I'm really sorry about this chapter. I know there's a LOT of back and forth, back and forth-type writing, but I didn't really know how else to write the trial. I still hope you can find it in your heart to enjoy it, though, and please review!

Chapter Three: In Which Many Questions are Asked and Few Answers are Given

"You have to go, Celaene," he said gently.

"I can't do it, Remus, I just can't…"

"You're his only chance to get off because the rest of us are sworn into the Order…"

"I'm in the Order, too!" Celaene wailed.

"Yes, but your situation is quite different," he said patiently. "Dumbledore—" he paused to give his voice time to steady again, "—has made allowances between members of the Order who are… intimately involved. You will be able to defend him; he does—did— not expect us to watch our loved ones be thrown in prison without our being able to help them. Molly could defend Arthur, I could defend Tonks, and you can defend Severus. Lily had to defend James once, last time."

Celaene nodded at that, accepting it. "Okay. I can do that. I'll try, Remus."

Lupin smiled, though it was obviously strained. "But you must understand, Celaene, that others of us may have to give evidence against him."

She looked up sharply. "Against him? But you know—"

"It's part of the conditions of joining the Order… were Dumbledore still alive he might be able to change it, but he's dead and the magic is fixed."

"Remus," said Celaene miserably, "why did he have to do it?"

"I don't know, Celaene. We'll both have to figure it out, I guess."

Azkaban was miserable, though infinitely better since the dementors left. At least now he could attempt to control the depressed thoughts that kept working their way through his mind. Cella had as good as left him and there was really no more point in living… But he'd go to the trial, he'd pretend to defend himself, and then he'd welcome the death sentence. Maybe she'd even watch him die, maybe she'd enjoy it… The thought caused more pain than he'd felt all night, but he gave the floor a twisted smile anyway and paid no attention to Lucius Malfoy, who was trying to get his notice.

Severus barely slept at all that night… He kept waking suddenly and checking his hand to ensure that his wedding band was still there.

The guards came to take him to his trial the next morning and he went willingly.

The Wizengamot sat in its benches, staring coldly down at him. There was a somber mass of witches and wizards sitting in the courtroom to watch the trial, as well, and Rufus Scrimgeour looked down on him, ready to judge. But none of these made him so much as blink. It was the witnesses there—there to testify for or against him—that made him look around in surprise. Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter, and… and her.

His eyes emptied and widened when she looked into them. She saw his lips form the word "Celaene" before one of the guards grabbed his arm roughly and forced him to sit down in the cold metal chair. Scrimgeour pounded his gavel and reminded Snape that he was not allowed to speak directly to the witnesses but must do so through the judge or the Wizengamot.

"Severus Septimius Snape," began the Minister. "You have been called here today to stand trial for the murder of Albus Dumbledore, an act which will earn you, should you be convicted, a death sentence. You will be allowed to defend yourself by answering, or not answering, questions asked you by myself or any member of the Wizengamot or the witnesses. They will in turn answer questions asked them by myself or any member of the Wizengamot. This information will be used to determine the truth. Do you have any questions?"

"No," Snape answered quietly.

"Will you submit to Veritaserum?"

"No," Snape repeated, more quietly still.

"Mr. Snape," said the Minister, "you are reminded that Veritaserum will force you to tell the truth and it is admissible as evidence in this court."

"I know what Veritaserum does, Scrimgeour, as I am your main provider of the potion," said Snape icily. "I will not be interrogated when I do not have my… normal presence of mind."

"Very well," said Scrimgeour. "Now, to begin…" He cleared his throat. "You are Severus Septimius Snape, are you not?"

"I am."

"The son of the Muggle Tobias Snape and the witch Eileen Prince?"

"Indeed."

"And you were found innocent seventeen years ago of Tobias Snape's murder?"

"I was."

"But you did commit this murder, did you not?"

Snape paused for a fraction of a second before replying, calmly as ever, "I did."

"And you were let go because you committed this crime… under great emotional strain?"

Snape's lip curled. "Yes."

"Mr. Snape, our records show that you spent seven months in Azkaban Prison for the participation in crimes committed by the Death Eaters. Is this true?"

"It would seem so."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Only that I wish you would stop asking me pointless questions that you already have the answers to!" Snape had stiffened visibly.

"There is no need for that, now, Mr. Snape. Were you at any time involved with the work of the Death Eaters?"

"Yes."

"And are you a Death Eater?"

"In a sense."

"What do you mean by that?"

Snape did not answer.

"Mr. Snape?"

"I will not answer that question."

Scrimgeour frowned and made a mark on the parchment in front of him. "Do you have respect for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"One cannot be in the service of the Dark Lord without acquiring a certain degree of respect for him, even if one does not… entirely agree with his cause."

"Let me rephrase that question: Are you loyal to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

Snape seemed to consider it. His right hand had, seemingly subconsciously, gone to his left forearm. "I do not know."

