Chapter 7 – The Cry of the Phoenix

Young Severus Snape had been taken immediately from the Great Hall and the student body calmed.

His parents had been owled, of course; Dumbledore wondered why neither had arrived at the school. He had suspected that Severus' father would easily be able to keep his wife from coming, but Dumbledore had thought Maledictis Snape would be here long before now.

Dumbledore had been too afraid to put Severus in the Infirmary, whether for the boy's own safety or for the safety of others he wasn't sure. And so, he had kept Severus right by him. Although the boy hadn't spoken a word since the incident, Dumbledore felt that his own presence was comforting to him. In fact, the child had hardly left his side since the conjuring. A continuous stream of tears had trickled down the boy's face during most of that time, and he held his hands before his face as he usually did to ward off his father's blows.

It had been a quiet day so far. The Headmaster now sat with Severus quietly on a settee in his office; he had, of course, notified the Ministry of Magic. The House Elves were busy putting the Great Hall to rights, and a special meal was being planned to comfort students whose last association with the place had been fear and confusion.

A prickle of alarm shot up the old wizard's spine. Within seconds, Dumbledore heard a clamor outside his office. Immediately, Fawkes the Phoenix trilled an alarm.

Minerva McGonagall slipped into the room seconds later, agitated out of her customary self-possession. "It's the Minister himself, come for poor Severus," she cried.

At once, Severus Snape wailed and hid his face in Dumbledore's robes.

The Headmaster stood, bearing the weight of years, power, and dignity. "Cornelius," he said, acknowledging the rather short man who stepped into his office. He was ringed by Aurors.

"Albus," Fudge returned. "We are here to escort the Snape boy first, to Ministry Headquarters to ask him some questions about the Dark magic he used last night, and second, to restore him to his father's custody."

Dumbledore used every bit of his self-restraint he possessed to keep from gasping out. So that had been Snape Senior's treacherous game!

The boy clung to him, shaking as if he had been possessed by seizures. "No," he moaned in the extremity of his fear. "No, oh please."

"I'm sorry, Cornelius," said the Headmaster, his arm firmly around the lad's thin shoulders. I absolutely refuse to hand this child over to your – or his father's -- control. The second I do, he will be lost for good and all. I'm certain that Ministry questioning would frighten him deeply, and what good there is in Severus will be beaten out of him by his father."

Severus clung to him, moaning in fear.

Dumbledore raised his chin. "I am confident beyond a moral certainty that this is what will happen. Therefore, Cornelius -- I cannot let you take him."

"I'm sorry, Albus, but this letter from the boy's father authorizes such action, and ensures that he will be returned to his home as soon as our inquiries are finished. Your authority must yield to his. You know this, Albus!"

Three of the Aurors stepped forward. One seized Severus' thin arm.

"Get your hands off him immediately!" Dumbledore roared, the atmosphere in the room becoming heavy with ancient magic. The Auror cried out as a powerful force uncurled his fingers.

Cornelius Fudge shook his head. "If you defy the Ministry, Albus, we will have to bring in the Dementors to enforce the law and return this boy to his family."

"To his father, perhaps," Minerva snapped. "Never his mother. His mother would never agree to such a travesty!"

"I must insist," Cornelius Fudge repeated, giving Professor McGonagall a stern look.

"Albus! Don't let him go!" Minerva pleaded. "No good can come of it!"

The Headmaster's entire being seemed to shrink.

"I'm afraid, Minerva, that I must comply for the moment. I cannot risk having Hogwarts exposed to Dementors. The deleterious effect they would have on our entire student body would be tragic." He shook his head. "No, I cannot have the Dementors here."

Dumbledore turned to Severus, whose eyes were wild with terror.

"I'm sorry, child. Although I will allow you to go with the Minister, I promise and vow to you that I will come for you personally, and will bring you back here with us."

Horror-struck, Severus began to cry a low keening wail that shattered the old wizard's heart. It took four Aurors to disengage the child's hands from Dumbledore's robes.

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!"

Albus Dumbledore began to cry, a sight that shocked everyone in the room. "I promise I will come and get you, Severus," the old man wept.

Nodding his farewell, Cornelius Fudge turned and headed for the door, motioning the Aurors to follow him. The boy whose arms were pinned by their own tried to pull away. Turning to Dumbledore in a last act of desperation, Severus Snape began to shriek."OH PLEASE! OH NO! FATHER! HELP ME!"

"FATHER! FATHER! FATHER!" he screamed, fighting the Aurors to reach for Dumbledore.

It was then when the old wizard broke down entirely.

The heavy warded door of the Headmaster's Office closed with a slam, and the sound of the boy's cries were joined by the keening song of Dumbledore's Phoenix.