Magical Britain was the first Western European state to have triumphed in democracy. On the continent, representatives of ancient pureblood families still held power, and they had not been removed even after Grindelwald's fall. They were merely waiting for an excuse to interfere in Britain's internal affairs, and that reason turned out to be Narcissa Malfoy's complaint.
The Commission for the Protection of Civil Rights of the Citizens of European Countries, part of the International Association of Wizards, gathered in record time. The Association issued a protest note to Britain, demanding access for the commission to investigate the complaint, and Shacklebolt had no choice but to let this pack of hyenas into the country. Around a dozen German, French, and Scandinavian gentlemen visited Narcissa Malfoy's estate to investigate her complaint, treating the injured party with kindness. The damage assessment was made in her favor, and the Auror Office was presented with a hefty sum for moral damages to the Greengrass family for an attempted assault on the young Miss Greengrass, along with a list of international sanctions in case of refusal to compensate.
Of course, the commission did not overlook the legality of the detention of Lucius and Draco Malfoy in Azkaban. While their connection to a terrorist organization was evident and undisputed, according to international legal standards, an investigation must take place within a month of pre-trial detention, while the Malfoys had already been in Azkaban for three months without trial or investigation. The commission visited the prison, had an extended conversation with both detainees, and then recommended that the Wizengamot expedite their case. Leaving two observers behind to ensure the legality and protect the rights of the accused, the remaining members of the commission returned to the continent.
The trial for the Malfoys was held the day after the commission's departure. This was greatly facilitated by Minister Shacklebolt, who told his old school friend, now presiding over the Wizengamot, "Settle this Malfoy matter quickly and leniently; I don't want an international scandal." The hearing was private, but the Weasley family somehow managed to find out about the trial and insisted on being witnesses, as well as the many-titled but now simply Mister—Dumbledore. Such prominent people couldn't be refused, so they had to agree.
The procedure was outlined in international law. First, the charges were presented to the accused, who either acknowledged them or denied them and gave their version of events. Witnesses were then heard, and a list of questions was compiled for the accused to answer under Veritaserum. After the questions were agreed upon with the accused's defense, if they had one, the accused would take Veritaserum and answer. The verdict was based on the answers.
The Wizengamot was not a haven for the poor, so there were few truly eager to bury the Malfoys. Most members simply feared contradicting the new executive authority. Thanks to Narcissa's advocacy, there were also some willing to risk standing up for the Malfoys, so the presence of observers from the international commission was a convenient excuse for many. The Wizengamot chair remembered Shacklebolt's request and understood that the minister's wish was effectively an order, making the courtroom atmosphere favorable to the defendants.
Lucius Malfoy recounted that, since the First Wizarding War, his involvement with Voldemort was forced, primarily dealing with finances, and in recent years Voldemort tolerated him only for his money and residence. Nevertheless, he was constantly pressured, and his son was practically coerced into taking the Dark Mark under threats to the family. Lucius hadn't even participated in the final battle, as by then Voldemort distrusted him enough to have taken his wand. This was news, and even a shock, to some members of the Wizengamot, as wands were only confiscated from criminals.
Witnesses, including Narcissa, corroborated Lucius's account. The uninvited Weasleys and Dumbledore, however, were not heard. Dumbledore raised his hand eagerly, reminiscent of Hermione in her first year, but was ignored. Witnessing such disregard, Merlin's Order First Class hero Ronald Weasley shouted:
"What?! They're ferrets! They're Malfoys! They bribe everyone left and right and own half the Ministry!"
The judges buzzed indignantly.
"Mr. Weasley!" the chair shook a bell to restore order. "Can you verify under Veritaserum that you saw any Malfoy offering bribes to anyone?"
"No, but everybody knows it!"
"Well, if you didn't witness it, you cannot testify to it. We are hearing witnesses, not rumor-mongers. I warn you, Mr. Weasley. Another outburst, and you'll be removed from the courtroom."
An angry Ron was forcibly seated by Arthur and Molly, who gripped him tightly from both sides. Dumbledore, seeing which way the wind was blowing, gave up on raising his hand. The judges sent notes with questions to the secretary, and the international commission representative reviewed and selected the ones that met Veritaserum questioning standards. Lucius was given a glass of water with three drops of Veritaserum, and the questioning began.
"Have you killed people?"
"Yes, during the First Wizarding War, in combat skirmishes," Malfoy replied in a monotone.
"I object," interjected the second observer with him. "The defendant has already answered for that in the trial after the First Wizarding War."
"Objection sustained," confirmed the chair. "Please clarify the question."
"Have you killed anyone since Voldemort's revival?"
"No."
"Did you want Voldemort's revival?"
"No. If I had wanted it, I would have made it happen; I had the time and the means. It was Pettigrew who did it."
"Why didn't you turn Voldemort over to the authorities?"
"I couldn't, because of the Mark."
"Why did you and the Death Eaters storm the Department of Mysteries?"
"We didn't want to storm it. The children started the fight, and I had ordered beforehand not to kill anyone. We had to defend ourselves."
"Why did you plant a dark artifact with Ginny Weasley, endangering the students?"
"I would never bring a dangerous artifact into the school where my son studied. I had no such intent; the artifact fell into the girl's hands by accident. That day, I tried to dispose of it at Borgin's but failed. When the Weasleys appeared, I thought I could get rid of it through them. I didn't expect the girl to take it to school. I thought she would show it to her parents, and Arthur would turn it in to the Department of Mysteries."
"And your Dobby?!" Ron shouted from the audience.
"Dobby was never my house elf. That was someone else's setup."
"But how? You gave him clothes!"
"A house elf cannot be freed just by tossing someone else's dirty sock at them. It must be the master's item, given with intention, and a specific renunciation formula must be used."
"You're lying!" Ron protested. "Then whose elf was he, if not yours?"
"One of the Blacks, from an extinguished branch," Malfoy paused, apparently searching for an answer, though Veritaserum made it unnoticeable on his expressionless face. "Possibly Alphard's. Not disowned, or else he couldn't enter our house. Narcissa is a born Black, and elves can get to the bloodline if there is no special protection like in Azkaban. I was surprised then when Filch gave me this miserable wretch to accompany. My own elves never looked so wretched..."
"I object!" interrupted the observer, curtailing the defendant's verbosity. "Only Wizengamot members may ask questions, and the questions must be clear!"
"Objection sustained," the chair silenced Ron with a Silencing Charm and ordered his removal from the courtroom. Lucius was asked a few more questions, and finally, he was given the antidote to Veritaserum.
After Lucius, it was Draco's turn. He explained that he had been forced to accept Voldemort's task under threat to his parents' lives. Then Narcissa spoke, saying she had asked Snape to help Draco at the start of the school year, and since Snape was Dumbledore's spy, Dumbledore knew of Draco's task from the beginning but did nothing, which was nothing less than complicity in criminal intent. As a mother, she would have preferred her son be in Azkaban, away from the Dark Lord, and not bear the Mark, and she secretly hoped it would happen.
All eyes turned to Dumbledore.
"Did you indeed know of young Malfoy's assignment and failed to report it to the Auror Office?" asked the chair.
Dumbledore remained silent, smiling his usual benevolent elderly smile.
"You can drink Veritaserum to disprove Mrs. Malfoy's accusation of concealment," the chair suggested.
"I wanted to give the boy a chance to reconsider on his own," sighed Dumbledore, seeing the entire courtroom awaiting his answer.
"And how would he reconsider if his whole family were hostages to the Snake Lord?" Narcissa asked furiously. "You wanted my son to take the Mark!"
The judges began murmuring. The chair rang the bell, calling for silence.
"Remove the defendants, witnesses, and others present," he directed. "The Wizengamot will deliberate."