Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

The Potter Barrister, The Ruling, and Professor Snape’s Decision
When Justin woke it was to find Harry sitting on the edge of his bed already dressed for the day. It was barely five am.

"Did you sleep at all?" Justin asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Some," Harry mumbled.

"What are you doing in court today?" he asked.

"Podmore's supposed to be going over all the reasons the other side is wrong about what they said about me I think." Harry was still trying to imagine what rebuttals were going to be like but couldn't imagine how they were going to combat the things that had been said about him or the protection spell. After several long moments Harry said, "I think we're going to lose."

"What happens if you lose?" Justin asked.

"I get sent back to the Dursleys. I get beat up or they kill me and dump my body somewhere and I never get back to Hogwarts."

Justin huffed in irritation and Harry looked down to the floor where Justin still sat in his sleeping bag. "Adults are stupid's all," Justin said. "Can't see sense when it's staring them in the face."

"I don't know what I can do about it," Harry said. He'd already hired a barrister and gotten his case to court. He wasn't sure there was anything to do beyond that.

"There's only five weeks left ‘til Hogwarts," Justin said. "You could go on the run."

"Sirius Black is still on the loose," Harry said, and the dog whined at hearing his name.

"Yeah and we haven't seen hide nor hair of him all summer. It's pretty obvious where you're staying with the articles about you that have been running in the Prophet. If he was really after you he'd have found you already."

"So I just run away?" Harry asked.

"If the case doesn't go your way, why not? Just disappear and turn up at Hogwarts in a few weeks."

Harry looked around the room at the few things he owned. He supposed if he just took his bag with his wand and a blanket and some clothes he could find a place to lay low for a while.

"I'm not sure where I'd go."

"What about your friend Ron's house? He's out of country right? So it'd be deserted, at least for a little while."

"If things don't go my way in court there'll be no chance for me to pack up and run."

Justin looked at Harry's bag and got out of his sleeping bag to go pick it up. "We can pack you now, right? Pack your things up and have it ready to go. I can take your bag and the dog and bring them to you wherever you end up running off to."

"You're not allowed off the alleys."

"One time one of the older boys snuck out to Muggle London and was out all night. Took Miss Ava nine hours to find him after he ran off. I bet I could be out and back again before they even notice I'm gone, and if not I'll be grounded for the rest of summer, but that's not so bad."

"You'd do that?" Harry asked. "How am I supposed to tell you where I'm at?"

"The shared journals," Justin said. "I'll run back to my room and get mine and keep it with me with your bag and the dog."

Harry turned the plan over in his mind and then stood up and began throwing clothes into his bag. "Can you make sure my trunk gets back to Hogwarts?" he asked.

Justin nodded and said, "You'll have to steer clear of the Knight Bus, and don't do any magic or they can track you. Here." Justin rolled up the sleeping bag he'd been using and set it on the floor next to Harry's bag which Harry was still shoving clothing into. "Make up an excuse or something," Justin said. "Say you have to use the loo right away when you're on your way back to the alleys, or throw a fit that you're hungry. Adults always get rattled when a kid pitches a fit, especially when they're not used to one. One of the fourth years threw a tantrum last summer and Miss Ava and Mrs. Ginger gave him attention all afternoon for acting like a big baby."

"You'll be watching the journal?" Harry asked.

"Promise," Justin said.

The bag was packed and Harry had his journal and a Muggle pen. He supposed it would just look like he wanted to take notes on his case if he took it to court with him.

"Go with Justin and do what he says," Harry said to Siri, and the dog stared at him as if he knew exactly what was going on. Harry hugged the dog tight, gave a last look at Justin and nodded, and then headed for Podmore's office. It was a shaky plan and he didn't want to use it, but it was something and having something in place prior to going to court made Harry feel confident in a way he hadn't in the last two days. Something was finally under his control and it was a good feeling to have.

* * *

Severus narrowed his eyes at Potter as the boy sat across the table scribbling notes into a brown leather notebook as they waited for the Justice to appear and start the morning's proceedings. Somehow Potter had gotten Mrs. Ginger to show up on his behalf that morning, and he wondered if Potter's barristers would question her or if she was just there for moral support. The Minister was back again today, though Snape knew his eyes at least had finally been opened to Potter's brash nature and he was no longer on Potter's side. If Potter was granted early majority he'd be given free reign to change things as he wished on Diagon Alley and that didn't sit well with the Ministry. It was Potter's own foolish decision making that had lost him the Minister's backing. The boy obviously had no idea what was good for him or he didn't care.

