Harry Potter and the Soul of the Serpent
Chapter 3
Judgement
Standard Disclaimers Apply
oOoOo
Severus Snape, admittedly, had more regrets than most men, and this was overshadowed only by the surprising and rather sinister secrets he kept. Some of these secrets would have resulted in a great number of unpleasant situations, least of all his death.
In particular, he worried that the Dark Lord would become aware of the…delicate position he was in. It had been nearly a year since he had risen, 11 months and 16 days, to be exact, and 11 months since the wizarding world's saviour had been sentenced to Azkaban for a term equal to five life sentences. Snape's lip curled. That infernal Potter. He should have known. The Dark Lord had turned better wizards to his ways than that stupid boy. Still, Snape would have thought the boy would have had more sense. After that night, witches and wizards from all over the world had rebelled in outrage at the scandal suggested by the Daily Prophet. The Boy-Who-Lived became The-Boy-Who-Turned. Hope was lost for many.
He had seen Harry in custody before his trial. He had been pale and shaking. Not surprising, though. He was guarded by Dementors and Snape clearly remembered how they affected Potter. He had been standing with Dumbledore in front of Harry's cell, talking. At that point both had heard the evidence towards Harry, but they would not believe until they heard him utter the words himself.
Dumbledore had looked at Harry in disappointment and strode out of the room, but he had remained. Potter had looked up at him and spoken.
"Do you think I did it?"
Snape had looked at him, familiar sneer in place.
"I do not know, Potter," he had answered eventually.
And to this day that remained the case, despite having heard the words come from his mouth. He wouldn't have thought Potter capable of the Killing curse, at the very least but then again… he had changed after the death of Black.
He remembered all too clearly the reactions of Harry's friends. There had been an emergency order meeting, and all the whole Weasley family had been present.
He could hear Dumbledore's words as if he were still there.
"There has been a terrible incident. Harry has been arrested and charged with murder."
There were gasps and exclamation from the people present. His red-headed friend had spoken up.
"Harry wouldn't do that!"
"Who, Albus?" Molly had asked.
Dumbledore was still for a moment.
"His aunty, uncle and cousin, Cornelius Fudge, and Percy Weasley," he replied silently.
Molly had cried then, whether for Harry or Percy he wasn't sure. With disgust Snape focussed on the present.
It was no use thinking about what could have been, if Harry had been here to do his job and defeat the Dark Lord.
The trial had been an ordeal for everyone involved. Snape remembered clearly.
Harry Potter was led in to the courtroom by two Dementors and deposited in the single chair in the centre of the court. He had had little contact with anyone he knew, save for Dumbledore and himself. The chains wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles and he fidgeted uncomfortably before staring defiantly at the Acting Minister for Magic, Amelia bones. His faced betrayed no emotion, and Snape shivered at the likeness he drew with the Dark Lord.
"Mr Potter. You know why you are here?"
"Yes."
"You have been accused of using the Unforgivable curse in the murder of Cornelius Fudge, Percival Weasley, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley and Dudley Dursley. Do you deny these crimes?"
"Yes."
Amelia Bones stared down at him sternly before turning to the guard at the door.
"Bring the first witness."
People murmured in the stands as Lucius Malfoy strode calmly into the room and seated himself.
"Lucius Malfoy. You were one of the first on the scene on the day in question?"
"I was."
"And what did you see?"
"I saw Potter standing over the body of his relatives with his wand in his hand."
"Did he tell you why this was so?"
"He said he had come home to find them dead already. He had his wand out for protection. An obvious lie."
The questioning had gone on for some time, but finally the last witness arrived.
"Albus Dumbledore. You know Harry Potter quite well. Do you believe he is innocent?"
"I do not believe Harry would kill his family, or anyone else."
Harry had looked at Dumbledore, slight shock evident on his face. Amelia bones looked as though she was unsure as to whether she should pursue Dumbledore's half answer.
"You went to the Dursley residence to collect Potter on the night in question, did you not?"
"I did," Dumbledore answered quietly, glasses glinting in the light.
"What did you find?"
"Harry was there with an Auror from the Ministry, Alan Edwards. I talked to Harry and asked him what had happened."
"Did you find his story to be true?"
"Not all of it."
Harry had paled then. It seemed he knew what his fate would be. Whispering broke out, but Dumbledore spoke again.
"That is not to say Harry lied."
"Harry maintains that he did not have his wand when the killings took place. However, his wand was used in the killings."
The whispers were louder this time.
"How do you know this?"
"Coincidentally, it was Lucius Malfoy who suggested it. As you know, there are ways to identify the previous charm performed by a wand. When this was applied to Harry's wand, it was evident that it was his wand that had been used."
"You saw the killing curse?"
"Yes."
Eventually the time had come, and a strong veritaserum had been administered to Potter. The witches and wizards had been tense, leaning forward silently in their seats.
Amelia Bones began her questioning.
"Are you Harry Potter?"
"Yes." His voice was rough and loud.
