"So how about that nightcap then?" William Weasley waggled his pierced brows in a way that was supremely irritating. "Unless of course you'd rather just tell us what you want."
Perceptive.
William was always a bright student.
Unfortunately Severus could not indulge him with the truth lest he give away Lucius' cover that Potter assigned to him.
"I am hoping our presence in the childrens' tent will defer them from any more foolish stunts," Severus lied. "I believe they all woke up this morning with terrible hangovers and it would be remiss of me to return them to their parents tomorrow in a similar state."
"Hard for them to go home with hangovers when someone gave them pain relieving potions this morning," Lupin said with a small smile that irritated Severus nearly as much as Williams wiggling eyebrows.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," Severus said drily, holding open the tent entrance. "Shall we?"
The other men, though Charles scarcely counted in Severus' opinion, ducked through the flap and settled comfortably on the hideously bright sofas.
"Harry slept on that one there last night," Charles grinned with a nod towards the red one. "Poor bloke just reeked of booze."
"Delightful," Severus murmured. He had known Potter woke up sick from whatever horrifying activities a large group of unsupervised teenagers (because Black and Charles quite obviously did not count as supervision) got up to when they were alone. He had not realized Potter had drank until he passed out on a sofa.
"Was he alone?" Black asked, his face torn between something like a scowl and laughter. "Because your brothers been stuck to him like glue. Poor saps got it bad."
"Fred slept on the other sofa," Charles laughed. "I would have stayed in here too but I figured they were safe enough on separate sofas and I don't think Harry likes me much."
Severus barely withheld a snort at that downplayed comment. Potter seemed downright terrified of Charles Weasley. Though Severus could hardly determine why, Charles was very similar to the Twins, personality wise, from what he had seen when Charles was a student. He had assumed it had something to do with the man's size. Potter was fearful of adult men in general, adult men who were built like muggle bricklayers would doubtlessly be all the more unsettling to the child.
"Well let's see if they had anything good then, eh?" William grinned and pulled out his wand. "Accio alcohol."
Severus was not able to withhold his groan when half a dozen bottles of firewhisky flew from the kitchen cupboards to Williams lap.
"Woah," he laughed. "They've got cheap taste. You guys need to teach Harry to appreciate the finer things in life." William shook a bottle towards Severus and Black before summoning a stack of glasses.
"Anyone else feeling a bit nostalgic?" William asked as he handed out glasses half filled to the other men. "Remember when we were all students just sitting around thinking with our pricks and drinking booze with our friends?"
Black and Lupin exchanged loaded smiles, though Severus himself could not relate. When he had finally established himself with a group of friends, they'd mostly sat around discussing magic that would make these men sick to their stomachs to imagine.
"Well here's to growing up then," Charles lifted his glass. "Now we're just a bunch of old men drinking together to keep the kids from doing it."
Severus politely raised his glass before taking a drink. He needed to remain alert, as did the others, but one glass would hardly impact any of their spellcasting.
Severus settled back in his seat and attempted for a nonchalant pose as the other men talked of the match they had just witnessed. Severus was no fan of quidditch, but it was minimally more enjoyable when it was not his ward soaring through the sky collecting injuries. Though, the way Potter's eyes had lit up when the Bulgarian seeker caught the snitch and ended the game spoke volumes towards Severus suffering through many more matches in his lifetime.
"You look thoughtful Severus."
Severus looked up from his glass to Lupin's darkened amber eyes (for the full moon was only two nights away, a fact Severus was confident of as he was still supplying the Wolfsbane Potion to Lupin).
"Apologies, I was considering the likelihood of suffering through more quidditch matches once Harry graduates," he said truthfully.
"Harry wants to fly professionally?" William whistled. "He's got big goals, doesn't he?"
"Harry doesn't want to play quidditch," Black snorted. "Well, not after he turns 30 anyway. The kids already got his political campaign for Minister all planned out."
Charles began laughing, which was a rather insulting reaction to Severus' wards dreams.
"Something amusing Weasley?" he asked coolly.
