Chapter Seventeen
Judgment Day
Severus had never realized he was quite so popular. At least, it wasn't long before the entire Council area and the smaller (but still impressive) spectator area was filled with people who came to watch his trial... probably ex-students delighting in watching him getting tucked away, he mused. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Danny were all there, and he couldn't help but wonder who Lucius had to bribe for front row seats. Severus then peered behind him to see if anyone was sitting there, fairly sure the benches showing support for his side would be vacant. But Dumbledore was there, and Jennifer of course, and also a great deal of others he recognized, including Arthur Weasley, Artie Peasegood, Erik Dalance, and even Ederick Thurspire, who came in just seconds before time to start, slipping into place. Seeing Severus' roaming eye, Thurspire nodded over towards where Sirius was sitting, Anna slipping into place beside him. Vallid studied Anna's expression for a long moment before glancing over her paperwork one last time, leaning over the table.
"Apparently Harry is going to be late. Anna thinks they're onto something; they just need a name now," Vallid told Severus softly.
"Well, I hope they hurry up," Severus muttered back. Vallid nodded to him.
"You and me both. There are two cases I hate defending, and a case with a perfect wand record is one of them."
"Dare I ask what the other one is?" Severus inquired.
"DNA tests," Vallid said standing, leaving Severus to ponder that.
A moment later, the Magistrates filed in and everyone else stood as well, waiting for them to take their places. Head Magistrate Muse quietly took the center chair, giving Severus a thoughtful, almost pensive look before glancing at the paperwork in front of him.
"We now call to order the case of Severus Snape against the Ministry of Magic over the death of the late Cornelius Fudge," Magistrate Muse said. "For the Prosecution, we have our own Counselor Richard Ballenze and Minister Brown, and gracing the court again is America's own Counselor Lunette Vallid. May we hear the opening statements please, Counselor Ballenze?"
"Magistrate and Council," Ballenze said, his deep voice carrying through the large room, "I present to you the charges against Severus Snape, that he broke into Cornelius Fudge's house on several occasions, possibly taking items from the vault of the deceased, and we believe that he willfully and premeditatively murdered Cornelius Fudge while in his own home, using the Killing Curse to do so. The evidence, my colleagues, is quite clear in this case, so I hope to soon prove to the Magistrate and Council without a doubt that Severus Snape is the only one who could have possibly done this horrendous deed. I ask for swift judgment, and life imprisonment for his hideous crimes." Ballenze bowed and turned to step back, suddenly aware of the genuine look of amusement of Vallid's face, and he couldn't help wondering what he had said to get that sort of reaction. But Vallid glided by him with a smile, turning her attention quickly to the court.
"Magistrate and Council," Vallid said, nodding respectfully. "It may be true that my client might have not been a friend of the deceased, but none of the actions he took was done with murder in mind. I agree with the prosecutor in that the evidence may seem surmountable, but this is no ordinary man, wise Council. This is a man who has risked his life many times for the preservation of this society. He is an active member of our community, a devoted father, and a Professor of Hogwarts for twenty years, dedicated to educating our youth. He is here not because he is guilty of any crime, but because someone was able to manipulate evidence so that we would we be convinced he was guilty of it. A man like Professor Snape does not kill needlessly, wise Magistrate, and I intend to prove that he likewise did not kill this man. Thank you," she said with a slight bow, walking back over to the table and sitting down. Ballenze was still staring at her, wondering what to make of that entire statement. Apparently, the young Counselor Ballenze didn't recognize 'BS'ing' when he heard it, Vallid mused. At least she knew she had that advantage at any rate.
"At this time, I would remind all who will bear witness today, that it is against Council law to tell any falsehood in court. Anyone caught doing so will incur strict penalties, as well as risk the possibility of having spell and or potion means used to derive the truth in certain circumstances. Counselor Ballenze, your first witness please," Muse said.
"Minister Brown to the platform, please?" Ballenze said, taking a step back to allow the wizard through. "Full name, profession and titles?"
"Rhys Brown, Minister of Law Enforcement," Brown said.
"And how long have you been Minister?"
"Five years."
"Can you please tell us about how you discovered Cornelius Fudge and what led up to the arrest?"
"I received a message from Ludo Bagman that Saturday morning to come over to the Fudge residence right away. When I arrived there, I found him lying on the floor in the parlor, dead, with no outward signs of injury. The house was torn apart, and the vault in the bedroom had been emptied."
"He had House Elves, correct?"
"I found them asleep upstairs, apparently sedated with Fairynip. They were completely unaware that anything had happened," he explained. "However, they had supplied information on who had been in the house the day before he was murdered, which I used to determine who to question."
"And was there anything unusual about anyone on the visitor's list?"
"Yes, one of the people that had 'visited' the day before was wearing an Invisibility Cloak. They had been asked not to tell their master that he was there."
"And who was that?"
"Severus Snape."
"And I assume he was one of those you questioned?"
"That's correct. While we were questioning him, we had his wand sent to the lab to be tested. Standard procedure, they go over the wand's memory to see what spells were cast on it." Ballenze showed the record to Vallid, who nodded before he presented it to the Magistrate.
"And what did that test show?"
"That the last spell cast was indeed the Unforgivable Death Curse," Brown said. A low rumble erupted from the Council. Muse flicked his eyes up towards them and it quickly silenced.
"Your witness, counselor," Ballenze said, walking casually back to his table. Vallid stood up, nodding to him.
"Mr. Brown, in your report you said that his personal vault was broken into and emptied. Were you able to acquire any detail about what was in it?" Vallid asked.
"I wouldn't necessarily say all of it, but the House Elves were able to provide a workable list of contents," Brown nodded.
"And did you get a permit to search for those?"
"Yes, we searched the Snape residence, offices, rooms, and vaults."
"And did you find any of the items in question among his possessions?"
"No..."
"No further questions," Vallid said curtly, heading back to her seat.
