Wearing his signature dark robes, a tall man walked through the empty halls of the castle late at night. All students would be in their common rooms by now. That was unless the student wanted to be punished for breaking curfew, which these days everyone knew meant suffering a Cruciatus or two doled out by one of the Carrow twins. So that only left the possibility of staff being the unfortunate ones to come across him. And something told him that he did not have anything to worry about there either, as he had not seen a single soul in the past hour.

He had lived a lifetime in solitude, so he was used to the loneliness and silence that came with it. But this past year had been different. The looks of hatred and betrayal he could ignore as none of that was new either, but it was the looks of defeat that rattled him to the core. It was as if everyone in Hogwarts, except he and the Carrow twins of course, had given up and surrendered. He would have thought the glorious Light wizards and witches of the castle would have put up a bit more fight than that this year. Hell, so far, the only spark he had ever seen from anyone was when Miss Weasley and Longbottom tried to steal the fake Sword of Gryffindor from him. Had the whole castle truly relied that much on Potter?

Without warning, his Mark flared to life, searing his flesh once more. He hissed instantly, his hand clasping atop of his Dark Mark.

We have the boy! was the quick message.

His eyes flew open. Potter! The sneer quickly took over. He should have known that idiot boy wouldn't have stayed away this year. If ever there was trouble, there was Potter.

Saint Potter! Just like his father. Allowing others to die for him and his arrogance.

A light suddenly erupted in front of the dark-clad man before a semi-transparent woman in long ethereal robes appeared before him.

"They are coming, Headmaster," the ghostly woman murmured. "Minerva will be first."

"Thank you," he replied quietly, thankful Hogwarts still recognized him as headmaster. A flash of warm light let him know he was once again alone in the corridor. It wasn't long before he could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching, so he quickly hid behind the nearest suit of armor.

When he could just start to make out the older, stern-looking witch dressed in a tartan dressing gown rushing toward him and the suit of armor he hid behind, he noticed she had stopped, as had the echoing footsteps somewhere behind her.

"Who's there?" demanded Minerva McGonagall, her wand raised ready for a duel.

He sighed inwardly and closed his eyes briefly. Hiding behind a suit of armor. He was not a coward, so why was he acting like one? Drawing in a slow breath, he stepped out from behind it and said, "It is I."

Knowing Potter as well as he did, Severus waited for Potter's resulting curse from his revelation. But no such curse came strangely enough. Was it possible the boy had somehow learned to control his emotions this past year? Not likely, he decided a moment later.

"Where are the Carrows?" Severus asked casually, secretly hoping she'd reply they were dead. Too many times he had been forced to stand mute and witness their sick sadistic torture of the students and staff this year, thanks to Dumbledore. Death truthfully may have been too good for the Carrows, he decided not long after.

"Wherever you told them to be, I expect, Severus," McGonagall replied.

He stepped closer to her then, hoping to illicit some sort of response from Potter. There was no way the boy could just stand there and not give in to his natural protective instincts. But, still, there was no reaction. His dark eyes darted about, looking for any sort of clue as to where the boy was. He couldn't just come out and say the boy's name of course. Not unless he wanted to draw attention to himself and reveal his true loyalties.

"I was under the impression that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."

"Really?" McGonagall replied dryly. "And what gave you that impression?"

Unable to speak about his Dark Mark without revealing his true disgust for the ugly mark on his forearm, he merely motioned to the black tattoo instead.

"Oh, but naturally," she said. "You Death Eaters have your own private means of communication, I forgot."

It took everything in him not to flinch at her words. Everything he had done to shed his past had been erased this past year. All that work to repair his life and live in the light once more was gone. He was once again just a Death Eater. A nameless sheep no one gave a damn about. A coward.

He pushed away the pain her words caused, though. He couldn't afford to be distracted from his mission. Not if he wanted to make things right with Lily in the end. But, more importantly, with himself.

"I did not know it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva."

In fact, if he was right, it should have been Septima Vector's night to do so.

"You have some objection?"

"I wonder what could have brought you out of your bed at this late hour?"

The old cat and mouse game. If the situation weren't so serious, he might have laughed.

"I thought I heard a disturbance."

"Really? But all seems calm." He stared deeply into her green eyes, ignoring the deep ache in his chest that had appeared. "Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist—"

The moment he saw her wand slash angrily through the air, he drew in a sharp breath and cast a Shield Charm. So, it would be Minerva who would start it off, not Potter as he had assumed it would be.

As he and McGonagall dueled, objects transforming left and right dangerously around them, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear every now and then. It was what was left of the boy untouched by the darkness within himself. The small little boy who had cowered in his bedroom as he heard his parents scream and argue for hours on end. The boy she had once knew.

When the smoke from the conjured serpent transformed into daggers hurtling through the air toward him, he shoved the suit of armor he had been hiding behind in the daggers' path. There was no coming back from this now. She would never believe the truth about him. That he wasn't the dark wizard he had once been in his youth. Not now. To her, he was only an enemy she needed to end.

"Minerva!" a squeaky voice called out.

Severus didn't need to look at the approaching trio to know it was the other Heads of Houses.

