Summary: Severus' trial and his feelings afterward.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Hope you like the next chapter. There's a wee bit of angst, but it gets better.
Chapter 2
Severus sat in front of the Wizengamot in irons. Given their promise that he would serve no jail time, he thought it was a bit much, but who was he to deny them their theatrics? The courtroom was filled with spectators including the Golden Trio and several reporters. Rita Skeeter looked like she was about to wet herself, she was so excited.
Kingsley Shacklebolt banged his gavel and started the court proceedings.
"As newly appointed Minister for Magic, I hereby open this hearing on the charge of the murder of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore by Severus Snape."
And so it went. Several witnesses testified.
"Yes, I saw him kill Albus Dumbledore," Potter said as he sat on the stand.
"But now you say it was a mercy killing?" the attorney asked.
"I know it was. Severus Snape gave me his memories."
"Yes, but memories can be altered."
"I know they can. I've seen altered memories before. I can testify that these were not altered in any way. Dumbledore asked him to kill him because he had been cursed and would die within the year. I believe the Headmaster was close to death when Professor Snape killed him."
The portrait of Albus Dumbledore was brought in and propped up in the witness chair.
"Yes, I asked him to kill me. I had foolishly touched a cursed object and sentenced myself to a slow, painful death. Severus tried to stop it. He extended my life by a year with the spells he cast over my hand. Given what Tom Riddle had asked of Draco Malfoy, I asked Severus to kill me to avoid hurting the boy's soul and saving me pain."
Severus snorted at that.
"You have something to add, Mr. Snape?"
"Only that Mr. Dumbledore had no concern over my own soul, only that of Draco Malfoy's. Thus here I sit being judged by all of you."
The case took several hours because the Wizengamot was going to be damned sure no one would question their ruling. This gave Severus a small bit of hope that they would keep their promise. He was the last witness called.
"I was under orders from Dumbledore to kill him and become the Dark Lord's right-hand man. Per Dumbledore, I could tell no one of my spying or the whole plan could fail."
"Did you enjoy killing the Headmaster?" the prosecuting wizard asked.
Severus scowled at him. "Are you an imbecile? Of course, I didn't enjoy it. Albus was my friend! At least he claimed to be, and I… cared for him. It was the hardest thing I have ever done."
Finally, the sentencing came.
"On the charge of murder, we, the Wizengamot, find Severus Snape not guilty. We do recognize that although he was a spy, he worked as a Death Eater, and will need to be monitored to prove that he was truly on our side. He must stay in Wizarding Britain and continue to teach at Hogwarts for five years."
Severus was stunned. He didn't move as the chains dissolved to nothing. Sure, they'd not sent him to Azkaban, but they had sentenced him to prison nonetheless.
"This is outrageous!"
Severus looked up to see Hermione Granger standing and loudly objecting to the ruling.
"Mr. Snape is a hero. Without his spying, I can assure you we would now be under Voldeomort's rule!" She paused as many in the room gasped. "I can also assure you that Harry Potter and I would probably be dead if it weren't for his help!"
"Miss Granger, the court has ruled. There will be no more outbursts, or I will have to hold you in contempt," Kingsley called out.
Hermione zipped her lips, glaring at Kingsley.
Severus was surprised by her outburst. He wasn't used to anyone coming to his defense.
"May I say something," he asked after clearing his throat.
"What is it, Mr. Snape?" Kingsley asked.
He motioned to himself. "As you can see, I have been de-aged as part of my healing. I am now technically younger than I was when I started teaching at Hogwarts. How will I be able to do my job when I'm only a year older than the seventh-years?"
"That isn't for the Wizengamot to determine, Mr. Snape. You have the freedom to teach as you see fit, as long as you do teach."
With that the court stood and filed out, ignoring the man glaring at them from the base of the courtroom.
Severus was so incensed that he didn't notice the spectators clearing out or that someone had come down and was standing beside him.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry said.
"It's foul," Hermione interjected as she moved up next to Harry. "There's got to be something we can do."
His head snapped over to her. "No. Leave it. They've sent the message they wanted to send. I am innocent, but not to be trusted. Nothing has changed, really. Only my handlers."
With that, Severus stood and stalked out of the courtroom. As soon as he exited the doors, he spun away in Apparition to Spinner's End.
Severus stormed into his house, gritting his teeth.
A prison without bars, that's all this amounts to.