As Brown stepped down, Ballenze called up Lakky the House Elf. The Elf peered around the court as he walked to the stand, looking quite nervous at having to be there and barely squeaking out a reply as he was told the penalties for lying. Several books had been placed on the chair for him to stand on and he hopped up into the seat.
"Your name and title?"
"Lakky sir, just a common House Elf," Lakky said.
"You are the Head Elf of the Household, correct?" Ballenze asked.
"Yes, sir. But there are only three of us, sir. Our master didn't trust having too many Elves about," Lakky said, sounding embarrassed. "And for good reason, it seems."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because Lakky should have been more wary. Master knew someone was going to hurt him, sir. But I was not expecting to get sleepy upstairs. I was folding towels. I did not expect anything to be there, sir."
"And was this the first time you had fallen asleep?"
"Oh. No sir," Lakky said, his ears drooping in shame. "Once before… a few weeks before, we fell asleep in our cupboard, and later we find out there was nip there. But nothing happened then. Nothing was wrong when we woke up, but Master Fudge was very worried. That was when he had the security put in so no one could get in without permission."
"Then how was it that Professor Snape got in?"
"Harry Potter came to us and asked us if it was all right," Lakky said, fervently. "Master had a spell book, a powerful spell book in his keeping that he shouldn't have had. That was why some wizards were after him. Harry Potter promised if we let them in that they would take it somewhere safe. He promised Severus Snape was not there to hurt our master, only to help get the book. We trust Harry Potter, sir. He would not tell us something that wasn't so."
"Did they get this book from him then?"
"I am not sure, sir. But I do not think so. Master checks his vault before he sleeps. He did not notice anything amiss when he went to bed."
"Then is it possible that they might have come back later after Mr. Fudge was asleep?"
"Perhaps sir, but why would they?"
"What time did the three of you fall asleep?"
"After our master went to bed, we went to fold the linens, and then fell asleep."
"So right after he went to bed?" he prompted again. Lakky nodded nervously.
"Yes, sir."
"Your witness, Counselor."
Vallid stood up, smiling reassuringly at the House Elf.
"Lakky, could anyone have gotten in the house during the night without direct permission, even if they had been in the house earlier that day?" she asked.
"Oh, no, mistress. There's goblin security now on the house preventing that," Lakky said.
"Mr. Fudge was found dead in the parlor, correct?"
"Yes, mistress Counselor," Lakky nodded.
"And would Fudge have been inclined to let Snape in, had he come to the door?"
"That would be an opinion, there is no way he could know that for sure," Ballenze objected quickly.
"Never mind, no further questions," Vallid said, heading back to her table.
"Very well then, I would ask Auror Potter to the platform please?" Ballenze said. But after a moment of looking around, he frowned, not seeing him. Vallid cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, but I believe Auror Potter was called out on an emergency," Vallid said. "I'm not quite sure how long he'll be, but I have no objections to you calling him whenever he appears."
"Auror Potter tends to be a busy man," Muse nodded, sounding slightly amused.
"Very well. Is Ludo Bagman here?"
"Present!" barked a voice from the spectators and he stood up, working his way down and excusing himself fervently as he came. Straightening his robes as he made it to the floor, Ludo stepped onto the platform. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting," he added.
"State your name and titles, please?"
"Ludo Bagman. I'm in charge of Sports and Recreation in the Ministry of Magic. I also hold several Quidditch records, including…"
"That's quite all right, Mr. Bagman. I'm quite sure everyone knows of your previous career," Ballenze said, nodding politely. "You knew Mr. Fudge a long time, correct?"
"Oh, yes! We've been friends for years and years, even before I joined the Ministry," Ludo said somberly. "Of course, we lost contact for awhile, when he disappeared a few years ago. We had all thought he was dead. But then we found him…charmed, the poor chap. He's never been the same since."
"How was he not the same?" Ballenze asked.
"He was quite paranoid. Quite sure that someone was out to get him. He wouldn't even talk to most of the people he used to depend on. I was one of the few exceptions. He had always felt comfortable with me. Oh, there were a few others he'd talk to now and then…Arthur Weasley, Peasegood, some others from the Ministry, but for the most part he kept to himself."
"So he confided in you a lot?"
"Yes, of course. We always had breakfast together once a week, more post Quidditch season."
"And did he ever speak of Professor Snape?"
"Yes, actually. It's no secret that the two of them didn't care for each other. He seemed rather frightened of him, especially after that business with trying to use an illegal cursed item on his wife and sister."
"You're referring to the case against Fudge last year that he was recently pardoned from?"
"Yes, sir. Fudge had confided in me on more than one occasion that he had felt safer in jail than out of it. Poor old man sensed his doom beforehand," he sighed, looking down at his feet.
"You were the one that found Fudge in the morning, correct?"
"Yes, I had come for our normal morning chat and knew something was amiss. The door was slightly ajar, so I risked a peek. That was when I saw him, and sent up a flare right away."
"Did you notice anything amiss other than the door being ajar?"
"Oh no, but I didn't look too long, honestly. I was very unnerved by the whole thing, you see," Ludo sighed.
"Did he ever speak of anyone else he was worried about, besides Severus Snape?" Ballenze asked.
"Well, he was a bit afraid of Dumbledore, but not in that sort of way. He was also worried about Lucius Malfoy," Ludo added. Lucius smirked slightly from where he was sitting.
"Anyone else you can think of who did not have an alibi?" Ballenze asked. Ludo shook his head.
"No," he said. Ballenze turned to Vallid, who waved off questioning him.
Severus sat quietly beside Vallid as the wand expert went into detail about the wand, tapping his hand in irritation. Still, the next report from the alchemist's lab was more interesting…at least in that the second batch of Fairynip had been of the store bought variety. As if he'd ever use store concocted potions, Severus snorted indignantly.
Vallid caught the look and smiled slightly but returned intently back to the proceedings. So they had opportunity established, and a rather shaky motive, but not enough means to offset anything else. He sighed softly, trying to think back for the hundredth time, wondering where he might have lost his wand.
