Touch your heart (Severus Snape)

Chapter 28

Hogwarts never felt so dark. So frightening. So unsafe.

As I walked through the corridors heading for the Gryffindor headquarters, I wondered what would happen next. I wondered what would happen to me and Severus, even though I know I shouldn't be thinking about that. Even though some part of me was doubting where his loyalty stands.

The rest of the members of The Order of Phoenix were gathered again to fight against Voldemort and they would finally get out of the shadows and save Hogwarts from Severus' hands. Hearing them talking shit about Severus made my heart twitch and rage boil deep inside me. Their plans to make him pay for what he did, made me yell at them to stop. And even though their rage was strong, they understood why I was so hurt. So they started being careful about the way they talked about him around me.

The students were called by Severus so late in the night. No one knew what he wanted nor what he intended with it, so Harry and I mixed with the crowd as we all entered the Great Hall. Each House stood together as a group in the room. No one sat down and no one dared to look up to their headmaster. And I did the same, not knowing what to do when our eyes met. But I knew it was going to happen, so I prepared myself to be strong.

At the top of the Hall, two death eaters were standing there, which made me gasp. It was Alecto and Amycus Carrow and they were standing like sentinels with their eyes raking the crowd. Minerva and Flitwick were standing between the students' houses and as Severus entered the Hall, the room goes mute.

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you here at this hour. It has come to my attention that earlier this evening... Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade." The students started murmuring, echoing through the wall and Severus raised his voice to quell the noise in the room. " Now, should anyone --student or staff -- attempt to aid Mr. Potter, that person will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Now then. If anyone here has knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening... I invite them to step forward now."

Severus' eyes scanned the hall.

And for some time you couldn't hear even a fly. But then we heard footsteps and Harry Potter appeared in the middle of the students, much to their surprise.

"It would seem that, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster."

The great door behind us opened and the Order shows itself: Ron. Hermione. Lupin. Arthur. Molly. Fred. George. Percy. Luna. Dean. Thomas. Bill. Fleur. Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"And I'm afraid it's rather extensive." He finished his sentence. "How dare you stand where he stood?" Severus stepped forward. "Tell them how it was that night. Tell then how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you...and killed him. Tell them!"

After a few seconds of tension, Severus draws his wand and pointed it to Harry promptly, but I was faster and before he could do anything I was in the middle of Harry and him, wand on my hand pointing at him. Minerva did the same and we were both facing Severus.

The students drifted away from where we were standing, scared of what could happen.

Severus' face fell when he saw me, his wand almost falling down of his hand.

But before I could speak, Minerva sent a Volcanic Blast in Severus' way. Pivoting, he barely repels the spell and sends it ricocheting around the room. Severus takes the measure of the room and sweeps his wand over his head, reducing the torches that line the wall to smoke and pitching the Hall into total darkness and transforming into a dark mist, flying away from Hogwarts, through the Great Hall's' window.

The room echoed with all the students celebrating Severus' expulsion, but everything around me was mute and in slow motion as I saw the love of my life turning to the dark side. Is this even for real? Is this a test of my loyalty? Was this what he warned me before? To trust him even if everything is against him? Or was it just a disguise?

While I looked around me, watching the students happy for being free, my mind was racing and my breathing was getting heavier as I felt dizzy. I tried to find a wall or a bench to lean against, trying not to faint or having a panic attack, but all I could do was dodge the students and think about my amazing fate: being in love with a Death Eater.

"Professor Angelina?" I heard young Hermione call out for me. "Angel."

But I didn't stop walking away from the crowd, heading for the great doors.

"Angelina, darling, are you feeling well?" I head Minerva by my side, grabbing me by my arm. But when she saw my tearful face she gasped and let go of me.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron got to her side, running after me, but she held a hand in the air and the trio stopped.

"She must want to be alone now."

"But, professor McGonnall, she can have a panic attack." Hermione protested.

"She lost more than you and I could imagine. Let her be alone now." She asked them to join the rest of the member of the Order to talk about the next steps.

"I'm afraid she might do something stupid." Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron's' ears.

Harry eyed her carefully and after a few seconds of hesitation he said: "I distract them and you go help her."

Even though Harry hated Severus, he knew how much he meant to me. It was no secret I had a dark past, full with pain. And it was no secret Severus helped me to close those wounds. Besides that, Harry cared about me and he was sad about how that love turned out to be.

That's why he addressed the crowd in front of him, with a speech about hope and happiness and how they can achieve it through the Horcruxes, and here and there were gasps of horror while Hermione silently dodged them heading for the corridors and aiming to find me.