Ch. 25
"Mr. Snape, you are currently under arrest for the Murder of Mr. Ronald Weasley; killed today at 10:15 this evening by the means of the Sectumsempra you do or say can and will be used against you." The ugly wizard that came in with Tonks said as he rounded on Severus with his wand out.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Severus barked looking around at the wizards and witch who invaded his chambers.
"It is nothing but a misunderstanding Severus." Harry hissed looking towards Kingsley, "Once the ministry gets their facts straight they'll see it the same way."
"You just don't want to get on Snape's bad side Harry. He murdered Ronald Weasley, and now he is acting all innocent. He played this game his entire life. Look at him Harry!" Kingley shouted pointing towards Severus, "He worked for You Know Who, for years; he killed Dumbledore; He distroyed thousands of families and lives; look what he did to Hermione. Does that sound like an innocent man? No! No, I tell you. He committed a crime and now he must pay for it."
"Hermione," Seveus whispered turning to his wife that was crying on the couch.
"They have pictures and videos Severus. You told me before that you were willing to get rid of him. How could you though. I thought that you love me. Nevertheless, how can you love me if you are willing to kill my best friend? How could you Severus?" Hermione cried.
Severus stood there as made out of stone, as if his life was just sucked out of him. Hermione actually thought that he killed Ron. That he was a good for nothing murderer; She saw him just as everyone else did- A Death Eater; A man no one can trust; A Murder!
Turning towards Kingsley Severus placed his wand on the coffee table before him and held out his hands to be magically cuffed. Once done Kingsley, took Severus' wand and snapped it in half. "There will be no trail. The ministry discussed the situation with me before we set out here. Based on your pass indiscretions it was judged that you cannot be trusted. Therefore, the Ministry decided the the best course of action will be to snap your wand and sentence you to a minimum of 15 years in Azkaban."
Severus did not reply to this report, he just continued to stand there as if he did not know how to react. Hermione did voice her concern though. "What will happen to me though? If you take him the Dementor's Bit will kill me."
"Mr. Snape will be living in a prision cell under 24 hour servellence right here in the castle. He will be here for two weeks where he will have the chance to make you a potion to remove you from his spell. If he fails to do so within the time period that is given to him, he will be procicuted."
Hermione let out another sob before hiding her head in the crock of Harry's shoulder.
"You have nothing to worry about Mrs. Snape." Severus said in a deadpan voice, "I'll have the potion ready in time so you can be rid of me." turning towards Kingsley Severus continued. "I believe that you arrested me; therefore, don't you think it is time to remove me from here?"
"Yes, yes, of course. The prision cell that was made for you is down the hall from here." Kingsley said leading Severus out of the room at wand point with Tonks following them.
Harry slowly withdrew himself from Hermione's grasp. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life Hermione." Harry hissed. "You just lost the man you love and that loves you and nothing you do will ever bring him back!"
Without looking back, Harry stormed from the room.
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It took Severus two days to finish the potion, which arroused much suspition from the Ministry of Magic since it was early claimed that he was unable to come up with a cure. Therefore, lieing to ministry officials, and sabatage was added to Severus' list of sins increasing his years of prision to a minamum of twenty five years. As soon as the potion was completed Severus was transferred to the isolation ward of Azkaban prison where he was placed under 24 hour servallance of 8 Dementors and five prison guards. The case of Mr. Weasley's Death was closed without anyone looking into it since the ministry felt that there was no need to since the vast amount of eye witnesses declairing Serverus guilty. However, there was one person who did not leave the case alone; and that person was Harry Potter.
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Hermione visited Severus a handful of times while he was inside the prison cell that the ministry built in the school. Those times she just came in and touch his arm before running off in tears. Once she had the contact that she needed in order not to get the reaction from the Dementor's Bit, Hermione would return to her rooms and continue what she left off doing before visiting Severus-crying.
The Markton children took Severus arrast very hard. Jack was with Harry, declairing that Severus was innocent. Sophie would spend the day crying saying that how could they have trusted him that he could have killing them in their sleep. Sarah and Michael did not really understand what was going on they just wanted "Daddy," as they started to call Severus afther his arrest, to come home.
Severus was fairing no better then his family. Every day he would be awoken up at 5:00 in the morning where he would have 10 minutes to dress and prepare himself for the day. At 5:10 he would have a prision guard escort him to a labatory where he would make potions for the ministry and hospital under the watchful eyes of a ministry official. He would do this unitl 12:00 where he would receive a 20 minute lunch break. By 12:30 he would be taken to a worker's field where he was forced to drag heavy boulders from one side of the stadium to the next. Then at 3:00 he would be taken into a work room where he would build Quidditch toys and equiptment that would be donated to the Interational Quidditch 6:00 he was allowed to take a meal, before heading to the evaluation room at 6:30. There they would evaluate his work for the day, find it lacking as always, and then proceed to take him to the dicipline room where he would be physically beaten until he passes out.
The only highlight of his Day was when Harry would visit. At nine thirty every evening when Severus was finally able to return to his prision cell, Harry would visit him telling him about the children and Hermione. They would discuss other things as well, as where Lucius Malfoy was hiding and what sort of move he will do next. Harry spent most of his time trying to track Lucius down since he was still on Suspention from Auror training for talking back to Kingsley on Severus' behalf.
After two months, in prision Severus was a ghost of a man. Harry knew that it was only a matter of time before something happens to him. It bothered Harry to see Severus' body weaken by the day, being underfed, and over worked. If he could not prove Severus's innocence soon it will be too late. But no matter what, Harry vowed to himself that it will be done and that Severus will live to see his innocene proven.