymous, late this afternoon. You can count on your friends at the Daily Prophet to bring you coverage events unfold.
*
Reid had never felt so nervous in his life.
They had spent the past two days arguing over whether or not Reid was even going to accompany Luke to the ministry before Luke finally broke down and agreed to let him come. Luke’s fears that being seen with him once his identity was revealed would somehow adversely affect him were nonsense, Reid insisted, and in fact, perhaps having a family member of one of those killed by Damian would help his appearance. How was Luke to argue with that?
Since no one knew Luciano’s true identity yet, it was easy enough for the couple to enter the ministry and make their way to Margo’s office without so much as a second look from any of the witches and wizards they passed. Luke did notice the reporters waiting outside of the courtroom, though, and he felt his body go cold. Reid seemed to notice as well, and a moment later a warm hand was holding his, giving Luke the push he needed to enter the office.
“I wish I was seeing you under different circumstances, Luke,” said Margo, hugging Luke awkwardly. “I just want you to know that I think this is very brave of you, and no matter what happens in that courtroom over the next few days, you can bet that this office will do everything within their power to protect you.”
Luke looked over Margo’s shoulder to see a handful of aurors standing around, all watching him with gentle looks on their faces and nodding to show that they agreed with Margo.
“Thank you,” he said to her, also looking to the others.
They relocated to Margo’s private office, where Tom was already waiting, shaking Luke’s hand and giving him a similar greeting. Luke in turn introduced them both to Reid, explaining his connection to the case. Margo and Tom seemed to agree with Reid, that having his support could do wonders for their image in this case.
“Are you ready, Luke?” Tom asked, putting a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “As soon as we walk through those doors, they are going to realize who you are. There will be cameras and questions, and it won’t stop once we’re inside the courtroom,” he warned.
Luke swallowed hard, turning to the man at his side. Reid stood confidently, reaching out for Luke’s hand and giving a silent nod of support.
“Yes,” said Luke, looking back at Tom. “I’m ready.”
*
Tom was right. The lights from the massive cameras were blinding. Luke gripped Reid’s hand tighter, trying to simply make it down the hallway without falling over. People were shouting at him, calling out his name - both of his names.
“Luke Snyder, is it true that you are in fact the infamous Luciano Grimaldi?”
“How were you able to keep your identity a secret all these years?”
“Is it true that you were working undercover for Dumbledore?”
The questions were not unexpected, but to hear them aloud was still startling for Luke. He’d spent most of the past six years trying to separate the life of Luciano Grimaldi and the life of Luke Snyder, and now he was forcing them to crash together violently, and for all the world to see.
“Reid Oliver,” came another reporter, suddenly shoving a notepad in Reid’s face, a Quick-Quotes Quill already writing away. “Your sister was one of the four aurors killed in 1997, possibly by Damian Grimaldi, and yet here you are supporting his son. Does this mean you believe that Luciano truly was a spy? That Grimaldi is innocent?”
Reid didn’t say anything, though it was difficult. He literally bit down on his bottom lip, fingers tightening around Luke’s.
Somehow they managed to follow Tom completely down the hallway and into the courtroom without saying a single word. Once the heavy, eaves-dropping-proof doors were firmly shut, Reid let out a soft groan, tugging his hands through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” Luke apologized pathetically. “I knew you shouldn’t have come.”
“Don’t start that again,” said Reid, rolling his eyes. “I’ve already lived through that pile of crazy, I think I can manage the rest.”
Luke smiled sadly, and Reid kissed him.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promised.
“It’s just about time,” said Tom, coming up beside them.
He led them both to their seats, Reid sitting along the back with a few others that had connections to the case but weren’t directly involved. He recognized a few of them as family members of other victims, and a few, seated apart from the others, as men he’d seen in the papers - followers of Voldemort under Damian’s control.
Luke was taken to the center of the room where he sat alone in a large wooden chair. Fifty or so witches and wizards in black and red robes and traditional caps sat before him, the Minister for Magic, Henry Hornsby, at the center. Eight jurors were seats to his left. To his right was an empty table with two chairs.
The room was eerily silent, the sound of fabric moving as people took to their seats making the only noise. Tom, dressed in the same red robes as some of those before them, stood beside Luke. Reid wished he could be closer, that he could at least see Luke’s face.
