The Death of a Soul

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Chapter Thirty One

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It was two hours before sunset when Ron finally found Hermione sitting under a large tree. She had disappeared shortly after their ‘discussion’ with Dumbledore and Fudge. It was three to one, but Fudge had stood his ground, and insisted Snape had the right to spent one last night with his husband - with the condition that Snape and Harry were willing, and that Harry would be restrained from doing magic. Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione argued that it was Harry who was in danger – not Snape.

But Harry had agreed. And Hermione ran off crying.

Ron had searched everywhere for her – always ending back at the library time, and time again. Madam Pince was not pleased, needless to say. Seeing that Hermione was not at the Gryffindor table for dinner, Ron had questioned everyone. He had been relieved to hear from Padma Patil that she had seen Hermione, sitting outside under the tree. ‘The tree,’ Ron thought absently. ‘What was so bloody special about that tree?’

After grabbing a blanket from off his bed, Ron headed down to her. He approached her quietly, and noticed that she was slumped over shivering – from the cool air or her possible tears, he didn’t know. Ron gently draped the blanket over Hermione, and she didn’t even flinch at the unexpected touch. He sat down next to her, and without a second thought, placed his arm around her. She immediately leaned towards him.

They sat there silently for a few minutes, Ron not daring to say a word, and Hermione buried her face into Ron’s jacket. He rubbed her arms up and down, part in comfort, part in warming her. Finally, she looked up. As he suspected, Hermione was crying.

“We… we need to do something,” she said softly, her voice cracking. Ron nodded but said nothing. “I feel so helpless, Ron.”

Ron held her tighter. “I know. I feel the same way -”

“Harry needs us. What if Snape…what if something happens to Harry? What if…”

“Hey,” Ron said, lifting her chin with his hand. “He won't hurt him. He might…” he paused, not able to finish that train of thought. He swallowed hard and tried again. “I’m sure he won't -”

“We have to do something!” Hermione cried.

Ron pulled her in for a tight hug. “Shh. I know,” he whispered.

A few more minutes went by.

“Are you still mad at him?” Hermione asked, finally breaking the silence. Her voice was muffled, but Ron had heard her anyway.

Ron pulled back and raised her head again. “No, of course not!” he blurted out, but then quickly sighed to calm down. “Of course not, Hermione. I know why he did it.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. After a few seconds, she looked back up. “He almost killed him, Ron. He almost -”

“But he didn’t, Hermione.” She bowed her head and nodded again. “He should have though,” he said, teasingly.

Hermione looked at him in horror.

“I’m joking, Hermione,” Ron assured her, stroking her cheek. “I was only joking.”

She attempted a small smile but failed. She looked at the sun that was nearing the horizon.

“He used to sit out here with Ginny. It was their favourite place,” she whispered, and a tear ran down her face.

Ron wrapped both arms around her. He remembered what was special about the tree now. “I know,” he said, nuzzling into her hair. “Don’t worry. We’ll think of something.” He leaned down, and kissed her tear track. “You will think of something.”

Hermione leaned back against Ron, and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

Ron sighed and squeezed her possessively. “He wasn’t in his right mind, Hermione,” he whispered. “Snape was the one who was responsible for Harry's behaviour. He should be the one -”

Hermione tensed, pulled away from him, and knelt in front of him.

“Of course! That’s it!”

Ron’s eyes widened. “What?”

Hermione jumped to her feet. “Come on!” she yelled, stepping out of the blanket.

“Where?”

“To the library!” she screamed, running towards the castle.


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Draco Malfoy was sitting high up on the Quidditch bleachers, staring at the sunset. He had been there for five hours now, but he hadn't noticed. He shivered every now and then from the cold, but he hadn't noticed that either. If only there was something he could do. Something he should've done.

But what?

Draco sighed and looked down at the castle. Harry was alone. With him.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, and closed his eyes. For the hundredth time in five hours, he wondered if Harry was all right. Shaking away the horrid thoughts of his imagination, he stood and mounted his broom. Without realising it, he flew directly to Hogwart’s main doors, and not the Quidditch changing room.


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Harry listened intently at the sound of Snape's footfalls fading into the distance. He clutched the small ball tightly in his fist. Once he was sure Snape was gone, Harry bolted out of bed, ran out of the bedroom, through the lounge, and out into the corridor. He had completely forgotten about the in-house Floo Network.


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Draco wearily walked towards the dungeons, and made it as far as the descending stairs. He sat down at the top, laid his broom over his lap, and bent over.

He felt so helpless.


