A Year Like None Other by aspeninthesunlight
Past Featured StorySummary: A letter from home sends Harry down a path he'd never have walked on his own. A sixth year fic, this story follows Order of the Phoenix and disregards any canon events that occur after Book 5. Spoilers for the first five books. Have fun!
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Remus
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Adoption, Slytherin!Harry, SuperPower! Harry
Takes Place: 6th Year
Warnings: Alcohol Use, Neglect, Self-harm, Torture, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: A Year Like None Other
Chapters: 96 Completed: Yes Word count: 810080 Read: 1379921 Published: 28 Feb 2007 Updated: 14 Sep 2007
A Word, Severus, if You Please by aspeninthesunlight

Draco didn't sit down as his father had asked, or at least, not until Snape gently steered him over to the sofa and gave him a slight push onto it.

"What's this all about?"

Harry sat down too, right next to Draco, though really he felt more like lying down. It seemed to him that the burn, and then the partial cure, was sapping all his energy. Part of him almost wished he'd stayed in the hospital wing as Madam Pomfrey had said. But a much bigger part of him knew he needed to be here.

"It's about Miss Parkinson. Draco . . . before we left Hogsmeade Mr Nott enlightened us as to certain details you should be cognizant of."

Draco crossed his arms and leaned back a bit. "I can tell it's bad, otherwise the two of you wouldn't be looking at me like you think I'm about to crack in half."

"I think perhaps you can guess at the truth," Snape quietly said as he sat down in a chair opposite Draco but slightly to the side.

Draco went so stiff it didn't look like he was even breathing any longer. "You're going to say what Harry's been saying all along, aren't you? That Pansy was part of the plot. That she wanted me dead. That she was betrayed by allies instead of killed by enemies. And you're going to say you know all this because Nott spilled it under Veritaserum. That only proves that he thinks it, though, not that it's true. Don't you see? Pansy was probably telling everyone in Slytherin that she hated me. Otherwise she'd have been in danger."

Snape started to say something, but fell silent when Draco abruptly stood up. "I won't listen to the two of you slander her memory."

"Draco--"

"I won't, Harry!" shouted the other boy. "She loved me and I can prove it! Nobody could write letters like hers unless they were completely head-over-heels in love! You want to see them, eh? Or the copies I made, I mean? Well, do you?"

"No," said Harry quietly.

"You?" asked Draco, rudely pointing his finger at his father.

Rising to his feet as well, Snape said only said one word. It wasn't yes or no. "Potion."

Draco blinked, too startled to put that together for a second. Then he began to scoff. "Oh, sure, potion. That makes a lot of sense. If she hated me there's no way she'd have taken a love potion. She wouldn't have wanted to get fixated on me!"

"No, but she would have wanted her letters to deceive the protective spells on the Floo." Severus' voice was calm, but his words were relentless. "She would have wanted you to believe her protestations of love. She would have wanted to convince you to go meet her. With these objectives in mind, she consented to drink the love potion that Mr Nott had procured."

"No--"

"Yes, Draco," insisted Snape. "Do you believe I would deceive you on this account? Or Harry? Mr Nott confessed under Veritaserum that there was a bargain made. Miss Parkinson would take the love potion so that after sufficient letters had been exchanged, she would be in a position to lure you out. And in return, she wanted one thing."

Draco shoved his shaking hands deep into his pockets, his eyes dulling to the hue of storm clouds. "No."

Harry could tell he'd reached the right conclusion on his own.

"Yes, Draco," Snape said again.

A thin, off-key laugh echoed off the walls as Draco rocked on his heels. "Oh, that's just bloody ridiculous, Severus! Surely you can see that much. Why would Pansy have made a deal where she got to kill me, when the whole fucking point of Nott's plot was to return me to Lucius alive?"

"Nott lied to Pansy, Draco," Harry said, wishing he could do something to help his brother through this. "She wanted to kill you with her bare hands, she was so angry you wouldn't listen to her about going back to Voldemort. And Nott lied and said she could be the one to push you off the Owlery, when all along he planned for her to be shoved off so you could be framed."

Draco looked ill. "Pansy couldn't have wanted to kill me. She . . . in the closet, that day, the way she kissed me--"

"Draco, that was the potion."

"I . . . her letters . . ."

Snape didn't say again that it was the potion. He didn't need to. Draco's eyes were devoid of hope now, and the shade of gunmetal.

And glinting with tears.

"I . . . I need a shower," he gasped out. "I . . . I can't talk about this, all right? Not ever. Not ever again."

Standing, Snape went to brace Draco's forearms with his strong hands. "That isn't likely to be a sound approach to your grief."

"I grieved already!" snarled Draco as he yanked his arms out of his father's grasp. "I've done nothing but mourn since they killed her! And now to find out she'd have danced on my grave? I loved her! And she's dead! And what does any of it matter, Severus? You couldn't just leave it be? You had to tell me these horrible things? You couldn't just let me keep thinking somebody really had loved me for once in my life?"

"Oh, Draco," murmured Harry. "We love you, you know that."

"Well, a hell of a lot of good it does me when your idea of love is to smash my dreams all to bits!"

"Mr Nott was going to do that in any case," Snape said, making no further effort to touch Draco. A wise decision, Harry had to think. By then, Draco was quaking with rage. His hands, still shoved deep into his pockets, looked like they were balled into fists. "It was best to prepare you in advance."

Yeah, the last thing they needed was Draco losing his temper and trying to kill Nott right in front of the Aurors. Tonks had it in for Draco already. She'd probably try to charge him with something if he so much as looked at Nott wrong.

"You could have made sure I didn't have to listen to him," muttered Draco. "You could have let me keep what I thought I had."

"And how would you have taken that, had I told you that Harry would be present during Mr Nott's interrogation but you were to be excluded?"

Draco slanted Harry a glance. "Not well."

"I'm really sorry, Draco," said Harry. He stood up, but teetered a bit on his feet. "Really, I am."

"Ha. This is your big chance to say you told me so. You thought all along I was an idiot to believe in her."

"Well, I'm sorry she hurt you, anyway."

The other boy made a huffing noise. "Oh, please. Slytherins don't get hurt, Harry. We get even." He held up a hand when it looked like Snape would speak. "But don't worry. I know there's hardly any point in revenge. She's already dead, and the Aurors will get to the bottom of the plot now. Won't they?"

