By midmorning, only the teachers and a few students were left at the castle. Sev ordered the students to bed threatening them with doses of Dreamless Sleep Potion, if they did not comply. Harry asked to speak to us, promising he would sleep afterwards.
"Please, sir, I really need to talk to you and Madame Snape. I will go sleep once we are done."
"Very well, Harry, come with us. Our sitting room in the dungeons should suffice."
Sev led the way down the stairs and dismantled the wards on our rooms. He invited Harry in formally. We all sat down in front of the fireplace and Harry began to speak.
"When I was looking at your memories last night, I realised what a prat I had been. There were clues all along that I should have picked up on, but didn't. Things started to be different my fifth year. I noticed you were more preoccupied and not so hard on me in class. I never thought it was because you had two of us to protect. I thought it was because Riddle was back. I thought that Karkaroff had asked you to intercede with Riddle for him. I did not even have a clue that the world didn't revolve around me. Madame Snape-- Thera-- I was wary of you when you arrived. You were in Slytherin House, but you never fit the image of the Slytherin ice princess Malfoy said you were. When you started giving Hermione the Dittany and that salve, I knew there was more to you than we thought. You befriended Hermione and helped her all the time we were out chasing the Horcruxes. I sort of remember you and Viktor Krum the night we went to Godric's Hollow. And I know I saw Viktor the night we got taken by the snatchers. He was standing guard, wasn't he?
At Bill and Fleur's wedding, you were talking about Snape, weren't you, when you said it was complicated? The two of you kept us safe and on track the whole time. Not like Dumbledore, who never said anything plainly or made things easy. I got an earful about Dumbledore from Remus tonight. He was telling me the truth about a lot of things.
He also told me that he is no longer a werewolf, thanks to you. You saved him, and saved a bunch of other folks, too. It took me until an hour after Riddle was dead to realise that Moody was alive. He and Remus took me aside and explained a lot of things. The Felix Felicis that everyone took last night was your doing. That salve that Hermione treated our burns with when we got here, was yours, too. I owe you so much, Professor. I cannot ever repay you, but I just wanted you to know that if you need my help with anything, just ask. I am offering my sincerest apologies for my past actions and words. Will you take my hand in friendship?" He stood up and put his hand out. Sev stood also and took Harry's hand. They shook hands for the second time and then Harry turned to me and said, "Good night Madame Snape, or possibly good day, I am off to get some sleep."
Sev spoke quietly, "Harry, the floo in this room can get you to the Gryffindor common room in an instant. Why not use it?"
The boy smiled a very tired, grateful smile as he threw green powder into the fireplace.
When we were alone, Sev asked if I was exhausted. When I nodded, he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom. He tucked me into bed and lay down next to me.
"At last it is over, Thera. I cannot believe we are free of him. There is something Alastor wanted me to tell you. The documents we destroyed that night were the Ministry documents proving who my father was. Alastor ferreted out everything and brought it all to me. He knew because your father told him. Yes, love, your father knew and still wanted us to marry. He and Alastor made peace between them when your parents were smuggled to Iceland. Alastor had talked it over with Albus at some point. You had best get some sleep. I have a feeling the Wizengamot will want a word with us at some point."
I slept for a few hours, only waking when Trufy brought food for the evening meal. Minerva had come to eat with us, as had the Lupins. We had just finished eating when the floo sparked with green flames. Alastor's face appeared and he asked all of us to come through to the Ministry. He wanted the rest of the teachers also.
Minerva said she would notify the others as soon as we left. "I'll bring Harry and the others with me. And I'll make sure Thera brings the small portrait of Albus," she told her husband.
We stepped through the floo into the long, dark, entry hall of the Ministry of Magic. Sev had, of course, been here before, many times. I looked around in the low light to see Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody coming towards us from the other end of the hallway.
"The Wizengamot is greatly reduced, but the Ministries from the other countries have sent representatives. They want to have this inquest over and done with as soon as possible. They were horrified when I gave them the list of those who fought on Riddle's side. As it turns out, one of the Wizengamot came to help defend the school. With the situation as it is, she is the most senior judge, now. She will definitely want to question everyone from Hogwarts." Shacklebolt was keeping something from us, I could tell. I just hoped it wasn't about my husband.
Moody grinned at us before telling all. "What my colleague is not saying is that he has been asked to take over as Minister. All of us old-timers are coming back. Arthur is First Deputy Minister and I am taking over the Law Enforcement Branch. Don't worry about the Wizengamot. My niece, Augusta Longbottom, is now in charge of that."
