Mist and Vapors

She quickly stowed the papers away into their respective slots, and rose to follow the black haired witch out of the library. Without another word, they walked through the castle, Hannah two steps behind McGonagall. When they got to her office, the Transfiguration mistress opened the door with a flick of her wand, and then stood back to let her through first. "Have a seat."

She sat down on one of the straight-backed chairs that stood in front of the wide mahogany desk; McGonagall walked around it and took a seat in the much more impressive armchair on the other side.

"So you want to know the truth? Do you know anything at all about what happened? About your father's involvement with Severus Snape?"

She shrugged apologetically. "No, I can't say I do."

"You do know who Voldemort is?"

"Yes, I do," Hannah answered, a touch of irritation in her voice. Any child would know that. "And I know he died in March. Other than that, you tell me."

The older witch put her hands flat on the desk in front of her. "I suppose I should start in the beginning. Do you remember anything at all about the Death Eater trials the first time Voldemort was defeated?"

"My father was an Auror then. I know he was involved in several of the trials. But that was all so long ago..."

"Severus was arrested as a follower of Voldemort during that time. And your father was one of the Auror squad that arrested him. So, you see, their history goes back almost twenty years."

Hannah sat silently for a moment, looking down at her hands clenched in her lap. Twenty years. "So it is true that he is a Death Eater? The papers are right on that?"

"No." McGonagall leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands on her lap. "It is true that he was a Death Eater at one point in the past, when he was much younger. By the time your father arrested him, he had already regretted that decision and had begun passing information to a group of people who were fighting for Voldemort's destruction."

"A spy?" Hannah looked up wide-eyed.

"Yes, a spy." Her face tightened, and she paused for a moment. "Of course, he wasn't imprisoned long. The word of Albus Dumbledore carries a lot of weight. When he went before the Wizengamot and testified on Severus' behalf, they let him go, and the trial got hushed up - very few people know of what happened then. When Severus was acquitted on all charges... let's just say that Hannigan... your father was less than pleased." The tall witch stood up, and picked up a round glass paperweight from her desk. A tiny golden lion was curled up inside, asleep. "He actually had the nerve to walk up to Albus Dumbledore and tell him that he would get his pet Death Eater eventually. And he has been on a vendetta ever since."

With a look of indignation on her face, she walked over to the window. Staring out into the darkness, she passed the paperweight from one hand to the other absentmindedly. The lion inside had woken up, and looked none too pleased at being man-handled like that.

"And that is connected to what happened this year?" Hannah finally spoke up timidly after a minute or two had passed in silence.

"Yes. You see, when Voldemort returned, Severus resumed his role as informant." She turned around at Hannah's sharp intake of breath.

"You mean he returned to Voldemort?" There was a look of horror on her face. "How is that possible? Wouldn't he have known what happened during Professor Snape's trial?"

The older witch walked over to the desk, and sat back down. "Voldemort is a skilled Legilimens. You know what that is?"

Hannah nodded. "That would have made it harder..."

"Now, Severus is an average Legilimens, but an extremely skilled Occlumens. He was able to persuade Voldemort that he had only pretended to be a spy to get himself in good with Dumbledore and the Resistance, and that his one and only goal had been to be of better service to the Dark side. In the end, Voldemort believed him."

"I see," Hannah said quietly.

"No, I don't think you do." McGonagall voice was harsh as she set the paperweight down sharply on a stack of parchments. The lion looked up at her resentfully before putting its head on its paws and settling back down. "It meant Severus had to dance on the edge of destruction for years. One slip, and it would have all been over. As it was, he could not meet his master's expectations to his satisfaction. Many times, Voldemort was... less than pleased with his services. Often he came back barely able to stand up... - oh heavens, what now?"

A loud, insistent knock had interrupted her. Casting a look of apology in Hannah's direction, McGonagall went to open the door. Ginny Weasley, the Gryffindor Head Girl, was standing outside, breathless and upset. There was a short conversation in low, urgent tones, and then McGonagall turned to Hannah. "I'm sorry, there seems to be some sort of problem in the Common Room. This shouldn't take long. You can wait here, or we can continue this conversation some other time?"

"I'll wait." Hannah's voice was thick with emotion. She was not about to let the conversation leave off here if she could help it.

As she watched the older witch leave, she stood up, and aimlessly wandered around Minerva McGonagall's Spartan office. Most everything in here was plain and functional. There were a few nods to beauty - a couple of gorgeous old tapestries on the wall, an elaborate silver candlestick on top of a cupboard in the corner, some bits and pieces she must have collected over the years. A portrait of Godric Gryffindor beamed down at her magnanimously from the wall behind the desk. She finally walked over to the window and looked out into the darkness. All she could see where the lights of Hogsmeade, glittering across the water of the lake.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. She had asked for the truth - now she wasn't so sure any more she really wanted to hear it.

-

When the Gryffindor Head of House had sent two first year girls to the hospital wing to have the purple fur that covered most of their bodies removed, and had forcefully made it clear to a group of fourth years that this was not her idea of an acceptable practical joke, she made her way back to the office.

Frank Hannigan's daughter. Maybe she had misjudged her - she either really didn't know about Severus Snape, or she was an extremely skilled actress. Still, whatever had possessed Albus to hire someone from that family, she would never understand... Frank Hannigan. The constant meddling of the ministry at Hogwarts had a lot to do with him, she was sure. The man couldn't stand Dumbledore, and he was in a position where he could do something about that. She snorted. Harvey Graham, the current Minister of Magic, probably didn't even dare to get out of bed in the morning without Frank Hannigan's approval. How many times had Dumbledore been removed as Headmaster in the last few years? Four times now? That was nothing compared to what Hannigan had done to Severus though.

With determined steps, she headed down the corridor.

-

Screams, falling bodies. Beams of blue, green, silver, flashing through the fog. She had seen him when the battle started, tearing off his Death Eater's mask, throwing it to the ground. Tense faces, hooded figures, moving, dashing, back and forth, a grotesque ballet. It had seemed like hours. It had only been minutes. Exultant reptilian eyes locking with green ones. Harry lifting his wand. His friends pocketing theirs in unspoken agreement, placing their hands over Harry's, adding their strength to his, leaving themselves defenseless. Love. Trust. Self-sacrifice. Three things the Dark Lord would never know. The light from Harry's wand growing brighter, more intense. The snake-like, half-human thing writhing, screaming, sinking to the ground. A hooded, masked shape coming from out of nowhere, attacking from the back. Another figure, tall, black-cloaked, blocking the way, absorbing the curse meant for the children.

When the battle finally had spent its rage, when the fog lifted, they had found him. He had lain there as if dead, sightless eyes half open, blue-tinged lips in a chalk-white face. It had come as a surprise when they found there still was breath.

She was abruptly called back from her thoughts as she arrived in her office. When she stepped through the door, the younger woman turned from where she had been standing by the window.

"Is everything all right?"

McGonagall's face was still grim as she nodded. "Just a stupid joke gone too far. Where were we?"

"Severus resumed his role as a spy."

Walking over to a tall cupboard, McGonagall opened the door. "I could use a cup of tea. Would you like one?" When Hannah nodded, she took down a pot and two cups and set them on the desk.

"You care for him a great deal, don't you?" Hannah said softly, taking the teacup offered to her.

McGonagall paused for a moment, busying herself with the teapot.

She never had liked Severus Snape, not really. Not the stringy Slytherin boy, not the taciturn, sarcastic, needlessly cruel man who had returned to Hogwarts as a teacher a few years later. No, she had not liked him. Yet she had seen too much in the last few years. She had seen that however much he demanded of others, he demanded more of himself. She had seen him return half dead the night before and then drag himself to class to teach the next morning. She still didn't consider him pleasant company, and he still was capable of annoying her half to death. But somewhere during those years, he had ceased to be 'that Slytherin Potions master' and had become 'one of hers'.

She looked up, staring hard into Hannah's eyes now. "Yes, I do. I don't think anyone really knows what he put himself through. Severus was never one to share confidences. I just know bits and pieces, but even those... " An involuntary shiver ran through her. "Yet I am sorry to say that even within the Resistance there were those who didn't trust him, who thought someone who turned traitor once would not hesitate to do so again if offered the right price. But those who didn't trust him were proven wrong once and for all during the last battle."

Hannah stood up and walked over to the window again. She gazed outside with unseeing eyes, listening to McGonagall's narrative. She saw Severus' face before her mind's eye, the way it had been in the picture on the front page of the paper. What had happened to him? What had they done to him?

