Start of the Angst Insanity

Six hours later, Harry quickly ran up the stairs towards the office. It couldn't be true. They couldn't have done that, not after what Snape went through for everyone. He burst into the office and caught Professor McGonagall's shock at his actions.

"Tell me it's not true," he demanded.

"I'm afraid that it is true, Mr. Potter. They decided this morning unanimously."

"So he's going to Azkaban and that's that?"

"He will be given a fair trial." At this, Harry scoffed loudly. "Mr. Potter, you are not the only one this decision affects. While I am sure that Severus would be honored to know that you are thinking about him, we can do nothing at this present time."

"It's Dumbledore's fault, though," Harry growled.

"Be as it may, Mr. Potter, Severus took the Dark Mark."

"He took it because my father constantly harassed him, Professor," Harry argued.

"I see you and Severus did grow rather close this past year," McGonagall said with a soft smile. She knew she should have been scolding him for the lack of respect she received from him, but Harry had sacrificed himself for all of them. She couldn't scold him after something like that. "I am sorry, Mr. Potter, but we can't do anything to help him right now."

"When is his trial?"

"I'd expect the Wizengamot would have it as soon as possible, considering who he is."

"Well, I want to testify on Snape's behalf."

"That would have to be determined by Severus's attorney, Mr. Potter, not me."

"Can't you talk to Shacklebolt and see who his attorney is?"

"The Minister is rather busy, Mr. Potter."

"He wants them to convict him, Professor. He wants it."

"I am well aware of that, Harry. I'm afraid that we're all to blame for that thinking of his. Some more than others," she said, glancing towards Albus's portrait. Albus only nodded somberly.

"I know that I'm supposed to suck everything up and forgive Dumbledore for manipulating us, but I can't, Professor." Harry caught the momentarily flicker of anger in his Head of House's eyes. "He could have made this all so easy by just telling me that Snape was on our side from the get go. I spent an entire year with Dumbledore, and he could have told me at any point in time that he was dying. Instead, he made me hate a man that doesn't deserve that. Sure, Snape was a complete bastard to me, but it was to protect me. I understand that now. He couldn't just walk up to me the first day I started at Hogwarts and say, 'Hi, I'm Severus Snape. I am completely head over heels in love with your mother and have been ever since we were nine years old. However, I dislike you because you look exactly like the arrogant arse that made my life hell and won your mother because I lost my temper with her once.' I understand Snape's anger now, Professor, and I can relate with it." Harry then whirled around to glare at the older wizard. "All you had to do was tell me, sir."

"Unfortunately, Harry, I could not do that. You still had not learned Occlumency at that point."

"So if I would have learned it, you would have told me that you asked Snape to kill you?"

"Perhaps not—"

"Why not?" asked Harry. "Is it that you didn't trust me, sir?"

"It was never a matter of trust, Harry. It was a matter of love."

"Love for whom, sir? Snape or me?" the young Gryffindor retorted.

"Both, Harry, I loved you both. I regret having used you both like that, but it was necessary."

"I wonder if it's also necessary for Snape to be in Azkaban for your murder when you were the one who asked him to do it." Harry caught the sadness in Dumbledore's eyes. "I'm sorry for being so harsh, sir, but I nearly killed him. I wanted to kill him badly. Hell, I used an Unforgivable on him!"

"I know, my boy. I know you did," Dumbledore softly responded. "I hurt both of you badly, and I apologize sincerely for that, Harry. If I could do this all over again, I would not make that same mistake a second time. There were other ways we could have used to defeat Riddle."

"Then why didn't you use them?"

"Because I am flawed individual, Harry, and didn't even try to consider them."

Harry then sat down in one of the chairs and hung his head. They needed this discussion. He wondered if Snape ever yelled at Dumbledore for using him. He guessed not, though. Slowly, he looked back up at Dumbledore's portrait and sighed.

"So it all comes down to us being too stubborn," Harry said. "I was too stubborn to believe that Snape might actually not be trying to kill me and might actually be a good guy. Snape was too stubborn to tell me that he loved my mum and that he protected me because he felt guilty for not saving her. And you were too stubborn to consider other options."

"That would be correct, yes, my boy," Dumbledore replied softly.

"And once again Snape is being stubborn because he's not trying to get himself convicted for crimes he committed while in Voldemort's ranks. That's like convicting Dobby for Malfoy's crimes." Harry's eyes then narrowed. "What happened to Draco?"

"I would imagine that he'd be in Azkaban also, Harry," answered Dumbledore.

"No, that's not correct, Albus. Kingsley mentioned last night that they had yet to find him. The Ministry so far has arrested Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe along with their parents, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, but not Draco. The young man no doubt escaped and headed for the quickest place he could think of." A soft knock at the door then made Harry and McGonagall glance towards the door. "Enter," McGonagall responded. Her green eyes widened when the door slowly swung open and revealed a badly disheveled blond in ripped clothes. "Dear Merlin," she gasped, holding a hand to her chest as she stared at him.

"I would say that we've found Mr. Malfoy, Minerva," Albus quietly said from his portrait.

Harry quickly walked up to the young man and gently placed a hand on Draco's back. Draco flinched briefly, but made no sound as Harry steered him towards one of the chairs. He noticed his Head of House briskly walk towards the fireplace, which he guessed was to get Madam Pomfrey.

"Are you all right, Malfoy?" Harry watched Draco's gray eyes glance towards him.

"You're alive," Draco rasped. "Uncle . . . Sev was . . . was right." The blond then slumped in the chair as he succumbed to his extreme exhaustion.

Meanwhile, in Azkaban, Snape was bloody bored as he lay on his cot, staring up at the ceiling. His associates, unfortunately, had seen him and had snarled some lovely things when he walked past. He ignored them, though. Solitary confinement really wasn't what Snape needed in his present state of mind, but he wasn't going to argue. He knew he wouldn't be there very long. After all, he was the Dark Lord's favorite. The Wizengamot would probably sentence him for an immediate Kiss.

Snape then sighed heavily. He had his chance to die just yesterday, and he allowed it to slip away for some frustrating reason. He then scoffed. No doubt, the students were cheering ecstatically now with his departure. After all, no students ever liked him, and he enjoyed knowing that. His Slytherins, when they had been his, perhaps wanted nothing more than stab him in his sleep now. Gryffindors perhaps threw a rather large party. Ravenclaws perhaps just nodded their heads curtly in their rather arrogant way. Hufflepuffs most likely were the most joyful of all Houses because now they could go back to being the spineless idiots Snape knew them to be always.

Running through his list of the staff, he imagined each of their reactions. Trelawney would perhaps pass around her bottle of sherry for the staff to partake in. Minerva would probably say good riddance to him, along with Pomona and Filius. Horace would no doubt shake his head because yet again Severus Snape was a disappointment to his former Head of House. Septima would perhaps pity him slightly before attempting to watch Sinistra. His heart panged slight at the mentioning of Aurora. She would perhaps be the one celebrating the most. No longer would they know her as the—

"No," he growled loudly. He then closed his eyes and shook his head violently to stop that thought before he could finish it.

"You know, Severus, talking to yourself really isn't a good thing," a soft voice whispered near him. "It's a sign that you're going mad as a hatter. You know, I never really did understand that phrase."

Snape glanced towards the voice and snorted. Yes, he was certainly losing what sane part he had left now. When he caught the second witch joining the first, he smiled slowly and sighed. At least he wouldn't be in Azkaban too awful long for anyone to notice he was as insane as Bellatrix.