Recommended Songs: Animal by Miike Snow
Burn It Down by The Struts
AN; Hello all!
The effects of Hawthorne's meeting with Snape weren't obvious until Monday, when McGonagall had told the school that both Dumbledore and Snape would be out of the castle and so their potion classes would be cancelled and replaced with a free study period. Her announcement was met with much excitement and not many seemed worried for their professors. Hermione, who watched professors more than the average person, noticed when McGonagall placed the head table under a silencing charm and when all the professors looked alarmed and glanced at her general direction.
"Harry, why are the professors looking like that at us?" Harry looked up at the professors from his fresh cup of tea. Hermione admired the graceful way he set his sugar spoon down and sat back to observe the head table.
"I imagine it has to do with Professor Snape possibly going to Azkaban, wizarding jail." Hermione gasped.
"Why would he go to jail?!" Hermione's loud gasp drew attention from those sitting near them. Neville, who had been listening, looked as shocked as Hermione felt. His mouth had dropped open and his eyes were wide.
"Well, according to the ICW or International Confederation of Wizards has few actual laws for the general public but one of those is about Legilimency, or mind reading. Legilimency is pretty rare but there's a lot that can happen or can be done with it to cause harm. That's without mentioning that it is incredibly invasive and is literally called mind-rape. If the person attempting it isn't careful or fully educated on it, it can shred your mind."
"And you're saying Professor Snape did that?" The students that had begun listening were as shocked as Neville.
"Yes. That's part of what happened on Friday when he asked me to stay after class. My family makes sure all of us have a grasp of Occlumency, or protecting our minds. One of the things it teaches you, other than protecting your mind from Legilimency, is how to tell if your defenses are being attacked. Professor Snape tried to use Legilimency on me but I had my defenses up and noticed when he tried."
"Is he going to jail just for that?!"
"I wouldn't say just, Hermione. Most people can't tell when someone is trying to read their mind. He could have seen all of our secrets and memories and we would never know." Neville tried to explain.
"But jail?"
" He could have stolen important family secrets. Or made us forget important things. He could have shredded or hurt our mind so we'd never learn a skill or even so we would never function again." Parvati explained to the ever more surprised girl.
"One of the most important reasons the ICW is deemed Legilimency dangerous enough to try to limit was that a very skilled Legilimencer can, in theory, make tiny suggestions and changes in our minds and personalities that would mean we are pushed into doing and saying things we wouldn't do otherwise."
".That's horrible!"
"That's why it's illegal." By now the majority of the surrounding students had begun listening in on their conversation.
"Now, see here, Lansing, False accusations and lying are NOT tolerated at Hogwarts." The group of listening students had caught Percy Weasley's attention. The thin boy was still smarting from their confrontation over traditions. He found it unconscionable that Harry had been backed up by their Head of House and thus his authority over the first years had been weakened and made inconsequential.
"As it should be. Good thing I'm not lying or falsely accusing anyone. If you don't believe me, you can just wait and see. You'll find that the professor will be back with a good reason for his absence if you're right. If you're wrong, you'll probably see it in the newspapers." Harry finished his tea and started gathering his bag. "Though, if you are wrong, I'll expect an apology for calling me a liar." he turned to his friends. "Let's start on our way, Professor Sprout doesn't like lateness from what I hear."
Percy watched the rest of the first years, and a few of the older students followed Hawthorne's advice. That little brat had barely been in Hogwarts for a week and already he was making a mockery of the prefects. The tiny voice in the back of his head that told him he was being jealous was quickly and brutally quieted. He was so busy staring unhappily after the first years that he didn't notice the Hall quickly clearing until McGonagall cleared her throat right behind him.
"Will you be making your way to your class, Mister Weasley?" Percy flinched rather violently and turned red even faster.
"Yes, Professor,,,, actually, professor. Is it true that Professor Snape used Legilimency on Lansing?" McGonagall's lips thinned and Percy actually felt nervous.
"Unfortunately, it is. Professor Snape has been dealing with a very trying personal matter and seems to have had a slip in judgement. It does not make it right, morally or legally. He should most definitely not have done it. Unfortunately, we are not able to turn back time. "
Percy looked at the professor oddly. Her voice had taken an odd tone at the end. Severus Snape had always been an unpleasant teacher and no one but his most favored Slytherins would argue in his defense. Even Percy, who idolised his professors and knew it. (He knew and didn't see any shame in it despite the twins making fun of him for it.)
"What will happen to him and to our classes?" McGonagall looked matter was obviously weighing heavily on her.
"In all honesty, Professor Snape will have to serve time for his crime. If he is lucky, has good counsel, and the Lansing family doesn't push the matter; he may have a short sentence supplemented with community service. Either way, he will not be returning. I will be writing to several people today to find us a new potions professor." As they had talked, Percy had grabbed his bag and they had started making their way to the Transfiguration classroom.
