1The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story. Please note that all text between asterisks (*) is either a complete quote or partial quote from Rowling's text.
AN: My thanks to all those who read or reviewed. On with the show...
Chapter Two:
The castle was unnaturally silent. Ron and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall. Harry stopped in the doorway as he laid empty eyes upon the injured and dead. He watched as his two friends made their way to the Weasley family, who were standing in weeping vigil over the body of Percy who had been killed pushing Fred out of the way of falling debris, only to be hit instead.
*The Great Hall seemed to fly away, become smaller, shrink, as Harry reeled backward from the doorway. He could not draw breath. He could not bear to look at any of the other bodies, to see who else had died for him. He could not bear to join the Weasleys, could not look into their eyes, when if he had given himself up in the first place, Percy might never have died… He turned away and ran up the marble staircase. Lupin, Tonks… He yearned not to feel… He wished he could rip out his heart, his innards, everything that was screaming inside him… *
Harry ran full-tilt until he reached the stone gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office. He blurted out "Dumbledore!" without thinking, and to his surprise the gargoyle slid aside revealing the spiral staircase behind. When Harry burst into the circular office he found that the portraits that hung all around the walls were empty. Harry shot a dark look at Dumbledore's deserted frame, which hung directly behind the headmaster's chair, then turned his back on it.
"Harry?" came the disembodied voice of Sirius Black. "Where're Hermione and Ron?"
"Great Hall… with the Weasley's.." he said, his voice catching on a sob.
"Casualties?" Snape asked somberly, as the two men came into view.
"Percy.. Lupin… Tonks… too many… too many…"
"Remus!" Sirius gasped out. Harry merely nodded and shut his eyes. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he opened them and turned his gaze to the man who he thought had betrayed them all.
"So, what do we do now?"
"I do not know, Potter. Not only have I not really expected to be alive for much longer at this juncture, but up until my demise I expected to still be installed at the Death Eater's camp. I think Black and I shall remain here, for now, and offer assistance when the battle reaches the castle once more. Hopefully we will not get killed by some overzealous Gryffindor beforehand," he said with a sneer. "As to what you should do…. At this point, that is in destiny's hand, is it not?"
Harry was quiet and pensive for a long time. Finally, he strode over to Sirius and embraced him. "I'm glad I got to see you again, if only for a little while. Look after everyone for me?" His godfather tightened his arms around his young charge until it bordered on painful. Taking a deep breath, Sirius let go and clapped Harry's shoulder. "Your parents would be so proud of the man you have become," he said, a tear slipping down his cheek.
Harry gave a small smile and turned to face the glowering Potion Master. Harry stuck out his hand, and fixed his gaze on Snape. After a moment of silent snarling, Snape took Harry's hand and attempted to instantly let it go. Harry tightened his grasp and said softly, "I'm sorry, Professor. Sorry that my dad was such a git to you… sorry that I gave you a hard time. Thank you… for protecting us… for saving us so many times… I only hope that when this is all done, that everyone knows what a hero you've been all these years." With that, Harry dropped Snape's hand, threw the invisibility cloak over his head, and left.
The two men stood in the silence following Harry's departure through the door. It was broken by Sirius.
"Lily would be proud of you too, Snape. You saved so many and helped her son all of these years."
"Lily would have had me condemned to Hell for telling the Dark Lord about that vile prophecy to begin with. I rightfully belong in Hell for causing her death. It is my fault that her son is in the situation he is in!" Snape muttered.
"No.. it is Riddle's. It has always been Riddle's fault. And as it may be Harry's destiny to face him, it may have been James' and Lily's destiny to die, so that Harry could live to see this day. It was never your fault, Severus."
Snape lunged forth and grabbed Sirius by the neck, throwing him across the headmaster's desk. "How can you say such a thing! It IS my fault… I ran to the Dark Lord like some eager, sniveling little worm, telling him about the prophecy I overheard so I could get a pat on the head like some puppy! The very prophecy that lead to Lily's death!"