Shacklebolt rolled his eyes at that comment. He shrugged and led us off to the Minister's office.
The four of us sat down as a young woman bustled in to bring tea. I recognised her as Angelina Johnson, a classmate of mine. She did a double take when she realised who she was bringing tea for.
Sev greeted her. "Miss Johnson, thank you. Are you enjoying your work for the Ministry?"
She merely nodded and smiled at us before leaving the room.
Shacklebolt mentioned that she was one of the few Ministry employees who had remained loyal to the Order and would probably be promoted in the near future.
Just then, a flying memo zoomed into the room to summon us to the lowest levels of the Ministry building. I held very tightly to my husband's hand as we rode down in the lift. The hall was lined with people when the lift doors opened. I saw familiar faces as we walked. Occasionally, someone reached out a hand to touch Sev on the sleeve. I heard the murmurs behind us. The defenders from Hogwarts were there as well as people from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
"He is a hero."
"Had that monster Riddle fooled right up to the end."
"They helped Potter all along."
We entered into the largest of the courtrooms on that level. There were less than thirty people in the seats above the open central area. I saw Minerva enter and take a seat next to Augusta Longbottom. Kingsley took another seat and Filius took a third chair. Alastor still stood next to us and he gently took the portrait of Albus Dumbledore out of my hands. He set it on a chair in the middle of the room. Alastor had us step back against the wall while the questioning began.
The inquest began with Madame Longbottom interrogating Dumbledore's portrait regarding Sev. The portrait began its discourse with the Unbreakable Vow coerced from Sev almost eighteen years before. The vow to 'obey whatever tasks shall be assigned to you, no matter how abhorrent' explained so much of what had bothered me about the slavish obedience Sev had paid Dumbledore.
The portrait then detailed events of the night he had been injured by the ring Horcrux. I listened as Sev was praised for his valiant attempt to save Dumbledore's life, and then forced into having to become his executioner. I listened to the voice of Albus Dumbledore tell of the things he had made my husband to do over the last seventeen years and was sickened by the callousness of it all. When at last, the voice had died away; Augusta Longbottom looked to Percy Weasley who stood at the door.
"Will you bring in the other witnesses, Mr. Weasley."
Sev was gripping my hand tightly now. He was worried the Wizengamot was going to try him for Dumbledore's death. When the door opened again, Harry Potter entered carrying the Pensieve from Dumbledore's office. Hermione and Viktor entered next, carrying a box full of memory flasks. Harry put the Pensieve in front of Augusta Longbottom and came to stand beside Sev and me. Neville was the next person to enter. I saw that Hermione had used the Murtlap Salve on his previous injuries. He came to stand beside me and gave me one of his lopsided grins.
Harry stepped forward and asked what was happening.
"Mr. Potter, we are grateful to you for defeating our recent foe, but there are still questions about the death of Albus Dumbledore which must be answered tonight before this court. Thank you, also, for bringing the Pensieve and the memories. We will view them shortly."
"In that case, Madame Longbottom, I want to speak on the record. Severus Snape may have said the words that ended Dumbledore's life, but he had no choice. Dumbledore had ordered him to be his executioner. Snape was protecting the lives of others that night. I was there, under my invisibility cloak, immobilised by a spell from Dumbledore. Snape knew I was there, but did not try to harm me and actually stopped the Death Eaters from cursing me. He has worked to protect me from the moment Riddle began to hunt my parents. He was not only protecting me that night, but alsoDraco Malfoy. Draco had been assigned the task of killing Dumbledore but was unable to complete the task. Dumbledore had known what would happen and taken steps to save Draco from tearing his soul. He knew, you see, that Severus would need to use the torn piece of his own soul to make a Horcrux so that he could survive to help me in my task. I know that you don't want to hear these things, but a lot of us from Hogwarts have stories to tell."
"That is exactly what I was hoping you would say, Mr. Potter. I want no trace of suspicion to taint Headmaster Snape. We have representatives from both the Daily Prophet and The Quibbler here to record these proceedings. The Daily Prophet has undergone a change in format. They will now be reporting the news accurately instead of creating sensationalism. I am assuming, Alastor, that you are acting for the Defence? Filius, would you view the memories and give me a concise synopsis?"
Flitwick took the Pensieve and the box of memories out of the courtroom.
"Yes, Madame Longbottom, as Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, I am acting as Counsel. I am calling Neville Longbottom as the next witness."
"My name is Neville Longbottom. I am currently a student at Hogwarts in my seventh year."
