During the Christmas Feast, Severus watched as his ward slunk inside and sat sullenly in his corner seat of the Slytherin table. Potter picked at his meal with his left hand, his right hand having the very faintest shimmer of a glamour on it. It was an excellent glamour. Severus doubted whether any other Professor could spot it.
Of course, no other Professor had risked their lives for over a year on their ability to identify the smallest of changes in or on a person.
It didn't take a genius to piece together Potter's desperation to be struck with the way he was now eating with the incorrect hand. Potter had found a way to get the injuries he desperately wanted earlier. Severus only hoped it was a minor fleeting whim and not a sign of a chronic issue.
He needed to go see the Mind Healer again and find out how to address these many rapid changes happening in Potter's behavior.
And judging from the increased level of despondency his ward was showing, he needed to go soon.
Severus awoke the next morning at four o'clock to a small grey owl frantically pecking directly on his office door with a single parchment attached to its leg.
Who the Hell would send a letter at this time of day?
He plucked the parchment from the owl and watched bemused as it immediately flew away.
Snape- Harry is in danger. You have to make sure he's safe FROM
HIMSELF.
Severus didn't hesitate to head towards the Slytherin dorms. He knew the greatest threat to Potter's continued life was the child himself. He wasn't blind. If someone believed Potter was in danger, then Severus would check on him.
It was an easy decision.
Severus continued reading as he quickly made his way to the dormitory.
I was not the secret keeper. Pettigrew was. You have to get Weasley's rat. If you require proof first- ask Remus what Pettigrew's animagus was. But get. the. rat. Don't let it escape. Ask him about what exactly happened that Halloween night. You have nothing to lose. Don't do it for me. Do it for Harry. He can't handle the
dementors any longer. Help Harry. Find the rat.
-S.O.B.
Severus stared at the parchment in momentary shock before carefully putting it in his pocket.
Potter first.
He went directly to the boys dorm and reassured himself to see Potter was curled in a ball on his bed, sound asleep with Miss Lovegood curled beside him, safe and alive.
He cast a quick charm to assess Potter's vitals and felt his shoulders relax as the rapidly flashing numbers assured him of Potter's stable heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate.
Then, despite logic telling him that the letter was a prank or a desperate attempt of a desperate man to evade the dementors kiss, Severus glanced around the room and saw a small grey lump curled up on Weasley's chest.
"Stupefy," he murmured as he stunned the rat. He lifted it by its tail and stared into its now frantic beady black eyes.
"Who are you?" he murmured softly.
Severus placed a ward on Potter to alert him as soon as the child awoke and pocketed the rat as he made his way to Lupin's office.
If Severus was now awake at 4am with a mystery on his hands, he'd be damned if he wasn't going to get some answers from Lupin.
Severus pounded on Lupin's office door until the wolf answered.
"Sev'rus?" he mumbled through a huge yawn. "What's going on? What time is it?"
Severus pushed his way past Lupin to enter the office. He wasn't going to discuss this out in the hall. He placed multiple wards on the space while Lupin watched curiously before turning to the wolf.
"Peter Pettigrew- was he an animagus?"
The rapid paling of Lupin's face was answer enough.
"How- who- how did you know?"
As soon as the pieces clicked in his mind, Severus got his wand out and shoved it in to Lupin's neck.
"You brain-dead moron," he hissed. "They all were, weren't they? What was Pettigrews form?"
"Why does it matter?" Lupin said in a choked voice as he attempted to back away from Severus' wand. "Peter is dead."
"WHAT WAS HIS FORM?"
"A rat! A rat! Peter was a rat!" Lupin cried. "James was a stag-"
Severus would have scoffed at Potter Senior's form (the spiritual representation of maturity, grace, and kindness) if Lupin's next words did not send waves of icy water of fear through him.
"- and Sirius was a dog."
"A dog," Severus repeated. "Describe it. NOW LUPIN!"
"I don't know, just a dog! A black dog!"
'Can we get a dog? Please? Did you hear me say that I think the one we found was starving?'
'That black dog from Knockturn Alley was here.'
He'd seen Potter with a dog. When he surreptitiously checked on his ward during some of his frequent trips outdoors, Severus saw as Potter curled up on the ground with a black dog and poured his feelings to the creature.
Severus stared at Lupin, finally taking in to account the true value of the man before him.
"You said nothing? You knew Black could transform in to a dog this whole time? AND YOU SAID NOTHING?"
"Why does it matter?" Lupin cried. "Why does any of it matter now? Peter and James are dead. Sirius- well, I doubt he's using his form anymore."
"You moron." Severus shoved his wand a little further into Lupin's throat, fearless of the wolf as his fury overtook him. "Potter has befriended a large, black, dog this summer. It followed him to Hogwarts."