"And then you went to Dumbledore! You told him everything, and then it was all in HIS hands! And he did nothing to protect them! I am the one that told them to use that traitor Pettigrew as Secret Keeper! You think I sleep well at night; knowing that if my friends used me like they planned to that they may still be alive? Do you not think that Dumbledore could have been Secret Keeper himself? Could have had Order members stationed at Godric Hollow to guard them? Could have easily stepped in and made sure I was questioned and given a trial instead of just being thrown in Azkaban and left to rot for years?" Sirius screamed, throwing off Severus' grip and slumping into a seat.
"You are not the only one to lose someone you loved. James and... and Lily would be alive if I remained their Secret Keeper."
Snape heard the change in Sirius' tone when he whispered a certain name and then stared at the dejected man in front of him with dawning understanding. He felt a brief flash of kinmanship with the person who caused and embodied some of the worst times of his life.
"But, I have learned over the years that while you can blame yourself until the world falls down, it does not mean it was ever your fault. It was not my fault, Severus, nor was it ever yours. The blame solely lies with Riddle. It always has. You have to let the guilt and Lily go. She is where she is meant to be now, and soon enough, her son will probably be joining her. I have lost everyone…" Rising again, straightening his shoulders and tilting his chin in stubborn, Gryffindor fashion, Sirius fixed Snape with a steady gaze and said, "What's next?"
A short while later, the two dark men were startled by loud bangs and shouting coming from outside. Using the various equipment in the headmaster's chambers, they were able to watch the events taking place outside. They saw the frail and limp body of Harry Potter being carried by the distraught Hagrid as he was forced to march along with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sirius let lose a ragged sob and clutched the arm of the shaken man next to him. They listened as Neville ran up to confront the Dark Lord and stood in defiance.
"About time the boy remembered he was a Longbottom," Severus muttered.
Snape watched as the boy he had always provoked pulled the sword of Godric from the sorting hat and used it to decapitate the great snake, Nagini. All at once, chaos covered the lawn of Hogwarts as giants and centaurs entered the fray.
"That is our cue, Black," Snape said, straightening.
"Indeed it is, Severus. I would be honored to fight by your side."
"Hmm… well, let us hope that we will only have one army trying to kill us," and with a swirl of a black cloak, the Order's spy billowed out of the headmaster's office and flew down the stairs to join the battle.
"Great greasy bat," Sirius muttered, following.
The two men ran into the Great Hall and stopped in confusion, but for only a fraction of a second. "Kreacher?" Sirius asked, incredulously, as he watched an army of diminutive house elves swarm over the Death Eaters. He spun as he heard a curse uttered behind him and instinctively deflected it.
"Yaxley!" he growled, and engaged the man in Death Eater's robes.
Severus turned as well and sent a Sectumsempra at Rookwood, who was also nearby. The two childhood enemies began to duel in earnest against the Dark Lord's forces. They had almost backed up right into Charlie Weasley and Flitwick. Charlie saw Snape behind him and turned to fire a curse. His wand arm was stopped mid-arc by a dark-haired man giving him a familiar smirk.
"Wrong man, Weasley," Sirius said, letting go of the stunned redhead's arm.
"Sirius?" he gasped, nearly getting hit by a purple bolt before it was blocked by an exasperated Snape.
"Constant vigilance, Weasley!" he barked. Snape took a quick glance around the Hall and saw Lucius and Narcissa running by as they screamed for Draco. He saw another flash of white and saw it was the hair of the youngest Malfoy struggling through wreckage and dueling wizards. Snape ran to his godson and blocked the curse that was speeding towards the young wizard's back. He grabbed Draco's arm and half-carried him across the room to his parents.
"Stay down, stay out of sight," he said, before spinning away again to find Voldemort. If all the horcruxes were gone, the Dark Lord was fully mortal. Riddle could be killed, and vengeance was Snape's. For Lily, for Albus, for Harry.
He was momentarily distracted by watching Molly dispatch Bellatrix Lestrange, then nearly lost his footing from the resultant blast of Voldemort's rage. As he steadied himself, he was thoroughly stunned by seeing Harry reappear, alive, in front of the Dark Lord. He was so shocked, that he missed what was being said by the two mortal, destined enemies. He snapped back when he heard the Dark Lord's raised voice.
*"Dumbledore is dead! I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"Voldemort screamed.
