"I find it hilarious that the Ministry are confused as to how two rope-bounded unconscious Death Eaters appeared in the Atrium of the Ministry, " Ron rustled The Daily Prophet in his hand, as he sat around the kitchen table with the others that same morning, "I can't believe Snape did that. He has a strange sense of humor, that one."

"Do you think telling our parents about him is a great idea? Mum is going to hit to the roof, " Ginny looked concerned, "I mean, I know she was always kind of fond of him, but dad might have a row."

"He agreed that we should inform them. He is basically choosing to give up his disappearance to help us. Well, at least tell a select few, " Harry nodded, "No one else has to know. I just don't want people going after him with torches and pitchforks."

"The main concern is how the Minister will react. By law, he will be obliged to put him in custody. But as an Order member, we may be able to reason with him," Hermione explained.

"Or at least hold off any possible sentence until after this catastrophe is dealt with. We are lucky it's Kingsley and not Fudge," Ginny intercepted.

"It's quite plausible," Hermione stated, "We can only hope Kingsley can see reason. It does put him in an awkward position, though. There is no good option for Snape either way. He doesn't exactly have a clean record. At least we know Professor McGonagall said she'd be willing to testify to the Wizengamot. We can do the same if the situation calls for it."

"Right now, let's just wait to see how Kingsley will take this. I can't imagine him wanting Snape thrown in Azkaban," Harry responded, "He's smarter than that, and he knows he'll be of use to us still."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had re-grouped in the dining room to discuss the potential disaster regarding what they discovered about the alarming concoction and what that meant. The idea of that put everyone's nerves on edge as they anticipated the eventful day ahead when they round up the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Snape had disappeared to confront McGonagall at Hogwarts about attending the meeting, meanwhile, the four Gryffindors were in deep discussion all morning going through all the complicated possibilities. Kreacher was moving around the kitchen lightly banging on pots and pans whilst preparing lunch, while Harry was twirling the golden DA coin in his hand, ready to alert the others once Snape returned. This residence was about to get extremely crowded, very quickly.

There was something quite exciting about uniting everyone again, one last time. Well, what they hoped would be the last time for a long while. It felt much the same way during the time they founded Dumbledore's Army in a desperate bid to learn practical spells to protect themselves in an eventual attack, while Dolores Umbridge made it her mission to prevent that from happening. The DA was such a success, that it not only acted essentially as a study group but a freedom fighter rebellion. It was the adrenaline rush of summoning those willing to participate in a call to arms to help them rid of Voldemort and his dark regime of eliminating the world of anyone not pure of blood. The DA was more than either of them could have ever imagined, and that itself, made Harry feel incredibly proud.

Now during this time, he understood why the others were so willing to call upon them once again. Harry hesitated and dismissed the idea at first, for fear of putting his fellow classmates and dearest friends in danger again. But he soon realised that the DA was voluntary – People willingly signed up and continued to aid them even in the battle of Hogwarts. That alone convinced Harry that they genuinely wanted to help and make a difference, much like himself. They were not forced into this. Except for this time, they were a truly united front. The Order, although mostly diminished, had fought in both the First and Second Wars. The DA no longer had to fight under the radar in Hogwarts during Voldemort's reign anymore. It was exhilarating that both allied groups can work together in unison now.

That was enough to give Harry hope.

Soon enough, they heard the front door swing wildly open, echoing in the hallway as the door slammed against the wall – albeit, Mrs. Black goes off once again - and immediately they could hear familiar voices arguing.

"I am unimpressed with you, Severus! How could do even think of dueling them – and with the students no less!" That was unmistakably Professor McGonagall. And she was livid.

"We handled it, " Snape sounded extremely annoyed, "They are no longer children anymore, Minerva."

"You could have at least informed me for assistance. Good grief – "

The Gryffindors bolted upright in their seats and watched as McGonagall glided swiftly into the dining room in her emerald green cloak, with Snape comically trailing behind in defeat clearly losing the argument. It was like seeing a child being scolded. The Headmistress stopped suddenly and stared at each one of them over the rim of her half-moon glasses, looking completely furious and disappointed with the students looking at her with worried anticipation.

"Every year is the same with you lot," Minerva crossed her arms over her chest, "You need to draw the line somewhere and refrain from taking matters into your own hands for once. Mr. Potter, you should have stayed within Hogwarts grounds as you were instructed to."

