A/N: Lucky you, two chapters in one night. This is because I didn't post as soon as I'd have liked too earlier. Sorry I am so unreliable. This one's a bit more boring, I'm sorry. But I had to get it out of the way and get Snape cleared before any of the really juicy stuff could start. There are still about 10 more chapters to come. Get ready!

This is not mine. The characters, world, and backbone of this story belong to JKR. Thanks for reading and the kind reviews :]

CHAPTER EIGHT

Snape woke from fitful sleep. Dreams of Azkaban had haunted him all night. He could still feel the screaming of Lily Evans and so many others he had wronged ringing in his head. He watched Albus fall and fall and fall into eternity.

It was still only five in the morning. This would be a very long day.

He rose in the dark of his room, taking a steaming hot shower that burned his flesh and scrubbed his face until the skin was raw. He dressed in the dark too, wearing his nicest black robes (indistinguishable from the others), and applied a shining spell to his boots. He considered briefly if he should pull his hair back. No, he would need it to hide his shame behind.

In his kitchen, he absurdly wished for Hermione Granger to be there. She would make him tea (though she had graciously left him some of hers) and berate him about simple things to the point of distraction. She would possess the confidence he lacked.

They had spent the rest of their night together discussing what would be raised in the trial and what wouldn't. She clarified the rules of the wizarding legal system she was unfamiliar with (though she had already read a book on it before her arrival in preparation) and compiled an order of testimonies and evidence in his favor. And most of all she was determined not to let any of the accusations that had surfaced about him before Dumbledore had spoken for him surface.

"Some of them were true, Granger."

"I don't care. It's in the past, you've paid your debt. You were saved, then you saved. Tenfold. I'd call that even."

"I had to do things as a spy that were still illegal."

"You were doing your country service."

"They will be gruesome to hear."

"It was a gruesome time. You were surrounded by gruesome people. Just because you were often shadowed, doesn't mean you weren't in the light."

"They want me dead for Albus. A life for a life."

"Then they can take that up with me. I saved that life, it has a fresh slate now."

"I'm not a phoenix, Hermione, and neither are you. I don't rise from the ash. Your tears don't absolve me."

"I beg to differ."

"Only Albus could save me before. You are no Dumbledore, Granger."

"No, I'm not. I'm better."

"How?"

"I have Harry. And so do you."

***

Hermione fidgeted, looking over the mass of the Order. She had spent the day before painstakingly tracking down every single member to ensure they would be at the trial and that they would meet beforehand. She had been adamant they walk in together. They were among the most respected witches and wizards in Europe, almost all of them were slated to receive Order of Merlins in June. They were recognizable and together they held power. That power needed to be full force behind Snape and she had made it abundantly clear.

"All right, we're getting into our line. Harry at the front, Hagrid, you'll bring up the rear?"

"Aye, Hermione!" Came the booming voice, as the group shuffled into their line.

Harry and Ginny at the front, quickly followed by Hermione and Ron, the Hogwarts staff (save Hagrid), the Weasleys fronted by their parents, Neville and Luna as well as many of the other students from all houses, then the remainder of the Order. They walked as one, solemnly entering the courtroom and sitting on the side of the defendant. When they entered and sided, a soft chorus of whispers had rippled through the crowd. Everything was on plan.

She looked into the center of the courtroom where Snape sat, face curtained by a wall of dark hair. Kingsley sat at the head of the Wizengamot, and caught her eye. He nodded to her imperceptibly, and she felt a small wave of relief. Kingsley would not let this become a spectacle.

At precisely 8 o'clock, Kingsley picked up his gavel and banged three times.

"Severus Snape, you have been brought before the wizengamot today on counts of larceny, brewing illegal potions, espionage, high treason, and murder. How do you plead?" Came Kingsley's booming voice.

There was a long, palatable pause. The room was silent and Hermione was about to cry out. Or go over and strangle him.

"Not guilty."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and released her death grip on Ron's hand. That had really been half the battle. She was confident he would be let free, so long as he just didn't say he was guilty.

"Alright. The trial will begin with your testimony."

***

"How did you survive Nagini's attack? Why didn't you reveal your survival immediately?"

"That would be a question better suited for Ms. Granger," he drawled, looking up at the Minister of Magic. "I was unconscious most of the time, as I was near death. It was her discretion to neither leave me for dead nor take me to St. Mungos. I woke up in her parents' home shortly after the war ended and wavered in and out of consciousness until a sufficient potion was discovered to heal my wounds. After it was consumed, my condition was revealed to the Order of the Phoenix and the next day the world."

