Chapter 11

Harry had been fighting the dummies for what he thought was utmost twenty minutes when he saw Snape. He was so surprised, he didn't know Snape was there and how much he had seen. Harry started to apologize, but his professor just waved it away.

'And you may do the same you just did. Wandless and non-verbal magic at the same time, I mean.'

He was even more surprised when Snape said this. Harry remembered saying the incantations in the beggining; had he not said them after that?

He was dismissed after two hours. He saw that Snape was getting slower and that he was standing in a funny way.

"Sir, are you okay? Should you be duelling for so long already?" Harry asked him.

"It's not your problem, Potter. I'm fine."

He shot Snape one last disbelieving and almost worried look, and exited the room. He went back to the Common Room, and started reading while drinking a Wideye potion which Dobby brought him.

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For the next few weeks everything was okay, except for that Umbitch. She gave Harry detentions because he said that Voldemort was alive. In her detentions, he had to write 'I must not tell lies' over and over, and it appeared on the back of his hand as if it was carved into his skin.

It was Halloween that night, so Harry asked Dumbledore to let him go out for a while. He didn't tell him that he wanted to go to his parents grave though, because Dumbledore would have Remus come with me. He told Harry that he could be out for two hours after curfew, but he must return at 10 pm.

The Halloween Feast had already started but Harry slipped out without eating anything. The sky was slowly becoming darker as he walked towards the Gates. He made a Portkey the previous night that would take him to Godric's Hollow. Harry activated the Portkey, and the next moment he was standing in Godric's Hollow. He began to walk towards his parents' grave, but stopped 30 metres away. Someone was kneeling at the grave.

Harry tried to get closer, hiding behind trees and making no sound. After a little while, he was close enough to hear what the man in the black cloack was saying.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I should have made sure that you were safe... you and your family. I'm so sorry I failed you. Twice... I didn't mean to say that to you, I was just so angry. Lily, I know that I'm not worth your forgiveness, but know that I am sorry for every bad thing I did to you. I didn't mean for you to ... to die," the man's voice was breaking, and Harry was fighting the urge to reveal himself and walk over, but he didn't know yet who the man was.

"I asked him, I begged the Dark Lord to spare you, and still he did it. I'm so sorry, Lily," the man let his head drop on the tombstone and his shoulders shook slightly, but it could have been because of the cold, "I saved your child, but I can't change my hatred towards James, and your son is so much like him. But only on the outside; actually he's not so arrogant, and he's caring and smart like you. I'm sorry Lily, I tried to be civil towards him, but it's so hard when all I can see is my childhood enemy's face, and the eyes of... of the only woman I ever loved. I'm sorry. I love you."

For some more time, he was there kneeling, and when he stood, there was a lily in his hand. He left it on the tombstone, his hand resting on it for a moment before turning and walking away. That was when Harry saw his face.

It was Severus Snape.

His eyes were sunken and a bit red, his hands shook, and his face was paler than ever. But the worst was that there was a lone teardrop on his face.

Harry have never seen Snape cry. Such a strong man he was, Harry never thought he would see him like this someday.

When Snape was gone, he walked over to the grave. His thoughts were rushing in his mind. What should he do now that he was there? Talk to his parents like Snape did? And why was Snape even here? Shouldn't he be at the Feast with the other teachers?

Finally, Harry did the same as Snape. He kneeled and told his parents how much he loved them, how much he missed them, that he wanted to know them. He told his father that he should have not bullied Snape, that he knew how Snape felt. He told his mother that he was sorry for whatever Snape had said, but she should have foriven him.

His thoughts came back to Snape and his speech at the grave, and in the end, Harry had nothing else to think about.

He stood up and acivated the Portkey to get back to Hogwarts.