Potter looked up and caught Severus staring, though he looked away and back to his notebook quickly without so much as a frown. What had the boy been thinking to request early majority? Surely his barristers had told him this wouldn't be possible. Severus couldn't quite figure what Potter was playing at. He clearly had plans for the Potter holdings, but he had already set things in motion there without being emancipated. Severus couldn't decide whether having early majority would grant Potter more pull over his family holdings or not. He imagined the boy doing something silly like using his family funds to buy new brooms for his entire Quidditch team or trying to buy a professional Quidditch team just to say he was the youngest owner of a team to date. He certainly would have the money if he could get out from under the Headmaster's custody and gain access to the funds that were currently locked up and out of his control. It seemed like an awful lot of work to go to for money however, to make up a story about being abused and drag the Headmaster to court. If this was all a manipulation, it was a masterful one to think up and would have had to have been planned out well in advance with his friends to corroborate his story. Severus wondered if Harry had paid a student on the train to beat him up before he returned to his relatives. Despite what Wizarding Welfare believed, Severus couldn't bring himself to believe that Potter had been abused his entire life. Potter was too full of himself. He swaggered too much when he walked down a corridor, just like his rich stuck up father had done. He had too many friends to have been abused. If any child had been abused as much as Potter was claiming, he would have serious emotional problems. Potter was anything but emotionally stunted.

Severus sneered as he turned things over in his mind. Potter had had the audacity to say Severus was making fun of him the day before. He wondered when Potter would bring that up in court and how he would try to use it to his advantage. When Severus had brought it up to Albus the day before, Albus had simply told him to let Harry be.

It bothered Severus that Potter was trying to pull the wool over people's eyes, but it bothered him even more that the Headmaster seemed to be buying it. Albus could hide his emotions when he wanted to, but in the last few days he'd seemed drawn out and worn thin. Beyond that he seemed sad and even disturbed by what Potter had reported in court. It was all lies and Severus wished the Headmaster would see that and stop blaming himself. Whether Albus liked to believe it or not he was aging and he didn't need to be put through the stress of a court hearing. Potter was playing right to his sympathies and it wasn't right.

Severus was of the opinion that if the little brat wanted to be emancipated he should be given enough rope to hang himself by. Let the whelp get himself into so much trouble he'd have no choice but to ask for help getting out. Let the brat see what it was like to live without Lily's protection. Unfortunately every time Severus thought this, he was reminded of the promise he'd made to Lily to protect her son, and of the promise he'd made to Albus years ago to uphold his first promise. He'd been sincere then. So sincere in fact that Albus had never questioned him on his loyalties since. If Potter was emancipated and got himself into trouble, Severus knew he would be the one to have to pull Potter back from the brink of self-destruction because that was the promise he'd made. No harm could come to Potter while he was his protector because he wouldn't let it. "Fool," Severus huffed to himself, though he looked up and noted that Potter had heard him and was looking at him. Severus gave him the nastiest glare he could muster and looked away, drumming his fingers on the table as he waited for the hearing to begin. He was a fool for making the promise in the first place. He'd never cared about the boy, only about Lily, and he should never have made the promise. Yet he had and had found himself in the predicament he was in now. He hoped Potter lost if for no other reason than it would give him more time to not have to deal with protecting the boy. If he was under the protection of Lily's charm it meant he didn't have to think about Potter at all outside of term. The brat. No thought at all to anybody but himself.

* * *

Anybody could ask witnesses questions today according to Silver. Any of the barristers in the room, or the Justice could ask Harry whatever they pleased and he'd have to answer. Harry nervously answered question after question as it seemed no one was interested in asking any of the other parties anything at all.

Harry had been made to explain why he felt it necessary to fix up the orphanage and how he had gone about doing so. He'd been made to go into detail about hiring a construction firm, making decisions for the orphanage, finding the orphans a place to stay while the third floor was torn off and rebuilt, and about the amount of money he had now allotted to go to the orphanage for the foreseeable future.

From there the questions had come at him from all sides about his plans for Knockturn Alley, his dealings with Munroe McGlaggen, and his reasoning behind it all. Harry felt thankful that he'd already discussed this a number of times with his barristers, Munroe and the people of Diagon Alley and felt well-rehearsed in his answers which helped him relax.

