Ashes of Victory, Ch 5
Disclaimer: Not mine. Hers. (Points out towards the East.) Over there, across the Atlantic. The one who gets to live with all those really cool castles and such. Okay, seriously, Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling, and please don't sue. I'm just using this as some serious stress relief.
Minerva stood in the doorway of the empty courtroom in disbelief. They had been too late. She watched Albus sink to the floor. Tears slowly made their way down the old wizard's face. He was going into shock, emotionally.
"Albus." Minerva reached out and shook the headmaster by his shoulder. "Albus, we have to find out where they have taken him. We have to go get him."
Albus raised sad blue eyes to look at her. "Azkaban, Minerva. They have thrown my boy into Azkaban, after all he risked to help them. The Dementors were here. I can still sense their presence in the room."
Minerva gasped. "You don't think they gave him the Kiss, do you?"
"If I can't get him out, it may be the kindest thing to hope has happened," the old wizard replied sadly.
Cornelius Fudge sat in his office smoking a cigar. He was quite pleased with himself. They had managed to get Severus Snape sentenced and away without that blasted Albus Dumbledore interfering. It didn't matter what that meddling old fool said. Snape had been involved in the raid that had killed Fudge's wife, and hadn't warned the Aurors about it. It was high time the Deatheater got what was coming to him. He hadn't been as merciful to his beloved Ellena.
'A few days,' thought Fudge. 'I'll give it a few days, and then come up with an escape attempt to cause that murderer to get the Dementor's Kiss.'
His thoughts were interrupted by a pounding on his door. Before Fudge had a chance to open it, his office door burst open to reveal an angry Albus Dumbledore. 'Uh Oh!' thought Fudge.
"Where is he?" Dumbledore asked.
"Who?" Fudge decided to play innocent.
"Severus Snape," Dumbledore spat out. Fudge could feel his power crackling angrily.
"He pleaded guilty, Albus. So he has gone to Azkaban."
"Guilty?" Minerva spoke up. "What on earth caused him to do that?"
"I don't know." Fudge replied. "I thought that he was going to plead innocent and then submit himself to questioning with Vertisium. Instead, he kind of went spacey when Lucius showed up and then pleaded guilty. What else could I do?"
"Lucius? What was Malfoy doing there, and why wasn't I told?" Albus thundered.
"He is one of the Cabinet members, Albus. He had to be notified of the trial. That is why I chose the middle of the night. We all know he was involved in You-Know-Who's activities, but there is no proof. I doubted that he would show up in the middle of the night. I sent an Owl to you, Headmaster. I don't know why you didn't get it." Fudge was use to thinking up political lies half a second before he spoke them, and this time was no different.
"I demand you bring him back now."
"I can't without a retrial. You know that. I will set the works in motion first thing in the morning to get him a retrial. But until then, Snape has to stay at Azkaban. He confessed, Albus!" Fudge hoped to pacify the Headmaster and end this encounter. Paperwork for a retrial could be lost and slowed until other things occurred to occupy Albus' considerable attention.
"Very well. Please Owl me a copy of the papers when you get them drawn up, Cornelius. Good night." With that, Dumbledore swept out of the Prime Minister's office, McGongall right behind him.
Albus said nothing as they Apprated back to Hogwarts. Minerva wisely stayed quiet. She could tell that the wizard was ready to throttle the next person that upset him. She started walking up the path towards the castle, then realized that Albus was not beside her. She turned back to the wizard. "Albus?"
The Headmaster took off his glasses and rubbed on the lenses with his robe. Then he put them back on and sighed.
"Minerva, when you receive word of when Severus' retrial is, send Fawkes. He will know where to find me. Tell everyone I have taken a few weeks vacation. No, Minerva," he added as she opened, "it is better if you don't know where I am going, or what I am planning."
"Very well," she agreed. Impulsively, she hugged her old friend, then headed up the path to Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Hers. (Points out towards the East.) Over there, across the Atlantic. The one who gets to live with all those really cool castles and such. Okay, seriously, Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling, and please don't sue. I'm just using this as some serious stress relief.
Minerva stood in the doorway of the empty courtroom in disbelief. They had been too late. She watched Albus sink to the floor. Tears slowly made their way down the old wizard's face. He was going into shock, emotionally.
"Albus." Minerva reached out and shook the headmaster by his shoulder. "Albus, we have to find out where they have taken him. We have to go get him."
Albus raised sad blue eyes to look at her. "Azkaban, Minerva. They have thrown my boy into Azkaban, after all he risked to help them. The Dementors were here. I can still sense their presence in the room."
Minerva gasped. "You don't think they gave him the Kiss, do you?"
"If I can't get him out, it may be the kindest thing to hope has happened," the old wizard replied sadly.
Cornelius Fudge sat in his office smoking a cigar. He was quite pleased with himself. They had managed to get Severus Snape sentenced and away without that blasted Albus Dumbledore interfering. It didn't matter what that meddling old fool said. Snape had been involved in the raid that had killed Fudge's wife, and hadn't warned the Aurors about it. It was high time the Deatheater got what was coming to him. He hadn't been as merciful to his beloved Ellena.
'A few days,' thought Fudge. 'I'll give it a few days, and then come up with an escape attempt to cause that murderer to get the Dementor's Kiss.'
His thoughts were interrupted by a pounding on his door. Before Fudge had a chance to open it, his office door burst open to reveal an angry Albus Dumbledore. 'Uh Oh!' thought Fudge.
"Where is he?" Dumbledore asked.
"Who?" Fudge decided to play innocent.
"Severus Snape," Dumbledore spat out. Fudge could feel his power crackling angrily.
"He pleaded guilty, Albus. So he has gone to Azkaban."
"Guilty?" Minerva spoke up. "What on earth caused him to do that?"
"I don't know." Fudge replied. "I thought that he was going to plead innocent and then submit himself to questioning with Vertisium. Instead, he kind of went spacey when Lucius showed up and then pleaded guilty. What else could I do?"
"Lucius? What was Malfoy doing there, and why wasn't I told?" Albus thundered.
"He is one of the Cabinet members, Albus. He had to be notified of the trial. That is why I chose the middle of the night. We all know he was involved in You-Know-Who's activities, but there is no proof. I doubted that he would show up in the middle of the night. I sent an Owl to you, Headmaster. I don't know why you didn't get it." Fudge was use to thinking up political lies half a second before he spoke them, and this time was no different.
"I demand you bring him back now."
"I can't without a retrial. You know that. I will set the works in motion first thing in the morning to get him a retrial. But until then, Snape has to stay at Azkaban. He confessed, Albus!" Fudge hoped to pacify the Headmaster and end this encounter. Paperwork for a retrial could be lost and slowed until other things occurred to occupy Albus' considerable attention.
"Very well. Please Owl me a copy of the papers when you get them drawn up, Cornelius. Good night." With that, Dumbledore swept out of the Prime Minister's office, McGongall right behind him.
Albus said nothing as they Apprated back to Hogwarts. Minerva wisely stayed quiet. She could tell that the wizard was ready to throttle the next person that upset him. She started walking up the path towards the castle, then realized that Albus was not beside her. She turned back to the wizard. "Albus?"
The Headmaster took off his glasses and rubbed on the lenses with his robe. Then he put them back on and sighed.
"Minerva, when you receive word of when Severus' retrial is, send Fawkes. He will know where to find me. Tell everyone I have taken a few weeks vacation. No, Minerva," he added as she opened, "it is better if you don't know where I am going, or what I am planning."
"Very well," she agreed. Impulsively, she hugged her old friend, then headed up the path to Hogwarts.
