Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.
Harry McGonagall - Chapter 12 - Justice - Part One
"Alright. Now that we're here, I want you to take your things up to your room and stay there until dinner. You're grounded for the rest of the summer."
"What?" exclaimed Hermione Granger as she dropped the suitcase she was carrying and turned to face her mother.
"Do you really think that we'd forget to punish you for what happened at that baseball game?"
"But…"
"Honey," said Adam to his daughter, "Only an idiot would take his daughter all the way to a foreign country just to ground her before she gets to see all the sights. We wanted you to enjoy our holiday."
"Besides, we didn't know what kind of mischief you and Harry would get up to," added Marissa. "I hope he's not a bad influence on you."
"What?" Hermione looked shocked.
"Don't worry. We're not going to try to separate you two or anything," said her father, "although you won't be seeing him until that Professor's trial." He sighed. "You broke the law and we're going to have to pay that fine. You have to be punished."
"But can't you just fight it in the court?" asked Hermione. "I read the ticket he gave you. It said we'll have a trial date in the middle of August."
"If we don't pay the fine," finished Adam.
"So let's fight it!"
"Spend the money for another floo trip to America?" Marissa asked. "I know it's a lot cheaper than flying, but what would be the point?"
"The point is that I DIDN'T DO IT!!!! Brianna did!"
"Not that again," said Adam.
"Daddy! Why won't you listen to me?" Hermione's eyes were filling with unshed tears.
"They proved it was your wand."
"She stole it!"
"Will you stop accusing that girl?" asked Marissa, looking angry.
"Why on earth would I want to influence that American game? And if I did, I would've helped Harry's team, not Brianna's! And furthermore, I would not have broken the law over a stupid game! Why won't you believe me? Have I ever done something like this before?"
"Well, no, but we did find out about that troll incident," said Marissa.
"Can I at least try to convince Brianna to confess? Maybe we can visit the McGonagalls tomorrow?"
"You know we're not going to let you do that," said Adam.
"Ppppplllllleeeeaaaasssseeee, Daddy?" she asked with her most innocent, pathetic little girl face. "At least let me try and prove my innocence."
The two adults looked at their daughter and then at themselves. They both took deep breaths and shrugged their shoulders.
"Fine. We'll let you call Harry on your mirror to ask him when we can visit and then we'll hold onto it until school starts."
"But…"
"We'll still allow you to use his owl to exchange letters. Think of it as not being able to use the phone."
-
Harry was lying on his bed wearing jeans and a T-shirt, thinking about the last details of his revenge on Brianna when he felt the mirror in his pocket vibrate. He pulled it out to answer it. A smile crossed his lips when he saw the bushy-haired witch's face appear on it.
"Hi, Hermione! It's good to see you. I'm just about done planning that prank on Brianna for right after Snape's trial. Wanna hear about it?"
The girl couldn't help but grin for a moment, but then her expression turned serious. "Harry, my parents have grounded me for the summer over the baseball game. I won't be able to call you anymore for awhile."
"What? They can't do that! I…"
"Listen. They're giving me one more chance to get Brianna to confess. We'd like to come over tomorrow."
Harry took a moment to think. "I think that should be fine. We don't have any plans for tomorrow. We were going to the zoo in a few days and planned to take you along."
"Well, if Brianna confesses, I'm sure my parents will allow me to go. Otherwise…"
"I know." He sighed. "Maybe I should try talking to that brat again. I can't believe she didn't confess when your parents were fined."
"I'm just glad your American wizarding law doesn't take muggle baseball as seriously as muggle law would. Otherwise the fee could've been much higher."
"A thousand dollars is no small amount anyway. I can't believe your parents simply accepted the ticket without an argument."
"I think they were in shock," Hermione said with a smirk. "They're not sure what to believe right now. Anyway, they're not going to fight it in court unless Brianna confesses."
"Tell your folks to come here at about ten o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll make sure my parents know, and have them mirror call your parents if it's not a good time."
"I guess I'll see you then. I'll be able to wish you a happy birthday on the actual day."
He smiled at his best friend. "Not out loud you won't."
"Of course not. That'll be at your party in a few weeks. If I can come."
After taking a deep breath, Harry answered, "Hopefully we'll get the little b…"
"Harry!"
"…witch to confess so you can."
"I hope so," she said with a sigh. "I'd better go before my parents decide I've talked to you too long."
"Bye."
"Goodbye, Harry."
-
Brianna sat at her desk playing a game of solitaire. She was bored, but Harry had refused to play anything with her. She wasn't sure whether she would prefer the silent treatment to being yelled at and insulted all the time like Harry was doing. She suspected he was planning a major prank on her. He was truly angry with her, the angriest he'd been since her first bout of accidental magic when she'd stunned him with his own wand. A small smile flashed on her face for a second as she realized that this too involved her 'borrowing' a wand. She frowned again, wondering if her brother or Hermione would ever forgive her.
Not that she blamed them. She'd be ready to kill if someone had done it to her. When she started using magic at that game, it was just to even the odds and help out the Cubs. Suddenly it became a crime. When that Ministry wizard showed up and she saw how scared Hermione was, she almost confessed. Almost. She blinked a few tears away when she realized that the reason she hadn't confessed was fear. Fear that she'd be the one in trouble. She'd put on a brave face and claimed innocence, and had been sticking with her story ever since no matter how bad it made her feel.
She was brought out of her thoughts by someone knocking at her door. She shook her head for a moment and put a smile on her face. "Come in."
The door opened to reveal the last person she expected to see. "Um, hi Harry. Did you change your mind about playing poker?"
His face was expressionless. She knew that's the way Harry looked when he was trying to keep his temper under control. "No. I wanted to talk to you." He walked in the room and closed the door.
"What's this about? If it's about that game, the Cubs…"
"This is not about baseball, Brianna!" he said coldly. "It's about Hermione. She…"
"Your girlfriend? She…"
"Shut up and listen! Her parents have grounded her for the rest of the summer. They're coming here tomorrow to talk to you. You're getting one last chance to tell the truth. If you don't, they're going to have to pay a thousand dollar fine and Hermione will have it on her record that she has broken the statute of secrecy! People can be expelled for that!"
"She won't be expelled," argued the girl.
"No, but it'll be on her permanent record even if Aunt Minnie doesn't tell them. Once they pay the fee it will be a confession. I want you to tell them the truth and then confess it in court."
Brianna exercised control of her expression, fighting her instinct to cry. She couldn't stand the way Harry was talking to her like she was a stranger. She wished he'd start yelling at her instead of being cold like this. "Why should I? This'll all blow over by your birthday party and…"
Harry's face turned red as he lost his temper. "Then I don't want you at my party! I don't want any gift you might buy! You've gone too far this time. This isn't just a simple prank; you really hurt Hermione! You're a liar and a cheat! I don't even want you as my sister anymore! In fact, YOU'RE NOT MY REAL SISTER ANYWAY, AND I'M THROUGH PRETENDING YOU ARE!" He stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind him. He didn't see her start crying once the door was shut.