"Why did you kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"I was under orders to."

"By whom?"

"Albus Dumbledore."

A murmur of shock rippled through the crowd and Kingsley had to bang his gavel once more.

"Elaborate."

"I was Dumbledore's spy and bound to do whatever he asked of me. Earlier in the year I had taken an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy to protect Draco Malfoy, as he had been ordered to kill Albus Dumbledore himself. Part of the protection included replacing Mr. Malfoy should he be … unable to finish this deed.

"I told Professor Dumbledore what I had been forced to swear to and he agreed that I should follow through. He was already dying and he thought it best if he could die most beneficial to the side of the Light. He believed that ensuring that I would be definitely placed among Voldemort's most trusted servants was the way in which the Light would be helped the most.

"He then made me make another Unbreakable Vow to kill him so that Mr. Malfoy's soul would remain pure. Thus, when the first attack on Hogwarts began, I killed Albus Dumbledore instead of Draco Malfoy."

"Albus was already dying?" Peeped up a smaller man behind the minister.

"Yes. He had discovered a Horocrux in the form of a ring and had activated the curse on it while attempting to destroy it. I had managed to contain it in his arm, but he was going to die within the year, no matter what was done."

"Do you have evidence as to prove any of this?"

"Dumbledore had left some evidence on my behalf."

"Let it be brought forward."

A gruff looking house elf appeared and took the will and memories forward to Kingsley.

"I," Kingsley read aloud, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, hereby give this as my final will and testament. The dealings with my personal property and the like remain in tact, for this only has to do with Severus Snape. I hope that this account, as follows, as well as the provided memories, will clear his name of all accusations surrounding my death. Dead or alive, he deserves absolution. Severus Snape, from the moment he swore allegiance to me, was unwaveringly on the side of the Light…"

Kingsley read on as Dumbledore's account of events, while more embellished, matched Severus's explanation almost to a tee.

The memories were then put on a giant viewing panel before the court and played through. Again, they matched.

"It is now 12 o'clock in the afternoon, court will break for a 30 minute recess. We will ajourn again at twelve thirty to call further witnesses." Kingsley banged his gavel again and stood with the Wizengamot as everyone filed out.

***

After a short lunch, the court fell back in session. Now, Snape was seated outside of the witness stand, still chained to a chair, and Harry Potter had taken his place.

"Harry, you and Mr. Snape do not get along, am I correct?"

"Well, I'm not so sure anymore, but he has never liked me very much, and up until recently I wasn't too fond of him either."

"Why is that?"

"Many complicated reasons, sir. I'd rather not waste your time trying to explain them all."

"Well, have your feelings about Mr. Snape changed at all?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"Well, before I used to think he was a slimey bastard, but now I believe he is one of the bravest and most heroic men I have ever had the fortune to meet."

"When did you have this change of heart?"

"During the final battle."

"When?"

"After Professor Snape died, sir. He gave me his memories before he died – or I guess so we thought – and I viewed them. They explained everything and helped me ultimately vanquish Voldemort."

"What were these memories?"

"They were of my mum," Harry replied, very quietly.

"They involved Lily Evans?"

"Yes, sir."

"How?"

"Well, they were childhood friends. Professor Snape was the one who told her that she was a witch. He loved her since he met her, but she didn't love him back. He got involved in the dark arts because of how poorly my father, Sirius, Remus, and Pettigrew treated him. When he called my mum a mudblood they stopped being friends, but he never stopped loving her. He joined Voldemort, but when he found out that my parents were supposed to be killed, he went to Dumbledore asking for them to be saved.

"Professor Dumbledore said he would save them if Professor Snape would be his spy, and Snape agreed. His love for my mum was the reason he changed sides and the reason he remained a spy and kept everyone safe for so long.

"The memories also have exactly the same information that was given by Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore."

"Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Professor Snape is beyond a doubt the biggest hero of this war. Larger than me, larger than Dumbledore. We could not have won without him. If he is not acquitted and given an Order of Merlin first class, I am going to Azkaban myself to give him mine."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. The Wizengamot now calls Hermione Granger to the stand."

***

"Miss Granger, you were the one who saved Mr. Snape, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir, you are."

"How did you do this?"

