Snape couldn't move a muscle. He could only look up at the ceiling of the carriage, listening to the footsteps and voices around him. Just as he was contemplating how he would defend himself in front of the Wizengamot and how Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban, there was a deafening "BANG!" and the Knight Bus abruptly sped off. The bus was so fast that his body slid a bit towards the back.
"Mom, Severus is still lying on the floor." He heard Marlene's voice.
Then, he felt someone levitate him off the ground and gently place him on a bed. Lying on the feather mattress, he thought, *At least I don't have to endure that annoying shaking on my back anymore.*
Time seemed to slip by unnoticed. With another deafening "BANG!", the bed frame beneath Snape slid about a foot toward the front of the bus. Hogsmeade.
Floating on his back as he left the Knight Bus, a vast starry sky unfolded before his eyes. Amidst the squelching sound of wooden legs pulling out of the mud and the tapping of footsteps on the cobblestone path, they entered a dimly lit room. A familiar smell of goat wafted into Snape's nose.
"The Hog's Head Inn?" he silently wondered.
"Aberforth, it seems you got my message," Moody grunted. "Is Albus here? Also, could you find a place for Ernie to rest properly?"
After hearing a soft snort, Snape felt himself being slowly levitated. After the creaking of wooden steps ceased, he heard a knock on a door.
"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice.
"Good evening, Albus," Moody said.
"Good evening, Alastor. Tell me what happened today," Dumbledore asked gravely. "And what's wrong with this boy?"
Snape was placed on the floor. He could feel something being dragged, making a harsh scraping sound on the floor. Moody seemed to have pulled up a chair and sat down heavily.
"Let McKinnon tell you what happened; I rushed over after I got his signal." So, Mr. McKinnon recounted everything he knew. Marlene then filled in some details from after he'd lost consciousness.
"Are all the bodies downstairs?" Dumbledore asked. They went downstairs. The room was silent. After a while, Snape heard footsteps again; someone had entered the room. A red light flashed, and the spell on his body was broken.
He shot up into a sitting position, looking up at Dumbledore, and urgently said, "Professor, could you send a letter to my family? Just say I met you in Diagon Alley, and you had some school matters to discuss with me, so I'll be home late. Is that alright?"
Dumbledore's bright blue eyes, magnified by his half-moon spectacles, studied Snape for a moment. Then, he nodded and summoned an owl, along with paper and a quill, with his wand. Moments later, the owl flew out the window into the dark night sky.
"Can I have my wand back—uh—" Snape hesitated briefly, then quickly added, "No need. But there's a spell to prevent eavesdropping—'Muffliato'—I suggest we use it."
Dumbledore waved his hand, casting the spell, then lowered his hands and looked at Snape. "Do you have something to tell me, Severus?"
"Yes, Professor." Snape nodded. "The Knight Bus was intercepted by old Avery. He stunned Ernie Prang and killed Todd Shunpike with the Killing Curse." He continued without pause, "Old Avery is a Death Eater; he wasn't under the Imperius Curse. He recognized me immediately and even tried to make me use an Unforgivable Curse to kill Marlene."
"Anything else?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape hesitated slightly, then continued: "There's a small group in Slytherin called 'Walpurgis.' We—they have regular meetings. At these meetings, Death Eaters teach Dark Arts. Bellatrix Lestrange taught the Unforgivable Curses."
"Walpurgis?" Dumbledore murmured the name softly.
"Professor," Snape replied, sensing his confusion, "that was the Dark Lord's... erm... Voldemort's original name for the Death Eaters in his early days. Later, they stopped using it and gave it to the aspiring members at school." Someone nearby shivered in fear, seemingly gasping at the name.
"Do you know why the Death Eaters were looking for McKinnon?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
Snape shook his head: "I don't know. Is there anything special about him?" Dumbledore placed a hand on his crooked nose, clearly deep in thought.
"So, you killed both of them?"
"No, Professor." Snape met Dumbledore's gaze without flinching. "They were two Death Eaters."
Dumbledore rose and paced in front of the dark fireplace. "While the first might have been out of necessity, why did you attack Macnair?"
"This is war, Professor," Snape replied curtly.
"That's not enough to convince me not to hand you over to the Ministry of Magic at dawn."
Snape took a deep breath, thinking, *You're making me say this.* He decided to use Dumbledore's own spear to attack Dumbledore's shield.
"Don't pity the wicked, Professor. Pity the innocent and those who are willing to fight for them." He pointed at the McKinnon family. "The appearance of Death Eaters comes with death. What would happen if they—"
Before Dumbledore could answer, Snape continued: "There are more people out there who dare not speak—Voldemort's—name. What they fear most is returning home to find the Dark Mark hovering over their house, because they know what they'll see inside. I'm a member of Walpurgis. To Death Eaters, a traitor is clearly more appealing than an enemy or an innocent person."
"I have family too, and I'm equally afraid of going home and seeing the Dark Mark." He looked directly into Dumbledore's blue eyes, emphasizing, "Professor, I don't want to lose my most important family for the sake of so-called procedures, justice, or any other 'greater good.'"
"He will be tried and imprisoned in Azkaban; he won't have the chance to harm your family." Dumbledore's voice seemed to have a hint of hoarseness.
Snape's lips curled into a mocking smirk: "Azkaban? Are you talking about the prison guarded by Voldemort's natural allies?"
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore said, "Severus, sometimes change brings good results, but sometimes it doesn't. We can keep what happened today a secret. But I hope you will seriously consider your actions and your future path."
"Thank you, Professor, I will." Then, Snape deliberately asked, "I used magic today, is that alright?"
"Oh, you don't need to worry, the Trace cannot track the specific user of magic," Dumbledore said.
Snape nodded thoughtfully. "One more thing." He suddenly remembered another question. "After dawn, could you have Mr. Moody, or someone else, take me to Diagon Alley and then home? I need to buy an owl in Diagon Alley."