Chapter 12: Conspiracy Theory

            I don't know how long we've been sitting here, each wrapped up in our own little worlds.  It seems like eons before Snape gets to his feet and starts pacing around the room.  I remain where I am, watching him dully.  He suddenly stops and looks at me.

            "You mentioned that it was Callahan who was the first to accuse you of having murdered your wife, am I correct?" He asks slowly.

            I nod.  "Yes.  At the hospital…"

            "Have you ever considered that he may have been the insider at the Ministry?" He interrupts me.

            "What?" I look at him shocked that he could even think to accuse Drew of such a thing.  "You are kidding, right? Green was the leader of our group.  Why would he betray us?  What motive could he possibly have?"

            Snape laughs harshly.  "Motive?  Who said anything about a motive?  Who needs a motive when he's a certified Death Eater?"  I feel my jaw drop.

            "Death Eater?  Surely you can't be serious.  There was no mark on his arm…we all checked…"

            "How did you know about the Dark Mark in the first place?" Snape interrupts me again.

            "I…we got information about it…from an outside source…I never bothered to check up on it…" I stammer.

            "You do realize with that knowledge of the Dark Mark you could have been able to save many innocent people from being put into Azkaban, do you not?"  His tone is bitter and I feel something quail inside of me. 

            "I should have.  But none of us thought to…"

            "Only you and your uncle didn't think to.  The rest were well aware of what such information could do, and were determined to do so.  Voldemort made sure they didn't allow you two to figure it out.  Oh yes, he made sure of it."

            "Wait, what do you mean only me and my uncle?  Jakura didn't think of it either." I protest.  Snape stares at me with an odd glint in those black eyes of his.  "Unless…" I start thinking aloud to myself, "You are suggesting Jakura was a part of this?  No!  No, it's not possible!"  I leap up from the bed, knocking the tray to the ground with a resounding clatter.  "How dare you?  How could you possibly think such a thing?  Jakura was not a part of Voldemort's circle!  Just because she was a Slytherin doesn't mean that she turned to the Dark Side."  I advance on him, my hands balled into fists, but he whips out his wand quickly and points it straight at my forehead.  I stop in my tracks and glare at him with all the hatred I could possible.

            "You gullible fool." He spits. "You are so blinded by your Gryffindor sense of honor that you are oblivious to what is standing right in front of you.  I was a Death Eater…part of the Dark Lord's innermost circle.  Do you not think I wouldn't know who my fellow Death Eaters were?"

            "I don't know; you all seem fond of parading around in those masks of yours.  I'm surprised if you ever actually saw each others cowardly faces." I snarl.  Snape's face is contorted in an unnamable emotion and the hand holding the wand is shaking so badly that a few sparks fly out the tip of it, bouncing off my forehead. 

            "I am no coward."

            "Then why are you still a Death Eater?"

            "I am a spy for Dumbledore.  How can you call that cowardly?"

            "Peter Pettigrew was a spy as well.  He's a coward." I state simply.  Snape stares at me, his hand lowering slightly.  I take the moment to move forward again, but the wand flies back up. 

            "Don't give me the chance, Weasley.  I will act in self-defense and make my apologies to Dumbledore afterwards."

            "Dumbledore?  Albus Dumbledore?  What does he have to do with this?" I ask bemused. 

            Snape snorts loudly.  "I am a spy, remember?  I told him exactly what happened at Azkaban, and about you.  He should be here in an hour or so.  He wishes to speak to you…let's say you've piqued his curiosity."  I take a step back, my head still reeling about the implications he's made about my wife. 

            "How could you possibly know if my wife were involved with Voldemort?  I knew everything there was to know about Jakura…" I sputter, trying to return to our former thread of conversation.

            "You think you knew your wife so well?  Where do you think she went every night at midnight?" Snape asks, an evil sneer smeared across his thin face.

            "She never went anywhere.  I have no idea what you are talking about!" I practically yell at him.

            "Tell me…are you a heavy sleeper?  Did you ever feel the urge to fall asleep before eleven at night?" Snape queried matter-of-factly. 

            "No." I lie stoutly, crossing my arms over my chest. 

            Snape laughs softly.  "I find your denial quite amusing, Weasley.  But the fact remains that your wife…"

            "Had nothing to do with your group of scum." I interrupt, my scorn biting.  "And neither did Callahan or anyone else from our group.  The fact that you can stand there and accuse my wife of betraying my trust right to my face astounds me, Snape.  Only you would have the gall.  So tell me, if you knew I was innocent the entire time, why didn't you report it to Dumbledore after turning spy so that he could release me?"

            "Another useless question, Weasley.  You seem to be packed full of them."

            "You pretentious bastard," I growl, "How can a question concerning my own life be useless?  It is my life, godammit, and I have a right to know why I've lost half of it rotting in Azkaban when there was someone out there who knew of my innocence!"

            "Calm down, Weasley.  What could have Dumbledore done to release you?  He would have had to explain where he'd gotten the information from.  As great a wizard as he is the jury wouldn't have just accepted his word.  Then my name would have come up and the game would be over.  It was a choice between one innocent life and thousands of innocent lives.  I chose those thousands." Snape explains slowly.

            "No, you were just afraid Voldemort would have discovered what you were and would have killed you.  That's the real reason, isn't it?" I sneer at him.  He sighs and shakes his head. 

            "I see the family tradition of thick-headedness has passed through to you.  I supposed that thick skull of yours is what saved you from the dementors."  That is the last straw for me.  Without thinking, I launch myself at him.  His reaction is quick and he yells "Petrificus Totalus!"  Instantly my mouth is clamped shut, my arms and legs slam against my body, and I fall flat on my face in front of him.  He rolls me onto my back with his foot and sneers down at me.

            "Ah, Weasley, I told you I wouldn't hesitate to act out of self-defense.  I couldn't very well have you try and strangle me again.  Now I'm afraid you must remain like that until Dumbledore arrives.  Come, shall we go downstairs to wait for him?" 

I narrow my eyes at him, the only part of my body capable of movement at the moment, but he merely gives his humorless laugh, mutters, "Mobilius Corpus" and I'm floating several feet off the ground.  "Please, follow me."  My body floats after him as he walks out the bedroom door and down the stairs to his living room.  He directs my stiff body to the couch where I suddenly drop and land safely, still on my back.  He looms over me, that strange grin still on his face.  "Now, if you wouldn't mind just waiting here, I have some letters to write before the Headmaster arrives.  So, just make yourself comfortable."  I make a small, choking noise and he pats the top of my head before sweeping out of the living room, leaving me unable to move, helpless with fury and the body bind.