Title: Hermione's Helping Hand
Trial And Punishment
When they arrived at the Ministry, it was crowed with all different kinds of witches and wizards, Hermione assumed from the Daily Prophet. However one was talking about red wood, which she knew would burn slow and make the suffering even more horrible for him. Hermione's eyes narrowed in dislike for this man.
" Well we better get going," Bill told them. " Severus isn't the only former Death Eater that is going before the court."
" Who else survived from Voldemort's army?" Harry asked.
" Loads of werewolves, old pureblood families, people like that," Bill answered. " And from what dad told me, their going to use loads of unpleasant spells and curses to get them to confess. Lets hope Severus is the first wizard, I would hate to hear them screaming in pain."
" Ya, makes you lose your breakfast," Tonks commented. " It's revolting!"
" Have they ever put someone in that didn't do it, using these methods?" Harry said.
Tonks nodded, but didn't say anything.
The trial was taking place in courtroom ten, the same one that Harry had been put in two years ago. The door was open and they all filed in, taking the front benches, while Hermione took her place next to the chair with the enchanted chains. They were all looking around as others filed in. Soon the members of the wizarding court filed in and took their places.
" At least I'm not the one in the chair!" Harry muttered, as the door was closed.
A few minutes later one of them rose. It looked like the court had found someone to replace Dumbledore as head of the court. This wizard was a tall, blond, with brown eyes, wearing different robes then the others were wearing.
" Everyone rise," he ordered. " This court is now in session."
Everyone rose, including Hermione, then they were ordered to sit down.
" We are here to listen to testimony of those that served He-who-must-not-be-named, now deceased," another court member, a witch, said. " Our decisions are final and brutal. For those that have weak stomachs I would advise that you leave after we hear the first and most hateful case of the use of the Unforgivable curse."
Several wizards and witches did leave, but most stayed.
" Bring the prisoner in," the witch ordered.
The door opened and in walked Severus Snape, but no longer in his billowing black robes. He was wearing the same robes that Sirius wore, but he looked defeated. Nothing like the teacher that had made their lives hard or the wizard that had made the potion that helped to defeat Voldemort. They forced him into the chair and the chains came alive, and wrapped around him. He made no move to defend himself and the Order wondered if they had taken his powers.
" Severus Tobias Snape you are charged with brewing potions and poisons that aided your former master in causing harm to Muggles, Muggleborns, half-bloods, and pure-bloods, even killing them. However, due to your original deal with the Ministry these charges will not be used to sentence you. You are mainly charged with the murder of Albus Dumbledore, the former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by using the Avada Kadavra curse on him in full view of your Death Eater friends. How do you plea?"
" Guilty!" Severus said, glaring at her.
" For planning his death and for allowing the Death Eaters entrance to the school."
" Not Guilty!" Severus stated.
There was a roar of rage from several of the witches and wizards, mainly from those that use to be in Harry's year.
" Order, order!" yelled the witch, but from the look that she was giving them, she was pleased by the outburst. " Now, Severus, you can't plea not guilty for the charge that I've just read."
" And why not?" Severus asked.
The witch looked at him with a smile that reminded Harry of Umbridge.
" Because the curse doesn't work unless you mean it, and the way that you managed to kill the Headmaster, it was planned."
" Mame!" Hermione suddenly burst out.
" Yes Miss-"
" Granger!" Hermione finished.
" Yes, Miss Granger, what is it?"
" The Order of the Phoenix was visited by the ghost of Albus Dumbledore who told us that his death was planned not by the former Professor, but by Dumbledore. The Professor told Dumbledore about Voldemort (everyone, except those that were use to saying his name flinched) plans to have him murdered by Draco Malfoy. Snape had no choice in the matter since he made an Unbreakable Vow. And according to the wizard court of 1870 if a wizard or witch makes such a vow, then whatever happens due to that vow is not considered a crime. Even murder."
She sat down because when she burst out, she had risen from her seat.