"No!" Flitwick squealed. "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"

Diving out of the way, Severus escaped the clutches of the suit of armor that Flitwick had brought to life a second earlier. He couldn't fight them all off using only defensive, non-lethal spells. Not when McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick had no problem using every lethal spell they knew. He whirled around to flee, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle with them. He didn't want to hurt any of them. Didn't they see that?

Another spell was hurtled at him. This one just missed his shoulder and crashed into a nearby window that blew apart and shattered. Another jet of light streaked by before exploding brightly outside.

He would have to jump, fly to safety to escape their curses. His fingers curled tightly around his wand as he sprinted toward the broken window.

"Coward! COWARD!" McGonagall screamed after him.

No . . . no they were wrong. They were wrong. He was braver than any of them. Were they pretending to be someone else like he was? Were they standing by as people they knew were being tortured, unable to do anything but watch and not react? Were they willing to bear the brunt of others' anger and grief, just to keep up the appearances of being Dark? Were they sacrificing all that they had worked so hard to regain for the Greater Good? Were they doing anything he was? No. No, the real cowards were Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, using others as pawns in their twisted game of real life wizarding chess. Sacrificing people as if they were nothing. As if they didn't matter.

He was not a coward. Not anymore. Not since he had given up the darkness and chosen the light. But they wouldn't know that until he had fulfilled his promise to Lily all those years ago. Until then, he would do what no else would. He'd sacrifice himself to the darkness and give them all a fighting chance. It was the only way.

As he leapt through the window, he felt the stinging rain pelt against him at once before a jolt of something shocked him and sent him flying back toward his attackers. His back hit the floor first, causing all the air to rush out of his lungs. Then his head slammed back against the unforgiving stone before it all went black.

When he came to much later, it was to the sound of a harsh crack followed by a fierce roar that spread out rapidly above him. He groaned quietly, his head rolling to his side as he slowly woke. Every single part of him hurt.

"Shh, Severus. You're all right," a familiar voice spoke near him.

He coughed then, groaning at the sharp pains that had resulted from his little movement. He could hear people near him. However, all he saw was darkness, though.

"What . . ." He sounded so frail, so weak.

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Headmaster," a second voice replied quietly.

The castle? How on Earth was it the castle's fault? He groaned again, trying to look toward where he had heard the voice. If the castle was showing its corporeal self to the others, then . . .

"I could not bear to see you mistreated once more," Hogwarts continued. "Especially not when we both know you are not the villain you are pretending to be."

It took a moment before he realized what that meant. "You . . . you told them?" He couldn't stop the coughing fit that took over a moment later. They knew? All of them?! That meant . . .

"There is another way, Headmaster. And if you were not willing to take it, then it is my duty given to me by the Founders to force it upon you. Which I have done."

Everything he had done this past year was for nothing now. He wouldn't be able to save anyone else secretly.

"Or witness anyone else you can't save die either, Headmaster," the castle replied bluntly. "You're welcome."

Somewhere near him, someone gave a soft laugh.

He failed to see what was amusing, though. Hogwarts had just ended his supply of information. He wouldn't be able to know what actions the Dark Lord was taking now. He wouldn't be able to relay that on either. He—

A wave of pain then erupted inside him, radiating from his Dark Mark.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming, tasting the thick metallic liquid instantly. Well, that answered the question if the Dark Lord knew of his betrayal.

"Severus?" someone cried with an edge of panic to her voice.

"It is the Dark Lord," Hogwarts answered for him, as he was unable to. "He is being punished for his betrayal."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" another voice spoke up. Male this time, Severus recognized.

"I am doing something, but the Founders did not anticipate this type of situation, though, when they created me. So, my assistance is limited unfortunately, as I am having to adapt as we go." Hogwarts then paused for a moment before speaking again. "How wonderful. Our link appears to be damaged as well. It seems I am unable to take more than what I already am. Though, that might not have happened if someone here had not decided to jump out a window earlier."

The pain then subsided for a moment, allowing him to take gasping breaths. He should have known Hogwarts would bring that up. It had a tendency to use his sarcasm in tense situations.

"We need Poppy here. She should be able to—"

CRACK!

Severus felt the bright light envelope him instantly and finally saw everyone who was with him. Filius was standing at the window with Pomona next to him. Horace was sitting with his back against a wall near Severus, using a handkerchief to put pressure against his head wound. Minerva had Severus's head in her lap, comforting him as any mother would. And there to the side were Potter and Luna, standing next to the ethereal image of a woman.

"What was that?" he asked as the darkness surrounded them again.

"Lightning, sir," a voice answered quietly. It took a moment for Severus to realize that it had been Potter who had answered.

"There's a storm brewing out there," someone else explained. Slughorn, he decided shortly after. "Never seen the sky so black before, though."

"Hogwarts," Severus said before he started to cough violently again.

"Rest, Headmaster. We shall explain," the sentient castle replied kindly. "After you foolishly jumped out the window to flee, I erected a shield to prevent this and sent you back to them, as all of you are needed in order to achieve success. However, I clearly missed something and as a result, you became injured, Headmaster, and became trapped in this room with all of them. You may blame the Founders for not making me truly omnipotent."

There were soft chuckles around him.

"While you were unconscious, she told us the truth. That all of this is because of Dumbledore, sir," Harry continued. "That I was wrong about you like always."