"I'm better use here, Professor. Besides, no one is doing anything about this, except us," Harry glanced at Snape, and then back at the Headmistress, "I'm going to re-establish the Order."

McGonagall sighed, "Let the Ministry handle this – "

"It wasn't a request. I'm going to set up a meeting to discuss what we know."

Snape turned to his colleague, "I suggested we allow Kingsley in on these meetings. He must know the extent of this arising situation. We mustn't delay this any longer."

The elderly witch shot the brooding Professor a look of surprise, "And are you comfortable being out in the open, Severus? I thought we had agreed that it wasn't a wise decision?"

"Certainly not, but I have no other logical choice. I have information that he must hear directly from me."

McGonagall gave a heavy sigh, "Very well." She turned to Ron, "Mr. Weasley. Please go and summon your parents immediately. Severus, another word if you please." Shooting the students another warning look, lingering her gaze more so on Harry, she turned and motioned for Snape to follow her upstairs. Swiftly, the pair disappeared from the dining room.

Ron looked hopelessly at his sister, "Want to do the honors, Ginny?"

"I think not, Ronald, " Ginny smirked, "Older sibling honor. At least mum will yell at you first."

"Gee, thanks. Looking forward to it."

Hermione and Harry chuckled in amusement, as Ron looked just as miserable with his dreaded upcoming task.

"Just tell her Harry's here. That'll lighten her mood a little, " Ginny continued to tease, but as serious as the situation was, it was rather amusing.

Grumbling to himself, Harry watched as Ron headed towards the front door and departed from Grimmauld Place. He turned to look at Hermione with a slight look of uncertainty, "We've made the right choice, haven't we?"

Hermione nodded in all seriousness, "Yes, of course, Harry. I know you wanted to do this your way, but this is far bigger than all of us. What we thought would be a simple task of finding Death Eaters, we've now uncovered what appears to be a, well…a plot of a potentially devastating attack. This is incredibly frightening. Especially now that we know they've also been attempting to brew Polyjuice Potion. They could be anywhere. Or anyone."

"You're right. Besides, we can all work together now. Ministry, the Order, and the DA…We need all the help that we can get, " Harry shrugged, "And no more secrets this time. We don't have to worry about tip-toeing around Voldemort anymore."

"Well, there is that. On that thought, I do feel rather good about this. If anything, the Death Eaters know we are onto them. They'll be running scared. But that, unfortunately, makes them more dangerous and reckless. We still need to be incredibly careful."

"It's hard to properly grieve when danger still lurks at every corner, isn't it? We'll learn to move on somehow when this is all dealt with, " Ginny gave Harry and Hermione a wary smile.

Harry nodded, as there was a slight pause between them. Eventually, Harry lightly cleared his throat, "Hermione - You've been so wrapped up and worried about me since the battle, that I was an arse to you and never stopped to ask how you were. I've been selfish."

Hermione shook her head, "You have every right to feel that way, Harry. You've been through more than most of us, " She stopped to stare at her hands briefly, "I still get night terrors of being tortured by Bellatrix back at Malfoy Manor…It's hard not to think about it when so many things give you that painful reminder. Ron has been great with me and helping me deal with it."

Ginny smirked lightly, "He better, or I'll have words with him later." She leaned over to give Hermione a comforting hug, leaving Harry's heart to swell with the tender moment between his friends.

But that was cut short when they began to hear a heated conversation arising from upstairs. Harry glanced alarmingly at his friends, as his eyes traveled upwards in curiosity. They were able to strain their ears enough to make out the conversation through the frail, thin walls of the house. It was no doubt Snape and McGonagall – He has never really heard either of them shout before.

"I will not allow you to encourage them!"

"They are of age now, Minerva. They have the right to choose where they stand."

"Albus would not have allowed this. He would not have allowed you to put him – them - in danger again."

"Absurd! The old fool put him in danger when he kept his precious secrets from him all this time. He had several opportunities to lesson Potter's hardships, and yet he did not take them."

"I agree that his methods were unjust, but you cannot pretend you didn't have a hand in causing poor Potter unnecessary resentment all these years. You had a choice too, Severus."

"Yes, and look where those wretched choices landed me. You couldn't begin to understand them! No wonder Albus couldn't trust you with any of this…He would not have even allowed me to inform you. It was not my fault he kept you in the dark."