"It's just-" Charles chuckled again as he attempted to regain his composure. "Harry'll win, won't he? Bloody hero and all that. And then I should probably just stay in Romania, yeah? The actual Minister of Magic might not let me back in."
Severus' lips nearly twitched at that. In another sixteen years there would doubtlessly be hoards of Wixen just hiding in foreign countries from Potter.
"I might join you then," Lupin said cheerfully. "Harry's not my biggest fan either."
"He's warming up," Black defended his godson immediately. "He's stopped calling you 'Wolf' anyway."
And that, that did cause Severus to chuckle.
"Am I missing the joke?" William asked with a puzzled grin.
"Snape is the only other one who calls Rem 'Wolf'," Black explained, inexplicably grinning himself. "Snape thinks it's funny that he's corrupted James' son to insult his old friends."
Severus' amused chuckles died almost instantly at Black's accurate interpretation.
He was not sure when Black became adept at interpreting his reactions, but he certainly did not care for it.
"And now he's mad because I guessed what he was thinking," Black said smugly.
"You're a bit soft for Harry, aren't you?" William said to Severus slyly. "Never would have thought the terrifying Professor Snape would sit with a kid who was having a panic attack."
Which was a horribly insulting statement to make. Potter was hardly the first student Severus had talked through a panic attack.
"When was Harry having a panic attack?" Lupin asked.
"Before the match," William took a small sip of his drink. "Poor kid, looked like he was gonna cry when that blonde chick walked away from him. Guess Freddie might have some competition after all."
"What blonde chick? Luna?" Black asked, his brows furrowed down. "Don't be daft. She's Harry's best friend. I didn't notice Harry panicking about anything. Think he's alright?"
"He was fine a few minutes after Snape sat down," William said. "Don't think he likes crowds much, does he?"
"He does not," Severus murmured, casting a significant look towards Lupin.
"It was pretty crowded up there, how many people do you think showed up for the match today?" Lupin asked, effectively distracting the men from Potter's short spiral earlier.
Which had splintered Severus' heart to witness. When Miss Lovegood came and informed him that it would be best if he sat behind Potter for the match, he had seen Potter gripping Bones' hand as if his life depended on it with his face drained of any color.
The child could scarcely enjoy a sporting event with his friends without being triggered. It was pitiable.
When the topic turned back to the Quidditch match Severus hummed cordially a few times to seem appropriately interested, all the while internally praying that the signal he was waiting for would not come to pass.
Which meant that it did, of course. Because Severus Snape was hardly a man who received the things he wanted.
At just a quarter after eleven, Severus received a patronus, a small wyvern, that said a single word spoken in a harshly disguised whisper:
"Now."
The other men had fallen silent from the moment Narcissa's patronus arrived.
"What's happening?" William asked, alert and prepared with his wand drawn.
In a small part of Severus' brain that was not plotting the upcoming battle, he had a fleeting thought;
Why could this not be the Weasley that Potter had fallen for?
There was quite an age gap, but William was leagues more tolerable than Frederick was.
"Charles, wake the girls, now. Black, Lupin, outside the tent immediately, hold your position no matter who approaches. William, in front of the interior entrance. I will wake the boys," Severus barked the second the wyvern dispelled.
"What's happening?" Lupin asked, thankfully as he and Black ran to the position Severus ordered him to.
"Death Eaters," he snarled.
The Weasley's blanched but both moved quickly as Severus made his way to Potter's room.
He threw on the lights and made for the bed that contained Potter and... and God damned Frederick Weasley.
Not the time.
"Potter. POTTER!" he shouted, needing the most sought after target to be removed from the situation immediately. Especially when said target was the only thing of importance in his life. Potter believed Severus was his? He would allow the sentiment because Potter was his, and he'd be damned if a fool like Avery would take him from him.
"What's goin' on?" Frederick mumbled as Potter sat upright and brandished his kaiken, mere inches from Severus' throat.
This was one of the few times Severus admired the child's trauma oriented reflexes. Perhaps he would survive to terrorize the United Kingdom as Minister if he kept his vigilance high during the upcoming tumultuous times.