Severus's eyes widened. Potter knew about Severus's feelings for Lily?

"I only relayed the pertinent details, Headmaster, so please cease in your dramatics," Hogwarts sighed with obvious eye rolling. "They know of the plan Albus Dumbledore coerced you into following. Nothing else, so breathe easy. Your secrets are still safe." Hogwarts then added bitterly, "Not that your secrets are truly shocking in the least to anyone who knows you."

The room then lit up again as thunder cracked outside. This time the room shook violently from the sheer force behind it.

"There's something out there. There! Did you see it, Filius? Right there!" Sprout called out, likely pointing toward something out the window.

"The Dark Lord," Severus coughed, groaning quietly. No doubt, the Dark Lord was converging his forces upon the castle now in hopes of capturing and killing Harry.

"Not likely in this wind, sir," Flitwick replied with a scoff of disbelief.

An explosion of light burst then once more, and Severus heard Flitwick and Sprout's gasps.

"Get away from the windows!" Flitwick shouted, pulling Sprout quickly behind him.

Just as the small Charms professor had shouted that, the window they had just vacated a second earlier shattered and sent glass and other things hurtling into the room.

Severus felt Minerva instantly shield his body with her own. A loud whoosh then erupted followed by things slamming hard onto the stone floor and bouncing violently about the room. He could hear screaming, such terrible screaming.

He then felt pressure suddenly start to build in his ears. He clenched and unclenched his teeth trying to pop them before he felt the pressure change dramatically. More windows nearby shattered, adding more dangerous pieces of glass to the air. He then heard a terrible roaring noise followed by things slamming hard against the castle's walls. What on Earth was happening?

A yelp above him caused him to try to move to see what was going on. As his head turned to the side, he caught someone flying through the air toward the broken window. It wasn't until another flash of lightning a millisecond later that he saw who it was.

Potter! Severus stretched his arm out instantly toward the young man flying toward the broken window. No!

"Harry!" Severus yelled, his eyes meeting the boy's green. A bluish light suddenly erupted from his hand then, and he watched as it surrounded the boy before Harry flew back and slammed into him. Instinctively, Severus's arms wrapped tighter around the boy, and his eyes closed. The boy was safe.

A feeling of weightlessness washed over him for a moment before it vanished again. The overpowering stench of blood filled his nostrils soon after. And then all the sound rushed into his ears at once with a fury. Screams and cries of fear were all around him. He could feel everyone's terror suffocating him inside as their emotions were so powerful right then.

"Allow me, Headmaster," a gentle voice spoke near his ear.

When a hand lightly rested against his shoulder, his hypersensitivity to everything started to lessen. The cries and screams from the others became whispers and whimpers. As it became easier to think, he realized what Hogwarts was doing.

Slowly, he lifted his head up and glanced down at the young man he was holding. He could see Harry's confusion mixed with shock. But the boy was safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Is everyone all right?" Minerva spoke a moment later, slowly getting to her feet and minding the broken glass. A light from outside provided just enough to allow them to see the room.

"Yeah," they replied, glancing around the destroyed room.

"Oh . . . my . . ." gasped Slughorn as he glanced out one of the broken windows of the classroom.

"It's . . . it's just gone," cried Sprout, covering her mouth and staring out the window horrified. "All of it. Just gone."

"What do you mean, it's gone? What's—Oh my Lord . . ." It was Minerva's turn to gasp then.

Severus looked toward Hogwarts' corporeal self and saw the remorseful look.

"I was unable to erect the shields in time, Headmaster," Hogwarts replied quietly. "I could not prevent the castle from a direct hit."

"Direct hit from what?" Harry asked quietly, slowly getting to his feet to go to the window likely. Severus grabbed the young man's arm, though, watching Minerva gently guide Luna from the window when she too headed toward it. "Sir?"

"It's nothing a young man of your age needs to see, Mister Potter. Trust me," Minerva softly answered with a quiet sigh. The others turned away from the windows as well, still horrified.

"The castle?" Severus inquired.

"Intact for the most part, Headmaster." The ghostly woman's eyes darted back and forth as more information was gathered. "Massive damage to the Great Hall and Headmaster's office. I . . . I cannot . . ." Hogwarts' voice trailed off for a moment. "Storm debris has cut off the Hospital Wing from the rest of the castle. And—I am sorry, Headmaster." She blinked and gently pressed a hand to her head. "The link is worse now than before."

"Your energy must come from something in the office," Severus said with a shake of his head, limping toward the door with his hand still on Harry's wrist to prevent the boy from looking out the window. "We cannot stay here, though." He glanced toward the other Heads of Houses. "The students should have been gathered in their common rooms at the time. We need to search each one extensively and help those we can."

"Agreed," McGonagall replied with a nod, following him toward the door.

"Not to be a downer, but first we need to get out of this room," Slughorn reminded. "And magic did very little good earlier."

"I'm afraid that was my doing," Hogwarts admitted quietly. "Whenever the castle or its inhabitants are threatened, I am programmed to lock it down, which includes erecting a dampening shield to prevent all magic. In this case, though, my damaged link with the Headmaster is preventing me from cancelling the shield."