Lupin's already pale face went at least two shades whiter at that. His scars stood out starkly in contrast.
"I-I didn't know," he said. "I heard him say on the train that he found a dog... but if it was Sirius then he would have killed him by now."
Unless Pettigrew was the secret keeper...
"Go get Albus, immediately," Severus said in his most dangerous tone. "Do not stop for any Merlin damned reason. Bring him here, immediately."
Severus gives Lupin no credit for the hastened pace he took as he scrambled out the door for Albus' office. Severus would give Lupin no credit for the remainder of his pathetic life- as shortened as he personally could ensure it to be.
Severus stepped up to Lupin's floo and threw a pinch of powder in to the flames-
"Amelia Bones' Cottage."
As he readjusted in the floo, he realized it was not yet even five o'clock. Amelia was likely asleep.
Everyone is waking up early today... he thought to himself.
"MADAME BONES! AMELIA!"
Severus, in his fury and fear, let all sense of decorum leave him as he shouted through the cottage for Amelia to wake up.
Thankfully, Amelia came rushing in to her sitting room not minutes later, pulling a dark blue set of robes on overtop her pajamas.
"Severus? Goodness, what is going on?"
"I need you immediately- in your official capacity as Head of the DMLE," Severus said. "Can you bring a few Aurors and meet me in Lupin's defense classroom?"
"Of course," Amelia said quickly, requiring no immediate explanation. "I'll have Kingsley and his partner apparate here and we'll step through. Keep the floo open."
Severus nodded and pulled his head out.
If Weasley's rat was not an animagus, he hoped they would arrest Lupin for withholding information relevant to an ongoing investigation before finding Potter's (beloved, trusted, and spoiled) 'dog' and taking it in to custody as well.
"Mavis!" He called.
Pop!
"Mister Snoop is calling for Mavis? What can-"
Severus cut Mavis off, as he had limited time and even less patience. Potter could scold him for being rude to his acquaintance later.
"Go to my office and bring me a vial of Veritaserum," he said quickly. "Then go sit in Potter's dorm and stay with him until I release you. He does not need to know you are there. Get me immediately if there are any problems. Understand?"
Mavis must have sensed his impatience because he barely nodded before popping away.
"Expecto Patronum," he called up his patronus quickly.
"Lucius- I understand it is early. Come through the floo to Remus Lupin's office in Hogwarts immediately. I believe I will require a witness and you in your role as a barrister."
After sending off his fox, Severus plucked the clear vial that popped popped up in front of him just as Lupin returned with Albus behind him.
"Severus," Albus said, his blue eyes focused and untwinkling, "Remus said there was an emergency?"
"Were you aware the Black, Pettigrew, and Potter were animagi?" Severus demanded, watching Albus carefully for any tell.
If Albus knew that his ward was in danger from a dog and neglected to tell Severus, this would be both Severus and Potter's last day in the castle.
Albus turned to Lupin, who had the audacity to look ashamed, before turning back to Severus.
"I was not aware," he said gravely. Severus was relieved to see that it appeared to be nothing but the truth. "Do you believe that is how Sirius has evaded capture?"
"I do," Severus said. He reached in to his pocket and handed Albus the letter he received from 'SOB,' who could only be Sirius Orion Black. "But that is not the problem currently."
Albus accepted the letter and read it quickly before handing it back to Severus.
"Harry has been in contact with Black?" he asked.
"Unintentionally," Severus sneered in Lupin's direction. "Potter adopted a dog. I believe he has been... confiding... in it."
And oh the child was going to be furiously hurt to discover this betrayal.
Albus turned to Lupin and even from the other side of the room Severus could feel the fury he exuded in this moment.
Good.
"Did you know they switched secret keepers Remus? Did you know Sirius was on the grounds?"
"No!" Lupin denied quickly, cowering slightly in the face of Albus' overwhelmingly cold fury. "Switch secret keepers? I- they didn't tell me if they did."
Lupin's pathetic speech was interrupted by Amelia, Shacklebolt, and a young witch Severus once taught, Nymphadora Tonks, stepping through the floo.
"What's going on?" Amelia said immediately.
Before Severus could answer, Susan Bones tripped and stumbled out of the floo.
"Sorry," she glanced politely around the room despite Amelia's exasperated sigh. "Morning Professor," Susan said to Severus with a bright smile before looking coldly at Albus and Lupin and turning her nose up at them both as she turned back to Amelia. "This looks important. I'll just go find Harry, shall I?"
Shacklebolt chuckled as Susan waltzed right out of the office without a response, undoubtedly headed to the dungeons.
"She's a fiery one Amelia," he said in his deep smooth voice.