"Would it help if I recommended someone?" Percy remembered his favorite tutor. Charlie's best friend, Nymphadora Tonks, had been an annoyance any time she visited but she had known what she was talking about when she had offered to help him with the summer Potions homework. Her mother had apparently taught her. had even helped Charlie and Bill with their work before they graduated. She held a Mastery in Potions and was interesting enough as a teacher that even the twins said she was a good one.
"And who did you have in mind?"
"My brother Charlie is good friends with Nymphadora Tonks so her mother has been to our home several times. She's helped all of us with Potions homework and she has a Mastery in it."
"A good recommendation. Last I heard she ran a small owl order business, yes?"
"I believe so, professor. She's very kind and a patient teacher."
"Thank you for your recommendation, Mr. Weasley. Get to your seat now, I'll floo her later."
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Andromeda Tonks was just sitting down to a late breakfast when the chime spell she had placed on her floo sounded throughout the house. She sighed heavily and glanced at her chocolate nib oatmeal with longing before leaving it for the living room. The only time anyone flood her, other than her daughter, was when they needed a potion for an emergency. Most of those potions tended to be time consuming and tedious. She was not expecting McGonagall.
"Andromeda? Andromeda are you there?" The aging professor's floating head asked the empty room. Andromeda walked forward and into the line of sight. "Oh, good. Can I speak to you for a moment?"
"Good afternoon, professor. How can I help you?"
"It'll probably reach the newspapers soon so I may as well tell you." The woman took a deep breath, likely asking some higher being for patience and fortitude. "Severus Snape had done something truly stupid. He used Legilimency on one of our new students."
"He did what?! That's highly illegal!" Andromeda dropped to her knees next to the chimney. "This seems like the kind of conversation we should have either in your office or mine. Let me through, please professor." Andromeda threw a handful of the green floo powder into the flames when the professor's face disappeared from view and slid into the green flames. "Now, please explain from the beginning."
"If I'm being truthful, everything began just before the new school year. I was busy with the Deputy Head duties. Albus called me into his office and I was very annoyed…."
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Miles under the city of London, in a magically created space that no muggle could ever detect, Severus Snape was telling the same story to a horrified Amelia Bones. Amelia, as many knew, was not only one of the Aurors James Potter had worked with but had taken in her own niece when the girl's parents had been killed. Her anger at the Harry Potter situation had slowly been growing hotter and hotter as the long interview went on. Her dislike for the man before her was already pretty high as he was one of the 'cleared' Death Eaters but it cooled the slightest bit when she found out he had put his life on the line to protect his childhood friend's son. It didn't excuse him from his mental attack on the Lansing boy but she understood his desperation.
As to Dumbledore, she didn't know what sort of game he was playing but it was definitely not going well. The wizarding world's darling, their much lauded child hero, was missing. The poor boy had been horribly abused for four years until his disappearance at the age of five. Not only was he gone, muggle healers had strongly believed he would never function even if he did wake. He's already been missing for six years with no trace but the flowers and funding the hospital's personnel received each year. Once the entire thing hit the papers, and she was sure it would, the whole wizarding community of the Isles would be thrown into chaos.
Amelia sighed heavily. "Master Snape, while I understand your position, the actions you took were against the law. Not only that, the Lansing name carries a lot of power in the upper echelons of our society. They will most likely ask for a heavy penalty. I am uncomfortable with asking for that same penalty purely because I know many of the public would agree with your actions once the Harry Potter situation gets out. You've landed me with an enormous problem. I'll leave you with a list of good solicitors who may be able to represent you at trial. I'll be recommending a lighter sentence perhaps supplemented with some sort of community service. That's the most I can do for you. Auror Inglesburry will walk you to the holding cells until your trial. I'll see you again tomorrow about the Potter situation."
Amelia walked to the sealed door and let her magic flow through her palm through the ward, which opened it from the inside. As the ward checked her for mental interference, she went over the tasks she'd have to accomplish. The very first was setting a couple of her aurors to investigate the people involved in the Potter case, from his horrible relatives to the neighbors. The second was to set meetings with a few of the Wizengamot members from the three factions, ones that respected her dedication to the truth enough to back her up against anyone else who tried to stop the investigation. The third was to set up a meeting with a Gringotts representative. There had to be some way for them to track their vault owners.
The headache that had begun in the Minister's office throbbed and she dug her fingertips into the sides of her head as she walked to her office. She had a bad feeling about all of this. Families as old as Ritual Magic appearing in society again, Legilimency at a school, Harry Potter being missing, the instability this would all cause in the Wizengamot….. She had a feeling this was just the beginning of something.
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