CHAPTER SEVEN: BEFORE THE TRIAL
Patricia is a strong person, but I am beginning to wonder if I should enter my statement despite what she asked her lawyer to tell me. I want her to be able to survive, because she is the greatest friend I have ever had, and she was, believe it or not, my first date, including my seven years at Hogwarts and seven years in higher studies. Dumbledore did not know this, but now he doesn▓t know too much. He and Professor McGonagall are certain that Patricia murdered the defense teacher, all because she can heal, but I am beginning to doubt that Patricia can do the kind of healing done.
But I could have nothing to say. I was not allowed to see Patricia until July when all of the witnesses were compiled, but I could meet with her lawyer, which I have now decided to do.
His name is Fredrick Applebody, a very good lawyer from London, where the trial was taking place. He allowed my offering of a defense against the charges.
⌠Well, what do you know?■ Applebody asked.
⌠Well, I know very little about the evidence, but if the healing was done with a wand, Patricia could not have done the crime. You see, her powers are not wand based like mine or the ministry.■
⌠Wait, so she is more powerful than us because she can do her powers without a wand.■
⌠She never could use the wand. She doesn▓t have that kind of power. Listen, she▓s not from Europe, she▓s from America, from South Carolina.■
⌠How do you know all this?■
⌠I▓m Severus, her best friend at the moment. I helped to hide her until we could give her an identity. Her first two months with me were nothing but me tending to her wounds and helping her stay fed and hydrated.■
⌠Well, you did a good job, but your statement doesn▓t have anything that could help her.■
⌠Test her powers, please,■ I asked, more begging than anything else. He nodded.
⌠I will talk with my superiors. I will keep what you said. By any chance are you her date with the alibi? I wanted to do the statement anyway just in case.■
⌠I am. I walked her to her room, which is just another door down the hallway. She never left her room for any reason, at least without someone.■
⌠Thank you, Severus, you▓ve been a good help,■ he smiled. I went back to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore greeted me with a warning.
⌠Don▓t try to get her out of this, Severus,■ he said harshly.
⌠That▓s her choice, but at least I care,■ I replied darkly. I missed her greatly, but I could not see her for another month. Testimonies would begin in four weeks, and then I could visit her in the jail. I could feel her depression, and I could feel her pain. I knew and felt that she was innocent, and there was nothing anyone could do to make me change that.
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE TRIAL
July was opened with a heat wave, the first in many years. Patricia was ready for the testimony. I knew this because she wrote a letter to me. She wanted to tell me thank you for the idea, but she figured that it wouldn▓t matter. She told me of how she missed me and our nightly talks, and the food that they would eat. I smiled at the memories, but knowing that she was hurting really bothered me. I felt like we were very good friends, almost brother and sister, and that murder could not come between us. She was possibly the first person I had ever gotten close to, and I was happy about that. She understood me, and cared about me, and she was really good at helping me with my little tweaks. I was the same for her. Then, another question popped into my head. Could there be love between us? My mind answered yes, but I needed to wait, as usual. She was in prison, and truly, I just wanted to know if I would find love for a doomed woman or if I could have a chance. I truly do not have any idea how I would fare if she was executed. I would probably leave the teaching world, because Dumbledore is now my enemy. How dare he go against my best friend! She helped him too; does he consider this? She helped him in so many ways, and he cannot doubt it.
But it could all be for nothing. Today▓s trial would tell it all. It started at eleven after an early lunch. I sat in front of her. I waved as she sat there, her color faded and her hair still in her style from the dance. She looked truly horrible and depressed. I hoped for her as the opening statements were made. The ministry played the roles of prosecution, judge, and jury, something I think they should rethink, but it gave Applebody a better chance. He had dealt with these same people before on many occasions, and he knew how to approach the case.
I held my position as a witness of the trial, and Patricia sat patiently as the sides argued well into the day. We would talk that night, but she would be behind bars, and I would be on the outside, on the cold stone floor. I was right.
