HP - Shadow Monarch - Chapter 210 - The Truth.

[Chapter Size: 2500 Words.] Third Person POV Hogwarts. ... ... A whole group of Aurors entered Hogwarts at that moment as they advanced into

[Chapter Size: 2500 Words.] Third Person POV Hogwarts. ... ... A whole group of Aurors entered Hogwarts at that moment as they advanced into

[Chapter Size: 2500 Words.]
Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

...

...

A whole group of Aurors entered Hogwarts at that moment as they advanced into the castle with the Minister of Magic himself leading the group filled with Aurors and high-ranking people from the Ministry of Magic.
They headed to a room full of other Hogwarts professors, all gathered, all looking on with most of them worried about everything that was happening.

"Hello everyone... many of you are seeing me for the first time, and it’s a pleasure to meet you all."
He began, getting straight to the point while looking at the Hogwarts professors present.

Everyone nodded as he looked at each of them before continuing.
The only one who should be there and wasn't was Dumbledore, since the news of him still being missing.

"Well, let's begin."
He announced with a sigh as he continued.
"As you know, the other criminal has started acting again and is retaliating against the attack orchestrated by You-Know-Who...
That’s why we are now in search of his confirmed identity, because we had no success with the minister who preceded me in this position."

He paused, but Professor Slughorn decided to intervene.

"And why is Severus Snape, a Slytherin student, being investigated by your Aurors coming to the castle in the past few days for us to have to talk all about him?"
Professor Slughorn murmured, feeling a bit of unease at the idea that Severus might be...

"Because we are certain that the sixth-year student is responsible for all the deaths that have been happening since last year, he is the one being labeled as the second Dark Lord!"
The Minister said.

That immediately drew several shocked and incredulous expressions from the professors.

"You can't say that..."
Professor McGonagall couldn’t believe it.

"Yes... we are gathering all the information we have on him and his actions, and I am frightened by everything I’ve seen.
He simply returned late last year and gained many privileges that I don’t know why or how Dumbledore gave him."
He began.

"Furthermore, even his reputation of beating up several students from powerful families, even heirs, was heard outside Hogwarts, with many noble houses after him...
But they could never do anything..."

"His first appearance was in Hogsmeade where he showed up with a new spell, using teleportation even more advanced than apparition,
he started killing dozens of wizards with blades in a brutal way."

"I don’t believe Snape is that person..."
Professor Flitwick murmured.

"He is... he gained several privileges, leaving the school every weekend—what student can do that?
How did none of you notice anything wrong with a single student who until then hadn’t stood out much according to previous years’ reports,
and suddenly started becoming untouchable inside and outside of Slytherin, while even with so many enemies, he didn’t care, throwing anyone into detention!?
Explain that, professor?"
The Minister spoke in a harsh tone, while Flitwick lowered his head, thinking about those things and if Severus really was that person.

"No... I already had Tom Riddle... now is Severus also someone who will walk the path of darkness...?"
Professor Slughorn was heartbroken to think that another great talent from his school was in fact a wizard who was causing so much terror.

"But he’s just a boy... how is it possible?"
Professor McGonagall murmured.
Even though she hadn't gotten along with him last year, things had improved with him starting to attend classes.

And even if Severus had been a bully, even putting Gryffindors in the infirmary...
she couldn’t believe he could be that evil.

"I don't know either... but Severus Snape was extremely powerful and deadly, capable of killing even you here, and that changed last year... something happened that we still can’t understand."
The Minister said in an even more serious tone while his Aurors remained silent, one of them stepping out from the group.

"This was an Auror who was on the teams checking Hogwarts after the incidents, he himself investigated Severus and hit him with a powerful spell, sending him to the infirmary.
I went to find him and was shocked by his report, while it seems Severus let that happen on purpose with everyone’s eyes moving away from him right after that."
He spoke as the Auror stepped forward in front of them.

"I know it wasn’t right for me to use such a powerful spell on a student... but when we were about to fight, everything went dark,
and I could only see Severus in the middle of the darkness with an aura that said I would die there...
So I didn’t think twice about trying to save my life..."
The man murmured in a fearful tone.

