Disclaimer: How many times must I say it, honestly? I do not own Harry Potter, nor have I EVER owned it, nor will I expect to own it in the future. Le Sigh.
A/N: I do not own anything, and that makes me sad. But what makes me happy is reading all of the reviews you have been so gracious to leave me. I understand if you don't leave one, but it always makes me so happy to hear from you. So thank you so very, very much for your support and believe me, it is not easy keeping Roberta in here without beating her up every two seconds. Well, I shall go now and update. I hope that you like this chapter. Well, if you love Albus and hate Roberta, then you may not like what happens in this chapter. However, if you like the story and love conflict, then you may like this chapter yet. After all, the title says it all, doesn't it? As much as it pains us all, we are about to witness something horrible… We'll see…
Chapter Sixteen: Albus In Azkaban…
Pomona carefully helped Severus into his bed. He was in an awful amount of pain, grunting with each step and wincing as he lowered himself into his bed. Finally, he was laying down in his pillow, his upper half propped against his headboard.
"Hurry, Pomona," he breathed. "Go find anyone you can. Remus, Molly, Arthur, Kingsly… anyone on our side." Pomona nodded and did not waste another moment before walking out of the room. Severus wished that Albus, Minerva, Poppy, and Filius would hurry and get down there. He needed to talk to them… Albus in particular. Albus was in danger. What that blasted woman wouldn't stoop to in order to give Albus what she thought of as justice. He only wished he had been able to escape sooner. Who knew what the fake Severus Snape had done? Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the door burst open and three figures rushed in. He quirked a brow when he saw a smaller figure, Filius, fly through the air behind Poppy and screaming the entire way.
"Why, Severus, what is the matter?" panted Albus as he came to his side. "Oh, you look horrible." Filius let out a squeak when Poppy unceremoniously set him on the end of Severus' bed. He was quite shaken, looking much like a frightened poodle. Minerva was standing next to Albus, instinctively grabbing Severus' hand. Poppy was on the left side of the bed, casting spell after spell on him.
"Oh, Albus," said Severus. "You are in grave danger." He removed his hand from Minerva's and grabbed Albus by his robes. "Roberta is a madwoman. She is plotting against you. She is planning on sending you to prison." Albus looked at him, open mouthed.
"How can she possibly do that?" he asked. "I have done nothing wrong, at least not that I know of. There is nothing she could possibly claim that I have done that is deserving of sending me away."
"That does not matter, Albus," replied Severus.
"Lay back, Severus," ordered Poppy, forcing him to lie back against his headboard. She needed to complete her testing.
"Why shouldn't it matter?" demanded Minerva. "If he has done nothing wrong, then there is no reason why he should be forced to go to prison. After all, there is no way he can be sent away without a factual reason and evidentiary support."
"But Roberta is clever, devious," replied Severus. "She is influential and can fabricate false evidence, using eye-witness accounts to her benefit, twisting them around to her aide. There is no low that she will not go to in order to ensure that Albus goes to prison."
"What could she possibly gain in sending Albus to prison?" asked Minerva.
"Severus would you HOLD STILL?" cried Poppy. "I am having a rather hard time trying to find out how to cure you faster with you moving every second." Severus laid back, frustrated that he was not able to move.
"There is only one thing she will gain from sending me to prison, Tabby," sighed Albus as he turned to her. "She is still angry at me for refusing to marry her. She is very spiteful and can hold hatred for a single person longer than anyone I know." Minerva let out a huff of frustration. The more she learned about Roberta, the less she cared or wanted to know.
"The nerve of that woman," she frowned.
"Did she say what she was going to accuse me of?" Albus asked, looking back at Severus. The potions master didn't have time to reply, for just them, the door burst open and several ministry officials burst in, their wands raised. Two men grabbed Albus by the arms and forced him to his knees. Everyone else guarded Poppy, Severus, and Minerva, making sure they wouldn't do anything to help him escape. A particularly odd looking man walked in and Minerva watched in horror as he pointed his wand at Albus' throat.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you are hereby placed under arrest by the Ministry of Magic and is my duty as Minister of Magic to escort you to Azkaban," he said.
"What are the charges, Cornelius?" said Albus calmly, though his eyes were anything BUT calm.
"You are being charged with the kidnapping and possible murder of Lenora Marie Kingston," he said.
"What?" cried Minerva. "That is not true! He never once did anything to harm that child."