Pulling out his wand, he cast hexes at everything he saw. Books exploded, his reading chair was split in two, the lamps on the side tables disintegrated, and the fireplace was left in ruins. He cast and cast and cast until the entire first floor of the house had been destroyed.
He still felt infuriated.
Stalking up the stairs, he barricaded himself in his bedroom, casting a blackout spell over the window. He fell into his bed and buried himself in the darkness. If it were up to him, he'd never emerge again.
Severus cracked his eyes open. A loud ringing was sounding over his head. It was ear-splitting. He took his wand and cast a Finite to make it disappear.
He could see nothing in front of him, the room was still pitch black. Rising, he opened the bedroom door, squinting with the bright light. An incessant knocking on the door assaulted his ears as he burst through the room and descended the stairs. Throwing open his door, he glowered.
"What?" he demanded menacingly.
Minerva stood in front of him. He softened only slightly but still glared.
"Severus, may I come in?"
He opened his mouth to protest, but she was still his employer, so he stepped aside, letting her pass through. She looked around with wide eyes.
"Merlin, Severus, what happened here?"
"I apologize. I was unhappy with the result of my hearing."
"That was a week ago! Haven't you had time to fix things up?"
He waved his wand and the room began setting itself to rights.
"I didn't realize," he muttered.
She settled into the newly reformed sofa unbidden. Severus raised a brow at her as he sat down in his reading chair.
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
Her shoulders sagged. "I wanted to apologize, Severus. I was horrid to you all last year."
He shrugged and looked down.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
His eyes strayed up to hers before he looked off at the fireplace.
"Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone."
She bristled. "That's what you said at your hearing. I don't understand it. How could he leave you alone like that?"
"He didn't care. He just wanted to see his plan come to fruition."
"That's unconscionable. He is going to get an earful when I get back to my office."
Severus didn't say anything, and they sat there in silence for a bit. Minerva cleared her throat.
"Can you forgive me, Severus?"
He nodded briskly. Minerva relaxed some.
"I know our relationship has been greatly harmed, but I hope we can be friends again and someday get back to the closeness we had before all of this unsavoriness."
"I would like that," Severus said, still not making eye contact.
She waited a beat before continuing. "I wanted to discuss your return to Hogwarts. I know it's not what you want, but the Wizengamot has ruled, and no matter how horrid I think it is, we are bound to their ruling."
"I will return, Minerva. I am just concerned that I won't be given the respect that I've had before. I remember when I first started, and even though I was a few years older, it was difficult getting the older students to be respectful."
Minerva leaned forward.
"I understand your concern, but I think that your experience will make this different. You can let the students know that you are the same person, just someone who looks younger."
"Perhaps."
"I would urge you to be more even-handed from now on." She held up her hand to avoid any protest from him. "I know you were playing a part… for years… but you don't need to do that any more."
"I will consider it," he said shortly.
"You have the freedom to do anything you want these next five years, Severus. I assume you will leave once the requirement is fulfilled."
"Damn straight."
She grinned. "Well, I will be sad to see you go at that time. I want you to know that I'm not going to leave this alone. I'm already speaking with the Board of Governors to see if they can sway the Ministry to change their decision."
"I will not hold my breath."
"I am working to find a replacement for my position as well. I am seriously considering Hermione Granger, so you won't be the only young face on the faculty."
"Granger? She's just a child!"
"She's your age, Severus."
"I am thirty-eight."
"Not on paper, you're not. Besides, she's brilliant. You know that."
"She didn't finish her seventh year. How will she teach the older students?" Severus barked.
"She is mulling over taking the position. If she does, I will have her sit her N.E.W.T.s immediately. She won't have any issues passing. Then I will tutor her over the summer to get her ready for teaching and beyond with Transfiguration."
Severus sighed. "I suppose the options were few given the war?"
"Yes, but I would have considered her even if that wasn't the case. She'll be a remarkable asset to the school if she accepts."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Give her a chance, Severus, if she accepts. You may find she's not as objectionable as you think."
He frowned, but nodded, finally looking her in the eyes. "Okay," he said simply.
"Lovely."
Minerva stood. "I will see you two weeks before the semester begins. I assume you'll want your old quarters in the dungeons back?"
He gave her a sharp nod.
"Okay. Everything will be ready for you when you get there."
He stood to see her out. She made it to the door before turning back.
