I'm just posting what I have. My husband got into a wreck involving a wrong way driver. He's ok. But our daily driver is totalled. Then our back up vehicle died when we went to meet the crane and divers. The car ended up in a canal under water. So out two vehicles in one day. I spent my whole day trying to get the truck running. And no local shop has my parts. Grr...
I didn't really get to review anything before posting so. Sorry.
Be patient with me please.
Harry wasn't able to leave the house just like Ron. He wasn't under house arrest but he wasn't able to leave the property without Aurors crashing in and accusing him of being a runner. The first time he tried to walk to the park he was stunned and tackled by three of them. His uncle loved that because he was able to restrict him and his cousin terrorized him to no end. He was picked up every day at the same time by an Auror and taken to the Ministry.
His community service started immediately. He was made to help clean up and restore the department that "he destroyed." He was the only one, he told them.
"Yes, your friends helped too." The pushy unspeakable said.
"For an 'unspeakable' you sure do complain a lot." Harry snapped.
"You would too if someone destroyed your department and almost put you out of a job."
He wasn't allowed to use magic, Garrick made sure of that. He wanted it long and drawn out. He was given poor quality brooms, buckets, mops and trash bags. He had to rebuild all of the shelves by hand with a stripped screwdriver. Garrick was a monster.
That wasn't what bothered him though. He got away from the Dursley's and that was fine with him. What bothered him is he was separated from his friends who also had the same duty. He was scheduled at different times or on other floors. He never once saw them and he only had Dudley to talk to or the not so chatty unspeakable who watched him.
No friends, no family, no post and no quidditch, Harry was on edge. Harry had family for what? 2 years? It seemed to be a record with him. His parents dying when he was a baby was tough. There was no bond he remembered, nothing but pictures and stories people shared.
Sirius using him? This man swore to his parents that he would be his family in the event of their death. He used him for a woman that didn't love him. He still heard the echo of the whispers in his head from Sirius. It was stronger than the Dark Lord's call.
Harry had fought the imperious curse before, but this time he wasn't prepared. This time he was lured in and fed lies. Pulled in by a false sense of security and told everything he wanted to hear. He was played. Like Wormtail played his parents. He trusted Sirius, and he used it against him to get what he wanted.
How could he have been so weak and blind? The worst part of all was he lost all of his friends. He didn't talk to them since they were in holding and the last thing they told him was "how could you?", "we trusted you."
He was alone.
Harry didn't expect to be picked up from the Dursley's by Albus of all people. He didn't know why he was able to leave when he was told he couldn't step foot outside the property line without the Auror.
"Sir, not that I don't appreciate it, but how am I able to leave the house? Were my charges dropped?" Harry asked as he tried to keep pace with the tall wizard.
"You're to be escorted by a Ministry official at all times Harry. You aren't put under house arrest like Mr. Weasley. Last time I checked, I'm a Ministry official." Albus said.
"What happened to your hand?" Harry asked as he jogged along.
"Not here, too many eyes and ears." Albus grabbed his shirt and apparated.
He took them to Slughorn's place. Harry had to give him the puppy dog eyes and mention his parents and Albus got what he wanted. Harry was tired of being used but he felt that with everything that happened being his fault, he owed it to the Order. Things were bigger than him, he wasn't going to be able to defeat the Dark Lord without them.
Then Albus dropped him off at the Burrow. He said that with Arthur being another ministry official he would be fine. But he couldn't be there whenever Arthur wasn't. Meaning he had to go to work with him. He was very nervous when he arrived, he didn't know how he would he greeted.
As far he knew, he was placed there because it was good for the Order, they didn't have to like him. Oh no, he was the Professor Snape of the order. Strictly business and not part of the "crowd." Until he entered the front door behind Albus and was smothered by Molly.
"Oh my dear! Come here! We wanted to see you so bad but the ministry and their nonsense! Have you eaten?" she asked.
"Harry!" the small group of redheads yelled from the table. It was Arthur, Ron and Ginny.
"Sit! Sit! Plenty to go around, Albus are you staying?" she asked.
"No, I have other matters to attend to. Arthur, do you mind walking me out?"
The chatter started again around the table. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you at the ministry. All of us got stuck on the 7th floor. We're fixing all the tiles and walls Snape broke." Ron said.
"It's crazy! The unspeakables whisper all the time about it. Got these fancy special wands with a split end on them. Waving around getting readings or something. I over heard one of them say his power levels were off the charts. Over 9000! I don't know what normal is though… can you believe he did all that damage without a wand?!" Ginny rambled.