"You know we could never understand his reasonings, but we trusted him, nevertheless. Now is the time to do the right thing. Voldemort is gone, and you have the chance to make the right choices from now on. It will never erase your mistakes – you know this - but it will at least give you the peace of mind you so need."

"Potter is still under my protection – That is my choice. No longer Albus'."

They noticed a pause in the conversation, "I am relieved to hear that. And I am truly grateful that you did not walk away. Albus would have been, too."

"It was…a surprise to me, also. I've spoken with Potter. We're handling it."

"Good. I suggest you take extra care of yourself, Severus. And I don't mean that in the obvious sense. If you want to continue protecting the boy, then please…Try not to get yourself killed again. As much as you oppose what I am about to tell you, you are no use to anyone dead. This is your second chance. Don't throw it away for many a decades-long grudge."

There was another pause, "I'm no good, Minerva. You know that. I'm a terrible man, who has done terrible things. That cannot be erased."

"Terrible things, yes. Terrible man, maybe a long time ago, yes, but I do not believe that of you now. If you were so terrible, you would have never tried to save the life of a woman and her child. I agree that you were so difficult with Potter for personal reasons, and yet you still kept him safe all this time…You cannot forget that." There was yet another pause between the pair, and Harry could have sworn he heard a light sob but he wasn't sure, until McGonagall spoke again more softly this time, that Harry could barely hear. "…It'll be alright, Severus. You belong here, with us. We'll figure it out."

Harry's heart twisted in knots.

Harry looked at Ginny and Hermione and proceeded to shift uncomfortably in his seat and watched as each of them appeared just as speechless. Hermione looked incredibly saddened, whilst Ginny bit her lip clearly upset by the scenario they just overheard. Still holding the golden master coin, Harry spoke the incantation to its surface and proceeded to summon the others giving them the meeting time and location. He only hoped that more will show up than he anticipated, especially given the recent unsuccess of the first meeting at the Room of Requirement.

Harry felt uneasy with the conversation they just overheard, and he couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. He knew he shouldn't, but it could not stop that feeling bubble up within himself every time his name is mentioned. It seems he wasn't the only one with painful moral dilemmas, and in this instance, he felt immense empathy for Snape. As best he could, anyway, but that sorrow for him was enough to make him feel rather ill. Why must emotions be so complicated? He spent years hating him, but as the layers of the man's damaged soul slowly peeled away, he began to understand him a little better. They were so very far from that true level of awareness with each other, but at least they were both willing to compromise a part of themselves to aid them on this new and challenging path.

Since seeing the man at death's door, his perception of him changed. There was something different about witnessing a man dying in front of your eyes, whom you initially wanted dead and loathed for so many years. Harry despised himself since forever feeling that way, and once he viewed the man's memories, everything changed. Because it all started to make perfect sense, once those final puzzle pieces melted together, and he could finally see the bigger picture.

Now hoping their new relationship – if you could even call it that – could give them both the peace they so desperately needed. If anything, it was a start.

Suddenly, Harry's drifting thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sudden noise erupting through Grimmauld Place, as several people made their way through the front doors, led by Molly Weasley. It was almost in parallel to McGonagall and Snape not too long ago, as Arthur and Ron followed the Weasley matriarch to the dining room.

"Oh, Harry, dear!" Harry didn't get a word in, as Molly swept him into a massive hug enough to knock the wind out of him. As per her motherly habit, she tried to desperately sweep away the wayward hairs on Harry's messy head, failing to part it neatly as his hair simply sprang back stubbornly. "Are you alright? If I had known this place was overrun with Death Eaters, Arthur and I would have helped you."

"Greetings, Harry -" Arthur followed Molly, but his expression looked a little too stern and thin-lipped for Harry's liking, "Ron has informed us of that. Very, very dangerous indeed."

"What were you all thinking!" Molly continued, as Ron took a seat at the table, followed by – to their surprise – George Weasley, who walked into the room with his head down, hoping to avoid the sympathetic gazes as he sat down. He had never seen the man so broken in all the years he has known him, and that crushed Harry's soul tenfold.