"Yes."

"Nott better get kissed," hissed Draco in a tone that was so hateful it was actually frightening. Here was the boy who had decided to brew poison and hand it out in the form of fairy cakes. "He'd just better. You can talk all day long about how guilty Pansy was as well, but that doesn't excuse him from killing her, not in my book!"

"He'll get the consequence the Ministry deems appropriate," Severus said in a hard tone. "And you will accept it, whatever it may be."

Draco curled his lip and turned on his heel, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

A moment later they heard the noise of the shower beginning to flow. And then the awful noise of Draco singing. Not that he sang badly; his voice was usually quite nice. He liked to brag about how he'd looked up spells to fine-tune his vocal chords.

You couldn't tell now that he'd done any such thing, though. He was belting out some foreign song so loudly and harshly that it sounded a bit like one cat screaming at another. Harry winced, and did his best not to say anything about the horrible noise. Because really, whatever helped Draco vent and feel better had to be worthwhile, right?

At any rate, it was better than having him go looking for a certain dung beetle.

Snape was evidently having similar thoughts. He didn't say a word about the brutal screeching, though he could hardly have failed to note it. Decorum, Harry thought, as his father quietly spoke. "You were allowed to leave the infirmary with the understanding that you'd be just as well-cared for here as there. I do believe you're in need of a long sleep. And perhaps a potion so that any . . . undue noises won't disturb you?"

"Good idea." Harry yawned; he really was tired. "My hand is starting to hurt some again. I don't suppose you'd dose me with something for that, as well?"

"Not wise at the moment."

"Yeah, habituation. I remember." Harry frowned. "Are you so sure you should be taking Truthful Dreams, Dad?"

When his father nodded, Harry let it go. "When are you planning to do that?"

"As I doubt it would be prudent to leave Draco unsupervised, I'll take him to Albus when he's finished showering. Then I'll proceed."

Harry yawned again. "I don't think Draco's going to appreciate having the headmaster um . . . babysit him."

"Babysit," said Snape, in the manner of one who had never heard the term before. Then he appeared to shrug that off. "I don't think Draco is in a position to expect me to leave him near Mr Nott while I slumber."

"You could take Nott into your room with you; Draco can't break past your wards."

"I have learnt, to my chagrin, that it's best not to underestimate your brother's ingenuity."

Venetimorica, thought Harry. Right.

It was sort of nice, he decided a few minutes later, to be fussed over. Well, once in a while at least. Snape brought Harry his sleeping draught and also tucked him in.

And all the while, they could still hear Draco belting out some hideous Italian song, sounding like the words were being pulled right through the jagged shards of a broken heart.

Harry frowned, but in just a few moments the potion took over and he began to sink down into sleep.

His father feathered a touch along Harry's brow, then quietly left the room.

 

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Harry drifted up through what felt like layers and layers of cotton wool. He heard a ringing noise, and then voices. At first far away, they gradually drew closer, though they never did start to sound like they were right alongside him. When he opened his eyes he was alone in his room and the door was closed, but Snape and Draco were definitely talking out in the living room. And someone else . . .

Tonks, he realised, recognising her voice even if her words weren't clear enough to be understood.

Harry pulled himself out of bed and adjusted his sling so it was more comfortable, then slipped on his shoes and went to join the others.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks looked him up and down, nodding as she chewed her gum. "Bit of a scare today, eh? But you seem to have come through all right. Good thing you've got a friend like that to watch your back!"

Oh, so they'd already told her the Ron-saved-Harry story. Harry did his best to smile. "Yeah, he's great." He glanced over at his father, who was standing, leaning on the mantle, looking slightly wary about something. "Where's Nott?"

It was Tonks who answered. "Oh, you don't have to fret about him bothering you again, Harry. He and his nasty little crew are being tucked away in Azkaban, pending trial as we speak. Kingsley's seeing to it."

Harry blinked, sure he'd missed something. His nasty little crew? "Who . . . uh, how . . ."

It turned out that he had missed something. Lots of things. Literally. "I took the liberty of allowing you to sleep through the formalities," Snape announced, pushing off the mantle to come stand in front of his son. "You needed it."

Formalities was an odd way of putting it. He'd let Harry miss the second half of the interrogation!

"I needed it?" Harry exclaimed, more than a little peeved.

"Yeah, you did, you prat," said Draco from where he was sitting. "So don't complain."

Harry almost stuck out his tongue, but realised that would be a little immature. He sat down opposite Draco and glanced at Tonks and then his father. "Um, you already did the thing with Truthful Dreams, then? So who was Nott working with?"

"Besides Lucius Malfoy, you mean?" asked Tonks, curling a lip as she looked over at Draco like she blamed him for his father's crimes. "A couple of seventh-year Slytherins, Harry. They were all in it together. Along with Pansy Parkinson."

"Torquay and Greezer," Draco snarled, his fists clenching.

Harry didn't recognise the second name at all, but the first rang a vague bell. "Oh . . . Torquay . . ." he glanced at his father. "Isn't he the one who was talking to you about being your apprentice, something like that?"

"No doubt the better to observe me and report on my doings." Snape shook his head, clearly saddened at the behaviour of some members of his house. "The plot seems to have been limited to those three."

"And Lucius," added Draco, still in that same vicious tone. "And unlike the students, he's been officially marked, so it shouldn't be too hard to prove his loyalties. If not for him, Pansy would be alive. He's the one who demanded a student be murdered, who suborned the whole plot. So he'd better get kissed, he'd just better--"

Tonks' mouth dropped open and her gum fell out. "You want your own father to get kissed, Malfoy?"

"It's Snape!" yelled Draco, leaping to his feet. Tonks stood up too, her Auror training appearing to kick in, since her wand was out and she looked primed for combat, her eyes glowing a fierce orange as if to intimidate her opponent.

Draco wasn't intimidated, though. Harry doubted he'd even noticed. "Don't you read the papers? It's Snape, got it? And that Dark-Lord-licking-thestral's-arse isn't my father! He's just some man who fucked my mother, all right? And then he did his best to fuck me, too, or fuck me over at least--"

"Calm down, Draco," said Snape, coming over to put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Draco was quaking with rage, but not so much that he didn't hear the warning in his father's voice. Or maybe he could feel the warning, Harry thought. Snape's hand looked like a claw digging into Draco's shoulder. Harry thought it a bit harsh, really.

