"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore smiled at him genially from behind his desk as the boy entered the room. "What brings you here this afternoon? I'd have thought you'd be down with Ron and the Wise One, helping them understand each other."

At those words, Fawkes awoke from his doze and gave a sharp chirrup.

"Oh, sorry. I was supposed to tell you when the Wise One arrived. She is here, is she not, Harry?"

"Yes. She's down near the forest edge, talking to Charlie and Ron and Severus—I mean Professor Snape—is translating for them." Harry said.

Fawkes gave a soft trill and quickly flew out the window that Dumbledore opened for him. The phoenix was quite eager to meet another healer, especially one as old as the ruffed serpent.

Dumbledore gave an indulgent chuckle as he watched his familiar flying away. Then he turned back to Harry, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking very uncomfortable. "What can I do for you, Harry? You seem troubled."

Harry drew in a deep breath. "It's like this, sir . . . I told Ron about my being a Parselmouth and how the professor's my guardian now and saved my life and all and Ron just . . .he thinks that Severus is . . .a dark wizard and I shouldn't have anything to do with him. He told me that Severus used to be a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's followers, and I called him a liar, but he insisted it was true. Said everyone knew Snape was dark once and nearly went to prison. I didn't want to believe him, I still don't, but . . .I have to know the truth. You trust Professor Snape, don't you?"

Dumbledore looked suddenly sad. "I do, Harry. With my life. And more importantly, with yours."

"So that means Ron was wrong." Harry stated, feeling the icy knot in his stomach start to dissolve.

Dumbledore coughed. "No, not really. There are things in Professor Snape's past that are not very, shall we say, commendable. But you really ought to ask Severus these questions, Harry."

But Harry shook his head rapidly. "No! I can't."

"Why? Do you not trust Severus to tell you the truth?" asked the old wizard gently.

"No, it's not that. It's just . . .he'd feel betrayed and upset if I just asked him about being a Death Eater. I don't want him to be hurt, to think I don't trust him . . ."

"My boy, Severus' past is a private thing, and normally I would not discuss it with you—"

"Please, sir! I'll never say where I learned it from. But I have to know. Please!"

He gave Dumbledore a pleading wide-eyed glance.

The other wizard sighed and twiddled with the ends of his beard for several long moments. At last he spoke. "As you wish. But know that what I tell you is in strictest confidence, for your ears only. You are not to share the information with anyone, not even your friends. Will you be able to keep this a secret?"

"Yes, sir. I don't care if Ron knows the truth. He can believe what he wants, he always does anyway. But I need to know . . .for me."

"The answer to your question, Harry, is both yes and no."

Harry was totally confused. "I don't understand, sir."

"Have a seat. This will take awhile to explain. First, I want you to remember what you learned about Severus' home life while he was feverish. Do you remember how his father Tobias beat him?"

"Yeah. He had just as bad a home life as I did."

"Right. And his only refuge was here at Hogwarts like you as well. Only, it is to my shame, that his refuge wasn't a place he could ever feel totally safe."

"Why not?"

"Because he was the target of four Gryffindors who called themselves the Marauders. They were quite popular and enjoyed playing what they considered harmless pranks on other students, but especially Severus."

"Pranks? You mean like Fred and George?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "For a long time I was blind to their little escapades, I thought it just a bit of boyish mischief. But now, looking back, I see that I was wrong. The Marauders were not above humiliating and hurting students to satisfy their need for amusement. I permitted them to go unchecked because I didn't think there was any harm in their little displays, which was a grave mistake. They hurt Severus badly, humiliating him past endurance in his fifth and sixth years."

"What were their names?" Harry asked, frowning. He never would have thought Snape as the victim of bullies, as he had been with Dudley and Dudley's friends. Their lives were more similar than he had ever thought.

"They were Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and . . .your father, James Potter." Dumbledore announced.

"My . . .my father?" repeated Harry in astonishment. "Then that's why . . .why Severus never cared for him." He suddenly felt ashamed upon hearing this new information. And he understood perfectly now Snape's peculiar resentment upon seeing Harry for the first time. It must have been like seeing James's ghost, or worse. It had been unfair for the professor to judge him, to believe that he was like his father—a bully—before ever knowing him, but Harry could understand the reasons behind it. And he wondered at the duplicity of the adults, who had seemed to want to push those sorry days under the rug and forget about them, and laud only the good things about James Potter. "Why . . .why didn't anyone tell me this before?"

Dumbledore looked uncomfortable. "Ah . . .you see, my boy, it was a long time ago, and . . . well, your father did die a hero's death, so . . . we didn't want to upset you, my boy . . ."