The trial gave no hints as to the direction it was going in, so we both had nothing to talk about when it came to that. Patricia was worried, so I tried to calm her.
⌠Everything will work itself out,■ I whispered. She nodded.
⌠I know, but I miss everything so much. I get into a situation where I have a great friend, a great family really, and then it gets taken away. Why does my life always do that to me? I am an innocent person, despite me interest in adventure. Can you explain this to me?■
⌠I cannot, but I said the same thing months ago. We are great friends, and nothing will ever change that.■
⌠You know that I will be executed soon, right Severus?■
⌠I was trying not to think of it, Patricia. I want us to be able to have these talks again, except in a different environment where my knees won▓t bother me. Believe me, I want to keep you around for a long time. You have helped me in so many ways, and I would hate to see you have to leave me forever.■
⌠Severus, just open up a little to people,■ she whispered. ⌠I▓m sorry this happened. I hate my powers, and I always will from now on,■ she cried.
⌠You cannot change them, Patricia, but you can use them to your advantage. Escape with them, Patricia,■ I whispered. She raised her head.
⌠And if I get caught, there will be no trial. Severus, I do not want to die,■ she cried. She was sobbing by now, and even I was beginning to feel tears. We hugged through the bars as a guard came up to us. It was time for me to leave. She waved to me as she went to the back corner of the cell and cried to herself. I wiped my tears as I left.
As I turned to go to my broom, Dumbledore came up the steps.
⌠Why are you here?■ I asked angrily.
⌠Listen, Severus,■ he whispered. ⌠She could not have done the crime, and I am entering in a statement as an analyst. We found the wand of the culprit yesterday hidden in the curtains. I am deeply sorry.■
⌠Visiting hours are over,■ I whispered.
⌠How is she?■ he asked solemnly.
⌠She is devastated, as am I. We were good friends, and now┘I think she▓ll be executed in the coming months and I will be alone once again.■
⌠Severus, you were never alone. I will try my hardest, and you can testify to back us up. We have a chance to win this, and she can return home.■
⌠She can return to be with me. She isn▓t ready to go home yet, and I am not ready to let her go yet,■ I whispered.
⌠Go home and rest, Severus,■ Dumbledore whispered. I tried, but it would not be the same, and I wondered if it ever would.
CHAPTER NINE: DEFENSE TAKES POSITION
Very little information was ever given to me. I had three hours in the day where I could be visited, and Severus tried to come for all three. He was becoming ill, and I knew it, but the handcuffs were also binders of magic, so I could not heal him. He would stand most of the time, and I would sit right at the bars, and sometimes I would stand with him. I was quite ill myself, and I was tired of the whole process. I was willing to face the fact that I could die in the coming months.
But Dumbledore had other plans. He, Severus, and my lawyer were preparing a knock out case, which involved me having to use my powers in front of the prosecution to prove my innocence, and then the evidence will come into play with the wand. Dumbledore would present it the same day that I had to show my powers to the court in one of my last attempts at mercy before the ten-day period of arguments were up. Severus would only come and testify in a last hope to get me off of the crime, but they were certain that wand would get me off of the charges, and then the students would be called back and tested with the wand. Dumbledore had everything worked out, until the prosecution played around with the facts.
It had come out the day before that Severus and I were very good friends, and how he hid me before my identity would become what it was now. The prosecution called a character witness who stated that Severus and I wanted more, but he was only a rider on the roller coaster of the defense against the dark arts teacher, who somehow had a crush on him and was dating him, which was obviously not true. Severus had never had a relationship of that kind before, so I was probably his first, unless he told me wrong. Defense stated this before they began the road to the wand.
I sat waiting for it, because I knew that I would have to use my powers, and pray that I was not wand-based. Well, it came soon enough, and my cuffs were removed as I stood in front of the court. The wand was place in my right hand and I pointed it to the floor. They told me what spell to use, but it did not matter. I could not use the wand.