"Yes, Dumbledore is dead," the Boy-Who-Still-Lived said calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."
"What childish dream is this?"
"Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harry. "Snape was Dumbledore's, and you never realized it!"
Voldemort kept silent and continued to circle.
"Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him! Dumbledore knew all about Draco Malfoy's task, and asked Snape to be the one to kill him. They even knew that you would have Snape become headmaster and he used that position to protect the students as best he could."
"It matters not!" shrieked Voldemort, who had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand!
"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy - I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"
The two enemies bantered back and forth about the Elder Wand. Snape's full attention was caught once more when he heard his name.
"Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."
"He killed - "
"Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die, undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"
"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!" Voldemort's voice shook with malicious pleasure. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against the last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"
"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance . . ."
"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy." Snape heard Harry declare, and turned his head slightly and saw Narcissa pull her son behind her body. Lucius took a shabby wand from Draco's numb hand and readied it in his own, a fierce look of determination on his gaunt face.
Voldemort appeared stricken for a moment, and then he said, "But what does it matter? Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy . . ."
"But you're too late," said Harry. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took his wand from him." Harry held up the hawthorn wand and jiggled it in his hand. Snape heard the crowd in the Great Hall take a collective breath. Snape then had to strain to hear Harry say, "So it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand. Oh, and by the way Tom… you didn't kill Snape…"
Voldemort glared at Harry, then his gaze shifted and found the tall form in black standing off to the side. His slitted, red eyes widened almost comically when he saw Snape sneering back at him. The Dark Lord snarled, turned back to the Boy-Who-Lived, and raised his wand.
In a flash of red light, both moved at once. Snape and the others watching heard the spells being cast at the same time.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"*
A loud bang filled the hall, and Snape watched as the Elder Wand flew high and spun through the air toward Harry, who caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. The Dark Lord hit the floor, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.
After a moment of pure silence, a wild cacophony of sound filled the Great Hall as the survivors of the light shouted in relief and utter joy. They swept upon the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, hugging and tugging and touching him.
Snape moved silently around the celebrating crowd; petrifying and tying up the remaining Death Eaters, then went to stand at the head of the corpse of the former Dark Lord as it lay on the ground like some wretched thing. He glanced down at the face of the one that cost so many, so much, then sent out a torrent of Fiendfyre from his wand. Severus knew that even though all the horcruxes were gone, there was a remote risk that dark magic could resurrect some part of Voldemort using the body and what remained of the magical core inside of it. It had to be destroyed utterly. He called upon every ounce of willpower to control the conflagration for the mere seconds he invoked the flame before cancelling the spell. He stood in silence as he watched Voldemort's body be consumed and turn to ash. It took but a moment. After kicking the ashes, Severus moved off to crumple on a bench against the wall.
After a moment, Snape saw two small feet in front of him. Looking up, he spied a disheveled Minerva McGonagall standing there.
"Yesss?" the former spy sneered, raising a dark brow.
With a strength that was shocking from someone so petite, the Transfiguration professor pulled Snape off the bench and wrapped her arms around the startled man. Minerva squeezed so hard that Snape thought he felt a rib pop, and she sobbed out, "Severus! You poor, poor man! If Albus was not dead I would kill him myself for doing that to you! And for not telling me!"
She pulled back momentarily so she could slap the stunned Potion Master across the face before pulling him into her arms again. "And that was for you not telling me either!"
"The point of being a successful spy is not telling anyone, anything, Minerva…" he wheezed.
"Let go of him, woman! I do not think he can breathe!" came a chuckle from behind the tartan-clad professor.
Snape felt McGonagall stiffen before the metal bands that were her arms released him. Pulling away from him slowly, he saw Minerva's pale face come into view; eyes wide.
The Order veteran spun to face a smiling Sirius Black, and promptly fainted.
"Oh, simply wonderful, Black. You have managed to scare a little old lady to death. You should be proud of yourself," Snape sneered.
Laughing, Sirius bent down to help McGonagall back on her feet. "Hey there, Minerva. Looks like my boy made good!"
"Sirius?" she shrieked, gaining the attention of many people nearby.
There was a sea of gaping redheads and Order members as Harry pushed his way through the crowd to reach his godfather. "Sirius!" the bespectacled youth cried as he crashed into the last Marauder's arms.
"I cannot believe you made it, my boy! I thought I lost you too," his godfather sobbed.
Ron and Hermione quickly followed to Harry's side. The red-haired member of the trio looked happy, but with a marked sadness in his eyes. The not-so-bushy-haired girl looked exultant, but as if a stiff breeze would knock her over.
"Miss Granger, perhaps you should sit down before you keel over," came the sardonic, low tones of Snape.
Hermione looked up and met her former professor's gaze squarely. She moved over to the tall man, stood on tip-toe, and threw her arms around her neck. Snape stood in shock for a moment, and as he raised his hands to push the young woman away, he heard her soft voice whisper, "Thank you, Professor Snape," and then felt the brush of her lips against his cheek. She stepped away and nearly stumbled, but was caught by Sirius and Harry.
"Come on, 'Mione. You never really fully recovered, you should sit down," Harry said as he gently led one of his best friends over to a table.
"Is everyone else alright?" she asked.
"Everyone is being looked after, Miss Granger," McGonagall piped in. "And I just received word from some newly arrived Aurors that all of the Imperiused are coming to. More healers from St. Mungo's are on their way, as well."
"Black… what was it that you gave me earlier? How did you heal my wounds?" Snape asked with a mixture of anger and curiosity.
Sirius barked a laugh and took a metal box out of his coat pocket which he handed over to Severus. "You made these up for senior Order members to carry around…sort of a 'first aid kit'. Various healing potions. Blood Replenishers. And quite luckily for you, some phoenix tears courtesy of Fawkes."
Snape opened the box to look over the contents. Nodding his head, he turned away and handed the kit to Madam Pomfrey. He spoke with the mediwitch briefly, then walked on to another corner of the Great Hall.
Hermione watched as Snape walked over to the huddling Malfoy family. She saw Draco's stricken face as he looked up and stared at the tall, forbidding man, then her attention was diverted by more shouts as another group swept Harry along for more celebration and commiseration.
Snape looked down at the youngest Malfoy as he sat within the delicate yet protective arms of his mother, Narcissa.
"So..," he began, in a cracked whisper, "you were a spy for their side all along?"
"Yes, Draco," came the calm reply.
"You tried to get me to tell you what my task was all of last year. You tried to get me to tell you that I had to kill Dumbledore, but you knew already? You knew all along? And you told Dumbledore?"
"Of course. We both were fully aware that you were being coerced and threatened into taking the Mark and doing the Dark Lord's bidding in order to protect yourself and your family. We tried to find a way to help you out of your situation."
"He really would have helped me. He would have hidden me, and my parents; he offered to, " Draco said, hanging his head.
"Yes, he would have. We hoped all along that you would not have been able to finish the task. You do not have it within you to kill anyone, thank Merlin," Snape said softly.
"I could not do it...I failed. I fail at everything. I failed my family and they nearly paid with their lives," the blond young man spat out with a broken sob. Narcissa's arms tightened around him and Lucius laid his hand upon his son's head.
"You failed no one, Draco. You did not become a murderer, and I have heard that you refused to identify Potter, Granger, and Weasley when they were captured at your manor, so I would think that you have succeeded in making me and Dumbledore rather proud. One hundred points to Slytherin."
Draco's eyes snapped up to the smirking face of his godfather.
"They are not the only ones," came the soft voice of Lucius. Draco tilted his head to gaze at his father, and was stunned to see the cold and stoic man tighten his jaw and blink rapidly, as if to stave off tears.
"Do you need anything?" Severus asked.
"Perhaps some burn salve. Stupid Crabbe…using Fiendfyre…" Draco muttered, looking at the blisters on his hands.
"Crabbe?"
"Gone…in the Room of Hidden Things," Draco said, dropping his head. "Goyle and I made it out…Potter and Weasley grabbed us in time."
The group heard loud wails and turned their heads to see Molly Weasley bent over the still form of Percy. Narcissa hugged her son almost fiercely, and began to rock back and forth, sobbing quietly. Lucius sank down next to his wife and threw his arms around his small family. As the Malfoys drew together, Snape moved away silently and rejoined Minerva. Sirius had been swept up in the tide of jubilant survivors, most of who were shocked to see the notorious Azkaban escapee and Order member they lost two years ago to the veil. A few Aurors attempted to get to Sirius to take him into custody, but they were quickly informed by Kingsley and an irate Savior of the Wizarding World that Black was innocent, and that Pettigrew, who had been alive the entire time up until a few weeks ago, was responsible for Black's alleged crimes.
"So, Severus… care to tell me how Sirius is walking and breathing?" came the lilting voice of the Transfiguration professor.
"I do not know how, exactly, but it appears that he is the Sirius Black from an alternate reality or timeline. He came to our reality through the veil in the Department of Mysteries several hours ago. He was hexed and sent through the veil much like our reality's Black was two years ago, but by Rookwood, not Bellatrix. Apparently, his reality had a battle like ours back then, but instead of Black passing through, they lost Miss Granger to Dolohov's slicing curse. It also seems that their version of Dumbledore left you a Pensieve of the events leading up to his death, so that you would know of my involvement and innocence. Good thing he relayed this information to Potter. Oh bugger!" he suddenly exclaimed. At McGonagall's shocked look, he muttered, "Black saved my life after the Dark Lord set Nagini on me. Sodding bollocks, now I owe the man…" he growled.
"And we all owe you."
"Actually, it is a good thing that he did tend to me at that moment. I had crucial information to pass on to Potter from Dumbledore. If I had died, I do not know how I would have relayed said information as I was chased from the castle by you and Flitwick during my previous attempt," he said, sneering down at his colleague.
"Oh, hush, you. I am sorry for that. Sorry, that I did not have more faith in you, but I will tell you now, young man…. I was hurt horribly, Severus… I trusted you and I thought… we ALL thought, that you betrayed that trust most grievously. Do not worry… I have far more anger towards Albus, now… it would be just like that old goat to not give you any choice about the matter… but still," she said, glaring up at the younger man, "even though you were doing your job, I wish you would have told me.."
"As if I could have, Minerva. You would have hexed me five ways from Sunday if I had even approached you. Then you would have transformed to your feline shape and clawed my eyes out."
"Yes… well… there is that."
"It is over. It is done. We all played our parts."
"What will you do now?"
"If I do not get thrown in Azkaban, you mean? Drink myself insensate and sleep for a month. Now, I shall go down and check the potion stores in the dungeon to see if there is anything useful," he said with a nod, then left the Great Hall.
Upon his return he saw that most people were converged around one of the long house tables. Apparently, food and drink had been brought up from the kitchens by some of the elves. He set his potions down on a bench and as he looked around for Madam Pomfrey, he noticed Hermione walking across the room, carrying a large jug of pumpkin juice and directing a laden tray to follow behind her. He was surprised to note that her path was leading her directly to the Malfoy family, who still sat in their small group by the wall.
Walking over to overhear their exchange, he caught the light tones of Hermione.
"Mrs. Malfoy? I was wondering if you were hungry," the young Gryffindor said, shyly.
Narcissa turned shocked eyes to the slender young woman. "I do not mean to bother you, but I brought you some pumpkin juice, tea, and sandwiches. It's not much, but it is all the elves could throw together right now. Would you like something?"
"Oh," Narcissa began, with a small, tremulous smile, "thank you. Thank you very kindly… Miss Granger, is it?"
"Yes, you're welcome," Hermione said softly, as she deposited the tray on the bench. She started to put the pitcher down as well and jumped slightly as it was lifted out of her arms by Lucius' large hands.
"Thank you, Miss Granger," he said in his low voice, as he picked up a glass from the tray and poured a drink for his wife. "Would you care for some?"
Hermione looked up at the tall Malfoy patriarch in surprise. "Um.. no thank you. I think I'm too wound up to eat, actually," she said with a grimace before giving the blond family a nod and walking away to rejoin her friends.
"What a singular young woman," Narcissa murmured thoughtfully.
"She has always been pretty decent… swotty, and annoying as a blast-ended skrewt at times, but decent," Draco offered softly.