"I know," Amelia sighed and rubbed her face in a weary way that Severus himself was becoming accustomed to as a fellow guardian of an unrepentant teenaged menace. "Now what's going on here?"
Severus held the letter he received out to Amelia as the floo flared to life once more and Lucius joined them, impeccably dressed despite the early hour.
"Severus," he said, inclining his head respectfully.
"Lucius, thank you for coming," he replied cordially.
"Is Harry alright?" Amelia asked quickly, her eyes anxious as she looked to Severus.
"He is," he assured her.
Amelia turned a steely gaze at Lupin. "Is Sirius Black an animagus?" She had clearly drawn the same connection that Severus himself had.
'Black?' Lucius mouthed to Severus. He shook his head at him and gestured towards the note that Shacklebolt was now holding.
"I will go retrieve the rat," Shacklebolt said as he handed the note to Lucius.
"No need." Severus pulled Weasley's rat out of his pocket and held it up for everyone to see. "I went to check on Potter and saw the rat- I am unsure if this is some elaborate prank or an attempt of a foolish and desperate man to evade the Dementors Kiss but..." Severus hesitated and looked towards Albus who nodded sagely at him.
"But it is better to be sure," Albus said. "You've done excellent Severus."
At one point in his life, Albus' praise would have meant the world to him.
"Auror Tonks, go to the Ministry immediately and pull Sirius Black's file. I want every single scrap of paper that even has his name on it." Amelia said as she took charge of the situation. "Tell Melinda to alert the Minister that we have an unfolding unknown situation at Hogwarts regarding Black. At a minimum," she shot a fury filled look towards Lupin, "we have new information that has came to light regarding his escape and evasive measures."
"Yes ma'am," Tonks said as she used Lupin's floo to return to the DMLE department of the ministry.
"Kingsley, ward the office against escape or eavesdroppers," Amelia said.
"Yes ma'am." Shacklebolt raised his cherry brown wand and waved it in a complicated series of twists and turns as Severus felt the magic take place in the room.
"Severus, the rat, if you will?" Amelia held her hand out, her mouth set in a firm line.
Severus handed her Weasley's rat, unsure as to what he was hoping for.
Amelia placed the rat on the desk and the five wizards watched silently as she murmured the animagus revealing spell and tapped the rat with her wand.
It was like watching a sped-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing in front of the desk where the rat had been, cringing and wringing his hands.
"Peter?"
Pettigrew, a now grubby and shrunken man who scarcely resembled the plump blonde boy of Severus' youth, frantically looked around the room before his beady eyes landed on Lupin.
"Remus!" Pettigrew's voice was squeaky and hoarse from disuse. "My old friend!"
"You're alive...? How...?"
Severus would not take his eyes off the man in front of him, though he would desperately like to scoff in Lupin's direction at the weepy tone the man had adopted.
Pettigrew looked at Amelia, Shacklebolt, Severus, and Lucius before visibly flinching when he looked in Albus' direction.
And that reaction merited a quick look.
Severus glanced at Albus and saw the man's eyes alight with an indignantly cold fury that Severus had only seen once in his life when he begged for the protection of Lily.
"You are Peter Pettigrew?" Amelia snapped stepping in to Pettigrew's immediate line of sight.
"Y-yes," Pettigrew squeaked. "B-"
"Severus do you have Veritaserum?" Amelia said sharply, ignoring Pettigrew's squeaks of discomfort.
"I do." Severus handed her the vial and Amelia looked over at Shacklebolt and Lucius.
"Lucius- will you swear in as a witness to an official interrogation?"
"I will," Lucius said, drawing himself up and looming down at Pettigrew with disgust.
"Albus?" Amelia said without turning away from Pettigrew.
"Of course Amelia," Albus said from behind Severus, his voice even and sure.
"Kingsley- dictate the notes."
Amelia straightened her shoulders as she began speaking.
"Let the record show that on the 26th of December in the year of 1993, at zero five one three, I, Amelia Suzette Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, am standing in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry preparing to interrogate a suspect. Witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also Witness: Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, barrister for Britain's Wixen Public and board member for Hogwarts Board of Education. In attendance: Remus John Lupin, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also in attendance: Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Notes taken by Kingsley Ericsson Shacklebolt, Auror for the British Ministry of Magic."
Amelia took a deep breath.
"Are you Peter Allan Pettigrew?"
Pettigrew squealed and twisted his hands, unanswering.
"Let the record show that at zero five one six I am administering four drops of Veritaserum to the suspect believed to be Peter Allan Pettigrew as pursuant to National Law 521, Subsection 17, Item 8."
Amelia flicked her wand at Pettigrew and placed a non-verbal stunner on the man.
"Open," she demanded, brandishing the vial of Veritaserum.