"You’re saying that this Severus Snape, whom I remember very well being in the infirmary a few times, let himself be hit to appear innocent?"
_____ commented, she was the former nurse of Hogwarts, although she wasn’t at the castle last year, with Penelope replacing her for personal reasons,
but she had heard plenty of complaints from her and how she should prepare to see many students being sent to the infirmary by Severus,
though that didn’t end up happening, with no one really messing with Severus that year.

"You don’t understand..."
The Auror spoke again...
"I saw his eyes glowing... it meant I was going to die, I was just protecting myself from that monster."
Everyone seemed shocked by those words.

"If this all isn’t proof... let’s start with the things that happened starting this year,
and if you don’t believe me, tell me, why does Severus Snape and the one named as the second Dark Lord have a tendency to enter paintings?"
He asked, leaving the question in the air.

"After all, Severus Snape was hunting paintings all over the castle, wasn’t he?"
The Minister asked directly to the painting on the wall.

"It’s true! He entered mine and others of several acquaintances of mine! He’s terrible!"
The painting spoke, as the Minister continued.

"With just that, we can already declare that Severus Snape is the same person invading the properties of wizarding families in search of their paintings!"
He stated.

"So he really is that person..."
The professor of Ancient Runes commented.

"There are no more doubts... furthermore... he is responsible for Dumbledore’s disappearance."
The Minister said, leaving everyone shocked.

"That can’t be possible, Minister... Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of the century!"
Professor McGonagall immediately disagreed with that.

"It wasn’t You-Know-Who who faced him... so there’s only one person... and we also discovered something...
That on the same night Dumbledore fought someone, Severus Snape went to the house of the former Minister.
After speaking directly with her, I noticed she made a huge mistake.
She claimed that Severus asked them to go to his house to try to cover up an event that destroyed a large part of the forest... saying it was a potion.
She owed him a favor regarding what the Auror here did, but it was all a setup,
and Severus managed to cover up even the fact that he was the one who fought Dumbledore..."
He said.

"..."
All the professors seemed deeply terrified by that.

"That’s why we have to deal with Severus Snape before he gains more power... he must know where Dumbledore is and didn’t kill him."
The Minister warned.

"Wait... there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense here, how can he move from one place to another?
This year he didn’t receive permission to leave Hogwarts... no one saw him use the fireplace."
Professor Slughorn still didn’t want to believe it, but he was being rational.

"I know... there are many questions even I don’t fully understand, we’re still trying to figure it out,
but there’s no doubt it’s him, and we’ll have all our answers as soon as we capture him..."
He spoke again.

"What are you planning?"
Professor Longbottom asked, as she was also an Auror.

"We want to capture him, and we’ll do it at the beginning of the school term.
I want to set a trap that everyone is committed to and act quickly,
we’ll use all kinds of magical protection to lure him in."
He said.

"But didn’t he massacre hundreds of wizards and werewolves in a town?
What guarantees he won’t kill us if it’s really true?"
Professor Longbottom asked again.
After all, everyone knew the power of the second Dark Lord was strong enough to wipe out hundreds of wizards, and he had those dark things no one else understood.

"That’s why there’s someone among you who can help us a lot."
He said calmly, while looking at one of the professors, and everyone followed his gaze—towards Rosaria, the History of Magic professor, as she narrowed her eyes.

She had heard the entire conversation and hadn’t spoken or reacted to anything, remaining silent as she planned to inform Snape as soon as she left there,
but she didn’t like the way the Minister said those things and looked at her.

"Rosaria, I know you’re an important guest of England and that your family is powerful,
but there’s no doubt you’re involved with Severus, we need all possible information, and it’s better if you cooperate with us."
He said, shocking many.

"But my lord... her family is very important, this could cause a major international issue... especially with her father..."
One of the judges who was with the Minister commented.

"You think I don’t know that?
But this is a matter of national security that involves all of Great Britain!
We can’t afford not to make enemies while we need to stop the most dangerous man in England!"
He said, pointing his wand at Rosaria, and many others did the same.