It wasn't until his name was called that he finally looked up, slowly getting up and walking over to the platform. A familiar calm hit him, one that often hit him during a crisis, keeping his mind clear and alert. He studied Ballenze calculatingly, like an adversary rather than an enemy, as he stepped over to question him.
"Name and titles?"
"Severus Snape, Professor of Defense at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and third in charge of School Administration."
"And is this the first time you have been investigated for murder charges?" he asked.
"No, it is not," Severus said calmly. "I was brought to trial and acquitted twenty years ago for murder and other crimes as a Death Eater."
"There were quite a number of murders involved in that case, were there not?"
"Yes, since many Death Eaters would participate in raids, many of the deaths were tried as a group."
"You were acquitted not on the grounds of not participating, but on the grounds that you were working inside the Death Eaters as an informant, correct?"
"Yes," Severus said curtly.
"And what about before that?" Ballenze asked. "Were you ever investigated for killing anyone prior to that trial?" Severus was quiet for a moment, knowing he wouldn't have asked if he hadn't known the truth in some way. He should have told his sister, he mused, but things kept getting in the way. There had never been a good time to speak of it. As he glanced around he saw her, sitting beside Sirius who was nodding to him solemnly. He glanced over to Jennifer who was watching him with a pallid face, wishing he didn't have to be in the position he was in now.
"Well? I'm sure if you had been investigated before you would recall it," Ballenze pressured.
"Yes, I have," Severus said at last. "But it was ruled self-defense."
"So in that case, you admit you killed someone, but it was ruled self-defense?"
"Correct," Severus said evenly.
"How old were you when this occurred?" he asked.
"Twelve." A murmur rose up in the crowd, taking Muse several glances and a frown to silence.
"So at twelve, you had already mastered a spell capable of killing a man?"
"Theoretically any spell can kill, Ballenze. However, I did not use a spell in that particular circumstance."
"Then how did he die?"
"I performed a Death Wish," Severus said quietly. The court suddenly dropped into an almost unearthly silence. "The man had murdered my parents before my eyes with the Acidic Eulogy Curse and was about to do the same to my sister and myself. I was a first year student, frightened, untrained… I found myself wishing fervently that he would just die. I felt a great deal of energy burst out of me, and then he did so. In the process, I have often felt I cursed myself as well."
"The man you killed, what do you know about him?" Ballenze asked.
"His name was Joe Carter, a suspected Death Eater," Severus said. "A motive was never determined because he had no previous links to my parents, but it is now my belief that he was acting on behalf of Voldemort, who wanted them dead for several reasons. The official report, however, lists it as an attempted robbery."
"Your parents knew that Voldemort was a threat, didn't they?" Ballenze said. "They even moved all of you to another location that was Secret-kept, isn't that correct?"
"Yes," Severus said in a low voice.
"How was it then, that this Joe Carter could have found the correct house? Who was it, exactly, who had tipped them off?"
"I did," Severus said, trying to ignore the soft rumble that erupted in the Council. "I was twelve, at the age where I trusted my friends over my family. Without thinking, I had given my address to several of my housemates who had asked for it before the Christmas holiday. I've had to live with the guilt of that mistake all of my life, but one that I didn't know the consequences of at the time."
"Are you sure?" Balenze said with a frown. "You didn't care much for your stepmother, did you? She was Muggleborn coming into a proud Magic family that took your mother's place. Are you certain that a part of you might not have done it on purpose out of anger, even subconsciously?"
"Objection," Vallid said. "The question is leading and immaterial in a matter long since closed. Can we call off this fishing expedition please?" she added, the irritation evident in her voice. "I'm not going to have my client psychoanalyzed for something that happened when he was a juvenile and by someone without a degree to do so."
"Very well, I'll withdraw the question," Ballenze said, but looked far from displeased. "Were the facts surrounding your parents' deaths and your part in Carter's death ever made public?" he inquired. Severus shook his head.
"No. Dumbledore was one of the first to arrive, and my sister and I were standing in shock over the bodies of my parents and their assailant. He and Fudge, ironically enough, were quick to quiet my part in what had happened."
"And did you ever use the Death Wish method to kill or attempt to kill anyone else?" Severus glanced up at Dumbledore, who only gazed gently back in return.
"Yes, one other time, but it backfired and I nearly lost my life. After I was rescued, I was convinced by someone never to attempt it again."
"Who convinced you?"
"Albus Dumbledore," Severus said. "I have been acting on his behalf ever since."
"And who was it that you had tried to kill?"
"Sirius Black," Severus replied, earning another round of murmurs. Anna stared at her brother in disbelief and horror then over at Sirius, who seemed solemn but strangely supportive.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered just before the Head Magistrate gazed over at their section.
"It was not mine to tell," Sirius whispered calmly back, his eyes never leaving Severus. Well, maybe he was right at that, she brooded, but she had every intention of having a long talk with her brother after this was over.
"So, just to put this in perspective, since you were twelve, you have been involved with countless killings and murder attempts, but all of them have been found justified by some means?"
"Yes," Severus said.
"And do you feel that Fudge's death was justified?"
"I wouldn't know," Severus said icily. "I didn't kill him."
"Your wand would suggest otherwise," Ballenze said calmly, looking at him steadily.
"Can you attest to a time when you didn't have your wand?"
"No," Severus said.
"No further questions."
Vallid got up then, smiling at him knowingly as she stepped over.
"Lakky testified that you were given permission, through Harry Potter, to accompany him when he went to visit Fudge. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Severus agreed.
"And they had also known beforehand that you were going there to try and get a dangerous book?"
"Correct."
"So, did you steal the book?" she asked.
"A matter of opinion," Severus said calmly. "The book didn't belong to Mr. Fudge. He acquired it from Lorcan, who stole it from someone else. As Bagman pointed out, Mr. Fudge had been quite 'nervous' as of late, unstable would be the better term. When it came to my attention that he had an artifact of significant power on him, I consulted Auror Potter on the matter. He then spoke with the House Elves about the situation, who agreed that it was best to get it out of the house and gave us permission to remove it."
