Chapter 5

The Testimony

A week after the surgery, Dr Shepard deemed Severus strong enough to give his testimony to the police officer. The boy wasn't very eager to tell the stranger everything that his father had done to him, but he knew he had to do it if he wanted to see his father in prison.

After breakfast, Severus washed and changed into the green tracksuit the Evanses had bought him. It was the first completely new piece of clothing he had in his life; everything his parents had ever got him was second-hand. He combed his hair and checked his reflection in the mirror. He was more pale than usual after all the blood loss he had suffered, and his broken nose was still covered by the dressing.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Severus said, sitting on his bed.

Lily's parents entered the room, Richard carrying a bag on his shoulder. Laura smiled when she saw Severus in his new clothes.

"You look wonderful in it. Did I manage to guess the correct size?"

"Yes, it's alright," Severus replied. "A bit loose, but I'm sure I'll put on some weight with all the food they're giving me here."

"Severus, we have good news," said Lily's father. "The court accepted our foster application. After you're discharged from the hospital, you can come straight to our home."

Severus beamed widely. He had feared the court would reject the Evanses' application and put him in an orphanage.

"Thank you," he said, tears gathering in his eyes. "Thank you so much."

Laura sat on the bed next to Severus.

"For now, you're put under our care for six months. But don't worry, it's the standard period of time, the court can't give more at first. If everything is alright after six months, the court will prolong the care. You're going to live with us until you're eighteen – longer if you want to."

Severus embraced Lily's mother. She hugged him, careful not to irritate his surgery wound, and gently stroked his hair.

"Thank you, Mrs Evans," Severus said, fighting back tears.

"Oh, I think we should get rid of these formalities, don't you think, Richard?" said Laura, looking at her husband.

"Sure, if we're going to be a family, you can't call us Mr and Mrs Evans, Severus. I think Laura and Richard will do fine. Or aunt and uncle, if you prefer."

Severus nodded. He still could hardly believe that he had a new family. He missed his mother terribly but knew she would be happy that he was getting help, love and care from Lily's parents.

"Now, we have to move to less pleasant things," said Richard, his brows furrowing. "The police officer is waiting outside. We spoke to her briefly. She seems kind and considerate. Tell her everything, Severus. Don't be scared or ashamed. It's important that you testify everything your father did to you. The more the police know, the better chances to put him in prison."

"I will- I'll tell her everything," Severus said. Now that the testifying was imminent, he was terrified. His heart was beating madly in his chest and his hands were trembling. He clasped them together in his lap, taking deep breaths to calm a bit. He tried to Occlude his mind, to control his emotions, but he wasn't very good at Occlumency during stressful situations.

"Since you're a minor, a parent or a guardian should be present during your testimony," said Laura softly. "One of us has to stay. Who do you prefer?"

"You can both stay," said Severus. He felt they deserved to know what had happened to him. They were taking him under their roof so they should know what a twisted and dark past Severus had.

Laura gave Severus a last encouraging hug and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Richard left the room and returned a few seconds later with the policewoman. She was young, nice-looking, dressed in civil clothes, with only a police badge on her chest indicating she was an officer. She smiled gently when she saw Severus

"Good morning, Severus. My name is Linda Alden. I'm a police officer and I specialize in working with children and teenagers. Thank you for agreeing to talk with me today."

Severus stood up to greet her but didn't say anything, his throat tight with fear.

Ms Alden sat down in the chair next to the bed and put out some papers and a dictaphone which she put down on the bedside table. Severus stood awkwardly for a moment before sitting cross-legged on the bed. Richard brought two chairs from the corridor and sat down with Laura in the corner of the room, behind Ms Alden.

"Alright, now that we're all comfortable, I think we can begin," said the policewoman. "Severus, I want you to answer my questions as truthfully and precisely as possible. If you don't understand a question, don't hesitate to tell me. If you want a break, just say so. If you don't want to answer some questions, you don't have to. I'm going to record your testimony. Is that alright?"

The boy nodded. Ms Alden turned on the dictaphone and took out a notebook.

"Okay, first some formalities. Your full name?"

"Severus Snape," the boy said quietly.

"Date and place of birth?"

"9th of January 1960, Cokeworth."

"Address?"

"7 Spinner's End, Cokeworth."

"Your relation to Tobias Snape?"

"He- he's my father."

"Tell me what happened on the 5th of August," said Ms Alden.

Severus stared at her, looking as if he didn't understand the question.