-
Harry slammed the door to his own room, fuming. He couldn't believe Brianna was that stubborn. He tried to ignore the hurt he was feeling and focus on his anger. He swallowed as he blinked back tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes.
"I am not crying!" he hissed at no one. "It's her fault. She cheated and lied! I don't need her! She's annoying anyway." He also ignored the fact that he was breathing heavily and was blissfully unaware of how pink his face was as he convinced himself that he never liked his sister - NOT HIS SISTER - anyway. He decided he wanted to go flying in the backyard, so he got his Lightning Bolt and opened his door, only to find his mother standing in front of him.
"Harry, I heard you yelling and slamming doors on the other side of the house and now your sister won't open her door!"
"She's not my sister, but I understand you taking your daughter's side against me!" he retorted, earning a slap in the face. Cindy looked horrified at herself a moment later.
"Harry, I'm sorry I hit you. I lost my temper. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said softly while rubbing the handprint on his cheek.
"Good. I'm sorry I hit you, but I want you to know that Brianna is your sister - biological or not - and I am your mother and love you just as much as Brianna! I've put up with you constantly belittling her long enough! She loves you and I know you love her no matter how mad you are! I will NOT tolerate you saying otherwise!"
"Fine. She's my sister. Are you happy?"
"Don't take that tone with me, young man. Go apologize to your sister."
"No! I'm not gonna do it!"
"Yes you will!"
Harry sneered at her. "My mother taught me never to lie. If I say I'm sorry, I'll be lying."
Cindy almost slapped Harry again before stopping herself. "Fine. Go back in your room then. You'll go without dinner tonight. And give me that broom so you don't get any ideas about sneaking out your window." She took the broom from his hands and walked back downstairs.
-
Dinner that evening was a quiet affair at McGonagall manor. Harry wasn't allowed to leave his room while Brianna refused to leave hers. Cindy could hear that her daughter was crying and wanted to help, but she'd locked the door. Obviously she could ask Minerva to open it magically, but she knew invading her daughter's privacy wouldn't comfort her. The three adults silently ate after Cindy had informed them of the situation.
Both children did show up on time for breakfast, but it was still a silent meal. Harry completely ignored his sister, while Brianna was constantly looking at the floor, not speaking to anyone. Cindy did notice that her daughter would occasionally glance at Harry. Both of the children had obviously gotten very little sleep, based off of the dark circles around their eyes. She also noted that Brianna's eyes were red and swollen from apparently crying all night.
She and her husband hadn't slept much either as they discussed their children. They'd reached the conclusion that forcing the children to pretend they forgave each other was pointless, so they had to just wait for them to resolve their differences and hope for the best. Immediately after breakfast, both kids went up to their respective rooms.
-
At 9:55, the fireplace came to life as large green flames appeared. Blinky appeared in the room immediately to see who the visitors were. A man, woman, and girl with bushy brown hair emerged.
"Oh, Mr., Mrs., and Miss Grangy! The masters is expecting you. Sit down while Blinky gets them!" With a small pop, the elf disappeared.
While wiping the soot off his suit, Adam said, "I don't think I'll ever get used to that method of travel."
"It does make one rather queasy," admitted Minerva as she entered the room, soon followed by the rest of her family. "Good morning."
After they all said hello, during which time Hermione looked into Harry's eyes expectantly, only for him to slightly shake his head. She also whispered 'Happy Birthday' to him, causing a small grin. Adam Granger decided to get down to business. "I suppose we should get to the reason we're here. Hermione is still insisting that Brianna borrowed her wand and interfered with that game. I won't pretend my daughter's perfect, but she's not in the habit of lying."
"Neither is mine," said Mark defensively, obviously tensing up as he looked Adam in the eye.
"I'm sure she isn't," said Marissa diplomatically. "We'd like to just talk with Brianna about it here in front of everybody to make sure before we pay the fine. After this we'll never bring it up again. We're only doing this because Hermione is being very insistent about this."
Taking a deep breath, Cindy admitted, "Harry is, too."
As gently as he could, Hermione's dad said, "Brianna, would you look me in the eyes and tell me that you're not the one who made the Cubs win?"
"I, I," said the young girl, blinking to fight back tears as she stared at her feet.
"Please look me in the eye. I promise I won't get mad."
The girl swallowed and her father said, "I think she's scared. Maybe it would be better if…"
"No!" said Brianna, finally looking at them as she began crying. "I did it. That player Lightfellow was using magic against the Cubs, so I decided to help them. I took Hermione's wand and…and I waited until the ninth inning and I…I cheated. I made them win. I'm a cheater!"
Minerva, Mark, and Cindy looked surprised and horrified. Adam and Marissa looked surprised and relieved. Harry and Hermione looked happy and smug. "Why didn't you tell us?" asked Mark. "Why did you let Hermione take the blame?"
Swallowing, the frightened girl admitted between sobs, "I was scared! I was scared so I…I didn't say anything." She turned to face Hermione. "I know you hate me now, but I'm sorry! You've always been nice to me, and I did this to you." She then turned to Harry. "Please forgive me! I'm so sorry! I wanna be your sister again!"
Adam and Marissa looked puzzled at this until Cindy whispered, "He said he didn't want her for his sister anymore." It wasn't precisely the truth, but there was no reason to reveal Harry's true identity over that slip up. The Grangers accepted that and nodded.
Mark was the first to speak to his daughter. "Brianna, you did wrong by taking Hermione's wand. You were also wrong to interfere with that game. You were wrong to let Hermione take the blame for it. You also were wrong to let us punish Harry for standing up for her. I am disappointed in you for waiting this long to come clean, but I'm proud of you for finally admitting the truth, and we both love you very much."
He sighed. "You're going to have to testify what you did in the American court, which means you'll be going back to America with me when I have to leave for work two weeks before Harry starts school. Your mother and I will discuss the rest of your punishment and let you know."
"Y-yes daddy."
He turned to the adult Grangers. "I sincerely apologize for this. I insist that we pay for your extra trip to America and that you stay at our house again."
"We understand exactly what it's like to not want to believe your daughter did wrong," said Adam. He turned to his daughter. "We're sorry for not believing you, honey. Obviously your punishment is over and we want to try to make it up to you. How would you like your own owl?"
"Really?" asked Hermione, beaming at her mother, who nodded in agreement.
Mark looked at Harry and Hermione. "I guess I owe you both a big apology. Hermione, I'm sorry that I took Brianna's word over yours. Harry, I'm sorry for punishing you for standing up for Hermione. I guess I haven't been a very good dad this summer."