Harry frowned. "Not telling me the truth hurts worse than hearing this. You made me think my father was perfect, some kind of . . .of . . .paragon, and now you tell me he was a bully, just like Dudley. That he hurt people and thought it was funny. Do you know what my cousin did to me, sir? He hurt and tormented me just like my dad hurt Severus. And got away with it too. All the time." Harry's fists clenched. "But then you tell me that somehow all that doesn't matter, because of how my dad died? How can his dying for his family cancel out what he did to Professor Snape?"

"It doesn't . . .and yet . . .your father did save Severus' life once, from a bad prank gone wrong . . ."

But Harry shook his head again. "But did he ever . . .tell Severus he was sorry for . . .for doing all those bad things to him? Because if not, then I can understand why the professor can't stand my father." Or me by association. Harry thought, except that was no longer true.

"I do not know, my boy, if he ever apologized. I wasn't fully aware of the situation, as I said. And an apology like that would have been a private thing. But eventually, your father did mature and he died a decent man. However, Severus holds no love for your father, despite being your mother's best friend. Severus was hurt too many times by him to ever really forgive what James did to him in school. Your godfather, Sirius Black, was also his nemesis. They played humiliating and often cruel jokes upon him, nearly every day. But Severus never told me this, not until one time, when they went too far . . ."

Dumbledore told Harry about the Shrieking Shack and Severus almost getting bitten. He told him about how James had saved Severus by pulling him away from the door, thus redeeming himself for his part in the prank. He told Harry about several other incidents as well, and then he told him about Lily, and how she had broken off her friendship with Severus because she thought he was too fascinated with the Dark Arts. "That, I think, was the final straw. Without Lily, Severus had no one he could confide in or trust, and he was easy prey for the older Slytherins in his House, those who were born into Death Eater families, who convinced him that he should join their cause, that when he was one of them, no one would dare hurt him again. He told me that he was scorned by most of his House because he was friends with Lily. But once Lily broke with him, naturally he would have gone to the Slytherins who would have encouraged him to be like them and to forget Lily and remember what had been done to him by the hands of the Marauders. Or so I think.

"I should have seen what was going on, should have been more aware, but I was busy trying to counter several things Voldemort was doing and I was not as alert as I should have been. I regret that very deeply now. Had I been paying attention, I might have been able to influence his decision, but . . .I was not. Sometime in the last half of his seventh year, Severus joined the Death Eaters."

Harry gasped. "But why?"

"Severus never really discussed why with me, but I believe he did so not out of a desire for power, but a desire to belong somewhere. You need to understand, Harry, that Severus was nearly an outcast before, despite his brilliant skills with potions and Defense. And Voldemort could be very persuasive, could make you believe that he truly cared about your wellbeing, he was very charismatic and clever. He would have seen Severus' potential and jumped at the chance to win him over. Severus himself once admitted that he knew exactly what to say and how to say it, to convince him to pledge himself to the cause. Probably because Tom too, had once been an orphan with no family, and had felt the same feelings once upon a time."

Harry nodded. The picture was becoming clearer and clearer. Snape had been seduced into darkness, manipulated by a master into thinking it was where he belonged. "So when did he stop being a Death Eater?"

"He was nearly twenty or so when he returned to me one dark night, full of remorse. One of the reasons he returned, I think, had to do with your mother. Another had to do with a prophecy."

"Prophecy? I don't understand."

"A prophecy is a prediction of the future made by a Seer. Professor Snape overheard a prophecy that concerned Voldemort's defeat." Here Dumbledore paused for several long moments. "Harry, this tale is not mine to tell. You would do better to hear this from Severus."

"No! Just tell me."

"My boy, this is a secret that I cannot reveal. Speak to your guardian. I have told you all I can."

Harry glared at him. "Why?"

"Because Professor Snape made it a condition of his, when he entrusted me with his secret regret. I cannot break it, Harry. Not even for you."

"But . . .what if he doesn't want to tell me?"

"That is his choice then. Not everything can always be revealed. Harry, now you know that he was once a Death Eater, but repented of that choice. All he has done since then has been at great personal risk, to try and make amends for the choice he made then. He became my spy, passing information to Voldemort, pretending to still be a loyal follower. The things he was forced to do as a servant of Voldemort were not things he ever would have done if given a choice, he has no love for inflicting pain upon innocents, he admitted to me that it sickened him, and he could only kill in self-defense. He had too much of the healer in him to become a cold-hearted butcher. When you defeated Voldemort, he was freed of his duty, but still kept a few contacts, just in case. I believe that this last defeat is the end, and Tom will stay beyond the Veil of Death this time. If so, this shall be your time and Severus' to live in peace."