"Quick, activate the traps so she can’t leave this place!"
The Minister said as they activated all the spells that had already been placed beforehand, even before summoning the professors,
with only a few knowing about it, though not understanding why the Minister wanted it.

"Surrender, young lady... you can’t leave this room, and we don’t want to hurt you because of your status."
They said as Rosaria immediately grew angry.

"You think it’s going to go like this?!"
She said as she drew her wand.
Someone cast a spell that she caught quickly with her own wand—something Snape had taught her—and sent it back at the caster, knocking him down.

This shocked everyone, as Rosaria quickly moved away from the area with a few steps.
The Aurors pointed their wands, and the professors also stepped back, while Rosaria began receiving attacks from all sides, defending and counterattacking.

"She’s taking down two more Aurors! Damn, she really is strong!"

Even without being able to teleport, and still surrounded on all sides, Rosaria began to hold her ground as another opponent was defeated,
dodging the spells cast at her.

Red bolts shot across the entire room in chaos, with professors grabbing their wands, unsure whether or not to attack their colleague.

"She’s surrounded! Come on, keep going!"
The Minister shouted as he began casting spells at her too.

She couldn't teleport out of that room, but she had other tricks she’d learned in the past six months.
As her body became coated in red lightning, she dashed through the air across the room, trying to reach the door.
But she slammed into a shield—there was a protection spell that blocked her, so she had to turn back, dodging every attack coming at her midair.

"So be it... I’ll have to defeat all of you!"
Rosaria muttered as she returned to the center of the room.

She quickly advanced, fighting everyone. She had indeed become very powerful — a training given to her by Snape — but even so, there were at least forty witches and wizards from the Ministry trying to bring her down.
They didn’t use any lethal spells, while she kept taking out opponents.
However, their numbers were too great.
Until, finally, she was disarmed before falling to the ground, frustrated.

She had taken down twenty Aurors, while the professors still stood in the corner of the room, shocked.

"Take her. We’ll bring her in for interrogation,"
the Minister said as several Aurors approached.

He knew he would have a major problem with Dracula for capturing his daughter that way,
but he was willing to do it nonetheless, as long as it resulted in capturing Snape and ridding Britain of this evil.

But as they got close to her, suddenly, her shadow began to expand, catching everyone by surprise,
as a creature in the form of a centaur made of shadows emerged, holding a spear of yellow lightning, striking two approaching Aurors.

"Fall back!"
shouted one of the agents, but both were hit and thrown across the room, their bodies electrocuted,
as the entire room went silent, watching the dark creature standing there, its hooves stomping against the ground,
lightning circling its body, ready to attack.

Everyone was shocked to see the same creature described in the attacks on wizards in the city Voldemort had attacked.

"There’s no doubt... He placed one of those things in her to protect her,"
the Minister murmured.

And if everyone was already shocked, they were even more so when, suddenly, the creature vanished and, in its place, appeared a person.

Snape looked up angrily at all the Aurors, who immediately stepped back.
The professors were stunned to see him there as his body began to glow with darkness, and his eyes gleamed with power.

"Severus..."
Professor Slughorn murmured, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Before, there had been doubts... now, no more.

"So you want to capture me?"
Severus Snape said, looking directly at the Minister, who immediately looked visibly frightened, stepping back,
while everyone around grew tense — Snape was far too powerful, even his aura made everyone feel his current strength.

Snape then vanished with a teleport. None of those magical traps would work against him.
He simply appeared in front of the Minister, catching him by surprise.

"I hate when someone tries to use others against me,"
Snape said. He simply snapped his fingers in front of the Minister,
and suddenly the man began to scream before collapsing to the floor.

Snape had broken all his non-vital bones before any Auror could hit him.
He disappeared again, reappearing next to Rosaria, who looked at him with a small, sad smile.

"He’s just a fool..."
Snape murmured.

He extended his hand to take her wand and touched her before vanishing along with Rosaria, leaving the room in silence,
only the Aurors left in shock, unsure of what to do,
as the Minister screamed in pain, feeling the worst agony he had ever experienced in his life, while some tried to help him.

The professors remained still, not knowing what to do.
After everything... Severus Snape really was the one everyone feared.