Severus Snape Attacks Boy-Who-Lived After Sentencing At Abuse Trial! Veela Wife Defends!
by Dawn Summers
In a shocking turn of events, after being sentenced to 137 years in Azkaban Prison, Severus Snape, 35, drew a concealed wand and attempted to cast a Dark Curse on Harry James Potter, 14. In a disturbing twist of fate, Snape mis-aimed his curse, endangering Court Scribe Janice O'Connor, 19. Potter pushed her to safety, but was unable to avoid the curse himself. His condition is unknown, but he is believed to be stable and recovering.
Mr. Potter's newlywed wife, Fleur Annalise Potter, 17, reacted immediately to the attack by transforming into her veela avian form. She cast several fireballs, two of which impacted and severely injured former Professor Snape. He is currently being treated in Azkaban for severe burns.
Mrs. Potter then stood guard over her husband while his injuries were being tended, going so far as to threaten Albus Dumbledore by casting another fireball at his feet when he attempted to assist. Mrs. Potter was unavailable for comment, but it is believed that she took exception because he was present in defense of Mr. Snape, who initiated the attack. She had no difficulty with Madam Amelia Bones, who helped treat the injured boy.
Mr. Potter was healed by a phoenix on scene, and it is believed that he was subsequently transported to St. Mungo's Hospital by that same phoenix. Prior to that, however, this reporter witnessed a remarkable moment between Mr. Potter and his wife. It is now eminently clear that they still have much to learn about each other.
Mr. Potter briefly regained consciousness and asked to see her while she stood guard, and she was initially unwilling to approach for fear of how her appearance would be received. In the end his pleas prevailed, however, and she was visibly stunned by his obvious appreciation of her avian form. It was a touching scene that could have been lifted straight from the pages of a romance novel.
While many have questioned the motives of Mrs. Potter and her family, what this reporter saw were two young people who love each other deeply. Even in such a frightening form, Mrs. Potter's love and concern for her husband could not be missed, and it was equally obvious that Mr. Potter cares just as deeply for his wife.
We are left with many questions raised by both the trial and the subsequent attack. Why did Albus Dumbledore allow the abuse to continue for so long at Hogwarts? Why was he willing to defend the man against such overwhelming evidence? That evidence was presented in stunning detail, showing a pattern of serious crimes against students that stretches back over a decade!
This reporter also wonders how Snape was able to pass security while in possession of a wand. And where were the Aurors during the attack? They were closer to the attacker than Mrs. Potter, and yet did not return spells in sufficient time to subdue the threat.
We at the Daily Prophet would like to offer our best wishes for Mr. Potter's recovery. We also thank Fleur Potter for her willingness to defend the innocent. It is unthinkable to consider what might have happened had Snape's rampage gone unchecked.
Harry smiled softly at the picture beside the article. It showed an avian Fleur holding his head in her lap, gazing worriedly down at him as Fawkes cried into his wounds, with Amelia and Sebastian assisting nearby. He raised a finger and ran it gently over the image of his wife, before turning his head to watch her as she slept soundly in the chair next to him, with her head resting on the edge of the bed, her silver hair splayed out around her.
The tear stains on her cheeks hurt him deeply. He knew that the reasons for them were twofold: one, she was worried about him, and two, she was frightened of his reaction to her. He of all people knew what it was to be shunned for an unusual ability – he needed only look at his revelation as a Parselmouth – and he intended to make her see that she was beautiful in any form. Especially since, in his opinion at least, she was.
He'd woken several hours ago to find Sebastian reading the paper by his bedside, and was informed that he was out for nearly seventy-two hours. Fleur had only just fallen asleep, not having done so since his arrival. Even when he reached over to gently stroke her beautiful head, she did not so much as stir. She was exhausted.
He only hoped that she didn't have to go through this many more times, but that hope was likely in vain given his tendency to end up in hospitals.
With a sad sigh, he turned to the next article in the paper, and almost choked on the headline:
Boy-Who-Lived Vs. Albus Dumbledore
Rumors Persist Indicating Newly-Formed Feud
By Alexander Harris
At Friday's trial of now-former Potions Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter, 14, demanded that additional precautions be taken while he was questioned under Veritaserum. Potter reportedly feared that he would be taken advantage of while under the influence of the truth potion, and specifically by Albus Dumbledore.
While this alone may not be enough to indicate a running feud, recent interviews with various Hogwarts students paint a startling picture. There have been several unusual public conversations between the two, and one between the Headmaster and Mrs. Potter, while her husband looked on.
Numerous students reported that Fawkes, the Headmaster's former phoenix companion, appears to have switched allegiance to Mr. Potter and his wife. The phoenix has been seen in their company almost constantly for the past two weeks. When Mr. Potter was asked to return Fawkes to the Headmaster's office, he was seen to query the phoenix directly and agree to its wish to stay where it was.
But more telling was the altercation with Mrs. Potter. Having approached Mr. Potter for an unsolicited meeting regarding the legality of his marriage, Dumbledore was surprised by Mrs. Potter, who understandably demanded to be present. He was then seen to use Legilimency on Mrs. Potter, whereupon she ejected him from her mind and verbally berated him for his disturbing actions.