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Harry slipped several times on the cold stone floor, caught himself on the wall, and then continued running. Panicking, he looked back several times waiting for Snape to suddenly appear. But no one was there. Soon, gasping turned into wheezing, and Harry knew he’d never make it. He was too drugged, and his reflexes were too slow.

Snape would eventually catch him.


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Draco snapped his head up. He had heard something. It was the sound of bare feet slapping on the ground. Someone was running towards him. He jumped to his feet and waited. His breath all but left him when he saw Harry Potter stumbling towards him.

“Potter?” he cried out.

Harry looked up. He was terrified. “He … he…” he gasped, falling to his hands and knees.

“What did he do to you?” Draco yelled, running over to him.

Harry was shaking his head. “Du…dumb…”

He didn’t have to say anything else.

“Come on!”

Draco lifted Harry up with ease, and straddled him over his broom. He mounted behind him, and gripped Harry's waist with one arm, and shot up in the air. He knew where to go.

Dumbledore's office.


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Albus Dumbledore was pacing. Over and over again, he wondered what he could've done differently. Surely there had to be something. Anything. Something he had missed.

But what?


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Hermione and Ron skidded to a halt as a broom rushed by. They stared dumbstruck for three seconds, then quickly glanced at each other. They knew weren’t imagining it.

Harry and Malfoy. On a broom.

There were only two places that Malfoy would've been taking Harry so quickly, and the infirmary was in the other direction.

Dumbledore’s office.

Hermione grabbed Ron’s sleeve, and waved her wand at the nearest room.

“ALOHOMORA!”

They ran to the fireplace.


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Albus spun around, faced the fireplace, and gaped as the two figures stepped out.

“Professor!” Hermione yelled. “Malfoy! Harry! They're headed this way!”

“On a broom!” Ron shouted.

Dumbledore froze briefly, then ran towards the door.

“Professor! The fireplace!”

The older wizard knew what Hermione was referring to.

Snape.

He quickly cast a Preventive Charm on it, blocking any entrance, and then cast a spell on the gargoyles to open.


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Draco tried to keep both Harry and himself as balanced as he could as he weaved in and out of the castle corridors. As they neared Dumbledore's office, Draco realised that the entrance was probably closed. Rounding the last corner, however, he was relieved to see that the gold statues were turning, and the staircase came into view. He lowered himself and Harry level with the broom, and darted up.

Fortunately for everyone, the heavy wooden doors were already open, and Ron, Hermione and Albus quickly jumped out of the way as Harry and Draco flew by. The two tumbled to the ground, rolling over each other several times before coming to a stop.

“Professor!” Draco gasped. “Snape! He did something. I don’t know what… but Harry…”

Albus knelt down at Harry's side, and carefully took hold of his shoulders.

“Harry?” he whispered. “Harry, can you hear me? What did he…”

“He… coming… Voldemort …” Harry was completely out of breath.

Dumbledore turned to the three young wizards. “Out. All of you.”

“But…” they said at once.

“Now!” Albus shouted, and then paused to calm his voice. “Please. Out.”

Not waiting to see if they had left, Albus leaned over Harry, and gently lifted Harry so he could rest on his folded knees.

“Harry. Tell me what's going on,” he said softly.

Harry continued to gasp between words. “He… coming…. He…”

“He’s not here, Harry, so please, tell me.”

“He… Voldemort…saved…”

“Yes, Harry. I know,” Albus sighed. “Snape saved you.”

Harry shook his head violently. “No…lied….Voldemort…” he sputtered.

“Take deep breaths, Harry. What about Voldemort?”

Harry tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. He was shaking too hard. “He didn’t….he didn’t…” Harry collapsed bonelessly in Dumbledore’s lap. “Didn’t save me….” he said, barely above a whisper before fainting.

Harry’s right arm fell to the floor, and his hand relaxed. A small clear ball rolled a few inches from his open fingers. Albus gasped.

He knew what that was.


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Snape smiled as he stoppered the phial. It was done. Now there was nothing standing in his way. All he had left to do before leaving was to concoct a believable story, and Voldemort would be no more.

He parted the tapestry, and headed to the bedroom. A sudden noise from the fireplace caused Snape to spin around. Albus Dumbledore’s face appeared. Snape shoved the potion deep into his pocket.

“Albus,” he acknowledged calmly.

“Severus, I need to see you in my office.”

“Certainly. I will be there in a moment. I just need to check on Har-”

“Now, Severus.”

Snape clenched his jaw. “Of course.”


