-Severus Snape-

I heard a shuffling of feet and a few voices down a dark corridor, one recognizably the minister's. If the stupid holding cell wasn't in such an awkward position, I would be able to see who he was talking to, but with my face pressed against the rusty bars, I could only see about fifteen feet of the long hall. When the voices grew louder, I pulled myself away from the 'cage' door and waited it out.

As they grew closer, I already knew who accompanied the minister besides the unknown man he talked to. I could feel them, their cold chill and dark power... how they reminded me of the worst parts of my past... I had only been told of them, but I knew right away that these were the described beings. You can't mistake them for anything else, these dementors, I am told. I had never seen one before, but I knew I was about to get an up close experience.

The group came into view, and I gaped at the dementors, completely forgetting about the minister and his only human accompaniment. These creatures were... indescribably dreadful. Already I could feel their powers working on me; no doubt they were itching to suck my mind out, as I've heard they can do something along those lines. Just their towering, black-hooded figures were threatening enough, and any thought of trying to escape was out of the question.

Claude looked upon me with loathful authority and unlocked the cell I had been caged in for only a few hours' time. He looked almost bored when he flung open the door, which made a loud squealing that echoed off the stone walls. He made a small gesture for me to come, and I reluctantly left the cell to be guarded on either side by dementors.

They tried to hold me secure, which gave me such an unpleasant feeling that I snatched my arms away. When they held to my arms again, Claude gave me a warning look. When I gave him a dangerous glare and pulled myself free again, he finally spoke.

"You'd best mind them," he said. "The more you cooperate, the faster we get this case settled." Then he added, "Of course, if you are free of misdeed as you claim to be, the dementors will merely be of uncomfortable annoyance, is all. No harm, really. But surely YOU have nothing to worry about," he said sarcastically. "YOU'RE not a Death Eater."

I clenched my teeth in order to keep from hurting him, which I most certainly was pressured to do, but let the dementors escort me. The faster I get my case across, the better, and these dementors were a little more than annoying. The minister knew very well that I would find the dementors extremely unpleasant, and he enjoyed every moment he got to see me trying to endure the maddening charm they inflicted upon a transgressor such as myself.

I think the minister purposefully led us down the hallway slowly so I could feel the full effect of the dementors. By the time we reached a doorway at the end of the corridor, I felt terribly sick and cold.

Oswald Claude opened the door and entered first. I was finally let go by the hellish creatures and followed the minister into a room that held only a chair on ground level that was positioned in the center of a circle of elevated chairs. In the chairs sat at least thirty-five witches and wizards, all completely silent. I was pointed to the chair and found to my extreme disappointment that I was shaking slightly; probably from the dementors, but it could have been the pressure of being stared at. I knew one thing at least; I was really in trouble this time. And I had no way to make them leave me alone. I knew I was going to have to face the authorities sooner or later.

I sat down. All eyes followed my movements. I recollected myself as good as I could and tried not to look at anyone directly. From the corner of my eye, I could see the tall black dementors step side by side in front of the door we had come through, obviously blocking me from trying to escape. Even if they weren't there, I wouldn't have tried to escape now; even without them, escape was out of the question. Besides, I had been running too long. But I could feel them so strongly...

"Severus Snape."

I snapped my head straight forward at attention, but did not say a word as the minister took his seat in the first row of elevated chairs.

"We have evidence to assume that you are a Death Eater, and have been working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named by your own will for a number of years. Judging by the gravity of this crime, you have been sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban, by penalty of law stated in section A page 212 of the Ministry's Legal Handbook that abusing your rights as a wizard in serious offense leads to this capital punishment. Any objections so far?" Claude looked up from his notes and stared directly at me. I made no reply - in all reality - speechless.

"Minister Claude," a wizard in the center of the crowd spoke up, clearing his throat and continuing as he flipped through a few papers. "It says here that Severus Snape is twenty-one, legally an adult as of now, but when the crimes were committed, he was still a minor. What punishments fall through for that reason?"

"Severus Snape, as a Death Eater, has committed crimes in direct violation of our most adamant laws, if you would care to look at his records..." Claude answered smoothly. "Murder, torture, arson, vandalism, mass destruction, I could go on... These offenses count just as much upon minors as they do on adults. Any objections?" He looked at me again.

"I am not a Death Eater," I said.

"Do you deny that you bear the mark of a Death Eater, and that you refused to show us without force?" he asked.

"No. But I am no longer a Death Eater," I said quickly.

"Yet you expect us to let you out of here, your crimes going unpunished?" the minister asked.