"You do not know? How could you not know?"

"When I say 'I do not know'," Snape said testily, "I mean that I cannot tell you because I do not possess the answer!"

"Very well. Mr. Snape, did you or did you not murder Albus Dumbledore?"

"I did not."

"You did not kill Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow.

"I did kill him. I did not murder him."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Murder is the act of killing someone for one's own reasons and in cold blood. To kill someone is merely to take their life."

"And you did not kill Dumbledore for your own reasons or in cold blood?"

"I did not."

"Why did you kill him?"

"He asked me to."

"I have difficulty believing a great wizard like Albus Dumbledore would ask you to kill him," said Scrimgeour skeptically.

"I'm sorry."

"Why did he ask you to kill him?"

"So that we could continue fighting. Thank you ever so much for ruining his plan and making him die in vain, Minister." The witches and wizards in the courtroom gasped. Snape had not said that maliciously; indeed, he had said it politely and with as much respect as any of them had for the Minister of Magic, but no one seemed to notice.

"Thank you, Mr. Snape. That is enough for now," the Minister said coldly.

"You are very welcome."

"The court calls Remus Lupin to testify," he called out in a ringing voice.

Celaene felt Lupin stand up from where he'd been sitting between her and Tonks. He walked forward and sat in a chair placed near Snape's.

"Remus Lupin, do you testify for or against Severus Snape?"

Remus answered carefully, "I am here to tell what I know of Thursday's events for the court to hear. I do not wish to incriminate or free Severus, but to tell you the truth to the best of my ability."

Scrimgeour did not look pleased to hear that, but he kept his mouth shut about it.

"Mr. Lupin, did Severus Snape kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"I don't know."

"Was Snape involved with the Death Eaters?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"He has told me. Dumbledore told me. I have seen the mark on his arm."

"Is he actively involved with them or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Yes."

"How do you know that?"

"I have seen and heard others' personal accounts of his activities."

"Did Dumbledore trust Snape?"

"I believe so."

"Why?"

"He would never tell me."

"Why not?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons." Remus looked as calm as ever, though he was pale. Celaene knew that Remus had no choice but to make Snape look guilty, but it didn't make her happy about it and she bit her lip in anger. Tonks put a hand on her shoulder and Celaene tried to relax.

"What did Snape do on the night in question immediately before he entered the Astronomy Tower?"

"He fought his way through us—we, that is to say, members of the Order of the Phoenix, were fighting with Death Eaters—and blew apart the door to the tower before running up it."

"Did he say anything?"

"Many things, none of which were pleasant and few of which were intelligible."

"What did he say?"

"Mostly a mix of curses and jinxes and swear words that I'd prefer not to repeat," said Lupin quietly. "But he also said something about Harry Potter, trying to get to Draco Malfoy, and… and destroying Dumbledore."

"And when he left the tower?"

"He was running, sprinting out. He yelled to the Death Eaters that it was all over and time to leave, but then I did not see or hear any more."

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. You may return to your seat."

"You are welcome," he said politely, and sat down beside Celaene and Tonks again.

Scrimgeour skipped over Tonks and the Weasleys and called Harry down.

"Harry Potter?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you testify for or against Severus Snape?"

"Against." Snape stiffened slightly.

"Did Severus Snape kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes, sir."

"How do you know?"

"I saw him."

"Did you make any attempt to stop him?"

Harry hung his head. "No, sir."

"Why not?"

"Dumbledore petrified me so that I would not, sir."

"Why?"

"I think he didn't want me hurt, sir." The audience murmured its approval and several of the Wizengamot smiled sadly at him.

"Did Snape give any indication of why he killed Albus Dumbledore?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know why?"

"No, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. You may return to your seat."

Harry nodded and sat down again beside Mrs. Weasley. Celaene knew what was coming next.

"Celaene Snape, please take the seat in front of the court."

She stood up numbly and did as she was told, trying not to look at her husband—who was staring quite openly at her.

"Celaene Andromeda Sinistra Snape, do you testify for or against Severus Snape?"

"For him, sir."

"And you are married to this man, are you not?"

"Yes, Minister."

"Do you love this man?"

"I don't know, Minister." She hung her head and blinked tears away.

"You don't know?"

"I did love him, I know that much… but I don't know anymore."

"Quite understandable, miss, don't you worry about that," said a kindly-looking old witch in the front row of the Wizengamot. Celaene smiled gratefully at her, then glanced at Snape, who had a very ugly expression on his face. He was still wearing his ring. She slipped her hand inside her pocked and felt hers there. The Minister cleared his throat importantly and looked around at them all for silence.

"Is your marriage a… a happy one?"

"Yes," said Celaene defensively. "Well, no," she murmured after a moment of silence. "It was, until… until about a month ago. He began acting strangely, had a shorter temper and was more secretive. But until then, it was—well, we had rough spots, of course, but everyone has those!"