" Well I must admit that her listening to Professor Binns all those years paid off!" Remus said to Harry, amazed that Hermione remembered such a fact.
Harry noticed that so did a lot of others. When Hermione Granger wanted to leave a mark, she sure knew how to leave a mark.
" Miss Granger I understand that the wizarding court of 1870 did rule in such a matter, but Severus Snape hates Muggleborn and is a known half-blood. A lot of students have claimed that he has been nothing like the other teachers. I don't understand why he deserves your help."
" Because he's done nothing wrong!" Hermione growled, surprising Severus the most. He had never seen her growl before. " And not being like the other teachers isn't a crime, last time I checked."
The wizard next to the witch grinned.
" I must admit that Miss Granger is correct about what she's just said," another wizard told them. " Being different isn't a crime, and the court decision of 1870 clearly states that a vow is the only exception to anything, due to the fact that such an act is necessary so that the vow can be fulfilled. Also the vow causes instant death, if not fulfilled. Severus, explain what caused you to make an Unbreakable Vow and how made you make such a vow?"
The entire court was looking at him, but Severus spoke.
" Narcissa Malfoy and her sister, Bellatrix, arrived at my home and Narcissa explained that Draco had been selected to do something for the Dark Lord due to what his father had done at the Ministry. She was afraid that she would lose her son, and so she asked me to make an Unbreakable Vow to do what she knew that Draco wouldn't be able to do. She was crying tears and I couldn't bare her to cry those tears. That's what happened."
" Did you inform the Headmaster of this?"
" Yes!"
" And what did he say?"
" He told me that my time at Hogwarts was coming to an end," Severus explained. " He told me that soon I would have to leave and that we would never meet again. He then pulled out the ring that contained a part of the Dark Lord's soul. When he put it on, he screamed in pain. It was only due to my knowledge of the dark arts was I able to save him. In return for saving his life, he gave me the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, telling me that the jinx would take care of any doubt that might occur if the Dark Lord should ask me the reason why I left."
" What happened when you returned to He-who-must-not-be-named?"
Severus eyes filled with tears at his question, though they didn't understand why.
" The Dark Lord punishment me when I informed him of what I had done," Severus said. " Bellatrix told him about the vow that I made and he wanted to make sure that I remembered that he could cause me pain and that he didn't care how I felt. He killed m-my m-m-mother."
He broke down in tears, but Hermione noticed that the witch that had smiled didn't even look phased by those tears, unlike the others. Hermione wanted to tell him that everything would be all right, but she didn't dare.
" Well that's a very nice story," she said coldly. " But you can turn off the fake floodgate, because were not impressed."
But Severus still continued to cry, like he wasn't even hearing what she had said. She snapped her fingers and the chains tightened, causing him to cry out, this time in pain.
" Leave him alone!" Hermione yelled.
She sneered at her, which made Harry mad. She was enjoying making him suffer, something that he found disgusting.
" That will be enough, Bella," one of them said.
The chains loosened at once and Severus stopped looking as though he was in pain.
" Enough of this!" the man said. " We need to move onto the other ones and get some of the business over with. How many vote for clearing of all charges?"
The hands rose into the air and Harry counted. Not even half had voted to let him go. Harry could almost hear Severus screaming in pain as he was burned to death.
" Severus Tobias Snape you have been found guilty of the crime of murdering Albus Dumbledore, however due to the nature of a past ruling you shall not be burned alive or sent to Azkaban for life. You shall be handed over to Hogwarts, to be confined to your old quarters and only allowed to leave if the authorized watcher not only allows you to go, but goes with you. You shall be allowed to do magic, but no dark magic. Next!"
The chains fell from Severus's body, which meant that he was allowed to go.
A/N: It would be great if someone did a fanart that showed Hermione defending Snape. Could someone draw one and put it on my site or another one and give me the link. Thanks! Also I'm sorry if I misspelled the name of the Killing Curse.