Hey all- this is going to seem very disappointing after such a long wait, but what can I say? Some boring chapters are necessary to incorporate a plot. I had to put this up early, actually, because I sent it to the wonderful person who has agreed to read this for me, but am having to go out of town again, so I thought that I'd at least be a little kind and put up something. Thanks to everyone who has responded- I had a great time on my trip!! There will be new chapters of this on either Thursday or Friday, depending on how my writing goes.
Read on!
~~**~~~
The trial was set to start at noon the next day. At nine that morning, four aurors had come into Harry's cell and dumped a bucket of freezing cold water on the teenager, to 'clean him up.'
Of course, they had left him there, in a freezing cold cell, his robes and hair already turning to icicles by the time the aurors had left. Harry felt like he was frozen, and sick. He probably was sick. It would figure.
He still hadn't received any food.
At 11:30, Harry was tossed into the little room again, shivering like a crazy fool. His professors were already there.
"Harry?" asked a concerned McGonagall.
"Aurors came in this morning.. dumped water on my head.. and I am really cold."
Dumbledore cast drying and heating charms on Harry, who was still shivering.
Minerva pulled him into a chair. "Good lord, you're feverish, child," she said, after placing a hand on Harry's forehead.
"I'm fine," said Harry forcefully.
"Hungry?"
"I'm starving."
Minerva conjured up a plate of fruit and a glass of water and placed them before Harry, who looked at them greedily.
"Thank you," he said, eating gratefully. The professors talked in a corner while Harry finished eating, only turning around when his plate was completely clean.
"Harry," said Dumbledore warily, "because you weren't officially called from the stand, Mr. Falcon will start by questioning you. There's no doubt that he'll attack your association with Severus."
Harry nodded. He had anticipated that.
"Try to remain calm, Harry. Don't get upset. Any show of anger will be worked against you," continued Dumbledore.
Harry only had time to nod once more before the booming fist on the door alerted them to the time. He swallowed and followed Dumbledore out of the room.
~~**~~
"I'd like to call Harry Potter to the stand."
Harry sat down in the witnesses' chair and drank the provided Veritaserum. He looked at Falcon pointedly.
"So, Mr. Potter, Severus Snape is your father."
Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the man would jump straight to the point.
"Yes, that is correct."
"Are you aware that he was a death eater?"
"Of course I'm aware. I found out just a few months ago that he was both a death eater and a spy. After the Triwizard Tournament. However," he added in a quiet voice, "my friends and I have suspected Snape of being a death eater since we've known him."
"Are you a death eater, Mr. Potter?"
"Of course not!"
"Has your father ever tried to get you to join the death eaters?"
"Absolutely not."
"How do you and Mr. Snape get along?"
"For the past four years, pretty terribly. He's bullied me, tried to get me expelled, failed me in potions, and was basically malicious to me for my first four years of school. I hated him, and he hated me."
"You hated your own father?"
"I didn't know he was my father. But yes, I hated him," answered Harry.
"You didn't know he was your father?"
"No. I only found out a few weeks ago, as did he. Neither of us had any idea before then."
"How did you find out?"
"I received a delayed delivery letter by owl post from my mother. She explained it to me. There was also a letter for Professor Snape, which I gave to him."
"How did you feel when you read the letter?"
Harry flushed. "I was devastated, and incredibly angry. Sad, too, because I had discovered that I had family, but that my family despised me."
Dumbledore looked over at Snape, who was ducking his head, cheeks red with either embarrassment or anger. It was hard to tell.
"What did Snape do when you gave him the letter?" asked Falcon.
"He read it." Harry raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Obviously. How did he react?"
"He jumped back and looked at the letter like the devil himself had come for a visit. And then he yelled at me to get out."
"Did you?"
"Of course! Have you ever faced the wrath of Professor Snape?"
There was knowing laughter from the audience. Dean and Seamus smiled up at Harry, and even Snape seemed to be smirking.
He's losing.
Yes.
"So a former death eater is your father?"
"That would be correct."
"Thank you, Mr. Potter." Falcon turned and went to his seat, prompting Dumbledore to rise.
