OCTOBER 31ST 1998
Although approaching midnight, the night was still young for most of the Hogwarts students enjoying themselves in the new senior common room established by Headmistress McGonagall in this first term after the defeat of Voldemort. Solely for use by the Seventh years – new and returning – it was a place for them to relax in at weekends and on Feast nights.
Tonight, the orange and black decorations gave evidence of Halloween, as did the wide selection of sweets and treats which had been liberally littered around the room by the Hogwarts house elves.
One group of students were playing a game provided by Weasley Wizarding Wheezes that appeared to mix Exploding Snap and forfeits. Luna was currently fluttering around as a slightly singed canary.
Another group were in the Snape Corner, ostensibly watching a Muggle film with a Halloween theme, although some, notably Neville and Hannah, were paying more attention to each other than to the film. The area was so named because when the late Professor’s personal living quarters were being cleared out a charmed muggle video machine complete with a large and eclectic collection of videos had been found. Professor Flitwick had set the system up in a corner of the new common room behind a charmed silencing wall, and the students were making good use of those films deemed suitable for viewing by the Headmistress.
Other students were playing cards, or just chatting, and drinking the Butterbeer or pumpkin punch provided by the house elves, or the Firewhisky procured by Seamus; while Ron, seated on a big, squishy floor cushion, was finding a game of chess with Ginny as his opponent rather more challenging than the games he was used to playing against Harry.
Harry himself was sitting on a couch next to Hermione, nursing a bottle of Butterbeer and doing little else except watch how the lamplight burnished Ginny’s hair to match the colour of the tiny red pumpkins which Hagrid grew only a few of, and with which he produced a delectably sweet juice that he saved for special occasions.
“Harry. Please will you stop doing that,” Hermione demanded rather irritably, breaking into his daydreams.
“Huh?” he protested. “I’m not doing anything.”
“You’re rubbing your scar,” she explained. “It makes me nervous.”
“Oh. Sorry Hermione. I didn’t realise I was”. He yawned and stretched before placing his empty Butterbeer bottle on the tiny corner of the coffee table that was clear of Hermione’s piles of books and notes. “Anyway, I didn’t sleep very well last night so I’m going to head off now. See you tomorrow.”
He stood, and made his way to the door allowing his hand to gently brush the top of Ginny’s head as he passed, gaining him the reward of a smile.
**
“He’s started doing that again in the last few days – scratching at his scar,” observed Ron. “And he dreamt about You-Know-Who last night.”
Hermione sighed as she bent to pick up a stray sheet of parchment from the floor. “I thought all that was behind us,” she said sadly, surveying her notes for the book she was writing about Harry’s, Ron’s and her own exploits of the previous year. The boys had been adamant that there was no way they were going to become authors and that it was down to her or Rita Skeeter.
“It’s probably just the time of year, what with his mum and dad and all,” said Ginny. “Come on Ron, lets finish this game up quickly and I’ll go and see if he wants to talk. I‘ve got you beaten anyway.”
**
Harry ambled along the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower lost in thought. He smiled slightly as he remembered his first year and the encounter with a Troll, but became more serious as he thought of his parents. He wondered vaguely if Snape had met them on his next great adventure, and how the dynamic worked out if he had. Could personal rivalries carry on in the afterlife? It was strange how his former Professor had been on his mind again these last few days, as indeed had Tom Riddle. Thoughts of the war had gradually diminished in intensity for Harry over the summer and through the first part of the Autumn term back at Hogwarts, but were starting to bother him again recently. He shook his head. Perhaps he needed to see a mind Healer.
Reaching his destination he climbed straight through the portrait hole, the Fat Lady waving him on with no request for a password since she had her friend Violet visiting, as well as one of the monks from a picture on the main staircase who appeared to have brought along a flagon of wine.
Harry was slightly surprised to find the common room almost empty, and considered sitting in front of the fire for a few minutes since it seemed to have become rather chilly, but decided to go on up to bed. Once in his room he kicked off his shoes and began hunting under his bed for his slippers.
“Potter!” a recognisable deep and silky voice called from across the room, causing a startled Harry to hit his head on the bedframe and land on the floor. Rubbing his head and climbing to his feet he stared across the room to where a semi-solid looking vision of his former Professor stood scowling.
“P..professor? But… but… you’re…”
“Dead. Yes I know that,” snapped the vision.
“Snape’s come back to haunt me!” ran repeatedly through Harry’s brain, forcing out any other thoughts.
“No, Potter,” said Snape, showing his usual flair for knowing exactly what Harry was thinking. “Despite my appearance I am not exactly a ghost – I simply have not yet made the final decision to go on. While pacing the halls trying to decide which route to take for my future, I happened upon something I hoped never to see. But, hopefully, I can help you finish off the last vestige of the Dark Lord tonight, and then I won’t feel any further need to protect you.”
“What are you talking about!” exclaimed Harry indignantly. “He’s gone. Finally defeated in May just about the time you DIED, remember!”
“Regrettably, almost but not quite gone, Potter,” rejoined Snape. “It seems that the sliver or shard of his soul that had been residing in you was contaminated by your goodness.”
He sneered. “It wasn’t quite evil enough to be sent straight to eternal nothingness, but has been slithering around in limbo waiting for tonight as the best chance to try and make a return. I’ve been putting my spying skills to full use these past few months and know that it has chosen darkness again. Its instinct is to try and bond with you again, since you were its host for all those years. We must dispose of it for good when it tries to come through after midnight, which doesn’t give me long to teach you this spell. Now, lock the door - we don’t need Weasley, or worse Finnigan, to come stumbling in.”