"Then, we do it the Muggle way," Severus answered.

"Meaning?' Slughorn replied puzzled.

Sprout grinned widely in response and pushed up her sleeves. "Well, now, this shouldn't be much different from pulling out Mandrakes, don't you think, Filius?"

Severus couldn't help but smile faintly. Leave it to Sprout to lighten the mood. "There seems to be enough of a gap to pry the door open. We need—"

"Something like this, sir?" Luna offered, holding up a sturdy board.

"Precisely, Miss Lovegood." He grabbed the board and watched Sprout and Slughorn grab more pieces. They each slid their pieces into the gap and used their combined strength to pry open the door. However, when they found a giant pile of rubble on the other side, their hope diminished slightly.

"Hi-ho. Hi-ho," said Sprout, glancing at McGonagall.

"Off to work we go," Flitwick replied with a shake of his head.

They then all set off, removing pieces of debris from the entryway. Harry and Luna took the smaller pieces with Flitwick, as Sprout, Slughorn, and McGonagall grabbed the bigger pieces.

It was mad to think how just a few hours earlier Flitwick and McGonagall had been locked in a fierce duel with Severus with hatred in their eyes. But there they all were. Working together again.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Harry asked when they had cleared more than half of the pile. "A storm like that just after Voldemort learned of my being here?"

"It wasn't him, Mister Potter," Slughorn replied quietly. "He was never much good at protective spells or ones that altered the weather. In fact," he gave a quiet laugh "he once nearly drowned when he had miscalculated the strength of his casting and had caused a flood in his dorm. I had saved him, but had I known what I do now, I wouldn't have."

"Horace!"

"No, Minerva. If ever there was a reason to use a Time Turner and kill someone, it was Tom Riddle," Slughorn replied bitterly. "A brilliant boy. Truly brilliant. I thought he'd be my crown jewel, but instead he was my greatest failure."

"We all have students like that, Horace," McGonagall quietly replied. "Ones we couldn't save." Her eyes met Severus's briefly before she looked away.

He couldn't stop the words from falling from his lips. "Your regret does me little good now, Minerva, seeing as how decades have passed since."

"I know," she responded softly.

"Not to interrupt," Harry cut in, his eyes downcast with his hands in his pockets, "but I think we can all get out now."

Severus glanced at the pile and agreed with the young man's assessment. The hole was big enough for all of them now. He tossed aside the broken off chunk of stone and wiped his hands off.

"I'll go first," Flitwick offered, starting to climb. The smaller pieces rolled down the side as he did this. As soon as he reached the top, he disappeared from sight with a gasp and shifting of the pile.

"Filius?!" Sprout shouted, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched for any movement from the opposite side of the pile. The others looked on.

"Here," squeaked Flitwick from the other side. "I just slipped. Stick to the left side."

Severus heard the collective sigh all around him. He then watched Sprout climb the tall pile next, sticking to the left side, and disappear a moment later.

"Okay!" she shouted from the other side.

One by one, they climbed the pile to get to the other side. Harry was second to last with Severus following close behind him. The moment he slid down the other side and saw the corridor, he felt his mood plummet. Certain parts of the ceiling had collapsed along with parts of the walls. But the most startling thing was the gaping hole where part of the castle had been ripped open and allowed full view onto the grounds.

"Are those," Harry's voice trembled "bodies down there?"

Not answering him, Severus gently steered the young man away from the hole and toward the inner parts of the castle. He knew he didn't need to tell the others to check on their students.

"Let's go, Potter," Severus said quietly.

"Wait. Sir, shouldn't I go with them to help?" Harry argued instantly, stopping and looking at him in clear confusion as the others including Luna headed further into the castle.

He should have known the boy's bleeding heart would take over.

"No, Potter—"

"Why?" Harry demanded, his outrage quickly taking over. "I mean, if that storm did this much damage, maybe it killed Voldemort."

Severus couldn't help but flinch at Potter's use of the Dark Lord's name.

"The Headmaster is tasked with protecting you from all harm, Death Eater or otherwise. As such that requires you to remain at his side at all times with no whining until we know the true extent of the situation. Do you understand?" Hogwarts spoke before Severus had the chance.

Harry blinked for a few moments before he nodded slowly.

"Good," Hogwarts replied, glancing at Severus. "After you, Headmaster."

Severus nodded and continued. After a few minutes of walking, he could tell by how quiet the boy was that Harry was trying to work something out. Normally, he wouldn't have cared much that the boy was being quiet for once. But he couldn't ignore it this time.

"Speak your mind, Potter," Severus finally said with a sigh.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth, sir? That you were on our side?"

Hogwarts gave a loud snort behind them instantly.

"Because I do not answer to you, Potter," he said. "Everyone else may, but they don't see what I do." At seeing the confused look, he continued. "Which is a child thrust into an adult world without any preparation or chance at having a proper childhood." He waited for Harry to say something, but the boy remained silent. Good. Silence it was.

The more they walked, the more damage they found. There were parts of the castle that were just gone now. One never would have guessed that would have happened, but it had.

"Sir?" Harry finally said twenty minutes into their walk.

"What, Potter?"

"I, well, I was just wondering about what happened earlier."

