snarrymod (snarrymod) wrote in snarry_games, @ 2008-06-14 09:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | closing, team phoenix |
TEAM PHOENIX ALTERNATE STORY: Unbroken_Halo "Chains of Burden"
Nearing the very end of the Games, the mods needed an emergency pinch for Team Phoenix. Three team members stepped up to bat, and we are pleased to present the second of two Alternate stories that did not make it into the Games for the team. Enjoy!
Title: Chains Of Burden
Author: unbroken_halo
Team: Phoenix
Genre(s): Romance
Prompt(s): Trial, Learning to Dance
Rating/Warnings/Kinks: NC-17, * First time, bonding fic, some DH compliant but much disregard to canon in general.*
Word Count: ~10, 384
Summary: We, the Wizards and Witches of the Wizengamot, find the defendant, Severus Snape, guilty of the charges of murder. From this day forth, he is sentenced to Azkaban; with no parole, stripped of his title and magicks immediately.
A/N: Thanks to alisanne, eeyore9990, and jin_fenghuang for the cheerleading, handholding and betas. Viva Las Vegas, darlings. Any mistakes you find now are entirely my fault as I had to fiddle with it one last time. *g*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Company belong to JK Rowling. No money was made writing this bit of fiction.
“We, the Wizards and Witches of the Wizengamot, find the defendant, Severus Snape, guilty of the charges of murder. From this day forth, he is sentenced to Azkaban; with no parole, stripped of his title and magicks immediately. Wizengamot dismissed.
The Chief Warlock banged the gavel on the bench and then rose, dismissing the entire panel.
Harry stared at the Warlock, the noise of the courtroom rushing in his ears and he barely felt the barrister's hand on his arm. No, it couldn't be, he thought. He'd given evidence and showed them the memories. He'd testified that Snape had been on the side of the Light the entire time. Why were they convicting him?
He watched as two burly wizards appeared and walked toward Snape. They pointed their wands at him, weaving a complicated spell. Snape's body went taut in the chair, the chains holding him down and in place.
"No! Stop!" Harry stood and yelled out across the courtroom.
The Chief Warlock looked away from Snape to Harry and arched an eyebrow. "Are you questioning my judgement, Mister Potter?"
"Harry, no!" Ron and Hermione stood up and tried to make their way through the audience to the front of the courtroom. The barrister stopped them from going any further as he looked back over his shoulder to watch as well.
Harry swallowed and looked up at the Warlock, tearing his eyes away from Snape. "I… yes, sir. There has to be some other way."
The Warlock blinked. "Surely, you can't still want to save this man after all that has occurred?"
Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "I testified to the contrary, didn't I?"
The Warlock looked at Snape then turned back to Harry, narrowing his eyes as he studied Harry. "You did that, young man and your testimony did not fall on deaf ears, but regardless of the fact that Snape was only acting under orders, he did commit the crime and therefore must be punished. Were Dumbledore here to stand trial, he, too, would face charges."
Harry stared at him. "How… how can you say that? Dumbledore was a great man. Yes, he made bad choices, but he tried to fix them."
Ron groaned loudly and Hermione sucked in a breath. People that had once left were now filing back into the courtroom, taking seats and watching with bated breath as Harry Potter stood up for a convicted murderer.
The Warlock chuckled and held up a hand. "And it is those choices that he would have to answer for, dear boy. Just like Snape has to now. I am afraid that my decision is final; there is no other way."
Harry shook his head. "I don't believe that. There must be some other way. You can't just lock him up and throw away the key."
The Warlock frowned and sat down in his chair. "Mister Potter, I already explained my decision to you, something I don't normally do but under the circumstances, I think it's justified. However, you are trying my patience with this. I suggest you let these wizards continue with their duty and you move on with your life."
Harry shook his head again. He couldn't let Dumbledore down. There had to be a reason that Fawkes had come to him and given him the memories of his conversations with Snape. "My apologies, sir, but I have to do this."
The Warlock cleared his throat. "Then, Mister Potter, you leave me no choice but to have you confined as well until the matter is resolved." He raised his gavel to bang out the sentence and summon two more wizards to take Harry in.
"Wait! What if I take him in?"
"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed and Ron shook his head.
"Shut-up, mate, before they take you away to St. Mungo's!"
"I beg your pardon?" The Warlock stared at Harry, stunned at his tenacity.
"What if I take him in? You've already broken his wand, so he'll not be doing magic. Are you saying that I can't be trusted to watch over him?" Harry eyed the Warlock and narrowed his eyes.
The Warlock turned red in the face, glaring at Harry. He waved his hand at the two wizards next to Snape. "Release him. Mister Potter, approach the bench."
Harry hurried forward, a smile on his face. He watched while the chains holding Snape slithered away and Snape got to his feet. He rubbed his wrists and looked wearily from Potter to the bench and back.
"Come forward, Mister Snape. I have decided to re-think my decision based on Mister Potter's vehement arguments."
Snape eyed Harry and the Warlock but walked carefully toward the bench. He stopped next to Harry and leaned toward him. "This is going to be a mistake, Potter," he hissed.
Harry shook his head. "No, you deserve better," he whispered. "This can't be worse than Azkaban. It has to work."
Snape sneered as if to say something else when the Warlock cleared his throat. Snape and Harry looked up at the man.
The Warlock grimaced as he looked down at them. "This spell has not been used for many, many generations but I find it oddly appropriate." He drew his wand and Snape's eyes widened as if he knew what was about to happened.
"No, wait! I think I should get a say in this," Snape began.
"Vinculi sarcinaria!"
The Warlock's voice rang out in the courtroom as if magnified ten-fold, surrounding Harry and Snape in an icy-blue white light. Both men sucked in a breath, each reaching out to steady the other as the magicks rifling through their bodies drew them taut in reaction. The spell permeated their very cells, reaching deep into the hearts and souls of both men, binding and bonding them permanently and irrevocably.
Ron and Hermione watched from the audience, the powerful spell dazzling the entire room and nearly blinding them. They sheltered one another, only looking up when the light had faded. Hermione gasped and rushed forward, pushing past the barrister and kneeling down in front of the bench next to Snape and Harry's bodies.
She looked up at the Warlock, wide-eyed. "What have you done?"
The Warlock sagged in his seat and sighed tiredly. "Just what he asked, Miss Granger." He stood and banged his gavel on the bench again. Two medi-wizards appeared and rushed forward. "May Merlin have mercy on them both." He turned and stumbled away from the bench.
Hermione backed away as the medi-wizards conjured stretchers and began tending to Snape and Harry. She turned and buried her face in Ron's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and watched them ready to take Snape and Harry away. "He'll be all right. If anyone can work that spell, Harry can," he told her softly. "We'll have to help him."
Hermione looked up at him. "What was it? I only caught part of the spell."
Ron made a face as he watched Harry float away and shook his head. "Your Latin is better than mine, but it's an ancient bonding spell. I just remember it as "Chains of Burden." He squeezed her tightly for a moment. "Come on, they'll be waking soon."