"Do not stab me you insolent brat," Severus snapped. "Get your friends and have Mavis take you to our home, immediately."
"Why?" Frederick groaned.
Severus tried to convey his message to Potter silently.
Thankfully Potter's eyes were alert in an instant as he understood.
"It is starting," Severus said. "Go."
The two of them had already formulated the plan before they left Spinner's End to retrieve Potter's friends. Potter would evacuate the children to his heavily warded home where Draco would floo call Narcissa to stay with them. Black and Lupin would remain with the tent until all the children evacuated. Lupin would be an adequate guard this close to the full moon, there was not an entity on the Earth that would sneak past him with his senses this heightened. Black was a ridiculous moron, but Severus could begrudgingly admit that the man had at least a modicum of skill when it came to offensive magic. Severus would know, having been his target when it was mere child's play. Plus the man would throw himself in front of any curse aimed anywhere in Potter's direction.
A sentiment Severus silently appreciated about the mutt.
The additions of the two eldest Weasley's were unexpected, but not unappreciated, surprises. William was now a curse breaker who had graduated with a full seven NEWTS. And Charles tamed dragons for a living, a fact Severus only knew due to sharing a breakfast table with Frederick more times than he cared to admit. Any man capable of stopping a dragon from eating him alive could hold off a Death Eater or two.
And Severus? Severus was itching for the opportunity to throw himself in to the fight that would be breaking out. Severus was not so arrogant to believe that he would be on the top of the list when the Dark Lord rose, Potter would have that dubious honor, but his publicly announced betrayal would land him quite high on the list.
And if there was ever a time that a deranged Dark Lord, who should be dead thrice over, was seeming to rise from the grave and he personally wanted you dead- then you take that opportunity to deal him as many blows as possible.
Which Severus would gladly do.
He ran through the tent entrance and paused momentarily between Lupin and Black, who were tense with their wands raised and their eyes hardened, to decide the best location for the most carnage.
Lucius had seemed certain that Avery would want to make a huge spectacle and that they were prepared to torture any muggle they came across. But he also said that Avery had become personally insulted with the way Potter's strength was spoken of. Avery had made multiple threats towards Potter, thinking that killing the child before the Dark Lord rose would earn him their Lord's highest favor, and this would be a prime time to make a move. The Minister had Potter in the spotlight all day, every Wixen in attendance was undoubtedly aware of his presence and his campsites location.
And they were.
Because they were coming.
"The kids are all gone," William said curtly as he and Charles joined defensive positions beside the other men. "And- oh mother fucker."
Mother fucker indeed.
Lucius told him Avery had rallied 'almost two dozen witches and wizards'. But the crowd that was boisterously making its way towards them was at least thirty. They must have picked up others as they tore through the campsites.
He had no hope of finding Lucius in this crowd.
Dear God let Lucius have fled.
Apparently they had decided to engage in muggle torture and come hunt down Potter. There was an obviously muggle family flipping sickeningly in the air above the crowd that was purposefully making their way towards them.
"What d'we do?" Charles murmured.
"We fight."
"Brill."
No, no, no, no-
Severus glanced behind him and-
Yes.
"Get out of here now, they are coming for you, you stupid child," Severus hissed quietly as Potter walked right up to his side, Frederick, Theodore, and Bones flanking him.
Imbecile.
It should not have taken spotting Susan Bones for Severus to recall that the Head of the DMLE, an accomplished and fierce Witch who fought in the last war, was sound asleep not twenty feet from their position.
In his defense...
Actually, it was indefensible.
He had to do better.
Severus quickly flicked his wand towards Amelia's tent, having no more time than to cause the tent to shake harshly in an attempt to wake the witch.
"C'mon, you know I'm staying," Potter said. "George and Ron have swords to protect the others at home. Draco's getting Cissa. Plus Mavis was told to kill anyone who even steps on our property that isn't us. So let's fight."
"No, Pup get the fuck out of here, right now," Black said harshly. His eyes now creased and worried as he watched the carelessly loud crowd making steady progress their way.