"It sucks that we can't use magic though. We'd have been done ages ago. Instead we gotta pick up the muggle way." Ron said.
"But that's not the worse part. Did you hear about the twins?" Ginny asked.
Harry shook his head no.
"Yeah, Ollivander is a sick bast-"
"RONALD!" Molly yelled.
"I mean he's everywhere Harry! Everywhere but no one's seen him since that court hearing. We can't turn around without getting hit with something that doesn't have his name all over it!" Ron said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm on house arrest, I didn't think it was literal. I can't peek my toe out the door without a strike team coming for me." Ron said.
"I had the same thing happen to me. What happened to twins?" Harry asked.
"They are almost bankrupt. The shop might close down." Ginny said.
"What? They just opened!" Harry said. He just gave them a shit load of money too.
"It's Ollivander, Harry. He hit them with a bunch of fines and fees they weren't able to cover. Then opening day he sent Aurors to shut them down. Something about not having proper permits and they didn't make a sale at all!" Ron complained.
"They still haven't made a sale. They had to close the shop for remodeling. Ollivander hit them with a fine for the sign out front. If they don't change it or pay the permit they have to shut down. Dad's been helping them when he can." Ginny added.
"That's not the worst part, we're both suspended from quidditch!" Ron cried.
"Me too. And I got dropped from Advanced potions and charms for low owl scores. Normally anyone would be able to make it up with extra credits but the school board denied me." Harry said.
"It's Ollivander, Harry. He's gotten all of us!" Ron agreed.
"And poor Hermione. She got 10 owls! 10! It's a record! She sent applications to colleges and universities and a request to the school board for early graduation. The bloody git sent the news clippings of our trial and they denied her. Said they wanted applicants with higher standards and better life choices." Ginny said.
"And her mum and dad won't let her see us anymore. Said that we're bad influence on her. Apparently she never told them all the over stuff that's happened over the years. And when they found out about our arrest everything else came up." Ron said sadly.
"I wish I could talk to her parents…" Molly said and kept moving around the kitchen.
"It's my fault. Everything. I uh. Just want to say….I'm sorry. For everything." Harry said with his head down.
"Oh dear, it wasn't your fault. We know you were cursed. It was an unfortunate situation that couldn't have been avoided." Molly said and hugged him.
"But I shouldn't have trusted him-"
"Harry, we all trusted him. We all lived under his house at one point and were blind to what his intentions are. It's not your fault." Molly said.
Arthur returned and took his seat at the head of the table and sighed "We have a new court hearing on Thursday."
Garrick met with Severus when he returned from their vacation. He got the proper paperwork and signatures in order. When he told Severus of his intentions, Severus let out a deep roar of laughter. Garrick had a plan.
He sent an owl to Albus' solicitor asking Albus to meet with their solicitor for a meeting. Albus agreed and scheduled for their solicitor to meet at his office. He didn't expect Garrick to walk through his floo.
"Garrick, I thought your solicitor was coming." Albus said and greeted him.
"Hello Albus. Not my solicitor, Severus and Juliet's. That's me." Garrick smirked and wandlessly cleaned the soot off his robes. "Merlin's beard, what happened to your hand?"
"It's nothing, why are you here? I thought the restraining order was still in place." Albus said sarcastically.
"To extend and olive branch. Before the hearing." He said and stepped further into the office with a smirk.
"Afraid you'll lose?" Albus said with a raised brow.
Garrick laughed and threw his head back. "I'm giving you a chance to save yourself from complete humiliation."
Albus thought he was being cocky. Playing the high card to try and scare him. "Cut to the point."
"Drop the hearing, let Black, Potter and Weasley get what they deserve." Garrick said.
"And you are offering…?"
"To leave you alone." Garrick said simply.
"Oh, is that All?" Albus said sarcastically.
"It's not actually, now that you mention it. This is a plea bargain on your behalf. All you have to do is sign." Garrick pulled out a scroll with a ministry seal.
Albus took it and read it quickly, his face turned red. "You want me to release Severus from his vow?! On top of letting Sirius die, Harry and Ron keeping the same sentence and a formal apology? For what? Peace? What angle are you playing?!"
"You." He said and shrugged his shoulders.
"You want the world with nothing to offer in return? No. I will not sign. You can take your olive branch and stick it up-"
"Do not take me lightly, Albus. We will come at you with the full extent of the law." Garrick warned.
"You have nothing!"