But then again, Snape knew what Harry didn't. He knew what he was going to say next. And he obviously knew how hard it would be for Draco to endure.

"Lucius Malfoy isn't going to be charged," Snape went on, his voice quiet with terrible resolution.

"What? NO!" shouted Draco, trying to wrench himself free. Snape reached out with his other hand, and pulled Draco into an embrace. More to control him than to comfort him, Harry thought. But that made sense. Draco's silver eyes were wild with rage. He looked fully capable of murder. "What do you mean he isn't going to be charged? Merlin's beard, what's wrong with you? I understood about Samhain, you didn't want to put Harry through the trauma and all that and the Order had found out that Lucius had set up an alibi anyway, so . . . but you can't let him go, not this time. He as good as killed Pansy!"

Tonks had gone white. Completely white, as only a metamorphagus can do. Her face and hair were the shade of snow, and even her eyes seemed to lack irises. She snapped out of it in a second, though, and returned to her usual self, though she still looked uncommonly pale.

"We can't charge your . . . er, Lucius," she whispered, sitting back down as though to put an end to the confrontation. She looked at Snape, almost as though asking for help with this. "We . . . ah, we don't have the evidence."

Draco yanked himself out of his father's arms and whirled to face her. "Well, if you don't, you investigate, you stupid woman! Didn't you learn how in Aurors' training? And besides, I don't believe that. You've got Torquay, Greezer, and Nott all on record as to who was pulling their strings! You've got--"

"No, we don't," Tonks quietly corrected. Her wand was still in hand. Now she used it to conjure loosely rolled scroll of parchment. "There's the official record."

"What do you mean, you don't," scoffed Draco. "I was there; I heard them." He snatched the scroll and began to read it. It didn't take him two minutes to get the gist of the matter. "Oh, nice. Creative editing. You know, somebody should really inform the Ministry that their Aurors play fast and loose with the truth."

"You weren't complaining about it the last time I was here."

"Yeah, well the last time," shouted Draco, "you were protecting the innocent, namely me! And this time you're letting a murderer off the hook! Am I the only wizard in the world who can bear to stand up to the likes of Lucius Malfoy? What's he got on you, eh?" He rounded on Snape, then. "And I have to know what he's got on you! I can't believe you're going to let this farce of a statement go into evidence!"

With that, Draco flung the unrolled scroll straight at his father's face.

It fluttered harmlessly to the ground.

Harry couldn't bear it any longer. Tonks was cooperating with the decision to leave Lucius out of it, so at some point Snape had obviously told her about Remus' secret mission. Kingsley Shacklebolt must know as well.

"You have to tell Draco," Harry said, his voice earnest. "Really, you have to. This is just cruel."

Snape gave a stiff nod. "I should have told you before, but the Order was keeping this in the strictest confidence. Not even Harry and I knew about it until fairly recently. But there's a good reason why Lucius must not be incarcerated pending trial, Draco. Or kissed. Or interfered with in any way."

Draco sat down again and crossed his arms. "Well, I'd just love to hear it, Severus. Because I personally can't imagine why you want to keep the man in a position to do these awful things. He's killing students in your own house. And trying his best to kill your sons. Now, I know you aren't the most fatherly of wizards, to say the least, but I still think you'd have a shred of concern about a homicidal maniac sitting on the Board of Governors free to wander the castle at will--"

"Draco, let him talk!" interrupted Harry.

"Oh, certainly," sneered Draco. "Well?"

Snape sighed. Harry wondered then if it was costing his father something to say good things about Remus.

"For months, a certain Order member has been impersonating Lucius Malfoy at key moments. The purpose being to sow discord among the Death Eaters and cause Voldemort to devote his time and attention to the trouble in his own ranks. Judging by the relative lack of Death Eater activity in England, I would say the plan has been at least partially successful."

Draco leaned back in his chair, his eyes still blazing, but his features calmer otherwise. "That's . . . hmm. Pretty risky, don't you think?"

"I do, but I wasn't consulted."

"Sow discord how?"

Snape scowled. "All we know for certain is that this . . . individual has been warning attack victims in advance to clear off. Therefore, Voldemort will believe that someone in his ranks is not trustworthy."

"Harry's dream!" Draco said, his own mouth dropping open much as Tonks' had earlier. "That . . . that was true. You weren't seeing Lucius, you were seeing this other . . ." A deep sigh, then. "You might have told me. I mean, I know perfectly well that Lucius is an evil arsehole, but the whole time I've been wondering why my prophetic brother dreams he's helping Muggleborns." His voice grew derisive. "And there wasn't any alibi for Samhain, was there? That was just something you said to shut me up when I told you that Lucius ought to be locked up."

"Yes." Snape summoned a chair over to Draco's side and sat in it. "All I knew at that point was that Albus had persuaded me to drop the matter. And in light of Harry's state of mind at the time, I let myself become convinced. Only later did I learn of this Order scheme."

"Look, I understand what you're saying," Draco admitted, though he still looked angry. "But it's not right! Pansy's dead because the Order decided to let Lucius remain free. He really should have been kissed for what he did to Harry, and if he had, I'd still have . . . well, no I wouldn't, since it turns out she hated my guts all along. But that's beside the point. Letting Lucius stay free is too dangerous. Who knows what horrible thing he'll do next, Severus?"

"The Order has determined that to be risk worth taking, Draco."

"Well the Order can just go fuck itself, then!" screamed Draco, jumping up. "I'll go report this myself, including the ethics of certain Aurors, if I have to! And don't think I won't have proof. There's the Portkey Nott went on about--"

"Albus cleansed it of magic," said Tonks, popping a new stick of gum into her mouth, even as she tapped her wand to the wad sticking to the table. It vanished with a slight hissing noise. "And even if he hadn't, all it proves is that your . . . er, Lucius wanted you to have a way to return to him. He'll say it's older than this year, and he gave it to you when the two of you were still getting on."

"Getting on," muttered Draco. "Oh yeah, we used to really get on. Makes me sick to think about it." He glared at Snape. "I guess I should take it for granted that Nott and Torquay and Greezer aren't going to remember a thing about Lucius by the time they make it to Azkaban."

"Kingsley is seeing to it," Snape mildly agreed.