"Would you describe Snape as a violent man?"

"Not necessarily violent. He's never physically hurt me, if that's what you mean, and I've never seen him do so to anyone else, or heard of it—not since he was released from Azkaban the first time. But he has a… quick temper."

"Yes, so we have all seen." Snape's grip on the arms of his chair tightened. Celaene looked away. "And—I'm sorry, I must have missed—when did he become more secretive and acting oddly?"

"Around early May, sir."

"Thank you," he said. "Did Snape kill Dumbledore?"

"I think so, but I didn't see it."

"Would Snape have any reason to kill Dumbledore?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but Severus is a very private man. There is much to his life that he doesn't share even with me." Snape looked up at Celaene when he heard his first name. She looked at him for a moment and suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. He was startled, by the look in his eyes, but he didn't pull it back. The entire courtroom watched. Celaene was surprised by how cold his hand was, but she couldn't fix that; her wand was outside, having been confiscated for the trial. She pulled the ring out of her pocket and slipped it back onto her finger, making sure he could see it. Comprehension dawned on his face, but he remained quiet.

Scrimgeour resumed his questioning: "Do you believe what Snape tells us? Is he, if you'll excuse this, Mr. Snape—"

"I doubt it," he muttered.

"—is he a liar?"

"No," said Celaene firmly.

"Is Snape a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"And yet he is also a Death Eater?"

"Yes."

"How can this be?"

"He is—was—our spy."

"And he gave you information about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Yes."

"Valuable information?"

"The very best."

"Thank you, Mrs. Snape. You may return to your seat.

Celaene stood up and walked back to her seat. Remus looked at her as if to say "I told you so," but he remained silent.

"Mr. Snape."

"I'm still here."

"Thank you. Do you agree with everything the witnesses here have said?"

"Yes."

"So you are a Death Eater?"

"Yes."

"And a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"A spy?"

"Yes."

"When did Dumbledore ask you to kill him?"

"I can't recall exactly when. He told me that I must always do what was required of me by the Dark Lord or I would risk losing my disguise. I was ordered to kill him as I knew I would eventually be; I had discussed the matter with Dumbledore and he told me that if the occasion did indeed arise, I must kill him, no matter what I felt."

"And the occasion arose?"

"Yes."

"So you killed him?"

"I believe we've already established time and again that I did!"

"Thank you, Mr. Snape. The Wizengamot will now make its decision."

We waited for ten minutes, letting them all decide how to vote. Then Scrimgeour called out, "All in favor of acquittal?"

Several raised their hands. Severus looked up and began counting. Scrimgeour wrote a number on his parchment.

"And those in favor of conviction?"

The rest went up. Celaene's stomach sank as Scrimgeour said the result that everyone already knew: "Severus Septimius Snape, you have been charged with and convicted of this crime. You are hereby sentenced to death or a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. Which do you choose?"

"Death," he said dully.

Celaene stood up sharply. "No!"

"Cella, I'd rather die than live in prison."

"I can't live without you, Sev!"

"You'll have to anyway. I'm never getting out, he just said that."

"But you—it wasn't—"

"It was fair, Cella." The words, she could tell, cost him a lot. He spoke slowly, his voice almost shaking. "I killed him. I have no choice."

"But you aren't evil! You're not!" Celaene was desperate for him to understand—for all of them to understand.

"I killed."

"You aren't evil!"

"If I'm dead, I can't do it again."

"You wouldn't!"

"That's what we thought three and a half years ago, isn't it?"

"But—but this time—surely, Severus, you won't—"

"We never can tell, Cella, love," he said, with an ironic smile.

The guards pulled Severus to his feet and led him away. "No," Celaene moaned. "Don't take him! Please…"

But no one was listening. Remus held her back, or she would have run after them. She struggled, but he was stronger than she. Finally, she slumped back on the bench, crying and rocking back and forth. Tonks took her hand sympathetically and Molly hugged her. Harry remained silent.

"He'll never be dead, Celaene, unless you stop loving him," said Remus quietly.

"I hate him," she said, staring at the grey stone of the floor.

"You love him."

"But I hate him, too!"

"Don't say that, Celaene."

"I love him," she admitted, finally looking back up.

"I know," said Tonks.

"Why are they so stupid?"

"They think they're doing the right thing."

"But they aren't."

"I know," repeated the pink-haired young woman.

"And I can't do anything about it…"

"You can be strong, Celaene," said Tonks. "Severus wouldn't want you to cry. He never did. I remember, Celaene, he once saw you crying after Sirius died and told you he'd rather see you dying than sad."

"He was always sweet like that," said Arthur with a twisted smile.

Celaene managed the smallest of smiles before looking back down at the floor. "Unfortunately, Tonks, I think that was because he didn't think Sirius deserved it…"

"Oh, right," said Tonks unhelpfully.