Metzel spoke slowly as if to a young child. “I assume that because you chose to contact me you remember that I was good friends with yourself and Lily at Hogwarts. These people were also good friends of ours.” As each person was named the person stood up and smiled at him.

“This is John,”

A scrungy looking man who looked like he was most in need of a bath stood up and timidly stood back down.

“Mary,”

A pleasant looking woman stood and smiled at him offering a glove turned with palm facing down towards him. Then she scowled when he didn’t take it.

“Ralph,”

The man who had tried to touch him before smiled at him and waved.

“Fiona,”

A strange looking girl stood up, she was wearing a pair of muggle jeans and a large t-shirt and looked a bit dusty.

“And this is Graham.”

A man with a long beard and in wizarding robes stood and looked at him, it was a deep and meaningful almost knowledgable look which kept Severus staring at him for a few minutes later.”

This person surely looked familiar..but what does that matter the rest of these even Metzel were complete strangers and if they wanted to introduce themselves they most certainly didn’t have to do it at this time of night in the middle of his own personal quarters!

“What a load of tripe! I don’t feel terribly excited to get into introductions and would rather just know what you are all doing here and go to bed!” Severus yelled.

“Ah Severus, wake up on the wrong side of the bed again huh?” joked Ralph. Severus glared at Ralph with a look that in certain circumstances could kill the man but he wasn’t going to do that tonight.

“Severus we wanted to come because what we have to say is at such a personal level that writing something as informal as a letter would be completely irrational behaviour,” Graham stated gently. Now here was somebody who Severus could relate to. An intelligent adult..well as intelligent as showing up at 11pm in his quarters could possibly make a person which on consideration wasn’t much. However in different circumstances he could see himself befriending this man quite easily.

“Severus, I don’t know how best to tell you this,” Graham said, he was speaking slowly in such a dignified way that anybody would feel the need to listen, “you were obliviated.”

“What? I WHAT? What kind of nonsense is this! I am one of the best occlumens in this side of the world and you are telling me that I was obliviated?” Severus backed away with his hands outstretched shocked by such news.

“Severus,” Metzel gently explained, “it was voluntary.”

“But I would never agree to something like that!” Severus stated completely shocked.

“You would if you know Voldemort was after your family Sev,” Ralph stated. Severus turned a little red at the sound of somebody referring to him as “Sev” what right did this man that he barely knew have to call him something so...so...well familiar.

“But I don’t have a family!” Sev stood up and Ralph and John made themselves stand in front of Sev and slowly step forward causing him to lose balance and nearly end up in a nearby caldron.

Authors note: Well I can’t just have him fall straight in or what kind of a potions master would he be and can you imagine the trouble that the weasley twins would cause if they thought that all they had to do was stand near him to have him fall into a caldron? LOL

Severus quickly gaining his balance, something that he had learned in Defence Against the Dark Arts when he was at school which had helped him more than once in battles against either side, times when Voldemort was feeling particularly nasty and even in his own potions classroom. There was more than two students who would like to see him boiled away along with his most prized potions ingredients for simply being the strictest teacher in the school. But he had to maintain some elements of fear for one he was a spy for the light side, meaning he was/is a death eater and needs to maintain some element of fear for most students and support for Voldemort’s followers maintaining his bad boy image, but more importantly if he didn’t maintain some element of control over all students the disasters that could be caused with something as delicate as potions could be massive. With some quick thinking Severus spun round and faced the person nearest him raising his wand.

“Legillimens!” he stated. He was going to find out what was going on once and for all. Surprisingly nobody stood to try and break his contact with Ralph. He found himself diving into memories that he simply could not understand.

He saw himself as a gloomy teenager, being made fun of by James Potter. Severus felt a sudden compulsion to simply break the spell there. This was nothing that he hadn’t seen before. James Potter and Sirius Black were teasing him for being a know-it-all.

“Sevvy and his little potions” Black said, “wanna see if he has any in his pockets?”

“Why not!” said James, pulling his wand out from his pocket and before Severus knew it there he was hanging upside down being shaken up and down. But what was this...running from the castle was another boy and Lily...precious Lily.

“PUT HIM DOWN!” the boy yelled, “Put him down or else!”

Lily and the boy had produced wands and were pointing them towards the two boys. James put Severus back down and the memory faded.

The next scene brought a picture of himself in a room, he was wearing a suit and Ralph was helping him with his jacket. “Come on Sev, what kind of a best man would I be if I didn’t help you out like this. You sure you still want me to walk Lily down the isle?”

“If that’s what she wants,” Severus said.

Lily....down the isle? Severus thought as he watched intrigued by the memories that this man was producing.

Sure enough the memory showed Severus standing tall and proud waiting beside a much tidier, John who was stating “I just couldn’t get the dragon’s blood off I’m sorry mate,” watching Ralph walk his wife to be to the front. Severus removed her veil and there she was “my Lily flower,” he tried to kiss her but Lily placed a single finger on his mouth. “Not yet love,” she said.