"5th of August, the day you were found in your house by Lily and Richard Evans. Tell me what happened on that day," Ms Alden encouraged him with a soft smile.

Severus took a deep breath. "I woke up at eight. Maybe later, I don't remember exactly. I ate something and cleaned the kitchen. Then I went to my room and read a book. My father- he was sleeping. He returned late from work, he had night shifts that week. He woke up at noon. He didn't bother me, I was still reading in my room while he was downstairs. Some time later a bell rang. He answered the door and I went out to the stairs to see who came by. It was a lady from social services. She said that they had gotten a notification that we might need help. She asked about me. My father shouted at her and slammed the door shut. Then he saw me and he was furious; he told me to come down to the kitchen-"

Severus paused, his throat suddenly very dry. He felt a bit nauseous.

"It's okay, Severus," said Ms Alden kindly. "Take your time. Do you want some water?"

Severus refused with a shake of his head. His hands were shaking so badly that he wouldn't be able to hold a glass.

Looking anywhere but at the three people in the room, he continued in a quiet voice: "When I went downstairs, he grabbed my hair and threw me into the kitchen. Then he slammed me onto the table and took off my trousers and pants. I tried to escape but he was too strong. He grabbed my neck and then he-" Severus's voice quivered with suppressed tears. "He raped me. After he did that, when I was lying on the floor, he kicked me in the face and broke my nose. Then he said he was going to come back with some friends and make use of me. Before he left, he kicked me here." Severus indicated to his left side. "I tried to get up, I knew I had to escape before he returned, but I felt very weak and dizzy. I don't remember anything else; I must have fainted. I woke up briefly in the hospital before the surgery. After the surgery, Dr Shephard told me that they had had to remove my spleen because of massive bleeding. Then Lily visited me and then I fell asleep and woke up the next day."

"Thank you, Severus. That was a very detailed description of that day," said Ms Alden. "I have to ask you some more questions, though. Are you ready to continue or do you need a break?"

"We may continue."

"Great. You said that your father had raped you. Could you describe precisely what that rape looked like?"

"What?" Severus looked at her, bewildered. "You want me to describe it? Why? You know what rape is. Everyone knows."

"Yes, I know. And I know that describing it is very hard and uncomfortable. But in law, we need to be very precise. While rape may take many forms, the legal definition of rape is very specific. I need to know if what happened to you meets this definition."

Severus nodded in understanding. But understanding didn't make it any easier. He was so nervous, he felt like throwing up. He swallowed hard and breathed through his nose a few times, fighting his nausea.

"So... it looked like- you know- he- he put-" Severus hung his head in embarrassment. "I can't- I can't say it."

Ms Alden looked at him with compassion. "Okay, let's do this: I'll describe it to you and you'll answer 'yes' or 'no'."

Severus nodded, relieved.

"Did your father penetrate your anus with his penis?"

Severus blushed deeply but answered: "Yes. And it hurt- and I was bleeding afterwards-" He didn't know why he added that information. He looked at Ms Alden. "Does it fit the definition of rape?"

"Yes, it does," answered Ms Alden. "The 5th of August, was that the only time your father raped you?"

"No, he's done it multiple times before."

"How many times did he rape you, including the 5th of August?"

"Six times."

"When was the first time he raped you?"

"15th of July."

"This year?"

"Yes," answered Severus.

"Did each time look like the one on the 5th of August?"

"Yes, and-" Severus hesitated. "The first two times, he also put his fingers in me."

"He penetrated your anus with his fingers?" Ms Alden clarified and Severus nodded. "Did he also use any objects to penetrate you?"

Severus paled. Objects? Like what? The idea of his father putting something in him horrified and disgusted Severus even more than he already was. He thought that what his father had done to him was already sick enough, but it appeared there were worse things yet.

"Severus?" prodded Ms Alden.

"No, he didn't," Severus said in a weak voice.

"Did he rape you orally?"

Severus looked at her, confused. "I don't know what that means."

"I'm sorry. Did he put his penis in your mouth?"

Severus turned red with shame. "Three times. And he made me swallow his- you know. He finished in my mouth."

Ms Alden wrote something in her notebook. The silence was interrupted by Lily's mother's soft cries. Severus almost forgot Mrs and Mr Evans were still in the room. For a brief moment he had a dreadful thought that after hearing what he had been forced to do, Lily's parents would be disgusted by him and would decide that they didn't want him in their care after all. Then he quickly banished the thought; Lily's parents were kind and good people, they already knew that he had been raped and abused; they would not abandon him because of it.

