Capítulo 26: 26 - The Trial of Severus Snape
In the two weeks that followed, life settled into some semblance of normalcy for Fleur and Harry. Having been verbally eviscerated by Sebastian, Dumbledore didn't dare approach them, which was quite a relief for both. Fawkes remained in their company, and even attended school with one or the other, depending on the day.
The latter drew a large amount of attention and speculation, but they ignored it.
Harry continued to stay in the Beauxbatons carriage, and that gave them the opportunity to further explore their relationship with each other. It was slow going – Harry was exceptionally shy in spite of the front he maintained most of the time – and Fleur privately felt that she would not know a fraction of what she did about him if not for her father's investigation. Her knowledge of his past had given her a lever to use in prying into his inner self.
Fleur enjoyed that time, and was looking forward to the summer more and more. Chateau Delacour was positioned outside an idyllic little town, and she relished the idea of spending time with Harry in that quaint little world. It was a peaceful place, and if there was one thing that Harry needed, it was peace and quiet.
His life was a madhouse!
And that was demonstrated clearly by their current situation. April second had rolled around, and it was time for the trial of Severus Snape. To their chagrin, they found that their arrival at the Ministry building was anticipated, and the next thirty minutes were spent dodging reporters and trying to get to where they needed to be. She still wasn't sure how they managed to avoid answering questions.
Harry made his way to the witness waiting room, and Fleur had taken a seat in the spectator gallery. The courtroom itself was like something out of a medieval story: an enormous stone room, lit with guttering torches; a long, imposing raised section where the judges sat; a huge throne-like stone chair with chains embedded to restrain the accused; and, incongruously, a wood-paneled witness box that looked like something from a Muggle television show.
Some old crone was presiding over the trial, as Madam Bones had recused herself to prosecute. And to her shock when he entered the courtroom, Dumbledore himself was defending. She had to wonder if the man had lost his mind: tying himself to Snape's fate would only gain him derision and loathing when the man was convicted.
And convicted he would be, if the witnesses so far were any indication.
They were using an enormous Pensieve to project the memories to the court and spectators, and so far the evidence was damning. Even Fleur, who knew the story, was absolutely outraged. To see children treated in such a way was appalling.
Memory after memory of insults, abuse, and injury were shown. The man treated children like they were dirt on his shoes, and regularly frightened them into failing their lessons. How could one learn like that? And worse, when a child was injured, often he would ignore them or just berate them further unless they were wearing green and silver.
How the man had been allowed to continue teaching was anyone's guess.
And Dumbledore? Dumbledore watched impassively. It was as though he was impervious to the man's crimes, and he did his best to tease out causation from the victims, as though they had somehow antagonized the man. As though anything they might have done could have justified it.
Madam Bones, livid as she was, kept a cool head and presented her case methodically, repeatedly objecting to Dumbledore's questioning of the students as though they were on trial themselves. They could not stop the answers from coming because of the Veritaserum, but fortunately, he had yet to find anything substantive. Still he tried to pin the blame on the students rather than the teacher, and it was hard to listen to.
The rest of the spectators – and even the members of the Wizengamot panel – were visibly angered by what they saw. Most of those sitting in judgement were ancient and had never had Snape as a teacher, and their shock and anger were written clearly on their faces. Several reporters were scribbling furiously, and Fleur suspected that this would be highly damaging to Dumbledore and Hogwarts in the days to come.
And then, finally–
"The prosecution calls Harry James Potter to the stand," called Bones in a ringing voice.
The courtroom instantly fell into a hush.
Fleur was apprehensive about this. They had not known that Dumbledore would be questioning him while he was under Veritaserum, and that was a problem. Worse, she saw the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye, and it meant that he was up to no good. She could not object, could not warn Harry, and had no idea what to do.
Her father stiffened beside her, but then he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It'll be okay, Fleur," he whispered in French. "The worst that can happen is we have to move our timetable forward. We have enough evidence now to keep him from wiggling out of it."