"Do you know how much money it takes for one person to live on their own Harry?" Coombs asked. "If you were to live on your own without an adult helping you for one month, what would the costs be?"

Harry glanced over at Mrs. Ginger and received an encouraging nod. He was thankful she had come today even though he hadn't asked her to. She was sitting next to the Minister who looked concerned with how proceedings were going. Harry wasn't sure if the Minister's look was something to be pleased about or not.

Harry reached back into his memory, trying to recall the conversation he'd had with Mrs. Ginger weeks ago about how much it cost for a person to live. "If a person is thrifty and knows how to stretch a budget," Harry said, trying to remember her words, "they could get by on 15 Galleons a month, but that's only if they take care of their needs, not any wants and if there's no emergencies that need to be paid for. A person needs to buy food, and housing costs a lot, especially if you're living in a place like the Leaky Cauldron instead of a flat or a place you own yourself. You have to pay for heat in the winter and cold air in the summer. You have to have clothes to wear and then there's things like medical expenses. If you want anything extra that costs. You'd have to save up for school supplies in advance or spread out that expense over months so it's not a big expense all at once. 15 Galleons a month would get you by but it'd be tight. There would be nothing to put away into an emergency fund or anything like that or into other savings for things you want to save up for."

Harry glanced at Snape and noted the odd look he was being given. For the first time Snape wasn't sneering at him but was looking at him with curiosity as if he was some sort of odd potions specimen he'd never seen before that needed study. Harry looked away and found Dumbledore looking at him. The man wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning either. His face was quite blank and it unsettled Harry. He'd thought his answer was good but now he wasn't so sure.

The Justice asked Harry several questions in a row, such as what he would do if he ever got hurt or sick during holiday, where he would like to work on holiday or if he'd like to work at all if emancipated, and where he planned to live if emancipated. Harry told her he'd like to use his family funds to buy a little house outright so he wouldn't have to worry about rent and would always have a place to call home. He told her he'd like to work for a Quidditch team during holidays, perhaps with management and that he'd like to continue working with his family's holdings, and said if he ever got sick or injured he would take the floo or Knight Bus to St. Mungos.

No one disputed what Harry said when he answered questions and Podmore looked pleased with his answers. Harry was finally starting to feel as though things might be leaning in his favor and allowed himself a small smile.

Dumbledore leaned in to whisper something to Coombs, face still betraying none of his emotions, and Coombs straightened up and looked at Harry.

"Mr. Potter, is Sirius Black staying with you at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Harry froze and his smile faded away. "I have a dog," he said. "His name is Sirius Black."

"Can you describe the dog?"

"Scruffy, long black and brown hair. He was pretty skinny when I got him, and dirty. I cleaned him up and fed him and he's looking better now."

"And his name is Sirius Black? How did you come to name him this?"

Harry fidgeted for a moment. "I just call him Siri. We were calling him ‘the dog' and my friend said he needed a name. My friend said we should name him something fierce and every time we tried new names the dog didn't seem to like them. I looked up and saw a wanted poster for Black and said the name out loud and the dog barked. So we started calling him Siri."

"You are aware that Sirius Black recently escaped Azkaban and is after you?"

"No one told me that and I had to find it out on my own from my Barrister," Harry said, "but yes, I know what he did and that he's probably coming for me."

Dumbledore whispered something else in Coomb's ear and Coombs said, "And are you aware that Sirius Black is an Animagus that can take the form of a scruffy black dog?"

Harry felt the blood drain from his face. Animagus? McGonagall was an Animagus and could shapeshift at will into a cat and back. Sirius Black could do that? Sirius Black could turn into a dog? Harry had a dog that liked the name Sirius Black. A dog that seemed to understand what was going on. A dog that nosed legal papers when Harry had questions and who hid under the bed when Dumbledore came to visit...

Coombs was talking again but Harry only caught part of what he was saying. "It appears that Mr. Potter, in the absence of adult supervision has unwittingly been harboring the fugitive Sirius Black in his room at the Leaky Cauldron."

"And how would Headmaster Dumbledore know this?" the Justice asked, "and if he knew the boy was harboring a fugitive why did he not bring it to light earlier for Mr. Potter's safety?"

"I saw black fur on Harry's clothing yesterday," Dumbledore said quietly. "I did not put it together until now. I had heard that Harry had taken in a stray dog but it did not occur to me until I saw the long black hair that it may have been Black in disguise."