"Severus," continued Ms Alden. "Did your father ever force you to masturbate?"

"No."

"Did he ever masturbate in front of you? Forced you to watch?"

"He didn't."

"And did he ever show you pornography? Especially child pornography? Photos, films?"

Once again, Severus denied it.

"Did he sexually abuse you in any other way that I haven't asked you about already?"

Severus thought for a while. "No, I don't think so. The rapes- they were usually quick and brutal. The beatings weren't enough for him and he discovered a new way to hurt me. And it did hurt a lot. I was bleeding for a few days after each time." He had already said that. Why did he feel such a strong need to share that bit of information? Maybe he wanted Ms Alden to better understand his father's violent actions.

She nodded and said: "I'm sorry to ask this question but did you consent to any sexual act with your father?"

"What?! No!" Severus exclaimed indignantly. "I never wanted any of this. He forced me and threatened me. I tried to fight him but he was much stronger. He said he'd lock me in the house forever, that I'd never return to school if I said anything to anyone. When I fought too hard, he threatened to break my legs or- or even kill me."

"Was your father the only person who raped you?"

"Yes, it was only him. But after the last time, before he left the house, he said he was going to bring some friends with him. I think he wanted to offer me to other men and maybe even get money from them for the opportunity to rape me."

Ms Alden couldn't say this to Severus but he was right. Two friends of Tobias Snape had recently testified that he had proposed to them to rape his son in exchange for some money.

"You mentioned that your father beat you. Could you tell me when it started and what exactly he did?"

Severus relaxed a bit. It seemed questions about rape were over and now she wanted to talk about physical violence. Though still unpleasant, it was easier to talk about beatings than rapes.

"When did he start?" Severus asked with a sneer. "He's been beating me for as long as I can remember. When I was little, he restrained himself and just spanked me with his hand or occasionally slapped my cheek. When I was seven or eight, he became more vicious. He beat me with a belt or a cable. Sometimes just with his fists all over my body. He broke my nose twice and sprained my wrist. My mum took me to a hospital then. He beat her too."

"How often does he beat you?"

"Very often," Severus answered, with a scowl on his face. "He drinks a lot; he becomes angry and frustrated very quickly. When I was in primary school, he always beat me when I got a bad grade or when I misbehaved. Often, he gets angry because of trivial things, like a dinner not to his liking, news on the radio, or bad weather. He's constantly frustrated by his work. He takes out that anger and frustration on me. Sometimes, he just beats me for no reason, just because he can."

"You attend a boarding school, is that correct?"

"Yes, since I was eleven. My father didn't want me to go but Mum finally persuaded him. I'm at school for most of the year; I return only for summer break. During these two months, he beats me a lot, as if he wants to make up for lost time."

Ms Alden looked down at her notes. "According to nurse's measures, you're underweight. Does your father starve you?"

"He sometimes locks me in my room for a day without any food. But that's not the reason I'm underweight. We are poor; my father doesn't earn much, and my mum only worked odd jobs and had to give all her money to my father. He spends most of it on alcohol. Before I went to Hog- to the boarding school, I was often hungry because there was very little food at home. So, he doesn't starve me intentionally; he just doesn't care to provide enough food. While Mum was alive it wasn't so bad, there usually was something to eat, even if it wasn't enough. But without her, this summer was a disaster. My father drinks much more than he used to, he brings home very little food and doesn't give me any money to buy it myself. I don't know what he eats; maybe he eats at work or at his friends'. I survived thanks to Lily and her parents. Once or twice, I went to a homeless shelter where they give free meals," Severus finished, feeling embarrassed and looking at his hands.

"You said your father locked you in your room. How often does he do it? For how long?" asked Ms Alden.

"Not very often- maybe twice during summer break. Usually he locks me in for a day. Once, when I returned home after the first year at the school, he locked me for four days. My mum gave me food then."

"You mentioned your father beat your mother as well. Did you witness the violence against her?"

Severus almost scoffed. "Of course. He beat her more often than he beat me. I witnessed it many times. Sometimes I tried to protect her but all it got me was more beating for both of us."

Ms Alden closed her notebook. "Thank you, Severus. I think I don't have any more questions. You did very well. If we need more information, we'll contact you and you'll give further testimony at the police station."

Severus fidgeted with the hem of his jumper. "May I add something more? Though it doesn't pertain to what my father did to me. It concerns my mother."

