Chapter 12
Over the next few days, Harry had many visits, from all the people Ginny had mentioned and a few more. As soon as Neville, Dean and Seamus had met Ron and Hermione in the common room and found out that Harry was still in the hospital wing they had been straight up to see him.
"So it was Snape?" Asked Dean and Harry nodded. Seamus whistled,
"Traitorous git!" he snapped in his Irish accent, "We should have seen it coming." Harry just nodded again. He really didn't feel like talking about it.
"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Neville, who had been quiet himself. Harry smiled at the earnest looking young man,
"Yeah, I'm fine Neville."
"So what's going to happen to the slimy bastard now?" Seamus asked and Harry shrugged,
"I guess he'll go on trial…" he murmured, suddenly lost in thought. His three Gryffindor housemates sensed his pensive mood, as they had been doing for six years, gave him a quick slap on the back or a handshake and left, promising they'd see him soon. Ron and Hermione also got a chance for a visit after being booted out while Ginny was there before. The three were just sitting in companiable silence when Ron turned to Hermione,
"I just think it's pointless!" He cried. Harry had no idea what they were talking about but he could tell from Ron's tone that he and Hermione had been fighting about something. Hermione turned to him calmly, her face a patient mask,
"What is, Ron?" She asked slowly, though Harry could tell she knew full well what Ron was talking about.
"Making us go to lessons while we're here!" he cried, his freckled face turning red from irritation.
"What do you care? You're refusing to do any work while you're in class anyway!" She snapped, her calm façade dissolving immediately. Ron huffed, as he always did when the clever witch on his left had bested him in an argument, but she would not leave it there. "I know education has never been a top priority in your life, Ronald, but I have always taken it very seriously and now is the time where just the slightest remark from a teacher could save our lives later on! I personally, am not willing to risk our safety just because I'm too lazy to leave the common room!" She ranted. Ron continued to stare at the floor grumpily, possibly because he secretly agreed, possibly because he couldn't see a better way out of the argument than to admit defeat by silence. There was a click as the hospital wing door opened and the three of them turned to see Professor McGonagall enter the room. Harry had been waiting to see her ever since Ginny mentioned that she would be stopping by. He was not particularly happy or sad to see her, though he was mildly curious about what she wanted to talk with him about.
"Mr Potter." She nodded, walking over to him. She looked at Ron and Hermione pointedly,
"Oh…er, we'll be back after dinner." Ron muttered, cottoning on, and he and Hermione swiftly stood up and left the wing, shutting the door with a resounding click that echoed around the now still ward.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, with little of what actually looked like concern,
"I'm fine, thank you." Harry replied. It was more or less true. The side effects from being under the cruciatus had more or less diminished. He was just feeling a little achy and had nothing but a few thin remains of the cuts left over him.
"Good," she said. Suddenly her cool eyes flicked up and met his, "Severus Snape is, as Lupin has undoubtedly told you, locked in Azkaban, under the constant guard of Alastor Moody. His trial has been set for tomorrow evening."
"What?" Harry cried, sitting up suddenly, "Why so soon?" He was not at all prepared for this,
"It's best for everyone, Potter." She said stiffly, probably because she had been interrupted, "As I was saying, the trial will be tomorrow. I trust you are aware that you have been called to give evidence? You are after all the only eye witness, excepting of course various death eaters, the werewolf Greyback, and young mister Malfoy." Harry nodded, a thousand thoughts swirling round his head. He was quite aware that this would not be a pleasant experience.
"What will I have to do?" he asked,
"Just be honest. The last time you faced the wizengamot, you were on trial and the court was against you. This time will be a lot easier. The ministry is on your side now, and you are not the one on trial. Just answer the questions you are asked with honesty. I would, however, refrain from telling too much about where you and Dumbledore were that evening. Think of something to tell the court before you leave."
"How will I be getting there?" He asked suddenly,
"You will be apparating tomorrow evening with a few other people who have been called to attend and some that just wish to be there for…personal reasons," she muttered, a fire in her eyes that he knew was directed at Snape. Harry nodded,
"So who are these people that are going?" He asked,
"All the Weasleys (except Ginevra as it was thought it would interrupt with her studies too much,) and Miss Granger have been asked or invited to attend, Remus will be there, I myself have been asked to attend…and Narcissa Malfoy is there as a character witness for Snape's defence."
"WHAT!" Harry yelled, he could not believe that the ministry would invite the wife and mother of death eaters to the hearing.
"Potter!" McGonagall snapped, "Control yourself! There is no evidence that Narcissa Malfoy was involved in the plot. She has claimed her husband left and took Draco with him, and that she has not been in contact with them since."
"Well that's a lie." Harry snapped,
"You don't have to tell me that, Potter." McGonagall snapped, "The time when we underestimated the Malfoy's has long since gone." She said harshly. Harry was dying to point out that he, himself, had never underestimated any of the Malfoy's and had tried to tell people that Draco was up to something. "Anyway," She continued, "Narcissa has lent Snape her Lawyer, whom the Order suspects is, in fact, a death eater himself. A man named Rudst. He is a very skilled lawyer. He will try to goad you, Harry, into making a mistake on the stand. We think he'll probably try to convince people that you weren't there as you were under the invisibility cloak. Be prepared, but don't lose your temper. Just think before you answer the questions and be honest and clear. There's too much evidence not to convict him." McGonagall stopped and drew a deep breath. Harry suddenly noticed how tired she was looking,
"You should get some sleep." He told her before he could stop himself. Surprisingly she did not comment, but turned and swept across the floor,
"You will need to meet in the entrance hall tomorrow at half past three. The trial begins at four." He nodded and she swept out. Harry dropped back onto his pillow. He was dreading the trial, and he was not particularly sure why. It may have been the fact that it was Snape who was on trial, it may have been because he was on trial for Dumbledore's murder, or it may have been because it would bring back unpleasant memories from the last time he was in a court room.