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Severus Potter coolly stepped out of Dumbledore’s fireplace, and stopped short. Harry was lying unconscious on a sofa just in front of him, and two Aurors were guarding him. Snape turned to Albus. Four Aurors were standing on opposite sides of Dumbledore’s desk, and Minister Cornelius Fudge was standing just a few feet away, along with Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Glancing one more time at Harry, he marched over to Albus.

“What is the meaning of this?” he spat. “Harry has done nothing wrong. Why is he not -?”

“Severus,” Albus began smoothly, and motioned to the empty seat in front of his large desk. “Please, sit down.”

“No, I will not bloody well sit down! I demand that you tell me why Harry is -”

“Severus. Do not make me repeat myself again. Now, sit. Down.”

With a huff, Snape sat and glared at him. “I am sitting. Now, what is this all about?”

Albus slowly sat down and smiled. His eyes glistened. Before Snape could say another word, Albus held up the ball.

“Do you know what this is, Severus?”

Snape stared hard at it, then glanced back at Harry, then back to Albus.

“I do not know what Harry has been telling you, but I assure you, he is not well. He had possibly mis-”

Albus raised his brows. “Now, what makes you think Harry had said anything?” he said innocently.

He grinned as Severus’s face turned red.

“I do not know what you are implying, Headmaster, but I will not tolerate -”

“Minister Fudge,” Albus interrupted. “Was a pensieve drawn from Professor Snape the night Voldemort was defeated?”

“WHAT?” Snape screamed in protest.

Fudge paled, but said nothing. Albus calmly looked over to Amelia Bones.

“Do you recall, Amelia?”

“This is an outrage! I was given Veritaserum, and you know it!”

“Oh, yes. I do remember indeed.” Albus smiled, stood, and then walked around to the front of his desk. “Perhaps your pensieve will remind everyone of the exact conversation.” He leaned back, and casually folded his arms over his chest. He turned his face to Fudge. “Cornelius? Do you have Severus’s pensieve?”

“This is ridiculous!” Snape shouted.

Fudge looked nervously at Snape, then to Albus.

“Professor Dumbledore is waiting for an answer, Minister Fudge,” Amelia said sternly.

“I…” Fudge started, then swallowed hard. “It was deemed unnecessary given the information Severus had supplied us with.”

Sweat was running down Fudge's chubby face – along with Severus’s. Amelia stepped forward.

“Are you telling me that no pensieve had been collected?” she said, raising her voice.

Fudge looked away, and whispered, “Yes, Madam Bones.”

She stood tall, and held back her temper. She cleared her throat. “Minister Cornelius Fudge, I am formally removing you from you current public position. You are being charged with, but not limited to, Misrepresentation, Fraud, Gross Negligence, Aiding and Abetting, Malicious Mischief, and Obstruction of Justice. Further charges and sentencing will be forthcoming.” She held her breath, and then slowly released it. She turned to two of the Aurors. “Johnson. McInllay. Please escort Mr Fudge back to the Ministry to make sure he does not lose his way.”

“Yes, Madam Bones,” they answered together.

The three wizards walked to the fireplace, and disappeared behind a cloud of green smoke. Amelia turned to Dumbledore.

“Albus?”

Albus smiled at Severus as he retrieved a large basin from his desk. He placed it gently in front of him.

“Your wand, Severus.”

Snape pursed his lips together.

“Now, Professor Potter,” Amelia demanded. Seeing that Snape was hesitating, she turned to last two Aurors. “Gentlemen, if you please,” Amelia said to them.

The two Aurors stood next to Snape, wands drawn. Reluctantly, Snape drew out his own wand, and slowly placed the tip to his temple, scowling all the while. Soon, a white strand followed his wand, and he lowered it to the basin. It swirled several times before stilling.


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Severus Snape had been searching everywhere for Potter. Everyone was out searching for him. Harry had disappeared right before Lord Voldemort was struck with seven curses. Members of the Order had split up, and had taken off in different directions. Snape was the only one who had walked in the direction of Hogwarts. ‘Potter wouldn’t be that stupid enough to go there, but this was Harry Potter after all,’ Snape thought.

As Snape approached the edge of the forest, he could see Harry in the distance, and the boy appeared to be seriously hurt. Cursing aloud, Snape forgot himself, and stepped out into the clearing. Harry slid down the large tree he was standing in front of, and closed his eyes.

“Potter, are you mad? What are you doing out here?”

“SssSeveruss Sssnape. Loyal to the end?”

Severus turned towards the familiar voice. He said the first thing he could think of.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Lord Voldemort sneered down at Harry, and walked over to him as if he had all the time in the world.