"Remus! Remus, please, you know- argh."
As Pettigrew had opened his mouth to plead his case to Lupin, Amelia calmly dropped four vials of the potion on his tongue. She then conjured a chair and pushed him down in to it.
Severus watched as Pettigrew's eyes took on a glassy appearance, his mouth going slack, and his incessant cringing stilled.
"What is your name?" Amelia asked.
"Peter Pettigrew," Pettigrew murmured, his voice appropriately dulled from the potion.
"What is your date of birth?"
"The 8th of August in 1960."
"I am satisfied that the serum is working appropriately and will continue with the interrogation," Amelia declared.
Severus glanced over at the noise of another arrival and saw Tonks stepping out of the floo, her hands carrying a single thin file. Amelia had not even glanced up at the noise, though Shacklebolt had stilled his quill for a moment to acknowledge Tonks.
"You are an animagus?" Amelia asked.
"Yes," Pettigrew murmured.
"How long have you been an animagus?" Amelia asked with a sharp glance behind her at Lupin.
"Eighteen years."
They accomplished this in fifth year.
If Severus were not so disgusted, he may have been begrudgingly impressed.
"Where have you been since the time of your presumed death, the 1st of November in the year 1981?"
"I've been transformed," Pettigrew said in the same monotone voice. "I've lived as a pet rat to magical families. I've been hiding."
"Hiding from whom?" Amelia asked sharply.
"My old friends, followers of the Dark Lord, followers of the Light- everyone thought I was dead and that's the way I wanted it to stay."
Severus could detect the slightest tinge of anxiety to Pettigrew's voice. His fears must have been great if they were able to push through the serum to show themselves.
"What exactly happened the night of James and Lily Potters' deaths?" Amelia asked.
Severus inched forward slightly, unwilling to miss a single syllable of the tale.
"I told the Dark Lord where to find them-"
Lupin let out a sharp gasp that went ignored.
"-I knew I'd have to hide until His victory was complete. I'd betrayed Dumbledore's side and his followers would kill me."
Severus was terribly amused to hear Pettigrew describe the Order of the Phoenix as Albus' 'followers'. Though the rat was not incorrect, he knew that is not how Albus views them.
"So I hid and waited. Then I heard that baby Harry survived and the Dark Lord had been vanquished. I knew I'd have to run for it. I tried, I got to the Muggle world but Sirius found me. He confronted me. There were people all around, listening. I tried to make it sound like Sirius had betrayed them. I only had one chance to disappear with my life and I took it. I blew apart the street and transformed, I slipped in to the sewer and I waited."
Nobody spoke for a moment. Nobody breathed.
Thirteen years ago, they had all been wrong.
"Who killed the Muggles on the first of November in 1981 at approximately zero zero three six?" Amelia asked, as if she could not believe it.
"I did," Pettigrew said immediately.
Black had been innocent.
Severus caught Lucius' eye and he knew that his friends face was surely reflecting back his own shock.
"Who else, aside from Sirius Black, knew of your betrayal and your scheme?" Amelia demanded with a sharp look towards Lupin.
Lupin stood, clutching Albus' arm, his mouth agape and his eyes misting over. Lupin was a coward, a sneak, but he had no idea that Pettigrew had done this.
Perversely, Severus almost wished Lupin had known this whole time. If Black was innocent, which he seemed to be, it would be an undeniable boon for Lupin to be guilty of something more than being a coward.
"No one," Pettigrew said, crushing Severus' hopes. "The Death Eaters didn't know I was one of them. The Order didn't know I was on the other side. Nobody knew when I disappeared."
Amelia jabbed her wand in Pettigrew's direction and bound him with heavy chains to the chair before an additional flick put him in an enchanted slumber.
"Tonks- Black's file."
Tonks hesitantly handed Amelia the file, avoiding eye contact with the witch who was clearly suppressing her fury.
"This is it?" Amelia snapped, flicking through the three paged folder. "A copy of his arrest, a report of his apprenticeship in the Ministry, and a copy of his escape?" She glared at Tonks, "Where is the rest of it? Court transcripts, eyewitness accounts, any of it?"
"That was it ma'am," Tonks said. "I checked, there was no court hearing. Crouch had him sent straight to Azkaban from the scene and he's been there up until this past summer."
"Fucking incompetent idiots..." Amelia muttered under her breath, showing the room where the young Miss Bones got her vocabulary.
Not that Severus could judge. Potter picked up most of his phrases from Severus himself.
"Severus- how do I get in touch with Black?" Amelia asked.
"I do not know," he said truthfully.
Amelia stared at him for a moment before turning to Shacklebolt.
"Turn the record off," she said.
She turned back to Severus.
"Off the record now, how do I get in contact with Sirius Black?"