"Are you sure of that, Papa?" she asked worriedly.
"Nothing is ever certain, chérie, but I don't think it will be a problem."
Fleur nodded her understanding and clung to the statement. As far as she was concerned, both of the men on the defense side should be in prison. But as much as she did not like the situation, what could she really do? She was not a part of the proceedings.
The murmurs that started when Harry's name was announced reached deafening levels, and as he walked in, she could tell that he, too, saw the problem. His eyes darkened when he spotted his Headmaster, and his brow furrowed. He exchanged a look of concern with Amelia – she apparently had not known either – but otherwise remained impassive as he approached the witness box.
The presiding judge finally shot sparks from her wand to quiet the courtroom.
"Silence!" she shouted. "Mr. Potter, thank you for coming. Prosecution, please proceed."
"Thank you, Madam Rosen," said Amelia into the sudden silence. "Mr. Potter, we will now display the memories that you have provided us. Please watch closely, and you will be questioned on the content when we are finished."
Harry nodded his understanding, and Amelia played the first memory: Harry's first ever Potions lesson. Even seeing it a second time, Fleur was angered by it – and the sounds of outrage from the spectators and even some of the judges told her that she was not alone. Watching any eleven year old being mercilessly bullied by an adult was hard to take, and this one was a hero in every sense of the word.
As the memories continued, the outrage only grew. Fleur had to wonder why they thought it was so much worse when Harry was involved, but it was as though his presence, and his victimization by Snape, had galvanized them in a way that none of the other witnesses or their recollections could. Harry himself continued to sit impassively though, outwardly unaffected.
When the last one was played, Madam Bones nodded up at the judge, who turned to Harry and spoke. "Mr. Potter, counsel would like to question you regarding the memories you provided. Will you consent to the use of Veritaserum?"
And that was when Dumbledore put his two cents in. "Objection, Madam Rosen," he called in a ringing voice. "Mr. Potter's legal guardians are not present, and have not given their consent to the use of Veritaserum. In fact, I do not believe they agreed to his testimony in this trial!"
A murmur arose in the courtroom, but Amelia rose unconcernedly to her feet. "If I may approach, Madam Rosen, I have written permission from Mr. Potter's guardians, and will take an oath as to its authenticity, as I was the one to obtain it."
Dumbledore was visibly shocked by this, and Fleur heard her father snicker, "Take that, you old goat!"
"You may approach, Madam Bones."
It didn't take long for the document to be verified, and Madam Bones gave her oath that it was valid and – at Dumbledore's insistence – that she had not coerced Harrys' guardians in any way. Dumbledore looked even more shocked at this, and now Fleur couldn't help but chuckle herself. The old man still didn't know about the change!
Finally the judge turned back to Harry. "Now that that is out of the way," she said with an irritated glance at Dumbledore, "Mr. Potter, will you consent to the use of Veritaserum?"
Harry frowned, and his green eyes darted to Dumbledore, then to Snape, and then back to the judge. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his hesitation was palpable. The judge looked to be getting impatient, but before she could speak again–
"Conditionally, Madam Rosen," he offered finally.
Another murmur rose in the courtroom, but it was short lived. "And what is your condition, Mr. Potter?" asked the surprised and interested judge.
"With all due respect, ma'am," said Harry deferentially, "I don't trust certain people not to take advantage, including the defense counsel. I would ask that questions be relayed to me through either my wife or my father-in-law, who I know I can trust to protect my interests. I would also like to be blindfolded because I don't want to be attacked with Legilimency while I'm not aware of my surroundings."
The judge was shocked by his request, and Fleur smiled widely at her husband's sheer genius. Even her father was smiling broadly, and a low murmur rolled through the crowd at the implications. Harry Potter did not trust Albus Dumbledore!
Finally the woman recovered. "Are you certain this is necessary, Mr. Potter?" she frowned. "Surely you cannot be so concerned."