The silence was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a door on the far side of the room swinging open, the same door they had entered through only minutes before. The flashing of bulbs crept in, loud voices echoing through the chamber. Reid turned to see two men, dressed the same as Tom, escorting a man into the room. He was well groomed and handsome, wearing an obviously expensive suit. He would have appeared rather impressive, if it hadn’t been for the handcuffs.
It wasn’t the cuffs, though, that told Reid who this was. He’d seen pictures of Damian Grimaldi before, but pictures were never the same as seeing someone in person. The first thing he noticed were the eyes, the same eyes as Luke’s, the same eyes he’d stared into a thousand times over the past four months. His hair was darker than Luke’s, face a bit thinner and body leaner, but Reid couldn’t deny the resemblance.
While Damian and his defense were seating themselves at the empty table, Reid found Luke again, trying to get a sense of what the younger man was feeling. He could only see one shoulder and the top of Luke’s head around the massive chair, though. He was anxious, worried. He couldn’t stand being so far away, not now.
Damian was looking at Luke, smiling almost kindly, and it made the hair on Reid’s neck stand up.
“Luciano,” said Damian in an Italian accent. “It is good to see you, mio luce. I only wish it were under different circumstances.”
Reid was really getting sick of those words.
“Mi sei mancata, Luciano,” Damian continued. I missed you, Luciano.
“Non posso dire che sento la stessa cosa, papà,” said Luke. I cannot say I feel the same, Dad.
Reid was fluent enough to understand, but apparently not everyone appreciated their conversation.
“English, please,” said the Minister grumpily. Some things hadn’t changed in the Wizarding World, and a paranoid Minister for Magic was one of them.
“My apologies,” said Damian politely. Reid felt sick.
“Would you please state your name for the record, son,” said the Minister to Luke.
“Luke Snyder,” said Luke. “But I’m also known as Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi.” The name rolled off his tongue gracefully and with an accent that might have made Reid smile in any other situation, but today he could only hear the shame in Luke’s voice, and his heart sank.
“Well, Luciano Grimaldi, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” the Minister said patronizingly. “I hereby call this court to order. Counselor, you have the floor.”
*
It was well after midnight before they were allowed to leave the courtroom. Reid was at Luke’s side the moment he got out of the chair, helping the tired, drained man out of the room and through the sea of hungry reporters. Once they made it back to Margo’s Luke collapsed into a chair, Reid kneeling in front of him.
“Are you alright?” he finally had a chance to ask. Before Luke could answer, Reid started rummaging through a small bag hooked to the inside of his robe.
“I’ve been better,” Luke admitted. His eyes were red and puffy, his face drained of color. “I didn’t think it would be that hard,” he said.
“Here, drink this,” said Reid, handing hm a small vial. Luke didn’t hesitate, taking it in his hand and downing the contents in two gulps.
“Thank you,” said Luke. “For staying. I don’t think I could have done this without you.”
“I might as well have not been there,” Reid frowned. “I couldn’t even see you. And when he started yelling at you...” Reid made a fist. “It took two of the men sitting with me to keep me from running down right them.”
Luke choked out a laugh. “I knew you were there, and that was enough.”
Without a thought, Reid sat up and kissed Luke soundly on the mouth.
A moment later the door opened and Margo and Tom came in.
“How are you feeling?” asked Margo motherly.
“I’ll live,” said Luke. “How did we do?” he asked, turning to Tom.
Tom gave him a smile. “I think today went well,” he said. “Honestly. Your testimony was solid, spot-on with the information you’ve given over the years. Damian was nervous, everyone could see that.”
“But it’s not over,” Luke frowned.
“I’m afraid not,” nodded Tom. “I must warn you, Luke, tomorrow will be even tougher than today, I’m afraid. We’re going to have to show them your memories, first hand, and I have a feeling that today was just the start of them trying to turn things on you.”
Luke nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m confident though, Luke. Everyone remembers the papers, remembers his face and his name proudly plastered on the front page. He’s not going to win. You need to believe that.”
“We’ll leave you two alone,” said Margo. “We have cots you can use tonight, or we can set up a portkey to take you back to Hogsmeade.”
Luke shook his head. “There will be reporters waiting in Hogsmeade. I’m sure there’s a few outside of the castle already,” he said. “I’d rather stay here. McGonagall already said it’s alright for both of us.”