But as the minutes ticked by, more and more familiar faces piled in the dining room, which now seemed to be growing more cramped. Following George was Lee Jordon who sat beside him with his hand on his shoulder reassuringly, with Parvati and Padma Patil behind them. Then Katie Bell, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas made their way inside and took their seats, chatting amongst themselves, with Luna and Neville shortly behind. Suddenly Harry's anxiety tripled and felt suffocated by the number of people currently in the room. Arthur ended up transfiguring extra chairs and a table extension, whilst poor Kreacher was hastily serving lunch on the table, consisting of a large pot of vegetable soup and an assortment of sandwiches. Some of the students began to help themselves almost immediately.

With the rising voices in the room, McGonagall finally joined the ensemble of newcomers, with Snape quite far behind – He could tell by the sullen and pale look on the man's face that he was now regretting his decision to be there, but he watched as he lingered hopelessly in the shadows behind the doorframe, not quite ready to step into the room yet. Green found the black as Harry locked eyes with Snape briefly with their shared gaze was enough to register between the both of them that they wanted to escape the rising chaos in the room. Those unspoken words spoke volumes, especially when Harry noticed Snape's eyebrow crinkled slightly in worry. Harry gave the man a slight nod in understanding, so far being the only one to notice him there. At least he finally understood why the Potions Professor preferred to stay in the silence of the dungeons.

It wasn't long until Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the premises, sweeping down the corridor to the now uncomfortably crowded dining room, with his usual periwinkle blue and purple ensemble. He had already carried a welcoming presence in his usual demeanor, but now being the new Minister, he carried far more authority and became more commandeering in his newfound presence. And yet, he was always fair, making decisions with his good-hearted nature and clear judgment. As he entered the room, everyone fell silent almost immediately, as he settled to stand at the head of the table with Headmistress Minerva McGonagall by his side.

He turned to address everyone, slightly clearing his throat before he did so, "I had hope that we didn't have the need to re-group this soon after recently suffering such terrible losses. But alas, it has come to my attention that it is far from over." Harry watched as he took a deep breath, and slowly scanned the room, "With great sympathy, I commend you all for your efforts in keeping our world safe. Minerva and I have been attempting to organise a memorial at Hogwarts for the fallen, but now it seems as if that may not be the wisest decision at this current time. Furthermore, as I've been informed, the Ministry and the Auror Office have been diligently working overtime to apprehend the remaining threats. But it seems like a nearly impossible task, especially with our dwindled Auror numbers. Now, I believe you have further crucial information for me, Minerva?"

McGonagall nodded, "Yes, Mr. Shacklebolt – "

"Hey, what is he doing here?!" Katie Bell gasped, as she pointed to the doorway where Snape was lurking, causing everyone else to follow her line of sight in surprise. Suddenly, the room was in chaos once again, as some of the students who were unaware of his presence, began to talk amongst themselves. A few of them stood up immediately, as chairs painfully scraped the floorboards.

Arthur Weasley took a step forward, frowning at Severus Snape with a wave of anger that Harry had never seen on the man before, "Severus, you shouldn't be here. You should be ashamed of yourself! You are no longer welcome - "

Molly Weasley slapped her husband on the arm and turned on her heel to face him with a wild look in her eyes, "Arthur, that is not appropriate! We've had this discussion. Not another word from you!" Molly turned to look at Snape with an expression of genuine sympathy, "…Severus, dear."

"Right, that's it for me then. I don't want to be here," Seamus Finnigan, being one of the few to stand up beside Katie and Lee Jordon, leaving Dean Thomas looking betrayed by his friends, "I'm not standing in the same room as him!"

"Oi, don't be a bloody idiot. Sit down, will you!" Ron turned angrily at Seamus.

Seamus fired him a growl, "Or what?"

"Language Ronald!" Molly shrieked angrily at her son, in the midst of the rising pandemonium happening in the dining room.

"I'm not comfortable with him being here. Sorry, but I just can't deal with that, " Katie looked frightened by the brooding dark Professor eying her with disdain and narrowed eyes but was confronted instead by a furious-looking Ginny.

"Don't be so daft! Maybe you should hear what he has to say first?" Ginny frowned.

Seamus leaned in towards Ginny, pointing an accusing finger at Snape in the doorway, "He is to blame for all of this! What's there to talk about? He killed Dumbledore! He let the Carrows torture us all flippin' year!"

"Seamus, mate, cut it out!" Dean was starting to get fired up, holding his hands up in defense, "Ginny's right – stop jumping to conclusions until we've heard him out."