Draco looked from Snape, to Harry, to Tonks, shaking his head all the while. "If you ask me, you're all twits. Do you think Lucius is just going to stand idly by while some Order wizard makes him look bad to the Dark Lord? He probably knows already that something fishy is going on. Or do you think he doesn't wonder why he hasn't been charged for a thing, yet?"

"He likely believes his influence and riches are protecting him. As they have before."

"Or he wouldn't be a governor still, right. He should never have been reinstated." Draco sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I still say he must suspect something more than that. But I don't delude myself that I can influence Order policy, even if this whole thing is riskier than you lot seem to realise." He closed his eyes. "Whoever's impersonating Lucius is going to get caught. And when that happens, what Lucius did to Harry will look like a fucking joke. Mark my words."

Harry felt a chill sweep over him. "I think the . . . uh, impersonator must be being really careful . . ."

Draco gave him a look that said, loud and clear, how much he pitied anybody that deluded. "You think Lucius is stupid? He'll figure it out."

Harry swallowed hard and tried not to believe that. Of course what Remus was doing was horribly dangerous, but it would all work out, right? It had to.

Draco stood up and glanced around, seeming to only then remember to put on his company manners. "If you'll excuse me, then--"

"Just a second," said Tonks as she rose to her feet, too. "Look, Malfoy-- Draco. I'm sorry I didn't realise last time where you're at these days. I didn't know what you were up to, but I couldn't believe your heart was in the right place--"

Draco gave a dry laugh. "You couldn't believe I had a heart, you mean."

"Yeah, that too." She gave a tremulous smile, a little more of her colour coming back, though it was nowhere near as vibrant as usual. "But, uh . . . you seem pretty interested in putting your . . . er, Lucius away, and I'm sure now you didn't have anything to do with the murder . . . so . . ." She adopted a more professional air, standing a bit straighter. "You keep your nose clean and get high marks on your N.E.W.T.s and do your best for Harry here, and when it's time for you to apply to the Aurors' program . . . well, we'll talk."

Draco's only answer was a curt nod.

Tonks stared at the bedroom door once it had closed behind the Slytherin boy. "He really doesn't have any love lost for his . . ."

"For Lucius," said Harry firmly. "And think about it. That's got to be really hard, knowing what he knows. Thanks for saying that thing about the Aurors' program, Tonks. I know that means a lot to Draco. He really wants to be an Auror."

She popped her gum, the noise so loud Harry stared. "Think he can get used to having half-bloods and Muggleborns in charge? That'll be a new one for him, I expect. There are some purebloods in MLE, but not everybody in authority is one. I don't know if he can handle that aspect of the job."

Harry quickly walked to the table, snatched up a quill, and wrote, He's probably listening.

Tonks grinned and wrote back, Well, yeah, Harry. Last time I checked he hadn't changed his whole personality.

And then Harry understood. This was Tonks' way of dropping Draco a hint.

Thanks, he wrote.

Tonks just nodded, then moved on to Ministry business. "I'll need your statement as well. For the file."

Harry smiled, the expression a little wry. She wouldn't need to edit his statement. He knew what to say. All about Ron saving him because his own magic just wasn't so dependable.

But better that than tip off Voldemort what he was in for if he tangled again with Harry.

 

 

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Draco didn't say much at dinner that night, though he did perk up a little when Snape mentioned that news of the arrests would be in the morning papers. Harry figured he was thinking that the governors would see that and realise they'd blamed Draco for something he hadn't done. Of course, if they knew about the Venetimorica they'd definitely never reinstate Draco.

But they didn't know.

And Draco, Harry felt sure, wouldn't do something like that again.

"I wish you'd have let me be there for the rest of the interrogation," Harry said, still a little miffed that Snape had let him sleep through it.

His father merely shrugged. "You needed your rest."

"Ha. I've been through worse than what Nott did."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, that's probably the problem, Harry. You think it's perfectly normal to almost get killed."

"Well, maybe it is normal for me."

"Frame of reference, right. But are you really going to blame your father for doing his best to take care of you? I mean, there wasn't any reason why you had to be there when Nott spilled his guts again. You'd already heard it once."

"You said you wouldn't take it well if you were excluded, either," retorted Harry.

"Touché."

"I don't think you realise quite how pale you were," murmured Snape. He held up a hand when Harry started to say something in reply. "Perhaps a compromise is in order. A negotiation, as you're so fond of reminding me. We had agreed, if you recall, that when you went on a Hogsmeade Saturday, you would do your Potions tutorial on Sunday instead. Now, if you were too ill to attend Mr Nott's second interrogation, I certainly think you'll need tomorrow to recuperate as well."

Harry stared, taking a second to translate that into normal English. It came out something like, If you stop whinging, I'll let you out of Potions tomorrow.

Probably as good as it was going to get, Harry decided. "Deal."

"Harry, Potions are fun. You don't seem to get that," complained Draco as he glanced at Snape. "Gryffindors are just strange."

Snape didn't take the bait. He merely shrugged.

Apparently giving up on that line of thought, Draco suddenly blurted, "Where are my chocolate frogs?"

Harry was a little irritated by the question. He'd had more to deal with that day than sweets, after all. Then again, so had Draco. And if chocolate would help him through it . . . "Hmm. I bought you a whole bag but I think they got left in the room where we dragged Nott. Sorry."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I gave you enough to buy more than one bag."

"Yeah, I have some Galleons to give back--"

"I need chocolate, Potter!"

"Ten points from Slytherin," sighed Snape. "Really, Draco, if you need chocolate so badly you don't have to rail at your brother. I have some in my office."

Draco huffed. "Well, I was hardly going to ask you when you're the one who cut off my special meals privileges in the first place."

"Well, have you learned not to misuse the privilege?" Snape stared levelly at his son.

"Yes, sir," said Draco, looking down.

Snape waved his wand at the mantle and a brass box appeared. Full of Floo powder, no doubt. "Then ask for what you like."

"Ha. That Dobby'll probably try to poison me," muttered Draco. "Maybe just some chocolate from your office would be better. If it's still on offer?"

"Certainly." Snape summoned some.

It turned out to be dark chocolate, which wasn't Harry's favourite. Draco liked it, he knew. Harry took some to be polite, and nibbled on it. Draco took one bite of his and made an awful face.

"Oh, ick, it's got mint mixed in," the Slytherin boy moaned. Harry noticed that he still ate it, though. "I like my chocolate pure!"

