Summary: Harry is a key witness on the trial of Ron's killer. What will he do? Can he forgive? One-shot.
Disclaimer: Not mine! It's all J. K. Rowling's.
Warning: Character death. Yes, it's a bit Dark.
Beta reader: labrt2004 – thank you very much!
A/N: It's all labrt2004's fault. Her prompt was... Location: Ministry of Magic; Characters: Snape, Hermione, and Harry Potter; Time: 7th year (for HG and HP); Keyword: how?
Harry sat in the witness bench of Courtroom Ten, staring at the witch who seemed resigned to whatever fate she would have. He wondered how he would forgive her. He'd been struggling with memories of their happy times together, simpler times. He'd been struggling with memories of the past year, difficult times. Harry had been struggling with memories of the past five days, the worst times of his young life.
His best friend, his first friend, Ronald Weasley was dead. His other best friend, his second friend, Hermione Granger was the witch on trial today. How did things end up like this? It felt like only yesterday they were playing and laughing, and now…
"Mr. Potter," he heard Minister Scrimgeour call, "you are an eye-witness, the only one we could locate, of what happened last week."
Harry didn't make any indication that he had heard the Minister's words; his eyes were fixed on Hermione, who sat hunched over with her face hidden behind her curls. But Harry was listening, and the barely concealed frustration on the man's voice was not lost upon him. Yes, another chair at the center of this Courtroom was supposed to be filled today. The bastard! Harry thought, still watching as Hermione looked blankly down at her knees.
Severus Snape had always had a part during the most painful and distressing moments of Harry's life. Snape had been responsible for his parents' death, for Sirius' death, for Dumbledore's death, and now, for what was unfolding before his eyes.
"Hermione Jane Granger, a known Death Eater," Scrimgeour paused, and then raised his voice in an effort to overlap the grumble that was rising from the assembly, "was found close to the…"
Harry knew what the Minister was deliberately delaying to say, but wouldn't help nor appreciate the man's sensationalistic intent.
"…to Ronald Weasleys' body," Scrimgeour finally finished.
A Death Eater. His best friend, whom he had trusted with his life, was a Death Eater. How could he have known? Harry hadn't, and when he couldn't find her to talk about the changes in their plans for that night, he hadn't suspected, either. He would never have suspected, not of her.
"She was found wandless, preventing us from using Priori Incantatem as irrefutable evidence of her acts."
Harry knew that. Without her wand, they couldn't ascertain if she had been the caster of the ultimate curse that had brought Ron's life to its end.
"Thus, your testimony is of utmost importance."
Harry remained silent. He knew what he wanted to do, he knew what he had to do, but he had yet to decide what he was really going to do.
They had joined the Order for that assignment, Harry had insisted that much. He'd looked for her everywhere, until Tonks had said they had to go. He hadn't liked to leave her behind – she was one of them, always with them – but there had been no time. It would have to be only Ron and him.
Harry blinked lengthily. He shouldn't have taken Ron with him. This was never his war. But how could he have known?
They had arrived to an ambush, with hexes flying everywhere, Death Eaters enclosing their small group. It had become impossible to adhere to what had been planned. Ron had never left his side, countering every curse he could, hexing when the chance presented itself. Harry was aiming curses of his own everywhere. The mass of black-robed people was loosening in thickness, but they were still at an advantage.
He couldn't recall how, but they had gotten detached from the other members of the Order. There had been fewer Death Eaters there by then, as they had also dispersed. Harry and Ron had still been fighting, trying to get outside the area preventing them from Apparating away, when it had happened.
A green light had flown from the tip of a wand belonging to a Death Eater standing just behind him. Harry had seen Ron move exactly into the path of the curse. It had been seconds, unbearable seconds. He'd screamed his friend's name, but he didn't think Ron had heard, since his body was splayed on the ground, lifeless.
That had been the moment when Harry had heard another voice screaming the same name, but coming from the Death Eater behind him. The caster. Her voice, Hermione's. He had thought he had been having a nightmare due to the surrealism of the moment. She was in full Death Eater attire, and taking the mask from her face, she revealed herself to the others. Then she had run to Ron, screaming his name again.
Harry had forgotten the battle still happening around them. He'd his wand at Hermione but, had never had the chance to utter a curse. It had now become apparent who had taken care of the remaining Death Eaters, daring to keep fighting, while Harry's world was shattering. It was the very same wizard who had frozen him instantly in place, just as Dumbledore had done almost a year ago. It had been none other then the man he hated more than Voldemort himself: Severus Snape, his sneer revealed in full glory when he'd taken his mask off.
