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When Chimeras Dance	By : extasssy Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 2149 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of

Chapter List
- 1-Chapter 1 - Aftermath
- 2-Chapter 2 - Waking up
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IMPORTANT: Many thanks to my beta blue artemis, for all the help she’s giving me writing this story!

I. Aftermath

It was well past midnight when Kingsley Shacklebolt finished reading and signing the rather large stack of official looking papers perched on top of his desk. He had read them all, from the first boring sentence to the last, and yet, after more than seven hours of reading and signing, he didn't have the slightest idea what any of them were about. His mind was far from the task at hand, which - according to Cornelius Fudge, one of his predecessors - was more than often a daily occurrence for the Minister of Magic.

No, his mind was definitely not on who to appoint as the new Head of Magical Games and Sports Department or the lack of staff over at the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. Not even the crowding down on level two where during the last hours tens of Death Eaters have been imprisoned to await trial or the retirement of Nelson Proudfoot as Head of the Auror Office, were able to drive Kingsley Shacklebolt's thoughts away from what he had seen less than twenty four hours ago in Dumbledore's pensive.

If believing without seeing is faith, than he for sure wasn't a faithful man, because without seeing he would have never believed it, but there it was, clear as day: Severus Snape - Dumbledore's man, Harry Potter's protector, the man of Light behind the ranks of Dark and the most unbelievable of all Severus Snape - the man who did it all for love. Come to think about it, the Severus Snape in the pensieve was nothing like the man that he thought he knew. This man was decent and heroic and trustworthy, but above all this man deserved a life after having none for far too long.

Kingsley Shacklebolt got up from his desk, stretched, and picked up the evening edition of the Daily Prophet on his way to the fireplace. He didn't have a chance to read it all evening and sleep was avoiding him again as it had every night since Voldemort's downfall, making this late hour of the night the perfect moment to keep tabs on the world outside the Ministry and his office. He seated himself on the sofa, facing the hearth and stared blankly at the headlines spread across the first page.

INSIDE THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS

The horrors may have ended for the wizarding world, but will always live in the memories of those that were present on the 2nd of May at Hogwarts.

A day both of fairy-tale dream and nightmare proportions, writes Andy Smudgley, the 2nd of May 1998, will be forever remembered as the day that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had died at the hand of our own Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. After years of tormenting thewizarding world He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, aka Voldemort, aka Tom Marvolo Riddle, has taken his last breath on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after a battle like no other in written history.

'I was the first reporter at the scene, arriving mere minutes after Harry Potter killed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once and for all,' explains Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent of the Battle of Hogwarts, 'and what I saw was truly horrific and uplifting at the same time. Though I am relieved that Voldemort is gone for good this time, I find myself wondering if the nightmares will ever truly go away. All I can tell you about the battle itself is that I consider myself lucky to not have been a part of it, as I cannot even start to imagine what those who were had gone through.'

'It was horrible!' stated Elphias Doge – long-time friend of former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - 'The Death Eaters were everywhere and there were times when I truly believed that the end was near. Don't get me wrong, I never - not even for a second - doubted Mr. Potter, but there were times I doubted I would see him win.'

'The battle d'you mean?' said Mundungus Fletcher when asked about the events of 2nd May 'Not been there myself, but heard a lot on it. Glad Harry won though.'

'When Voldemort came out of the forest with Harry, I thought everything was over.' explained Hestia Jones, 'I couldn't … I can't really explain what I felt. It was like everything went black.'… More statements right from the battle field continued on page 3.

Kingsley Shacklebolt sifted uncomfortable on the sofa and continued with the next piece of news.

MALFOY SWEARS INNOCENCE

Pure-blood Lucius Malfoy who was brought in early this morning for questioning regarding Death Eater activity, together with his wifeNarcissa and son Draco has offered the Auror Department almost the same story as last time, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent to the Ministry of Magic. Malfoy stated that he was subjected to several confounding hexes and charms during the time since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returned after the incident at Godric's Hollow that resulted in James and Lily Potter's deaths, until being captured and imprisoned after the attack on the Ministry of Magic a few years back. He also mentioned being placed under the Imperious Curse on several occasions.