"Oh, stop being such a prat," said Harry. "You offered chocolate mint cocoa to Dad once, remember?"

"Well that's cocoa," said Draco in an airy voice, as if Harry really should know better.

"This does not encourage me to be generous with my chocolate," remarked Snape in a long-suffering tone.

"Well, at least it's a decent brand. Wizarding chocolate really should come from Mexico. So, good show there, Severus."

Harry and his father exchanged an exasperated glance as the magic doorbell began chiming.

Draco jumped up to check the scroll, then began to chortle. "Oh, look at this. Albus Dumbledore and Fawkes! Ha, you'll notice that Fawkes is an actual bird, yet it doesn't say pet like it did for your cousin, Harry--"

"It'd say pet for anything non-magical and you know it," retorted Harry.

"Albus, welcome," said Severus as he spelled the door open and pulled it wide. "You thought better than to floo?"

"Oh, I felt like a long walk," said the headmaster. "Clears the mind, I've often found."

Draco bounced on his heels. "Are you here to tell me that the governors have met and admitted they were a bunch of old frauds last time, and I didn't deserve to be expelled and I'm back in classes again, and back to Slytherin, and--"

He stopped when the headmaster gave a long sigh. "Ah, Draco. There's hardly been time for all that." He looked over the top of his half-moon spectacles, his eyes about as wise and all-knowing as Harry had ever seen them. "And as for your not deserving to be expelled . . ."

He let the suggestion hang in the air.

"What?" Draco looked at Snape, then back at the headmaster. "What?"

"Let us just say that your father handled it admirably well, and that will be an end to the matter."

Draco's face paled. "Oh."

Dumbledore patted Draco on the shoulder. "There, there. You're coming along, all things considered. And we all make mistakes when we're young."

"How did you . . ."

"There's very little that goes on inside the castle that I don't know, young man. You might remember that in future."

"Yes, sir," Draco said, his voice low and small. "I . . . Yes, I will."

Dumbledore smiled, the expression making him look like a kindly old grandfather. "It was good to have a chance to talk with you earlier, Draco. And even better to see your conduct during the interrogations. You handled it all with aplomb."

"I . . . thank you, sir." Draco glanced up, looking somehow shattered by the gentle rebuke and then the praise. "I have some reading to do, if you'll excuse me. I want to be prepared for when the governors . . . when are they meeting?"

"If you'll pardon a little advice, there's no guarantee they will reinstate you, my boy."

"I know." Draco cleared his throat. "You aren't going to tell them about the . . ."

"No, no, goodness no. I don't expect you'll do the like again."

"No," murmured Draco. "I won't. Well, I still want to catch up on my readings. Good night, then."

His bedroom door shut with a quiet click.

"And how are you, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling as he turned to the other boy. "Recovering nicely?"

Harry smiled, a little ruefully. "My hand's a bit sore but it's all right."

"Excellent, excellent." The headmaster's expression became utterly serious as he turned toward the Potions Master. "A word, Severus, if you please. Perhaps in your office?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Um, actually I need to talk to both of you, too. So I'll just tag along, if you don't mind."

Snape turned to stare at him, then glanced significantly at the bedroom door Draco had just closed.

Harry nodded. The headmaster, he couldn't help but notice, looked a bit bemused.

Once they were all seated in Snape's office with the door securely shut, Harry cleared his throat again. "So, it's like this. I feel like the snake ring idea didn't work out so well."

"To say the least," agreed Snape, frowning, his gaze a little distant. He seemed to shake that off and come back to the present after a moment. "I presume from your wish to come in here that you still don't favour Draco's idea of some sort of mark on your hand or arm?"

Harry couldn't help but shudder. "Yuck. It's too much like . . . well, you know. Besides, after today, I think it's safe to say it would get noticed and attacked, the way my ring was." He winced just thinking about it. Definitely, in future it would be best not to call attention to his arm. "I wondered if we could come up with anything else. Because I can't go back to class without some sort of snake in hand, so to speak. And Sals is even more obvious than the ring, so I can't be using her like that all the time. Not to mention I'd rather not get her killed. So . . . any ideas?"

Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I've hesitated to suggest any sort of Occlumency technique up until now, given that your Occlusion on Samhain was key to your survival. I'd rather not tamper with those powers. But after what happened today? A mental solution may well be indicated."

"A sound notion," said Dumbledore.

Harry wasn't so sure. "You think I won't be able to Occlude as well if I change my image to a snake, Dad?"

"I think there will be a period during which your Occlumency may be compromised."

"That's no good. I mean, there's no point at all to secrecy if Voldemort can just read my mind--"

"He can't do that from afar. However, your scar might well become active once more, and he might seek to influence you through dreams and visions," said Snape in a gentle voice.

Harry felt scrubbed raw hearing that. No matter that his father didn't intend it as a reminder of how he'd failed Sirius. "Um, yeah. So forget that plan--"

"I do believe you've already promised to come straight to me if anything in your dreams disturbs you," said Snape, his dark gaze steady on his son. "If you recall?"

"Yeah, I recall." Harry sighed. "Well, I guess it just has to be done. If I could make a mental snake work I wouldn't have to worry about today repeating itself."

"Not once you had achieved mastery." Snape steepled his fingers and tapped them together. "It's far from guaranteed, you realise. Occlumency isn't normally used in this manner."

"Well, we can work on it tomorrow but if I don't master it pretty fast, we'll need another solution for Monday when I go to class."

The headmaster took off his spectacles and regarded them gravely. "It occurs to me that as long as I wear these, I always have an image of the moon within view."

Harry shook his head at the image that popped into his head. Snake-shaped lenses?

"Perhaps a small etching," continued the headmaster. "Something barely perceptible; we could even charm the glass so that it was only visible from the inside."

"Hmm. Nott had noticed I kept looking at my ring," murmured Harry. "This would be better. Nobody's going to think it's odd I look out through my glasses. Though this would mean I'd have to wear them again! I just finally got a chance to stop!" Whinging wasn't going to help matters, though, so Harry hurriedly added, "It's better than a mark, though. Really, it's a pretty good solution. I'll just go fetch my glasses then?"

"Accio Harry's glasses," said Snape, solving that. Harry felt a little bit silly he hadn't thought of magic. But then again, he didn't have a snake at hand, not at the moment. Or his wand, not that he really needed it.