"I HAVE EVERYTHING!" Garrick yelled. "I let you off easy the first time, you fool! I can tear down your pretty little pyramid of power in less than 24 hours!"
"My answer is still no." Albus said.
"Very well, the hearing is Thursday. I wish you luck." Garrick said and walked back through the floo to his shop.
Garrick sent his patronus with instructions "Begin." Was all he said and it shot off through the wall.
All he had to do now was wait.
"DUMBLEDORE ORDERED SNAPE HIT"
"DUMBLEDORE - MASTER MIND OR MASTER CRIMINAL?"
"ORDER OF PHOENIX = DUMBLEDORE'S MAFIA"
The headlines should have been the first warning. Kingsley was picked up first at the ministry. He was at his desk filing paperwork when he was taken into custody. Under the charges of attacking Severus Snape and trying to prevent the rescue of Juliet Snape. Tonks and Arthur were picked up on their way out the door. Same charges.
Remus was next, they also denied his pending marriage license with Tonks. Magical creatures are unable to marry witches, they told him. One by one all of the order were picked up. Molly went down swinging, it took five Aurors and two unspeakables to take her down. She let them, she told them.
Albus looked up from the center chair of the court room his hands chained together on his lap. His order members sitting on his left in chains. How did this happen? He looked up to see a smirking Garrick. Oh that's right. This wasn't the retrial for Sirius, these were new charges. Garrick rounded them all up before the trial on Thursday and it was only Tuesday. In less than 24 hours after their meeting in his office they were all rounded up.
They got every single one of the order members including those who weren't involved in the incident with Juliet. Minders, Flitwick, Pomona, EVERYONE. Moody surprisingly went quietly, he didn't think he would be in holding long. Hagrid was sniffling and every single Weasley was looking around in confusion. They managed to round up Charlie all the way in Romania within 24 hours! Hermione, Harry and Ron sat in the front next to Sirius who was awkwardly quiet.
Sirius had his eyes on Juliet from across the room the whole time, making her fidget and hide behind Severus.
"Order! Now begins the hearing of Severus Snape vs. Albus Dumbledore and the group known as the Order of the Phoenix." Scrimgeour slammed the gavel.
He replaced Fudge recently and played by Garrick's rules. He was one of the Dark Lord's inside men. When Severus told the Dark Lord Garrick's plan, he laughed and clapped his hands. A first that anyone had ever seen the Dark Lord do. He agreed and offered every asset he had to get the job done.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore you are brought forth today on the charges of plotting and organized crime against Severus and Juliet Snape. How do you plead?" Garrick said.
"Not guilty."
"Very well, let's begin. Mr. Dumbledore as a leader of a school, and under your watch, Severus Snape's personal chambers were broken into and his wife kidnapped. By people who are members of your group. Not only that, the people sitting here today were present at the scene of the crime and attacked Mr. Snape when he tried to save his wife. These people, are members of the Order of the Phoenix. An organization that you are the proud leader of. These members claimed to be working under your name, and your cause." Garrick said.
Albus looked over to his Order, the people who looked up to him for all the answers. He had none. No plan b, no back up. Garrick had him.
"Bring forth the evidence!" Scrimgeour called out.
The ceiling shimmered and played Juliet's memories from before.
"Exhibit A. Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks are seen telling Sirius Black to release Juliet Snape. Yet….once she is back with her husband they attacked. Now why is that?" Garrick asked.
No one said anything.
Check. Mate.
Albus was fucked.
Harry stood up suddenly "Snape was hurting her!"
Every order member groaned and rolled their eyes or hung their head.
Garrick looked to Severus for the signal. Severus nodded his head firmly.
"And your proof Mr. Potter?" Garrick asked.
"I saw him! He made her give him a blow job!" Harry yelled again.
The women gasped and the men chuckled in the crowd. Juliet blushed brightly and buried her face in his shoulder. Severus scowled and stood up suddenly.
"If I may, I can assure you everything between my wife and myself is purely consensual. Everyone can see that I treat my wife with the utmost respect." Severus said.
"But not behind closed doors! I saw you force her! I saw your sick little book full of drawings with her tied up!" Harry yelled from across the room.
"And how would you know what goes on behind closed doors?" Severus spat, he was pissed. The little shit went through his things and saw his wife naked.
"When I snuck into your window! It was in your desk. And I watched you order her to suck you off then you were rough with her on the rug!" Harry yelled back.
Severus felt Juliet pull on his hand to bring him down from blowing up "I want to add breaking and entering as well as vandalism, theft and voyeurism to the charges filed."
"Granted." Scrimgeour said and slammed the gavel.
