"SEVERUS -She screamed, tearing her throat.

Laurel felt her body move in slow motion. She ran after him, but her legs seemed to be made of lead. The few steps she had to take to get out to the hallway took an agonizing eternity. The Death Eaters had already passed through the doors and were distant figures getting lost in the darkness.

She quickened his pace with difficulty, but then a weak, cavernous moan made her stop. She turned her face towards the red-haired man's body and realized that that eerie moan was coming from the depths of his throat. She approached him, turning her protective instinct over that stranger who had helped her a few minutes ago.

"Can you hear me?"

But Laurel couldn't hear any response, as a sudden loud racket came upon her.

"Harry!"

Harry Potter was running toward the front doors, his wand in his hand, his emerald green eyes glowing with fury. The boy gave her a dismissive glance for barely a second, before barreling past them.

Laurel swallowed, distraught. She knew very well where the young man was going and she had the urge to follow him, but then she realised the icky, warm feeling under her feet. She lowered her eyes to the immense stain of blood that was collecting under the wizard's body.

She didn't hesitate for a second. She knelt beside him and moved his body, brushing his long hair away from the face. She opened her mouth in horror as she saw the deep bites Greyback had inflicted on him.

"Help!" -she screamed desperately.

The woman pulled his arm and managed to lift him up, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get him to the infirmary in time. However, after taking a few steps, the weight of the fainted body suddenly lightened: someone was helping her support it. Laurel watched in shock as at least half a dozen wizards entered the hall; the thunderstroke faces shouted meaningless words and the wands moved impetuously.

¡BOOM!

A new blast echoed off the castle walls and a bright orange light was seen through the broken windows. An explosion had occurred outside on the grounds.

More screams, hurried footsteps. They had taken the bloodied wizard away from her. The woman could see how a pair of blurs took him by the shoulders and down a dark hallway. Laurel stood still in the midst of the chaos. Everything was confusing, as if a thick fog surrounded her, but then someone called her name:

"Laurel!"

It was Remus, who ran over to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the commotion. Laurel noticed how the hallway began to fill with people. The students, still in their nightclothes, whispered in disbelief as they saw the destruction of the Great Hall.

A loud, coarse voice rose above the murmurs of the students, silencing them and leaving a dreadful quietness.

"Lupin! Lock her up in the dungeons. I'll take care of her later!"

"What are you saying? She doesn't..."

"She is an accomplice, as far as we know, and must remain in custody".

Laurel had never seen that man, but her gaze remained fixed on him for a moment, fixed on that very destroyed face, fixed on the enormous eye, round like a coin and of a vivid, electric blue colour that rotated wildly.

"Come on, Laurel."

Remus tugged on her arm gently and Laurel allowed him to take her, walking quickly among the students. She didn't listen to what the werewolf was telling her, she didn't protest when she was taken to one of the unused cells in the dungeons, nor did she answer when her friend apologised as he closed the heavy iron door when he exited.

The Akardos let herself fall in a corner, her chest raising with rage. Hot tears went down her cheeks and she dried them hastily.

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

The woman squeezed the armrests of the hard metal chair in which she had been sitting for countless hours. She stared at the oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, afraid to look into the immense darkness that surrounded her. The dim light was not enough to light up the cold, damp stone walled cell, so much like the cellar at the Malfoy Manor.

Suddenly she heard footsteps, murmurs in the hallway, angry voices. Someone was having an argument outside. Silence. The heavy door opened with a creak, Laurel was sure she would see Mad-Eye Moody enter the cell again to continue the interrogation and she prepared herself again for the imminent storm of questions and accusations that awaited her.

But it wasn't Moody. A wizard with keen yellow eyes, tawny hair, and an austere face entered the cell, followed by another tall, bald, dark-skinned man.

"My name is Rufus Scrimgeour," -the yellow-eyed man said, sitting down ceremoniously in front of her. - "I have been told that you have been living among us for a while. I guess you know who I am."

"The Prime Minister". -Laurel answered, bowing her head.

"The very same one," -Scrimgeour bent towards her, whispering. - "And the only one that can save you from ending up in Azkaban".

Laurel stared at the wizard, then at the black man, who was standing up behind, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes staring down, eyebrows pinched together.

The Akardos looked back and forth between them, trying to understand the situation.

"Why?" -She finally said, - "Why would I go to Azkaban? I had nothing to do with..."

"Dumbledore's murder." - Scrimgeour cut her off.

"I... I still cannot believe he is really..."

But Scrimgeour was not listening to her. With a wave of his wand, he made a shiny goblet of water appear, which Laurel looked at hopefully. She had been locked up for a long time now, and her throat hurt, but Scrimgeour downed the content in one gulp, without even looking at the woman. He let out a relished sigh and started speaking, his eyes fixed on a file that appeared magically in front of him.

"Let's go over everything again, Soulless One. You claim that on the night of Dumbledore's murder, Severus Snape warned you that the Death Eaters...

"No! I've said that Snape didn't mention anything about Death Eaters. He couldn't have known that they would infiltrate Hogwarts."

"And why wouldn't he know? Being him a loyal servant of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You said he went running in the direction of the Astronomy Tower...

"I didn't know where he went, I never said that..."

"But you did mention that Snape was aware of a plot to kill Dumbledore, a plot hatched by Draco Malfoy, so can you tell us why it was Snape who raised his wand against the headmaster instead of young Malfoy? Why did Severus Snape murder Albus Dumbledore in cold blood?"

The lash of those words hurt her with an intensity even crueller than Bellatrix's whip. Laurel looked at her tormentor and shook her head.

"I don't know what happened, I swear to God, I cannot believe he... I really don't know why he did it".

Rufus Scrimgeour looked into the haunted face. The eyes were dark hollows, pleading for understanding, her face puffed from too much crying. The woman's whole body language screamed out, trying to make him believe what she was saying.

The minister of magic placed both hands on the table in front of the Akardos and brought his angry face closer, speaking in a menacing tone:

"What you have been telling me so far is all bullcrap! How come you have been living next to a murderer all this time and have not realise it? You deserve a one-way ticket to Azkaban for covering up a Death Eater!"

Knock! Knock!

Laurel turned her head at the sudden rapping at the door but both men seemed to ignore it.

"Prime Minister, if you allow me..."

The dark-skinned wizard approached Scrimgeour, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a knowing look, his head slightly turned to the wretched woman The minister stood up and he sat in his place. Laurel looked up at the wizard who was searching for something in the pockets of his sumptuous blue robe. He finally took a crumpled pack of cigarettes and placed them in front of her.

"I am Kingsley Shacklebolt, the auror in charge of this investigation. I believe you may want to have those".

Laurel felt how her chest wrinkled the same way as the pack of Chesterfields. Her mind took her there again, at the top of the Astronomy tower, watching the sunrise with Severus fast asleep in her lap. And now they were telling her that in that same spot, he had committed a murder. She was still hoping to be woken from that fever dream.

"I don't want them".

"I am trying to help you, Miss Noel. It seems that the fact that you were so close to Snape and unaware of this plot is, sadly, implausible".

"I know that". - Laurel let out a tremulous sigh. - "He cheated me, and he used me..."

"He managed to cheat Albus Dumbledore, it is understandable". - the man waved his hand, bringing the pack of cigarettes closer to her. - "We have searched both your bedrooms and found no indication that you have links to the Death Eaters, beyond serving as a guinea pig in a bizarre unfinished experiment. Plus, the other teachers advocate for you."

"Do... do they?"

"To a certain extent."- He lowered his voice, leaning toward her. - "I know Snape kidnapped you and locked you up in the Malfoy's manor for months. What made you trust him so blindly?"

Laurel stared at the table. Slowly, memories of the nights spent with Severus filled up her tired mind.

"He didn't kidnap me. He saved me. He protected me. The Death Eaters were going to kill me when they found out what I was. He didn't allow it".

"No, you are mistaken". - Shacklebolt let out a sigh. - "What I really think happened is that he found a rare and elusive specimen of Akardos. He probably thought he could show off and give you to his Master. What happened later is just typical Stockholm's syndrome".

"No! He gave me a chance to escape. I rejected it." -Laurel hid her face with her hands, the heaviness of doubt filling up her heart. - "Listen, I won't be much help to you. I can only tell you that I have been a fool."

"And I can tell that many people have been sent to Azkaban for much less than what you are being accused of, Miss Noel." -The wizard shook his head disapprovingly - "But you are still determined to protect a murderer".

Laurel stared at the man's dark eyes. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that the possibility of ending up in Azkaban was a very real one. Why did she trust him so blindly? Laurel knew very well she trusted for the same reason that Dumbledore trusted him:

Lily

His undying loyalty to her memory, the undeniable pain of guilt drawn on his face.

But how could she explain that to the men in front of her? How could she explain those feelings to such bureaucrats?

She opened her mouth but closed it after one second. If she let out what she knew, she could place Severus in terrible danger. Word could reach to Death Eaters, to Voldemort himself that his most important spy loved a Muggle-born. The faintest hint of treachery, of disaffection against his master actions would be his end.