"Gonna need your permission to use my wand here Professor," Frederick said tightly.
Severus had no time for this. None at fucking at all. They had perhaps less than sixty seconds before the crowd would spot Potter and begin cursing him.
Potter wouldn't leave voluntarily and Severus could not lose the opening offensive advantage to argue with him.
"Black- grab him and go, NOW!"
Severus darted forward quickly and the fight he had been waiting for began in earnest.
Severus began throwing and dodging curses the instant he stepped away from the others. He had hoped that he would be an adequate target to draw the groups attention, and his hopes were not misplaced.
He was ducking from a poorly aimed crucio when he made out a shout that made his blood turn cold.
"GET THE FUCK UNDER YOUR CLOAK THEN!"
Potter had not left. He must have dodged Black's attempts to grab him.
Because of course he did.
Severus doubled down on his efforts, now taunting the group to keep their attention away from wherever his ward was.
Which he could not attempt to decipher in this moment. He could fight and defend or he could find Potter. He could not do both.
Which felt much like failure.
You should have apparated him yourself.
"Pathetic Hutchins, surely you can do better than that?" he drawled irksomely as he lobbied away incoming curses.
"You're a traitor Snape," the unmasked man spat. "Didn't take you for a mudblood lover."
Which was either a slight to Potter's mother or Potter himself.
Either way it could hardly go unpunished.
Severus sent a silent sectumsepra in the direction of Hutchins chest and threw himself towards four others who were running towards the tent.
Amelia joined his side and they dispatched the men quickly. Severus spared no thought to tapering his slightly less legal spells by her side, Amelia hardly was.
Which likely meant that she too had something quite important to lose.
"Where are they?" Severus snarled as he blocked a curse aimed for Amelia's head.
"Charlie's trying to hold back yours, but mines trying to kill Charlie," Amelia understood him immediately. She fired off a slew of curses as she spoke quietly. "I stunned her before I came but yours woke her right back up."
Severus was going to kill Harry fucking Potter if he survived.
Which his odds of doing increased greatly when Lupin, Black, and William threw themselves in to the fight.
"What's little Potter gonna do when we've killed his whole family?" a coward behind a mask jeered as he dueled Black. "Time to quit hiding, huh? He'll be with his parents soon enough."
Severus hadn't been able to take his eyes off the three masked men he was currently dueling alongside Amelia to witness it- but Black laughed quite madly before cursing the man's arm off.
"Disarm and detain- I'm not doing the paperwork for deaths," Amelia snarled.
"Who says you'll be doing any paperwork at all?" One of the men jeered, aiming directly at Amelia around Severus' shield. "Stupid bit-"
A hiss was all the warning Severus had that Potter had joined the fight before the man clutched his throat and fell down to his knees.
"Don't fuckin' talk to her like that, scumbag."
Severus immediately switched from offensive to defensive spells as Potter's words drew the attention of the nearby wixen who were not already drawn in to a duel.
"HE'S THERE!" someone shouted before Severus clipped his vocal chords with a not quite legal jinx he invented.
"Where is Susan?" Amelia asked Potter briskly as she reflected an incoming curse back to the caster.
"Told Theo to take her home, didn't I? Can't let her get hurt," Potter said easily as he casually started flinging silent spells of various colors and textures towards the crowd. "Snape where's Bird Legs?"
'Bird Legs' being the codename Potter assigned to Lucius. He stated that 'Lucy' was too obvious, but 'Bird Legs' was apparently a nickname for a character named Lucy on a television show Potter once saw in a police station.
Lucius clenched his jaw when Potter suggested it and it had been cemented from that moment.
"Hiding presumably," Severus snarled. "Where are your friends?"
"Theo's keepin' Sue safe, and Fred went with Bill to get the muggles. Charlie ain't my friend, but he's in the tent if you're wondering. Knocked out cold, ain't he?"
"You brash, idiotic, foolish-"
"I know." Potter danced to the edge of the shield Severus had erected and began hissing and aiming curses around it.