Harry leapt from the table and ran out of the room and down the hall, panic gripping his chest. He fumbled with his journal and pen to get it open but his hands were shaking too much and he dropped it. The door banged open a moment later and Snape came storming out.

"Running away are we Potter?" Snape spat angrily as if he'd come to chase Harry down.

"The dog!" Harry shouted, voice shaking. He couldn't keep his entire body from shaking. "Justin's with the dog! Right now! Justin's with Sirius Black!"

"Justin Finch-Fletchley?" Snape asked, stepping closer to Harry and growing suddenly serious.

"Yes!"

"Where?"

"I don't know. My room or maybe the orphanage or out on the alleys-" Snape swept away from him and to the lift and within moments was gone, hopefully to get Justin.

Harry fumbled with his journal again and finally got it open as Podmore and Silver came out.

‘The dog is the real Sirius Black! He's an animagus! Get out of there! Justin? JUSTIN!!'

Justin wasn't answering but Harry didn't have time to dwell on it because Podmore had gripped his arm and was dragging him into an unused courtroom and away from prying ears.

"Are you kidding me? Tell me this is a joke!" Podmore demanded, but Harry could do nothing but shake and continue glancing down at his journal waiting for any indication that Justin had gotten the message and was safe.

"Every time I try to pull this case together to get you what you've been asking for, you do something to tear it all apart. Every single time."

"I- I-" Harry stammered. How was he to know Sirius was an animagus? The dog had done nothing but comfort him. "Maybe it's just a dog," Harry tried.

"It's not just a dog Potter. You've been letting a convicted felon stay in your room! Sleep in your bed! It's amazing you're alive at all!"

"Don't be so harsh Theo," Silver said. "We both saw the dog and never gave it a second look."

"It's not just Black," Podmore went on, running a hand through his hair. "Every time I give you advice you do the opposite. You spend money where you want, you hold meetings against advice and end up with your name spread across the Prophet, you've made the Ministry more than upset with you, you jump up and run out of court. I can't win this case for you Harry. It's not possible with the way you conduct yourself on a day to day basis. At every turn I try to save the case and at every turn you are absentmindedly wrecking it."

"I'm sorry," Harry tried, feeling more panicky the longer Podmore went on.

"Sorry or not," Podmore said, "this is an unattainable goal. I'm recusing myself as your barrister. I don't believe you should be emancipated and I can't fight for something I don't believe in myself."

"But-"

"Good day Mr. Potter."

Podmore stormed out of the room, leaving Harry and Silver there alone.

"What does recuse mean?" Harry asked quietly, though he thought he knew.

"He quit," Silver said. Harry turned to him, a desperate look in his eyes.

Silver put his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked down at him. "I have always been the Potter Barrister and always will be. Win or lose I will never stop fighting for your right to be safe. I promise you that."

Harry looked down and away, ashamed that he'd made Podmore quit and that he seemed to need the comfort Silver was offering him. There was a knock on the door and the door opened to reveal Mrs. Ginger.

"Harry?" she asked. Silver motioned for her to come in and close the door.

"Theo quit the case," Silver told her and she sighed and shook her head.

"Things were going so well too. We were all very impressed with your answers Harry. Maybe it's not lost yet. You keep hoping. I want you to understand that hope is not lost so long as you keep it within your heart." She made him look up at her and rose her eyebrows until he nodded.

"Not lost," he mumbled, though he didn't believe it. How was it going to look to return to court after running out and without his barrister?

"The Justice called a recess since so many people left without permission. It picks back up in an hour."

"You should check on Justin," Harry said. "He was with the dog. I think Snape went after him."

"We already received word back. Black is gone and Justin is fine."

Harry let out a sigh of relief and began shaking again.

"Let's get him something to eat," Silver said quietly, and Harry allowed himself to be led from the room and up through the Ministry to what appeared to be a cafeteria. Silver brought him a sandwich which Harry took a single bite of before pushing the plate away from himself.

"Come now," Mrs. Ginger said, "can't go through a hearing on an empty stomach."

"It's not a hearing," Harry said, "it's a death sentence."

Harry had no idea that Snape had passed behind him just then, on his way to get something to eat himself before heading back downstairs to find the Headmaster and Coombs again. A death sentence? What was Potter on about? He mulled it over as he quickly bought and ate his own lunch and was still thinking about it as he rode the lift back down to level ten. A death sentence. Potter was surely being dramatic, but what was the point? The Justice was the one with the power to decide in his favor, and she had been nowhere in the vicinity when he'd said it. Mrs. Ginger and Harrison Silver had no power to help him if the Justice decided against him.