Severus's eyes narrowed minutely before he glanced at the young man.

"Back in the room we all were stuck in earlier," Harry clarified. "You cast a spell, didn't you? To pull me back?"

Pausing for a moment to think, he found a frown etching into his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just, I don't know, this past year has taught me that I have loads to learn still, sir. So, I was just wondering if it was a stronger Accio or something." Harry shrugged, kicking a loose rock as they continued climbing up a badly damaged staircase.

"Ah." Severus then sighed, shaking his head. "Truthfully, I'm not certain what it was, Potter." He caught Harry's look of disbelief instantly and sighed again. "There are times when instinctive magic comes into play. That was one of those times."

"Oh." Harry then shrugged slightly.

Unable to bear the silence that followed, Severus groaned inwardly. Of course Harry wouldn't take just that as an answer and think of something else. The boy was more like Lily than he realized. "I've spent the majority of my adult life protecting you, Potter. I'm not about to let you get sucked up into a tornado of all things." The Dark Lord, rogue Death Eaters, Quidditch matches, the boy's idiot guardians, the boy himself—those had all crossed Severus's mind at one time or another as particular threats to the boy. "Though, I admit that particular scenario had never crossed my mind before." He glanced at Harry and quickly noticed the boy's faint smile.

"Thanks, Snape."

Severus couldn't hide his responsive flinch soon after.

"I mean, sir," Harry corrected quietly. "Sorry. Old habits."

"Indeed" was Severus's only reply.

"May 2," Hogwarts' corporeal self suddenly stated.

"Huh?"

"What are on Earth are you on about?" Severus grumbled, glancing at the ethereal woman.

"Today is May 2, Headmaster," Hogwarts replied. "The day you two finally had a decent conversation with one another."

Harry snorted instantly.

"How grand," Severus drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Who would have known Hogwarts was so cheeky?" Harry said with a laugh.

"My sarcasm is a trait I inherited from our current headmaster, Mister Potter," Hogwarts replied.

"Enough!" Severus frowned, disliking the current emotions swirling inside him currently. He would not become yet another father figure to the boy. He couldn't be. A father was someone who cared. And Severus couldn't do that. Not with Harry. It would hurt too much if he did, he knew.

"As you wish, Headmaster." Hogwarts winked at Harry before she looked forward and stayed silent as they continued onward.

"So, where are we headed anyway, sir?"

"Headmaster's office," Severus answered, motioning to Harry a broken step they would have to jump across.

"But I thought Hogwarts said it was badly damaged."

"There are more protections there than the main part of the castle. Not to mention, I should be able to find a way to repair the damage faster there and erect the shield again."

"You don't think Voldemort's dead then, do you?"

Looking to the side again toward the boy, he frowned. "Let us not kid ourselves, Potter. We both know that the Dark Lord is using magic somehow to prevent his death from occurring."

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah. He's using Horcruxes," the young man explained as if Horcruxes were nothing but objects. "That's why I came back tonight actually. I was looking for the final ones to destroy them."

"So I surmised," Severus drawled, his frown deepening at learning the final piece of the puzzle. Horcruxes. Dumbledore had never revealed that little tidbit. Though, it did help him make more sense of his having to give Harry the Sword of Gryffindor now. Horcruxes. Everything was falling into place and making so much more sense now.

"I don't suppose I could speak now, Headmaster?" Hogwarts asked a moment later.

Severus suppressed his groan. "What now?"

"The darkness the boy is hunting. I know where he can find them."

"You do?" Harry stopped and stared at her, as Severus's eyes narrowed on the ghostly woman.

All this time Hogwarts had known of darkness in the castle, and it hadn't said a word to Severus?

"I do," Hogwarts replied contently. "You're searching for the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. You could always ask Helena of course, but I would imagine she's still hurt over the last boy who came asking about it."

For seven months now, the castle had kept that from him. Seven months! What other secrets was the castle hiding from its headmaster, he wondered.

"Where is it?" Harry asked, pulling Severus back from his thoughts.

"The place where everything is hidden." Hogwarts then smirked. "Say, for example, where the Headmaster's old potions book is."

What? Severus's eyes darted to Harry instantly. So that was where the little brat had hidden it.

"If we destroy the diadem, then all we have left is the snake, sir," Harry stated, vibrating slightly with obvious excitement.

Severus sighed inwardly, though. It wasn't just Severus that Dumbledore had kept things from. It was Harry as well. The boy didn't know he was a Horcrux too.

"Sir, we can stop him. We can make sure no one else dies. Isn't that worth at least trying? I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you're freaking brilliant when it comes to the Dark Arts and you know loads more than I do. All this time I've just been stumbling around with no real idea how to do any of this. But now I have you, sir. My chances of ending this once and for all have just increased exponentially, sir, and it's all because of you."

The boy deserved to know the truth. That in Dumbledore's eyes, the boy's true purpose in life was to die at precisely the right moment. Like a pawn in a chess game.

"Potter," Severus started to say, his voice low and even.

"Step, sir," Hogwarts interrupted suddenly.

"What?"

"The step there is missing," Hogwarts replied politely, pointing where Severus was about to step. "Wouldn't be doing my duty to you, Headmaster, if I didn't point it out right then."