The door opened to admit the glasses, which sailed into Snape's hand. He tapped the lens that Pomfrey had charmed. "Finite Incantatem," he said, repeating the spell twice more as he turned the glasses around in his hands. "The lenses are simple glass now," he finally announced, moving to pass the glasses over toward the headmaster.

Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Oh, no, no, Severus. I'm not the one with talent for artistry. You go ahead."

Harry had an urge then, to ask the headmaster what he knew about Hostilian Snape. Perhaps the next time they were alone? He knew it wasn't such a good idea; if Snape didn't want to tell him things like that, he'd hardly want Harry discussing them with people outside the family. But still, the headmaster might know things Harry should really know . . .

Snape was scowling a little, as though the idea of creating any art didn't sit well with him, but he went ahead, using some spell that converted the tip of his wand into a very thin blade. After a few moments of carving, his forehead furrowed in concentration, he spelled the outside of the right lens to conceal the image he'd etched.

"It's rough," he said, his voice gruff when he handed Harry the glasses.

Putting them on was an odd feeling; Harry kept expecting one side to be blocked off. But the world looked just the same as without them, except for the tiny snake he could see at the inside corner of his vision. He wanted to test a spell, though, just to be sure this solution worked. "Uh, I don't have my wand handy--"

"Albus knows you can cast magic without it," said Snape in a tired voice. "Should you be, is more the issue. Your hand is still recovering from that burn."

"Best to wait, yes," said Albus briskly. "Your father's right. Tomorrow before you return to Gryffindor, perhaps, cast a spell or two to be sure. And now, if you'll excuse us, Harry, I've a few things to discuss with Severus."

"Sure . . ."

Snape, however, had risen to his feet and crossed his arms, his robes billowing slightly. "Actually, Albus, if the matter concerns Harry or the Order in any way, I'd prefer him to stay. He does better with more information rather than less, as I believe I've mentioned to you?"

Well, that made up for missing Nott's second interrogation, Harry thought, smiling inwardly.

"It's more a matter concerning you, Severus," retorted the headmaster.

"Nevertheless, anything you'd care to say on that topic can certainly be said in front of my son."

"Fine," said Dumbledore. A little bit sharply, it seemed to Harry. He wondered what had the headmaster so irritated.

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Harry headed towards the door. "Oh, that's all right--"

"No, stay," insisted the headmaster, standing up to face Snape. "Are you aware, Severus, that you were needed earlier? Slytherin was all in an uproar, and you were nowhere to be found. I had to go attempt to calm your house."

Snape's nostrils flared. "As soon as Tonks and Kingsley took charge of the three perpetrators, I had business to see to in Hogsmeade. I'm sure you can fathom out what."

"Laudable as your intentions no doubt were, you were needed here!"

"My son comes first."

Harry didn't really intend to speak up at all, but that comment had him puzzled. Why had his father gone back to Hogsmeade? And the man had said Harry did better with more information, so . . . "Um . . . how's that?"

Snape sighed, his black eyes sympathetic when he looked Harry's way. "The spell Mr Nott used, Harry. It was Dark Arts. Normally when such a spell comes into direct contact with gold, the metal is annihilated. However, as Mr Nott was working far above his level of magical competence when he cast it--"

Harry's hand seemed to ache just hearing that. "Ha. Seemed pretty competent to me."

"Unfortunately, yes. I thought perhaps I might be able to summon the constituents of your ring so it could be remade. But that wasn't possible, I regret to say. All I could recover were these." Reaching into his pocket, Snape drew forth a tiny metal box and opened it. Inside, several small emeralds glinted in the light.

Harry gulped. He'd already given the ring up as gone. Now to find that the gemstones remained, but nothing else . . . it was like losing it all over again. Though that didn't make sense. He should be happy something of it remained. Somehow, though, this was more painful than losing it completely.

Maybe, because the sight of those emeralds reminded him how much else was lost.

"Thanks," said Harry, taking the box with his left hand and holding tight to it. "I . . . well, thanks for trying. I appreciate it."

Snape patted his shoulder.

The headmaster had fallen silent, but once another moment had passed, he resumed. "Severus--"

Snape rounded on him, his eyes fierce by then. "Do not attempt to tell me that I should have put Slytherin first, Albus. I won't listen. I'm rather stunned, in fact, that you would resent assuming my house duties to this degree! So you had to go calm the Slytherins and explain the situation to them! That doesn't strike me as an entirely inappropriate thing for the headmaster of Hogwarts to do."

Dumbledore's eyes could gleam fiercely too, Harry saw. "I don't bring the matter up because I was inconvenienced, Severus. I mention it because when you went missing, I had no idea in the world what you might be doing!"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I do have a private life. What is the problem?"

"I thought you might have gone to find Lucius Malfoy and hex him within an inch --or, I dare say, beyond that-- of his life!"

Now Snape's eyes were narrowed in derision. "Oh, I think I have more self-control than that."

"Do you?" Dumbledore shook his head. "I wasn't pleased, Severus, to learn how much you'd taken on yourself today. Conducting Mr Nott's initial interrogation right there in Hogsmeade was foolhardy, to say the least. Your primary interest--as a father and an Order member both--should have been to remove Harry to the safety of Hogwarts at all speed, and get his injured hand seen to. As I understand it, it was burnt black!"

Snape fairly glowered, thought Harry.

"Hey, he cast a painkilling spell and I was just fine waiting a bit--"

Snape spoke right on top of him. "For Merlin's sake, Albus. I had already assessed the danger as minimal--"

"Prudence would have had you making that assessment here, not at the very site where Harry had just been attacked. You delayed in informing me what had occurred. Indeed, I was told nothing whatsoever until you sent Draco up to my office so that you and you alone could solve the remaining mystery by means of Truthful Dreams."

"I was in the best position to solve that mystery!"

"Perhaps, but don't you see what you have been doing in all this, Severus?"

"Protecting my sons, both of them?" sneered the Potions Master.

"I think it's more a case of trying to feel useful," said Dumbledore, very gently. Stepping forward, he looked into Snape's black eyes. "You've lamented to me, more than once, Harry's tendency toward heroics. But don't you see that your own behaviour today shows the same impulse? Questioning Nott without other Order members or Aurors there. Keeping him incarcerated by means of that spell until it suited you to bring him to my attention. Your resolve to be the one to deduce who else was involved. It all fits a pattern, Severus."