"Severus," Dumbledore greeted warily as Severus came back into the courtroom. They were alone for now.

"He was gone when I got there. Mr. Finch-Fletchley was unharmed. Apparently he and Potter have a shared journal and Potter had communicated to him the dog's true identity. Mr. Finch-Fletchley panicked and yelled at Black to get away from him and Black transformed in front of him and then disapparated. It caused quite the stir on Diagon Alley in front of Fortescue's to see Black appear."

"I can imagine. The Minister left to send Aurors after him."

The door opened and Harry came back in with Silver and Mrs. Ginger. They sat on either side of him and Harry put his head down on his arms on the table and refused to speak to anyone who tried to get his attention. Coombs came back a few minutes later followed by the Justice.

"The hearing will now resume," she said. "I trust there will be no more surprises or interruptions." Harry lifted his head and nodded mutely, though he noted that the statement hadn't been directed at him.

"Barrister Silver, where is Mr. Potter's lead Barrister?"

Silver cleared his throat and glanced across the table at Coombs. "I am now Mr. Potter's lead Barrister in this matter and all others."

"Very well," the Justice said. She shuffled through her papers and looked several things over for a few minutes before she set them down and looked up again at the room's occupants.

"I'm not pleased with the decision I've been forced to make this afternoon, nevertheless, a decision has been made. Headmaster Dumbledore, I find that your care of Mr. Potter has been unsatisfactory to this point. He never should have been placed in a situation where he would be forced to fend for himself, raise himself or sustain any kind of injuries from his caregivers, be they physical or emotional. Nevertheless, the fact that Sirius Black found his way to Mr. Potter in short order after escaping Azkaban has not escaped my attention and has underscored the fact that Mr. Potter has many enemies still intent on doing him harm and he must be protected. I'm ordering that Mr. Harry James Potter remain in the custody of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore until his majority. Headmaster Dumbledore, I am not pleased with your decision to send this young man back to his Muggle relatives, however I recognize your right to do so to ensure his safety. If it is your intention to send him back to his relaties, you will do as you have previously stated in setting up all charms and safeguards for him. These safeguards will be put in place before he returns to his relatives care and I will personally check to see that they have been implemented. On top of the safeguards you have promised, I'm mandating that if he be returned to his relatives care during holidays or at any time, or if he is out of your personal care at any home other than the Dursleys for any extended period of time, you are to personally collect him and spend one full day a week with him being the guardian that you should have been all along. If I check with Mr. Potter and find this has not been the case, that you have again neglected your duties to him as his guardian in any way, I will not hesitate to remove him from your care and remand his care to Wizarding Welfare Authority without a hearing. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Justice," the Headmaster said.

Harry had tried to listen to it all, but he had zoned out and was staring at the wall between the Headmaster and Coombs. He'd heard fragments such as that he was being returned to the Dursleys with safeguards, and something about the Headmaster collecting him, but that was all and he'd lost the context of it. It was over. He was going back to the Dursleys. Sirius Black may not have murdered him in his sleep, but he'd done as well as by wrecking his case and getting him sent back to the Dursleys. His uncle would murder him in his sleep. Harry felt it in his bones that if he returned now he would die.

Without warning Harry stood and left the room, hurrying down the corridor towards the lift, thoughts on running away as he and Justin had planned, but Snape had come up behind him then and said, "Not so fast Potter. Mr. Finch-Fletchley told me of your plan to abscond if the hearing did not turn out in your favor."

Shaking, Harry turned away from Snape and faced the wall so the man wouldn't see him cry. He'd already made fun of him for being abused, he didn't want to be made fun of for crying about having to go back.

"I require an answer when speaking to you Potter," Snape snapped, moving around to face Harry. Harry turned slightly away again but not before Severus saw the tears trailing down his cheeks and his shaking hands gripping his arms tight. Severus was certain the boy was gripping himself tight enough to leave bruises. Potter's breaths started coming in quick gasps and the boy put his forehead against the corridor wall.

"What you're doing," Silver said from down the hall as he came out of the room with Dumbledore and Coombs, "how you're allowing him to be treated, it's not right. He doesn't deserve that and you know it."