"We both haven't been good parents," added Cindy while blinking back tears. "Harry, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I took Brianna's side. I know you felt I was playing favorites, but you've got to understand. It wasn't your word against Brianna's. It was Hermione's word against her. You didn't see who cheated and neither did I. You simply believed Hermione over your sister." She looked at Hermione. "I took my daughter's word over yours and was wrong, and I punished Harry for not siding with Brianna like I thought he should." She looked down and softly said, "I thought he was betraying the family."
"Mrs. McGonagall, you've only known me a year, but you've known Brianna for ten years. She's your daughter and I'm just a friend of Harry's. I understand why you'd believe her over me. I forgive you." She looked over to Brianna. "I can't tell you how betrayed I felt when you didn't tell Mr. Laughman the truth. I don't know that I'll be able to forget about this for a long time, but I…I forgive you and want to be your friend."
"Th-thank you, Hermione," she said, looking at her feet as she continued sobbing. "It's more than I deserve." Brianna then looked up at her brother, who'd remained silent since her confession. "H-Harry?"
Sighing, he looked his sister in the eyes. "I probably will have trouble trusting you for awhile, Brianna." She nodded as he took a deep breath. "I'm glad you finally admitted the truth and apologized." He saw his mom give him a small signal and he got up and walked toward her. "I love you, sis." He hugged Brianna tightly as she sobbed on his shoulder. They stayed that way for about fifteen seconds. While they were separating, Harry whispered, "This doesn't mean you aren't getting pranked," which caused her to giggle.
-
The next day found Cindy, Minnie, Harry, and Hermione at the zoo, all eating ice cream cones as they walked around, looking at the different types of animals. Mark was staying at the manor with Brianna, who was grounded. He didn't really like zoos much anyway.
"Mom, do you think that one looks like dad?" Harry was pointing at a large monkey with light-colored fur. He didn't look at the name of that species, but noticed that Hermione was studying them and taking notes on a legal pad she'd brought. He'd asked her if she expected a quiz at the end of the day when he'd first noticed it, earning a light slap on the arm.
Cindy looked at the monkey as closely as she could through its cage and seemed to be considering it. With a very serious face, she replied, "Your father has less hair," causing the others to start laughing loudly as a group of three people walked by them.
The largest member of that group was a very bulky man with a moustache that made him look like a walrus. An extremely thin woman was beside him, looking disgusted with everything she saw. They were followed closely by a very overweight boy who looked like a pig in a wig. He had a mean face.
The man looked at his wife, speaking loud enough so he knew he'd be overheard. "Do you see that family, Petunia? Laughing in public like that."
"It's disgraceful. Some people have no dignity. And that boy and girl with them. So homely-looking. Not like our handsome Dudders." She went to pinch the cheek of her twelve-year-old son, but he moved out of the way.
"Can we go to the reptile house, Dad? I'd like to look at snakes."
"Certainly, Dudley my boy. It's right this way." They walked off in that direction as Minerva stared at them with a pale expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Aunt Minnie?" asked Cindy. "Don't pay any attention to what those people said. There's nothing wrong with laughing."
"It's not that, Cindy. I recognize those people."
"You do?" asked Harry. "Are they wizards?"
"No. They're muggles. Muggles whose house I spent an entire day watching. Harry, those are the Dursleys."
"His biological family?" asked Hermione.
"Yes."
"Can we follow them to the reptile house?" asked Harry. "I'm curious about them." He then saw the concerned look on his mother's face. "They do seem as awful as Aunt Minnie said. I wonder how many truckloads of food they have delivered to their house every day for the guys. It looks like they don't leave any for Mrs. Dursley."
"If you'd like," said Cindy, not commenting on his remark.
By the time they'd caught up with the Dursleys, they found them in a room with several snakes in it. Dudley was staring at a rather large one looking bored and had asked his dad to, "Make it move." After the large man had tapped the glass, getting no response, the boy declared, "This is boring," and they shuffled away to look at a different snake.
Harry walked up to the one Dudley had been looking at. The sign said it was a Boa Constrictor that had been bred in the zoo. It also mentioned that they come from Brazil. He stared at the snake, which suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.
It winked.
Harry stared for a moment and then winked back. The snake gestured toward Dudley and Vernon Dursley and said, "I get that all the time."
"I'll bet," Harry replied. "It must be really annoying."
As Harry realized how unusual it was to talk to a snake, remembering from 'Hogwarts, A History' that Parseltongue is a very rare gift that Salazar Slytherin was famous for, he felt himself pushed to the side. He barely managed to stay on his feet.
He looked back to see the boy he knew was his cousin yelling, "Dad, Mum, look at what this snake is doing!" Harry wanted so much to pull out his wand and curse that bully, but figured he'd get in trouble with the Ministry of Magic.
"Move out of the way, boy," came the voice of the walrus behind him. "I want to see this and you shouldn't dawdle. Go rejoin your family."
When the man said the word 'family' he sounded like he thought they were disgraces to the human species. Harry looked at them closely for the first time in his life. His biological mother's sister was standing next to her husband and son. The two adults were glaring at him while their son was watching the snake go back to sleep. Harry's party was on the other side of the room watching.
"Actually, you are my family," he said calmly.
The man's complexion turned purple. "What do you mean, boy? We've never seen you before today! If you're trying to get charity…"
"Oh, no. You are Vernon and Petunia Dursley, aren't you?" They nodded while staring at him suspiciously. "My name is Harry Potter. You're my aunt and uncle."
At the mention of the word 'Potter' he saw their eyes bulge out and then a look of fear flash across their faces.
"Then I suppose you're one of those," Petunia looked around for eavesdroppers. "Freaks like them."
"If you mean I'm a wi…mph." At that moment Vernon's hand went over Harry's mouth.
Not two seconds later a woman shouted, "Get your filthy hands off my son, Dursley!" while Harry was kneeing the bulky man in the crotch. Minerva began doing magical crowd control, putting a compulsion on all the muggles to leave that room while Vernon bent forward, holding himself in pain. His face was now tomato red as Harry moved away from him toward his real family.
"Your son?" asked Petunia while Vernon was muttering curse words. "You're not Lily. He said…"
"James and Lily Potter died eleven years ago," said Harry calmly. "She's my adopted mum."
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Vernon coldly, finally standing up straight again just in time for Minerva to slap him across the face. She looked angrier than Harry had ever seen her before.
"Lily and James were the kindest, bravest, and most selfless people I ever knew! You're the bad rubbish! I'm so glad Harry wasn't cursed with you as his guardians!"
"Lily's dead?" asked Petunia softly.
"Yes," answered Cindy. "Someone wanted to leave Harry with you, but Aunt Minnie…" She pointed at Minerva. "…didn't think it was a good idea and persuaded my husband and me to adopt him instead - the best decision we ever made!" She smiled at her boy.
"He'd have been straight to the orphanage if they'd tried to saddle us with that freak!" declared Vernon while Petunia stared at her nephew. "He's obviously an ill-mannered hooligan who hasn't been taught any discipline."