Malfoy admitted to Azkaban breakout, but explained that it was only under Death Eater pressure. 'I knew that the Death Eaters would have killed me and my family in an instant if I didn't do as told….

Continued on page 16.

Kingsley Shacklebolt shifted uncomfortably in his seat again but continued reading.

GOLDEN TRIO MISSING

It has been exactly one week since anyone has seen any of the saviors of our world, or the Golden Trio as many like to call them, writes Eva Limus, disappearing out of sight right after the collective funerals that took place on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley are nowhere to be found and their close friends and relatives refuse to make any comments on the subject. Rumor has it the trio has left the country. Is it for a journey to recover after the ordeal of the last year or for good? No one knows and those who know are not telling.

Continued on page 2.

Kingsley Shacklebolt flipped the paper open at page two and continued reading the article. With every line he read his face grew brighter and brighter, so near the end of the article he was smirking at its stupidity.

"Idiots!" He laughed in the empty room. “Granger, you’re truly one of a kind. Who’d have thought?"

He let the paper fall on his lap and stared into the fire laughing out loud. It was minutes after that the laughing subsided and he raised the paper again reading. A familiar sneer caught his eye on the next page. With a hooked nose and a curtain of greasy black hair, Severus Snape's face smirked towards him from the picture surrounded by test just below a headline that Kingsley Shacklebolt missed on the front page.

THE EPITOMY OF EVIL - SEVERUS SNAPE

If last year's accusations regarding the murder of Hogwarts' most esteemed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and his presumed killer are anything to go on, then Severus Snape is truly the worst of the worst, writes Rudolf Almeidus.

Students and teachers alike have testified right after the battle that Severus Snape, then Headmaster of Hogwarts, had proven without a doubt his true loyalties during the battle by fleeing the castle to join his one and true master He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Now struggling on his death bed at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after being bitten by none other than Nagini, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's snake familiar, Severus Snape seemed to have made a terrible mistake in putting his fate in his master. Rumor has it the healers are clueless on how exactly to proceed in order to save his life.

While the extent of his injuries are still very hush-hush and only a hand full of people know exactly what happened in the Shrieking Shack when the serpent Nagini attacked his master's greatest supporter - none of which are talking to the press - people have started to wonder if all the resources that go his way are even worth it. Wouldn't it be wiser to just let him join his master once and for all?

At this point Kingsley Shacklebolt refused to read any more and as rage burned in him so did the flames of the hearth burn the crumpled newspaper that he had thrown with all his force into the fire.

“The nerve of them!” raged Shacklebolt. “Who the hell do they think they are? They know nothing! Nothing!”

And yet you would have agreed with them mere hours ago! The nagging voice of his conscience answered him. But he wouldn't listen to it now. Not now that he had seen it with his own eyes. Not now when he finally understood the man that is Severus Snape.

"Fuck this!" he roared and without even a look at the paper that was consumed by flames he stepped over it after throwing a handful of Floo powder and stating loud and clear his destination. "St. Mungo's - Hippocrates Smethwyck’s Office."

A burst of green flames later he was gone.

Hippocrates Smethwyck was reading the most recent healing report on the most notorious patient that the department of Creature-Induced Injuries had in more than a hundred years, his face growing more and more incredulous with every minute that passed. It was good news, extraordinary news to be exact, but the truth was that he had lost hope so long ago that this was almost a miracle, and in a world of magic, miracles were very little and sometimes centuries apart and certainly never coming from the Muggle world.

He lifted his head from the roll of parchment at the sound of Floo Network activation and waited for whoever was rude enough to be calling at this hour to step into the office. A mere second passed before the Minister of Magic himself stepped from the green flames of the fireplace and onto the colour faded rug, banishing soot from his bright emerald robes with a flick of his wand. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, was pissed.

"Minister!" Smethwyck rose from his chair forcing a smile and opening his arms in greeting. "How nice to see you again! Always a pleasure, always."

"Yes, Hippocrates, I am very much aware of the 'pleasure' of having me here. You never miss a chance to remind me of it.” Shacklebolt settled himself on a chair facing the healer. "I'm not here for chit-chat! How is our patient?"