He didn't know how to explain it, but all sorts of warning bells went off inside his mind in response to Hogwarts' words and actions right then. It was as if the castle was preventing his telling Harry the truth.

"Timing is, after all, everything, Headmaster. And I assure you that now is not the right time for that." Hogwarts then glanced toward Harry. "Not when you two have quite a bit left to do first."

Harry nodded in response, obviously not understanding the hidden meaning behind Hogwarts' words. "Do you know of a shortcut?" he asked the ghostly woman.

"None that are close. However, the Headmaster does have the ability to cut this walking down, I would think." Hogwarts then motioned toward Severus's wand. "I promise not to erect a field this time."

"Wait! Are you suggesting we jump out a window?" Harry asked in clear puzzlement.

Severus's frown deepened as his eyes remained on the castle's corporeal form. What difference would it make if he told the boy the truth now rather than later? The fact would still remain that the boy was expected to die for the Greater Good.

"Now, Headmaster, there's no need for that," Hogwarts chided quietly. "You will succeed if you stick to the plan. I'm certain of this."

"And if I don't?" Severus replied.

"Then it will all be for nothing. The deaths. The pain. The loss. Please, Headmaster. Remain on the path set before you, and see that your fears are unfounded." Hogwarts gave Harry a small smile when the boy's eyes narrowed on the ghostly woman. "After all, young Mister Potter is correct. With you by his side now openly, the chances of success have increased."

A line. That's all that was. It's all it could be really. Just a line that Hogwarts was expected to parrot to him when he doubted the plan. Dumbledore clearly thought of everything. And, yet, Severus couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he did brush off her warning. Would his telling the boy the truth really affect their success that much?

He thought back on his argument he'd had with Dumbledore last year. The boy had to learn that he was to die at exactly the right moment. But why? Why did it matter that much? Because of the Horcrux that was inside the boy, maybe?

It was clear the boy still hadn't mastered Occlumency in the slightest, but Albus had said that the Dark Lord feared his link with Harry and would not use it again. So, then it had to be the Horcrux. Something about it not knowing the truth would help them somehow. But that didn't make sense, though. How would the Horcrux not knowing affect them?

A scream then tore through the air and ricocheted off the walls around them.

Severus tensed instantly, reaching for Harry and yanking him closer in order to protect the boy better. He caught the familiar green eyes widen before an unfamiliar look entered them. Trust. That was what he was seeing in the boy's. Trust. He had never seen that in Lily's eyes before.

"Melody!" someone below them suddenly screamed.

"NO! Stay there!" another voice yelled.

"But she's my sister!" Tears were heard clearly in the scared girl's voice.

"Just stay there, damn it! There's nothing you can do for her from there anyway! Just stay there!" The second voice then paused for a moment, causing Harry and Severus to inch closer to the railing to glance over it to see what was going on below them. "I think I can reach her. Just, for the love of Merlin, stay there! Do you hear me? Leave the bravery at home for once, Lion, and let us show you that we can be brave too!"

"Wait. I know that voice," Harry said quietly, glancing up at Severus a moment later.

"Nott, I need you to—" the second voice started to order.

"Say no more, Zabini. I got this," Theodore Nott cut in.

A moment later, they saw two Slytherins take a flying leap down to another landing where a young Hufflepuff girl lay motionless on the floor as her Gryffindor sister looked on in horror.

Severus's eyes darted around as he looked for a safe way he and Harry could reach the two older Slytherins and younger Hufflepuff girl. But short of using his wand to fly to them and risk giving up their position, he saw nothing he could do. He couldn't allow any more time to pass by needlessly, as the more time passed, the riskier the mission became.

"Hogwarts, remain here and assist Misters Nott and Zabini with Miss Harper," Severus instructed, hoping the castle would follow his orders with no arguments. "Come, Potter. We're needed elsewhere." He didn't even bother to glance at the ghostly woman before he pulled Harry toward the next landing in the opposite direction of the students in need.

"But, sir—"

"No, Potter!" Severus growled, glaring at the boy. "I would have thought you of all people would know now that you and I are expected to make the difficult choices." He then pointed where Zabini and Nott were tending to the Hufflepuff girl. "Look down there. They have the situation under control, so we push on and complete our mission."

"But they're just kids, Snape."

"As are you, Potter, and yet you've done extraordinary things as well over the years. And they're not alone either. They have Hogwarts with them. Now, go! We're wasting time."

He could tell the boy wanted to stay and help, but eventually Harry inclined his head and followed as they continued up the badly damaged staircases. Somehow, the journey seemed quicker now. It wasn't long after that they found themselves pacing outside a familiar bit of wall.

I need the place where everything is hidden . . .

The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with life and light. And yet there were no cheers, no cries of jubilation. There were only tears of grief and mourning. The survivors slowly moved about the castle, picking up the pieces of their now shattered lives. Their eyes were dull and lifeless. Exhaustion was in every face as well.

"It's just me, Headmaster," a kind voice spoke next to Severus a few moments later, causing him to start violently.

"Poppy," he murmured, glancing up at her before he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. So much kindness had been spent on him over the past few hours. He couldn't help but be overwhelmed by it all. He didn't deserve any of their kindness.

"I need to change your dressings again, sir."