"On the night of June the 19th, did you use an Unforgivable, the Killing curse?"
Around the court, witches and wizards waited intently for his reply, none more so than those who knew him.
"Yes."
Bones' voice grew cold.
"Did you murder your aunty, uncle and cousin?"
"Yes."
"And are you responsible for the murders of Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and his assistant, Percival Weasley?"
"Yes."
That was the last anyone had seen Harry Potter, as he was led out of the room by two Dementors. After the questioning and the sentencing, people had started crying. Granger had been sitting silently, tears running down her cheeks. Weasley was sitting next to her, pale and stunned. Molly Weasley was crying on Albus Dumbledore's shoulder.
Harry's guilt confirmed some people's suspicions that he had been twisted by the attack on him as a child, and led others to question whether the return of the Dark Lord was really true.
It was the worst thing that could have happened.
But Snape had more important things to worry about now. He worried that the Dark Lord suspected him, and feared for the safety of the one person he truly cared about.
The one thing that had originally confirmed his belief in Potter's guilt was the fact that, if it had been Death Eaters that were responsible, he surely would have heard something. But he hadn't, and had told Dumbledore the same thing.
What worried him now was that the Dark Lord had not told him anything for several months now, while other Death Eaters seemed busy. If Voldemort had orchestrated the murders, he might not have heard anything about it. It had been bad enough finding out about the release of Malfoy. No doubt he spun some lie to his beloved Minister. He supposed that it could have been worse. At least only one Death Eater had escaped imprisonment.
The magical world had lost a lot of hope with the fall of Harry Potter, and the Dark Lord was making the most of it. There was to be another meeting tonight. As a result, his concentration was just about zero. With a sigh, he pushed away the exams he had been intent on marking and went to get a drink with plenty of alcohol.
oOoOo
The Order meeting that night was a long one. Snape, as usual, stood in the shadows at the back of the room. Over the past few months, Grimmauld place had become quite busy. Remus Lupin was the designated 'house keeper,' and spent most of his time organising things. Occasionally he would be required to travel, but most of the time he could be found haunting the study in the Black house.
Today was no different, and it had been, unfortunately, he who greeted Snape at the front door. He was guided quietly past that infernal portrait of Black's decrepit mother and into the dining room, where most of the Order were already seated.
He went directly to his usual place just in time to see Dumbledore enter the room. Silence fell immediately.
"Good evening everyone. We have much to get through tonight, so I would appreciate your cooperation. As you know, as of late there has been an uprise in activity relating to Voldemort, We don't know why there has suddenly been an up-step in his movements, however this is the busiest he has been since he has risen."
"But it's been a year, and there's hardly been any deaths," said an Auror. "Is he really as strong as we think he is?"
Idiot, thought Snape.
"The Dark Lord is the strongest he has ever been," he said. "He is merely biding his time. He is waiting for something; what, I do not know."
"Thankyou, Severus," said Dumbledore. "Have you heard anything else?"
"No. Either the Dark Lord has little planned, or he suspects someone is a traitor. He no longer talks openly at meetings. If he requires something done he summons only those he wishes to be involved."
Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"It is as I thought. I fear something important may be brewing. Voldemort is guarding his secrets closely this time, something that allowed us an advantage that we do not have this time around."
He was about to say more when Snape clutched his arm in pain.
He looked to Dumbledore.
"I must go. I will return here as soon as the meeting."
Snape ignored the looks given to him by some of the wizards in the room. He knew certain members did not trust him. He swept from the room, preparing himself for another draining encounter with the Dark Lord.
oOoOo
Such was the cause of one of the longest meetings of the Order of the Phoenix, and little did they know it was to be a turning point in the events of the war. Some hours after he had left, Snape burst into the room, face pale and shining with sweat.
"There is to be an attack tomorrow."
"Where?" Dumbledore questioned him instantly.
"Azkaban Prison."
Arthur Weasley spoke up.
"An attack or a jail break?"
"It seems the Dark Lord is no longer content with Harry Potter being locked up in Azkaban. He wishes for his death."
There was utter silence in the room.
That name had not been spoken out loud since that fateful night 11 months ago.
Dumbledore broke the stillness, commanding as ever.
"Very well. We will need Aurors ready to apprehend any Death Eaters that attempt to get into Azkaban. I will require at least two, as well as another Order member to guard Harry's cell."
At his words objections broke out.
"Why bother, Dumbledore. The boy is a murderer. If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wants to kill him, let him do it!"
Dumbledore let the angry whispers run their course before speaking again.
"It does not matter. We have a duty to do good, and if that means preventing the death of a murderer it should not matter. It will be a good opportunity to do some damage to Voldemort's ranks."
Several people nodded in silent agreement before Remus Lupin spoke.
"I will guard Harry," he said stonily.
"As will I," said Tonks.
Snape rolled his eyes. Damn sentimental fools. But, if they wanted to put their lives at risk, that was their own choice.
oOoOo
Chapter 4: Serpents and Secrets