"Tell me, Potter, did you see me grab her and drag her to her knees? Or did I verbally tell her? Did she say no?" Severus asked angrily.
"She can't say no. You're holding her-"
"We've already proven she is not on a love potion or imperious curse. I know you find it impossible to comprehend, but my wife is with me willingly. It may seem disgusting to you, but she loves me. Not him, not you, me. All we want is to be left alone. So now I will tell you one more time, fuck off." Severus said surprisingly calm as he pointed to Black and him.
Harry's face turned bright red and he sat down quickly. He still had his hatred towards Juliet, she made his godfather do those things. Sirius wouldn't have gone to the extent of kidnapping if it weren't for her.
Garrick scowled at Harry and snapped the quill in his hand.
"We're done for." Kingsley groaned and leaned back into the pew and looked up.
"You think they'll let us share a cell?" Tonks groaned and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, having to lean down due to the cuffs.
"Join the order he says, greater good he says…" Moody grumbled.
Severus sat down and nodded at Garrick to continue.
"Mr. Dumbledore, a plea bargain was offered to you before the trial was set and you denied it. Final offer, do you wish to settle this outside of court?" Garrick said.
"YES!" The order members from their seats yelled at Albus.
Albus looked at the members of his order sending death glares to him. "I would like to settle outside of court."
"Granted. Charges will remain pending and suspects will remain in custody until both parties have settled. That ends the hearing today on Severus Snape vs Albus Dumbledore and the members of the Order of the Phoenix." Scrimgeour slammed his gavel.
The order members stood and filed out in lines towards their holding cells. All of them sending daggers to Albus. Severus stood with Juliet and smirked victoriously at Albus before leading her out the main doors to the comfort of their home.
No one noticed Sirius whispering to Harry on the way out.
Severus had just walked Narcissa and Bella out of his house and sat down in his favorite arm chair. He sat forward in his seat and buried his face in his hands. He should have been celebrating their victory from that mornings court hearing. How the fuck did he get dragged into another vow? He could have said no. He could have slammed the door. But he made a pact with Lucius.
Lucius tried to save Juliet, and it was only right he tried to save Draco. Shit. He had to save his godson. There was no way around the vow without outing himself to Bella. Last thing he needed was the Dark Lord catching wind that he was trying to exit stage left from Europe.
Juliet poked her head into the study and saw his head bent in his hands. He told her to hide in the bedroom with the door locked until Bella left. He was grateful that he talked the Dark Lord out of having Wormtail stay with him for the summer. He would have killed him the second he started drooling over Juliet.
She knelt before him and kissed his forehead. She pushed his hair away from his face and gave him a small smile.
"I fucked up."
He told her everything that happened and expected her to blame him for ruining their plan to leave. But she gave him a reassuring kiss, swiping her tongue on his bottom lip then tugging it with her teeth.
"I'm with you, no matter what." She whispered against his lips.
"I'll make it up to you." He promised.
Albus sat in a small room waiting for Garrick. Cursing the man and his victory. Garrick made him wait till the next morning, to see him. The sick bastard made him spend the night in jail. When Garrick finally strolled in he laid the scroll on the table and a quill next to it. Albus wanted to smack that smirk off his face.
Albus pushed the scroll back and said "I want to offer a new deal."
"You are not in a position to negotiate. We still have your people in custody." Garrick scoffed.
"I will release Severus from his vow. I ask for one more year of service." Albus said. Potter and Weasley were off the table then.
Garrick laughed "You're a funny man, Albus. No deal."
"Listen to me Garrick, man to man." Albus held his crippled hand up. "I am dying. The vow will be released immediately upon my last breath. I have one year. Just one. I ask that Severus give me one more year of service, so I can get my affairs in order."
Garrick looked at him with a firm scowl. "Affairs in order? You're 114 years old, you should have had your affairs in order two decades ago."
"The war still rages. I will not. My people need me. They need my guid-"
"I'm sure they are well aware where your guidance has led them." Garrick said and pointed to Albus' cuffs.
"Let me talk to Severus."
"No, you will use your vow to tighten the leash you have on him. I will bring your offer forward to him and give you an answer by noon." Garrick said and snatched the scroll back off the table.
He met Severus in a private office meant for client counselling one floor up. Severus wanted Juliet to stay home but before he could tell her, she had asked if they could go do dinner with Garrick in Diagon Alley. She sat next to him and traced her fingers up and down his thigh under the table. He loved how physically attached she was to him, especially in public.
"He didn't sign."
