Trusts And Betrayals

Chapter Twelve

Ron was still clearly shaken up. "Who though! Who would do something so stupid?!"

"Snape" Harry said plainly. "And Malfoy, Ginny and I overheard them outside, they were actually celebrating, with champagne!"

"Draco? Snape gave liquor to a student?" Hermione was incredulous.

"No, Professor Malfoy, we heard Snape ask her if she gave it to him, and she asked him if he thought she'd be afraid, and he said something like 'what goes around comes around'. And remember? He had given her the Potion to give to Lupin yesterday!" Harry was furious, but he still had a hard time believing Malfoy would do it, she actually seemed nice, but then, she was a Slytherin after all.

"It doesn't make sense, though." Hermione said puzzled. "Give Snape some credit, he's a lot smarter than that, would he actually do that in front of all of us? I know it seems like it, but there is something wrong there."

Ginny looked bored. "I'm going to bed, goodnight." She got up, and looked at Harry pointedly. Harry didn't even glance at her. "G'night. So any ways, Hermione, what do you think we should do?"

Ginny stomped off to bed, glaring at Harry before going.

"I think you need to Owl Sirius, and let him know what's happened. Tell him what you and Ginny overheard too, and that we saw Snape give her the Wolfsbane for him." Hermione went off to the girl's dorm. Harry and Ron headed for their dorm.

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The next morning Harry composed a letter to Sirius, telling him all of what he had seen and heard. Ron and Hermione went along with him to the Owlery, where they attached the letter to Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl, and sent him off. As they were walking down to breakfast, they heard some voices down the corridor. One was unmistakably Dumbledore's; the other was unfamiliar, very deep and gravelly.

"Dumbledore, it had to be Snape, you know that! Who else would do that to Remus, didn't you see how much pain he was in?" croaked the voice.

"I am aware of the pain, I am also aware of Severus's dislike for Remus, but I have my reasons to trust Severus, Orion, even if you do not, and I would like very much for you keep those opinions to yourself while Mr. Fudge is here."

"Fudge? From the Ministry?" Harry thought he detected fear in the voice, but wasn't sure.

"Yes, him and I'm sure he'll have an assistant with him." Ron made a face. Harry looked over at Hermione and Ron, and they nodded, and walked around the corner. Dumbledore stood with Professor White.

"Hello, are you all heading to the Great Hall for breakfast?" They nodded. "Well...I'd like for you to join us in my office afterwards, could you please have Neville come along with you?"

They went to the Great Hall and rushed through breakfast, talking quickly. "Why do you think they want to talk to us?" Neville had asked, after they filled him in.

"My guess is that Snape called us witnesses to him making the potion." Hermione answered.

"Do you think I should say what I overheard?" Harry was thinking about the conversation he witnessed between Snape and Malfoy, but he didn't want to believe she had done that, she had seemed so nice in the cottage, and really fun in class, too.

Hermione shook her head as if to shush him. "No, Harry. Dumbledore told White that he doesn't want Snape implicated, so wait and tell Dumbledore in private, better yet, wait until you hear from Sirius."

Harry nodded. The four of them went to Dumbledore's office, where Professor McGonagall stood guard. "Go straight in and sit down, Cornelius Fudge is there to take a statement from you all." She had a grave expression, and they went in quietly and sat down in front of Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his large desk, with Snape sitting alongside it, and Professor White next to him. At the other end was Fudge and Ron's older brother Percy, who had a notepad and a quill. Percy looked over at Ron with an expression like 'What the hell are you doing involved with this, how dare you humiliate me in front of my boss'.

Harry noticed that Snape looked ill, as he had the morning after he had disappeared at the cottage. And he also remembered hearing Professor Malfoy say she would wait up for him last night. Did he go off again last night, after Lupin had been stunned?

"Where's Malfoy?" Fudge asked, his angry voice penetrating the silence, making Hermione jump.