"I believe he has been loitering on the grounds, posing as a stray dog-" here he shot Lupin another withering look. "But aside from sending my ward out to retrieve him, which we absolutely will not be doing, I am unsure how to communicate with him."
"Albus, Lupin- any ideas?" she said, apparently trusting Severus' word.
"I could send him a patronus if he believes he will not be arrested or kissed," Albus said thoughtfully. "But the presence of the dementors may keep him away."
Severus gave a subtle look of 'do something you political mastermind' to Lucius.
If there were ever an opportunity to rid the grounds of the dementors, this was it.
"Perhaps we could have the Minister remove the dementors, as a sign of peace to Black?" said Lucius. "It would likely make him more amenable to speaking with you Madame."
Shacklebolt and Amelia exchanged significant looks.
"We could try," Amelia murmured quietly. "With this new evidence..."
"The manhunt for Black should shift priorities," Shacklebolt picked up her train of thought. "I believe it is time you summoned the Minister."
Amelia flicked her wand at once and summoned her silver lemur.
"Your presence is needed immediately at Hogwarts Minister. It is an emergency regarding the Black case-" she glanced around the room and grimaced before adding, "-a suspect has been detained. Remus Lupin's office if you will."
She sent the lemur off and they all stood silently as they waited.
Severus felt his wand vibrate in his robe pocket and cursed Potter for waking at the worst possible time.
"Excuse me," he said, turning his back to the inquiring eyes.
He summoned his own patronus and ignored the looks of amusement on Lucius and Albus' faces, and the blatant curiosity on Lupin's.
"Harry, I am in an incredibly important meeting at the moment. If you and your friends would like to eat breakfast in your dorm I need to speak with you once my business is concluded." He hesitated, thinking of Black's warning, yet conscious of the shameless eavesdroppers. "I believe I have news you will find of interest and would like to speak about it with you once my meeting has concluded. Call upon your acquaintance if my presence is needed for any reason."
He hoped that whatever danger Potter posed to himself would be dampened by his natural curiosity at the 'interesting news' Severus spoke of.
He also hoped that Potter's friends would have the wherewithal to decipher his order to call Mavis if Potter attempted to hurt himself in any way.
"You've gone soft," Lucius murmured with an annoying quirk to his lips.
"I would gladly take the opportunity to prove the falsehood of your words Lucius," he said sullenly.
Potter had made him soft.
But he could still kill Lucius with both eyes closed.
Lucius just chuckled before the floo flared to life and Fudge all but lunged out of it. He had clearly came straight from his bed, as he was wearing a violet nightshirt with his pinstriped robes hastily thrown atop of it.
The leader of the British Wixen World ladies and gentlemen.
Severus didn't know whether to be amused or terrified at the man's obvious incompetence.
"Madame Bones! You said you caught Black?" The Minister was bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet. His look of joy diminished quickly as he looked around the room and realized that Black was not in attendance. "What's going on here?" he said. "I thought you caught Black?"
"Apologies Minister," Amelia said cordially. "We have not captured Black. We have hit a snag in the case."
"A snag?" Fudge's face of disappointment was nearly comical. Lucius certainly thought so if his smirk aimed at Severus was any indicator.
"What 'snag'?" Fudge demanded.
Amelia stepped to the side, allowing Fudge to see Pettigrew seated behind her.
"This snag," she said solemnly. "Auror Shacklebolt, give the Minister the interview transcripts."
"Who is that?" Fudge was squinting at Pettigrew as he accepted the parchment from Shacklebolt. When nobody responded Fudge scowled and turned to the transcript he held.
"Peter Pettigrew?!" his eyes flew up and looked incredulously at the bound man.
"It appears as if tales of his death were greatly exaggerated," Albus said.
The old fool sounded as if this were all terribly amusing.
"What?!" Fudge yelped. "But- Albus- Black-?"
"Please read sir," Shacklebolt suggested calmly.
"Of course, of course," Fudge muttered as his eyes scanned the parchment in his hand.
"Innocent?" Fudge gasped when he looked up again from the parchment. He looked around at the grim and solemn faces desperately, as if hoping someone would laugh and make this into a joke instead of the nightmare Severus considered it to be.
"It appears so," Shacklebolt confirmed, his deep voice calm and soothing. "Though we will need to interview Black to confirm."
"But- but- but Black's missing!" Fudge stammered. "He escaped!"
Lucius gave Severus a subtle look. The slight raise to one of his brows was a clear question.
'Do you want me to step in?'
Severus sighed and nodded slightly. If clearing Black's name was the price of ridding Potter of the dementors, so be it.
Seeing Pettigrew kissed in his stead would be a balm to the wound caused by Black's innocence.
