The march back to Hogwarts was silent. The only sounds were Pettigrew's chains clinking softly with every step and the crunch of boots over frost-bitten earth. The moon above was pale and cold, casting its light across the forbidden forest path like a spotlight for ghosts.
Snape led the group, his robes billowing sharply behind him, wand gripped so tightly his knuckles were nearly white. He hadn't spoken since lowering his wand in the shack, but Harry could feel it—anger still coiled around him like a living thing.
Draco trailed behind them, eyes sharp and uneasy, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen. Harry glanced at him briefly. Even Draco seemed to know this wasn't the time for words.
---
Arrival at the Castle
When they reached the stone steps of the castle, Dumbledore was already waiting. His expression was calm, though his eyes flickered over Pettigrew with grim recognition.
"Bring him to my office," Dumbledore ordered smoothly. "The Minister is on his way."
Snape gave a curt nod, hauling Pettigrew forward by the enchanted chains. His magic pulsed faintly—cold, precise, and unmistakably threatening. Pettigrew whimpered but didn't resist.
As they ascended the stairs, Harry hung back slightly, watching Snape's rigid posture. He'd seen anger before—Petunia's sharp words, Vernon's fists—but nothing like this. Snape's fury wasn't loud. It was silent, measured, deadly. It wasn't just anger. It was control.
And Harry realized that control looked like it was eating him alive.
---
In Dumbledore's Office
By the time Fudge burst into the office, red-faced and flustered, Snape already had Pettigrew bound to a chair with silvery chains that pulsed faintly with runes.
"Severus!" Fudge exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this? I received an urgent owl—what's going on here?"
Snape didn't turn from Pettigrew. His voice was sharp, cutting through the air.
"What's going on, Minister, is that the man who betrayed James and Lily Potter is in this room."
Fudge blinked, then laughed nervously. "That's—preposterous. Pettigrew's dead! Everyone knows that."
Snape's wand flicked sharply. Pettigrew let out a panicked squeak as the chains tightened.
"Does this look dead to you?" Snape snarled.
Harry spoke up. "It's true. We saw it. He admitted it."
Even Draco, still pale and uncharacteristically quiet, muttered, "He did."
Fudge gawked between them all before Dumbledore intervened, stepping forward smoothly. "Cornelius, I suggest you listen. You will find that the evidence is… compelling."
---
The Tension Builds
As Dumbledore spoke with Fudge, Snape stood off to the side, his gaze fixed on Pettigrew with a predator's stillness. His fingers twitched at his side, as if restraining himself from ending it all right there.
Harry edged closer, hesitant. "Professor?" he said softly.
Snape didn't look at him. "What, Potter?"
Harry hesitated, then asked, "Does this change anything? With Sirius?"
For a moment, Snape was silent. Then, slowly, he replied, "It changes everything."
There was no joy in his tone. Only exhaustion.
---
The Dementors Arrive
The low, rattling breath came first. Cold swept through the office as two Dementors glided in, their cloaks dragging against the floor. Fudge stiffened but gestured for them to take Pettigrew.
As they approached, Harry felt the familiar icy pull—the screams, the flash of green light—but then he realized something: Snape had stepped closer to him, standing just between Harry and the Dementors.
The icy dread eased slightly, blocked by the shield of Snape's presence.
Harry blinked. Snape hadn't even looked at him, hadn't acknowledged what he'd done. But he'd done it anyway. Quietly. Automatically.
---
Aftermath
Once Pettigrew was taken away, Fudge blustered his way out with promises of "proper trials" and "press statements," leaving only Snape, Harry, Draco, and Dumbledore in the room.
Dumbledore finally turned to Snape. "You showed restraint tonight, Severus."
Snape's gaze was sharp. "Do not mistake restraint for forgiveness."
"I wouldn't dare," Dumbledore said mildly.
Snape's jaw clenched. He turned abruptly, his robes sweeping behind him. "If I am not needed further, Headmaster, I have work to do."
Before Dumbledore could respond, Snape was gone, the door closing sharply behind him.
---
Harry's Thoughts
Harry lingered, watching the empty doorway. There was something different about Snape tonight. He wasn't just angry. He was haunted.
And Harry couldn't shake the memory of that cold voice, trembling beneath its control.
Draco shifted beside him. "Your professor's terrifying," he muttered, though his voice lacked its usual edge.
Harry didn't answer. He just stared at the door and thought, Terrifying… but maybe not to me.