Harry shook his head. "I'd prefer not to get into specifics, ma'am, but I have very good reason."
Another murmur, and the judge studied Harry carefully. Fleur waited with baited breath: it was a reasonable request, but also highly unusual. She had no idea how they would arrange it, but it occurred to her that they should do this for all Veritaserum-influenced witnesses...
Finally, the woman nodded. "Very well, Mr. Potter, I will allow it," she decided. And then she turned to scan the spectator section, her gaze finally landing on Fleur. "Madame Potter, are you willing to serve as the designated questioner?"
Smiling slightly at the proper form of address, Fleur rose smoothly to her feet, drawing the gazes of everyone in the room. There were several clunks as men fell over – she had to hide a grimace – and the sudden rise of whispers as the women started to gossip. The reporters held their pads ready, and watched her hungrily.
"I would be 'onored, Madam Rosen," she said clearly, "but I think my fazzer would be a bettair choice. 'is Eenglish is much better zan mine."
Harry smiled a soft smile at her, and she couldn't help but return it. Then the judge shifted her gaze. "Director Delacour, what say you?" she prompted.
"I am honored to serve," he nodded. "Let it be known to the court that I also possess bar certification in Britain, and may I request that I be allowed to raise objections to any questions that are improper or not of relevance to the case, so that I may properly protect my son-in-law?"
"Your terms are acceptable, Director," she nodded. "Please approach the floor. Madame Potter, thank you for your honesty."
Fleur nodded and sat down, and her father gave her shoulder a squeeze as he moved off to the floor. A glance at Dumbledore showed his opinion of the subject: he was steamed! She had a sneaking suspicion that he had, in fact, planned on using Harry's vulnerable state to gain access to his mind.
It was a relieved Harry that spoke briefly with Sebastian before the proceedings paused to make arrangements. The small smile on his face told Fleur that he was enjoying himself, ruining Dumbledore's day like that, and she could not disagree. Actually, she found it quite surprising that the man didn't object, but suspected that he knew he wouldn't win.
He was already in the hole, so to speak, for his objection over the supposed lack of permission.
Finally the judge called everyone back to order, and Harry was blindfolded and the potion administered. Then a paper was passed to her father, and he asked his first question; they had erected a special privacy shield so Harry could only hear someone within, and that someone was Sebastian. Everyone else could hear everything said on both sides of the barrier.
"Mr. Potter, are all the memories you observed 'ere today true and correct?" asked Sebastian.
"I don't know," replied Harry.
Fleur frowned and noted that Dumbledore looked satisfied about something, but Amelia whispered in Sebastian's ear, and he nodded. "Please explain, Mr. Potter," he said simply.
"Memory number twenty-four is not mine. The rest are true and correct."
Dumbledore's scowl was pronounced, and Fleur guessed that he had somehow tampered with the evidence to invalidate Harry's testimony. He must have known that he would be the most damning witness of the lot, and endeavored to mitigate it. Illegally, at that!
Sebastian then went on to ask several questions about each memory, validating the major points of what occurred, and closing as many doors for the defense as possible. Finally, though, it came to Dumbledore's turn to ask questions – and when Sebastian saw what was written on the paper he was handed, he rolled his eyes.
"Mr. Potter, do you 'ate Severus Snape?"
"I dislike him."
"'ave you ever stolen from Mr. Snape's Potions stores at 'ogwarts?"
"No."
And so it went. Ironically, where each of Dumbledore's questions were designed to put Harry in a bad light, none of them worked. They only made Snape look more and more petty. And the man himself, who was seated scowling in his chair, looked angrier and angrier. Fleur made a mental note to keep an eye on him; it was unlikely that anything would happen, but they could not take the chance.
"Did you curse Draco Malfoy outside the Potions classroom in an incident that resulted in injury to both Mr. Malfoy and Miss 'ermione Granger?"