The door opened, and Professor Malfoy walked in, looking very pale and afraid. She nervously took a seat next to Professor White.

Harry realized that this was an informal hearing. Fudge had gotten up, taking their statements, then confirming everything over. He asked them repeatedly if they had seen sugar or anything resembling sugar near Snape's desk. They of course hadn't. Percy was listening intently and scribbling it all down. Fudge paced back and forth, then stopped in front of Snape. "Last year you had shown me something interesting about yourself, Severus. Any testimony you give will be discredited." He then walked over to Malfoy. "And you, while I have a high respect for your husband, he has told me things about you over drinks the other day. Show me your arms."

Snape glowered at him. Malfoy stood up, slightly shaking, and rolled the sleeves of her robes up to expose her bare arms. "See? Nothing. Now why don't you check what's up my husband's sleeve?"

Fudge looked shocked at her sarcasm. "Listen, Lady, your husband has just made another very generous donation to St. Mungo's Hospital, and he had told me a lot of things about you and seeing as you are here, I will take his word over yours, he is a very kind man, to make such a contribution."

Malfoy stood up, and glared defiantly at Fudge. "It is called a payoff. Why not ask him why he's so eager to please the staff at St. Mungo's?" She took her seat again. Fudge's face was brick red with anger; Percy looked disgusted. Dumbledore seemed to have a very amused look to him. "Cornelius? Why not try a different approach, I feel that neither of them are guilty, but why not use Veritaserum? It could prove someone's innocence or guilt. Severus, have you any in your office?"

Fudge spoke up before Snape could answer. "I took the liberty of bringing my own. I feel that using a potion of his may not be wise." He put two small bottles on the desk, and looked at Snape. "You first."

Snape looked at Dumbledore, who nodded at him, and Snape lifted the bottle to his lips and drank it. Fudge walked over and stood in front of him.

"Do you hate Remus Lupin?"

"Yes."

"Did you make his Wolfsbane potion."

"Yes."

"Did you sabotage it?"

"No."

Fudge seemed to be thinking of what to ask, that was clearly not the answer he had expected. The room was silent, except for the scratching of Percy's quill.

"Did you leave the Wolfsbane at all while you were making it?"

"No"

"Who brought it to Lupin?"

"Narcissa Malfoy." Harry thought he saw Snape trying not to answer this, but the potion still made him do so.

"That is all from you Snape. Malfoy, your turn." Professor Malfoy nodded and then took the potion. Fudge then asked her similar questions.

"Do you hate Remus Lupin?"

"No."

"Did you deliver him his potion?"

"Yes."

"Did you stop and talk to anyone? Did you put it down at all?"

"No."

"Did you put sugar in it?"

"No."

The room was deadly silent. Fudge paused, then asked her another question.

"Why are you here at Hogwarts instead of at the Malfoy Manor?"

Snape's eyes went wide with shock, Professor Malfoy opened her mouth to speak, but Professor White threw his hand hard over her mouth, and helped her to her feet and out of her chair. He looked incredulously at Fudge. "That is not what this hearing is about, and that was totally uncalled for. Dumbledore, is she done?" Dumbledore nodded at him. Harry noticed a silver ring on White's finger, with a small yin yang on it. His hand was still covering Malfoy's mouth. "Alright then!" He hurried her out of the room. Snape sat quietly watching them leave, his eyes were still glassy from the effects of the potion.

"Well then, Cornelius? I think you have heard all you need to know? I assure you there will be a full investigation as to who had done it, and I will allow you to return and deal with them." Dumbledore walked over to the door, holding it open.

"I will still have an inquiry with the board about your hiring policy, as I see the appointing of a Werewolf as a teacher to be very irresponsible, come on Weasley." Percy leaped to his feet and followed Fudge out the door. Dumbledore looked at all of them smiling. "I'd like the four of you to understand that everything you saw in this room, is to remain in this room. You may go."

They walked out, and Hermione quietly asked the question that was on their minds. "So, who did it?"