"You shall remain quiet, Minerva," commanded Cornelius, looking at her. "Be glad that I am not arresting you as well."
"Why don't you?" she asked, looking angrily at him from behind two men with wands pointing at her.
"Because Ms. Roberta Kingston, the one pressing the charges, has informed me that you lost your memory and was thoughtful enough to not press charges against you, saying that you were possibly brainwashed by the accused into thinking she was an unfit mother."
"If anyone is brainwashing anyone, Roberta Kingston is fooling you," snapped Severus from his spot upon the bed. Cornelius turned to him.
"Am I to trust the word of a former death eater?" he asked. He gave a slight chuckle. "No sir. You're coming with me," he finished, turning back to Albus. By then, one of the men holding him had dug in his robes and pulled out his wand, handing it over to Cornelius. "Thank you Nigel." With that, the two men forced an enraged Albus to his feet.
"Albus," said Minerva, forcing her way through the two men to his side.
"Don't worry, Tabby," he whispered. "I'll get out of this." He kissed her quickly on the lips before the two men holding onto him forced him to walk out of the room. Everyone who worked for the ministry left behind them and Minerva watched helplessly from the door frame, tears running down her cheeks. She turned towards Severus and Poppy, who were fuming.
"We've got to do something," she said angrily as the tears continued to come down. Poppy walked over to her and hugged her, tears also in her eyes.
"There is nothing we can do," she said, just as angry. "We just have to wait until he goes on trial."
"What exactly is Azkaban anyway?" Minerva asked, pulling back and wiping her eyes.
"It's a maximum security prison for the worst witches and wizards of all," frowned Severus from his bed, his arms folded across his chest.
"How can they think so poorly of Albus?" wondered Minerva, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "After all that he has done for the wizarding world, they would think him capable of kidnapping?"
"Well, Cornelius Fudge is not the most intelligent man on this earth. He's been trying to get Albus fired as headmaster for so many years. He fears Albus will one day replace him as Minister of Magic, which is simply ridiculous. Albus is happy where he is. There is no way he would ever want to become the next minister."
"Bloody git," muttered Severus. Just then, several people entered the room.
"Severus, what is going on?" demanded a red headed man. A woman with hair just as red as his was behind him.
"Arthur, Molly, they've taken him," Severus said. "They've taken Albus."
"Where?" asked a woman with short purple hair. A tall man with sandy brown hair stood behind her. Remus, Minerva thought his name was. Perhaps the purple haired witch was the woman Tonks she had been told about.
"Azkaban," hissed Severus. He then proceeded to explain the entire situation.
"But that is ridiculous," frowned Kingsly Shacklebolt. "Albus? Suspected of murder?"
"And not just any murder," frowned Pomona. "But the murder of Lenora?"
"He loves Lenora," said Molly Weasly.
"He would rather die himself than to let that girl suffer for even a second," said Arthur.
"What do we do?" asked Gildroy Lockhart, who had also showed up. Everyone began talking at once until Severus called for their attention.
"What we need is a plan," he said. "We can attempt to get him off the legal way. But if that does not work…" He trailed off. No one wanted to think about what they would have to do if they could not get Albus off in the courtroom.
Ooooooooooo
Minerva shivered as she looked up at Azkaban prison. It was a dark, cold, forbidding place… the perfect place for a cold-hearted person like Roberta Kingston. However, it was the last place on earth that Albus Dumbledore should ever be placed. He deserved much better.
She pulled her cloak tightly over her arms and kept her hood low. Taking a deep breath, she walked boldly through the doors of Azkaban prison, wondering what kind of people she would see in this horrible place. She entered and kept her gaze straight forward until she reached the front desk. The scruffy man looked at her and raised his brow.
"May I help you, ma'am?" he asked. Minerva raised her chin slightly as well as her left eyebrow.
"I wish to speak with Albus Dumbledore," she said in a clear, steady voice which surprised even her. He nodded.
"Ah, yes, the kidnapper," he said.
"I assure you he is no kidnapper," said Minerva, her temper about to explode.
"If you say so, ma'am," he said, holding up his hands. He shuffled some papers as he stood. "Do you understand than anything you say to the prisoner will be recorded for the use of the court?" he asked. Minerva nodded. The man stepped from behind the desk. "And you are aware that there are many other men and women here in Azkaban who are capable of harming you should you get too close to their cells?" Minerva nodded once again. "Very well, ma'am, follow me." She did, though she did not like the man one bit.