"No."
"HE'S LYING!" roared Snape, suddenly jumping to his feet. "THE SERUM IS DEFECTIVE! THE LITTLE BASTARD IS–"
"SILENCE!" roared the judge. "The serum was certified by a proper Potions Master, Mr. Snape! Now be seated before I have you restrained!"
Snape growled as he dumped himself back into his chair, and Fleur smirked in enjoyment. She had heard the story of that incident even before she met Harry, and it was only their method of questioning that was the problem. Harry had tried to curse Malfoy, but he hadn't actually done it, cursing one of the boy's friends instead.
The questions continued for a while longer, still doing nothing but damaging Snape's case. Dumbledore seemed increasingly frustrated, too, but — perhaps fortunately — was never foolish enough to ask an out of bounds question. It looked like Harry's precaution had paid off handsomely.
"I have no further questions, Madam Rosen," Dumbledore finally said.
"Very well," she nodded. "Administer the antidote."
A few moments later, and Sebastian removed the blindfold. Harry's green eyes immediately sought out Fleur, and she smiled at him, warmed by the fact that she was so high on his list of priorities. It was scary to think they'd been together for only a month, and married for a mere two weeks. It felt like forever!
The judge apparently noticed the target of his smile, because she smirked. "Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Potter," she offered. "You may join your wife in the spectator section if you wish."
Harry flashed her a smile and thanked her, and then extracted himself from the witness booth and returned with Sebastian. The latter moved off to an open seat some distance away, leaving his former spot for Harry, who arrived and gave Fleur a gentle hug and a kiss, which was – annoyingly – photographed several times. Somehow they managed to ignore that little fact.
"I am so relieved, 'Arry," she whispered to him. "I did not know zat Dumbledore would be questioning, but your solution was perfect!"
Harry smiled tightly back at her, his own relief reflected in his eyes. "Dumbledore screwed up," he admitted sheepishly. "I didn't know what to do, but I thought of it while they were arguing about my permission to testify."
Fleur grinned at him. "'E is losing 'is touch," she smirked.
She leaned into him then, her honest relief driving a desire for comfort. Harry's arm came around her and he laid his head on her shoulder, while she leaned hers on top of his. Another flash went off, and they both rolled their eyes in eerie synchronization. Before either could make a snarky comment, however, Madam Bones stood to give her closing statement.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot," she said strongly, "the evidence speaks for itself, and my statement is merely a formality. You have all witnessed the disgusting atrocities committed by the defendant. As a supposedly former Death Eater, he has never been a pleasant man, but that is no excuse for abusing our children. He has caused irreparable harm not only to them, but to our society as a whole.
"Auror enrollment is down over eighty percent in the years since he started teaching. I only discovered the correlation recently. The Potions scores of students coming out of Hogwarts have been abysmal for the duration, and NEWT Potions is required for entrance to the Auror Academy. And Severus Snape is the one and only cause.
"He does not teach Potions, ladies and gentlemen. His class is an exercise in intimidation and humiliation, and serves no other purpose but to break our childrens' spirits. I myself have a niece at Hogwarts, and I stand before you today, ashamed of myself for not discovering this sooner. It is the actions of a few brave students that brought this to my attention.
"Will you support them, or will you deny them the justice they so richly deserve? Will you support the hundreds of past and present students that bravely came forward, or will you deny them justice? How will we reward their bravery? Will they have faith in their government to do the right thing when this trial is over?
"That is the decision you must make today. Make no mistake, if Severus Snape is allowed to walk free, we will have failed, and the world will know. We will be a laughing stock, and our citizens will no longer be able to trust us to protect them. That is how solid this case is. I beg of you to find Severus Snape guilty, and to sentence him to the extent of your ability.
"Thank you."
Madam Bones sat down, and there was a ringing silence in the courtroom in the wake of her speech. The reporters were scribbling even more furiously now; she had just given them an angle to cover regarding the effectiveness of Wizarding government. There was almost no way that the Wizengamot could find him innocent in the wake of it.