"We've taught him self defense!" hissed Cindy at the disgrace of a man.
"You have Lily's eyes," Petunia declared softly while continuing to stare at her nephew.
"Come on, Petunia, Dudley! Let's get away from these freaks! Boy, don't you try coming around our house! You're not welcome there!"
While they were leaving the reptile house, Harry looked at Aunt Minnie. "You were right. They are the worst sort of muggles imaginable. Although Aunt Petunia seemed more civil after she found out her sister was dead." He shrugged his shoulders. "She must've been in shock."
"I'm sorry that those poor excuses for human beings treated you like that, Harry," said Hermione. "It's hard to believe that they could be related to someone as kind and compassionate as you."
"They're not really my family," said Harry, leaving the implied ending unsaid.
"Harry," said Hermione, "Er, were you actually talking to that snake before…"
"Yes. I never knew I was a Parselmouth before, but it just seemed natural. Er, could you keep that a secret? I don't want the other kids freaking out or anything."
"They might even decide you're the Heir of Slytherin or something if they find out," added his best friend. "I promise I won't tell."
"Neither shall I," said Minerva.
-
Finally, the day that eleven years' worth of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs had been waiting for arrived. Severus Snape was being forced to answer for his conduct at Hogwarts.
Harry had gone with his whole family. His parents thought watching a hearing would be educational for Brianna and she was happy just to get out of the house. Not to mention that as a future Hogwarts student, she also had a vested interest in the outcome.
Harry, Hermione, and about two hundred other people ranging in ages from twenty-nine to twelve were sitting on bleachers in a room that was separate from the courtroom. There were five court officials at the front of the room watching them. Looking around, Harry noticed that he recognized several students with them. Penelope Clearwater was sitting next to Oliver Wood. All the members of Harry's study group were there, sitting near their housemates. He counted six Weasleys present, sitting together. He recognized Charlie, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy. The other one was obviously the oldest. He had a fanged earring and a ponytail, and seemed 'cool' to Harry.
He also noticed several Slytherins, including Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, sitting as far away from everyone else as possible. They all had smug looks on their faces, and Harry had a hard time keeping a straight face as he realized that they planned to testify what a great guy Snape was - which was exactly what his lawyers were counting on.
One of the officials, a tall, thin woman with wire-rimmed glasses and dark brown hair, who appeared to be about twenty-eight, began to speak.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Justice Doright. As you know, we're all here today because a complaint has been lodged against Professor Severus Snape. He has been accused of harassment, favoritism, and abuse of power. These are not criminal but civil charges, and if he's found guilty, his punishment will be in the form of losing his job and possibly paying a fine, so you don't have to worry about putting him in Azkaban."
Harry figured that she'd said that so the younger students wouldn't feel guilty about telling the truth. He knew some of the horror stories about Azkaban and would probably have a problem sending anyone there for any charge less than murder.
"My associates will be passing out vials to each of you, and then we will instruct you on how to copy a memory to place inside of it if you're not familiar with the spell. We will then ask you to deposit any memories that you feel exemplify Professor Snape's character. Any incidents where you feel he was particularly unprofessional, cruel, unfair, just, friendly, generous, or merciful would be appropriate for you to deposit. They will be shown to the court and you'll be placed on the stand and questioned about them. While these memories aren't considered absolute proof, they hold as much weight as any testimony and help tremendously to avoid misunderstanding of testimony."
After the vials were passed around, Harry immediately began pulling memories out of his head, ignoring the instructors who were educating the others in a procedure he was very familiar with. He started with a few moments of the opening feast. Then his first day of Potions. Before long, he'd raised his hand just after the instructions were completed.
"Yes, Mr?"
"McGonagall, ma'am. Harry McGonagall. I was wondering if I could have a few more vials." He heard chuckles around him, and saw that the woman herself seemed to have a hard time keeping a straight face. It was then that he realized that based off of her age, it was very likely that she had been one of Snape's students.
"Certainly, Mr. McGonagall," she said, glancing at one of the officials. "If anyone else needs more vials, please raise your hand now." Judging by how many people raised their hands, Harry realized that it would be a long trial.
-
Before the trial began, it had been explained that the student witnesses were kept in the same room and would go first, followed by other witnesses who were kept isolated until after giving their testimony so that they wouldn't be influenced by what others have previously testified. Brianna watched silently while sitting with her parents as the courtroom was called to order.
Since it wasn't a full criminal trial, there were only ten members of the Wizengamot present, most of which were friendly with Harry's C.A.R.E. group. Since Dumbledore was a witness in this case, he couldn't act as Chief Warlock. Instead, Augusta Longbottom did. A few people objected because her grandson was one of the witnesses, but she pointed out the fact that nearly every family in the wizarding world has a member that is a witness in this case.
That was certainly true, as was reflected by all the members of the press that were present. Five were allowed in the room itself, with strict orders to keep their mouths shut and to not use a Quick Quotes Quill. Several other reporters were waiting outside. A few days before, news of this trial had leaked out and the Daily Prophet, along with a few other publications, had put the story on the front page. The spectator area was quite crowded. Hogwarts' entire board of governors was there as well.
When it was time to make opening statements, Matthew Marcus, their British lawyer, spoke first.
"Witches and Wizards, we are gathered here today because of a great injustice that has been thrust upon our children to interfere with their education. A man so vile he has only one friend in the world has been in a position of authority at Hogwarts for eleven years. He has verbally abused scores of students rather than teach the important subject that is Potions. He has shown blatant favoritism to the house of Slytherin, which he is the head of, and has taught by example that cheating is the way to succeed. The only reason for that is because his friend happens to be Headmaster Dumbledore, who has ignored hundreds of complaints against him. We are here to do Headmaster Dumbledore's job - to make Severus Snape accountable for his actions."
There was a mixed response from the audience, but most of them supported Marcus. When he was seated, his opponent, Kevin Killjoy, got up from his seat next to a sneering Snape, and made his speech.
"Upstanding witches and fine wizards of the gloried Wizengamot, a travesty of justice is being attempted in this room. The students are trying to control Hogwarts. The honorable Severus Snape exercises proper discipline in his classroom, as many of his colleagues fail to do, and is now being put on trial for it."
"Very well. The prosecution may call its first witness," said Justice Doright, who had entered the courtroom a few minutes before the hearing began. She was conducting this civil hearing. Her job was to make sure proper procedure was followed, while the Wizengamot would determine whether Snape would be fired.
Sam Gordon, the American lawyer who was working with Matthew Marcus, replied. "Our first witness is Harry McGonagall."
Brianna watched her brother enter the room confidently carrying five vials with some type of silvery substance inside them. She believed they were Pensieve memories, but had never actually seen them. Harry took the stand.
After he was sworn in, Mr. Gordon began questioning him. "Please state your full name, please."
"Harry Mark McGonagall."
"How old are you?"
"I'll be twelve on the twelfth of this month."
"What type of citizenship do you hold?"
"Duel citizenship - America and Great Britain."
"I see. Where do you attend school?"
"Hogwarts."
"Doesn't one of your relatives teach at that school?"
"Yes. My aunt-actually great aunt Professor Minerva McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor, and Transfiguration teacher."
"What house were you sorted into when you began attending?"
"Ravenclaw."
"I see. What are those vials in your hands?"
"They're memories of some of my encounters with Professor Snape. I was told they'd be shown as evidence."
Sam smiled. He was looking forward to this. "You are correct. Would you please give me the first vial?"
Harry handed it over, and the lawyer walked over to the large projection Pensieve in the center of the room and emptied the vial into it. He pulled out his wand and started the memory, which showed Harry sitting with his friends in the Great Hall. He performed a spell and the projection froze. "Would you please tell us when this incident occurred, Mr. McGonagall?"
"That was my first dinner at Hogwarts, right after I'd been sorted."
The scene was played out before everyone, showing how Snape had tried to read his mind. Harry then explained that he'd learned Occlumency because his aunt had warned him about Snape's mind rapes. Next he showed his first Potions class where he was quizzed by Snape. On and on the memories went, taking up about an hour (most were about five minutes long) while Mr. Killjoy looked more and more upset. When it was finally time to cross-examine Harry, the short, stout, balding man looked ready to kill.
"Mr. McGonagall, that is quite a collection of memories you've provided."
"I'm glad you enjoyed them."
"The only question is if they're authentic or exaggerated."
"Objection!" said Matthew Marcus.
Justice Doright said, "Sustained. Please restrict yourself to asking questions instead of making vague accusations."
Killjoy replied, "Certainly, your honor. I apologize." He then turned to Harry, who was controlling his temper like the lawyers had told him. "Mr. McGonagall, are you claiming that everything we saw happened between yourself and Professor Snape during the past year?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it true that you'd constantly provoked him to the point that he regrettably lost his temper a few times?"
"No. He always started on me from day one. As you saw, he tried to rape my mind at the welcoming feast, and then in our first class he started quizzing me on advanced potions. Then, when I answered him correctly, he docked house points and tried to rape my mind again!"
"When you say, 'rape my mind,' you are dramatizing the mere use of Legilimency on yourself, a likely suspect for rule-breaking."
"I don't know how else to describe rummaging through someone's thoughts and memories without their permission!" A signal from Marcus told Harry he was beginning to lose his temper, so he took a few calming breaths. "My thoughts belong to me and no one has the right to look through them without my express permission. That's why my aunt taught me Legilimency. She knew what Snape has been doing and didn't want me to be yet another victim. Snape is suspicious of anyone not wearing green and silver."
Killjoy now seemed sorry he'd commented on Harry's metaphor but continued his questions. "Oh yes, the accusations of 'blatant favoritism.' Just because you were barely capable of producing an adequate potion for the class you've come up with this whole scheme."
Harry asked a question now. "Are you referring to my Potions final that Snape gave an 'acceptable' grade to?"
"Yes," the lawyer said with a sneer. "Obviously you don't have enough skills necessary to excel in his class."
"Actually, my lawyers have proof that I made that potion perfectly but Snape decided to give me a bad grade anyway." He looked at the lawyers expectantly.
At this point Gordon spoke up. "Your honor, since Mr. Killjoy has brought up this matter, I'd like your permission to introduce evidence we'd planned on presenting later. It directly relates to this line of questioning. Afterwards he can resume his cross examination."
"Very well," answered Doright while Killjoy nodded stiffly.
Gordon stood up holding two vials half-full of a potion and two rolls of parchment. "Knowing how unprofessional Professor Snape behaves, both Harry McGonagall and Hermione Granger (also of Ravenclaw) decided to turn in a sample of their final potion to their head of house, Professor Flitwick, who will be testifying later, immediately after their Potions final exam. He had them both checked by a certified Potions master and they were perfect. This is what's left of the samples and these are the results of the test. Either Professor Snape faked their grades or he is incapable of properly evaluating potions." He placed the potions on the evidence table and handed the reports to the judge. He sat back down.
Killjoy, with a sour look on his face, turned back toward Harry, who was grinning. "You stole someone else's potion to turn into Professor Flitwick, didn't you?" he hissed.
"No sir," said Harry calmly. "I'll be glad to provide you with that memory." Without being asked, he took out his wand and pulled out the memory while Mr. Marcus walked up to him with a vial for him to place it in. Marcus then placed it in the Pensieve from the moment Harry and Hermione bottled their samples for both Flitwick and Snape until they'd turned in both samples.
Killjoy looked very upset with Harry, but seemed to have realized that he wouldn't win this round. "No further questions." Harry then was allowed to join his family.
The next witness was Draco Malfoy, who strutted into the courtroom like the pureblood idiot he is.
Matthew Marcus handled this witness. "For the record, please state your full name."
"Draco Lucius Malfoy," he replied cockily.
"When were you born?"
"The fifth of June in 1980." Judging by Draco's tone of voice, that was the greatest day in the history of the world.
"That makes you twelve years old. Where do you attend school?"
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"What house are you in?"
With an arrogant sneer, he answered, "Slytherin House."
"What do you think of Professor Snape?"
"He's my godfather, as well as my favorite teacher. He is very understanding if a student is having problems. He's personally helped me in his class when I asked. He's very fair."
"Did you bring a vial of memories for us to view?"
Pulling it out of his pocket, he grinned. "Of course."
To Harry's amusement, the handful of memories Draco chose all included him being blatantly favored over non-Slytherins. He saw Draco accusing Neville Longbottom of sabotaging his potion when the Gryffindor was nowhere near him. Snape took his word for it without even asking the terrified Neville and gave him detention, taking twenty points from Gryffindor. Harry noticed the angry expression on Mrs. Longbottom's face while she was watching the memory.
In another, a Hufflepuff girl walked up to Snape during a meal and asked for help, only to be rejected and insulted. Draco was right behind her and asked the same question, receiving help. The next scene showed Snape giving private detailed Potions lessons in what was clearly the Slytherin common room. Harry noticed Lucius Malfoy bury his face in his hands while that scene played out for all to see. It was all he could do not to laugh.
"So Mr. Malfoy, you are testifying that all these situations are true and really happened?"
"Absolutely," he answered with another arrogant sneer.
"Does Professor Snape regularly give Potions lessons in the Slytherin Common Room?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He wants to make sure we'll be able to pass our O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s when the time comes. He says he can't teach most of the subject in class because the imbeciles from the other houses wouldn't understand it."
"I see. I have no further questions." He turned to Mr. Killjoy. "Your witness."
"Surely these tutoring sessions are just a review of material Professor Snape has previously covered," asked the lawyer, winking at Draco.