"Since you are my grandson, I think we can dispense with your particulars, Neville. Can you tell us anything about Headmaster Snape's activities this year and last?"
"Yes, I can. He and his wife have been brewing potions for us all year. They instructed the house-elves to make sure we were fed and our clothes were clean, even when we were in hiding. The Headmaster is a man who sincerely wants his students to learn what he has to teach, including how not to be so timid. He made it so that Ginny, Luna and I got very light detention after we were caught stealing the fake Sword of Gryffindor. It was all set up beforehand. I knew then that he was not scary, only stern. "
Sev straightened a bit at that comment and nearly laughed out loud when Neville winked at him.
Thereafter, the witnesses were called in rapid succession. They all spoke of Sev's devotion to duty and his unswerving protection of the students in his care. Filius Flitwick came back in and handed Madame Longbottom a very short parchment. Augusta Longbottom beamed at him.
At last, Alastor Moody stepped forward. "I have evidence to give also, Madame Longbottom. When the Order was moving Harry Potter to a safer location last summer, we were all attacked by the Death Eaters. I was almost killed and George Weasley lost an ear. I was put into Azkaban with a broken hip and other injuries. Within a matter of days, Severus Snape managed to smuggle me out, Obliviate the two Death Eaters in charge and get me to his wife's Russian home to heal. He deposited a similarly handicapped corpse in my place. I was healed and cosseted by Madame Snape until such time as she felt I would be better off closer to Hogwarts. She personally returned me to the tender care of my wife. Severus Snape is one of the finest men I have ever met. His loyalty should never be in question. Without his long service to the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter would never have been able to defeat Voldemort."
Viktor spoke up suddenly, "Madame Longbottom, I need to tell you of the goodness of this man. After Moody was supposedly killed and George Weasley wounded; Severus Snape taught me the reversal spell to repair George's ear. It worked perfectly. He felt very sorry that his spell at another Death Eater had gone awry and wanted to heal the injury."
I watched the two reporters from the papers writing furiously. They looked up at Augusta Longbottom when she announced the Wizengamot had come to a decision.
"Headmaster Severus Snape, it is the decision of the court that you be awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. All of your actions have been in the best interests of our kind. The statuary in the Entry Hall for the Ministry will henceforth reflect the two heroes of this war and their assistants. Court is dismissed."
Sev was flabbergasted. Everyone was shaking his hand and hugging him. Augusta came from the back room to tell him how much she appreciated his work at St. Mungo's.
"And I thought you should know that Frank and Alice are almost ready to come home. Your potions and spell reversal efforts have done what no one else thought could be done. And I am so proud of Neville. He blossomed under your wife's tutoring. You may want to get away to somewhere quiet this summer. I am afraid the publicity may catapult you both into the spotlight along with young Potter. It was pointed out to me that you are expecting multiple additions to the family. Yes, Dora Lupin wanted me to know that your husband was going to be needed by your side for years to come and not locked up in Azkaban." She laughed and patted us both on the arm before starting a conversation with Harry.
Alastor took pity on Sev and hustled us out the back way and up to the Auror offices. He grumbled along the way.
"I am going to have to rebuild the force from the ground up. I do have a head start on recruits. Your cousin Viktor and his lads have applied to begin the course. But after this war, I think the way they handled themselves was enough training for any Auror. I am putting our first squad together with Viktor as leader. That boy has a good head on his shoulders. He was a damn good seeker for Bulgaria, graduated with top honours from Durmstrang, and now is going to marry one of the brightest witches of her age. I see him taking over the Department in a few years. He has that same headstrong bravado that I had. Maybe I can talk some sense into him before he gets into a fight he only thinks he can win."
Sev gave Alastor a long look before speaking. "Alastor, he won't have to fight Riddle or anyone like him. We wiped out the threat yesterday. There won't be another like Riddle for a very long time."
"You are right, Severus. But, Dumbledore should never have allowed Riddle to come to Hogwarts. He should have told Dippet they needed to bind his powers or strip them. It would have solved the problem before it became a problem."
"Actually, Alastor, that was exactly what Dumbledore did suggest. Dippet decided to allow the boy to come. It was in the school records." Sev had answered quietly.
I was suddenly very tired. I murmured something to that effect and Sev immediately asked Alastor if we could go to the Chelsea flat.
The next thing I was aware of, we were in the living room of the Chelsea flat. The lights were on and Viktor was helping Sev open the door to our bedroom. I heard voices before I drifted off to sleep. In the morning, Sev brought me breakfast in bed. Viktor followed him into the room grinning hugely.