The confrontation with Mrs. Potter ended with Fawkes the phoenix transporting Sebastian Delacour directly into the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It is not known what was discussed in the meeting, but several students have claimed that Mr. Potter was in a towering rage directly afterward.
Furthermore, Mr. Potter is now living with his wife among the Beauxbatons students. He is rumored to have applied for a transfer to the French academy, though that claim cannot be verified at this time.
What is happening with Albus Dumbledore? He has long enjoyed a cordial relationship with The-Boy-Who-Lived, but in the weeks since the article announcing their marriage, the Potters appear to have broken ranks with him. This was never more apparent than when Mrs. Potter threatened Dumbledore with violence while guarding her injured husband at the trial of Severus Snape.
Furthermore, this reporter must question the Headmaster's judgement in allowing Snape to interact with children, and that causes one to wonder what else is rotten at Hogwarts, and in the other powerful positions he holds. Dumbledore is nearly one hundred fifty years old; is he finally losing his edge? Is he still fit to lead?
Only time will tell, and we at the Daily Prophet will work diligently to discover the truth. In the mean time, we can only hope that the Potters know what they are doing in making an enemy of one of the most powerful Wizards of our time.
Harry snorted in choked laughter as he read the shockingly accurate article. This was turning out better than he thought, and it was almost worth getting injured to see it happen. By pure chance, Dumbledore had opened the floodgates to bad press for himself, and – so far at least – Harry and Fleur were coming out smelling like roses.
His laughter startled Fleur, who bolted upright, her eyes wide as she stared at him, and next thing he knew he was engulfed in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and was somewhat startled to feel hot tears dripping onto his shirt.
"Shhhh," he whispered. "It's okay, love, I'm just fine thanks to you."
"I was so worried!" she breathed. "You 'ave been asleep for days!"
Harry smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head. "It happens," he whispered sadly. "I have a bad habit of ending up in places like this, but they haven't killed me yet, and I'm not about to let them now I've got you."
She squeezed him even harder, and then picked her head up off his chest to give him a searing kiss. His side might be aching, and he might still be tired, but that kiss made his toes curl! He could feel the chaotic emotions pouring out of her, and wanted nothing more than to take her someplace much more private.
Finally, she pulled away and stared into his eyes. She seemed partly to be afraid that he would disappear if she looked away, and partly relieved that he was almost well again. But there was a shadow there, and he knew what it was about. It made his heart ache.
"I love you, Fleur," he whispered to her, causing her eyes to widen. "I don't care what form you take. You're beautiful, and I love you."
Shock shone in her eyes as she froze and stared back at him. "You– you really meant zat? You saw what I am, 'Arry, zat 'orrible creature..."
Harry shook his head and threaded his hands into her hair. "That creature was beautiful, Fleur," he whispered. "I wish I could become one. I love to fly."
Her tears started anew, and he hauled her onto the bed with him and held her close, allowing her to get it out of her system. He never would have guessed from meeting her originally, but she was not all that confident in herself. She lived behind a mask, and had only recently begun to step out from behind it and show the world who she really was.
And now she had to come to terms with it herself.
It was going to take time, he realized. She was not fragile by any means, but she did harbour a lot of pent up fears, and understandably so. Few people understood who and what she was, and she was terrified of how they would react, because they had universally reacted badly in the past. If there was one thing he would do for her, it was spend the rest of his life making her feel wanted and loved.
He only hoped that they could get through the near future. Unless he really had gone senile, Dumbledore was sure to launch a counterattack in the press, and they needed to figure out what to do. Should they ignore the opportunity? Should they build on it? Or should they take advantage of both his and the public's shock and launch their main assault early?
It was a lot to think about.
"Here, you should read this," he offered when she had finally settled down. "You need to see what people are saying, but it's really pretty good. Dumbledore screwed up worse than we thought."
"'E did?" she asked curiously.
"Yup," he nodded. "Snape essentially set him up for a fall. People are thinking he's pretty stupid right now."
"An accurate assessment," came Arienne's gentle voice. "Defending Snape was a poor decision on 'is part. It 'as cost 'im greatly."
Surprised, Harry looked up to see his mother-in-law standing in the doorway, looking as beautiful as ever. She entered the room and made a beeline to his bedside, and then reached up to brush her hand through his hair, to his surprise. Her other found its way to Fleur's back.
"Hi, Arienne," he greeted shyly. He hadn't had much contact with the woman yet.
"It is good to see you awake," she smiled. "We were becoming concerned."
Harry shrugged. "I'm used to this, ma'am," he admitted quietly. "I'm always fine in the end."
Fleur shuddered in his arms. "It must stop," she whispered. "You should not think it normal to be 'ere so often!"
Arienne directed an understanding smile at her daughter. "Fleur is right, 'Arry," she said sagely. "We must find a way to stop zis madness. You should be enjoying your life, not fighting for eet."
Harry could not help but agree.
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter