Nodding, Kingsley withdrew what appeared to be a small bottle of water from his pocket. It was labelled, but not with a proper potion name. The inscribed vellum encircling the bottle bore ominous phrases like Registered to MLE; Authorized Use Only. The Auror set the bottle down on Draco's consent form and pronounced a spell Harry didn't recognize. He assumed it was some way to inform the Ministry that three drops of the potion were about to be put to authorized use.
Draco had shoved his hands out of sight again, this time deep into trouser pockets. Harry gave him a sympathetic smile. Draco stuck out his tongue, but not to be rude. Tonks was behind him by then, an eyedropper in her hand. She quickly dripped three precise drops onto his tongue and stepped away.
Meanwhile, Kingsley cast the transcription spell, though the look he gave Snape told Harry that the self-writing quill standing at attention wasn't going to have the final word about anything. Kingsley had ways, Harry decided, to change the transcript after the fact... just in case Draco let slip something best kept out of the official record.
Beginning in a formal tone, Kingsley asked, "What is your full legal name?"
Draco's eyes had rolled back slightly in his head, but the question caused him to snap to attention. "I don't know."
"What name were you given at your birth?" Snape quickly questioned.
"Draco Alain Gervais Walpurgis Malfoy," the boy said.
"His school records read Draco Alain Gervais Luthien Malfoy," Kingsley said, his brow furrowed. "Perhaps the serum is flawed."
"He didn't know how to answer you at first," Snape explained. "His name was changed at a young age but I'm certain Draco indeed does not know if the change was duly recorded with the Ministry. At any rate, the potion seems... adequate."
"Ah, very well." Kingsley took a moment to regroup, then asked without preamble, "Did you kill Pansy Parkinson?"
"I don't know."
Kingsley set his teeth, and tried again. "On the day of the murder, were you present in the Owlery with Pansy Parkinson?"
Draco's features by then were serene. "I don't know."
The Auror glared at Snape. "Adequate?"
"Allow me, if you would," murmured the Potions Master. "Draco, do you know who killed Pansy Parkinson?"
"No."
"Why don't you know who killed her?"
"I was unconscious at the time of the murder."
"Did you want to kill her?" Kingsley broke in, his glance telling Snape to let him take it from there.
Draco shook his head. "No."
"Did you threaten to kill her this past November?"
"Yes."
"Did you intend at any point to make good on that threat?"
"No."
"Did you entertain fantasies about killing her?"
"No."
"Not even once?"
"Never," Draco said, looking Kingsley in the eyes. Even without the Veritaserum, Harry would have believed him utterly sincere.
"Then why did you threaten to kill her?"
Draco sighed, the sound full of regret as he looked away to admit the truth about himself. "I was angry. Also, I wanted to to hurt her parents. Also, to warn Slytherin to leave me alone. Also, I was sick and tired of the way she was looking at me. Also, I don't like snakes--"
"That's enough," Kingsley calmly interrupted. Apparently satisfied on that matter, he turned to a new line of questioning. "I understand you were burned by a protective amulet on the day of the murder. May I see the injury?"
"Yes," Draco readily said, though he made no move to unbutton his shirt until Snape gave him a pointed look.
Tonks and Shacklebolt both looked a little taken aback at the extent of the burn. It was still red and raw to Harry's eyes, but less inflamed than the first time he'd seen it. Kingsley spent a few moments evaluating it with spells, then quietly told Draco he could do up his buttons again.
"Albus has the amulet," Snape volunteered. "Cross-spelling will demonstrate that it is what caused the burn."
Kingsley nodded, then started in again with questions. "On the day of the murder, what caused you to become unconscious?"
"A hex." Draco didn't mention the Somulus but Harry figured that was because he didn't technically know it for a fact; he'd only been told about it afterwards.
"Did you hex yourself?"
"No."
"Who hexed you, then?"
"I don't know."
"Who would be able to identify who hexed you?" pressed the Auror.
"Pansy Parkinson," Draco said, his voice going blank, though he shifted restlessly as though uncomfortable. "Also, whoever carried out the assault. Also, whoever was with them. Also, anyone who might have been walking past. Also, any ghosts who might have been nearby--"
Kingsley glanced at his automatic quill to stop it from moving, then raised his voice a notch to cut Draco off. "That's enough. Why would Pansy Parkinson know who hexed you?"
"They hexed her, too. She saw them."
A pause as the Auror considered that. "You were with Pansy Parkinson the day she died."
Draco nodded as he reached up to tug at his collar a bit.
Kingsley frowned. "Did you cast Corpus Aqueous on her?"
"No."
"Did you hurt her in any way?"
"No."
"What did you do to her?"
Draco opened his mouth to reply, but no words issued forth. Harry thought he must be fighting the Veritaserum. Fighting, and losing. Draco's face flushed as he looked down at the table and began to speak. There was no serenity in his voice now. He sounded like every syllable was being dragged from him.
"I kissed her. Also, I ran my hands through her hair. Also, I told her I loved her. Also, I asked if she liked the locket I got her for Christmas. Also, I put my hands up her skirt and--"
"That's enough!" Harry blurted, glaring a bit at the Aurors, Tonks included, though none of it had been her fault.
Kingsley looked apologetic as he said, "Would you like a drink before we proceed?"
Draco didn't look up. "No."
Since that was no doubt as true as all the rest, Kingsley nodded in brisk agreement. Tapping his quill to wake it up, he said in an entirely different tone, "Mr. Malfoy. Before you were disinherited you came into possession of a great deal of information the Ministry would find useful. We're going to talk about those matters, now."
------------------------------------------------------
"Thank you," Kingsley said as he was preparing to leave. Shaking Draco's hand once more, he smiled gently. "I hope the experience wasn't too upsetting?"
"It was nauseating."
Harry almost laughed at the look on the Aurors' faces. "Hey, you shouldn't ask unless you want to know."
"You are fully satisfied?" Snape asked.
"Yes," said Kingsley.
"No," said Draco.
The Potions Master smiled wryly as he turned to his Slytherin son. "Not every question is for you, you idiot boy."
Draco nodded, the motion slightly jerky. "I think I'd better go have a lie-down and let it wear off. Should I go back to... ah..." The Fidelius charm stopped him from saying anything more.
"You'll stay here," Snape assured him, patting his shoulder twice, then dropping his arm. "Go to your room and rest for as long as you need."
"My room," said Draco, looking just a little bit dazed. "I... you know I think I thought I'd never see it again."
"You can't get rid of us that easily," said Harry. "Do you need some Stomach Calming Draught?"
"No."
"Sure?"
Draco shook his head in emphatic denial. "It was the experience that was nauseating, not the potion. I'll be all right." He turned to go, then turned back. Harry thought he seemed unsteady on his feet.
Snape seemed to understand things differently. "The Aurors are satisfied, Draco. You can rest easy now."
"I have to hear it from them--"
"Mr. Malfoy, our report will read that your own Veritaserum testimony demonstrates you could not have killed the young lady. You will not be charged. Moreover, we will indicate that we have uncovered evidence of a conspiracy to unjustly incriminate you. Will that suffice?"