"Decent, Draco? I do recall several terms and adjectives you have used over the years to describe Miss Granger, but I do not think 'decent' was ever one of them," said Snape as he finished making his way over to the Malfoys.
"Well, I could not really say anything remotely nice about her before, now could I?" Draco said defensively.
"No… and neither could I, for that matter. Miss Granger was, by far, the most gifted student to grace these halls in an age. Not that I would ever admit such to her, even now. The time for pretense may be at an end, but we still have our reputations to maintain, have we not?" the former spy said with a quick twitch of his upper lip.
"Granger is probably the most intelligent person I know, next to you, Uncle," Draco said with a pensive look. Snape glanced at the curly-haired witch out of the corner of his eye.
"Unfortunate in light of the facts that she is a Gryffindor and a Mud..Muggleborn, but true," Lucius conceded.
"Muggleborn, Lucius?"
"If one does not adapt, one quickly becomes extinct, Severus. I know which way the wind blows."
"Severus?" Narcissa said, her voice beginning to tremble. "What is to become of us?"
"You three will no doubt be questioned by the Ministry. Detained shortly, at the very worst, but hopefully there will not be any real punishment. You were virtual prisoners in your own home since Lucius' release from Azkaban; a release orchestrated by the Dark Lord. Everything Draco did was under extreme duress. You did not participate in the battle, and you have been wandless most of this time. I would not fret too much, Narcissa," he said, placing a slender hand on her shoulder. "You will receive my testimony, if it is worth anything after my own trial, and your actions will speak highly for you."
"Actions?" Lucius asked, raising a brow.
"I have overheard that your wife lied to the Dark Lord about Potter being deceased."
"Cissa?"
"I..he had me check the boy… I could tell that he was breathing, and I knew the dangers of deceiving the Dark Lord, but I did not care! I had to ask him if Draco was alright! It was all I could think about," she said, a tear dripping down her cheek.
"Oh.. Cissa," her husband cooed. Lucius knelt down next to his wife. "I am not angry with you, my dove. Not at all… just surprised, and proud. I am so, so very sorry, my love… my son. It is my fault. All my fault. I thought I was doing right by our family by joining him…" he said, dropping his head in shame.
"A lot of people got seduced by the power and glory he offered. It is why I, myself, willingly joined the Death Eaters long ago. But the false promises of the Dark Lord came at too high a price," Snape muttered.
"Is that why you turned spy?" Draco asked, genuinely wanting to know what caused his stern godfather to turn to the light.
"Yes… following the Dark Lord cost me the most important thing in my life," he began, finally opening up a bit to the only people he considered close to friends. If he weren't so drained physically and emotionally, he probably would have remained silent on the matter. "It was then, that I fully realized my mistake, and I turned to Dumbledore for aid and to add whatever I could to the effort to bring about that evil monster's end."
Severus broke off as he noticed a group of Aurors headed their way. Lucius rose to stand in front of his wife and son as it became clear what was about to happen.
"Severus Snape, we have been commanded by the Minister of Magic to take you into custody," the head Auror, a man Snape recalled was named Magnus Trimbalt, stated.
"Minister?"
"Yes, sir. Kingsley Shacklebolt has been installed as interim Minister. He is already at the Ministry," he began, and Snape looked around to find that the dark-skinned Order member was not in the Great Hall, "and he gave the order to take you in. You three, as well," he said, nodding to the Malfoys.
"We will detain you at the Ministry itself, for now. Azkaban is not only unfit, but everyone who was being held there under false charges is being released," Trimbalt stated in clipped tones.
"Azkaban was never 'fit'," Lucius snorted darkly.
"True enough, Mr. Malfoy, but I meant 'unfit' as in you are only going to be questioned and detained for a short while pending the verification of your statements. The prison would be a bit much for that, wouldn't it? Now, would you follow me please?" he asked, gesturing with his arm.
Snape noticed that another Auror was leading Sirius over to their group.
"I wonder if they know it is not legal to question a dead person?" the Marauder asked with a wink and a chuckle.
The Potion Master glared at his former nemesis and shook his head, "I must be in Hell…"