Damaged Raven

chapter 4

"Dumbledore please" Snape begged

"Severus, did it ever occur to you that illegally invading a child's mind could have gotten you a life sentence and cost you your position as spy? When Voldemort returns, and we both know he will, you will be lucky if he merely let's you off with the cruciatus curse" Snape paled dramatically, if not for the severity of the situation, Dumbledore would have been impressed at how pale the man could turn "no, in all honesty, he is likely to kill you. You however didn't consider that, because you preferred to hold on to a grudge against a dead man and then transfer it on to a child who had never met him. It never occurred to you that the child was not a notorious prankster, you never remembered me telling you that he grew up in an orphanage and you ignored the clear signs of suffering shown by the fact that most of his face is damaged beyond repair.

What disappoints me the most is the fact that you also forgot that he is the son of the woman you've claimed to love your whole life, the woman who you led me to believe was the reason you had joined my side in the first place."

"Albus, you need me!" Snape decided to try a different method of persuasion "I am your spy! Without me you will suffer! You need me! I am far more important than that Potter brat!"

"Severus, after what you've done it is impossible for me to get you out of this" Dumbledore replied, looking at Snape with eyes full of pity "at best I am capable of reducing your sentence, I do believe in redemption and I would love nothing more than to get you out of here, but I can't. I apologise, it is simply out of my hands. Like I've said, at best I am capable of reducing your sentence. The only way you could possibly get out of this is to convince Harry Potter to drop all charges."

"Then do it!" Snape shouted "Get that infernal brat and make him release me!"

"Severus do I look like I have total control over Potter?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow "As I have told you, I barely know anything about him over than what he looks like, the fact that he lives in an orphanage and regularly meets Bellatrix Lestrange"

"Lestrange?!"

"Yes, if you weren't so focused on your hatred of Potter you would've noticed a girl in your class that goes by the name Delphi Riddle" Dumbledore said "you're getting sloppy Severus" He added disappointedly "but yes, he is friends with her daughter, so that at least answers the question of who taught him occlumency. Who knows what else she has taught him? And I am not about to try and run off the saviour of the wizarding world and prophecy child to that woman simply because a man I had trusted couldn't control himself.

Besides, as I've said, I 'can't' get you out, not 'won't'. I have managed to delay your trial for a little while, I will go back to Hogwarts and try to convince Mr Potter of your importance and try to get him to drop the charges, however I wouldn't put too much hope on that Severus. I will be back soon, I hope you take the time to think about your actions and the consequences they have caused, not just for yourself but also me and the rest of the wizarding world." Dumbledore stood up and vanished the chair, he left before Snape could reply and made his way back to Hogwarts, hoping he would be able to convince Harry to forgive Snape.

"Are you alright?" Fay Dunbar asked Harry as she sat next to Delphi at the Ravenclaw table, Harry sat opposite the two girls with Shadow sitting on the table, eating the food that Harry had left for him "I heard about what Snape did, the whole school did in fact. Can't believe the bastard tried to mind rape you!"

"I know!" Delphi growled "and Dumbledore had the nerve to lecture Harry for it"

"Meh" Harry shrugged "doesn't really matter"