"No. He never talks about most of…" He paused, looking straight at Mr. Killjoy for about five seconds until a switch seemed to go off in his head. "Of course. Professor Snape teaches everyone from all the houses equally." Harry looked around the Wizengamot panel, happy to note that every one of them realized Draco was lying, including a red-faced Augusta Longbottom.
Killjoy's face was just as red as Augusta's, but for a different reason. "I have no further questions," he stated quickly before Draco could provide more rope to hang Snape with. Draco proudly strutted over to his parents, oblivious to the fact that Lucius looked ready to crucio him.
"You see," said Mr. Gordon while he was supposed to be calling the next witness, "Professor Snape clearly favors his own house." After Justice Doright shot him a quick look, he continued, "I now call Miss Hermione Granger to the stand."
She was led in answered questions, providing several memories. When any of them were determined to be the same one Harry had provided, they were skipped. Mr. Killjoy seemed to have lost some of his zeal after the first two witnesses, and wasn't very hard on Hermione.
The lawyers rotated between Slytherins and non-Slytherins (until they ran out of Slytherin students), getting consistent results. Even the prefect, Percy Weasley admitted that Snape wasn't fair to Gryffindors. Penelope admitted that if Snape stayed at the school she would have to give up her dream of being a healer because she simply 'can't take that git's abuse!'
When they were finished with the students, they broke off for a half-hour lunch before they heard the same story from all the alumni. The Slytherins liked Snape and no one else did. Some of them testified (and showed memories) of being kicked out of advanced Potions class for such ridiculous reasons as breathing too loudly or sabotaging a Slytherin whose cauldron blew up on the other side of the room. They then brought in several parents who testified to having sent complaints to Dumbledore that never had any results.
A representative of the Wizarding Examinations Authority then testified (and brought proof) how O.W.L. Potions scores for anyone besides Slytherins have plummeted since Snape started teaching. He also testified that the number of non-Slytherins who take the Potions N.E.W.T. have dropped eighty percent, but those select few students who take it do well.
After that, teachers were called to the stand, all testifying at a minimum that Snape was an unpleasant man, while many had seen him be rude or unfair to students. Madam Sprout testified that several of her students over the past decade had changed their career goals just to avoid Snape and that she'd informed the headmaster, achieving no results. Flitwick said the same thing, adding specific situations involving Harry and Hermione, including their Potions final.
Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall then took the stand. After answering the initial questions about her name and position, she began talking about all the complaints she'd received about the greasy git. "Professor Snape is the reason I purchased a Pensieve nearly ten years ago. I'd received so many complaints about that man I knew they had to be true. When I tried telling Headmaster Dumbledore about it, he'd just tell me that he trusts Snape, and nothing would be done. I'd foolishly thought that if Professor Dumbledore could see for himself how Snape acts, he'd change his mind. I was mistaken."
"How many times would you guess you've shown the headmaster a memory of Mr. Snape acting in an unprofessional manner?" asked Mr. Marcus.
"I don't remember off the top of my head, but my logbook and case of memories are on the evidence table. I know that there are well over a thousand separate instances there, and Albus has seen them all."
"Why do you believe Headmaster Dumbledore has ignored all these complaints?"
"Because Professor Snape was helpful in the war against You-Know-Who."
"But what has that got to do with the teaching profession?"
"Professor Dumbledore feels Snape needs protection, and allowing him to stay at Hogwarts is his solution to that problem."
"So it's not about Professor Snape's teaching skills. It's about protecting him."
Minerva sighed before frowning. "I'm afraid that the Headmaster is more interested in protecting Snape than educating students. I can't tell you how many Gryffindors I've had in career counseling who had hoped to become healers, aurors, or countless other occupations but changed their minds when I informed them they would need a Potions N.E.W.T. to do it.
"The result has been that in the past decade, there has been a shortage of people entering those fields. The majority of people who have were Slytherins, and I suspect it's because he tutors them in their common room, although I've never been able to prove it. Only a select few non-Slytherins have had the courage to try taking Advanced Potions, and half of them are kicked out for questionable reasons that Professor Dumbledore refuses to investigate."
"It may interest you to learn that Mr. Draco Malfoy and other Slytherin students testified that Professor Snape does indeed conduct Potions lessons in the Slytherin Common Room. Malfoy admitted that it's material that isn't covered in the classroom." Minerva's face went from pale to pink to red in a matter of seconds. She was obviously furious.
The lawyer continued, "We have also seen memories of some of those incidents where students were ejected from Advanced Potions with no evidence of wrongdoing aside from Professor Snape's say-so. I know you've been fighting to purge the school of this unprofessional man for a long time. Hopefully your goal will be fulfilled today." Turning to Snape's defense attorney, Mr. Marcus concluded, "Your witness."
Upon seeing Minerva's glare, Mr. Killjoy gulped and loosened his collar. He wished he'd never taken this case. He got up to ask his questions. "Isn't it considered unprofessional to interfere with and judge another professor's teaching methods?"
"Teaching methods? TEACHING METHODS!" Minerva's Scottish blood was beginning to boil. "That miserable excuse for a man only teaches Slytherins, leaving three-fourths of the students to teach themselves!"
"Well, self-reliance is…"
"Self-reliance? Hogwarts is a school that employs teachers to actually teach their subject to the students! My job description did not say that I should make my students figure out Transfiguration on their own while I laugh at their failures, and I don't think it's supposed to be different in Potions! It wasn't that way when I was a student, anyway!"
"No further questions," said Killjoy, clearly afraid of Aunt Minnie's temper.
Sam Gordon got up from his chair. "At this point, we'd like to call in two witnesses who have been indirectly affected by this situation. Madam Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will now take the stand."
A broad, square-jawed witch with very short gray hair, thick eyebrows and a monocle confidently walked to the stand.
"Please state your full name and position for the record, Madam."
"Amelia Susan Bones, head of the DMLE."
"When you heard about this case recently, you came to us, asking to testify. Why?"
"Because Severus Snape has done our country grievous harm."
"What do you mean?"
"As you know, a Potions N.E.W.T. is required in order to enter my department to become an auror or almost any other position. I've brought charts that show a steady decline of applicants since that man took over the position of teaching Potions. We've only had four applicants over the last three years who weren't members of Slytherin house. The bottom line is that we now receive only thirty percent of the number of applicants that we used to receive. Many of our master aurors are nearing retirement age but we don't have enough young aurors to replace them. I estimate that if things keep going the way they are that by 1996 our auror force will be half the size it was ten years ago." That statement brought ten seconds of silence over the whole courtroom.
"Madam Bones, do you have anything else to add?"
"Only that I implore each member of the jury to do what is best for your country and not let the apparent blindness of Albus Dumbledore cripple our auror force." She'd wanted to add that most of the Slytherin applicants came from families with members that had served Voldemort (under the laughable excuse of the Imperius curse), but knew that it wouldn't help the case."