Harry stared at him. "You're telling me I shouldn't pry. That I should just let it be."

"Yes, Harry. Some secrets are meant to remain in the dark."

Harry shut his eyes. He thought that if Dumbledore would not reveal it, it must be something terrible. Did he truly need to know? As soon as he thought that, he knew his curiosity would never be satisfied until he knew all. It would gnaw at him like a rat gnawing at a stale rind of cheese, it would plague him insanely. If he didn't find out what the prophecy was and what Snape had done, he would always wonder, always doubt, and never truly trust his guardian. He opened his eyes. "All right, sir. I . . . I'll ask him." He rose to his feet. "Thanks for telling me the truth. As much as you can, anyway."

Dumbledore looked troubled. "Harry, I hope this doesn't affect your relationship with Severus. He made those mistakes long ago, before you were born, and he pays yet for them."

"I know. I think I understand why and can forgive him them . . .when I have the whole story."

"Good luck then, Harry."

Harry left the office, feeling very conflicted and troubled. He did not want to see Ron or Charlie or Severus just yet. As a matter of fact, he was very annoyed at his friend for revealing that bit of Severus' past to him. Thanks so damn much, Ron! You just had to tell me that, and now I'm like a stupid dog chasing his tail.

He headed back up to Gryffindor Tower, since it was deserted, he could think about all he had learned, and try and sort through his feelings.

It was about an hour later, Harry had fallen asleep while thinking, that he heard Severus calling him. He yawned and rose to his feet, he was still sleepy, but knew better than to ignore his guardian. Besides, he needed to talk to the other man anyway.

He found Severus at the bottom of the stairs, tapping a foot impatiently. "Sorry. I fell asleep."

"So I can see," Severus said, eying his ward's messier-than-normal hair and rumpled shirt and jeans. "It's almost dinner. What were you doing up there? Your friend, Weasley, and Charles have since returned home. They couldn't wait for you to make an appearance, they had to leave."

"Oh. Will they be back?"

"Charles said he might return, he is interested in speaking to both the Wise One and Icefyre. He even asked me if Parseltongue can be taught. Sadly, it is a skill that is inborn, and you cannot teach it, not even to one who is willing to learn. Nevertheless, he says he wants to write an article about the two snakes, and try and publish it in a journal of rare magical creatures, he believes it will promote understanding and tolerance towards serpents. I agree and shall try and assist him as I can. Would you care to help?"

Harry nodded eagerly. "That sounds awesome." He was rather glad Ron was gone, that way he didn't have to risk another quarrel. Or seeing Ron gloat once he learned he had been right.

"Good. Come, it's dinner and you must be starving."

Harry considered, and then said, "Yes, but . . . I need to talk to you afterwards, sir. In private. It's important."

"Very well. We shall retire to my quarters after dinner." Severus then turned on his heel and led the way to the Great Hall.

Harry ate his supper, he was hungry, and even his nervousness about the coming confrontation didn't blunt his appetite much.

Finally, Severus pushed back his plate and declared he was finished. Harry soon followed suit, rejecting Dumbledore's offer of dessert, much to the surprise of everyone, himself included. Snape was so astonished he asked Harry if he were feeling well. Harry assured him he was fine, too full to eat another bite.

Once they were alone in Snape's rooms, Harry felt his palms begin to sweat and questioned his own need to get to the bottom of things.

Severus sat down upon the couch, beckoning his ward to sit beside or opposite him in the recliner. The Potions Master could sense Harry was nervous about something, and tried to figure out if the boy had done something wrong, and was now afraid of his guardian's reaction. Or perhaps it had to do with some kind of falling out with Weasley? Or some unpleasant memory of the Dursleys?

Harry sat next to the tall wizard, staring down at his shoes, before he finally lifted his head and said, "Sir, I . . .I have to ask you something and I don't know if you're going to like it, but I really hope you'll answer it."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Sounds ominous. Let's have it then."

Harry swallowed, then told Severus about his quarrel with Ron and what Ron had said. He also told him that he had gone to Dumbledore, but the old wizard had refused to tell him about much of Snape's reasons for leaving the Death Eaters. "He said I had to ask you . . .so . . .here I am. Will you tell me, sir, about the prophecy ?"

