Chapters 91-100

Go on—

Harry rose to his feet. Outwardly, he appeared to be quite calm, but there was a hardness to his green eyes that Hermione remembered all too well from some of their worst moments during the last years. In his hands he held a neat scroll of parchment.

‘With this document I am filing a petition with the Minister of Magic to recuse Justice Tonks-Black from this case because of bias. I have reason to believe that Madam Tonks is subject to a personal animosity towards one of the accused parties and is therefore unable to reach her decision without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.’

oooOooo

‘Very well,’ Andromeda declared. ‘I recuse myself from the proceedings. As a solution for this dilemma I suggest that the decision of this case be referred to an impartial judge of indisputable ancient magical authority. I propose to defer the decision to the Chalice of Neith.

‘The counsels for the defence will probably wish to discuss this with the defendants. Therefore I adjourn this session for a quarter of an hour.’

The bailiff banged his gavel again. ‘All rise, all rise! This session has been adjourned. We will reconvene at 10.15 am, in exactly fifteen minutes.’

oooOooo

‘I don’t like that Chalice, Harry,’ Hermione said fearfully. ‘Remember what Arthur always says? “Never trust anything that thinks unless you can see where it keeps its brains.”’

Ace Loxweild-Spalt adjusted her stern black glasses. Again she reminded Hermione of Fleur Weasley. Both women were blond and breathtakingly beautiful. The only difference seemed to be that Ace was not only visually, but also intellectually intimidating.

‘Generally that is sound advice, Madam Snape. However, concerning your husband we are facing a real dilemma in the Wizengamot. There are those members like Madam Tonks-Black, who, for one reason or another bear ill-will towards your husband. Of course we could keep petitioning to see one judge after another recused, but that would only serve to delay the proceedings, not to reach a decision in our favour. And the other members—well, I am very much afraid that motions of the Probations Official to recuse those judges due to a bias in favour of your husband would be just as successful as ours just was.’

‘But—’

Severus caught her eyes and shook his head. ‘Hermione, there is no use in postponing the inevitable. I doubt there is a better choice than the Chalice of Neith available to us. And after all it did not order me killed the last time around.’

Hermione nervously twisted and intertwined her fingers in her lap. She didn’t dare to look up, because she knew that she might start crying at the least provocation now.

‘I know. I know. It makes sense, all of it. It’s just…I’m so scared.’

Severus sighed softly. ‘Come, Hermione. Let’s get this over with.’

oooOooo

Court ushers in grey robes and with grey wands directed the Chalice of Neith to the centre of the courtroom including the burgundy-coloured velvet that covered its pedestal in heavy folds and the wooden plinth itself.

The bailiff banged the gavel and Justice Andromeda Tonks-Black sat back down at the centre of the judges’ balcony. Once again, Hermione was struck by how much she resembled her dead sister. Especially since the striking difference between the two women, namely Andromeda’s benign and genuinely kind expression had faded with the bitterness of grief, leaving harsh lines and cold eyes behind.

After Harry and Ace had accepted Andromeda’s proposition on behalf of their clients and the Probations Official also agreed to submit to the verdict of the Chalice of Neith, the presiding justice of the Court of Probations sat down to draft the question.

Between muted coughs and whispers from the audience, Hermione could hear the scratching of the quill’s tip on the parchment. The strange, artificial tranquillity induced by another dose of Calming Draught was gripping her mind. She felt as if she was watching herself from above, looking down at both herself and Severus, as they sat unmoving, opposite each other, waiting for the judge to complete her work.

oooOooo

‘The question for the Chalice of Neith is this:

Is the marriage between Severus Snape and Hermione Jean Granger valid according to magical law and the conditions of his probation?’

oooOooo

Golden light flared up from the depth of the chalice. With a soft puff, the small piece of parchment was flung into the air and serenely floated to the dark stone floor.

The bailiff hurried over and picked up the parchment. With a solemn bow, he handed it to Justice Andromeda Tonks-Black.

‘All rise! All rise!’

Hermione staggered to her feet, her eyes not on the judges, but on Severus. His face was expressionless, just as she had expected. But his black gaze, startling in its intensity, was completely focused on her.

Far away, Andromeda Tonks-Black cleared her throat.

oooOooo

oooOooo

Severus must have expected that decision, because he was in her mind instantly, a touch of steel and silk, cutting and soft at the same time.

‘Listen to me, Hermione. There is not much time now.

‘You must not blame yourself. That is an order, master to apprentice. Do not look back. Look forwards. Live your life. That is a request I have as your husband.

‘You know where to find everything you will need as Potions mistress at Hogwarts. See to it that you get the results of your experiments published this autumn. Support Draco or whoever will replace me as Head of House. My little snakes need you.’

Guards in the livery of Azkaban appeared out of nowhere and stepped up next to Severus, one to his left, one to his right, while a third shackled his hands in front of him.

‘Listen to me, Hermione. Do you remember what I told you in Chartres? “Be good of heart.’” His mind-voice was the barest whisper now. ‘Go on—’

A CRACK split the stunned silence of the courtroom. Then the guards and their prisoner were gone.