There is no such thing as justice- in or out of court. –Clarence Darrow, quoted in the New York Times.
The dinner bell rang and everyone piled into the great hall. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were engrossed in a conversation about the Slytherin's as Harry came up to them.
"Has anyone seen Astra? She was supposed to help me with my potions essay this afternoon." They all shook their heads and Harry looked up worried. He noticed that Malfoy and his two cronies had a huge grin of satisfaction on their faces and realized that he had not seen them in the great hall when he came back in for lunch.
Harry stormed over to them. "What have you done with Astra!" Harry bellowed.
"Potter I have no clue what you are talking about." Draco said coolly "Why would I want to hurt my head of house's daughter? As I recall, you were the last one she was seen with."
"Oh I don't know. Maybe because she's a Gryffindor." Harry retorted "Your accusations are baseless." Draco drawled. "I'd watch what you say Potter." He sneered and stormed out of the great hall.
'I've got to find her!' he thought urgently. He briskly walked out of the great hall. Hermione and Ron got up and quickly fell in step beside Harry. "Ron, Hermione. We have to find her. We'll search the grounds." Harry said as they went outside. "Ron, you go right. Hermione go towards the lake and I'll take the left. If you find her send up wand sparks."
They both nodded and took the directions Harry gave them. The moment they had split up Harry took out his wand. As he moved further on to the grounds of the school he noticed something that looked like a large rock on the ground. He moved closer and realized it was a body. Harry began to quicken his pace and moved closer. As his eyes focused he realized that Astra was lying on the ground unconscious.
"Astra!" Harry shouted as he ran to her side. She didn't move at the sound of his voice. He sent up sparks to get the other's attention.
He was conjuring up a stretcher as Ron and Hermione came running up. "Uh." Ron paled as he looked at Astra. "She doesn't look so good."
Hermione just gasped and bit back a sob. "Ron. Go and get Snape." Harry said shakily.
"Do you think that is such a good idea Harry?" Ron asked nervously "I mean he may think you did this." "Ron! It's his daughter!" Harry shouted "He has to know!"
"Okay, okay. No need to shout!" Ron hissed and turned to run back to the castle. "Hermione. Help me get her on the stretcher."
They got her on the stretcher and was almost to the castle when Snape came running out with the rest of the school behind him. Snape looked from Harry to his daughter's un-moving form.
"Potter! What in bloody hell happened?" Snape croaked looking at the battered and bruised body of his daughter. "I don't know professor. After our talk she said she wanted to take a walk and didn't comeback. I got worried and went to look for her." Harry said concerned. "This was how we found her."
"I'll take it from here Potter." Snape said taking control of the stretcher from Harry and proceeded to take Astra to the hospital wing.
Harry watched them go. A hand rested on Harry's shoulder and he turned to face Dumbledore. "I would like to speak with you in private Harry." The headmaster said.
Harry nodded and followed. Once they were in the headmaster's office he motioned for Harry to sit.
"Harry?" the headmaster said gravely. "I need to know all that happened today." Harry nodded. "Well, I was sitting at lunch when Astra mumbled two names. Well I wanted to know where she had heard those names so I asked her to follow me for a bit. We talked and she said she wanted to take a walk. I left her to roam and came back to lunch. She had told me this morning that she would help me with my potions homework and when she didn't comeback I grew concerned. I went to find her." Harry finished the brief explanation of today's events.
"What were these two names?" Dumbledore asked. "Padfoot and Snivellus." Harry said bluntly.
"Ah." The headmaster said knowingly. "Now I have one more question I must ask you Harry. Did you have anything to do with the attack On Astra?"
Harry gaped at Dumbledore. "No headmaster. I would never attack anyone." ('Well except for Malfoy and his two goons.' He thought. 'But that is another matter.') "How could you even think I would?"
"I had not thought you would or could. I just had to ask. You must understand that it does look suspicious that you were the last seen with her. Then she is attacked." The headmaster pointed out. "I just had to make sure."
Harry nodded. "I understand." "You may go Harry. But I would advise you to stay away from the hospital wing. Professor Snape more than likely will not listen to reason right now and we don't need two students in the infirmary."
Harry got up. "Yes headmaster." Was quickly muttered and he left. Harry walked numbly to the Gryffindor tower. As soon as he got there Ron and Hermione pulled him over to a corner.
"What happened Harry? Why did you need to talk to Astra?" Ron hissed. "When she sat down at lunch she mumbled the names Padfoot and Snivellus." He paused, looking into their eyes. "I asked her to speak in private and found out that she had found Padfoot's seventh year journal. Then she asked me who they were. After I was done she said that she wanted to take a walk and that was where I left her. I came back to lunch."
"You do realize that it looks like you attacked her don't you Harry?" Hermione said. "But I didn't!" Harry protested.
"That won't matter to Snape." Ron pointed out. "He'll be out for blood on who ever did this. I do hate to say this but right now mate. He more than likely thinks it was you."
Harry paled. "Bloody hell. You're right."
Severus's first thought was to get her to the hospital wing as quickly as possible. But now that she was settled and Madame Pomfrey was tending to her wounds there was time for his thoughts to turn to her attacker. His first initial thought was Potter. But as much as he hated the boy he had to admit that he would never attack a fellow Gryffindor. But who? He pondered it for a bit more.
'Malfoy!' the thought rang in his head but he dismissed it. 'No, why would he dare to harm my daughter?' Snape stormed out of the hospital wing and made his way to his potions classroom. When he arrived all of his emotions took over. In a fit of rage and pain he quickly destroyed his classroom. Then he collapsed on the floor and let tears silently fall on his face.