"We believe Black would respond to a summons if the dementors were cleared from the grounds," Lucius said, placing a steady hand on Fudge's shoulder. "All you have to do, Cornelius, is alert the dementors that their presence is no longer required and we can speak with Black and clear this whole thing up."
Fudge looked up at Lucius as a child would look to their guiding mother.
"Clear the dementors? But- but you believe this?"
"Do you believe Pettigrew was able to outsmart the Veritaserum and admitted to the killings to somehow aid Black?" Amelia asked.
"Well, no," Fudge blustered. "But- well- I- I... Well this is going to make the ministry look terrible if it gets out... Public opinion and all... you know..."
Severus very nearly scoffed at the man's care for 'public opinion'.
"Imagine how impressed the public will be with you when you clear the name of an innocent man who was wrongfully imprisoned by your predecessor," Lucius said in his oily tone that Severus knows he saves for kissing the arses of powerful allies. "Crouch threw the current Lord Black in prison without so much of a trial! But you, you can fix it." Lucius rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I can't imagine how this will hurt Crouch's career, but it can only boost yours."
Fudge nodded his head along as Lucius painted the picture he wanted.
"I suppose that we do need to speak with Black," he said, eyes eager now. "We can clear the dementors and see if he presents himself for interrogation."
"Wonderful!" Albus clasped his hands together. "We can go alert the dementors together then, shall we Cornelius?"
"Yes... yes I suppose we should," Fudge said with a slight shiver before glancing at Pettigrew's still form again. "Madame Bones, Shacklebolt, you'll keep the... the suspect?"
"Of course," Amelia said easily. "We will be here when you return."
As soon as the door closed behind the two men Auror Tonks snorted.
"Suppose he doesn't trust me then?" she laughed.
"The hair does not inspire confidence," Lucius said with a pinched look at the girls pink spiked hair.
Severus ignored them and took the opportunity to check on Potter.
"Mavis!"
Pop!
"Mister Snoop is calling for Mavis?"
Severus fruitlessly applied pressure to the center of his forehead to stave off his impending migraine as more than one person snickered behind his back at the elf's title for him.
"What is Potter doing?" he asked as quietly as possible with a bleeding werewolf in the room.
"Master Potter is in his bed and is writing a letter," Mavis said quickly. "Master was not eating breakfast."
"Very well, continue to watch him out of sight. Get me immediately, no matter who is around or what I am doing, if anything happens, understand?"
"Yes Mister Snoop," Mavis bobbed his head then disappeared with another soft pop!
"You have a house elf babysitting Potter?" Lucius asked.
Severus scowled at him, as if Lucius had not left Draco under the care of house elves many times when he was younger.
"You think Black's warning has merit?" Amelia asked gently.
"I think the sooner the dementors are cleared from the grounds, the better," Severus said, unwilling to further discuss his wards difficulties.
The room lapsed in to a tense atmosphere. Lupin had moved to a chair and was alternating between cradling his head in his hands and shooting death glares at Pettigrew. Tonks and Shacklebolt were quietly discussing the legalities that would need explored to clear Black's name. Amelia, Lucius, and himself just stood in silence. Each contemplating how these events could possibly be true, though none doubting it for a moment.
Eventually, after nearly an hour of the thick and tense atmosphere threatening to suffocate them, the office door was thrown open and Albus entered; victory clear in every line on his face.
"The dementors are gone!" he said with a twinkling smile towards Severus as Cornelius entered the office behind him. "I believe you can now call for Sirius."
"Me?" Severus said, surprised. "I believe Black is more likely to respond to a summons from you or Lupin."
"Aah, but he didn't reach out to me or Remus, did he?" Albus said with another twinkling smile. Lupin let out a soft noise, as if wounded that Black did not contact him.
"Fine," Severus said shortly. Severus thought of Potter swearing in the middle of the corridor in Parsletongue and fought down a smirk as he called up his patronus.
"I received your note. Your presence is required in the Defense Office. The dementors have cleared the school."
It was as cordial as Severus was willing to be to the man who used to make him miserable as a hobby.
"You could have mentioned that he isn't being arrested," Lupin snarled.
"I could have," Severus agreed lightly. "Pity you weren't the one delivering the message."
"Enough," Albus said firmly as Lupin opened his mouth with a retort. "Severus' message was adequate."
"What now?" Lupin asked.
"Now we wait," Albus said with a happy little hum.
"Uh, perhaps it would be better if we moved Pettigrew to holding before Black shows up?" Tonks suggested hesitantly. "I mean, didn't he already try and kill him once?"
"Of course," Cornelius said promptly. "Best not to incite trouble, eh? Why don't you and Shacklebolt take Pettigrew and we'll let Amelia interview Black if he shows up."