Severus slammed his fist on the table suddenly and Juliet jumped. "Sorry." He mumbled to her and wrapped his arm around her.
"He has a counter offer. I told him no, but he was adamant that you hear it. He agrees to release the vow, but he asks for one more year of service. He says he's dying and he needs one more year to get his affairs in order." Garrick said and sat across the table from them.
Severus thought long and hard about what Albus offered. He vowed to protect Draco and complete his task if he was unable. He wouldn't be able to do that if he didn't have access to the castle. One more year….Then he would be free of both vows. The Dark mark wasn't an issue to Severus, he figured out how to separate the bond between him and the Dark Lord before his return. Albus made him keep it, so he could keep his spy.
"I will agree to his terms, if he makes me the DADA teacher, and I get new chambers. I also want no night or weekend rounds and no Hogsmead chaperone trips. Black still dies." Severus said.
"We have him where we want him and you want to honor his dying wish?" Garrick asked, he was suspicious of what Severus was saying.
"Other things have come up and I need to stay at the castle. I cannot say any more than that." Severus said.
Garrick looked between him and his granddaughter and sighed. He drew up the paperwork and quill. Severus signed and Garrick rolled it up. He went back to the holding cell.
Albus scowled as he read the new scroll. "I will agree. But I want the sentences of Potter and Weasley taken down to a warning. I need them, for the war and the greater good. I'm running out of time. I'll agree to everything if you give up those two. Let Black keep his sentence. I'll drop the retrial."
Garrick thought long and hard, those two little shots would start school anyway. He still had the ability to hit them where it hurt even without the ministry. He re drafted the contract and added his signature as Severus' power of attorney. Albus signed. The scroll rolled up on itself and popped away.
The cuffs were instantly released from Albus and Garrick stood up. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Albus."
Sirius managed to stick close to Harry when they were filing the order out of the room. The large amount of people they had in custody was more than enough distraction for the guards. He was placed in holding with all of them and they ignored him for the most part.
"Harry, I'm sorry. All those years in Azkaban and the veritaserum…it got to me. But I have a clear mind and I know what's important, you. I do love you! As my own son! Your father was my best friend and I swore to him and your mother that I would always look after you as my own." Sirius whispered to Harry in the corner.
"Well you did a pretty good job so far. You used me! I trusted you. You said we were going to be a family and you wouldn't let me go back to the Dursley's."
"We still can! When we get out of here I promise, it's gonna be you and me. The best duo anyone's ever seen. We'll be new age Marauders. No one will see us coming!" Sirius promised.
"All right! You're all free to go! Come on!" one Auror yelled and the doors opened.
Sirius jumped up and put his hands on Harry's shoulders "See? We're free. It's a chance to make things right. Be the family we were always supposed to be. We'll go home, that's right, home. You will live with me and never have to go back to those horrible muggles again."
Harry couldn't keep the smile off his face. Dumbledore got them all off including Sirius. Maybe he could forgive him over time. Teach Sirius how the world worked outside of Azkaban.
They were all filed down the hallways as a group. Sirius made sure to stick to the middle of them all. None of them thought anything of it. Assuming Albus did get Sirius off as well since it was no secret he demanded a retrial.
"Harry, I want you to meet me in the lobby by the floo, alright? I've got to go get my wand back from the other Auror." Sirius said.
"Yeah, of course." He said and followed the other Order members.
Sirius blended in with the crowds and made his way to where he saw Severus by the elevators. He pickpocketed a passing woman who had her wand sticking out of the side of her purse. He followed them closely and made sure he wasn't noticed.
"Severus! I need to speak with you." Remus called out from the other side of the elevators.
He turned and scowled "And I have nothing to say to you."
"Please, just let me apologize."
Severus turned to Juliet "Stay here, I'll only be a few moments."
He met Remus in the center of the crowded elevator lobby and crossed his arms.
"I'm sorry for everything. It wasn't right. I have no excuse for my actions but I know they are wrong. I'm not just talking about what happened last week. I'm talking about all of it. In school I made fun of you-"
"I know what you did." Severus cut him off. He didn't want to go down memory lane.
"I should have stood up for myself and for you. And now I get it. To know what it's like to be kept away from someone you love." Remus looked over to where Tonks was waiting for him. "I'm sorry for doing that to you. I hope you can one day forgive me."
Severus looked down at Remus' extended hand and looked back at him. Could he forgive decades of torment and ridicule? All he had known in his school days was his laughing face and taunting words. He looked over to Juliet.
She was gone.