Disclaimers: Please see Chapters 1 and 2 for all disclaimers.
Thanks and appreciation to…
Mark Darcy… Whoops! Thanks for the type-o marker! I'll have to get back to fix that.
Evenstar Elanor… Your questions about the Dark Mark will be answered.
Angoliel… Hope my computer issue hasn't frustrated you too much and that this chapter is worth the wait.
Chapter 27: Truth Through Blood
As chaos erupted in the room, Lucius glanced around calmly. It worked! He wished he could crow his victory to the skies. My plan worked! He had known that the other Death Eaters would return Voldemort to the corporeal plane during the trial, and so did the other disguised Death Eaters in the courtroom. So when the Dark Mark finally flared, none of them had reacted.
Now everyone was staring at Severus' bare arm. Up on the judge's bench, Umbridge leaped to her feet. "This is all the proof we need!" she shrilled. "We cannot leave a minion of You Know Who free to roam under these circumstances! Minister, I move for an immediate declaration of guilt and institution of punishment."
"Well, I say, I mean, I suppose we should…" Fudge was his usual decisive self and Umbridge used to her own ends.
"The Minister has declared it," she shouted, not even letting him finish. "Bring them in!"
One of the bailiffs opened the other anteroom and two Dementors glided out, adding even more fear and chaos to the room. Several Wizards and Witches fled, but most stayed. Bound by magical shackles within his defendant's box, Severus had no where to go. He watched the creature ooze forward, transfixed and frozen in horror.
In one smooth leap, Serena jumped up on the banister that separated the gallery from the barristers, jumped onto Jeremy's table and then leaped to the floor. Most people were so riveted by the tableau before them, that they never even noticed her. But Umbridge did.
"Stop her!" shouted Umbridge. One Auror turned towards Serena only to be blindsided by a flying body and knocked to the ground.
"Hurry, Professor! I won't be able to tackle them all!" To Serena's surprise, it was Oliver Wood. She hadn't seen him in the gallery, but when the chaos started, he'd pushed his way to the front. She threw him a grateful smile and then lunged, wand drawn, to put herself between Severus and the Dementors. The creature hesitated for a split second, evaluating this potential new threat – and new victim.
Struggling with his shackles, Severus yelled at his wife. "Get away from here, Serena. They'll destroy you to get to me… I'm not worth dying for. I'm not worth it."
She took her eyes off of the Dementors only long enough to look over her shoulder at him. "You are worth dying for a thousand times over, Severus." There was nothing but conviction in her voice and it humbled him. Then Serena turned towards Fudge and Umbridge and her eyes flashed angrily. "You can't have him yet! He still has one more defense."
"Come now dear, stand aside. Everything's decided. We don't want the Dementors hurting you by accident," said Fudge.
"Take care of him," ordered Umbridge. "Now!" The hooded specters began to slither forward towards Severus again.
"No!" Serena shouted so the whole gallery could hear her. "Expecto Patronum!" Silver white light shot out of her wand and gathered on the floor. It stretched and wavered and came together. Severus was stunned to see a silver-white panther crouched in front of him. It silently snarled at the Dementors and the creatures backed off. One brave one darted in only to be raked by the Patronus' claws. It squealed and writhed in pain.
Serena raised her hands over her head, with her wand pointed down. "Through blood we will discover the truth… Veritas Sanguinae…!"
"No!" The roaring voice was Severus', and it all but drowned out the end of her spell, but everyone heard it and the room was filled with the gasps of surprise by everyone gathered for the trial. Even Lucius Malfoy looked surprised. As Serena cast the spell a green and gold aura surrounded her. It shimmered and shifted like the aurora borealis.
"This could kill you," Severus said in an agonized whisper. He remembered what it had felt like to nearly lose her to the Dominatus Crystal. He was staring at her hand which had begun to glow a bright white.
"Are you guilty of what they've accused you of?" she asked.
"No. I've done some awful things, but not what I am on trial for."
"Then this will not kill me." There was a resigned, quiet confidence in her voice. She placed her hand on Severus' chest and it seemed to sink into him. He could feel something inside him pulling, tugging but it didn't frighten him. Serena withdrew her hand.
"Your innocence is my protection."
The ground around Serena rumbled and the tile floor cracked. Massive cracks opened and out of the gaps two huge, grasping hands emerged. They were easily twice the size of a normal man's hand, maybe even three times as large. The fingers were long and bony with wiry hair twisting out from the bulging knuckles. Dirty and long, the fingernails were pointed and had a yellowish tint. They grabbed Serena by the arms and yanked her down to her knees.
She stared coldly at Malificus. "Time to expose your lies," she growled. "Defend yourself if you can."
Well, we're into it now. Please read/review and let me know what you think!