"And what was the book that you were concerned about?"
"A book of Ancient Magic spells, written by Merlin," Severus said, a loud murmur of surprise went up through the courtroom. With that Muse sighed, folding his arms and looking up as the rest of the Magistrates frowned in disapproval.
"Good wizards and witches, I realize there are some extraordinary events in this case, but so there are in any case that also mentions the names Potter or Snape. Now, let's all try to keep the murmuring to ourselves, shall we, so I don't have to silence the court?" Everyone got very quiet after that, but Muse waited and glanced at them a moment before finally nodding to Vallid to continue.
"When you found out about the book, why did you choose not to tell the Ministry?"
"As much as I trust the current Minister of Magic, there are some still in the Ministry that seem to be rather partial to Fudge. After the incident last year where he managed to get hold of the Staff of Eyre, I didn't think it wise to trust that route directly. Instead, we thought it best to secure the book first and then report it. Unfortunately, we had not the time to do so, since I was arrested the next day," Severus replied.
"So you were able to get the book at the time that you and Harry Potter visited him?"
"Yes, I was."
"And how were you able to do that without Mr. Fudge or the Elves realizing it?"
"I knew the combination," Severus explained calmly. "When I got the book I made a mock copy and replaced it in the vault, hoping to buy some time before he realized it was missing."
"And where is the book now?"
"I turned it over to Headmaster Dumbledore the night I acquired it."
"So during the time you were with Harry, you opened the vault with the combination, acquired the item you had gone for, and got out without incident?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"No further questions," Vallid said, accompanying him back to the table. Severus glanced up long enough to see Jennifer and Dumbledore smiling at him. Well, Dumbledore, you told me to tell the truth, he thought as he gazed in their direction, I hope it turns out to be worth it. But Dumbledore just smiled and nodded to him knowingly. Finally finding some peace with himself was one thing. Finding peace with his peers was quite another.
It was Ederick Thurspire who was the last witness for the prosecution. Severus glowered at him menacingly as he took the stand. But if Ederick saw it he had given no reaction, instead calmly stating to tell the truth and given his name and title as Deputy of Law Enforcement and Assistant of Investigations.
"Investigator, can you tell us about the last time you saw Mr. Fudge?" Ballenze asked.
"Yes, of course. He had asked for an investigator over at his house several weeks ago for a possible break-in. That was the first incident where he had found the House Elves asleep from Fairynip. I was the one who sent the first sample you spoke of to the lab," Ederick said.
"And what did your investigation find?" he asked.
"Very little, although I had noticed that in the report the powder had been altered slightly to be more effective…better potency and a longer duration than normal. So, playing a bit of a hunch, I decided to call on Severus Snape. However, he didn't really offer any insight into whether or not it was him," he admitted with a sigh, "nor, might I add, did he ever mention anything about a dangerous artifact. Of course, I never gave him much reason to trust me, so that is understandable, I suppose."
"So on a professional level, you've had some experience with Professor Snape before?"
"If you mean to ask if I have ever investigated him, yes, on several occasions. All of which, granted, he was later cleared on," Ederick said, a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment in his tone.
"Such as?"
"I have investigated him for possible murder, crimes as a Death Eater, and as an accomplice to a mass murderer," Ederick said.
"And did you ever attempt to follow up on any of these investigations?"
"Yes, the Death Eater thing. I attempted to arrest him…"
"Attempted to?"
"Yes, but I was stopped by Albus Dumbledore, who rather insistently had me wait in a rather disagreeable room in the castle until Arthur Weasley showed up. It was he who informed me that Professor Snape was working undercover and asked me to drop it."
"And did you?"
"Well, no, not exactly," Ederick admitted. "You see, I had found out from an informant from Mysteries that Professor Snape had claimed to have murdered a traitorous Death Eater as part of his effort to get back in Voldemort's favor. But unfortunately, I believe that rather backfired in more ways than one, because that man turned out to be alive."
"And that was?"
"Thomas Craw," Ederick said. Several people in the court blinked and looked over thoughtfully between Jennifer and Severus. Severus, however, was glancing up at where his sister had been sitting, only to notice she wasn't there. Frowning, he looked over at Sirius, who shrugged unknowingly.
"The mass murderer now serving a life sentence as Azkaban, and Professor Craw Snape's father?" Ballenze asked.
"Yes, sir."
"And what of the last charge, accomplice to mass murder? How was that resolved?"
"They took me off the case just after Thomas Craw was arrested, but I was informed at that time that Professor Snape would not be charged since he was 'performing services for the Ministry.'"
"So even though it was evident that he had assisted Craw in some capacity and kept him from being found out by the Ministry, the Ministry chose to absolve him of any crime of it?"
"Yes, I suppose you could put it that way," Ederick said.
"Mr. Thurspire, you've been working for the Ministry, how long?"
"Almost ten years…two in the Animagi department and the rest in Investigations."
"In your professional opinion, after all the time spent researching this man, do you believe that he is capable of murder?"
"Most undoubtedly," Ederick said evenly.
"No further questions," Ballenze said with a slight smirk, heading back over to the table. But Vallid didn't seem too concerned over the smugness in his look. On the contrary, she seemed amazingly in control as she strode over to the stand, offering Ederick a large, warm, smile.
"Mr. Thurspire," she said, in a loud, carrying voice. "In your professional opinion as an Investigator, do you believe it in character for Professor Snape to have committed this particular murder?"
"Definitely not," Ederick said easily. Prosecutor Ballenze dropped his quill, staring stonily over at them in obvious surprise. "Severus Snape is a chronic perfectionist, and yet this case seems full of incredible evidence. Using a Fairynip powder a second time, store-bought or otherwise? I doubt he'd use the same method twice. Breaking in a vault when he admitted to having access the day before? Could he have 'forgotten' to take something? As for the wand, oh come now, only a complete fool would use their own wand to kill someone, it's too easily traced, and nearly impossible to disprove in court if no one reported it missing. The wizard may be a lot of things, but he certainly isn't a fool. In fact, in that position, I'd think it would be more likely that he'd report his wand missing to cover himself, if he really felt he had to use that wand. Is he an innocent man? No. But is he capable of this sort of bumbling inefficiency? No. And I'm sorry about the outburst but I've been waiting over ten minutes to say that. Thank you." Ederick said curtly, looking apologetically at the Magistrates.