"Your witness."
Having listened to three heads of houses complain that their students were denied their dreams of becoming an auror, Killjoy knew Bones was right. He further knew that she could intimidate him a lot more that he could intimidate her. By this time, even he wanted Snape fired. When he'd taken the case, he hadn't realized how bad things were. Dumbledore had told him it was just a misunderstanding between a student who was related to McGonagall and Professor Snape. He wanted to drop the case now, but knew he couldn't. He simply muttered, "I have no questions for this witness."
Next they brought in the head of St. Mungo's, who said basically the same thing Amelia had said, only about Healers.
At this point, Mr. Killjoy called the first of his two witnesses (if you count Snape, who'd insisted against Killjoy's advice that he be allowed to testify), "Albus Dumbledore," for all the good it would do.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, would you please tell the court why you hired Professor Snape to the position of Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House eleven years ago."
"Because he is a certified Potions master and had been a Slytherin. I stand by my decision."
"Have the complaints against him made you ever wonder if hiring him was a good decision?"
"No. I trust Severus Snape."
Killjoy knew that even with these questions, Dumbledore was burying himself and Snape. He further knew that Gordon and Marcus were going to roast him alive and eat him for dinner. Unfortunately, he didn't know any question he could ask Dumbledore and get a good answer, but he still had to try. "What have you done when you've received complaints about Professor Snape?"
"I've spoken to him about them, and he assured me that they were merely complaining that they'd either earned a bad mark on an assignment or had been caught misbehaving."
At this point Killjoy wanted to strangle DumbOldDork. He really didn't care about the students involved! Killjoy wasn't exactly a nice person, but he expected Hogwarts to be run properly. Yet this idiot didn't seem to take thousands of complaints against the same teacher seriously. He was done protecting Albus from the wolves. He turned to the other side of the courtroom. "Your witness."
The two lawyers had previously flipped a coin over who would handle Dumbledore, and Matthew Marcus had won.
"Professor Dumbledore, you answered the question of why you put Professor Snape in his current position, but you didn't say why you decided to hire him in the first place."
"He became a spy for our side during the war against Voldemort at great personal risk."
"I see. So you hired him as a teacher for help in a war that ended two months after he started teaching."
"Yes. It was a perfect position to spy from."
"Why didn't you let him go after the war ended?"
"He needed protection from the Death Eaters who are still loose, and Hogwarts seemed the safest place for him."
"So what you're saying is that his position has nothing to do with his qualifications or the students' best interests. You are simply helping a man who acts like a Death Eater when he's in the classroom! You don't hold him accountable for his actions and ignore thousands of complaints against him. You further ignore the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results that speak for themselves and say what a poor teacher Professor Snape is!"
"I trust Severus Snape," Dumbledore calmly replied with a twinkle in his eye, as though that alone should put everyone at ease.
"To do what?"
Taken aback by that question, Albus had to think for a second. "He's not a Death Eater."
"Although that's hard to believe based off his behavior toward everyone in Hogwarts except you, let's say you're right. What has that got to do with anything? There are tons of people who aren't Death Eaters. That doesn't mean they can or should all teach. Half the prisoners in Azkaban had nothing to do with You-Know-Who, yet they committed crimes. Do you think they should teach at your school?"
"Of course not. Severus Snape is a good teacher."
"According to who? The only students that like him are from his own house, which he blatantly favors. Your own Deputy Headmistress has been complaining about him for years." He walked over to the table and picked up a scroll. After showing it to Dumbledore, he asked, "Do you recognize what this is?"
With downcast eyes, the old man answered, "It's a chart of all the house points Severus has given and taken every year since he started at Hogwarts."
"Have you noticed any pattern?"
Sighing Albus admitted, "Over the past eleven years, Severus has never taken a single point from Slytherin." There were gasps all over the room.
"Anything else?"
"He's never given a point to Gryffindor or Hufflepuff at all, but has given one point to Ravenclaw each year except this one."
"Anything else?"
"He's taken approximately a thousand points from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff and given three thousand points to Slytherin every year."
"According to Professor McGonagall, you have been shown these lists every year. Is that true?"
"Yes. But that doesn't prove he's a Death Eater."
"That's not what this trial is about, sir. Your job as headmaster is to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. Part of that is making sure your teachers do that. Instead, you hired someone who you owe a personal favor to and not only made him a teacher but head of house, and then you don't hold him accountable for his blatant favoritism and abuse of authority despite over a decade of complaints.
"It makes me wonder what other ways you have ignored the students' best interests. Professor Dumbledore, you are not on trial here, but I would recommend that the Hogwarts board of governors reevaluate the wisdom of keeping you as headmaster. If I'm not mistaken, there were other matters that occurred at Hogwarts this year due to your decision to use the school full of children to store an artifact that you knew had attracted the attention of a powerful dark wizard. The end result was a teacher's death and students being injured."
"Objection," said Killjoy softly, still trying to do his job. "Harassing the witness."
"Sustained," said Justice Doright half-heartedly. "Stick to asking questions."
"How long have you known that Professor Snape uses Legilimency on unsuspecting students?"
"Since he started at Hogwarts. It's a security precaution."
"You're saying that trying to rape the mind of an eleven-year-old who just got sorted is a security precaution?"
"Well…"
"How could you possibly have ignored the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results over the past decade?"
"I asked Professor Snape about it, and he explained that many of the students of this generation are simply not good at Potions and won't ask him for help."
"And you trust Severus Snape."
"Yes."
"Have you ever thought of spying on him?"
"That would be unethical," said Dumbledore, showing offence at such an idea.
"Not as unethical as subjecting students to Severus Snape!"
"Objection," said Killjoy, despite the fact he agreed with that statement.
"Sustained."
"My apologies. I have no further questions."
Finally the person on trial took the stand. He was wearing the same type of black robes that he wore at Hogwarts. He had a sneer on his face as he strutted to the stand. After answering the basic questions of his name and position, Mr. Killjoy began asking the pertinent questions they'd rehearsed. Snape's answers were as close to friendly as the git was capable of.
"Do you favor students from Slytherin over others?"
"Of course not. What McGonagall and Granger have told you is utter rubbish. I treat all the students fairly."
"Do you conduct Potions tutoring sessions in the Slytherin common room?"
"I have helped my students when they've asked for it."
"Have you ever tutored a non-Slytherin?"
"I don't recall which houses the various students I've helped in my time at Hogwarts have been affiliated with."
"Do you perform Legilimency on students without their knowledge or consent?"
"Yes, as a security measure. If I feel a student is up to something, it's my duty to find out what."
"What makes you suspect a student?"
"It could be anything. The point is that I suspect them. The Headmaster approves."
"Are you aware of the falling scores on Potions O.W.L.s?"