Severus had gone slightly pale as Harry talked, and now two splotches of color rose in his cheeks. He was furious, both at Ron and Dumbledore, the one because he couldn't keep his damn mouth shut, and the other for agreeing to speak about his past sins without consulting him first. This was not how he had intended for Harry to find out. But now was too late for regrets.

"That meddling old fool!" he snarled, his eyes flashing.

Harry looked alarmed. "Please, sir, don't blame Dumbledore. I made him tell me."

"He should have refused. The story of my past is mine to reveal, not his."

"I . . . I insisted." Harry admitted.

"Why did you go to him and not me? Did you think I wouldn't tell you the truth?"

"No, I just . . . didn't want you to get upset. I'm sorry, sir. But when Ron said that, I just . . . I had to know if he was wrong, he usually is, but I . . . I'm sorry . . ."

Severus reigned in his temper, there was no sense in getting angry with Harry. "What's done is done. I would have most likely done the same in your place. Now that you know the truth, about me and your father, what do you think?"

"I think that my dad should have been punished for what he did to you, and I . . . can see why you wanted everyone to go to hell and joined them. It was wrong, but I can sort of see why you did it."

"Not everyone, Harry. I never wished harm upon your mother." Severus corrected.

"Dumbledore said that she was one of the reasons you came back. And the other was a prophecy. Will you tell me about it?"

"That is not something I had planned on discussing with you now. However, I see that you'll not be content until you know about it, or my part in it. It is not an easy tale to hear, not something I ever speak of, it is something that I did unwittingly, but it nearly destroyed everything I cared about."

There were shadows in the other's eyes, dark and deep, and age-old regret and pain.

Almost, Harry told him to forget it. But then the insatiable curiosity reared its head once more, and he sat still and waited for Severus to begin.

Haltingly, Snape told him about a prophecy overheard at the Hog's Head, made by Divination professor Sybill Trelawney. He told of how he brought the portion he had heard to Lucius Malfoy and who then gave it to the Dark Lord. Voldemort immediately recognized it as a true prophecy and therefore a threat to him. He immediately sought to discover who the child of the prophecy was.

"It became an obsession with him. He sent out many of his followers to obtain records of every child born in that year and month and finally narrowed it down to one of two . . .Neville Longbottom and you. For reasons known only to himself, he considered you the greater threat . . ."

Severus told him about his struggle to convince Voldemort otherwise, and when he finally realized nothing could deter the madman, he took steps to try and warn the Potters. "It was my fault he learned of the prophecy in the first place, had I known what it meant, I would have never—"

"Betrayed them?" Harry finished. His voice was sharp with pain. Now he understood why Dumbledore refused to speak of that night. The night Snape had brought news of the prophecy to the dark one, and thus set him upon Harry and his parents. He stared at his guardian in horror and whispered. "All this time . . . it was you! How could you? How could you?"

"Harry, it was the biggest mistake of my life . . ." Severus began, knowing all the while that words were useless against the awful truth.

"You're the reason he came . . . that they died!" Harry gasped, the pain overwhelming him. "They'd still be alive, if only . . ."

"You don't know that. Harry, listen to me—"

But Harry could take no more. The truth was like a knife in his belly, ripping and tearing. "No! I trusted you!" he shouted. "And all this time . . . Ron was right . . . you really were a dark wizard . . ." Even as he spoke those words, words intended to hurt as he was hurting, Harry knew he lied. Snape's face had drained of all color, and the pain and self-loathing were plain to see upon his features. He reached for the boy's shoulder, but Harry jerked away. "Don't touch me, you . . . you murdering bastard!" Then he jumped up and ran out of the room, his vision blurred by tears, feeling a terrible pain in the vicinity of his heart. Had he looked back he would have seen Snape flinch, as if Harry had run him through. But Harry did not look back, he stumbled from Snape's quarters, like one blind and drunk.

Severus did not attempt to stop him. He simply sat, stunned. "Lily, I'm sorry," he whispered. It was over now. The sins of the past had come back to haunt him, as he had known someday they would. He cursed roundly in his head. He considered going after his ward, who now hated him, but couldn't muster up the strength to try. He had to trust that Harry would not endanger himself again.

He cast a single Monitoring Charm, enough to tell him that Harry still remained in the castle.

That done, he continued to sit in silence, quietly mourning the death of the relationship between himself and Lily's child. It was the same now as it had been then, when Lily had shut him out of her life. He felt the ache deep within, and he wrapped his arms about himself and bowed his head. The worst mistake of his life, and for all the years since, he had sought to atone for it, but it would never be enough. The boy would never forgive him. Anymore than he was able to forgive himself.

Once again, he was alone. And it was no more than he deserved.