"No further questions," Vallid said contentedly, heading back to her seat. The court then took a short break, but Vallid decided to stay with Severus, sipping out of the water cup beside her as gingerly as if it were fine wine.
"I am beginning to see why you haven't lost many cases," Severus said casually.
"Are you?" Vallid said with a sigh, going over her defense one last time. "I wish I had your confidence right now. I might have been able to instill a bit of doubt about his witnesses, but I can't rebut a wand report when there's no evidence it ever left your side. All I have on my sheet are character witnesses, Severus. I just don't think it's enough," she said in frustration. "If only Audi hadn't had her court license revoked, then she could just Truth Seek testify. And where is Harry? He should have been back hours ago!" But her question was not answered as the break ended and she found herself heading to the platform.
Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at Severus as he made his way up to the front, stepping on the platform as if he had been there a number of times. The last, in fact, was at Fudge's own trial for theft and misuse of cursed items. Rather ironic, Severus mused, but had little time to think of it as Dumbledore listed his titles and looked calmly over at Vallid.
"You have known Professor Snape for quite some time, correct?"
"All of his life," Dumbledore agreed. "In fact, I am his sister's godfather."
"His half-sister Anna Hughes Black?"
"Yes. I had met his stepmother through a mutual friend when she had come to Britain, and we had been good friends up until her death."
"And what about your relationship with him after his parent's death?"
"It was decided that for her protection that Anna would be taken to live with her grandparents, and I took on the role as guardian to Severus, who was to stay at Hogwarts."
"Was what happened to his parents' assailant at all a determining factor in whether or not he would stay?"
"Yes, in part," Dumbledore said, "But not because it was thought that he would endanger his sister or anyone around her. Rather it was more of a concern that he would endanger himself," Dumbledore said. "What happened that night was an instinctual reaction to save the life of himself and his sister. Perhaps it would have never shown itself at all had they not been put in that horrible situation. But I knew that what had happened would leave a lasting mark on him, and in spite of the fact that things were not as they should be among his peers, it was decided that it would be best if he stayed close at home and finished his schooling."
"So you're saying that everyone was more concerned about his welfare if he left, and not because they felt him any personal danger to others," Vallid reinstated.
"Yes, quite correct," Dumbledore nodded.
"When was he hired as Potion Master?"
"Not long after Voldemort had disappeared. Because of his past, Severus was always more inclined to the Physical Arts, since he felt more in control manipulating magical forms outside of his own. He wasn't much for creating his own potions, but had an uncanny knack of adapting any potion recipe to suit his needs. Between his undeniable talent and the fact that he was still helping the Ministry and myself tracking down Death Eaters, I took him on as a new Potion Master. Not without receiving quite a bit of criticism the first few years over his teaching style," Dumbledore added with obvious amusement. "But after the students' marks dramatically improved in those classes, a lot of those complaints faded over time."
"And in that time, has he ever done anything that purposefully endangered a student, staff, or anyone else he's come into direct contact with?"
"Endanger is a relative word," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "However, I can truthfully say that everything that Severus has done over the last twenty years has been in the best interest of the school. He has sacrificed much of his life so far in undoing the evil that has plagued us all for the last fifty years. But I seriously doubt he'd be willing to sacrifice the rest of his future to Azkaban after he's worked so hard to get where he is."
"Now, about the artifact that Severus confiscated from Fudge's house. You have that in your care now?"
"I have," Dumbledore nodded.
"When did he hand it over to you?"
"The last Friday in November, at about eleven o'clock that evening," Dumbledore said.
"In your study?" Vallid prompted.
"Yes."
"Now, Hogwarts is sealed against incoming Apparation, isn't that correct?"
"Of course, that's a matter of public knowledge," Dumbledore agreed.
"Does Severus have a key in?"
"No, the only ones who have keys at the moment are Sagittari, our groundskeeper, Professor McGonagall, to one location, and I, to another location. Anyone using such a device also would directly alert the attention of all three of us if we are on the grounds," Dumbledore said.
"Then Severus would have had to Apparate in from the outside of the grounds, then walk across the grounds, into the courtyard, up over a dozen flights of stairs to where you were? How long would that take, normally?"
"Assuming the stairs are cooperating," Dumbledore said musingly, "At least fifteen minutes. Over a half an hour if having to wait for staircase changes."
"So that means he would have had to have left around ten-thirty to have gotten up to you in that time?"
"Yes, I'd say that was a fair assumption," Dumbledore said.
"No further questions." Vallid said. Ballenze got up thoughtfully and looked at Dumbledore, who smiled warmly at him.
"No questions, thank you," Ballenze said quickly, sitting back down.
"Wise move," Vallid said softly to herself, chuckling silently and nodding to Dumbledore as he passed. Dumbledore winked at her and stepped back into place. Jennifer, who had been standing beside him, quickly shuffled around him as her name was called, looking a lot more confident than she felt as she headed to the platform.
"Name and titles?"
"Jennifer Craw Corsiva Snape, Graduate of Whitebridge Academy, the top White Magic school in North America, Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Keeper of the Dark Magics, Former Rider of Keki, the Head Unicorn that led the charge on the Dementor Revolt, Initiate of the Order of Merlin, and first and foremost, wife of the defendant and mother of three, soon to be four in June."
"Are you sure you didn't leave anything out?" Vallid asked with amusement.
"Probably," Jennifer nodded solemnly.
"And how long have you known Severus now?"
"Over five years," Jennifer said.
"And how did you meet?"
"We met at Hogwarts when I began teaching there."
