Harry felt completely and totally lost. He hated the hospital, watching the suffering, all because of him. If he hadn’t waited so long maybe… just maybe not half the wizarding world would be dead. Almost every family had lost someone and was mourning and Harry couldn’t help but feel responsible.

“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed and wrapped her arms around him. “What are you doing here?”

Harry hung his head a little. “Erm... I wanted to see how Snape was doing, thought I could maybe…” Hermione gave him a pitiful look.

“And who are you seeing?” he asked uncomfortably. He was sure he didn’t want to know the answer.

“Well, my parents are in there. It takes a while for the memory to be restored… But they’ll be okay. They recognise me at least…” She trailed off and Harry thought about Neville’s parents.

He nodded slowly. Hermione looked worried. He wanted to ask her if she could tell him what to do… maybe she’d read it in a book or something.

“Harry,” she started, “I know what happened to Snape. I think you should maybe see Slughorn, maybe a potion would help… Or Dumbledore’s portrait?”

Suddenly, a small smile appeared on his face and he gave her grateful hug and apparated away.

He had to see Slughorn and get Felix Felicis, the liquid luck. It had helped him before. And Slughorn would do him any favour. Of that, Harry was sure.

As soon as the thought had formed in his head, he apparated to Hogsmeade and made his way to Hogwarts. He was convinced that Slughorn would still be there, now that he’d made himself comfortable in the castle.

“Ah, m’boy, so nice that you came to see me,” the rotund Professor exclaimed happily and poured some mead into a glass. “What can I do for you?”

Harry cleared his throat. This was promising. “Actually, I came to ask you for a favour…”

Slughorn smiled. “Anything, m’boy, anything.”

“I need some Felix Felicis. It’s really important.”

Slughorn's smile didn’t waver and Harry interpreted that as a good sign. However, Felix was a rather valuable potion, so he did decide to keep going.

“I have money, I can pay you. I need it for Professor Snape, I’m afraid I need to somehow get through to him and…”

Slughorn nodded sadly and peeked at the full bag of gold. “Keep your money. But if your plan works, maybe you can mention this to the right people. Poor Severus, he surely didn’t deserve that.” Harry nodded in agreement and took a sip from from his mead. He still  had the feeling that he had to insist on paying for the potion, so fumbled around in his bag until he saw the hundred galleon coin.

Slughorn raised his hand as if to deny, but Harry insisted. “This is just for the effort to make a new one. I insist.”

Slughorn was too much of a Slytherin to keep arguing. He walked over to his shelves, muttering to himself until he found the small vial with the golden liquid in it.

“There you go m’boy, good luck. And if it does work…”

“I’ll mention it, Professor. Thank you very much.”

“Ah…” Slughorn said with an excited voice, as he pulled out a second vial. “You may take that with you, too. It’s a very interesting little potion, that one…” Harry gave him a questioning look before he continued. “I invented it myself. If anything can force a wizard to give up his occlumency shields, it’s that.”

Harry was a little confused. “Why would he need that? He doesn’t need to use occlumency against Vol-“

Slughorn raised his hand in a theatrical manner and said: “The art of occlumency is primarily that of self-discipline. Any wizard who masters it, and Severus mastered it like no other, is able to hide behind shields and stay in a comatose condition for the rest of their life. Some shields can be so strong, that willpower alone will not break through. ”

Harry frowned a little. “Will it work?”

Now Slughorn looked a little impatient. “If it works on Dumbledore, it will on Severus.”

“Is there an antidote?”

“Not exactly, but… take this.” And out of Slughorn's robe appeared a bottle of Scotch Whiskey. “It’s not an antidote, but it’s as close as you can get. Calming, you know…”

Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, but saw that Slughorn wasn’t willing to give any further information. He suddenly felt his conscience nagging.

“Professor… I think I have to tell you something…”

“Yes?”

“I’m… not good at Potions at all. All through my sixth year, I cheated.”

A small smile appeared on Slughorn’s face. It looked a little too knowing for Harry’s taste.

“Hmmm,” he said, indicating for Harry to continue.

“My Potions book had different instructions in it, it used to be someone else’s and I, well, I followed the alternative instructions and it was brilliant. But I shouldn’t take the credit.”

Slughorn raised his eyebrows. “Did you really think that I didn’t know?”

Harry’s mouth fell open.

“I recognised that book the day you got it. And let you keep it, hoping that it would give you a boost in potions. And… you brewed the potions yourself. A Slytherin wouldn’t call that cheating, but you are very Gryffindor. Thanks for telling me, my boy.”

He felt himself dismissed, thanked the Professor again and left the room.

He quickly checked the amount of Felix Felicis Slughorn had gave him and saw that he hadn’t been conned. This would last at least six hours. He felt that he had no time to lose and emptied the vial in one gulp.

