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CLAWS
OF A RAVEN
by Tyde
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Chapter Fifteen
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A thin plume of dark blue smoke came from the keyhole and a volume of foam attempted to push it's way underneath the door. Trickles of bubbles slid through the cracks in the stone floor and pooled around their feet.
"What the devil is he doing in there?" fumed Fudge at the Headmaster who was looking quite amused as he always did. Snape had disappeared into his storage cupboard room and had been in there for at least ten minutes. A few loud bangs, thuds, odd smells and sparks were coming from the room and the Minister looked ready to barge in and hex Snape within an inch of his life. He pounded on the door with his fist. "Open up this door immediately Snape!"
A terse voice came back through the panelled wood. "You wanted to see my storage cupboards and they are rather well protected, it takes a while. Wouldn't want a potion jumping out and biting you on the nose now would we?" The sarcasm was evident and Fudge was not impressed.
"Just hurry it up!" And as he spoke those words the door flung open and a mussed looking Potions master emerged.
"All yours" he said pointing at the doors of three cupboards which stood open and were faintly crackling and hissing. Cornelius Fudge strode towards the first one and took out a tiny scroll of parchment and a pencil to take notes. Sorting through the bottles and vials contained within he made a few notes as he came to labels of interest. In a cupboard engraved with the words Classification Six he seemed to find many noteworthy potions and his pencil worked furiously across the parchment. He nearly dropped the paper and pencil as a particular vial caught his eye.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" Fudge picked up a clear glass vial containing a sparkling red liquid between thumb and forefinger delicately. Printed on the label wrapped around the tube in a thick, black ink were the words Conlabor Imbibo. "I hate to use the term caught red-handed, but it's rather appropriate right now don't you think, Snape?"
Snape glared at him and spoke as if giving evidence at a trial. "If that had been used on the students they would be dead. It's pure, concentrated." He pointed to the other side of the label. "That has not been opened since the preparation date on the side. You will notice the seals have not been broken. I have never used it. Nor did I intend to"
Fudge cocked his head at the accused suspiciously. "Never used it? Didn't intend to? I find that very difficult to believe. As for the preparation date that can be altered. But what intrigues me more is - why keep a potion in stock if you never intend to use it?" Every time he said the word intend he would say it mockingly and raise his arms to make quote marks in the air with his fingers. This was starting to grate on Snape's patience and he imagined adding a drop of Smugless Draft to the Minister's next refreshment, designed to wipe not only the smile off someone's face for at least three hours, but also their mouth.
Dumbledore who had been silent until that point spoke up. "He makes a valid point Severus. Why do you keep a supply if you never intend to use it?"
Snape gingerly removed the hair that had fallen in his eyes. He sneered slightly at Fudge and answered the question put to him by Dumbledore. "I do not expect Mister Fudge to appreciate true artistry. I am an artist. My potions are my art Headmaster and just as an artist would not throw out a painting he was proud of, I find myself unable to throw out the small vial I keep in my stores"
"Well that's an admission of guilt if ever I heard one! Proud of it? You're proud of a potion that is mean to kill?"
"Yes I am. Not for the aspects of it that you assume but for the work I put into developing it. Potion making is an exact but subtle art. It took me over a year to develop it"
Fudge puffed out his chest. "And you leave it lying around for just anyone to pick up?"
"Not at all" Snape was trying very hard to control his fury at the accusations coming from the Minister's mouth. Albus was quite impressed. "The magicks surrounding my Classification Six store cupboard far outweigh those at Gringotts. Akin only to those of Hogwarts itself. No one can break into it and steal anything. It is impenetrable"
"Well if I am to believe that Professor, then it appears you just talked yourself into a corner"
"I beg your pardon?" Snape's eyes glittered dangerously.
"If it as impenetrable as you say and you are the only one with access to the potion then I conclude it was you that administered the potion and tried to kill the students. What's to stop you whipping up another batch and keeping this one as 'evidence' of your innocence? It seems we are on opposing sides of good and evil once again" Cornelius took his wand out of his pocket. Snape looked to Dumbledore, positively livid, waiting for him to intervene.
"Cornelius I do not believe that Severus is responsible for this"
But there was no convincing the Minister now. Specks of frothy spit had gathered at the edge of his mouth. "You heard him yourself Albus. He is the only one with access to the cupboard. He invented this potion and kept the secrets of it's making bound by unbreakable magic. He is clearly responsible for the illness of your students."
"Once again Minister you appear to be looking just in front of your nose and not at the whole picture"
The Minister rounded on the Headmaster. "What are you talking about?"