McGonagall's voice went on relentlessly. "Harry was facing Voldemort when Dolohov Apparated in behind him. If Severus had not thrown himself in the way of the curse, the boy would be dead now. As it was, the curse broke half the bones in Severus' body. It was a strange curse, something we were not familiar with. When we found him, there was barely a scratch on him, just his body limp on the ground, all odd angles like a discarded rag doll." She swallowed hard. "He was bleeding out internally. The curse had centered near his right hip, completely shattering the bone underneath. I don't think anyone expected him to live.

"I was with him when they took him to St. Mungo's. He was unconscious then - a mercy, really. At first, it was chaos, of course - so many wounded and dead. It wasn't until his condition had been stabilized that they discovered the Dark Mark. Your father arranged to have him taken away after that, to a guarded ward staffed with his own people, and we were not allowed in." She swallowed again. "Poppy Pomfrey used her connections at the hospital to get in to see him a couple days later. I haven't seen Poppy cry very often..." Her voice trailed off. "It seems the Department's healers didn't think pain potions or even a simple sleeping draught should be wasted on a Death Eater."

"Your father came and took him ten days later, when he was barely able to support his own weight for a minute or two. They moved him into a holding cell in the ministry, injured, alone, and in pain, and proceeded to put him on trial."

The hard expression on her face softened a bit as she saw the tears running down the younger teacher's face. With a flick of her wand, she vanished the tea that had grown cold in their cups, and refilled them from the steaming pot. She held the cup out to Hannah. "Here, take this." As Hannah took the cup from her, wrapping both hands tightly around it as if needing the warmth, McGonagall continued with her story.

"Albus stepped down as Head of the Wizengamot to represent Severus - in hindsight, a bad mistake. It gave your father carte blanche as far as the trial was concerned. You know that Muggle idea of the right to a fair trial? Of the few things that I wish the wizarding world would learn from them, that would be near the top of the list." The corners of her mouth turned down in bitter contempt.

"The trial was a travesty. To this day I don't know how Severus managed to walk into the courtroom. It must have cost him every last ounce of strength. They chained him to the chair like a common criminal. Frank Hannigan called witness after witness, telling Dumbledore he could not cross-examine until he had finished presenting his witnesses. Every single testimony was recorded and published in the Daily Prophet. For three days, that was virtually all there was in the paper. Complete with pictures of the monster himself. You saw."

"Yes. I saw," Hannah whispered.

"Did you see the articles on the cross-examinations? The witnesses for the defense? The sentencing hearing?"

She shook her head in confusion. There had been nothing, as far as she could see.

"Oh, there is a reason for that." McGonagall smiled bitterly. "Once Dumbledore finally got to cross examine, it was only a matter of seconds to ascertain that what each person had seen was a Death Eater - a tall figure in a hood and mask. Not one of them could actually identify Severus Snape as even having been there. And then the Headmaster did something that I don't think Severus will ever forgive him for. He called Harry Potter as a witness for the defense."

"I don't understand..."

"It's a long story." McGongall's voice took on a business-like tone. "Anyways, Harry, the 'Hero of the Hour' as the paper had just proclaimed, testified that Severus had saved his life. Between that and Dumbledore's testimony, it was enough for the jury. They ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict, and dismissed the case. The next day there was that one-inch square article on page 23 of the Daily Prophet, announcing the end of the trial for 'technical reasons', whatever that was supposed to mean.

"So that is how Severus was rewarded for the sacrifices he made, and for saving uncountable lives. Instead of receiving the thanks of a grateful nation, your father made sure his reputation was destroyed completely. As far as the vast majority of the Wizarding world is concerned, he is a Death Eater and mass murderer. As for Severus, he spent almost two weeks more in the hospital wing of the school. Poppy Pomfrey told me that because of the insufficient treatment he received at the time, his injuries never healed the way they were supposed to, and he will most likely live with constant pain for the rest of his life." She sat back in her chair with a grim expression. "So there you have it - the truth."

For a minute, there was silence. Then, Hannah looked up at her with a tear-stained face. "I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," she whispered.

The hard lines in McGonagall's face softened a bit. "I do know this must have been hard for you to hear."

Hannah pulled herself together as best as she could. "I am under no illusions as far as my father is concerned," she said quietly, rising from her chair and putting the teacup back down on the desk. "I know what he is. Thank you for letting me know what really happened. If you will excuse me now?"

After being dismissed, she walked up to her quarters with quick, hurrying strides. She really didn't want to see or run into anyone else. All she wanted was to go to bed and have a good cry. Unbidden images danced in her head. Oh, Severus...Small wonder he had reacted the way he had when he had found out who she was. How she was going to face him tomorrow, she did not know.