“A pity it sssshould be thissss eassssy. I sssso wanted a fight.”

“Yes, my Lord. How unfortunate.”

Voldemort drew his wand. He pointed it at the unconscious youth, and then paused when he heard Snape gasp.

“Tell me, SssSeveruss. What exactly are you doing here?” he smirked as he watched, out of the corner of his eye, how Snape had flinched nervously.

“My Lord?” Snape inquired, trying desperately to keep the terror out of his voice. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Voldemort’s wand turn towards him.

“You have deceived me, SssSeveruss.”

“No, my Lord! I would never -”

“Traitor! EXPELLIARMUS!”

Blurs of light past in front of Snape's eyes before succumbing to darkness.

Severus Snape didn’t know exactly how long he had been unconscious, but the first thing he had heard when he awoke was:

“I can take anything you throw at me!” Harry yelled, now standing in front of Voldemort, wand raised.

“Do you honestly think that your anger will be enough to defeat me?”

“Harry!” Snape cried. It was the first name that had popped into Severus’s head.

Harry snapped his head over to where the voice had come from. Severus Snape was alive, and lying in a pool of blood.

“You stay out of this, traitor!”

Harry raised his wand higher.

“AVADA KEDA-!” Harry and Voldemort screamed at the same time.

“EXPELLIARMUS!” Snape yelled.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!”

Snape rushed over to Harry’s side.

“Potter.”

Harry’s eyes fluttered open. “What…what happened? Where am I?” he gasped.

“What do you remember?”

“I…” Harry looked around, but could see nothing but sky. He winced in pain from the blow to his head. “What happened?”

“I saved you, Potter.”

And then he waited.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes, you did,” he whispered as if he remembered.


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Immediately, Snape jumped to his feet. The two Aurors grabbed him before he could raise his wand.

“Disarm him!” Amelia shouted.

The other two Aurors rushed over to help pry Snape's fingers off his wand.

“That’s a lie! Voldemort must of -”

“Silence!” Albus barked. Addressing the two Aurors that was holding Snape, “Take this…man directly to the Ministry to await sentencing for his long overdue trip to Azkaban.”

“You can not do this! I saved him!”

Snape fought within the tight grips of the two Aurors as he was dragged to the fireplace.

“Harry! Harry, wake up!”

Harry fluttered his eyes open, then scrambled to the edge of the sofa.

“I love you, Harry! I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you! I never did anything to hurt you! I saved you!”

“Silence or we will hit you with a Stupefy Curse!” one of the Aurors barked.

“Harry, believe me!” Snape screamed again. “I only wanted to be with you!”

Harry watched in horror as his husband’s pleading eyes bore into him before vanishing into the fireplace. He stared at the empty space until Albus and Amelia came into view. He looked up at them.

“What…?” Harry began.

Albus kneeled down. “Harry, there is something you must see.”

Harry nodded, and then the two remaining Aurors helped him to his feet, and guided him over to Dumbledore’s desk. He sat quietly in the chair, looking curiously at the basin before him.

“This will not be easy for you, Harry. I don’t know how much you remember, but…you must see this nonetheless.”

Harry gulped and nodded again. Harry leaned over, and his eyes froze on the scene playing before him. Yes, he remembered.

The tree. Snape. Voldemort. Being knocked unconscious. Snape in a pool of blood. The confrontation. Snape yelling at him. The Killing Curse that was screamed at the same time.

And then…

Harry’s eyes teared up.


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Harry raised his wand higher.

“AVADA KEDA-!” Harry and Voldemort screamed at the same time.

“EXPELLIARMUS!” Snape yelled.

The blast had hit Harry square in the middle of his chest, and his head hit the tree behind him with a crack. Snape mouthed the word, “No!”, and Voldemort turned to look at Snape, and then smirked. Suddenly, Snape caught a movement out of the corner of his eye, looked over to it, and then back to Voldemort. He smiled evily at the dark wizard.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!”

Harry’s wrist fell, and his wand slipped from his fingers. He was unconscious again.


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Harry’s mouth was wide open, and tears flowed from his eyes, ran down his cheeks, and onto his nightshirt.

Finally, he whispered, “I killed Him. Voldemort’s dead.”

“Yes, Harry,” Albus whispered back.

“He’s dead.”

“He is.”

“Snape didn’t…save me, he…”

“Yes.”

“He stopped me.”

“Yes.”

Harry snapped his head over to Albus. “He stopped ME!”

Albus lowered his eyes.

Harry tumbled to the ground and retched.


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