Rating: PG
Characters: Percy, McGonagall, Harry, Draco, Snape, Madam Pomfrey, Mad-Eye Moody

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The Minister of Magic sailed into the Headmistress� office with his robes billowing behind him. His head of glossy red hair shown in the light that streaked in through the windows, and his air of superiority was almost palpable�as was his aura of anger.

�What do you mean by summoning me here as if I was still one of your students? I�m far too important a person to be dancing attendance on your every whim, you know?�

Minerva rose slowly to her feet from behind her desk and stared at her rude, and oh, so important, visitor with cold eyes. �Thank you for coming on such short notice.�

Percy crossed his arms and glared haughtily at her. �Your note implied that you had information about Snape. Naturally I came. Do you know where he is?�

�As a matter of fact, I do,� she murmured softly.

At her words, doors on opposite sides of the chamber opened. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy stood in one and in the other glaring malevolently at his former jailer and being supported by a frowning Poppy Pomfrey, stood Severus Snape�wand in hand.

Percy gasped and fumbled for his own wand. As he pulled it from his pocket, a voice called out, �Accio wand.� And before Percy could do more than yelp and grab futilely at the air in front of him�his wand flew from his grasp to settle into Harry Potter�s outstretched hand.

Percy glared at Harry and Draco, obviously livid with rage. �So in the end, the brave hero is nothing more than a common criminal�still, what else could I expect�with the company you�re keeping these days.� His eyes raked disdainfully over Malfoy�s casually elegant form.

The young blond turned and looked at his companion and shrugged. �I could do worse,� he murmured softly. �I could be spending my time with Weasleys.� Potter grinned.

Percy fumed and turned back to face the forbidding figure of the Headmistress. �I knew you were behind this, you know! I just didn�t think I could prove it.�

She raised an eyebrow. �Then you�re smarter than I gave you credit for being, Mr. Weasley.�

�You�ve just sighed your own arrest warrant, you know.� He looked wildly around at the four people who were all slowly moving closer. �All of you�� His voice rose in pitch. �I�ll see you all rotting in Azkaban for this!�

Then he turned and broke for the door. When he reached it, he pulled frantically at the knob, but it refused to open for him no matter how hard he tugged and how loudly he swore. Finally he turned back to face his enemies�his back pressed firmly to the polished wood.

Snape took a menacing step forward towards Percy, and the Minister cringed and was silently grateful when Pomfrey grabbed the man�s arm and pulled him back. �You sniveling pile of excrement! What gives you the right to pass judgment on any of us? You, who were too cowardly to even take part in that battle ten years ago. You pinned medals on the heroes�and condemned the villains�all according to your whim, but you don�t actually give a damn who was guilty or who was innocent, do you?�

Minerva had come out from behind her desk and now laid a calming hand on Snape�s shoulder. �Please, let me handle this, Severus,� she pleaded softly.

He turned to face her with a snarl on his lips, but after he stared into her eyes for a moment, he gave a sigh and stepped back with a final glare at the man braced against the door. �I�ll let you have first try�� he snapped in return.

Minerva nodded and approached the nervous Minister. �Percy, I�m tired of your useless posturing, and it will end here. Severus is innocent. He was no more a Death Eater than I was. He was a spy for Albus and risked his life, time and time again, to win our struggle and destroy that monster. Now I want you to tell the world the truth. If you can spit all those lies to that abominable Skeeter woman, then you can just as easily tell her the truth. It�s past time to clear Severus� name.�

Percy sneered unconvincingly. �Or what are you going to do to me? Give me detention? Dock me house points? Don�t make me laugh.�

�I don�t intend you to find me the least bit amusing, Mr. Weasley. There are many ways to force you to do as we wish�I think you realise that. However, I would rather that you simply told the truth.�

Percy eyed the determined witch warily, then he raised his eyes to the glaring Snape and the equally menacing looking Potter and Malfoy. Mentally counting up the odds�he decided that appearing to comply would probably be best�for now. He could always renege and have them all arrested later, but only if he escaped from this unharmed.

He swallowed hard and dropped his eyes to McGonagall once more. �The people weren�t ready to accept that anyone who wore the Dark Mark was anything but an instrument of evil, you know. I simply didn�t have any choice in the matter. No exceptions could be made or it would shake the faith of the people in the new administration.�

McGonagall gasped. �Are you actually admitting that you knew the truth all along? That you knew Severus was innocent, and you condemned him anyway?�

Percy frowned. �Of course, I knew he was innocent. Too many people told the same tale, but there wasn�t any absolute documentation. I needed cold hard evidence! No one could prove it. Whether he was innocent or guilty was beside the point.�

McGonagall�s voice dropped to a whisper. �And what was the point? Please�enlighten me.�

�I�ve already told you. The people needed strong decisive leadership�the sort that only I could provide. All who wore the Mark had to be wiped out. It was what they wanted�what they could understand,� his voice trailed off as he saw the horror and hatred on her face.

�You condemned an innocent man to prison simply to assure your elevation to the job you coveted? You bastard!� she screamed.

Before Percy could react his head was being snapped back by the force of her blow. As he rubbed at the blood leaking from his mouth, McGonagall whirled around and called out. �Alastor�did you get all that?�

Moody stepped out from the doorway behind Potter and Malfoy and held up a small ball. �Yup�every weasely word.� He growled in satisfaction.

Percy stared at the ball with a sinking feeling.

�Let�s hear it,� McGonagall snapped.

Moody twisted the ball and it began to glow. Then suddenly the damning words of the Minister of Magic cut through the silence of the room. �Of course I knew he was innocent.�

Minerva smiled and turned back to the pale and bloody face of Percy Weasley. �Well. Mr. Weasley�How do you suppose your adoring public will feel about that?�

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters and concepts are the property of J.K. Rowling. These stories are fan tributes to her works, and generate no profit of any kind. No challenge to the intellectual property rights of Ms. Rowling, or any other author or artist whose works may be mentioned herein, is intended or implied. Story archived by permission of the author.