"I'm not leaving him," Severus replied firmly, leaning closer to the bedside of the unconscious Harry Potter.

"Good, because I'm not asking you to." The matron gave him a warm smile and waited until he relaxed somewhat and leaned back. She gently unwrapped the gauze that had been around Severus's neck, tossing the soaked dressings into the bin beside her silently.

"How is he, madam?"

"I'm afraid there's been no change, Severus," she replied quietly. "He's still unresponsive."

Severus drew in a shaky breath and covered his face. "It's my fault."

"No. You didn't do this." Pomfrey slowly wrapped the fresh gauze then around his neck. "You protected him, Severus. You saved him."

Peeking through the space between his fingers, he glanced at her. "I told him the truth, though, madam. I told him that—"

"Hush, my sweet boy," Poppy whispered. "You were dying when you told him. He knows that. He will understand."

"No . . . no, he won't." The boy couldn't understand that. Not when Lily herself couldn't.

"Please, Severus. Rest now. I'll wake you if there's any change."

"You don't understand."

"I understand more than you think, Headmaster," she replied. "Now, understand me." She pointed at him, giving him her most intimidating matron look she had. "Harry is a smart and kind boy. When he wakes up, he will not lose his mind because of the truth. He will likely embrace your reasons and understand your past actions. So, rest. Before I make you rest."

"How can he, madam?" Severus argued, though. "How can he understand any of it?"

"Because he knows the truth now."

Turning away, he glanced at the small boy who lay there motionless on the cot.

"Severus, listen to me." Pomfrey gently grabbed his chin and slowly turned his head toward her so that he'd be looking at her. "It may not have been the way you wanted it to be revealed, but the fact remains that he knows now. He knows the truth, and he knows why you protected him from it for so long. You've done more for that boy, for any of us really, than we can ever repay you for."

"He knows, Poppy," he said softly with a haunted look in his dark eyes.

"Yes, he does," she simply replied before she released a quiet sigh as his mood remained unchanged. "He'll need you, Severus. Now more than ever. His entire world has been shattered."

"I can't." He couldn't do what she was suggesting. He could barely keep himself together as it was anymore.

"You've had the entire year to come to terms with this, whereas he's only had a few hours. You have the experience he needs right now. Severus, you two need one another still. You both nearly died. Do I need to remind you of that?"

"Poppy."

"You saved him, and he'll save you, Severus."

"I can't, Poppy. I can't . . ."

"He won't abandon you, Severus. He won't." She then sighed when it was clear he was fighting against her words. "When you learned the truth about what Albus had Harry do this past year, things made sense suddenly, didn't they?" She didn't wait for him to answer before she continued. "Of course it did. Now, he knows the truth and things are making more sense for him as well."

"Like what?" He honestly couldn't see a single thing that would help Harry make sense out of anything that had happened between them.

"Why you wouldn't get close to anyone. Why you protected him for so long. I could go on, but those are the major ones."

"So he knows now I was a stupid boy who fell for his mother, too much of a coward to tell her, and was the reason she died. So what? That changes nothing." It couldn't change anything. He wouldn't know what to do if things did change.

"No, Severus. That's not what it shows at all. It shows the similarities between you and Harry." She then sighed, shaking her head. "I remember the first time I ever laid eyes on you. A scrawny boy, withdrawn, socially awkward, the saddest eyes I've ever seen. When I saw Harry, I immediately recalled the little boy from Cokeworth, the little Prince he called himself privately."

"Stop. Please," Severus murmured, feeling the internal storm rage inside him again.

"You and Harry are free. Finally. Voldemort is no more, Severus. The Death Eaters are either on their way to Azkaban or dead from the storm earlier. You are free. Think about it. You and Harry can finally live for yourselves for once. Explore your connections properly and heal one another. As amazing as Molly and Arthur are with him, they can't heal those wounds, Severus. They don't know what it's like. You do."

"But the boy . . ."

"I heard Minerva's report, Severus. For that split second in that classroom when Harry was being sucked out of the window by the tornado, you cared very deeply for him. For him, Severus. Not for his mother. Not to repay a debt to his father. For him. You stretched your arm out and you willed all your magic inside to pull him back to your arms. You know what that means. You're a brilliant wizard. We both know this. For that split second, you thought of him as family. And he can be. Eventually."

Severus looked back to the small boy. She was right. He had realized that was what the blue light had meant earlier. But he had brushed it aside, because he had been so convinced that once the boy was truly safe from the Dark Lord and no more harm could happen to him, that Severus's job . . . his purpose in life . . . was over. And yet as he had lay there bleeding after Nagini's attack, it was clear that his job was not necessarily over. He could, if he chose to, alter his purpose and evolve.

"You don't have to decide today. Though, it is rather telling if I may say, that you refuse to leave his side, Severus." The matron gave him a somber smile. "Just think about it, will you?" Her eyes then swept over the room to her other injured patients. "I'll come check on him again in a half-hour. In the meantime, though, I strongly urge you to rest, Headmaster. Otherwise, I will be forced to use my wand and make you rest. Understood?"

He inclined his head slowly and watched her leave.

