Chapters 91-100

All Rise

Due to the Calming Draught that Severus had forced upon her at breakfast, Hermione watched the scene before her with calm detachment.

The courtroom was nearly identical to the one of Severus’ trial. Dark stone walls, the judges’ balcony on the dais, the desks and benches all made of black wood, dim torchlight—courtroom number nine was not any more cheerful than number five.

On a different occasion it would have caused hilarity to see Severus seated next to Harry. Today the sight filled Hermione with a distant sense of panic. To her left, in front of the audience, Umbridge sat as the originator of the claims brought before the court today. And to the left of the judges’ dais, in the farthest corner of the room, Hermione glimpsed the Chalice of Neith on a wooden pedestal.

Then the bailiff banged his gavel. ‘All rise, all rise! I present the presiding Justice of the Court of Probations, Mrs. Justice Andromeda Tonks-Black, and Justices Tiberius Ogden and Zenon Yaxley.

‘Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye—this court is now in session.’

oooOooo

‘I bring forward as evidence the certificate of marriage. As you can clearly see, the signatures of the spouses as well as those of eleven witnesses are drawn in blood. The twelfth signature, however is in plain, black ink.’

With a tap of her pink wand, Umbridge directed the parchment to float into the middle of the room and to present itself first to the judges, then to the audience.

Harry looked bored. With a lazy flick of his wand dozens of scrolls rose from his desk and undulated mockingly in the air. ‘And I present precedents for legally valid signatures of Muggle witnesses dating back to the 9th century. If the Probations Official is not able to substantiate her preposterous claims, I propose we stop this silliness now and go to lunch.’

Umbridge’s wide, slack mouth tightened into a straight line. She looked as if she had swallowed a ruler—horizontally.

oooOooo

‘Is that true?’ Andromeda Tonks-Black asked, frowning.

Ace Loxweild-Spalt nudged Hermione. ‘You need to answer.’

Even with the Calming Draught soothing her temper, Hermione flushed bright red.

‘Yes,’ she finally managed. She kept her eyes on the desk in front of her, not daring to look at Severus.

‘Now that we have contributed our part to the entertainment and edification of this court,’ Ace Loxweild-Spalt said in a cool voice and with an even colder gaze that was directed straight at Umbridge, ‘I would like to remind the court of the current Magical Marriage and Divorce Bill that clearly states that Registry Office marriages do not require consummation to be legally valid. Additionally I would like to caution the Probations Official that discrimination of Muggle-borns is a punishable offence under the Muggle Anti-Discrimination Act from 1999.’

Umbridge’s flabby face froze under her mask of perfectly applied make-up.

oooOooo

Umbridge rose to her feet, a satisfied smirk gracing her pink lips. ‘Furthermore, Severus Snape was not free to enter into marriage with anyone when he signed this.’

She pointed her pink wand at the marriage certificate that now lay rolled up in front of Justice Tonks-Black.

‘If Severus Snape is the father of an illegitimate daughter with a Muggle-woman, he was by the established rules of wizarding law unable to marry anyone. As witnesses for the prosecution I call Ms. Alina Petrel and the editor of the magazine Alohomag, Mrs. Jezebel Jeater.’

A high-pitched, angry scream rang out in the court-room, ‘But Professor Snape is not my father! Although I really wish he was. My father was Quirinus Quirrell, and I know there’s a spell to prove it!’

The Probations Official gaped, looking more like a toad than ever, as Alina Petrel made her way to the centre of the room.

oooOooo

‘Mrs. Umbridge, this is finally a convincing argument,’ Justice Andromeda Tonks-Black announced. ‘I was beginning to wonder what kind of farce this trial was degenerating into. Very well.’

She cast a calculating and not at all friendly look at the bench of the accused to her right, where Harry and Severus were sitting.

‘I herewith grant permission to administer appropriate doses of Veritaserum for the interrogation of the witnesses for the prosecution: Longbottom, Lovegood, McGonagall, Mugwort, Potter. Weasley, Ginevra and Weasley, Ron.’

oooOooo

‘I think we have now established beyond any doubt that there was a plan to aid Severus Snape to escape the execution of the sentence imposed upon him in accordance to his failure to meet the conditions of his probation,’ Andromeda declared summarily. ‘However, there are two points that still need to be clarified in order for the court to arrive at a decision.

’One: Was the plan to obstruct the just punishment of the convict Severus Snape the sole or major motif of the accused Madam Snape, formerly Miss Granger, at the time of marriage.

‘And two: Did the accused convict Severus Snape know of the plan formulated by the accused Madam Snape, formerly Miss Granger, at the time of marriage.’

oooOooo

‘Professor Snape, when you signed your marriage certificate, did you know of the plan to obstruct your punishment in case you would not be able to meet the conditions of your probation? A simple yes or no will suffice.’

Expressionless black eyes gazed at the judges.

‘Yes,’ Severus Snape replied calmly.

oooOooo

‘What did you feel, Madam Snape, when you signed the marriage certificate?’

Silence.

‘Madam Snape?’

Silence.

‘Madam Snape, you must answer the court’s question.’

‘I was relieved,’ Hermione whispered, ‘because I thought he’d be safe at last.’

oooOooo

‘But I love him!’ she shouted, the Calming Draught finally wearing off. ‘Get a Legilimens! Take my memories! It’s the truth, the pure and simple truth!

‘Of course I wanted to save him when I married him. But because I love him, and not because I wanted to obstruct justice.’

‘Rubbish,’ Tonks snorted. ‘Who could love an Ex-Death-Eater and a traitor?’

‘I can,’ Hermione replied, her voice calm and certain, her eyes burning with fury. ‘I do.’