If this had been any other moment, Severus would have been able to admire the way that magic rolled off Potter in powerful waves. It was invigorating and intoxicating.
But this was not the moment.
As it was, he was horrified to see him standing so vulnerably at the edge of the shield just to get a better aim.
"You shield, I cast," Severus barked at Amelia who immediately put up her own shield.
"We're like partners then?" Potter laughed as he caused a rushing masked man to howl in pain as he collapsed on his face.
"We are not partners, you are an insubordinate idiot," Severus snarled, aiming his own curses towards the crowd. "And we are fighting legally," he added in a hiss.
Severus would be damned if he kept Potter alive just for the child to be arrested for using an Unforgivable in front of Amelia.
"'Kay," Potter shrugged, before laughing again as he drew rocks from the ground and transformed them in to sharp clay knives that Severus used a gust of wind to blow directly in to legs of a man. Potter tied him up and Severus stunned him then levitated him to the side for Amelia to arrest later.
"We're a good- NO!"
Severus spared the direction Potter was looking in a split-second of his attention, just long enough to realize what had caused Potter's inappropriately cheerful mood to disappear so suddenly.
"No, Potter, don't-"
Too late.
Potter howled and positively sprinted off towards the Death Eater who had Frederick unconscious. The man was clearly hoping to draw Potter out from behind the shield, and the idiot child played right in to his hands.
Fucking Potter genes, Severus cursed James' Potter for passing along his own brashness as he ran after Potter, fruitlessly trying to land a stunner on the child while defending them both from the incoming slew of spells.
"It is a trap!" he yelled sharply.
"HE'S GOT FRED!" Potter put a burst of speed that Severus could never hope to match in his run and ran straight in to the wooded area where the masked Death Eater, Severus would put money that it was Avery, had drug Frederick.
And out of Severus' sight.
"Son of a bitch," he growled as he ran quicker.
His blood pumped harshly and his vision was tinted with red for the longest thirty seconds of Severus' life that Potter was out of sight.
He ran in to a clearing just in time to see Potter snarl as he ducked from a green curse.
A fucking avada kedavra aimed right for Severus' ward.
Absolutely not.
"Is Daddy here to help you?" Avery, for it was Avery, Severus would recognize that oily voice anywhere, cackled. "Can't fight a real wizard by yourself Potter?"
"D'ya see a real wizard anywhere?" Potter snarked, throwing his own mixture of green and red curses towards Avery.
Thank God the child is adept at wandless magic.
Severus would never keep him out of Azkaban otherwise.
"Fred," Potter murmured from the corner of his mouth as Severus threw every curse just on this side of legality that he knew towards Avery. He did not have Potter's wandless advantage if he was interrogated at some point.
"Please," Potter said quietly.
Severus turned his head just enough to scan the area and saw Frederick's form lying on the ground beside a tree.
"Cover me," he muttered as he dodged a silver spell aimed at his legs. Severus rushed to Frederick's side and tapped the closest object he could find, a stick, with his wand, "Portus."
He used the edge of his robes to grab it and press it in the boys limp hand and sent him straight to Spinner's End where Narcissa would be waiting.
He stood quickly just in time for three things to happen simultaneously-
Someone nearby, not Avery and much too close, how had Severus allowed this to happen?, shouted: "MORSMORDRE!" Severus had no need to look up to know what image would now be painted across the sky.
Severus had barely ducked from a killing curse that grazed the very edge of his hair before ultimately killing the tree behind him.
And Martial Avery, a pure blooded favorite of the Dark Lord, fell over dead in a rush of green light.
"Apparate home now," Severus hissed quickly. "Harry go, quickly."
He could not save Potter from this if the child was still here. He heard the succession of rapid pops that meant that law enforcement had arrived. Potter would not go to Azkaban for this. Nor would he remain on the scene beneath the Dark Lord's sign in the sky.
"Aere bullae." Severus sent the spell in to the ground and turned to Potter. "Please Harry, now."
Potter looked at Severus, his eyes wide, before he nodded curtly and disapparated.
And not a moment too soon.
"FREEZE!"