"Useful!" sputtered Snape. "How dare you suggest I've no earthly way to be useful to the Order!"

"But I don't suggest that. You do, through decisions like the ones you made today. Ever since you were found out as a spy you've questioned whether you have any value to the Order--"

"That," spat Snape, "is not true!"

"Of course it's not true!" said Dumbledore, raising his voice. "Your potions are invaluable. And your keen strategic intelligence is not something many in the Order possess. Granted, you didn't use much of it today, but this desire to prove yourself to Harry is interfering with your good judgement."

Harry swallowed. "You don't have to prove yourself to me! I mean . . . God, Samhain was all the proof I could ever need. Giving up your chance to spy, putting yourself at the very top of Voldemort's list of who to get?"

"I'm not trying to prove myself," said Snape. "Not to you, or anyone else."

"To yourself, then." Dumbledore paused, stroking his beard as he thought. "I know it can't be easy for you that the person closest to Voldemort's inner circle now is Remus Lupin, Severus."

Snape stiffened. "I think you overestimate the werewolf. His affliction alone makes it doubtful he can always be on duty when required. But if he is the best you can dredge up . . ."

"I can hear jealousy in every word, Severus."

"Hyperbole," scoffed Snape as he crossed his arms.

"My dear boy, you can hardly endure the thought that Remus might gain stature in Harry's eyes," said Dumbledore, his voice like a spell to calm stormy seas. "But Severus, you know Harry now. I know you do. He's a boy with an enormous capacity for love. Look at how he's forgiven Draco and taken him as a brother. It doesn't means he loves his other friends any the less. Surely you must realise that his respect for Remus doesn't diminish his regard for you. Not in the least. Severus . . . he can love you both."

Harry felt himself colouring a little. Not that he was ashamed of any of that, but still . . .

"Thank you for explaining the bloody obvious, Albus!"

"Sometimes it's the obvious that we can't see clearly," said Dumbledore softly. "Your time as a spy in the inner circle is over, Severus, but that wasn't who you were. It was only how you served."

"Atoned, you mean," said Snape, the words bitter and resigned.

"Oh, my dear boy, you have atoned. Many times over. Harry's love for you is proof of that. He couldn't love that which was evil. You know he couldn't." Albus' voice went even more gentle. "Stop wishing you could be the one to help bring Voldemort down. Because you will help, Severus. I have not the slightest doubt of it. But you won't help as you once expected."

Snape pressed his lips together, and nodded once.

Dumbledore went on in the same kind voice. "And you won't help as much as you could, if you continue to allow personal matters to cloud your judgment. Think about it, Severus. That's all I ask."

Snape had apparently already thought about it. He sat down, tilting his head up to look at Albus. "Perhaps lingering in Hogsmeade wasn't the very best course available. I can see that now." He frowned. "And involving the Aurors sooner may have been advisable. Though considering the complexity of the situation, I didn't want them privy to everything about the incident." He sighed. "Harry's dark powers, for example, and his need to see a snake. I Obliviated Mr Nott before his second interrogation commenced."

"Draco mentioned that as your intention. Again, I would have appreciated being consulted, Severus."

Harry bit his lip a little. "Nott got Obliviated twice today? Once to forget I'd turned his legs to eggs and again so he'd forget Lucius Malfoy's involvement? Will he have any mind left at all?"

"Unlike some professors, I am competent to cast a memory charm."

"Um, that was only 'cause Lockhart used Ron's wand which was snapped almost in half and taped back together."

Snape smiled slightly. "Yes, I am aware. As for Mr Nott . . ." His expression became grim. "He's far more likely to lose his mind to the Dementors than to today's events."

Harry nodded. Nott deserved what he was going to get, after all. He hadn't just attacked Harry, he'd actually killed a person. A person Draco had loved, though she'd turned out to be anything but worthy of his devotion.

"You're still troubled," said Snape, peering at him closely.

"Not about him," said Harry, shaking his head. "It's just . . . I can't really imagine what this year has been like for Draco. First his father turning on him, and now finding out that the girl he thought was his girlfriend was anything but?"

"He'll feel better once he's in classes, I expect."

Harry turned to the headmaster. "Um, I was wondering about that. Is it going to be that easy? I mean, technically he was kicked out of classes long before he was expelled. So he gets reinstated. Will that automatically let him back into classes?"

"If he returns as a student in good standing, yes. I think the governors will see that Draco has more than paid for the hexing incident earlier this year."

"Including Lucius?"

"Oh, we can count on Lucius Malfoy to keep his malevolence to himself this once. He'll be too worried about his own neck, now that we've caught the students he suborned to kill Miss Parkinson."

"More likely, he'll be realising he can't get to Draco as long as Draco stays down here," realised Harry. "Shite. Oh, sorry. Um, I just meant . . . Lucius might want to see Draco allowed into classes again. Maybe it's better if he doesn't get reinstated. I mean, that'd be awful for him, but if it keeps him alive . . ."

"I've taken steps to disallow Lucius Malfoy entrance to Hogwarts. Unless he's escorted, as he will be for future meetings of the governing board."

Harry stared. "If you can do that to a governor now, why couldn't you do it before?"

Dumbledore's smile was a bit philosophical. "Because now he won't raise any objection. We have something on him, you see. We can't use it, of course, not as long as we want Lucius free so that Remus can impersonate him. But Lucius doesn't know about that."

Snape cleared his throat. "Very Slytherin."

"Why, thank you, Severus."

"So when will the board meet, then?" Harry gave a tremulous smile. "Draco's really sick of it down here."

"I'll call for a meeting at the earliest possible moment. Hmm . . . Yardley's still in Bulgaria, I expect . . ."

"I do hope that you can arrange matters soon indeed, Albus. I'm less than enthused with the prospect of those two . . . lovebirds being the only ones keeping an eye out for any trouble Harry might stumble into."

"Hey! Stumble into?"

The adults both ignored him.

"Duly noted." Dumbledore brushed his robes off slightly as he moved towards the office door. "I think the Slytherins might benefit from a visit from you tonight, Severus. My own visit to them was . . . well, we'll say fractious. See to it, will you?"