“Alright,” nodded Margo. “We’ll get something set up. Take your time.”
The two left, leaving Luke and Reid alone in the small office. Luke closed his eyes, struggling to breathe.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” he said shakily.
“You can,” Reid encouraged him, taking both of his hands. “Let’s get some sleep.”
*
“Luciano Grimaldi,” called the Minister. Luke stood. Even from a distance Reid could tell he was shaking. The Minister waved the court clerk forward. The young man moved forward, his wand in one hand, a vial in the other. Off to the side floated a pensieve.
The clerk raised his wand, setting the tip to Luke’s temple. Luke closed his eyes, concentrating quietly. When the clerk slowly moved his wand away, it was followed by a silvery strand of light. He directed it into the vial and capped it off. He produced a second vial from his pocket and retrieved a second memory before nodding to Luke, indicating he could sit down.
Reid watched as the clerk moved to the front of the room, motioning toward the pensieve with his wand. The pensieve began to move, following him to the front. Carefully he poured the first vial into the large round dish.
“The prosecution would like to enter this memory, belonging to one Luciano Grimaldi, into the record. The date of the memory is the 19th of January, 1997,” said Tom, speaking to the court.
Tom nodded to the clerk, who moved forward again. He waved his wand and muttered an incantation that Reid couldn’t make out. The contents of the pensieve began to swirl, moving upward in a misty fashion before seeming to explode through the room, catching a few people by surprise if their soft gasps were any indication. Reid even jumped a little. He’d heard about projecting pensieve memories at trials, but he’d never actually witnessed it happening and hadn’t known what to expect. He figured it out quickly, though, watching as the murky figures took on a more solid looking form in the open space at the center of the room. Three figures took shape, three men. It was clear within moments that the first two were Luke and Damian. The third was a man Reid didn’t recognize.
His mind immediately jumped back to that morning after Tom briefed them on what would be happening regarding Luke’s memories. They had gone to follow Tom but Luke had asked for a moment alone with Reid.
“Whatever you see in there today, please remember what I told you, that I had to play along, I had to convince Damian I was on his side,” Luke pleaded desperately.
“Of course,” said Reid, trying not to show how worried he was. He hated seeing Luke like this. “I know you, Luke. I know the truth.”
Reid blinked when he heard voices, a cheerful laugh coming from one of the projections.
“It is so good to see you, mio luce,” said Damian happily, embracing his son in a full hug. Luke smiled happily up at his father.
“It’s good to see you too, papà,” said Luke.
“Lingley, please, come,” said Damian, gesturing for the third man to step forward. He had his other arm around Luke’s shoulders proudly. “I would like you to meet my son, Luke-“
“Luciano,” Luke correctly instantly, his accent flawless. “Luciano Grimaldi. It’s a pleasure,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.
Damian looked like he could cry with happiness.
“Come, we mustn’t keep the others waiting,” said Damian, motioning to a door that Reid only just noticed.
The memory shifted, swirling a little before rematerializing. They were seated at a table, a dozen or so blurry faces around them. Damian sat at the head of the table with Luke on his right, the one named Lingley on his left.
“The Dark Lord has a plan as far as Hogwarts go,” Damian was saying. “By the end of term he is confident that Dumbledore will no longer pose a threat.”
There was a murmur amongst the others at the table. Luke was smiling.
“And what if the Malfoy boy can’t do it?” someone asked from a few seats down.
“Such an occasion has already been considered,” said Luke this time. “The Dark Lord has made arrangements in case the boy fails. Have faith.”
“So what are we to do until then?” asked another.
“Lingley has already been briefed on a little trip we’ve been asked to take to Cornwall in the next few days. We are just waiting for the green light, so to speak,” said Damian.
“What does this ‘trip’ entail?”
“It seems there are a few writers for the Prophet that aren’t quite as happy with the Dark Lord’s return as we are,” said Damian, sounding amused. “Timothy Grahm and and Kellan Pickett to be precise.”
“Isn’t Grahm a muggle born?” someone asked, saying the word ‘muggle’ as though it were venomous.
“Yes,” said Lingley. “And Pickett is married to a muggle.”
More murmurs.
“I think we can take on a couple of filthy muggles,” someone spat. The rest of the group seemed to feel the same. Luke was still smiling.
The memory faded, swirling around the courtroom until it dissolved into the pensieve again.