Soon enough, the room erupted with arguments, causing Harry to slowly lose his mind amongst the bubbling chaos. He looked over at Neville and Luna who appeared absolutely devastated by the sudden turn of events and kept quiet mostly due to the shock of the outbursts. Kingsley, being the usual gentle soul, could barely usher a word in an attempt to silence the rowdy students. McGonagall appeared absolutely dumbfounded, as she removed her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose; face contorted in disgust and shock by the behavior of her fellow Gryffindors. Kreacher had already disappeared and locked himself in his little kitchen cupboard – something that Harry wished he could do at this point. The Patil twins were in disbelief, not wanting to verbalise their thoughts, and remained silent, huddling together. Poor George Weasley had his head buried in his hands, keeping silent, and Hermione sat there with her mouth gaped open in disbelief.

It was utter madness.

He could hear some of the students shouting things like 'Evil!'. 'Coward!'. 'Murderer!', amongst the in-fighting. But the voices were all a blur, and in the end, he couldn't distinguish who was saying what. He was appalled by the behavior taking place.

Anger was bubbling very quickly within Harry, as his breath began to elevate and heavy heart pounding with adrenaline. He couldn't believe what he was hearing – this was not how he anticipated this meeting to go, and he expected better from them. Now he regretted even suggesting the idea, and he was sure as hell that Snape was thinking the same thing. He was afraid to look at the man at this point, knowing very well every word, and every insult added just another blow to the man's delicate psyche. But he was still concerned, and soon enough, he eventually chose to glance quickly at the Professor – His heart seemed to break once he did.

The man looked absolutely defeated. Harry could see him tense his jaw, and lips twitching, trying desperately to maintain a controlled demeanor. Snape moved slowly back into the shadows of the corridor, beyond the room, and hung his head slightly; curtains of black hair falling upon his face. But Snape wouldn't look at the boy in return.

Harry had seen and heard enough – Slamming his fist on the wooden table with a loud bang, he rose up suddenly causing his face to flush with anger, "Everyone SHUT UP! Just STOP! We didn't summon you here, so you act like a pack of rabid beasts. What the hell has gotten into you lot? We're here to have a meeting, not condemn Professor Snape for his actions. He helped save us all. If you can't accept that, then bugger off!"

There was immediate silence, and all that could be heard was Harry struggling to maintain regular steady breaths. It was a solid few minutes before anyone spoke or did anything.

Headmistress McGonagall cleared her throat slightly, as her voice remained quiet, yet shaky, "You lot should be ashamed of yourselves…Have you learned nothing at Hogwarts? As your Head of Gryffindor, I am absolutely appalled by your behavior. Before you so rudely interrupted, I was about to address a few important things. Professor Severus Snape, being one of them," McGonagall looked over at Snape and motioned for him to re-enter the room once more. Despite the few cold hard glares he received, he did so without question and moved to stand beside his friend and colleague. He managed to compose himself and adopt his usual impassive gaze now that he was back in the unfortunate limelight. He scanned each student with a stern and fixated gaze, reminding Harry of being back in Potions class. That was one way to silence the room, now that things were mildly under control for the time being. The air was still thick with tension.

McGonagall continued, "Now – As you have already observed, yes, Severus Snape is here with us. As Potter already addressed us when he fought You-Know-Who, this man standing beside me, fought alongside Albus Dumbledore in order to maintain his Death Eater status as a spy for us. With great risk to his own life, he protected Harry Potter after all this time. Albus' death was predetermined as he was already a dying man. It was Albus who requested Severus to end his life, to seal his place amongst the Death Eater ranks, and work alone. Ultimately, he gave his life to help Harry defeat You-Know-Who using precious information only Severus had," She took a deep breath and continued, "With that in mind, I will kindly ask you to refrain from your harsh judgment and work alongside him as we end this war once and for all. As a united front."

Minister Shacklebolt bowed his head in respect of the monologue given by the Headmistress, "Thank you, Minerva. I couldn't have worded that better myself. With that in mind, I presume, Severus, that you were responsible for the two Death Eaters arriving – amusingly, I might add - incapacitated in the Atrium?"

Snape nodded once, "That is correct. With assistance from Potter and his entourage."

The Minister nodded, "Well done. Once this meeting is over, I will need to discuss with you a matter of significant concern. I gather you understand what that may imply."

"Of course, Minister."