Harry shivered as the temperature in the dormitory seemed to drop a few more degrees. He stared in horror at Snape.
“Pull yourself together, Potter,” Snape ordered curtly. “Don’t go all quivering Hufflepuff on me now.”
He waited a moment while Harry struggled to make sense of what he’d just been told, then continued. “The soul sliver is quite weak, and we can easily send it to damnation if you will just pay proper attention to the spell I am about to teach you. The incantation is very simple and so should suit you. You merely need to say ‘Expulso aeternis’. That is an abbreviation for the whole spell but will do the job. The wand movement however is much more tricky, but extremely important. Watch closely.”
Harry attempted to copy the complex wand movement Snape demonstrated, as the temperature in the room continued to drop.
“No, there is much more of a flick at the end. Try harder. Again. That’s right. Now this spell must be performed with complete conviction, and you must think of everything you want for the future at the same time as casting so as to be sure the sliver doesn’t manage to possess you. Ginger babies with Ms Weasley perhaps?” he smirked.
Harry glared back as they awaited the midnight hour.
**
Ginny exited the common room, satisfied with a chess win under her belt and began the journey back to Gryffindor tower. As it was after curfew for the lower years, the corridors were dimly lit, and there seemed to be whispers and echoes coming from all directions. She began to jog until a noise up ahead stopped her in her tracks.
“Who’s there?” she called nervously. When no reply was forthcoming, she brightened the corridor with a Lumos to see Mrs Norris’ large yellow eyes gleaming at her. The cat was standing on a plinth, her tail whipping from side to side making an odd noise as it hit the suit of armour.
“Stupid cat,” Ginny exclaimed. “Shoo. Why don’t you go and find your master or try mousing in the dungeons.”
Quickly checking the common room, and finding it empty, Ginny started up the stairs towards Harry’s dorm. She’d nearly reached the door when she heard two voices shouting an incantation followed by a noise that sounded as though things were being thrown around inside the room. Then came a long high pitched screech followed by absolute silence.
“What the……. HARRY!” she shouted, and tried to open the door. When it wouldn’t budge she took a step back. ‘Reducto’ disposed of the door, and gaining entry Ginny saw a white-faced Harry leaning against the wall breathing heavily, and the boys’ possessions scattered haphazardly around the room.
“Well, that is one way to enter a room I suppose.”
Ginny whipped around in the direction of the voice. “Snape! But you’re…”
“Dead. I know.”
“What’s he done to you, Harry?” she asked, rushing to Harry’s side and pointing her wand at Snape. “Why can’t you leave him alone,” she snarled.
“NO!” Harry put a hand out to lower her wand. “Voldemort was trying to find a way to sneak back to life – again. Snape came here tonight to make sure he failed.”
“And did he?” Ginny snapped at her late Professor.
“I believe so, but we must wait for confirmation.”
The three stood in an awkward silence for a minute, before Harry spoke.
“I really should thank you, Professor, for all the times you’ve risked your life –uh, soul too I suppose - to help me.”
“You know why I did what I did.”
“Yes, I do,” said Harry, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t be grateful.”
Snape nodded his appreciation. “Thank you for that. I will admit that I do regret my attitude and some actions towards you. I was not a happy man, and struggled to do what was right. It was so easy to dislike you for your appearance.”
Harry simply shrugged and gave a half smile, and they lapsed into silence again until a soft female voice spoke as if from a distance. “You were successful – we are certain he’s gone for good. Perhaps now you’ll finally believe you’ve done enough to earn the right to go on, Severus. Now hurry – James’ Patronus is patrolling the path to light our way back, but we can’t linger.”
“Is that…?” Harry asked hopefully.
“Lily.” Snape affirmed with a smile.
“I’m so sorry I can’t come through tonight, Harry. It wouldn’t be safe. Never forget how much we love you. Please be happy, sweetheart. Now come on Sev.”
“Farewell, Harry, Ms Weasley,” said a Snape who looked to be growing younger and disappearing into a golden glow. “I do not expect to make your acquaintance again for at least a century.”
As he vanished, Lily’s voice echoed from further away. “It might be nice if you named one of your children in honour of Severus, Harry.”
“Don’t you dare!” Snape’s voice was a mere whisper.
“Come on Harry, you’re freezing. Let’s go down and claim that nice, soft red velvet sofa in front of the fire downstairs and you can explain to me what just happened,” Ginny suggested.
“Not sure I want to think about it,” Harry replied, locating one slipper poking out from under his bed. He hopped across the room to retrieve the other from where it had landed against Trevor the toad’s tank.
“Bloody hell, what happened in here? Who have you been fighting with?” Ron appeared in the doorway, large bag of crisps in one hand, a fistful of toffee apples in the other, and surveyed the state of the room.
“Unwelcome dark visitor from beyond the veil,” said Harry succinctly.
“Don’t worry, there’s nothing hiding under the beds,” he continued when Ron looked wildly around the room. “Snape helped me get rid of it.”
“What are you on about, Harry? Snape’s dead.”
“Yeah, I know. But a good man to have on your side even so.” Harry took Ginny’s hand and they picked their way out of the room. “Look Ron, I’ll explain tomorrow, okay?”
“Right. Good. You certainly will. Hey, who’s going to clear this mess up so we can sleep?” Ron called after him.
“You could do it, favourite brother,” Ginny cajoled.
“Thanks mate. I’ll owe you!” said Harry.
“Well…… just this once……… but don’t you get fighting any more dark creatures,” warned Ron.
“I hope I never have to,” replied Harry with feeling.