Reid blinked, trying to regain his bearings as the real world took over again. He couldn’t see Luke, but Damian was staring at him, a mix of anger and genuine hurt in his eyes. His lawyers looked only a little concerned, shifting in their seats.
“The prosecution would not like to enter a second memory,” began Tom. “Also from one Luciano Grimaldi, dating 12 May, 1998.”
Again the clerk stepped forward, pouring the second vial into the pensieve. A moment later the familiar swirling sensation engulfed the room. When the memory settled, the room was dark. They were outside, or so Reid assumed. It was dark and smelled of fresh water. He could hear crying.
When the memory solidified, he saw a man cowering against a brick wall that had seen better days. He looked terrified as he stared up, a wand pointed directly at his face. The memory continued to slowly take shape, and as Reid and the rest of the room followed the wand, he nearly gasped allowed to see Luke’s face at the other end.
Luke looked scared himself, jaw clenched tightly. Reid had seen a similar expression many times over the past few weeks. It was hard to watch.
“Please,” the man sobbed. “Please don’t kill me. I’ve done nothing wrong.
“Go on!” shouted a blurry man in the distance, egging Luke on. “Kill him!”
Luke tensed, twisting his wrist.
“Please, please, please,” the man continued to cry pathetically.
“Don’t be such a pansy, Luciano!” the other man yelled gruffly.
“Silence!” came a fourth voice, the tone demanding but calming. Damian Grimaldi entered the picture, standing at his son’s side. He placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
“It’s alright, Luciano,” he said kindly in his son’s ear. Luke looked up, blinking back the tears he was trying to hard to hide. He nodded and lowered his wand.
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” the man on the ground cried, sounding almost more hysterical than before.
But his relief was short lived. Luke stepped back, and as soon as he did, Damian raised his arm, his own wand in hand.
“Avada kedavra!” shouted Damian without hesitation. The man barely had time to cry out before the green light struck him. Reid found himself flinching away from the horrible light, looking up only to see the man’s body twist away and crash into the wall before slumping down, his eyes open but unseeing.
Luke was shaking - the Luke in the memory and the real Luke. Reid knew that both versions were also crying.
“You will not try to force my son into something he does not wish to do again, do you hear me?” Damian said threateningly to the blurry man, who only nodded obediently. “Do not feel ashamed, Luciano,” said Damian now to Luke. Luke nodded, staring down at the body of the man as Damian patted him on the shoulder moved away.
The memory dissolved.
*
The court dismissed while the jurors and council members deliberated. Reid was one of the last ones to be escorted from the room and back to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement offices. Luke was already there, waiting in Margo’s office.
“He’s, well, you can imagine how he is,” Margo frowned as she led Reid to him. “I think he could really use some words of reassurance right now.”
“Thank you,” said Reid, only half hearing her as she opened the door to let him in before closing it behind him again.
Luke turned around, arms wrapped around his own chest and eyes wide and misty.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, voice cracking. “I’m so sorry that you had to see that.”
“Shh, stop,” said Reid, taking Luke’s face in his hands and rubbing his thumb under his eyes. “All I saw today was a man risking everything to help the good guys win, a man who even in the worst of circumstances never let go of his morals. I’m proud of you, Luke.”
That was all it took for Luke to break, crumbling against Reid who more than willingly held him close, held him together. Luke cried onto his shoulder without reservation, and Reid didn’t care. Truth be told he’d expected Luke to break down like this a lot sooner.
Two hours passed agonizingly slow. Once Luke had calmed down they left the door open, partly so they could see Tom and Margo coming, but mostly just so they felt connected to the business of the office. Damian’s case was not the only one occupying the department’s time and so the entire floor was rather busy. The movement, the sound of carts rolling and memo planes zipping through the air, all provided excellent distractions. Reid even got Luke talking about his classes and what he was thinking of doing for his N.E.W.T. exams. At one point he even got a smile out of him, and that was enough to make everything seem a little better.
When Tom finally arrived to tell them that it was time to return to the courtroom, all the happiness faded again. Reid took Luke’s hand.
“Whatever happens in there,” he said, “you’ve still one. You’ve still proven you’re the better man.”
“But what if he’s found innocent?” asked Luke. “What if he gets to walk away, even after what he did to your sister?”