"Severus?" he heard a voice that matched his own grief. He turned to see his wife standing in the door way. "I couldn't protect her!" he growled angrily "I promised her nothing would ever happen to her and I couldn't even protect her!"
Serena moved to embrace him. "Severus. Honey there was nothing that you could have done about it. Things happen all the time that we can't do anything about."
Severus shook his head. "I should have done something. I should have been there!" "Severus stop beating yourself up! There was nothing you could do!" Serena scolded him. "I am as torn up about this as you are. But you must realize you won't always be there to protect her."
"Mommy? Daddy?" they heard a small voice in the hallway. "In here Sarul!" She choked out.
"I am so sorry mommy!" Sarul sobbed as he entered the room. "I never meant for her to get hurt!" "Oh Sarul." Serena cradled her sobbing son "honey, you didn't do anything to bring this about. It's not your fault, your father's fault or mine. There is nothing we could have done to prevent this from happening."
"Yes it is mommy! It is my fault. If I hadn't pranked her then she wouldn't have done what she did in retaliation and she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
"How do you know that this has anything to do with that?" Serena eyed him suspiciously. "think mommy. Who else was in on that prank? Who else got Gryffindor Quidditch robes attached to them until the potion wore off?" Sarul shouted "And who would have known that Astra could brew a potion that complex?"
"Oh dear Merlin no!" Serena gasped turning to meet Severus's eyes. His eyes flared with anger again as he got up.
"Severus don't!" Serena pleaded. "He'll pay!" Severus stormed out of the room.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sat in the Slytherin common room. Malfoy was reading a magazine as Crabbe and Goyle entertained themselves with a game of exploding snap. All of a sudden the door to the common room opened to reveal a very angry professor Snape. Crabbe and Goyle ducked behind a couple of the sofa's to hide as Snape moved toward them, pointing his wand at Malfoy.
"Professor, what?" Draco started. "How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!" Snape shouted.
"I don't." "Oh don't bother telling me you don't know what I am talking about Draco." Snape hissed. "I know very well that you and your two goons attacked my daughter!"
At that Crabbe and Goyle looked out from behind their hiding places to see Snape's face contort into pure rage. They gulped and quickly back into hiding.
"Oh! You can't face me? But you are more than willing to attack a child! Get out here you cowards!" Snape shouted "Come out and face your punishment!"
They didn't move. "Accio Crabbe!" Snape bellowed "Accio Goyle!"
The two boys flew out of their hiding places and stopped right in front of Snape. "Go stand by Malfoy!" He hissed at them.
The two boys paled and went to stand beside Draco. "Merlin help me. I would kill you where you stand if I were not a professor. But you are very lucky I am!" he glared at the three as he paced back and forth. "I wish I could expel you by myself but protocol means that I must speak with Dumbledore first. But I would love to do worse."
Crabbe and Goyle Gulped but Malfoy stared Defiantly. "You have no proof it was us!"
"Oh yes I do!" Snape grinned evilly at them. "You seem to forget that I know she played that prank on you and my son. I also know you are good at potions enough to deduce for yourself just who it was that did the prank. I also know that you would want vengeance. Well this time you went too Bloody far Malfoy!" Snape yelled the last part. "So don't think that for one second that I will let you get away with this one." With that Snape turned and left the Slytherin common room.
He stormed his way to the headmaster's office. He paused only to knock on the door. "Yes?" he heard the headmaster's reply from the other side of the door.
"Albus?" Severus said opening the door. "Ahh. Severus, what can I help you with?"
"I want to talk to you about expelling three students. I found out who attacked my daughter. And I want them expelled!" Severus growled.
"oh? And who are the three students?" Dumbledore asked, fearing the worst. "Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle!" he spat the names out like they were poison.
"Ah." Dumbledore let a sigh of relief escape his lips. "well Severus. Even though you are a father that is trying to protect his child, I don't think expelling them would do any true good. That will just put them out into the world sooner. I personally would not want to subject them to that, the world that is." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I do however feel that they should be severely punished. I think they should be removed from all of the Quidditch positions that any of them hold. Also Mr. Malfoy will be stripped of his head boy title and their remaining time shall be spent doing detention or anything that a teacher needs to have done for them. This is for the duration of the school year and should be spent productively. This will ensure that they have no more time for extra activities like harming innocent children."
Severus felt that this was not an acceptable punishment but it was the headmaster's final decision on expulsion of someone and he knew it. Severus sighed and nodded his agreement.
"Now to other matters." The headmaster said gravely "How is she Severus?" "She'll live. But it will take a while before she'll be up and running around again." He winced at that thought. "Merlin! I wanted to kill them Albus!" he admitted.
"Of course you did Severus. But the main thing to remember is that you could have but didn't." Severus nodded.
"I think you should go and be with your family, they need you right now Severus." Dumbledore smiled briefly "I will deal with Messrs Malfoy Crabby and Goyle."
Severus nodded once more to Dumbledore and left the office. He made his way back to the hospital wing. When he got there (Serena and Sarul were already there) he noticed that Serena's face looked worn with worry and Sarul's still had tears running down his face.
Severus cleared his throat. "Oh Severus!" Serena got up and embraced her husband. "You didn't?"
"No. I didn't kill them." He said. "I didn't even hurt them but Bloody hell! I truly wanted to!" Serena breathed a sigh of relief.
They settled in the seats madam Pomfrey had placed beside Astra's bed and waited for her to wake