 That memory faded far too soon for Severus and was replaced by another. He was sitting in a chair and Lily was handing him a child...a child...his child!! “I want to name him Harry,” Lily stated.

Severus merely kissed her gently as she was sitting in the hospital bed handing her their son...their son?!? Their son! “Anything you want my dear,” he said passionately.

Even just watching the memory his heart still fluttered when seeing his Lily. The only woman that Severus had ever loved. Would ever love. For he would not permit himself to lose such a precious woman again. But then if they were married what about when he had joined the darkness and called her a mudblood...he still shuddered when he thought of that...what happened there? Severus searched for that particular memory as harsh as it was to simply answer that question burning inside his soul...did she ever forgive me?

A younger Severus was shown in the next memory. Looking at Lily with eyes like ice. “I have joined Voldemort and think of you as nothing but a mere mudblood. I’m going to find a wonderful noble woman without filth who can provide for me in the way only a true witch can.”

Lily’s eyes filled with tears but instead of running for the castle as Severus remembered she slapped him clear across the face. “You dumb ass. You’re father was a muggle! So don’t act all high and mighty around me. The Dark Lord was raised in a muggle orphanage after his muggle father rejected him. But my parents as  you well know have always supported us. Where did you go when your father started to beat you? To my place. Where did you go when James and Sirius were teasing you? Who defended me? Ralph...who as you well know has a squib for a father and me, who you just called a filthy mudblood. Pull yourself together Severus and grow up! I shall be in the castle waiting for an apology.” Lily went racing into the castle crying. Severus saw James Potter and Sirius Black go chasing after her and his reaction was to race after her but he didn’t. The memory faded.

The next memory showed a man sitting beside his wife with everybody who was currently in his quarters sitting around them. Severus took Lily’s hand, “Lily,” Severus said, “he has found out about us. Lucius told Voldemort at the last meeting that I have a wife and a child, who could fulfil the prophecy. I convinced him that he was lying and Lucius still has the burns to prove it. But Lily. You have to go. To hide. For Harry’s sake. You are no longer safe around me. Voldemort has spies and allies everywhere. If he finds out about you, you will die. Please Lily. I don’t want you to die. I don’t want any harm to come to you, Lily please!”

As much as it hurt Severus simply had to see what happened next. As the next memory appeared he found himself sitting in a chair with Lockheart...Lockheart? In the room with him. As Lily left the room she kissed Severus one last time. “I love you my darling, I shall do my best to protect our little Harry. To protect our love. I will love you...forever.” Lily closed the door, Lockheart stood and pointed his wand at Severus “OBLIVIATE!”

As Severus pulled his wand away from Ralph he did something that he had not done in a long time. He started crying. Metzel was the first to his side, wrapping her arms around him she simply said “Ok everybody I think that is enough for one night. We should take our leave.” Severus for once did something that he hadn’t done in a long time, never believed that he could do. Didn’t believe he was worth it. He simply whispered three words. “Don’t leave me.”

Hermione had been studying all of this time, after being released by Madam Pomfrey, cat fur free, in the library. Coming out of the library she started to head towards the Gryffindor common rooms. The boys were not going to believe this! Clasped in her hand was the answer to what had driven Harry nearly out of his mind and been petrifying people. She was very cautious taking a mirror with her so that she would not see the serpants eye. But...she did anyway...as she turned a corner there it was. Minerva McGonagall was the first to come across her there in the corridor. She was devastated and took Hermione to the hospital wing deciding that she would have to tell Harry and Ron about it the next day. Quidditch would have to be cancelled.

McGonagall went straight to the headmasters office to tell him of this news. When she heard an unannounced, very unwelcome visitor in his office she felt the need to burst right in.

 “The other governors and I have decided that it is time for you to step aside.” Said Lucius Malfoy, Dumbledore paled with the sound of that news, “this is an order of suspension,” he hands him the scroll, “you will find all twelve signatures on it. I’m afraid that we believe you have lost your touch if some action isn’t taken there will be no muggle borns left at Hogwarts and I could only imagine what an awful loss that would be for the school.” Lucius smiled at the mere thought of this. His plan was working.

“You can’t take Albus away from his post, without him attacks could occur every day!” McGonagall stated taking a step in front of him as if blocking him from seeing the person saying these words would make the words magically go away. Of course they couldn’t...they wouldn’t.

“Everything will be alright Minerva, I will help you,” Snape stated and smiled knowingly at Lucius. That pathetic little weasel, probably got all of the governors scared half to death to get their signatures, I couldn’t imagine Felicity Staiglass signing the petition of her own free will. After all she had been best friends with Dumbledore since they were both children! It was only at Albus’ insistence that she joined the governors committee in the first place! But her keen sense of math had helped the school finance and arrange for certain requirements over the years.

“Calm yourself, if the governors require my removal I shall of course step aside,” he states as he leaves his office, “However, you will find that help shall always be given at Hogwarts, to those who ask for it.”