I made no reply.

"Well?" Claude said.

"No..." I said uneasily.

"Then you agree that you should carry out your sentence?" Claude asked.

"No," I repeated with more force. "I could... I could give you names!"

Claude stood easily and began to pace in front of me, obviously enjoying his speech to come.

"Say, Severus," he said calmly. "How many years do you think you've served under... him... as a Death Eater?"

"Two years," I answered reluctantly.

"Let's say, as a Death Eater for two years... let's round this off to exactly two years, three hundred and sixty-five days each year, which makes... seven hundred and thirty days approximately... Say you took weekends off from your terrible duties, there being forty-eight weeks in a year... ninety-six weekends you took off, two days each... Let's say you killed or tortured two people for every day you went out on your Death Eater raids, as you call them..." the man stopped for a moment, thinking hard about the math of this... obviously staged because he had been planning this speech. I knew it. "For the five hundred and thirty-eight days that you ruined two peoples' lives, it makes a total of one thousand and seventy-six innocent victims." There was silence as the minister let the words soak into everyone's brain. Then he stepped right into my face and said softly: "You destroyed one thousand and seventy-six people's lives. Do you have one thousand and seventy-six names for us, Snape?" He said my name with disgusted emphasis.

I stared at him. He stared at me. There was no speech between either of us. Finally, after minutes of merely staring, I shook my head once for no.

"It's Azkaban for you," the minister said, rising to inform the onlookers. If there are any objections, please speak now." All were silent.

"Minister," I said. He looked to me again. I spoke so quietly, I was sure the front row could hardly hear me. "But I know what I've done wrong. And I will never do it again!"

"Quite, quite, and we believe you," he said sarcastically. His voice dropped. "We cannot let every criminal go just because they regret what they've done... Don't they all regret it once their faced with Azkaban? Yes, you're sorry, aren't you? And you'll BE sorry... for the rest of your miserable life."

"Give me a chance," I urged him, feeling extremely unsettled with the dementors stirring and the crowd watching and listening to my every word... So many other Death Eaters, I'm sure, have sat in this very seat and asked of the minister the same that I have asked for... What makes me different from the rest? Nothing!

"I've given you plenty of chances," Claude said. "I've given you two years." He snapped his fingers and the dementors glided forward and yanked me by the arms out of the chair before I could stand up on my own. I felt a cold shiver rush up through me, from even my toes I felt it as the dementors seized me, and I felt the hairs rising on my arms.

I knew right then that couldn't stand forever like this! Ten times more so, probably a hundred times more so! It had driven so many people insane, and to think... God, what have I DONE? One thousand seventy-six people; one thousand seventy-six! Why don't I just die?

Because I tortured them, I did I did I did, I tortured them and I liked it, I liked it and the dementors will like torturing ME! Until I'm bloody mad, which I already AM!

Frantically, I searched the crowd of wizards and witches, all watching me calmly, knowing I deserved what was coming to me. I knew what was coming; I felt it, I could feel the dementors' power working on me already; I have done wrong, I will pay, I have paid but, oh, not nearly enough to satisfy them!

Desperation, help, panic, help, I can't live the rest of my life this way! One thousand seventy-six! Ten minutes and I'm already going crazy thinking about it!

"Why don't you just get rid of me, I'm such a threat; one thousand seventy-six, what's a few more if I escape, what's a few more?!" I shouted threateningly against the dementors. Nobody moved, and I went back to mindless panicking as I was escorted away from the crowd. "Don't put me through it, I've had enough! Why can't you see I've had enough?! Let me give up, I've changed, I'm no longer running; Dumbledore! Headmaster, you said you'd help me, you said you would, you said! I was coming back to give up, I was coming back, why won't you let me go, I did as you said, I did!"

But the door was shut on me and I was being forced away now, the dementors' chilling hands steering me down a different corridor, this one most likely leading to the waterfront... in which I would be taken by boat to Azkaban.

Malfoy was right... Nobody in the entire world cared. So, why should I?

I won't. I've already made a complete idiot of myself, and I can sink no lower. Give in! I'll give in. Azkaban can HAVE me!

Now, at least, I'll finally be wanted somewhere!

A/N: Eh.... weird yeah. This IS going somewhere! It is!(not the O) LOL... Ok, randomeity Josie and the Pussycats line... Can't watch that movie too much, nope. It'll be a classic one day... Wow, this is one of my longest chapters yet... hope ya'll not getting bored. Watch for more to come! I'll be sure to post the next chapy-tar soon! ENJOY!