Severus threw himself to the ground quickly to avoid the slew of red stunning spells sent in his direction.
"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"
Severus slowly stood up and held his wand up in a non threatening position as he was suddenly faced with a wall of law enforcement, led by a wild eyed Bartemius Crouch.
The same Bartemius Crouch who had thrown Severus in to Azkaban, sans a trial, back in 1980, where he was only released thanks to Albus' demands.
"What are the charges?" he said calmly, it would do him no favors to become abrasive.
"MURDER AND- AND THAT!" Crouch yelled, his eyes flicking upwards to the Dark Mark lingering in the sky.
"I have killed no one," Severus said, clearing his mind immediately. "And I certainly did not cast that."
"Then what d'you call him?" Another man, Amos Diggory, nodded towards Avery's body.
"An accident sustained during a duel where that man attempted to kill me."
"DO NOT LIE!" Crouch screamed. "YOU WERE A NASTY LITTLE-"
"Snape! SNAPE! Oh thank Merlin, where's-"
Black drew himself up short at the crowd of Ministry officials and Severus shook his head very, very, slightly in the mutts direction.
Do not say Harry's name, Severus pleaded internally. Shacklebolt already believed Potter was responsible for Nott's death, if Potter was on the scene of another crime there would be no saving the child.
"What's going on?" Amelia panted as she ran up on the scene as well. "Finally!" she snarled. "Took you lot long enough to respond."
Diggory appeared taken aback by Amelia and Black's appearance, Crouch however had his eyes glued to Severus' wand.
"Who did that?" Amelia asked, her face paling at the sight of the mark in the sky. "I was dueling three of them when suddenly they scattered and- oh."
The image of Severus standing with his hands raised, a dozen law enforcement officials with their wands trained on him, Avery's dead body, and the mark all clicked together for her in an instant.
"Severus, what happened?" Amelia asked slowly, her eyes subtly flicking around, no doubt looking for Potter whom she saw Severus chasing after.
"I was dueling him-" Severus jerked his head in Avery's position, admitting he knew the man's name would only remind them of the mark on his left arm. "And he nearly got me with a killing curse when I hit him with an air embolus jinx that mistakenly hit his chest instead of his leg. Then someone, not either of us, in the trees behind me sent up the mark."
"And you expect us to believe that?" Crouch yelled, looking quite deranged. "You have been caught at the scene of the crime!"
"You are welcome to test my wand," Severus said calmly. "I did not cast the dark mark."
"But you'd know how wouldn't you Snape?" Diggory said, curling his lip in distaste.
"I would, as I am sure you must have read in the newspapers I was a spy in the previous war."
"Diggory, Dixon, Sutton- go search the clearing where Severus said he heard the voice come from," Amelia ordered sharply. "The rest of you lower your wands before I slap you all with a 12-96 when we get back."
The three ministry workers immediately took off to the area Severus indicated, leaving a wide berth around him as if he were contagious. The rest of the officials, aside from Crouch, lowered their wands slowly.
Severus kept his held up where it could be seen and loose in his hand.
Black, in what may have been the most shocking thing that has ever happened to Severus in his entire life, fearlessly shoved through the group and stood beside Severus with his shoulders squared and his jaw set.
After only a few seconds Severus felt a wave of relief as Diggory yelled;
"Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's — but — blimey..."
"You've got someone?" shouted Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"
Severus heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. Severus recognized it as the twitchy elf that had sat two seats away from him in the Top Box during the match.
Crouch did not move or speak as Diggory deposited his elf on the ground at his feet. The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch. Severus had the smug realization that the elf must belong to Crouch. Though, that hardly helped him since he did not believe a mere elf could cast the dark mark.
"This — cannot — be," Crouch muttered. "No —"
He moved quickly around Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found the elf.
"No point," Diggory muttered with a sullen look in Severus' direction. "That elf was the only thing we found."
"And you think an elf cast the dark mark?" A witch snorted. "The Dark Mark's a wixen sign. It requires a wand."