"Severus said I should ask you if we could use the conservatory at the Petersburg house for a wedding in December."
"For the wedding of my cousin to my best friend? Of course, you can, Viktor. We will put on the biggest and best wedding ever. Thank you for waiting until the babies are born. Sev and I would be delighted to host the wedding party. The conservatory is perfect. And I will make it all very special, I promise." My husband was watching me with an indulgent smile on his face.
"You are too good to me, cousin. I have waited three years for her; a few more months will not matter. Severus has asked me to stand as godfather to the three boys. I accepted immediately. Will not let anyone else teach them how to fly or to play Quidditch. I think, perhaps, if we have daughters, our children might marry."
"Only if those daughters have their mother's looks, Viktor. We must wait and see. Have you told my mother you are officially engaged yet?" I looked at Sev who was trying very hard not to laugh.
"I sent an owl to my parents and one to Aunt Persephone. In two days time, I am going to Australia with Hermione to bring her parents back. We will tell them at that time. I am so proud of her. She fought alongside you against that abominable woman without any fear. She kept Harry from going crazy for months. She is brilliant, and beautiful, and I love her so much it scares me."
"Where is she now, Viktor? Do not tell me you let her go off with the Weasleys? Or back to Hogwarts? She must be here. If she is not here, go get her. I want to see her."
"She is washing her hair. She slept in my room and I slept on the couch. I am going to take her to Grimmauld Place to see what has been done to it, and see if there are any of her clothes left there. If that turns out to be disastrous, then we are going shopping in Diagon Alley. Will Severus let you come with us?"
"We will both come, Viktor. Let me eat breakfast and get dressed."
While I dressed, Hermione and Sev contacted Harry to meet us at Grimmauld Place. When Hermione Disapparated to the front steps with Viktor in tow, she found the house miraculously undisturbed. Sev and I arrived seconds later, and Harry about two minutes after that. We were all amazed that the Death Eaters had never been able to breach the wards on the house. Sev had the answer.
"Even though you brought Yaxley into the wards, he could not get in because he did not have the password. When the wards were set up, no one with a Dark Mark could get in, except me. I had the only password. If they had thought to have someone without a Dark Mark try, it would have been a different story."
"That is why you whispered that phrase when we arrived! That quote from Shakespeare was the password?"
"I thought it fitting, Thera. 'I follow him to serve my turn upon him'. Those words summed up my entire service to Riddle. I went back to serving him to exact revenge for the death of my oldest friend. It is not a pleasant thought, but it sustained me for many years."
"Othello: Act 1, Scene 1, line 42. Right, Severus? I did not know you had read Shakespeare." Hermione asked.
"I was an avid reader as a young man. I read all the Muggle classics. For a time when I first began spying for the Order, I imagined myself as Sydney Carton, Dickens' hero from 'A Tale of Two Cities'. The idea of giving my life, so that the woman I loved could be with her one chosen love, was an appealingly asinine one. I grew out of that 'tragic hero' mindset very quickly when the Potters were killed. But the password had been set by then, on whatever meeting place we used."
Harry looked very thoughtful at that, and then led the way through the house to see what needed doing.
Sev stepped to the curtains covering the portrait of Walburga Black. He opened the drape while saying, "Langlock." He then threw the curtain wide and checked the frame of the portrait before performing a severing charm on each corner of it. He lifted it off the wall and asked Harry where to put it.
Harry was laughing so hard, he had trouble telling Sev to put it in the broom closet off the kitchen.
We all trooped down to the kitchen where Harry called for Kreacher. The ancient house-elf popped in immediately, still wearing the locket that had belonged to Regulus Black.
"Kreacher, this is going to be your new room. I am giving you the portrait of Mrs. Black for your room, but you must keep her quiet."
"Master is too good to Kreacher. Kreacher will make sure house is clean and habitable."
We trooped back up the stairs and Hermione found some clothes while the rest of us helped Harry start on an inventory of furnishings and books.
"Anything that is Dark Magic, I am giving to you, Professor, just to make sure it gets into the Restricted Section, you know. I keep finding things that remind me of Sirius, and that makes me sad. I wish he had not gone through that curtain in the Ministry."
Sev's face went white. Apparently, in the two years since the fight at the Ministry, no one had told him how Sirius Black had died.
"Harry, was it an arch-like doorway, with a curtain that was blowing in a breeze no one could feel?"
"Yeah, Professor, it was exactly like that."