Laurel let out a sigh before clenching her teeth tightly.

She could be putting her freedom at stake. She had heard horrible stories about Azkaban, but thinking about what could happen to Severus if she talked ate at her heart.

"You have been a good and obedient pet."

To think of those words...to think of his cold, derisive way he stroked her hair....

She swallowed, her eyes turning hot, the corner of her lips twitching.

"I cannot..."

BAM!

The door opened violently and for a moment Laurel thought that the school was under attack again, but she was surprised to see Professor McGonagall enter with a determined step, followed by Professor Flitwick and Remus Lupin.

"That was enough." -Professor McGonagall put her wand in her pocket and smoothed her tartan robe while looking haughtily at the Prime Minister. - "I will not allow the Ministry to interfere more than it should in Hogwarts."

"How dare you, Minerva!" - Scrimgeour had pulled out his wand upon hearing the thunderous slam of the door opening and seemed to have no intention of lowering it. - "A murder has been committed and I have every right to bring my aurors and interrogate the suspects..."

"It is a useless effort, Mr. Prime minister. We already know who the murderer was. We have a first-hand witness."

Laurel's eyes widened and she couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice:

"Who?"

McGonagall turned his gaze to her, and a brief expression of pity crossed her face before she glared back at the Prime Minister.

"Sir, I thought that you would at least have the decency to inform your defendant that it is Harry Potter, who witnessed the murder of the headmaster."

Laurel felt a cold dagger stabbing through her heart.

It was indeed true. Severus was a murderer. Severus, the man who she thought was protecting The Boy Who Lived, murdered Dumbledore. Why would he do such a thing? Why did he lie to her for so long?

The Prime Minister said something, but Laurel could not hear him, the only thing in front of her eyes was the bright emerald green of Harry's.

"Potter claims that Miss Noel was not in the Tower and that Draco Malfoy never mentioned her name when revealing the plan he had been plotting for months..."

"That is no indication of innocence!"

"You have no evidence of guilt either, Prime Minister."

"Shacklebolt, whose side are you on?!"

"On the side of justice, Prime Minister... and if there really is no evidence to detain her or prosecute her..."

"Well, I might as well send her to Azkaban, until the Soulless One decides to say something useful!"

"How dare you call her that derogatory way?!"

Scrimgeour slammed a fist down on the table, making the other people in the room jump. Laurel snapped out of her trance and watched as the others continued arguing. She noticed Remus who was standing a little away from the others and staring at her with a downcast face. He looked as if he had aged a hundred years in just one night.

"I am sorry". -She mouthed silently.

Remus nodded slightly, going closer to her he passed a chocolate bar wrapped in foil.

"No! No! Step back!" -Scrimgeour shouted.

"This is ridiculous. Laurel has nothing to do with it! You know who the culprit is!"

"I will not take inputs from a werewolf!"

"Then, I hope you take inputs from The Chosen One". - A soft, calming voice echoed in the cell.

Heads turned to face Tonks who appeared at the entrance, her arm around the shoulders of an exhausted, grieve stricken Harry.

"She wasn't part of it", -the young man said, avoiding looking at Laurel. - "They left her behind. I saw them, I saw him. He didn't give a damn about her. But she... she did care to help Bill. No Voldemort supporter would ever care to help a Weasley".

"Ahh... well... that is your word..." - Scrimgeour muttered.

"And I take it into consideration, Prime Minister" -. Shacklebolt bowed slightly to Scrimgeour. - "Considering that there is absolutely no evidence against the Akardos and according to what Mr. Potter testified, Miss Noel will not be considered a suspect and will not be linked to the process."

Laurel watched as the minister stormed out of the cell before Shacklebolt had even finished speaking. Someone else was patting her shoulder and a kind soul handed her a glass of water. However, Laurel couldn't stop looking at Harry, who for the first time held her gaze.

"Do you know what he did? What he did to my parents?" -Harry said in a high-pitched voice, making the others quiet down. - "I found out today. Trelawney told me. Snape was spying for Voldemort and heard the prophecy. The One with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... Guess what your beloved bastard did..."

"Harry..."

"He ran, like the lapdog he is. Like the coward he is. He ran to inform Voldemort. He is a murderer. And you... you... you make me sick."

Her hands trembled visibly as she attempted to reach for her box of cigarettes, her stomach dropping down, heavy with dread. She could almost taste her guilt, her shame. It was a metallic taste, like blood piling up. It took the last of his strength to light a cigarette, the heated smoke brought tears to her eyes. Laurel finally let them flow, praying that they would bring some relief to her damaged soul.