DISCLAIMERS: I don't own anthing other than the plot. J.K. owns the characters and I just borrowed them to play with.
A/n: Re-posted 08/17/2013
IMPORTANT! There are some parts of the third book in this chapter... it was necessary! so... if you recognize anything, it's because it IS from the book...
italics = Thoughts
Chapter 4 – I Didn't Want You to Found It Out Like This
Severus didn't know what to think. Cornelius Fudge, minister for magic was called to give Black his final sentence, and, at the moment, was interrogating Severus about what had happened that night.
"A shocking story... really shocking. A miracle no one died... never heard of anything like this. By the powers, it was just luck you were there, Snape..." said the minister.
"Thank you, Minister" was the only response he was able to give, Severus' mind was going back to every minute of his memory of finding Harry unconscious by the lake.
"Order of Merlin second class, I'd say. First class, if I can convince them.
"Thank you, really, Minister."
"What an ugly cut you have there. Black's thing, I suppose?" and that was a terrible question.
"It was Potter, Granger and Weasley, actually, Minister. Black cursed them, I saw immediately. A Confundus spell, by their behavior. They seemed to believe that there was a possibility that Black was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference could have led to Blacks scape. The kids obviously thought they would capture Black by themselves. They got out lightly for a lot of dangerous situations so far... and I fear that it made them thought themselves above everyone else... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster..." My son or not, Harry NEEDS someone to give him limits! If he keeps doing things like this, he'll end up dead! And I WON'T let it happen!
"Well... you see, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we're all a little blind when it comes to him." was the excuse Fudge used.
"And yet, is it good for him to receive so much special treatment?" as soon as he is out of this infirmary, he'll serve detention for the rest of the year! And I'm talking December here! Thought Snape "Personally, I try to treat him like every other student." All right. Maybe I don't treat him like the other students... but at least I never let him do whatever he wants without consequences! "And every other student would be suspended, at the very least, for putting his friends in a dangerous situation." and if I have any say in it, he'll be grounded till he learns to think before acting! "Consider, Minister: against all school rules – after all the precautions put in place for his protection – out of bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer – and I have reasons to believe he has been visiting Hogsmead illegally too..."
"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... the boy has undoubtedly been foolish..." FOOLISH! Thought Severus, all his acting skills working so he wouldn't demonstrate how angry he was that boy wasn't just foolish! He was a complete idiot! What was he thinking! Going into a tunnel under a hitting tree without any idea of what was waiting for him on the other side! "What amazes me most is the behaviour of the dementors... you have any idea what made them retreat, Snape?"
"No, Minister. By the time I had come round they were heading back to their position at the entrances..." But if rumours are right... Harry probably had something to do with it too!
"Extraordinary. And yet, Black, Harry and the girl..."
"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bounded and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers and brought them all straight to the castle.
Fudge was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. Severus couldn't stop worrying at the fact that Harry was still unconscious. At least it's what he thought, till he heard...
"WHAT?"
In the next second Severus and the Minister were inside the infirmary. Harry and Hermione were out of bed.
"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed – has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.
"Minister, listen!" Harry said, "Sirius Black is innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's..."
But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.
"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."
"YOU HAVEN'T" Harry yelled "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"
Severus just listened irritated. After everything he went through that night, to hear his own son defending the man that not only betrayed his lovely Lily, but also tried to kill him when they were at school... he didn't know what to do, his heart hurting him.
"Minister, listen, please." Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him, too. It was Ron's rat, he's an animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and..."
"You see, Minister?" said Snape "Confunded, both of them... Black's done a very good job on them."
"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.
"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"
"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen -"
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."
The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black -"
"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist -"
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black -"
"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive -"
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."
"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."
"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" Did she really need to remember THAT? thought Severus.
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed, we must make allowances -"
"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy - please leave us."
"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest -"
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."
The Minister went to the door and held it open for Snape, but the professor didn't move. He couldn't believe that Albus Dumbledore had, yet again, fallen for one of Black's stories, and that once more, what he, Severus wanted would be second rated. Only this time Snape had more reasons to fight then when he was a child. Black'll never again be anywhere near MY son. Even if it is the last thing I'll do in my life.
"Surely you don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.
"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.
Snape took a step towards Dumbledore.
"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.
Severus left the infirmary against his will and followed the Minister to the entry hall.
"Dumbledore just want to spoil the boy even more! I only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," said Snape. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"
"As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him..."
"I doubt it Minister, but we can always wait for a miracle..."
After they met with Macnair and a dementor, they went to the room where they had left Black. What they found there wasn't what they were expecting. Instead of a defeated Sirius Black, they found an empty room. The opened window only managed to get Severus even more angry and annoyed. He was so angry that his childhood nemesis had managed to escape, that he let a roar of fury scape his lips.
Severus had only one thing in mind, Harry Potter had, somehow, helped Black scape from that room. He was sure of it. But he wasn't sure at whom the fury that was boiling inside of him was directed at as the professor started to make his way back to the infirmary, being followed by the Minister.
"He must have disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out -"
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - POTTER!"
"Severus - be reasonable, Harry has been locked up -"
BAM!
The door of the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.
"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"
"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw -"
"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.
"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT"
"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"
"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"
"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."
Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behaviour, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses.
And then, everything made sense in his mind. Severus turned to look at Dumbledore, his eyes flashing with anger.
"So it was your idea, Albus?" hissed Severus "your idea, wasn't it? To put MY son in danger to save that worthless Black, WASN'T IT?"
"Your son, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, and if Severus didn't know the old wizard like he knew, Snape would have thought that he saw fear in the blue eyes of the headmaster "what are you talking about?"
And that's when he realized what he had just said, and Severus stormed out of the room, leaving behind two startled men and three confused adolescents.
N/a: Reviews?