Reid shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We know the truth, I know the truth. That’s enough for me.”
He leaned in and kissed Luke gently on the mouth, trying to convey every encouraging thought he had in that one kiss. It seemed to help at least a little, and he watched as Luke took a deep breath, a hint of confidence building in his eyes.
They all took their seats in the courtroom, though Luke and Tom got to sit at the table off to the side this time while Damian was brought to the front. Reid tapped his hand against his thigh anxiously, watching as the council filed into their seats.
A hand touched his shoulder and he nearly jumped, looking up to see Minerva McGonagall taking a seat beside him, giving him a supportive smile. He breathed shakily, eyes filled with emotions and Minerva linked her arm through his and patted his hand.
“Will the accused please rise,” said the Minister. Damian stood, again wearing a fancy suit thrown off by the metal cuffs on his hands. “The charges against the accused are as follows: Four counts of murder, two counts of torture and treason. The accused has pled not guilty on all charges.
“After hearing testimonies from both sides and considering the evidence presented to this court over the past few months, including new information provided by Mr. Luciano Grimaldi, the court will now vote take a vote. All those in favor of conviction on the four charges of murder,” the Minister announced.
Slowly, but sure enough, the majority of the council raised their hands. Seven of the eight members of the jury also raised their hands.
“All those in favor of conviction on the two charges of torture.”
Again the hands went up, more this time than before. Reid reached Minerva’s hand.
“All those in favor of conviction on the charge of treason.”
Every hand in the room went up and Reid found himself resisting the urge to raise his own hand.
“All those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges.”
Not a single person moved.
“I hereby find the accused, Damian Grimaldi, guilty of all charges.” The Minister banged his gavel on the wooden block, and the room erupted in applause.
“Silence, silence,” the Minister demanded, banging his gavel again. “I must also announce that, concerning evidence presented in this trial, this court has also decided to bring charges against Luciano Grimaldi for his crimes during the war and his assistance to Damian Grimaldi and Lord Voldemort.”
His words were eaten by the uproar that followed. Reid was immediately on his feet, staring bewildered down at Luke, who looked petrified as two aurors moved toward him from the side. Tom was on his feet, too, trying to wave them off.
“On what charges?” Tom shouted.
“Treason and unknown accounts of murder,” the Minister responded, trying to sound important.
“That is absurd!” Tom cried, watching helplessly as the aurors took Luke by the arms.
Reid moved to rush down onto the main floor, but Minerva held his arm.
“If the court will allow,” she said, her voice echoing and demanding attention. The room quieted all eyes on the wise witch. “I worked with Dumbledore for many, many years, as you are all fully aware. I will vouch for this young man under the influence of veritaserum if it is necessary and swear that he was acting under Dumbledore’s orders for the good of the Order of the Phoenix, and was never truly aligned with this criminal,” she said bitterly, gesturing to Damien.
“Even if he was working for the Order,” said the Minister, his voice wavering. “There is still evidence to suggest that he killed innocent witches and wizards, a crime that is not excused simply because he was a spy.”
The shouting continued again from every corner of the room.
“If I may…”
The voices hushed and everyone looked to the center of the room where Damian was now standing, eyes focused on the Minister.
“You wish to bring charges of murder on my son, but do you truly have evidence proving that he killed anyone?” Damian asked.
The Minister looked flustered.
“We know that he spent the better part of two years under your command,” said the Minister. “and that your men were responsible for countless deaths. He has no proof that he did not take part in any of the torturing or killings.”
“I didn’t realize that one had to prove innocence. I was certain that my entire case was based on proving my guilt,” said Damian confidently. Reid could hardly believe what he was hearing. “You have come to the conclusion that I am guilty of the crimes you have charged me with, a conclusion no doubt enforced by the things said by my son these past two days,” he continued, gesturing to Luke. “Luciano has boldly stepped up against me in order to help you, and you use my conviction now against him. But you will not be able to convict him, not without my own testimony, ironically,” he said, a small smile on his face. “I guarantee you that neither myself nor any of the men who followed my commands during the war will give you the information you would need in order to find Luciano guilty, and that is because it simply does not exist. You saw Luciano’s second memory, all of you with your own eyes. I killed that man, not my son, because he would never kill anyone. I realized when he abandoned me during that final battle that he was never truly with me, that his heart was too good to ever harm someone in such a way for reasons he did not truly believe. My son never killed anyone. You can try to prove otherwise, but you never will.”
