Someone will definitely come

Prologue.

- Kingsley, are you able to count to seven?

Kíngsley Shácklebolt stared at Snape irritably.

- Well?

- How many horcruxes, if you believe the testimony of Slughorn, was going to create Voldemort?

- Seven.

- And how many were found and destroyed?

- Seven!

- Six, Kingsley, six! Riddle's diary, Marvolo's ring, Slytherin medallion, Hufflepuff bowl, Ravenclaw diadem, Nagini.

- The seventh horcrux was Harry!

- Did Voldemort know about this?

- No, but...

Kingsley now looked at Snape with a strange, frozen look.

- Do not you understand? If Voldemort wanted to create seven horcruxes, he created seven of them. Potter was already the eighth, random. He did not find the seventh horcrux.

- No, Snape, you're wrong, Voldemort is done!

- We already had a minister who liked to think so. Has this taught you anything?

- Oh well! - the minister barked, jumping up from a chair and starting to wander in office. - If, in your opinion, there is one more, then what is it and where is it?

- What? Something owned by Godric Gryffindor. Where? I have no idea. You have a large Horcrux Finder on staff. Send him to finish his work. He will hang out for a year, it's not clear where, and then he will bring it to you.

Kingsley was silent and Snape didn't like it.

- Is there something wrong with our star boy?

- Not. It's not about him.

- Quit dilly - dallying, Kingsley, - Snape asked irritably.

- We burned Voldemort's body. Ashes was hidden in the department of secrets.

- What for?

- Just ... like an artifact...

Snape muttered something under his breath, suspiciously reminiscent of "idiots."

- So what?

The Minister took a deep breath and reluctantly admitted:

- It was stolen the day before yesterday.

Snape looked at him silently.

- I'll take action, Severus. We will not allow...

- Okay, I'm off, - Snape said in a bored voice.

- Wait.

The minister got up, walked around Snape and, rummaging through the cabinet drawer, pulled out a black velvet box.

- By decision of the commission of the Ministry of Magic, Severus Snape is awarded the Order of Merlin of the first degree for...

Snape took a step forward, roughly grabbed the box from the hands of a taken aback minister and casually slipped it into his pocket.

- Let's go without this circus, minister.

- As you wish, - minister muttered resentfully, sitting down at the table again. - I'll cover you in front of the French. I will conduct endless bureaucratic correspondence, explaining why I did not arrest you.

- Thank you very much!

- Leave that tone, Snape, - said the Minister. - You abduct French citizen, used a torture spell on her...

- Is there any evidence? - Snape asked coldly.

- No, but...

- I swear, - Snape interrupted, - that I did not abduct Madame Lefebvre and did not apply the crucio spell to her. I just went to visit her and we... talked. I needed some information about my future wife.

- Okay, - the minister sighed. - By the way, congratulations on your marriage. Frankly, I did not expect it from you.

- I did not expect also.

- Did you happen to be charmed, may be?

Snape just snorted.

The minister clearly wanted to end the unpleasant conversation with an even less pleasant visitor.

- Well, professor, I hope in future you don't allow yourself like that...

- I will allow it. If it will be necessary to protect my family.

Snape bowed dryly and left the office.