Amelia nodded at her Aurors behind Cornelius' shoulder, giving approval for the plan.
"As you wish," Shacklebolt said with a slight bow of his head to the Minister. Shacklebolt and Tonk's each took an arm of the unconscious traitor and led him to the floo. Tonks went first, calling out "Ministry holding cells!" before Shacklebolt followed with a firm grip on Pettigrew's arm.
"Tea anyone?" Albus said merrily. He waved his wand and conjured chairs for everyone aside from Lupin, who slumped in to his desk chair.
Severus sat next to Lucius and prepared himself to wait. Albus waved his wand again and conjured a table with seven tea sets and a gratuitous amount of pastries, fruit, and biscuits.
"Eat up!" Albus said smiling brightly at them all.
Severus grabbed a cup of tea, more for something to do while he waited than any real desire to eat or drink. Albus drug Cornelius in to a discussion of a new outfitting retailer in Diagon Alley while Lucius, Amelia, and Severus exchanged impatient glances. Lupin mostly stared sorrowfully in to his lap.
Severus wondered if he was regretful for Pettigrew betraying their little group or if the sorrow was for believing Black had done it all these years. Knowing Lupin's penchant for guilt and self-loathing; it was likely both.
With the dementors gone Severus truly had no more business here. He didn't give a damn about clearing Black's name past how it neatly tied in to his own personal goals. Yet he still sat. His innate need to know what happened overriding his common sense in bidding the others a good day and leaving while he could.
"What happens if Sirius doesn't come?" Lupin asked in a choked whisper. "Can we clear his name without him? Since P-Peter confessed."
"It will be much easier with his cooperation. This will be done by the book to the exact letter," Amelia said harshly. "There will be absolutely no mishaps this time."
"Not with such a competent department head handling the case," Albus said with a genial smile towards Amelia.
Amelia pursued her lips and said nothing as she drank her tea.
Despite Albus' best efforts to make conversation the six of them sat in near constant silence; each watching as the clock ticked on.
Ten minutes since Severus sent the message...
Thirty minutes...
Will Black show his face?
Forty five...
Coward.
Sixty...
At precisely seventy nine minutes since Severus sent his message there was a scratching the the office door.
"I believe that is our guest of honor!" Albus said happily as he stood and opened the door.
Severus felt an intense wave of anger and irritation as Potter's god damned dog slowly entered the room.
Potter trusted that dog. Played with it. Groomed it. Fed it. Talked to it. Cherished it.
And it had been Black posing the entire time.
"It will be easier to clear your name if you were in your human form," Albus said softly.
The dog let out a low whine as it looked up at Albus before slowly sitting on its hind legs and shifting in to the form of Sirius Black.
Lupin let out a miserable sort of noise.
"Pads?" he croaked.
'Pads' ignored him in favor of searching the room carefully as he backed himself to the doorway, raising on arm defensively in front of himself.
Black's hair was shoulder length and glossier than an escaped convict had any reason to be, no doubt thanks to Potter's attentions. He still wore the faded and tattered grey Azkaban jumpsuit. His face had a slightly sunken appearance, though Severus was sure it would be much worse had Potter not been feeding him every day.
"Did you catch the rat?" Black's voice was hoarse from disuse. He looked around the room anxiously, grey eyes appearing haunted as he looked from face to face.
"We did," Albus said. "Well, Severus did."
Black looked at Severus quickly.
"Harry- he's... he's okay?"
"Potter is fine," Severus sneered at Black.
How dare he ask about Potter while he has spent months fooling the child?
"Will you consent to an interview under the use of Veritaserum?" Amelia cut in briskly. "We have interviewed Pettigrew and will require your cooperation as well."
"I- I can tell you what really happened?" Black said his voice filled with hope. "No more Azkaban?"
"We will discuss it post-interview," Amelia said. "Do you consent or not?"
Black looked towards Lupin who was staring at him as if seeing the stars for the first time.
Pathetic.
"Yeah, I consent," Black said. "How soon can we do it?"
"Immediately," Fudge said. "Why don't we pop over to the Ministry and get this taken care of right now?"
"Wonderful plan," Albus said merrily. "Sirius why don't I accompany you?"
Severus looked towards Lucius, who was grimacing at the floor.
'Apologies,' Lucius mouthed to Severus before turning to Black.
"I believe you will require legal representation," he said smoothly. "As the barrister on retainer for the House of Black, I will accompany you and represent your legal interests."
"Who made you retainer for the House of Black?" Black asked with a disgusted sneer towards Lucius. "I think I'd rather take my chances without one than you."
"Very well, I will inform Heir Potter-Black that you refused my services," Lucius said easily. "Enjoy interrogation without a lawyer Black."