After a few seconds, the potion started working and he knew exactly where he had to go. The Headmaster’s Office. Harry almost felt like whistling, but he was able to stop himself. Everything seemed so clear and straightforward.

“Dumbledore,” he said to the Gargoyle and it was still the same password.

Dumbledore, still present in his portrait, smiled at him and came so close, that Harry thought he would pop through any minute.

“Harry. What a pleasure to see you. I knew you would want to come back…”

“Hello Professor. I don’t have much time but… I really need the wand.” Dumbledore nodded and seemed to be deep in thought. “I wondered when you would change your mind. Is it for Severus?”

After all the things Dumbledore had known and foreseen in the past few years, Harry wasn’t at all surprised about his knowledge.

“I need it only once and then… I will destroy it.”

“A wise decision, Harry. I wouldn’t have expected anything else from you.”

Dumbledore gave him a warm smile and Harry knew he could gain access now. He stepped closer to the portrait and gently took it off. With a satisfied look, he saw that it was still where he had placed it. Anyone who wanted it, would have to ask for Dumbledore’s permission, even if they had disarmed Harry before and became the true owner.

Harry slipped it into his robe. The potion nudged him to hurry, so he quickly left Hogwarts at the point where once Snape disapparated to escape after he had killed Dumbledore. No. Not killed. Saved him from either a slow and painful death or dying at the hands of a boy whose soul would then be damaged forever. Or tortured to death by Greyback or Lestrange.

He found himself in Diagon Alley and quickly headed to Gringotts. There was something in his vault that would help. He had no idea what it was, but he knew he had to go.

Lucky again. The goblin who greeted him seemed to have waited for him already and showed no sign of surprise. The last time he was here, he had broken in Lestrange’s vault and made the narrowest escape he’d ever made. It felt like it anyway.

“Mr. Potter. I have been wondering when you would come and get your parent’s portrait. It has been activated. It will have to stay here for another 40 hours, but you might want to go and see it.”

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. “Who has activated it? And why did it take so long?”

The goblin cast an ugly smile. “The minister himself, Mr. Potter. It was long overdue. Anything that has been placed in a vault, has to stay for inspection for 48 hours before given out to the recipient.”

Harry nodded. That meant it had only been placed there eight hours ago. He handed over his key and said: “Thank you. I am really in a hurry.”

After the goblin opened his vault, Harry waved him away with his hand. He needed to be alone. And fast. A small note was attached to the portrait.

It was an honour. KS.

Harry made a quick note to himself to thank Shacklebolt for this. His parents both smiled at him and Harry, who felt that his legs may give in, sat down in front of it.

The potion nudged him to make his matters clear and not spent too much time with pleasantries, but he knew they would understand. “Mum… Dad…” the words felt so unfamiliar to him. He knew they were dead, he knew they were portraits, but still, a bit of them was alive.

“Harry,” his mum exclaimed, “we are so proud of you.” Harry smiled and wished that his mum could just hug him or his dad could place his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m here because… well… I’ll get you out when the 40 hours are over, but just now I want to try and get Snape back. He’s… erm… unconscious and still thinks I’m dead. I’m not even sure why I had to come here but it somehow felt like the right thing…”

Lily’s face turned a shade darker. “Harry. Tell Severus how very sorry I am for not having been a good friend. I was so very righteous… And tell him I forgave him many years ago.”

Harry nodded and turned towards his dad. “You know…,” James started, looking a bit uncomfortable, “it was partially our fault that he turned dark. We never made him feel welcome in the Order. Tried everything to keep him out of there.” James shook his head sadly before he continued. “And something else Harry… Tell him to grow the heck up. If he is still, after everything he has done for you and the Order, and with the danger he placed himself under, beating himself up about the things that happened twenty years ago, you hex him for me.”

Lily threw him a surprised look before she smiled at Harry again.

“But…” Harry hesitated. He did agree with his parents, but one question was still open. “He only asked for you to be saved, mum. Not for dad or me.”

His father raised his eyebrows and he looked as if she was about to scold him. “Well, Harry, if twenty years ago the greasy git-“

“Don’t call him that!“ his mother interrupted.

“-if twenty years ago he had married Lily and had a greasy little son with her… and I was in his shoes, I would have asked Voldemort to spare her, too. If there was any chance. And there was.”

Harry understood. For the first time. He really did. The potion nudged him to go to Snape as fast as he could, but his mother wanted to say one more thing.

“Tell him… Tell him I haven’t forgotten.” she said quietly and her eyes were glittering with tears.

“What does that mean?” James asked curiously.

“He’ll know,” Lily smiled and Harry rushed off.