"I believe, as does my Potions master, that Lord Voldemort was the one intending to kill the students"
"I don't believe you're still on about this. You Know Who is dead. He is gone"
Dumbledore sighed. "What hope has the wizarding world if their Minister won't even admit to the threat? You say he is gone but you still do not dare speak the name. You're a fool Cornelius Fudge. A blind old fool. You know as well as I that Professor Snape was Voldemort's potion maker in the day and that he demanded many terrible concoctions. The wolves had closed in before Severus could fully clear his tracks and no doubt the Dark Lord's followers have supplies of some of the more insidious preparations locked away for future use. I have every faith in Professor Snape being on our side. I pity the fool that does not" And he gave the Minister a very hard look. Snape's stomach was quivering just a little. He didn't think Fudge would take kindly to being called a blind old fool especially when the one doing the insulting was much older than himself. And he was right, but the Minister didn't take it out on Albus. A blast from Fudge's wand threw Snape to the floor and he was soon bound up unable to move.
"Severus Snape by order of the Ministry of Magic I hereby place you under arrest in relation to deadly potion making practices and attempted murder. You will be sent straight to Azkaban to await your trial". Snape blinked and tried not to look terrified. He'd spoken to those former Death Eaters who had been incarcerated in the wizard prison. They said it was worse than hell. He turned towards the Headmaster who was looking thoughtful. Fudge pointed his wand threateningly at Dumbledore (obviously blinded by power and not realising the more experienced wizard could take him out in a matter of seconds).
"Don't try to stop me Albus. He's a criminal. We have to think about the children"
"Very well Cornelius" and Snape's heart sank. Dumbledore was giving up on him. "May I have a word with Severus before he is taken away?" The Minister nodded but kept his wand trained on the two of them.
Dumbledore leaned in closely to Snape's ear and whispered the following. "The Dementors will not go back into the service of Voldemort. Azkaban is the safest place for you now. When the time is right your name will be cleared" Snape nodded and swallowed heavily. The Potions master put his faith in the only person he thought Voldemort feared.
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Sorora started small circles on her temples, trying to release whatever it was that had built up in the last 24 hours. The letter from Julian was burning a hole in her pocket. She took it out again to look it over for clues but nothing was forthcoming. The moon shone outside of her window and she picked at the remnants of the cheese and crackers she'd eaten for dinner. The cheese was very dry and thickened in her throat as she tried to swallow it.
"Oh Julian. Where are you?" she sighed to herself as she got out of her robes and into a flannel nightgown that reached the tips of her toes. Its soft and fuzzy warmth was little comfort to the turmoil inside her heart and mind. As she kicked off her shoes and slipped quickly under the bedcovers a noise made itself be known behind her bedroom couch. Her head had barely touched the pillow when she thought the noise happened again. Sitting up quickly she whispered 'Lumos' and held the thin beam of light from her wand up in the air. It wasn't a normal sound like a rat scurrying by or a footstep, it was a rushing sound like wind through a pipe, or a toddler learning to whistle. She climbed out of bed and made her way over to the couch. A misty substance rose up from behind the cushions. Sorora looked at it warily. This did not look good.
As she got closer a figure emerged from the darkness. The dark, slightly wavy hair matched those deep intense eyes and with a hint of a smile at the corners of the mouth there was no mistaking – it was Julian. She fell painfully to her knees on the cold stone floor and felt the lump beginning to rise in her throat. She felt her head swimming and she begged herself not to faint, but her heart was wrenching something awful. It really was her Julian. A sob worked it's way up from the pit of her stomach and she shoved her fist into her mouth to stop from crying out. He nodded sadly and drifted a little closer to his wife.
She spoke, her voice wavering with emotion "I got your letter" He seemed surprised but she didn't notice, "I knew you were in trouble but I had no idea where to start. I didn't know how to find you" The ready tears leaked from her eyes and started to noticeably wet the front of her nightgown. Her hands shook as she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and sniffed loudly. "I didn't know how to help...it was killing me...I'm so sorry...I just wanted to-"
"Sssshhh" he whispered and reached out as if to pat his wife comfortingly on her shoulder but stopping just short. The silvery moonlight shimmered over and through his features, bouncing off the different shades of pale blue that now dominated his hair, skin and clothing.
He would have touched Sorora...if only he hadn't been a ghost.
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Author's note: Next up the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws throw a huge party when they find out Snape has been sent to prison. Just jokes! More sadness ahead, just like in life. But then some happiness, for one character at least. I think. We'll see :o)
Colleen – how are you feeling towards Fudge now? :oP I think Dumbledore drinks too much Firewhiskey, hence all the eye twinkling going on.
Corrie – thank you :o)
CrinkleCutRuffles – poking me with your wand, eh? I was wondering what all those little bruises were on my arm when I woke up this morning. [reaches to tweak Crinkle's nose and then thinks better of it] Darn tooting he goes to gaol! Oh and yes, the crankiness will continue.
Kaelli Karali – cheers! Thanks for adding me to your favourite story list :o)
Sárince – I'm also a little sick of all the DADA professors that fall for Snape. I definitely didn't want Snape to have a love interest in this (he's all mine hehe) but I wanted her somehow connected to him. Glad to know you're enjoying it so far. Just cause Snape is in Azkaban doesn't mean the confrontations will stop :o) Family visitation rights and all that. Oh and in your reviews you kept putting Sonora, it's Sorora. It's Latin for sister. My subtle hint that they were siblings.