"So you knew him professionally for quite a while before you began seeing each other?"
"Yes," Jennifer said.
"And how would you describe your professional relationship with Professor Snape?"
"I'd say we respect each others opinion, but we don't always agree," Jennifer admitted, glancing over at Severus, who smirked at her.
"How often do you agree on professional matters?" Vallid asked.
"Not often, actually," Jennifer admitted. "Style, content, student ethics and discipline, how to handle workloads down to how we organize our offices…we really don't agree on much of anything. So we quickly learned to divide our professional and personal lives, which oddly enough, on a personal level we agree on practically everything."
"Now, as Potion Master, you keep a ready supply of potions and powder on hand, correct?"
"Yes, of course. Especially since most of the potions and healing mixtures for the school's hospital ward are made by me as well," Jennifer nodded.
"Did you have any Fairynip in stock that last week of November?"
"No, we don't use it at all at the school. The only time I have it on hand is when I teach that particular formula to second years, but that's not until later in the term. And, the only reason we teach it at all, is that it's the most basic of the sedative potions based on coral bell extract and also the least potent, so relatively safe in class experimentation."
"So it's a fairly simple recipe then?"
"Oh, definitely, I can whip up one of those in less than a minute if I had any reason to. Even a novice could probably manage it in half an hour."
"And yet it's very commonly gotten over the counter?"
"Well, yes, just like any other household potion. Lots of people have neither the time nor the inclination to make their own."
"Is it as effective as the home brewed?"
"No, of course not. It also has additives to preserve the potion, and sometimes even have filler ingredients in it that doesn't really do anything except help fill the bottle. Anytime you buy an over the counter potion you're losing quality for the convenience."
"Can you take a look at Evidence three for me? This, as a reminder, is the brand of Fairynip that exactly matched that of what was found the upstairs linen closet."
Jennifer took only a look at the bottle before getting a disgusted look, turning the bottle over and looking at the label, shaking her head.
"I wouldn't even give this to a garden gnome," she said after a moment. "It has a ton of fillers, some of them are actually toxic to Elves. In fact, no respectable alchemy still sells it."
"In your professional opinion, even if Professor Snape had wanted to hide who had made the potion, do you believe that he would have chosen this particular mixture over all other options?"
"Not even possible," Jennifer said, "He wouldn't get caught dead buying a potion of any kind… especially not when it's so easy to change out one ingredient and make it seem altogether different. But the main reason is that the only place I know of that still sells this is Sludgebat's. Sludgebat can't stand Severus, he'd sooner kick him out than sell him anything, not that Severus would ever go in there to begin with."
"Now, getting back to the night in question, do you recall when Severus got in that evening?"
"Yes, it was just a little after midnight, because I remember pointing the clock out to him and reminding him he had an early class that morning," Jennifer said.
"Did he seem out of sorts at all?"
"No, not at all."
"Did you ask him about what he had been doing?"
"Well, I had known a bit of it beforehand," Jennifer said with a nod. "But yes, I asked him about it."
"And there was nothing odd about his answer?"
"Objection," Ballenze said standing up, eyeing Vallid warily. "The Counselor is obviously attempting to try and get around the Truth Seeker's Gag rule since Professor Craw isn't licensed."
"Counselor, usually when someone commits murder there are often signs of unusual behavior, I am merely attempting to establish that there wasn't any," Vallid said calmly back.
"There was nothing odd about his behavior or his answer," Jennifer said firmly.
"And do you believe that he could have hidden it from you if he were nervous or otherwise distraught?"
"Objection!" Ballenze said, glaring at Vallid.
"Your Wisdom, I think we should hear her answer before ruling," Vallid said. "Because I think Ballenze is jumping the flare a little." Jennifer, who was feeling her anger rising, bit it down and tried to calm herself.
"No, he couldn't have. I wear a Dragonheart Diamond ring that is bonded to Severus. Even if I couldn't see his face, I could have easily noted a change of emotion in the ring." Jennifer said, looking rather defiantly over at the prosecutor.
"I see nothing wrong with the wording or the answers to either of those questions, Counselor Ballenze," Magistrate Muse said.
"Withdrawn," Ballenze said quickly.
"Professor, can you explain what the title "Keeper of the Dark Magic" means?"
"Oh, it's a family title," Jennifer explained. "For generations, my family has passed down every Dark spell created, adding to the list every generation as well, in effort to preserve spells over a long period of time. In this way, we were able to preserve some spells that have disappeared in modern texts."
"Had any of those spells been wiped from public knowledge on purpose? Perhaps for being too dangerous?" She asked.
"Yes, a number of them had," Jennifer said.
"Including two Death Spells, correct?" she prompted.
"Yes."
"And according to my records, I believe you said in open court once that you had little intentions of passing those on?" Vallid asked.
"At the time, I hadn't," Jennifer said, knowing full well where this was going. "But I came to realize when Voldemort was able to acquire knowledge of the worst of them that not passing them on was no longer an option. The best way to protect ourselves against something is to know how it works, and I couldn't risk something happening to me and leaving that knowledge completely in the wrong hands."
"So did you pass it on?"
"Yes, to Severus Snape."
"Why him? Why not Dumbledore, or Harry, or someone else?" Vallid inquired.
"Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted it, and Harry has enough burdens without adding someone else's," Jennifer said. "Severus understood why I had to pass it on and was in a good position to learn. In fact, I really didn't have to teach him all that many spells; he knew the majority of them already. But the main reason was because he was the only person I felt I could trust not to use them."
"And why is that?" Vallid asked.
"He didn't need them," Jennifer said calmly.
"So you think it would be very unlikely for Severus to have cast the Killing Curse?"
"Unlikely? He just wouldn't have," Jennifer said. "I don't know who had the wand, and who cast what they did, but it certainly wasn't Severus."
"Your Wisdom, I don't think that was a professional opinion, but a personal one," Ballenze objected.
"That would fall into question then whether or not Professor Craw's decision to pass on such things was professional or not," Magistrate Muse said thoughtfully, glancing over to the other Magistrates, who were discussing it.