"Damn that idiot Fudge! He was told to destroy that thing. But it was in the Hall of Mysteries, wasn't it? Bloody effing hell, he may not be dead. That is a time corridor. It was one of Dumbledore and Flamel's little oddities. Did Albus know what had happened to him?"
"No, Dumbledore showed up later. You mean he might still be in there? Is that possible after all this time?"
"Beyond that curtain, time ceases to exist. I think there are notes on the damn thing somewhere. If he fell through it, he is stuck in time. He will not age nor will he feel hunger, thirst or pain. Let me send to Moody. He can bring us the damned portrait to question."
Instantly Sev sent his Patronus to Alastor but his Patronus had changed. It was now an eagle. A great Steller's Sea Eagle, the largest of the Raptors, with distinctive grey and white colouring and a golden yellow beak. It is the most impressive of all of the eagles.
Harry very matter-of-factly said, "I sort of expected that, Professor. You had no further need to keep the doe, since Riddle had been defeated and my parents were avenged. I think that bird is a Russian bird, because Thera is Russian. I always thought your Patronus should have been some kind of eagle or hawk."
That comment totally floored Sev. He could only stare at Harry as if the boy had suddenly grown three heads. "It was a hawk when I was a boy, a Merlin hawk. I had not thought of that in years. Oh Merlin, Thera I am old!"
"Not a chance, Severus Emrys Charles Snape, you are not old! That must be Moody at the door. Let me run down there."
When Alastor came through the door he remarked that it was certainly quiet.
"How the dickens did you get the portrait of the old besom off the wall? Here is Albus, as requested. What is going on?"
Sev had recovered enough to answer, "Did none of you ever ask exactly how Black died? He fell through that abomination that Albus and Flamel created. I know there are notes on it somewhere, but I have to get the information out of my erstwhile employer. Harry, may I use the library for a few minutes?"
"Sure. If there is a way to get him out..."
"I know how important that would be to you. I swear I will do everything I can, lad."
"And you will have the Ministry behind you, Severus. I'll contact Kingsley right now," Alastor added.
Sev grabbed the portrait and closed himself into the library. Although we all wanted to listen with the twins' Extendable Ears, we went off to the other parts of the house. In about fifteen minutes we all drifted back to the kitchen. Harry asked Kreacher to bring us some lunch and tea. The little old house-elf created a platter of sandwiches and fruit in only moments. I could hear my husband's raised voice from the library. I choked down a sandwich and a cup of tea before we all heard the library door slam. Sev walked into the kitchen and threw himself into a chair next to me.
"Damn the old bastard! He says there is no way to retrieve him, but I am sure I saw notes. Alastor, what happened to Flamel's things?"
"They are in storage for safekeeping. The Ministry thought the main recipient of his will was not altogether trustworthy, so never informed him of the legacy left to him." Now Alastor was twinkling at us.
"Who the effing hell was the beneficiary, Alastor?" Sev's patience was wearing thin.
"You were. He left everything to you. All the notes, all the books, everything was left to Severus Snape."
"Albus never told me, not one word did he say about Flamel or a legacy. He still did not trust me, not completely. Or was it that he thought I would use the legacy to defeat Riddle on my own, bypassing Harry, and setting all his plans to naught?"
"I cannot tell you that, Professor. But Dumbledore said something about not wanting Flamel's research to be appropriated by Riddle." Harry piped up.
"Well, Flamel's things were put into Gringott's in a vault with the Ministry's name as well as your name on it. Only the Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, accompanied by you, can get in. That is us, isn't it Severus? Get your most intimidating face on; we are going to retrieve that legacy right now. Let me get Bill Weasley to come along. Kingsley made him the Goblin Liaison again. He knows these tricky little folks like no other."
Alastor did something we had never seen him do previously; he sent a Patronus message to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Not a one of us had known what his Patronus was. It was a lion I had only read about or seen paintings of, the Barbary Lion, much larger than an African lion, with a mane that was very full. This one had a dark red mane tipped in black and walked with a limp. It occurred to me that I should have known what his Patronus was; Minerva's was a house cat, so his would naturally have been in the cat family somewhere.
The bell sounded and Moody went to answer it. It was Bill Weasley. Shortly thereafter, Bill, Alastor and Sev went off to Gringott's.
"What will happen if you get Sirius back, Harry?"
"I don't know. His name will be cleared, I know. The house will go back to him, I guess. He will be happy that the war is over. And overjoyed that Bellatrix is dead, I would imagine."