As he entered the dining room, he came upon Harry in the middle of a scene. Smirking to himself at causing the golden boy a little embarrassment, he said calmly, "Dear me, Potter. I would think that a boy who had just been caned by my hand this morning would be able to stay out of trouble until at least lunch time."

Potter reddened at that reference, but Snape mercilessly said it to establish his non-favoritism. Not that he had to do that for Hogwarts, everyone here knew how he tormented to boy in class. But Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were watching as well. And if the little fiend didn't get the caning he deserved, he could at least have a bit of the embarrassment. It would serve their little fiction well.

"Harry has been accused," Hermione explained quickly, trying to have some control in the matter. Although, Snape observed a sharp look directed at Harry that Snape guessed meant he hadn't been forthcoming with his friends. "And we thought you were the best person to call. There is some sort of honor code with Durmstrang that we don't understand."

"Who accuses Potter?" Snape asked, curious.

"I do," Viktor Krum declared, entering the room behind Snape. "As the victim's closest person of concern I demand that Harry Potter be returned to custody until I am satisfied that he is not the killer."

"I made the complaint, Krum," one of the other Durmstrang students protested.

"And think you that you have more of a claim than the Krum family, Alexander Karlsson?" he challenged.

"Mir was from Durmstrang," Karlsson continued. "Potter should be in our custody."

"I am satisfied with the honor of the leaders of Hogwarts," Krum decided. "I think it would be better for him to be held somewhere familiar. Our ship is not set up for prisoners anyway. Does anybody dispute the Krum family claim over this matter?"

There were several hasty shakes of the heads from the Durmstrang students, and Snape got the distinct feeling that things were not as they seemed. "Then he is to be held until my satisfaction is reached to his innocence," Krum announced, daring someone to challenge him further.

What an odd turn of phrase, Snape thought as he watched Krum carefully. He wasn't angry or accusatory, and he seemed to bear no malice to Potter. And he had admitted to Snape himself earlier that he didn't think it was Potter anyway. What was going on? Snape got the distinct feeling that Krum was protecting Potter in some way.

"Hogwarts honors the code of Durmstrang," he heard McGonagall answer. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but perhaps it's for the best. You will return to the warded quarters where you were before."

"But he didn't do it!" Snape heard Ron protest, but without the whininess he usually associated with the red-headed sidekick. And Potter was, for such an incidence, surprisingly quiet. Looking at the golden trio, he suddenly realized that this was a plan. Not even the Granger girl was panicking.

"It doesn't matter if he did it or not," Snape supplied helpfully, deciding to support the plot. "This is a matter of honor. I will escort the youngster to his chambers."

"In the honor code of Durmstrang if a ranking member of a noble house formally accuses someone else of a heinous crime than that person is held until it is investigated," he could hear Hermione explain. "It is a very serious thing to do, however, and if the accuser is wrong he risks a counter-accusation that could mean his honor would be impugned."

"Thank you, Professor Snape," McGonagall nodded, ignoring Hermione. "Mr. Krum, if you would join me in my office to discuss the nature of the complaint."

"I will join you after I deliver Potter," Snape told them, nodding at the deputy headmistress.

"Very good. See that a house elf brings up his meal, as this one was interrupted," she told Snape curtly.

"Of course," he nodded. "I will see to the student's . . . comfort."

Snape gestured to Potter to follow him, and the boy surprisingly did without argument. They walked in silence to his room, which they both entered without comment as Snape flicked his wand to raise privacy wards.

"That was well planned," Snape told the boy without preamble.

"Thank you, sir," Harry answered him, as if Snape had been involved all along. "Krum set it up in case I was accused. He said that it would be likely, and he did this to protect me. That way I can be here in the room and let go when he says."

"That was what I thought," Snape nodded. "And you are now safely ensconced here. Should I call the house elf for a meal for you or would you like to do it?"

"I can," Harry blushed. "But you didn't have to announce that you'd caned me."

"Of course I did," Snape answered in innocent tones. "However would our fiction work if we kept it a secret?"

"It's embarrassing!" Harry protested.

"A small sacrifice for the cause," Snape waved his hand. "It would have been a surprise to nobody who knew the facts of the situation, given the number of portraits that saw the altercation. I assure you that many people in the room already knew."

"Next time I'll attack you in private then, sir," Potter asked, decided that cheeky worked better than angry. "Are we private enough here?"

"Cheeky brat," he told the boy, but without venom. Why was he, of all people, feeling a sudden and strange comradery with the brat? "Now is there anything else that you need?"

"You don't have to take care of me, you know," Harry said, his voice carefully neutral.

"I do know," Snape nodded. "But I seem to continually be put that position, however."

"Thank you, sir," Harry answered.