"Of course." Ms Alden smiled encouragingly. "What is it?"

Severus took a deep breath and said, "I think my father killed my mum."

A stunned silence followed his words. Mr and Mrs Evans looked at Severus in complete shock; even Ms Alden couldn't hide her surprise, despite working as a police officer for years and hearing many awful things. She wasn't prepared to hear that during today's conversation with the boy.

She opened her notebook again. "That's a very serious accusation, Severus. Why do you think your father killed your mother?"

Severus blinked a few times to dispel tears gathering in his eyes. "He said so himself. Two days before he raped me for the last time, that is the 3rd of August, he was drunk and he started shouting at me. He yelled that I was no one, that I was a wh- a whore like my mother, and that one day he would kill me as he had killed her."

"What were his exact words? Do you remember?"

"Yes, I remember precisely. He said: 'I will kill you one day, boy, as I killed your fucking mother.' I was too shocked to say anything and he seemed to realise what he'd said because he grabbed me and locked me in my room until the next day. I was too scared to mention it later. I was considering going to the police station to report him but then the social worker came and... you know the rest."

"Was it the only time he mentioned that he'd killed your mother? Did he say anything suspicious earlier or make any hidden remarks?"

Severus furrowed his brows. "I thought about that but he didn't say anything suspicious or behaved strangely. He didn't cry at her funeral but he never loved her so that wasn't surprising."

"If I remember correctly, the official cause of your mother's death was hanging."

Severus dabbed at the unwanted tears in his eyes. "Yes, the coroner apparently concluded that she had hanged herself when my father had been at work."

"Do you know if there was an autopsy?"

Severus sniffled. "I think not. I was at the school when it happened. I came two days later for the funeral. I never saw her body. She was already in a coffin."

Ms Alden closed her notebook once again. "As I said, this is a very serious accusation, Severus. We will of course investigate further; we'll talk to your father, the coroner, and try to find other witnesses or evidence. But I must warn you that, if we don't find any other proof that your father killed your mother, your testimony won't be enough to even accuse your father of murder. He will deny everything and it'll be your word against his."

"So he won't answer for what he did to my mum?" Severus asked, disappointed. "I'm sure he killed her. Her suicide never made sense to me. She was miserable but she loved me; she wouldn't have left me alone."

"I know and I'm sorry but since you didn't see your father actually kill your mother, we can't do much. He just said he'd done that, said that while drunk and angry. He'll probably deny ever saying that or will say he only wanted to threaten you. We need more proof, we'll investigate. Don't worry, Severus, we're not going to disregard your suspicions."

Severus nodded. He was sniffling, trying very hard not to cry in front of Ms Alden. She turned off the dictaphone and gathered her things.

"Thank you, Severus. You are very brave. If we have any more questions, we'll contact you. Now rest and get well soon."

She turned to the Evanses and gave them a short nod. Then she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

As soon as Ms Alden left, Severus broke down into a fit of crying. He hugged his knees and buried his face in them, ignoring the pain from his still-mending nose. Violent sobs were shaking his thin frame. He was weeping for the loss of his mother, the pain and humiliation his father had caused him, the injustice of it all.

Lily's parents immediately rushed to Severus. Laura sat down next to the boy and embraced him lightly, not sure if he wanted to be touched at the moment. But Severus hugged her tightly and buried his face in her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. She gently stroked his hair while Richard rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"Shh, Severus, it's over," Laura whispered in his ear. "He won't hurt you anymore. We won't let him. You're safe now."

"You were exceptionally brave," said Richard. "We're very proud of you."

Severus could barely hear them over his crying. He tried to control his breath, to stop his hysterical sobbing, but each time he almost managed, another memory of his mum, another flashback of his father came back to him, and he started weeping even harder than before.

Laura was getting worried. She was afraid Severus was going to irritate the wounds on his nose and abdomen and was contemplating going to the doctor and asking him for something to calm Severus. Before she made a decision, Severus started to calm down on his own. His sobs subsided, his breathing regulated, and though silent tears were still streaming down his face, he released Lily's mother from his fierce embrace and wiped his face with his sleeve, slightly embarrassed.

"Here," said Richard, giving Severus a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry," Severus whispered.

"Don't be," said Laura hastily. "You needed to cry it all out. After everything that happened to you and your mum- and now having to speak about it- it's perfectly normal to cry."

"As I said before, we're here for you," said Richard. "You're our son now and whenever you need to talk or cry or just sit in silence together, we're ready."