"Magistrates, as was pointed out in the beginning by Professor Craw herself, they have attempted to keep their professional and private lives as separate as possible. Considering the magnitude of the decision, I would think it would have definitely required much professional consideration," Vallid argued. "The Ministry as well as the Court Magistrates have consulted her on matters in the past, surely she can be relied on to give an unbiased opinion, even on this matter."
"Next the Counselor will be expecting us to throw out her needing to have a license to testify with her Truth Seeking ability," Ballenze accused, folding his arms in disbelief.
"Enough," Jennifer said suddenly, the tense anger in her low voice making both Counselors look at her. "Up to this point, I have answered as unbiased as possible under the circumstances. You want something to strike out as a personal answer?" she snapped, looking at Ballenze. "My husband is on trial for a murder he didn't commit. And my personal opinion is, if the court doesn't trust his word, it doesn't trust mine," Jennifer said, stepping off the platform and walking back towards her seat before anyone could say another word, pausing only a moment to take Severus' hand as she passed, the first time in over a month that she had been able to. No one said anything for a moment as Vallid followed her back with her eyes until Dumbledore put his arm around Jennifer, before finally turning to the Magistrate.
"No further questions, your Wisdom," Vallid said, heading back to her seat. Ballenze stood thoughtfully a moment, pondering on what to do before noticing Muse's steady questioning gaze.
"Er, no questions of this particular witness, your Wisdom," he added, heading back. After all, Vallid still hadn't anything to disprove the wand.
Sirius was next, and as usual, he didn't appear to be too thrilled to be in court. The fact that he hated being here was apparent to everyone as he went up to the platform, but still remained composed as he told his name and job title.
"Mr. Black, you've known Professor Snape since childhood, correct?"
"Yes."
"How would you describe your relationship with him?" Vallid asked. Sirius blinked at her.
"Now, or then?"
"Both," Vallid said with a crooked smile at the question. Sirius looked thoughtful.
"We were rivals to say the least. I tried to get along with him, but he was rude, arrogant and completely overbearing, and didn't respect anyone's opinion but his own. So my friends and I reacted to it in the most natural of ways. We teased him relentlessly," Sirius admitted. "He kept to himself for the most part except for a few Slytherin friends everyone else was afraid of."
"Why was that?"
"There was a lot of suspicion, especially among the students, that several of the Slytherin students were taking orders from Voldemort," Sirius said.
"And was Severus one of the students suspected of that?"
"Yes," Sirius said. "So my friends and I were always do things to, well, spy on them, and in turn it seemed like the Slytherins, especially him and Lucius Malfoy, who fortunately enough graduated after our first year, did everything they could to get us in so much trouble we didn't have much time to watch them."
"So there was a large buildup of resentment there?"
"That'd be putting it mildly, yes."
"Mr. Black, on the night that Professor Snape had tried to kill you, were you aware of the attempt?"
"No, I only found out about it a couple of years ago."
"And did you ever consider pressing charges for that attempt?" Vallid asked. Sirius looked a little off guard.
"No, I didn't see any reason to."
"So then you forgave him the attempt?"
"I wouldn't go that far," Sirius said, looking over at Severus. "We just came to an understanding and put it behind us."
"So you are saying that you understand his reasons for doing so?"
"Yes," Sirius said cautiously.
"And what of your relationship now? Are you friends?'
"Good lord, no!" Sirius said grimacing. "More like two parties on permanent cease fire. I guess if I would describe the relationship at all, I'd say Severus was the brother-in-law that acts like the mother-in-law that every bachelor has nightmares about. He's protective of his sister, annoyingly nosy and completely overbearing, wanting to get his opinion heard on everything. Although I'm sure if we turned it around, he'd tell you I'm no walk in the park myself."
"Before Professor Snape went to Fudge's house for the first time, were you aware that he was going over there?"
"Yes, I was. Harry sometimes keeps some things over at the manor and Severus had arranged to borrow something from him."
"Did he say what he was going to look for?"
"Yes, he went to look for items missing from Professor Craw's vault, actually. We knew from last year that Fudge had gotten some items from the Craw vault, and Severus suspected there might be something left behind. He didn't find it, but when he returned to the manor, he told me about the book he had seen, and that he planned to try and go back after it because Fudge didn't seem very stable and it wasn't safe there," Sirius said.
"Did he seem angry at Fudge, or otherwise expressed unusual hostility to him?"
"Not really. Not that we both didn't hate him. In fact, under other circumstances I think we'd both be delighted he was out of the way," Sirius said bluntly. "But I don't think he did it any more than I would have."
"And why do you think that?"
"Because all of the other times Severus acted, he had nothing to lose. Now, he has everything to lose," Sirius said, glancing over at Jennifer. "Severus doesn't take uncalculated risks, Counselor, and I don't think killing Fudge would have been worth it, even if he had had a reason to do it."
"No further questions," Vallid said, stepping back to the table. Ballenze quickly stepped up, nodding to Sirius as he took her place.
"Mr. Black, was the attempt in question the only time that Professor Snape put you in life-threatening danger?"
"No, not even close. As I stated before, we were always in trouble as kids, and most of the time in a lot more peril than we thought we were in," Sirius said.
"What about as adults?"
"I was in Azkaban for most of it," Sirius said icily, "But yes, there was one other time that he nearly got me killed."
"And when was that?"
"When he found out that I was innocent of killing Pettigrew and did not inform the authorities," Sirius said, his eyes flashing over at Severus. Severus looked genuinely surprised for a moment, then sighed, clamping his mouth into a long frown.
"That was when you had escaped Azkaban?"
"That's right. I nearly lost my soul because of that."
"And how, exactly, did you get out of that?"
"That's really not the court's business," Sirius said curtly. "I'm not on trial here, and neither are my rescuers."
"The witness has a point, Counselor, please continue," Muse said.
"You stated you were not aware at the time of the attempt that Severus had tried to murder you. Had you known then, do you believe your reaction to what had happened would have been different than being told so many years later?"