"See for yourself, Minister." Smethwyck said, handing him the same piece of parchment that he had been reading only a minute ago.

Shacklebolt took a few seconds to pursue the length of the report, the same incredulous expression that had been on the healer's face reflected now on his own.

"You mean it worked?"

Smethwyck nodded and smirked.

"It really worked? Is he awake?" asked the Minister after reading the report for a second time. "I want to see him!" he demanded, rising from his chair.

"Oh, no Minister, not awake. Not yet anyhow." Smethwyck said. "As for seeing him, why, I was just on my way to check on him. Would you care to join me? "

"You bloody well know I do!" hissed the Minister "I've been coming here every day for a fortnight to see him; not to hear you fanning the breeze."

"Yes, of course!" Smethwyck cringed, lowering his head. He really wasn't in the mood for politics.

A few minutes later Smethwyck and Shacklebolt could be found standing near the head of a hospital cot in St. Mungo's most expensive private reserved room, looking down at the occupant of the bed. The man's complexion had a yellowish tinge with violent black marks under his closed eyelids, his thin lips were almost undistinguished in colour from the rest of his skin and his long black hair was spread in an unkempt and greasy halo on his pillow. He looked sick.

Shacklebolt stared at the man unable to believe that this was the same man that had changed the destiny of the wizarding world forever. He looked too fragile to have ever done what Kingsley now knew he did. How could this be the man who took the Dark Mark because of an unrequited love, or the same man that change sides for the same love, or the man that protected his one true love's son for seven straight years, or even the man that had killed his mentor - at his request - for the Greater Good? How can he be the man that the world feared, when here, now he was the one how should fear the world? He was not the same man, Shacklebolt reasoned, and he will never again be.

"...vitals. Let's see! Oh, yes… stronger than when the report was filled." Smethwyck words while flicking his wand in all sort of strange movements over the body, woke the Minister from his thoughts. "Venom level… low, very low. Magic… almost back to normal. He's healing nicely Minister."

"And all this because of that Muggle remedy?" asked the Minister apprehensively.

"Our healers had their share of contribution." sniped Smethwyck.

"Yes, yes, of course! I didn't mean it like that. I just… Of..." The Minister trailed off as his gaze felt on the man's face again. Oh, Severus! Why didn't you let us help you?

"The remedy did most of the job…" admitted Smethwyck in an undertone. "Got to hand it to these Muggles. They are more resourceful than I thought! But how, by Merlin's twisted beard, did you think of it?"

"Honestly Hippocrates, I was just the middle man - the courier if you like. The mastermind was one of his students. Or I should say former students - I don't know if he'll be going back, or if she will - I hope they both will. We need the likes of them."

"The likes of what? Death Eaters? You can't be serious Minister! "

"Oh… Sod off, Hippocrates! You heard what Potter said."

"Don't mean to be disrespectful Minister… "

"Why do I have a feeling you will be then?" interrupted Shacklebolt with a harsh laugh.

"… Er… Yes, well! As I said, no disrespect to you, but how do we know we can trust Potter? I mean the boy was under a lot of stress at the time - with all the running round the country, fighting You-Know-Who…"

"Oh, Merlin's beard, say his name, already!" shouted the Minister. "The sick bastard is dead for crying out loud! He's not coming back this time. There's nothing to fear anymore."

"Yes, well! V-Vol…Ahem…Voldemort, yes, Voldemort. Anyway… and with all the friends that were dying around him." Smethwyck tsked. "Who knows, maybe the boy has changed his mind since! I mean, the man is a killer, Dumbledore's killer to be exact. How can you not doubt the boy's words? Wasn't Potter the one who said Snape was guilty of killing the Headmaster? Didn't he say that said the Snape was a traitor?"

The Minister decided to ignore the comment and started to pace at the end of the bed as Smethwyck, taking the hint, checked on Severus Snape's vitals and magic once again.

"His improving as we speak." Smethwyck smirked. "He'll be walking around in no time."

"When do you think he'll..." the Minister never did finish his question as a silky drawling voice came from the bed.
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When Chimeras Dance