"Now, I believe you have some important information for us to address?"

Waiting for everyone's full attention, Snape began to explain the incident at Grimmauld Place upon the discovery of the hazardous concoction and the poorly brewed and half-completed Polyjuice potion. He told them that Walden Macnair – one of the surviving Death Eaters – was still at large, along with his excursion at Knockturn Alley. He informed them that it was he who eavesdropped on the fate of the Diggorys, and the mysterious figure obtaining a large box of mysterious potions ingredients from Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary, making sure to keep Draco's name out of the conversation.

Everyone else had – thankfully – refrained from causing any further conflict during this time. Katie and Seamus still appeared uneasy, and Harry was surprised they didn't already leave when he yelled at them. He could tell that they were silently seething from anger where they stood, and Harry couldn't help but become so disappointed in them. Once he eventually had the opportunity, he was going to have words with them both – Seamus, Lee, and Katie especially – and put them both in their place. He didn't care what he said, and he was sure as hell not going to be nice about it. He wasn't done with them.

Trying his best to ignore his simmering rage, he turned his attention back to Snape who had just finished explaining the details to the Minister.

"So," The Minister leaned forward against the chair, steadying himself with his hands as he remained standing, "We have much to do. Since we lost several Aurors in the battle at Hogwarts, there are very few that I can spare. We need extra eyes out there stationed at high-volume locations. Minerva. Severus. I must ask the both of you to continue monitoring, co-ordinate, and lead these missions with anyone in the Order who is willing. I can handle the Auror Office and assign several to you. The Auror team stationed at Hogwarts shall remain there for extra security."

"I will, " Snape nodded, as he gently clasped his hands behind his back "I must request, Minister, that I formulate a team to accompany me to reclaim my residence. I believe Death Eaters may also be there."

"Alright, Severus. However, please update me on anything else you discover, " Minister Shacklebolt reached out to pat Snape on the shoulder, until he turned to the rest of the room, "Anyone else have any questions? And only questions, no objections."

There was a moment of heavy silence, during which, Harry's eyes swept through every face in the room waiting for the next person to rattle his nerves. He noticed Molly Weasley grabbing hold of her husband by the arm firmly, holding him back and he could see the internal struggle on Arthur's face.

"Nothing else? Alright – the meeting adjourned for the moment. Please, keep a watchful eye, " Kingsley Shacklebolt turned to McGonagall and Snape, "A word if you please?"

Harry released the breath he didn't realise he held, as he watched Snape and McGonagall follow the Minister upstairs. The room was still quiet as they departed the dining room, and he could still feel the tension in the air, but the silence became too suffocating. Without thinking, he turned to face Seamus, Lee, and Katie with a look of pure disgust. "How bloody dare you – I invite you here, and you spill your senseless BS in this meeting! When I fought Voldemort for the last time, I told you lot that he was on our side the entire time. He gave up everything to save us, including his dignity. His own life. Yeah, he did terrible things - He was a spy working against him. If you don't want to believe that, then I can't have you here."

It was then Harry decided to storm off, leaving everyone else utterly speechless at his angry outburst, and not without a care in the world with who he offended. Making his way upstairs, Harry found the Minister sitting and talking with McGonagall and Snape in the first-floor living room. He walked in and slammed the door behind him, marching over to the group, still livid.

"Err, Mr. Potter, may I ask you to wait outside?" McGonagall jumped slightly from the sudden slam of the door.

Harry shook his head, "No, I want to be here."

"It's Ministry business – "

"It's alright, Minerva. He can stay, " Kingsley smiled at Harry, as he watched the young man sit down on the single sofa, tapping his fingers in anticipation. "As I was saying, Severus, you realise the situation you are in – It's complicated. I am fully in your support, but that is against my decision to make alone. As Minister…my hands are still tied."

"Kingsley, he can be of great use to us still. He wants to continue to lend his assistance. Surely there is something you can do?" McGonagall spoke with worry in her voice.

"Either way, he can not avoid his sentence. I can delay it for now, but once this catastrophe has been dealt with, I will have no choice but to have him detained, with his wand confiscated. That is my only offer. If you come quietly when the time comes, Severus, there is hope for reduced sentencing. I respect you and all that you've done, but I must remain unbiased."

Snape nodded solemnly, "I accept that offer."

"Oh, Severus – " McGonagall looked saddened.