Frozen, with his wand ready to hex Hermione, Harry had watched Snape try to pull her from Ron's side. She was crying hysterically. Unable to blink, cursed as he had been, Harry saw Snape brush Hermione's hair from her tear-stained face, murmuring into her ear.
Something he'd said must have taken her aback. It had been as if she had awakened from her hypnotic watch of Ron's eyes. She began shaking her head violently, making Snape take his gloved hands from her hair.
"I'm not leaving him here, I'm not leaving him!" she keened.
"Stop that this instant!" Snape had chided her. "You'll be sent to Azkaban if you stay! Potter is ready to kill you!" he'd added, gesturing towards Harry's frozen wandaim.
That had only brought more tears to Hermione's face.
"Granger, we don't have time for this. Come with me," Snape commanded. "The Order will be here anytime now. I won't be able to stop them all. Come with me. NOW!"
Hermione frantically shook her head again. "No, Severus. It ends here. I can't go on. I killed him, Severus. I killed him."
"Don't give up now, silly woman!" Snape berated her. "You won't stand a chance with them when they find the mark on your arm. They won't forgive you. You saw what they did to me!"
"I was never strong like you, Severus. I killed Ron. I deserve whatever they have for me. I killed Ron," Hermione said, staring blankly at the dead boy's face. Then, in a maniacal way, she'd turned to Snape and grabbed his robes. "Kill me, Severus. Kill me!"
Harry could not avoid seeing the look of disbelief and fear that crossed the hated man's face.
"Please," Hermione begged. "Severus, please."
That had been when Snape had disentangled himself from Hermione's grip of his robes and stood up, stepping away from her. Snape stared at her, transfixed.
"I'm sorry." Hermione's voice had come in a whisper. She'd then turned from Snape to Ron and had repeated the lament, "I'm sorry."
When Snape turned to Harry, his expression was devoid of emotion once again. The wizard had approached his frozen form, and leaning very close to Harry's face, within his range of sight, he said, "Listen to me, Potter, because I'll only this say once. I can't take her with me in these conditions; the Dark Lord would kill her on the spot. She's in shock, and she'll be for a while yet. Do use this tiny brain of yours to understand what's happening here." Snape had emphasized his admonishment by prodding Harry's unmoving head, much to his annoyance, then pointed to Hermione. "I'll entrust her to you. Keep her alive, sane and out of Azkaban, or the most tiresome of the Dark Lord's troubles will be relieved of him - that being you, Potter."
Harry hadn't been scared of Snape's threats, only surprised by the wizard's choice of subject for protection. He knew no emotion could escape through his frozen expression, but if any could have, Snape would have seen him dumbfounded.
Snape had turned yet again to Hermione, but didn't approach the grieving witch any more. Without turning to Harry, Snape added, "She's the spy bringing you all the information. She has sacrificed her innocence to serve you, Potter."
Voices were coming from where the battle had started, alerting them. Hermione was still oblivious or too resigned to care, both wizards realized. With something akin to despair tainting his serious expression, Snape faced Harry for the last time to say, "Protect her from what's left of this damned war."
Even if Harry had been able to answer, he wouldn't have had the time. Snape had retrieved Hermione's wand from her limp hand, kissed her head, lifted the spell petrifying him and Dissaparated, all in seconds. The Order had reached them just in time to see him disappear, and nothing else. Hermione had presented no resistance to the Aurors, and was taken by the officials to await trial.
"Mr. Potter, did Hermione Jane Granger use an Unforgivable – the Killing Curse – to end Ronald Weasley's life?" Minister Scrimgeour's voice brought Harry back to the present.
Hermione didn't move, even after that accusation.
It was true, technically true. Hermione had refused to see him before today, but Harry had had the time to think of everything that had happened. Could he forgive her? Could he trust Snape of all people?
"No, Sir," Harry finally answered. "She did not."
There was commotion on the stands, but Harry had made his decision and would stick to it.
"Are you sure, Mr. Potter?" the Minister insisted, seeming a little surprised.
"Absolutely sure, Sir," he confirmed.
Whether it had been Hermione's apathy to the course of her destiny, or her pleas for Snape to kill her after what had happened, or whether it had been Snape's rare show of affection, fear, and passion, Harry didn't know. The only thing he knew was that he now understood Dumbledore's words and beliefs a little better, and realized more the meaning of following his heart. He had made his decision: he would forgive Hermione one day at a time, no matter how.
A/N: Dark and sad, I know. Did you like it anyway? I hope so. :0)