"Yes. It is quite tragic that so many students are doing poorly at that subject but are too stubborn to come to me for help. Fortunately, most of those in my own house do come to me so I can help them. As a result, very few students make it to my N.E.W.T. classes."
Although Snape was doing good at giving his answers, the crowd, including the Wizengamot jury, had heard far too many witnesses for this to do a bit of good. They knew that this man had been a spy either for Voldemort or Dumbledore (one of them was fooled), so he was an extremely gifted liar.
"I have no further questions."
Sam Gordon then began asking questions. "Why did you find it necessary to rape Harry McGonagall's mind five minutes after he was sorted?"
Although Snape's ears turned pink, he remained outwardly calm. "I'd heard he'd had an altercation with my godson Draco Malfoy, and wanted to make sure he wasn't planning on attacking Young Malfoy."
"Why did you give Mr. McGonagall a pop quiz during your first class with him, and take house points away because he answered your questions right?"
"I wanted to know the level of Potions knowledge that he'd learned in the American school he'd attended, which was excellent. Unfortunately I've found that his skill in brewing Potions leaves much to be desired. The points were taken for his cheek, not for answering my questions."
Gordon picked up the scroll he'd previously used to show Harry's Potion final results. "Both Mr. McGonagall and Miss Granger kept an extra vial of their final potion and handed it in to their head of house. He had it tested. This is the result of Mr. McGonagall's and Miss Granger's is similar. They are very different from the results you gave them. How do you explain it?"
Snape's face was getting pink, and his irritation was starting to show as he read the report. "They cheated! They're both arrogant know-it-alls who think they can get away with anything. They obviously stole a sample from another student's cauldron."
"We've seen their memories of taking the samples out of their own cauldrons and handing one to you and one to Professor Flitwick."
"Then they faked it! Pensieve memories can be falsified!"
"By twelve-year-olds? Most fifty-year-old wizards and witches aren't capable of doing a convincing job of that and you're saying they can? They must be true prodigies then." There was mild chuckling in the courtroom as Snape got angrier. Albus was getting nervous. He knew they'd lose all hope if Snape lost his temper. "I'm surprised that geniuses like them can't handle first year potions, especially since Mr. McGonagall got straight O's in that class in America, which by the way does grade potion brewing skills."
"He thinks he knows everything because of that stupid school he went to, not to mention he's related to the Deputy Headmistress, so he struts around the school like he owns it! He thinks he's better than everybody else! He's even decided that he can get me fired, but he can't!"
Seeing that Snape was losing his temper, Sam decided to bait him some more. "But he is getting you fired. He's planning a victory party tonight."
Snape completely lost control as he stood up with his face red. "Dumbledore won't fire me no matter what I do! I could crucio a student in the Great Hall during a meal and he wouldn't care! He promised me…" Suddenly Severus came to himself and realized what he was saying and closed his mouth as he sat down. Dumbledore, who was now sitting in the audience, was looking horrified.
"What did he promise you?"
"Nothing," said Snape, obviously lying.
"You will answer the question," said Justice Doright with a stern look.
"He promised me I would always be able to work at Hogwarts as long as he was headmaster," said Snape with his head down. There were several murmurs across the courtroom as Dumbledore put his face in his hands.
Harry noticed that Lucius Malfoy was now smiling and wanted to know why. It only took him a moment to realize that even though Lucius wanted Snape to stay at Hogwarts, he would use this opportunity to demand Dumbledore's resignation, and he'd be successful. Dumbledore had proven himself completely incapable of treating Hogwarts like a school. Instead, it was a place where he could give secure jobs to his friends, regardless of how they perform those jobs. Logically speaking, Aunt Minnie should be appointed headmistress when that happens, but he was worried that Malfoy may try to pull something off and put one of his friends in the position. He'd have to make sure his aunt openly sought the position.
Mr. Killjoy was the first to give his closing remarks after Snape was seated next to Albus. "I've tried to show that Professor Snape's actions have been justifiable," he said, but it was obvious his heart wasn't in it. He knew what the verdict would be.
Mr. Marcus gave the final closing remarks. "Witches and Wizards, Professor Snape has consistently abused his position at Hogwarts for the past eleven years, and must not be allowed to continue. He has failed in performing his duty of teaching Potions to the point that our world is in jeopardy due to the small number of people receiving N.E.W.T.s in that subject. He invades the minds of students, and mistreats everyone who's not in his house. He is a disgrace to Hogwarts, and a stain upon its reputation that must be removed. We must demand a higher quality of education for our children, and proper instructors are necessary for that. He is teaching the Slytherins that the way to achieve success is by favoritism and cruelty, and this must stop. Members of the Wizengamot jury, I implore you to demand his removal from Hogwarts, for our children's sake."
"The jury will convene to determine a verdict," said Justice Doright. The ten members of the Wizengamot were led out of the main courtroom to discuss the case while the McGonagalls plus Hermione walked up to Sam Gordon and Matthew Marcus, who were preparing to leave once the verdict was reached. Harry didn't notice Lucius Malfoy slightly shake his head 'no' when a member of the jury looked at him questioningly.
"You guys did a good job," commented Harry once they were in earshot.
"This was an easy case. Nobody believes in Snape except Dumbledore. I just hope no one's going to cause a hung jury by refusing to admit the obvious," said Gordon.
"Would they do that?" asked Hermione.
"If they were bribed enough," said Marcus. "However, I think it would be too obvious in this case that the troublemaker had been bribed. It would ruin that person's reputation."
At that moment, after less than ten minutes, the jury reentered the room and declared a verdict. Augusta Longbottom was their spokeswoman. "We the jury in this case have concluded that Severus Snape will be banned from Hogwarts with an injunction against working as a professor for the rest of his life. We also fine both him and Albus Dumbledore the sum of ten thousand Galleons each. Snape for his conduct and Dumbledore for his extreme negligence. We also recommend that Hogwarts' board of governors reevaluate their faith in the headmaster. The twenty thousand Galleons will be redistributed among every non-Slytherin student that sat under Mr. Snape based off of how many years they endured it. This won't end up being very much money per person, but it is the Ministry's way of apologizing for not putting a stop to Snape's abuses years ago. We also demand that Hogwarts hold extra Potions N.E.W.T. night classes open to the public for the next four years, in hope that some of the former students who have been forced to give up their dreams because of Mr. Snape will pick those dreams back up. Those classes will be free of charge."
There was much clapping in the courtroom until Justice Doright called the room to order long enough to say, "Case closed."
-
Please review. Thank you to those who have.
There was more I'd planned on doing in this chapter, but it's already very long.
I know that this justice system is slightly different than any muggle justice system I'm familiar with.
As to the Dursleys not knowing James and Lily were dead - Dumbledore obliviated them after questioning whether Harry was left with them or not.
By the way, I now have a C2 in my fanfiction.net profile that has several good Harry/Hermione stories that you may want to read.