 

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Shortly after the headmaster had taken his leave, Snape had said that Harry looked worse for wear and ought to go to bed. For his part, he had to floo to the Slytherin common room to settle his house down. Harry suspected that his father would be late in returning - the Gryffindors would be in an uproar if any of their own had been hauled away by Aurors, so he could only imagine how worked up the Slytherins must be.

Harry felt pretty tired, but he couldn't bring himself to do as his father had asked. For one thing, he suspected that Draco would immediately pump him for information on what had been discussed in his absence. What was Harry supposed to say, that their father had got scolded like a schoolboy?

Too, Harry knew he just couldn't sleep. A dark unease, almost as insidious as the ache in his hand, had settled into his gut.

"Harry! What are you doing out here?" Snape demanded a few hours later.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand as he sat up from the couch. "I couldn't sleep." His father quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well, I thought I couldn't sleep because I had a lot on my mind so I stayed out here to wait so I could talk to you, but I, uh, fell asleep."

Snape sank down onto the couch next to his son, rubbing at his own forehead tiredly.

Harry felt a twinge of guilt for adding to his troubles. "How are the Slytherins?"

"Subdued."

Harry wasn't sure whether he was referring to their mood or if Severus had ordered them all to bed.

"I know you didn't wait up to ask me about your house mates, Harry. What is troubling you?"

Instead of answering his father right away, Harry adjusted his sling a bit. When he felt his father's hand rest reassuringly on his shoulder, he glanced up through his fringe slightly and blurted, "You think Draco's right, don't you? You think Remus is going to get himself killed!"

Snape took in a sighing breath and sat back into the couch, but his hand stayed on Harry's shoulder and gently massaged the hard knots of tension there. "I think Lupin shares your knack for dumb luck. Doubtless this will carry him through the war."

"I wouldn't call getting bit by a werewolf very lucky."

"He survived."

Harry shrugged away from his father and frowned as he turned to him. "Well, Sirius survived twelve years in Azkaban intact too, but--" He was going to say, but I got him killed anyway, but he didn't want his father to redirect the conversation towards responsibility and guilt. "But he got killed just as soon as he mixed up with Death Eaters. I know you don't think much of Remus as a spy. So, tell me the truth. Do you think he's going to get caught?"

Snape was silent for a few moments as if he were carefully constructing a reply. "I do believe that Lupin's deception will inevitably come to light. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that he will be caught, as you put it."

"So, you think they'll figure out that someone is using Polyjuice to impersonate Malfoy, but they might not know who." Harry's head jerked up in alarm. "You don't think they'll think it's you, do you?"

Snape shook his head. "My position here creates a fairly reliable alibi. Though, perhaps the Order would be better served if they did suspect me since further antagonism towards me should hardly make a difference at this point."

"That's not funny, Dad."

"It wasn't meant to be."

Harry ran a hand through his messy hair. "I hate this!" he shouted, jumping to his feet, albeit with a bit of a wobble. "Everyone I care about is at the top of those bastards' most wanted list. I've lost more than enough people already and I couldn't bear for anyone else to--" He spun to face his father. "And, I'm not just being selfish about losing people. I mean, it's not like I'm talking about a quick killing curse like with Cedric. I'm not stupid; the closer anyone is to me the more horrible their death will be, won't it?"

Snape Accio'd the Galliano and two small glasses. He quietly poured a small amount for them both. "Harry, I wish I could spare you this," he said, handing him a glass. "But the truth is that every member of the Order's life is in danger. You know this. Your friends and Draco are in danger as well. But the risk we're taking is no greater than the risk to the innumerable Muggles and Muggleborns whom we are fighting to protect." He paused to sip. "None of that is your fault and neither can you do anything to prevent it at this time."

"That's not really true. For one thing, I could stop Remus from putting himself into more danger."

"No, Harry--"

"I could! I know I could and if he does get killed I'll know that I could have prevented it! How can you expect me to live with that? All this time I could have gone to the Ministry and had Lucius put away -- probably kissed. And don't use the alibi excuse; we could make it stick. If we all testified, we could make it stick and then you and Draco and Remus would all be a lot safer."

Harry sat down. He felt flushed and out of breath from his outburst. Snape sat down next to him and pulled him into a gentle embrace. "Harry, we cannot do that."

Harry shrugged his way free. "I could! Everybody knows Voldemort is back now; I could get the press on my side and--"

"Ah," said Snape in a rueful voice. "I see, now."

"What, that Lucius deserves to be put away forever?"

"I saw that long ago. But now I see why Albus decided you might as well hear him taking me to task."

Harry sat back and sighed. "Yeah, that was pretty strange. So why would he?"

"Because if I, an autonomous, responsible adult must take more care to seek counsel, then how much more ought you do the same?"

"I . . ." The question didn't sap Harry's anger, but it did take him aback. In threatening to go his own way no matter what anybody thought, he was doing the same thing the headmaster had just criticised about Snape. And Snape had practically admitted, there at the end, that he'd been wrong . . . or at least that he might not have been right.

His anger sapped by then, Harry looked up in misery. "But we could save Remus and put Lucius where he belongs. We could protect Draco, Dad!"

"Believe me when I tell you that I'd like nothing better, but it would be wrong."

"How can it possibly be wrong?" Harry asked, his voice wobbling just slightly.

"Because loath as I am to admit it, what Lupin is playing at is saving lives."

"How do we know that he's saving more lives than Lucius is taking?"

His father sighed again. "We use what information we have and put our faith in Albus to make the right decisions. Believe me Harry, he wouldn't put any of us in danger without good cause."

"But you know he's not always right. What if he's wrong about this? I--"

"Harry, let me attempt to explain this with a new approach. I said before that every Order member is in danger. But the greater point of this is that each has chosen to be in danger. All of us who stand against Voldemort have done so of our own free will. Lupin and I both did so years ago. Draco, too, has made his choice. Before he was your brother, even. You bear no responsibilities for those decisions."

Snape paused to take a breath. "Your problem, I must think, lies in your 'saving-people' impulse. You've been led to believe that you are the saviour of the wizarding world. Let me assure you that you are not. You may be destined to face down Voldemort, but every human being is responsible for saving himself. Sometimes that requires sacrifice. But you are no one's guardian, Harry. It is not your place to take that choice away from anybody."

Snape's dark eyes were sympathetic, yet resolute. "Nor, Harry, is it your right to do so."

The End.
End Notes:
Coming Soon in A Year Like None Other

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Comments very welcome,

Aspen


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