Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 61 I Apologize for My Past
"Severus Snape."

Bagno's voice echoed in the courtroom.

"Based on Patty Somerset's testimony, the charges against you regarding the Prohibition of Wizards from Harming Muggles Act have been cleared, but regardless of the victim's consent, you must respond to your subjective violation of the Prohibition of Auror Enforcement Act."

"Why didn't you tell Kingsley Shackley the truth about the missing potion on the day he found you?"

Severus looked at the Minister of Magic, who resembled McGonagall in both demeanor and appearance, and replied.

"Because I wanted to catch the murderer myself. Because of the potion I lost, such a big incident happened, so my first thought was to solve the problem myself."

“And then what happened after you made that decision?” Bagno pressed. “On the very night you arrived at Badminton Manor, you used a Confusion Charm on a Muggle sheriff from the local police department, and then through him you found the key clue that you believed was the killer, right?”

"Yes," Severus admitted readily.

"The next morning, you went to Horace Slughorn's house. According to his testimony, you felt that the matter of the potion's source could no longer be kept a secret, so you met with Slughorn to tell him that if the Aurors came looking for you, you didn't need to help cover it up anymore, and you could just tell the truth, right?"

"Yes, at that time I was confident that I would catch the murderer."

"So, not long after you left the Slughorn's house, you received a ransom note from Sanjini Bruch and Elder Volpe. They kidnapped the student named Dudley Dursley who had been following you, and are using him to blackmail you into helping them concoct an antidote to awaken Patty Somerset, is that right?"

"Yes."

"You dealt with them so easily and learned the whole story from them, but in the end you didn't hand them over to the Aurors. Instead, you conspired with them to steal Patty Somerset directly from them! Is that right?"

The questioning tone gradually became more authoritative, and the atmosphere was noticeably different from the previous relaxed atmosphere.

Bloody and Volpe nervously turned to look at Severus, who remained calm in the middle, and continued to give affirmative answers.

"Yes."

"And after stealing the person, you directed Bruch and Wolpe to begin their escape, causing the Ministry of Magic to misjudge your actions and issue a maximum arrest warrant. In the process, you repeatedly resisted the Aurors' attempts to capture you, is that right?"

"That's true."

Severus fully admitted to all of Bagno's accusations against him, which put him in a completely different situation from that of Henney and Volpe. Anyone could see how unfavorable the situation was for him!

The jurors began to look at him and whisper among themselves, and Bagno's eyes sharpened.

She met Severus's gaze and continued to ask questions in a stern voice.

"Regarding everything you have admitted to above, is there anything you wish to testify about in court?"

Severus simply looked at her calmly and asked sincerely.

"Madam Minister, I would like to ask you, if I had given Xueni and Elder to the Aurors back then, would they have been sent here to stand trial as well?"

Bagno's expression remained unchanged, and she gave an ambiguous answer.

Whether the Wisengamo court will convene depends on the charges and the attitudes of the jurors.

“An unknown wizard, a discriminated-against vampire, and the victim is just a Muggle.” Severus seemed to have no expectation of her answer. “The Ministry of Magic won’t waste its time and energy gathering you all here. Once it’s confirmed that they did administer the drug, they’ll throw them straight into Azkaban.”

“They will die inside.” “Patty Somerset will commit suicide at home sooner or later.”

"As soon as I make this decision to hand them over to the Ministry of Magic, three lives will be lost indirectly at my hands."

The entire courtroom was eerily quiet; everyone was silently watching Severus, who sat in the middle chair.

The beam of light shining in from the exhaust vent near the ceiling of the courtroom happened to fall on him at that moment, bathing him in its glow.

Bagno had somehow shifted his gaze away from Severus, and Severus didn't look at him either, instead looking up at the white-bearded old man sitting in the middle of the highest row.

He met Dumbledore's blue eyes, and their voices echoed again in the courtroom.

"Some people might say, how can someone with such a shameful past say such pretentious things?"

"They are right. To know what a person is like, you can look at what they do, not what they say."

"In the years after graduating from Hogwarts, I drifted aimlessly, went astray, and did many wrong things. In the end, I was pardoned thanks to Albus Dumbledore's guarantee."

"After returning to Hogwarts, I officially became a professor to the students and the head of the house, but in reality, my terrible personality did not bring much care or proper guidance to the students."

“People resist me, students hate me, and that’s all right. A wrong person deserves to be treated this way.”

"But after the start of the Hogwarts summer vacation this semester, on a rare night, I reflected on my disgraceful first half of life and felt that I couldn't go on like this."

"I sincerely repent for the mistakes I made in the past and apologize to those I have hurt. I want to make changes, all-round changes."

His words silenced everyone, even the radio host broadcasting the event stared at him with his mouth agape.

At this moment, all the wizards in the British magical community who were watching the radio were completely silent, a stark contrast to their previous excitement and jubilation.

"So after encountering what happened to Bloodny and Elder, I made a choice. They did nothing wrong; they were just trying to help their loved ones and friends, even if I had to bear the consequences and the guilt myself."

“I accept all charges against me for violating the Prohibition of Auror Enforcement Act.”

Severus uttered something earth-shattering!
As a commotion finally erupted in the courtroom, his voice continued.

"Whatever verdict Wisengamo makes, I will accept it."

"I will temporarily resign from my positions as Professor of Potions at Hogwarts and Head of Slytherin. I request that Professor Horace Slughorn, who has already done so much for me, do his student one last favor and return to Hogwarts to fill my vacant position."

At this moment, the commotion on the platform grew even louder, and many people even stood up in shock.

The rest of the British wizarding world was no exception; everyone heard the sound coming from the radio, causing countless wizards to gasp in surprise!

Only Dumbledore remained calm.

He and Severus stared at each other, his deep, bright blue eyes, like water, revealing a glimpse into his thoughts.

(End of this chapter)