"Definitely," Sirius agreed.
"In what way?"
"Well, I'd have probably been put in Azkaban prison for a crime I did commit instead of one I hadn't," Sirius said. "I didn't like him, Counselor, and some of it was justified. Not all of it," Sirius admitted, "but hindsight shows us different perspectives than the present. And I think we both were beginning to get tired of the war, especially once we both got married and our wives began expressing opinions on it as well."
"Still, he must have had a reason for wanting to kill you that you could accept to be able to come to an 'understanding,'" Ballenze said. "Do you recall what his reason was?"
"Yes, but I'm not about to discuss it."
"Mr. Black, you are in a court of law, it is your duty to answer…"
"Is it the court's duty to constantly put people in prison based on circumstantial evidence while allowing men that everyone knows is guilty walk out on a technicality?" Sirius interrupted. "I lived in Azkaban under the Dementor's 'care' for twelve years without even an apology from those that put me there when it was finally discovered I was innocent. And if you think I'm going to testify anything that will make you convince the counsel that an innocent man is guilty of something like this, even someone I don't particularly care for, you've got another thing coming," he said, stepping off the platform.
"I wasn't done yet," Ballenze said sternly.
"Jail me," Sirius dared him, walking out of the courtroom.
"Counselor Vallid, do you happen to have any witnesses that are going to actually stay on the platform until they're released?" Muse asked critically.
"Your Wisdom, I'd like to take this moment to point something out here," Ballenze interrupted. "The good Counselor has done nothing but called witnesses with opinions on Severus' character. I'm sure I could bring up just as many if not more that would gladly testify against his character, but there really isn't any point. The hard evidence of the case, namely the wand itself, has not been disputed, and unless Counselor Vallid plans on bringing any witnesses to dispute the true evidence in this case, I fear it may only be wasting the court's time."
"Counselor Vallid, any comments?"
"Your Wisdom, I believe that question will be answered when Auror Potter returns," Vallid said. "Perhaps, since the prosecution wished to question him as well, we could allow a short break to see if we can track him down?"
"Very well, I'm sure everyone could use a bite to eat, it's been a long day," Muse agreed. "You have one hour, at which time if he's not been found I'll have to ask you to wrap things up and begin working on closing arguments. Recess for one hour, everyone," Muse said, standing up. Just then a couple of bailiffs watching the door rushed up.
"Your pardon, Magistrates, but everyone might need to take a bit of care when leaving," one of them said. "The entire hallway is filled with kangaroos."
"So noted," Muse said. "And someone send Mr. Black to my office as soon as he shows up? I think we need to have a little chat."
Vallid sighed and slumped down in her chair, sending one of her aids for some drinks and another to try and find Harry as she brooded over the papers in front of her. Severus watched her thoughtfully a moment and sighed, accepting the small tray offered to him but quickly nudging it to the side.
"I keep feeling like we're missing something obvious, some obvious solution to why the wand couldn't possibly been used by you," Vallid said after a moment, kneading her head. "Something that we should have realized from the beginning and we just don't see it."
"Where do you suppose Anna went?" Severus said thoughtfully.
"I don't know but I hope she missed that entire bit with Sirius. He's going to be in a lot of hot water over that performance. Maybe I shouldn't have called him up there," Vallid brooded. "Or Jennifer either. I didn't mean to put that much pressure on her."
"Don't blame yourself for that," Severus said. "Blame whoever set this up."
"You know, you actually seem like you're taking this calmer than everyone else," Vallid couldn't help but note, looking at him with exasperation.
"Perhaps because I never considered myself an innocent man," Severus mused. "Whether or not I did this crime is beside the point."
"Severus, if you can't learn to accept and forgive yourself for your past, how can you expect anyone else to?" Vallid asked. "Your demons are dancing on the tables this day. For God's sake no matter what happens in the courtroom, don't let them win the battle in your head right now."
The aid arrived with her steaming coffee and Vallid took a moment to close her eyes and enjoy it, attempting to clear her thoughts a bit. Severus looked up behind him, but Dumbledore and Jennifer weren't there, whether they left to eat or… more likely… went off to find Sirius, he wasn't certain. Would his children have to grow up never knowing their father? Spending every Christmas at Azkaban? Would he not be at the high table when they finally became the age to become at Hogwarts and be Sorted? As many times as he had felt robbed of his life, it had never been quite like this. The worst part of all, however, was the fact they might never know who had actually done this.
The doors burst open and the sound of the chaos beyond them caught Severus' attention as Hermione and Harry ran in, followed closely behind by Ron who seemed to be trying to walk on the side of one of his shoes. They hurried straight down to their table.
"We've got something. We need to talk to you immediately," Harry said out of breath.
"Son, that's music to my ears right now, I'd about given up on you," Vallid said, jumping up and following Harry and Hermione over to a quiet corner of the room.. Anna came in next to Ederick and with a folder in her hand, walking over to where Ron stood by the table.
"Where's Vallid? What's that awful smell? And why are there kangaroos in the hall?" Anna asked.
"Over there with Harry and Hermione, and I think I stepped in something vile in the hallway," Ron said, taking out his wand to clean his shoes off.
"The kangaroos came courtesy of that husband of yours," Severus offered, "after the prosecutor managed to get his fur up. They're looking for him now I believe," he added.
"Oh good grief, I should have known he'd go ballistic. He hates the system," Anna said, glancing out the door worriedly.
"I'm not exactly fond of it myself at the moment," Severus agreed.
"Well I think you're going to be changing your mind," she said. "I need to hand these to Vallid and get a rundown of what happened, then I'll go look for Sirius."
"You know, if you get out of this, you're going to owe me," Ron said matter-of-factly. "You have no idea what I went through for you."
"Joy. Just what I've always wanted, to be indebted to a Weasley," Severus said sarcastically. "What do you have to do with anything?"
"You'll see," Ron grinned, and then went over to join Harry and Hermione.