Minerva followed the man down a long, dark corridor which had stone walls, a stone ceiling, and stone floors. On either side of her were men and women who were accused of crimes. How many of them, if any, were wrongfully accused like Albus? She hoped none of these men were wrongfully accused and suffering as much as Albus was.
"Here you are, ma'am," he said when they reached the last cell on the left. "Prisoner number 2701146-G, Albus Dumbledore. Best of luck, ma'am." With that, he turned on his heel and left, much to Minerva's relief. She wanted time alone with Albus.
Her heart sank when she saw him sitting there, his hands in his head, looking pitiful. He had been in Azkaban only a few hours and already his hair was in knots and going every which way. His robes, along with everything else, were dirty, and Minerva was sure that he had been crying. Wanting to bring him even a small smile, she leaned against the bars and smiled at him.
"Only two hours here and already you forget how to groom yourself properly?" she asked. His head snapped up when he heard her voice. He smiled and walked to her, glad you see her. He grabbed her face through the bars and looked into her eyes. She had been correct in her assumption. He had been crying.
"Oh, Minerva, I am so happy to see you," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her passionately. "I've been so worried." Then, as though he just realized where he was, he looked at her and frowned. "Minerva, you shouldn't be here. This is no place for you."
"This is no place for you either, Albus," she argued, tears clear in her eyes, though none fell. "You are no kidnapper, and most certainly no murderer." He smiled slightly as he brushed her cheek.
"So you do not think that I would try to 'brainwash' you?" he inquired.
"Of course not, Albus," she said, leaning into his touch. "You are not the type."
"I'm glad you think so," sighed Albus, resting his forehead against the bars. "It doesn't look to good for me, Tabby. Roberta is not only insane, but she is very powerful, indeed."
"I won't let you be blamed for something you didn't do," said Minerva. "I will find Lenora and we shall figure something out, I promise." She rubbed his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Why don't you escape?"
"Because, Minerva, it would not be good," replied Albus. "That would only make me look guilty, and I am not. I am a man and am willing to face my problems like a man is supposed to. I am innocent and I am sure there are ways of proving that, even if Roberta Kingston has come up with a seemingly fool proof plan." Minerva's bottom lip quivered.
"I wish I could share your optimism," she replied. "I will be there every step of the way, Albus." He smiled.
"I don't deserve someone like you, Minerva," he whispered. "I never have, and I never will." She was about to respond when several ministry officials, the same who had come to Hogwarts to take him in, came running down the hall, headed by none other than Cornelius Fudge himself.
"Get back, Professor McGonagall," he said, waving his hand frantically.
"Why?" Barely had this word escaped her lips than a spell was sent her way and she went back, stuck to the wall. By the time she realized her predicament, all the ministry officials were there.
"We are moving Albus Dumbledore to solitary confinement," said Cornelius Fudge. Albus backed away and made to transform into his animagus form when one of the officials pointed his wand at him and muttered "Potrificus Totalous." Albus fell and he fell hard on his back. "Albus Dumbledore, you are now considered a threat to society."
"What?" cried Minerva from where she hung on the wall. She was kicking furiously, wanting desperately to run to Albus and help him. Cornelius looked at her.
"We found Lenora Kingston this morning," he said. He looked back at Albus. "Yes, we found her… dead in Knockturn Alley."
A/N2: BEFORE YOU KILL ME AND BURY ME IN THE HUDSON RIVER, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! (Dodges spell after spell) I PROMISE ALL SHALL BE FINE IN THE END! JUST DO NOT FEED ME TO THE HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL OR WORSE…. DO NOT MAKE ME RIDE ON THE SHORT BUS WITH DAMEON SPRAGG ON ONE SIDE AND ROBERTA KINGSTON ON THE OTHER SIDE! I BEG YOU! LOOK, I'M ON MY KNEES BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS IN A NINE HUNDRED DOLLAR SUIT! I'LL ASK THE LORD FOR FORGIVENESS AND ASK HIM TO BE WITH THE STARVING PIGMAE'S! JUST DON'T FEED ME TO THE EVILE-NESS THAT IS ROBERTA AND DAMEON! (cries) "Give me your hand if we be friends, and Puck shall make amends." Always Hopeful