She was right, and deep down he knew it. In that moment in that classroom, Severus had thought of Harry as his family. And having not felt like he belonged to a family in so long, he wasn't about to lose that last remaining piece of one.

But it wouldn't work. He and Harry couldn't ever really be a true family. Comrades, possibly, but not a true family. There had been too much hatred between them over the years. One night couldn't possibly erase all that. Eventually, Harry would be like the others, and Severus would be alone once more. Forever alone. Forever abandoned.

Nothing good ever happened to him. Not anymore.

Closing his eyes, Severus decided on his next course and slowly rose from Harry's bedside. The boy was safe now. He had completed his mission. Now, it was time to move on. Turning away, Severus headed for the door, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist.

Black met green.

"Stay. Please, sir?" the soft voice whispered from the young man who now had a haunted look in his green eyes.

"Potter . . ." Severus started to say before Harry interrupted him.

"I don't want to be alone anymore."

"But you're not," Severus argued, staring at the boy in disbelief. "You have so many who care for you, who love you. You're not alone. Not with the Weasleys around. Or even Granger."

"They don't understand, sir. Not like you do."

He closed his eyes and turned away from the boy. "Potter, I can't. I can't be the man you think I am. That man is a fantasy, a lie made up for you to make sense of things."

"Then you didn't love my mother?"

Severus couldn't prevent the gasp from escaping his lips.

"You gave her a choice, sir, which made it so she could protect me. It doesn't matter that it came out of a mistake. All that matters is that you paved the way to give her a choice to save me. Without that choice, none of this would have worked. We'd likely all be slaves to Voldemort with no hope then."

"Speculation."

"Based on evidence, sir." Harry then coughed quietly and tried to sit before he groaned and leaned back. "You didn't kill my parents. Voldemort did. If he had just ignored what you told him and focused elsewhere, the prophecy would have been just another sherry-induced guess from Professor Trelawney, sir. And, Merlin knows, there are plenty of those out there. But instead he chose to believe that it was a real prophecy and it became self-fulfilling. It was all him, sir, not you."

"I'm not a hero," Severus argued.

"Maybe, but you are very brave, sir."

"Potter—"

"Do you remember that time during our Occlumency lesson, just before I finally pushed you back the first time?"

Severus blinked and narrowed his eyes on the young man. "What about it?"

"I was so angry then that I had snapped that it was your job to know what Voldemort was saying to his Death Eaters. For a second there, I was convinced you would either smack or hex me. You did neither, though. Instead, you looked at me with this odd expression, as if you were—I don't know—satisfied that I had figured that out."

"I don't follow."

"I never understood it then, but I do now, sir. You returned to Voldemort's side on Dumbledore's orders, but I think even if Dumbledore wouldn't have asked you'd have done so. Just so you could keep me safe. As you've done for so many years." Harry gave a soft snort of disbelief. "It's so foolish now. If I had just opened my eyes, I'd have seen the truth. I'd have seen the hurt behind your eyes, the sadness and the longing. Instead, I only focused on the anger, the contempt. But—I don't know—I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're not so different, Professor. Not really."

"You chose the Light path, Potter. I did not."

"You did eventually. Just as I eventually chose the Dark path at several points as well, sir. But let's be honest, shall we? We aren't just light or dark, sir. We are shades of gray."

"And that makes me a hero in your eyes?"

"No, but you continuously sacrificed your own happiness, your own self, for me. And isn't that what family does for each other? Look out for each other and protect them from harm by sacrificing parts of themselves for their family?" When Severus opened his mouth to argue, Harry cut him off and continued. "You nearly died for me. You would have if it hadn't been for Madam Pomfrey actually. But you nearly died. For me."

"Potter, please . . ."

"Just as my parents did when I was a baby. And you protected me just like they did. Not once but multiple times. Hell, you did it again in the past several hours with keeping me from being sucked out of the window and later when Voldemort tried to kill me in the Great Hall. You may deny it all you want, sir, but I will consider you as my family until I draw my very last breath. And that is a solemn promise."

"I'm not good at family, Potter."

"Neither am I, sir. But I think it's time we both had a family we could call all our own. One we don't have to share with others." Harry then gave him a faint smile. "So, what do you say, sir? Ready to give it a shot with me? I can be the bratty nephew you never had."

Severus chuckled quietly before he relaxed slightly. "I'll consider it, Potter."

"Good." The young man nodded silently before he turned away and glanced towards the other cots full of injured students and staff.

So many had been injured from the fierce tornado that had blown across the grounds and slammed into the castle. The last report Severus had heard from Minerva was that all of the missing were thankfully now accounted for. Unfortunately, the death toll had increased as a result, along with the number of injuries. And for some of the poor souls who had been lucky and survived the tornado, they had not been able to do the same when the Final Battle had occurred. The survivors, few and far between that they were, were now left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives in whatever way they could. Which seemed to mean coming together and setting aside their differences.

Glancing to his left, Severus watched a young Ravenclaw fifth-year wrap his arm around a first-year Gryffindor girl and comfort her. His eyes then moved onto the next cot, where a Hufflepuff girl, unashamed of her relationship now, was curled up in her Slytherin boyfriend's arms. His lip curled upwards slightly before he turned back to Harry.

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore," said the cheeky brat quietly once their eyes met.