So, they did their next point about my powers being not of the wand-based type that they thought. They called Severus to testify, and he willingly slit his wrist to give me something to heal. He walked in front of the prosecution, where I was standing, and I healed his wrist, stopping the bleeding once and for all. They were amazed and went straight to closing arguments for the next day. Severus visited me that night.
⌠I think you won▓t have to deal with an execution,■ Severus smiled. I nodded.
⌠Thanks for what you did today. That was a very sharp knife, and I didn▓t think you would do it.■
⌠I did it to protect my friend, and I would do it again all over, may be even more if I had the chance.■
⌠Thank you for everything, Severus,■ I smiled. He nodded as we shook hands. Hugging through the bars was quite painful, and we were tired of pain.
The next morning gave us a chance to keep it away forever. The day started rainy as the closing arguments took up the morning, with each side getting to redo its key points, but it was clear that the defense had a stronger case. I sat praying for a quick verdict, but they were quite slow. It was late in the afternoon when the board returned to the stand.
⌠We, the Ministry of Magic, find Patricia not guilty of first degree murder by wand. She is now free from jail and may be released now. Court dismissed,■ the Minister boomed. Cheers sounded as the cuffs were removed for the last time. Severus and I met on the floor, hugging in complete happiness as Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall came up to us.
⌠Congratulations,■ she whispered. As I left with them, I realized that I had survived again, and the most important person, again, was Severus. He was the one who gave the greatest testimony in my defense, and I think he knew this as much as I did.
As we ate a quick dinner in a near-by restaurant, Severus was very quiet. I looked to him as I finished my tea.
⌠Why are you so silent?■ I asked. He shook his head.
⌠Happiness will drain you,■ he whispered. Dumbledore smiled to him as we received our refills from the waiter. He left smoothly as Severus reached into his coat pocket. ⌠I know this may be quick, but I feel that I should do this now instead of waiting,■ he smiled. He got to his knees. I felt clueless, but I then knew and smiled. ⌠Patricia, will you marry me?■
⌠Of course I will,■ I smiled. We hugged as the people around us clapped, all mortals who would be clueless as to what our marriage would mean. Our love would be met with the saying of a spell, and then we would say our vows, and then we would be married by another wizard, which should be of a higher power than the wizard of the marriage. Dumbledore was just higher than Severus was, so we decided to wait through the summer and marry when the students and teachers could witness.
So, Severus took me home with him where his real sister and his entire, remaining, family members lived. They were all very happy for him, and I fit in well with the group. Severus was pleased, which was all I cared about. We went on our separate shopping journeys, him with his brother and me with his sister, who had a very good knowledge of gothic-style wedding dresses. We went to this little shop where I was fitted in a solid black wedding dress and veil, and everything else a modern witch bride needed. Everything was going great, until our second week. I went to help with dinner, which was cooked mostly with the power of their wands, but I could not use mine.
⌠What?■ his sister exclaimed. She dropped the pan as Severus came inside. ⌠Are you even a witch?■
⌠Yes, she is, but her powers are more advanced. She cannot use a wand when she uses her powers. Patricia, do your impression of me and walk back in there and mess with them. She did that with me before I even knew she had the power.■
⌠What power?■
⌠She can transform into another person just by thinking, no spells or potions. Do it, Patricia,■ Severus said happily. He was ready to have some fun with this. I became Dumbledore, and then Severus, and I walked into the dining area where the men were waiting. The women and Severus watched from the kitchen as I sipped his tea, but I knew better because I had already gotten a new cup. They started telling me about how wives can be such pains. The women came out with Severus, who was carrying the day▓s meat. The men gasped as I changed back.
⌠Severus, Patricia┘I▓m sorry. This could be fun,■ his sister-in-law smiled. I grinned as Severus helped me into my seat. We had one more month before I would be Mrs. Patricia Snape.