Severus wanted to hear how the Headmaster would respond but Harry's gasping breaths brought his attention back to the thirteen year old. His eyes couldn't leave Harry's gripping fingers which were still digging into his skin beneath his dress robes. Harry's words from an hour ago in the cafeteria came back to him then. ‘It's not a hearing, it's a death sentence.' What if Potter hadn't been being dramatic but making a plan. If things didn't go his way he was planning to end it permanently. That didn't match up with what Severus knew of the stubborn Gryffindor, but neither did the boy crying in the street when he'd fallen off a ladder, or intelligently answering questions about how much money it would take to live for a month or crying in a corridor and gripping his arms so hard it must have been painful for him to do so. If the case was over and decided, why was he being so dramatic now? Maybe it wasn't drama at all, but pure hopelessness in its truest form. He had to go back and there was nothing he could do about it.

Severus was aware that Dumbledore kept glancing down the corridor at the crying teen and that Silver and Coombs were talking in the background about the outcome of the case, but he wasn't fully paying attention. Potter had claimed he'd been making fun of him the other day. What had he said that made Potter think that? ‘The abused orphan who is able to rise from the ashes to care for himself...' if Potter really had been abused at the hands of his relatives, then Severus had been making fun of him, even if he hadn't known it at the time.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, finally coming down the corridor. Harry turned away from the Headmaster and straight into Severus' chest. Severus startled and so did Harry, but then the boy unexpectedly grabbed the front of Severus' robes and buried his wet face in his chest further, either trying to stem the flow of tears or keep anyone else from seeing. It was something Severus never expected the boy would do, especially given their past, but maybe Potter was beyond caring at this point. If he was beyond caring, then his words from the cafeteria about it being a death sentence really might be true. Severus couldn't see James Potter in that moment, or even Harry Potter. All he saw as the boy clutched his robes for dear life was a child who seemed unable to deal with the things that had been put upon him. He was in a mess too deep to dig himself out of...

"I will take him."

Harry didn't even hear the words because he'd blocked everything around him out aside from his crying and the warmth of Snape's robes. If he could just pretend it was Mrs. Ginger hugging him, giving him comfort, then maybe he could pretend for a moment it was all right. It wasn't Mrs. Ginger, and he wasn't being hugged though, and it was never going to be all right.

"What did you say?" Silver asked, but Dumbledore had turned at the quiet proclamation as well.

"You cannot send him back," Severus said quietly, "I will take him."

"Don't get his hopes up Severus," Silver said, irritated. "It's not right."

Dumbledore was ignoring Silver though. "Severus?" he asked.

Severus locked eyes with the Headmaster. "At Hogwarts, I will look after him in the summer and on holidays. If you send him back now, it will be the end of him. He said so himself earlier." Even Severus could see that the boy had experienced too much freedom to be locked away in the oppressive home of the Dursleys again, and for the first time he believed that what had been reported about the Dursleys was true. Potter was already coming undone. To be sent back once again would unravel him completely. If he went back to Privet Drive now, he would never return.

"You say that, but Lily's magic-" Dumbledore started, but Severus gave him a look as Harry clutched his robes tighter and almost knocked him off balance.

"The promise ties into that magic," Severus said, "as I suspect you know." At first he'd thought Dumbledore had dragged him to court to assassinate Harry's character in front of the Justice, which he had been all too happy to do, but now he wondered if Dumbledore hadn't brought him to somehow fulfil his promise to protect Harry. Because he'd made that promise to Lily out of love, he'd long suspected it might tie in with what had gone on that night that she had died to protect her son. Somehow his promise was one in the same as her magic. He could feel that it was.

"Take him back to the castle Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, looking on at Harry with saddened eyes.

Severus gripped Harry's shoulders gently and got him moving from the lift and away from the oppressive level ten.

Chapter End Notes:
Next chapter is mostly written and will hopefully be posted tomorrow or very soon, and I have really good plans (or at least I think so) for the chapter after that so that one should be written in short order as well. What do you think about how the hearing turned out? Thoughts about the Sirius issue? What do you think is going to happen next or would you like to see happen next? The story was going to end in one more chapter but then I realized it couldn't because I had more ideas that needed written so that chapter we were going to end on isn't going to happen for a while and may not be the end after all. Do you think Dumbledore is really going to let Harry stay with Snape? He told Severus to take him back to Hogwarts but never really gave an answer. Also, just because Snape might believe some things that Harry said now doesn't mean Snape and Harry's issues are fully dealt with or over now. Snape is Snape and patterns of behavior are hard to break.

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