Black looked to Lupin again and Severus saw as Lupin nodded his head the slightest amount.
"Fine," Black huffed. "You can come with Malfoy."
"Don't do me any favors," Lucius purred with an impassive gaze.
"Let's get this over with," Fudge said. "Sooner we get to the Ministry the sooner this whole mess can be solved!"
"Severus will you be joining us?" Albus asked as he stepped up to the floo.
"I will not," he said. "I have a million things that I would rather be doing."
Which was a lie. He wanted to know how this played out, but his attention was required here. And Lucius would fill him in regardless.
"Very well," Albus said. "We will see you when we return."
Severus nodded to Albus and watched as he disappeared through the flames.
"Excellent work Severus," Fudge offered him his hand before he too disappeared.
Severus looked towards Amelia and Lucius and gave them each a curt nod before turning his back to Black and Lupin and hurrying from the room.
He accomplished what he hoped for- the dementors were gone and it was incredibly unlikely that they would return.
He would have rather paid any other price aside from helping Sirius Black.
But so be it.
Severus went to the Slytherin dorm and knocked briskly before opening the door. Potter was laying on his bed, wrapped in an enormous blanket that was nearly colorful and bright enough to bring tears to Severus' eyes.
"Is he asleep?" Severus asked Miss Bones who was playing a card game on the floor with Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger.
"Yep," Bones said airily as she laid down three cards and laughed at Granger. "He fell asleep about twenty minutes ago. Want me to wake him up?"
Severus considered it for a moment before ultimately shaking his head.
"No. Send him to my office when he wakes."
"Yes sir," Granger murmured as she laid a couple of cards on the floor.
"Would you like to play cards Professor?" Lovegood asked as she gave him a cheerful smile. "Susan is going to win this round but I think you have a good shot of winning the next one if you join."
"No thank you." Severus rolled his eyes as he imagined the fallout of being caught alone in the boys dormitory in Slytherin House with three teenage girls, none of whom belonged anywhere near the area. "I will be in my office, just send Potter the moment he wakes up."
"Okay," Lovegood shrugged and turned back to the game. Severus hurried back to his office, deciding to get ahead on his brews for Poppy while he had the time.
Severus was mid brew on a batch of Pepper-Ups for the Hospital Wing as the colder months bring more colds than any other in the drafty castle when his office door was flung open. He looked up, expecting to hear Potter's greeting of 'I'm here' and instead was faced with Lupin.
And Black.
Delightful.
Lupin was beaming, as if he had won the Muggle lottery. Black had a warier look on his face, but his body was relaxed in a way it had not been this morning.
"Cleared!" Lupin said. "Cleared of all charges!"
"Delightful," Severus drawled sardonically. "Leave."
"I want to see Harry," Black said quickly. "Where is he?"
Severus straightened himself up from his cauldron and curled his lip at Black's audacity.
"He is asleep. Though I doubt if he were awake that he would wish to see you."
Lupin's smile dimmed.
"Why wouldn't he want to see Sirius? He can explain to him what really happened that night."
"I don't even know why you're here," Severus said with a sharp look at Lupin. "Potter certainly won't wish to see you."
Lupin took on a hangdog expression as he glanced between Black and Severus.
"Yes, well..."
"I want to talk with Harry," Black said again. "I need to explain."
"Have you not allowed Potter to talk to you plenty?" Severus snarled. "Do you intend to inform him why his pet is no longer sniffing around the forest?"
"It isn't your damn business Snape," Black spat his name out like poison. "Go get my damn godson. I need to talk to him."
Severus stepped closer to Black and spoke in a softly mocking tone.
"Your godson? Surely you mean my ward." Severus was delighted to see the fury that filled Black's eyes at the reminder. "Did you forget? Hmm? That while you were playing fetch as a pet, that I am actually Potter's guardian?"
"Fuck you," Black snarled, stepping up to glare in Severus' face. "Harry thinks you're a good person, loyal and honest, but we know the truth don't we Snivellus?"
"You dare? When I saved your skin from the dementors?" Severus put his wand in Blacks chest and was close enough now to see the anger lighting the man's grey eyes.
"Why don't we calm down now?" Lupin suggested softly from the side. Neither Black nor Severus stepped back, both staring hatefully at the other.
"I should have burnt your little note and turned you in myself," he hissed at Black.
"And leave the dementors to kill Harry? You'd do that?" Black sneered. "You don't care about him at all, do you?"
"Do not talk to me ab-"
Severus was cut off by the noise of his office door opening.
Potter stood in the open doorway, his mouth hanging open as he took in the scene in front of him. Severus with another man at wand point. Lupin standing uselessly to the side. Potter looked directly to Severus and raised both of his brows incredulously.
"What's going on?"
Perfect.