"Can we testify in his defense?" Harry interjected confidently.

Kingsley glanced at Harry and nodded, "Of course. As long as you feel comfortable standing up against the Wizengamot, then by all means, you may. Which I understand, you've had previous experience with."

Snape tilted his head gently in Harry's direction, with a subtly raised eyebrow, "Potter, that will not be necessary."

"Why not? I'll do it. I won't be the only one who will. I won't let them throw you into Azkaban."

"Let's just deal with the imminent threat first, Kingsley," McGonagall sighed, "We'll have plenty of time to plead his case. Let's just escape with our lives, first."

"That is reasonable, " Kingsley clasped his hands together, and nodded in Snape's direction, "Just be sure not to stir up too much trouble in the public eye. Am I clear? You're still a wanted man, even more so now that you are a target by your former Death Eaters. I would suggest you stay here in safety, but you and I both know that you will not abide by that. Be careful where you tread, Severus."

Snape pursed his lips together, blinking slowly and looking highly unamused, "I refuse to be housebound like a pet."

"Do what you must, however a fair warning," Kingsley stood up carefully from his seat, "Sirius Black was a wanted man after his escape. His inability to follow the rules we set for him, ultimately sealed his own fate. Don't make that same mistake," He bowed his head respectfully, "I best return to the Ministry. Please inform me of any advancements in the mission."

Swallowing the rising distaste in his throat at the mention of Sirius, Harry watched as the Minister exited the room, leaving the three of them to sit in silence in the minutes following. Eventually, McGonagall rose from her seat, and straightened her emerald velvet cloak, taking a few steps towards Harry with a proud smile on her aged features. Once she was close enough, she outstretched both of her hands and rested them comfortably upon Harry's shoulders. Squeezing lightly, she looked upon Harry.

The Transfiguration Professor lowered her voice, so only he could hear, "Your parents would have been so proud of you, Harry. As am I."

Harry was speechless, and all he could do was nod at the woman in appreciation. Eventually, McGonagall left as well to leave Grimmauld Place, leaving Snape and himself alone in the room. Harry found himself staring at the door for a while, hoping that they can relish in the peace and quiet for a short while, amidst the chaos that horribly escalated not long before. Eventually, Harry turned to glance at Snape, who was still appearing sickly as ever. Eventually, Snape's eyes met his, amongst the flickering light cast by the crackling fireplace.

Snape clenched his jaw, and folded his hands neatly in front of his cascading robes, with a shadow of a grin upon his sallow pale face, "I won't ever be able to get rid of you, will I, Potter?"

Harry snorted, "Not a chance, sir."

Snape paused; his expression turned more serious, "You know, the only one who ever really stood up for me, mostly, was Lily...Once."

Harry hesitated, as his brow furrowed in thought, "Well, someone has to. Besides, I couldn't let them attack you like that."

"Yes. So, I heard."

Harry drew in a deep breath, "I'm going back downstairs to deal with the others. Feel free to pick a room for yourself," He glanced at Snape's crinkled bandage plastered on his neck, and then back at the man's face with a frown, "I'm re-brewing that antidote, whether you help me or not."

"I'm certain your bubbling concoction will further shorten my lifespan," Snape smirked rather wickedly.

Harry shook his head, unamused, "I can't stand your morbid humor sometimes. Seriously."

"You are not so different, Potter."

Harry and Snape glared at each other, and he noticed the man's eyes dart away quickly, possibly regretting what he just blurted out.

"I'll have Hermione help me, " Harry straightened his worn jacket and made his made to the door until he turned around for the final time, "Also, Kingsley's right. Don't do something ridiculous and leave when you're supposed to be keeping a low profile."

Harry didn't wait for a response, as he watched Snape fold his arms over his chest with a grumbled hmpf, staring at the boy with his piercing gaze. He left the man standing in the living room and made his way downstairs to the dining room to meet with the others again.

Once he entered the room, he noticed Seamus, Katie, and Lee had already left their company – That was to be expected. The Patil twins and Dean waved goodbye to Harry on their way out as they passed each other in the hallway, and he was thankful that they were able to remain on good behavior despite the previous ruckus. Molly and Arthur stayed for a short while and eventually left with George back to the Burrow. Neville and Luna were the last to depart.

When only a few of them remained, Harry breathed a sigh of relief once Grimmauld Place was serene again.