She cleared her throat. "After the final battle had finished, I was sorting through my memories to be given to the ministry. I was going to put the memory of Professor Snape's murder in and while I was thinking about it, something struck me as funny, so I viewed in the pensive. When I saw the memory again, I was certain I saw Professor Snape put something in his mouth and I thought it could possibly have been a bezoar, which meant he could have survived.

I used my time turner to go ba—"

"Excuse me? Your time turner?" Interuppted a woman three rows back wearing a giant emerald ring.

"Yes. In my third year at school I was given one so that I could attend all the courses I was scheduled for. I stopped having to use it, but was never asked to return it, so I kept it. I hadn't used it since then, but when I saw the memory I wanted to use it to see if I could rescue Snape. Afterall, when the battle had finished no one could find his body. I very well have been the one who had taken it already.

"So, I borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak and used the time turner to go back to the whomping willow right before Professor Snape died. I waited until everyone had gone and apparated us back to my house. The war was still going on so I couldn't just take him to St. Mungo's. And no one except for myself knew he was innocent at that time.

"I gave him blood replenishing potions and tried to mend the wound, however something in Nagini's venom would not stop the bleeding, so I had to give him blood-replenishing potions once an hour until I could find a cure. On the fourth or fifth day it was brewed and administered, and the professor healed. Now he is here."

"Miss Granger, what are your feelings about the indiscretions Mr. Snape may have had while he was acting as a spy for Albus Dumbledore?"

"Anything he might have done was because it was necessary to maintain his role as a spy. He saved my life countless times while I was at Hogwarts, as well as Harry's and several other students, especially when he was the acting headmaster. Professor Snape has done enough service to the wizarding world to more than make up for any indiscretion made while in the presence of Voldemort."

"So you condone his torturing of muggles and muggle-borns?" Piped up the same witch.

Her jaw twitched.

"I would never condone such a thing, but I can forgive because he did it in order to save hundreds or thousands more."

"What about your parents? Orders were given to kill your parents, would you forgive him for murdering your parents for the greater good?" Questioned a man sitting next to the witch with the emerald.

"I can't answer that question. Lucky that I managed to hide them so well no one could find them. I would appreciate it if you would stray from topics of my personal life when not connected by evidence to the trial at hand."

"What about his actions previous to when he was under Dumbledore's protection?" Again the witch.

"Irrelevant. They have already been discussed and discharged in court, they cannot be brought up as evidence during this trial."

"Do you not have feelings about his actions?"

"None that are appropriate for this courtroom or trial. I refuse to go further down this line of questioning, Minster."

"Yes, Miss Granger. Do you have anything else to add?"

"Severus Snape is innocent and a hero. He deserves recognition and respect for his efforts on behalf of the wizarding world. If he is not acquitted and given an Order of Merlin first class, I am going to Azkaban myself to give him mine."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. The wizengamot now calls Draco Malfoy to the stand."

***

The trial continued. Draco's testimony was by far the most detrimental, but the young wizard remained steadfast in his belief that Snape was what kept him alive, and several of the other students. As the rest of the Order was called to the stand, the line of questiong remained mostly the same, each member standing up for the dark man and each requesting that he be acquitted and given an Order of Merlin.

Hermione's back ached and she was emotionally exhausted. This had been one of the longest days of her entire life. Finally, the last witness, Luna Lovegood, stepped down.

"All evidence has been heard and brought forward in the case of Severus Snape. All in favor of conviction and a sentence to the Dementor's Kiss?"

The woman with the emerald ring and the man beside her raised their hands, as well as six other members.

"All in favor of acquittal?"

The remaining members, including Kingsley Shaklebolt, raised their hands.

The minister banged his gavel for the last time.

"Severus Snape, you are hereby pardoned for your actions during the war. The Ministry of Magic and the wizengamot would like to officially thank you for your service throughout the war. You will be receiving an Order of Merlin, first class on June 1st with your fellows. Case dismissed."

***

The courtroom burst into noise as the wizengamot exited. Immediately Severus's chains and anti-apparation bracelet fell from his body and he was able to stand. He stretched, feeling dangerously close to a real smile.

He was free. An entirely free man.

Before he was given sufficient opportunity to fully soak this in, Hermione Granger exploded into his personal space (and arms).

She clung to his neck, her toes barely touching the ground as she laughed into his ear.

"You did it!" She cried, beaming up at him. "I told you they couldn't convict you. Now you'll get the Order of Merlin you deserve."

He felt his lips tug upward at her as he actually smiled. It felt so strange to his muscles. It wasn't something he had really done in long time.