CHAPTER 31
Trembling and sobbing, Harry opened Snape's robes to examine the wound and staunch the flow of blood. He looked at Snape's face. It was ashen. Frantically, Harry felt for his pulse. It was faint. Too faint.
"Severus…"
No answer. Harry slipped his hand into Snape's. The fingers twitched in response, trying to curl around his.
"Severus, no, don't go away, please don't…Severus…I love you, I love you so…"
The black eyes looked at him intently before closing, and the fingers became limp.
With another scream of grief, Harry pressed his face against his lover's chest, his tears falling into the wound. While he wept bitterly, mourning Snape as dead, he noticed something odd. His tears had a pearly shimmer to them. They reminded him of something…of…phoenix tears…healing tears. Startled, he looked at the wound. But it had gone – or rather, what was remaining of it was disappearing altogether. Snape's head began to turn slowly from side to side. His chest heaved as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. Then his full black eyes opened slowly. Harry gasped.
"Severus…Beloved…"
Snape blinked a few times.
"Harry? What is happening to me?"
He touched his chest.
"But…Where…Malfoy had a knife…"
"I cried and it…went away…The tears…Severus…"
"Harry! Severus!" A deep familiar voice exclaimed. It was Dumbledore; he knelt down next to them, drawing out his wand and tapping Harry's nose. It stopped bleeding at once.
"Tonks alerted me as soon as she had recovered – she saw you and Severus being taken by Bellatrix Lestrange and her followers. I found your sunflower seeds. Very tricky charm, Harry, to make them register an echo of where you had been taken."
Harry was too much in shock to register what Dumbledore was saying to him.
"One of them wanted to…rape Severus," Harry whispered, still shedding those mysterious shimmering tears. He was shivering from head to foot. Dumbledore touched his cheek briefly in a fatherly manner. He looked at Snape, who was gazing at him wonderingly.
"I remember what happened…I remember something falling into my wounds and the pain disappearing, Albus…" The black eyes shifted to Harry's face. "Your tears."
Harry nodded, suppressing a sniff.
Dumbledore smiled and handed Harry's necklace back to Snape, who immediately put it on again.
"It fell out of Bellatrix's robes," Dumbledore said.
"When…when she realised that it was protecting him, she made him remove it by threatening to kill me, and I tried to tell him to keep it on, that I wanted to die if only he could live, that-"
"Harry," Snape said softly, trying to sit up. Harry put his arm around his shoulders, supporting him.
"I thought only phoenix tears could heal," Snape added, his voice full of astonishment.
"A very rare phenomenon, Severus, which shows us never to underestimate the power of love – a love as strong, deep and pure as Harry's love for you."
Harry looked up. His cheeks were wet.
"Yes, Harry. You healed him with your love. That is how Fawkes healed you. With love. However, whereas he can heal many, you can only heal the one whose soul you share. Not many wizards and witches can do that, even if their souls are as joined as yours and Severus's. But you did. You are both extraordinary wizards and extraordinary people, my dear boys."
"Severus," Harry breathed. He held out his hands, and Snape took them. Harry pulled him to his feet and into a passionate embrace.
"Yes. Severus," Dumbledore smiled. "The man you chose as your love and soulmate. Love, Harry, has its own unpredictable potent magic."
Snape took Harry's face in his hands.
"Harry…" his voice faltered.
"Don't ever leave me again, Severus. Don't even try," Harry whispered hoarsely. "Why, you're crying, too…"
"I love you, Harry. I love you very much."
While they were holding each other's faces and whispering passionately, several Ministry workers, pompously led by Fudge, seized Bellatrix Lestrange and her cursing supporters, including a hissing Draco Malfoy. A Dementor floated behind them. Fudge ordered the latter to be led away separately while Bellatrix remained behind with two Ministry workers and the Dementor. One of the wizards snapped her wand in half. Malfoy shook his fist at Harry and Snape, spitting insults at them as he was dragged off.
"Lifelong sentence in Azkaban for him," Fudge said happily, "and a Dementor's Kiss for this murderess on the very spot!"
He waved a casual hand in Bellatrix's direction. She blanched and shook her head.
Snape's face became rigid and Harry clenched his teeth compulsively. Apart from the fact that Dementors were what Harry feared the most, it was known that to witness a Dementor's Kiss was a horrible thing.
"Cornelius," Dumbledore said quietly.
"Dumbledore. Always popping up at odd times, eh?" Fudge said in a rude tone.
"Apart from the baffling fact that it was I who notified you and your Aurors to come here, Cornelius, you may want to listen to me. I think Azkaban is a better punishment then what you are about to do now. That, and a trial beforehand."
"Dumbledore, this is a criminal and murderess! You-know-who's right-hand person! Why waste time on a trial and cell space in Azkaban for this creature?"
"I know who she was and what she is, Cornelius. Tell me. How can she think about what she has done if her soul is sucked out?"
"Think! Who gives a Knut about that?" Fudge guffawed.
Bellatrix began to scream, curses and insults leaving her lips.
"You foul traitor, Snape!" she shrieked, shaking her fist at him, "and you, you filthy piece of vermin, Potter! And you, Dumbledore, you lover of Muggle muck and impure blood!"
Fudge unperturbedly signalled the Dementor to come closer. The wizards who were gripping Bellatrix's arms stepped back and drew an electric-blue circle around her with their wands to prevent her from escaping. Her screams were terrifying as the Dementor approached. Fudge did not bat an eye.
"Voldemort! Voldemort! Do you hear me, my lord? See your faithful servant!" she howled dementedly, alternating between maniacal laughter and shrieks of fear.
Harry started to shiver; the proximity of the Dementor was drawing the warmth from everything.
"Cornelius, think again!" Dumbledore said, his voice heavy with anger and disappointment.
"I am the Minister over here, Dumbledore. Mind your own business," Fudge snarled, watching the struggling witch and the Dementor with a repulsively morbid fascination.
Snape turned to Harry and put his arms around him, gently pressing Harry's head against his chest.
"Don't look now," he said, his back towards the inhuman scene behind him. Harry hugged Snape firmly, squeezing his eyes shut as the screams and insane laughter reached an ear-splitting volume and then suddenly died away after a minute or two. Dumbledore, too, did not watch, keeping his gaze on Harry and Snape instead, on the picture of their love instead of on the image of hate and revenge. Fudge didn't move until it was all over. Then a group of Ministry workers came forward, controlling the Dementor with Patronuses and taking a limp zombie-like Bellatrix with them, her eyes staring without focus ahead of her, her hair tangled.
Harry and Snape remained together in an embrace until Dumbledore gently gripped Snape's shoulder.
The two men drew apart, their hands still clasped.
Dumbledore looked at them sadly.
"When I was thirteen, I thought that there were criminals who deserved to undergo the Dementor's…kiss. But that…that was a crime for a crime," Harry said hoarsely.
"It's like that everywhere, Harry," Dumbledore told him, and Snape nodded in agreement, squeezing Harry's hand reassuringly.
"On the other hand," Dumbledore continued, "looking at how far you two have come, it is safe to assume that there is still hope for the world."
Harry and Snape smiled and proceeded to drown into each other's eyes.
Fudge approached them.
"So! It's done! Our best catch yet!" he burst out proudly.
"Yes. Your best catch yet, Cornelius," Dumbledore repeated ironically. "Come, my boys. Let's go."
Snape lingered to kiss Harry on the forehead before following the Headmaster with his hand in his lover's.
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A/N: One more chapter to go. And another Snarry story to come! More information in Chapter 32.