"Severus… I'm glad you survived, even if this is a bit of a change for you. I would have missed you terribly had you died."
He scoffed.
"Seriously. Even if you had killed Dumbledore to get power, I still would have missed our friendship. I'm glad that wasn't the case."
He stared at her incredulously.
"I'm serious, Severus. I mourned our friendship all last year. I just couldn't show you that."
Her eyes softened as she gazed at him. She leaned forward and hugged him, causing Severus' eyes to almost pop out of his head.
"I'll see you in a couple of months," she said as she released him.
He didn't say a word as she turned and exited his home, Apparating away.
Perhaps… Perhaps the next five years would be okay.
Closing the door, he went back up to his room and surrounded himself in darkness once again. Truly it was all he deserved.
Days turned into weeks. Severus stayed mostly in his room wallowing in misery, only emerging when he was too hungry to ignore eating. Despite knowing he was innocent of murder, just the thought that he'd taken the life of his friend and mentor made him feel irredeemable. The fact that he had been exonerated yet still punished hadn't helped his psyche either.
Laying on his bed, he chastised himself for the hundredth time. A pecking at his window startled him. He looked at the blacked-out window, realizing there must be an owl on the other side. Releasing the charm, the window became bright again and opened to let the owl enter.
It flew in and dropped a letter in his lap, turning and flying out immediately.
Severus stared at the letter. He took his wand and hit it with innumerable spells to make sure it wasn't hexed or had anything that would harm him within it. It was clean. Breaking the seal, he opened it and immediately regretted having done so.
It was from Dumbledore.
Severus,
If this letter has found you, then the war is over and you have survived. I am very happy for that. I wanted to thank you for everything you have done. From the time you were just a young man, you have given yourself fully for the cause.
I know that your relationship with Lily Potter drove this in you, but I also know that you understood the evils that Tom was bringing to our world. I believe that even if the Potters hadn't been slaughtered you would have turned sides eventually.
Severus, I want you to know that you are a hero. I would imagine that the world knows that now, and hopefully the Ministry has chosen not to prosecute you in any way. But I know you, and I know how hard you are on yourself.
Therefore, I want you to know this:
Severus Snape–You are not at fault for anything, including my death.
As Severus read those words he felt ancient magic surround him. The old bugger put an undetectable spell in the letter! It washed over him, and he felt an inner peace that he'd never felt within himself before. The letter slipped from his hands as the spell did its work. It was as if all the burdens he'd carried for so many years were finally lifted. He no longer felt pained about his part in Lily's death. He understood that his killing of Dumbledore had been a mercy killing. All the other horrid things he'd done as a Death Eater became bearable as part of his cover and things that were necessary in wartime.
A great relief came over him, and he finally felt free.
He bent over and picked up the letter, continuing to read it.
There. You should feel the effects of the peace spell. I want you to have a fresh start, Severus. I wish I were there to see it, but alas, that could not be. I wish you well. Live life to its fullest, and be happy. It's what you deserve.
~Albus
Tears streamed down Severus' cheeks as he lowered the letter into his lap. His hands came up, and he buried his face within them, letting his grief and relief fill him. The second part of the spell enveloped him, giving him hope for the future and the ability to want to live happily despite what the Wizengamot had dictated for him. He wouldn't let them win. He wouldn't be defeated! He would serve his time and maybe even enjoy teaching.
He sobbed for a while, letting everything process and wash away. The spell helped him to purge all his negative feelings. Looking up finally, he gasped and gasped, trying to contain himself. Slowly, his sobs ceased. He breathed heavily for a while, just sitting still as he examined his internal feelings.
Albus was right. He did deserve to be happy. He had beaten himself up long enough. The war was won, and he'd been a major player in it. He would start anew. He'd put the past behind him.
Rising he went into his bathroom and looked in the mirror.
The man staring back at him was not the old him. It was the man who had just graduated from Hogwarts. His body was young and fit. His life was literally starting over. He could start again and have a decent life. The Dark Lord and Dumbledore were both gone. He answered to no one… except the Ministry, but that was only temporary.
He would take the next two weeks to prepare to return to Hogwarts and be… different. Perhaps he could be the man he'd hoped to be when he'd graduated from Hogwarts. He ran his hands through the beard that had grown in the last few weeks of his inattention to himself. Giving himself a determined look, he prepared himself. He had work to do.