Severus subtly looked over towards the witch at that interesting statement. Not many knew that the mark required a wand because the Dark Lord could never bear a 'lesser being' to be able to cast his symbol. His eyes flicked over the witch a few times as he slowly tried to place her in his memories while remaining alert to the noises of Crouch searching the area behind him.
Aah, Joan Foster.
A lovely little witch in the auror corps who Severus had seen kneeling to the Dark Lord back during his prime.
"The elf had one, didn't she?" Diggory scowled. "Look." He held up a dark red wand. "Found it in her hands. So that's cause for arrest right there."
Crouch chose that moment to return to the clearing, his face pale and rather twitchy.
Severus thought it served the man right to be so embarrassed in front of his peers and subordinates.
"Do we wake her up and see what she's got to say?" Diggory asked Crouch hesitantly.
"We will at the Ministry," Amelia said sharply. "I want this done by the books."
"No. No, I will deal with her," Crouch said. "I- I will dismiss her. There's no need to take her in. She's only an elf."
Diggory looked quickly between Severus and the elf with a puzzled expression.
"He admitted to killing him," Diggory said slowly, pointing between Severus and Avery. "How do we know it isn't a coincidence that Winky here had a wand and he didn't cast the mark too?"
"Because you're a fucking wizard you knob," Black sniped from beside Severus.
"Er, of course," Diggory blushed when a few people chuckled at Black's words. "Madame Bones, shall I?"
"I will," Amelia said with a sharp look at Severus. "Bring me all three wands."
Severus mentally replayed every spell he cast from the moment he left the tent and was fairly confident that none of them could reasonably lock him up. The air embolus jinx itself was perfectly legal, and thankfully could cause a death without leaving a mark just like the killing curse could.
"Prior Incantato," Amelia cast once Diggory handed her Avery's wand.
Amelia flinched lightly when multiple green skeletons puffed out the end of Avery's wand. Her dark blue eyes met Severus' just briefly, but they both knew who the target of that many avada kedavra's was.
Amelia carefully bagged Avery's wand and sent it off with another witch before casting on Severus' with one last searching look.
Severus was so singularly focused on what all he casted, he scarcely noticed that Crouch had revived his elf and was interrogating alongside Diggory.
He was mentally strong enough not to do anything so plebeian as sigh, but he felt his body relax minutely as Amelia replayed his last ten spells and they were all legal.
"Where did she get this wand?" Amelia asked Crouch, having handed Severus' back with a slight shake to her head that he could not hope to interpret.
"Says she found it," Diggory said, skepticism dripping with every syllable. "Also says she didn't cast it."
She absolutely did not. Severus heard a male with a deep and raspy voice cast the spell.
A fact he certainly would not be sharing. Crouch's elf could be dismissed for casting a spell if she rightfully continues to deny it. She'll be chalked up as another elf gone mad.
Severus would be arrested and imprisoned for the same thing.
"Prior Incantato!"
Severus watched with a distant sort of interest as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, a mere shadow of the green skull high above them.
"She cast it," Amelia said, bagging that wand as well.
Crouch drew himself up and glared down at the elf.
"This means clothes Winky," he said just as coldly as he did when he sent Barty to prison. Severus stared balefully at the man as he recalled stories Barty had shared in a hushed voice with Severus and Regulus late at night when they would roam the grounds.
Perhaps if Crouch Senior treated his household members with a drop of kindness they would not be so defiant, Severus thought harshly.
Crouch looked up from the sobbing elf as he thought that and his eyes met Severus'.
"Arrest him," he barked. "He killed that man."
"He killed a damned Death Eater on accident," Black immediately said, pointing his wand at the one brave Hit Wizard who had began to approach them.
Severus looked towards Amelia, the only real authority to issue arrests here, and his stomach sank as he realized what that shake to her head had meant when she handed him back his wand.
It meant, I can't help you.
"I'm sorry, we're going to have to take you in until we get the full events of tonight sorted out," Amelia said, indeed sounding sorrowful.
And for the second time in his life, Severus Snape was arrested and transported to a Ministry holding cell.
How did I allow this to happen?