"Damn, she's good," breathed Harry appreciatively.
"Oui," smiled Fleur. "It is good to 'ave 'er on our side, non?"
"Very," he nodded.
Finally, Madam Rosen looked to Dumbledore. "Chief Warlock," she intoned. "Your statement please."
Dumbledore looked old and tired as he rose to his feet, clearly anticipating the defeat of his case, and next to him, Snape seethed in anger. The man had done nothing to help his cause; he didn't even look like he felt guilty. Not once during the trial had he shown any form of remorse. And neither had Dumbledore, for that matter.
In truth, she thought it bad for Dumbledore that he was defending, considering his position as Headmaster. If someone decided to raise a stink about it, and found that Dumbledore had known the truth all along as he so likely did, his position was as good as gone. Fleur couldn't help but think that it would be a truly wonderful thing.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he intoned solemnly, "honored members of the Wizengamot, thank you for your time. This trial has been long and difficult, and there was indeed a great deal of seemingly damning evidence presented. But in spite of such an eloquent plea from Madam Bones, I must ask you instead to look at the facts.
"Never before in the history of this body have Pensieve memories been allowed as evidence. We are each biased by our views, and I believe that the memories reflect that fact. These students, brave though they are, were young when these memories were created. Young minds often lash out at authority, and that creates a bias in their remembrances.
"Your job is not to satisfy the public, ladies and gentlemen. As much as we all wish to do so, it is not there that our duty lies. Rather, our duty lies with the truth. Our duty lies with justice. Our duty lies, with ensuring that an innocent man is not unjustly punished."
A series of disgusted groans ran through the audience, and Fleur had to agree. Who was he kidding? Was he really so blind as to think that was going to work? Even were the memories biased in emotional terms, the facts could not be disputed.
"Severus Snape has served Hogwarts admirably for over a decade," he continued. "Prior to that, yes, he was at one time a Death Eater. He made a terrible mistake in his youth, but he was not without remorse. He realized his mistake with the horrors that Voldemort–" a gasp went up at the name "–asked him to commit. And instead of running, instead of doing what was asked of him by a madman, he came to me and turned spy.
"That is a difficult task, and one that is fraught with danger. He provided us with critical information that helped stem the tide of war, and it speaks highly of his character. And now we allow biased children to sully his name through a device that does not represent reality?
"I must submit, as I did earlier this day, that the Pensieve has never been allowed as a method of presenting evidence. There is a reason for this, and we must not ignore that. Is Severus strict with his students? Yes. He teaches a dangerous class. In that class, mistakes can cost lives if proper motivation is not provided.
"But is he abusive? No, I do not believe that he is. Severus has endeavored to instill discipline in his students to ensure that they do not harm themselves. Are we to punish him for that?
"I think the answer is clear, ladies and gentlemen. You must find Severus Snape innocent, because we cannot punish a man for doing the job that is asked and required of him. Thank you."
As Dumbledore spoke, a smug expression appeared on Snape's face, as though he had somehow been vindicated by Dumbledore's words. And in some ways, it had been true until now: Dumbledore kept him out of jail after his Death Eater days, and used all his political power to do it. And now he was banking on Dumbledore's reputation to save him again.
But Fleur did not think it would be enough. Regardless of what was said, the simple fact remained that far too many had come forward against the man. Not all of them could be biased, and they all showed exactly the same pattern of abuse. The man was doomed, or the British government really was broken.
"He forgot about the Veritaserum," smirked Harry.
And Fleur smirked right along with him.
"Thank you for your statements, Chief Warlock, Director Bones," nodded Madam Rosen. "The court will now stand in recess while we deliberate. The verdict will be delivered in one hour."
And with that, the trial was over.
In Fleur's mind, all that remained now was the sentence he would receive.
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