"Harry, do you see yourself as an extension of Professor Snape?" he asked cheerfully.
"Absolutely not. I am my own person. I have my own thoughts and my own ideas. I do things because I think they need to be done, not because someone tells me to or thinks that I should. I may share certain characteristics with my professor, but that doesn't mean that I am him. Besides, I only found out that he was my father a couple of weeks ago. I don't think it's possible that he could have had any influence over me, especially since he was in Voldemort's possession during almost all of that time," Harry answered.
"Thank you, Harry." Dumbledore sat down, and Judge Munnegin turned to Harry.
"If there are no more questions, you may step down, Mr. Potter." He looked at the two benches, and when there were no arguments from either side, Harry practically ran back to his bench. He sat down between Remus and Minerva, looking quite relieved. Minerva grabbed his hand under the table in a silent sign of support, and Harry relaxed a bit.
"I'd like to call Severus Snape to the stand," said Falcon.
Harry tensed up and looked over at Snape, whose hands were shaking slightly as he pushed himself out of his chair.
Severus looked over at Harry and made eye contact briefly before taking a seat in the witnesses' chair. A guard shoved Veritaserum down his throat.
"Please state your name."
"Severus Snape."
"Mr. Snape, were you present at the Riddle House two nights ago?"
"Yes."
"Can you please describe the duel between Harry Potter and You-Know-Who?"
"Of course. Voldemort came in and cast the Cruciatus on Potter, who hit him with an anti-Cruciatus spell of his own devising. The two went back and forth for a while with the Cruciatus and the anti-Cruciatus, until Potter was unable to deflect any longer, and was on the floor. Voldemort raised a foot to kick him and Potter disappeared. He had used an invisibility potion, which he and Minerva McGonagall brewed. Voldemort was furious and came over to kick me. He raised his wand at me and Potter tackled him. Voldemort threw him across the cell, and started attempting to kill him. Potter put up a shield, so Voldemort's killing spells were bouncing off, and one reflected off and hit Lucius Malfoy, who was killed instantly. Voldemort raised a wand at Potter, who was rather dumbstruck at this point in time, and I realized that he was about to kill him. I warned him, and Harry ducked. He then fired his curse at Voldemort, who was thrown back. A silver light covered him and destroyed his soul, rather like the Dementor's Kiss. When the smoke cleared, Voldemort was dead."
"And you saw all of this yourself?"
"That is correct."
"You are Mr. Potter's potions master at Hogwarts, are you not?"
"I am," answered Snape.
"How is he at potions?" Falcon asked conversationally.
Severus smirked. "If he were actually allowed to concentrate, it is my opinion that he would be quite good. However, due to constant distraction in class, Potter has done poorly."
"How do you feel about the boy?"
"Is this relevant?"
"It could be."
"I don't know how I feel. Confused."
"Why?"
"I should think that that would be obvious. I have to hate him for the first four years that I knew him, and I tricked myself into actually believing that I hated him. I just recently found out that he was my son. Any person would be confused."
"Do you believe that your son killed Cedric Diggory?"
"Potter didn't kill Cedric Diggory. I was still a spy at that time; I saw the dark lord and heard him speak of his advances and how he had risen. I know for a fact that it was Peter Pettigrew who killed Mr. Diggory."
"So you deny that Mr. Potter killed Mr. Diggory and Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"And you confirm that your son did, in fact, kill Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, Mr. Snape."
Minerva rose to begin her questioning of Severus. "Severus, was Lord Voldemort going to kill Mr. Potter?"
"Yes. He tried multiple times."
"Was he going to kill you?" asked Minerva.
"Yes. I am only alive because Potter tackled Voldemort as he began to say the curse that would have ended my life."
Harry blushed furiously from the bench.
"So it's possible, and actually quite likely to say that Voldemort's murder was an act of self-defense?"
"Most certainly. Potter would have been killed if he had not acted."
"Thank you, Severus," said McGonagall. She sat down next to Dumbledore, looking quite pleased with herself.
"If there are no more questions, you may step down."
There were no more questions, so Severus went down to his own bench.
That went well.
I suppose.
McGonagall made a good point.
That she did.
"The court will now take a fifteen minute break."