Arching a brow, Snape looked at the youngster. He did not seem the cocky child who had laughed at danger for the past years. He seemed almost worried.

"Good manners will not get you off your punishment," Snape told him in an acerbic tone.

Harry flushed. "I know that," Harry answered. "Would you rather I was rude to you?"

"It is infinitely more familiar," Snape answered levelly. "But perhaps not better. I will look in on you later."

"Thank you, sir," Harry answered, with a slight stress on the honorific to emphasize that he would keep being polite.

"As you were, Potter," Snape answered, sweeping out of the room.

Snape had very little time to contemplate Potter's continued manners as he was soon in the deputy Headmistress' office and all eyes swiveled towards him.

"Potter is safely ensconced in his cell," he told them.

"He is not guilty," Krum confirmed, nodding. "We set this up for if someone would make an accusation."

"Well done," McGonagall approved. "We thank you for the friendship you have extended to our student."

"I have lives on my soul," Krum nodded. "Perhaps this kind act is a bit of my . . . what is the word? Izkuplenie? Maybe atonement?"

Snape's instincts tweaked at that word, and he looked at Krum carefully. "You are a young man," he observed. "How do you have lives on your soul?"

"I am surprised you do not know," Krum answered sadly. "Where I am from it is . . . known. There was articles about it when I became a professional player. There was an incident that happened while I was younger during a Quidditch practice. It was an accident, a collision between myself and another flyer. I did not intend for this to happen, but the other boy was younger and less experienced. We both fell to the ground, and he did not survive."

"Were there charges?" Snape asked carefully.

"The aurors in our country ruled it an accident," Krum shook his head. "And our families came to an . . . arrangement. Kurvavi pari was paid."

"Blood money?" Snape guessed.

"Yes," Krum nodded. "It is a custom, even for an accidental death. My parents paid the money and I paid in a favor by enrolling in his school, even though it has made my professional work more difficult."

"The boy who died was connected to Karkaroff?" Snape asked critically. Why was this the first he was hearing of this?

"His nephew," Krum confirmed.

"The man doesn't seem to resent you," Snape observed.

"He acts as if his nephew did him a favor," Krum declared in a biting tone. "One younger son traded for the prestige of having the famous Bulgarian seeker at your school. I will never forget that boy's face in my life, but Karkaroff saw it as an opportunity. Even though I was not professional yet, they knew it was only a matter of time."

"Do you have atonement?" Snape asked, shocking himself by asking the question. "Izkuplenie?"

"You are a man who also has lives on your soul," Krum observed. "I think you know the answer."

"Atonement come at the end," Snape told him, agreeing. "It is not something to be paid for by money or favors."

"Nor even with forgiveness," Krum added. "Though Karkaroff says he does not hold me to blame."

"Are there more family that might?" Snape asked.

"I am unsure, I only worked with Karkaroff," Krum explained. "Should I contact my parents for that information?"

"If you would be so kind," Snape said with a nod. "It is probably nothing, but it is good to check."

"I will owl them immediately," Krum agreed. "If they do not know it would the work of a day or two at most to learn."

"Tell nobody else what you want," Snape advised him. "We do not know whom else might be listening."

"You are very dramatic, Severus," McGonagall interrupted them, clearly thinking that their tête–à–tête had gone on long enough.

"Perhaps, but I am also alive," Snape told her. "Precious few other spies can say the same thing. I have learned to trust my instincts."

"Then we shall trust them," she nodded. "Was Harry overly distraught?"

Snape snorted derisively. "I believe him to be perfectly satisfied with the outcome of his plan."

"Yes, but time in a detention room must be so hard on him," McGonagall argued. "Particularly after you were . . . direct with him given his earlier behavior with you."

"I believe he his handling his adversity as a true Gryffindor," Snape answered diplomatically, even though this did not sound like a compliment to him he knew that the head of Gryffindor would feel differently.

"He is a lion at heart," McGonagall recognized with a curt nod. "Very well then, I shall leave him in your capable hands, Severus."

"Just to clear him," Snape told her firmly. "I do not want to hear any ideas past that inevitable conclusion."

"Of course," she smiled at him, and he could see why the cat was her animagus form.

"When should I be satisfied with the investigation?" Krum asked. "The next contest is on Tuesday, yes?"

"Yes," Snape answered. "Sunday night if not earlier, that student has an appointment with me that evening."

"Your appointment could be in his quarters," McGonagall told him. "We want to make sure he is well-rested before the event."

"Of course," Krum answered. "I do not want to give anyone reason to say I did not win fairly. Please tell me when you would wish me to have him released."

"That is the safest place for him now," McGonagall told Krum. "I promise to let you know when he should be released."

And with that, Snape realized he had more investigating to do. And he would have to talk to someone who knew more about Quidditch than he did.