The room was silent save a few murmurs amongst the council and jurors. The Minister looked positively baffled, his face red and he appeared to be trying to find a way to keep the upper hand he clearly no longer had.
“Release him,” he said suddenly to the aurors holding Luke. “Sentencing for Damian Grimaldi will take place tomorrow at noon.”
The Minister banged his gavel a final time before abruptly standing and leading the others out of the courtroom.
The aurors did as they were told, letting go of Luke’s arms. Not a moment later he was being held again, but this time by arms that were far more welcoming. Reid hugged him tightly, though he’d never admit it was a hug.
Luke wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck, burying his face in his neck. It felt like they stood there forever, only half aware of the ‘congratulations’ and pats on the shoulders they were both receiving from people as they left the courtroom.
“I hate to interrupt,” came a friendly voice. Luke and Reid separated enough to look up and see McGonagall, her wise, kind eyes sparkling down on them as she smiled. “I always knew this day would come, Luke,” she said gently. “And I knew you’d be victorious. Dumbledore would have been proud of you.”
Emotion seemed to flood over Luke’s face again, and he released Reid long enough to share a hug with Minerva.
“Thank you,” he said breathlessly.
She sniffled, rubbing an arm up and down his back twice before releasing him.
“I expect to see you both back in class tomorrow,” she said.
Reid laughed with relief. “Of course,” he said. “Thank you, Minerva.”
The old witch looked between them one more time before leaving with permanent smile.
“Luciano.” Luke looked up. Damian was standing a few feet away, two guards at his sides. “May I speak to you before you go?”
Luke turned to Reid uncertainly. Reid eyed Damian, and though he still didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him, he had to give him at least a little credit for what he had done at the end.
“Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll wait here.”
“Would it be alright if we spoke alone?” Damian asked his guards. They looked at Luke, who nodded.
“It’s alright. You don’t have to go far,” he assured them. They stepped away, giving Luke and Damian space to talk privately.
“I suppose I should thank you,” said Luke, feeling a little awkward. “But why? Why would you do that for me?”
“Because you are still my son, mio luce,” said Damian with unexpected emotion. He raised his cuffed hands, fingers just barely touching Luke’s face. Luke turned his head away. “I need to you know that regardless of my actions, I still love you very much, son. You may not believe me, but your safety and happiness is still the most important thing to me.”
Luke looked back up at him, taken aback by the sincerity in Damian’s voice, in his face.
“I know,” he said.
“My defense has told me of this man,” said Damian, nodding toward Reid, who shifted uneasily as father and son looked at him. “His sister, she was one of the young aurors.”
“Yes,” nodded Luke.
“I speak honestly when I tell you that I was not directly involved in her death, Luciano,” Damian said, his voice forceful. “But I cannot deny that I played a role in events that led to it. I know it means very little now, but please convey my apologies to him.”
Luke said nothing, just nodding. He wasn’t sure he could fill that request, but he wasn’t going to tell Damian that right now.
“You two seem close,” Damian commented. “I saw the way he watched you during the trials. He appears to love you very much.”
Luke turned red. “Perhaps,” he said.
“I am happy for you, Luciano,” said Damian. “I am sorry that I have brought such pain into your life. Perhaps this young man can help to fix some of the damage I have done.”
When Luke looked at him this time, he was shocked to see tears in his father’s eyes.
“I hope that someday you can forgive me, mio,” said Damian quietly.
“I hope so, too,” said Luke. “I… I know it’s probably hard to understand… I know that no one else would understand… but I still love you, papa,” he went on, swallowing hard.
“I know, my son,” said Damian, smiling sadly. He reached up again, and this time Luke didn’t turn away. “Ti voglio bene, Luciano. Sarai sempre il mio figlio ed io ti amerò sempre.” I love you, Luciano. You will always be my son and I will always love you.
“Anch'io ti amo, papà. Mi dispiace tanto.” I love you, dad. I am so sorry.
A single tear ran down Luke’s face, colliding with Damian’s thumb.
“It’s time to go,” said one of the guards, moving up to Damian’s side again.
Luke sniffled, wiping his eyes.
“Be happy, Luciano,” said Damian.
Luke never saw Damian again.
Part Six - Final Chapter