Severus nodded.

"Your new room is almost ready," said Laura with a smile, trying to cheer Severus up. "We moved your things from your room on Spinner's End. When you're released from the hospital, we can go back there and take anything else you want."

"There's not much there worth taking. Though there are some things from my mum I'd like to have."

"Certainly. After that, we'll go shopping and buy you new clothes, school supplies, and anything else you want."

"I don't need much, just some books for school."

"Nonsense," said Richard. "We looked through your wardrobe and everything you have is either too small or old. You need new clothes, new shoes, new robes for school."

Severus looked down at his hands in shame and anger.

"Hey, it's not your fault that your parents were poor and couldn't afford new things," said Richard. "But now we can and we want you to accept it. So no more saying that you don't need anything. If you need something, or even just want something nice, you tell us. Do we have a deal?"

"Okay, I'll try," Severus said, smiling timidly.

Richard ruffled his hair and went to pick up the bag he had brought with him. He took out a large, flat, rectangular package wrapped in colourful paper. He gave it to Severus, smiling broadly.

"For me?" Severus asked in astonishment. "But it isn't my birthday."

"We thought that after today's testimony, you deserve something nice to improve your mood," said Laura.

"But I don't-" the boy started, pushing the gift back into Mr Evans' hand.

"Severus," said Richard admonishingly.

"Sorry," Severus reflected. "It's out of habit. Thank you."

The package was light and he had a very good feeling of what it might have been. He carefully unwrapped the paper and beamed when he saw the newest Elvis Presley album titled "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee".

"Thank you so much." He gave both Laura and Richard a hug.

"You don't have that one, right?" asked Laura.

"No, I don't. It came out in May; I haven't managed yet to save up enough money to buy it."

Severus was a huge Elvis Presley fan since he had seen Elvis's Comeback Special on New Year's Eve in 1969 at Lily's house. Since then, he had managed to buy a few albums and singles with his long-collected savings and had gotten a few from Lily and her family for birthday or Christmas presents. Still, his favourite artist had so many albums that it would take him a long time to collect them all. Fortunately, he had a record player his parents had gotten as a wedding gift. Since neither of his parents listened to music, he had been able to move the record player to his room and could listen to his favourite songs when his father was at work.

"I can't wait to listen to it," said Severus while reading the track list on the backside.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't bring a record player to the hospital," said Laura. "But once you're home, you can listen to it as much as you like. Meanwhile, here are some books and magazines." She pulled them out from the bag. Severus noticed a few more Batman comic books.

"Thank you. Is Lily going to visit me today?"

"Yes, she'll come, but later than usual. She and Petunia are visiting their grandparents today."

Severus nodded. He needed Lily these days more than ever.

"Let's have some sweets." Richard took out a package full of chocolates, candies and biscuits and offered it to Severus. "So, tell me more about Elvis. What's your favourite song?"

"There are many. I like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" very much. It's so uplifting and beautiful."

"It's a pity he hasn't performed in the UK yet," said Laura.

"Yes, he said he would many times but it seems unlikely. I hope once I'm out of school and start to earn my own money, I'll be able to visit the States and see Elvis's concert. I wonder if it's possible to Apparate across the ocean. Then I'll have to buy just concert tickets."

"I hope you fulfil your dream someday," said Laura.

They talked about Elvis and other things Severus liked for a long time. It was nice to have someone other than Lily who wanted to listen to what he had to say. For the first time since he started attending Hogwarts, he didn't want the summer to end. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with his new family and was disappointed that there were less than three weeks of holidays left. Then he thought about the upcoming Christmas, which he was going to spend in his new home, and was filled with gratitude as well as incredulity. It was hard to comprehend that the hell he had been living in finally had ended and he had so many wonderful things to look forward to.

AN: I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for a new chapter. I never thought I'd return to this story. Good news is that the next chapter is already half-written and certainly won't take another three years to be published. And I have a few ideas for the rest of the story.

I couldn't resist to make Severus an Elvis fan. It was a short story about Severus's childhood I read a few years ago that introduced me to the beautiful song "In the Ghetto". I instantly fell in love with that song and listened to it over the years but I didn't become an Elvis fan until I watched Baz Luhrmann's film last year. Now I listen to Elvis's music every day and I had to include him in my story.

The story is set in the summer of 1976 and as we know Elvis dies in August 1977. Will Severus fulfil his dream and see Elvis's concert or will he suffer another loss?