The next few days Severus was anything but rested. He spent everyday at school wondering what Lucius was up to, and every night woken at the slightest noise. He had never been one to worry, leaving his fate to just that, fate.

It was on the third day of eating with Albus that Severus looked even more nervous. As he sipped his tea his mind drifted in an out of the conversation and soon Harry was poking him on the shoulder.

"Dad, didn't you hear what Professor Dumbledore asked you?"

Severus had the decency to look shamed at ignoring the obvious question directed to him.

"I am sorry Albus. What were you saying?"

Dumbledore placed his cup and saucer on the desk, and peered over at Severus, trying to read his face.

"I asked my dear boy what if any news have you heard about what we discussed earlier in the week?"

"I haven't heard anything," Severus said, placing his own cup on the desk and standing up, he began to pace the floor as he spoke.

"Here it has been three days and he is not one to sit idly by, no, he is one who will stop at nothing to see my demise. He would love nothing more than to eradicate me and everyone related to me from the gene pool, as if we never existed."

"Why Severus? You and Lucius seemed to get along so well as students."

Severus noticed Harry wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was listening to their every word. Knowing it was better not to hide everything from him, even at his age Severus explained.

"Lucius took me under his wing when I first came to Hogwarts, but much like the others it was only because my family was pureblood, nothing more. There was no love there, no brotherly bond to speak of, only bloodlines. As we grew older I saw Lucius for what he was, a tyrant after only more money and power, and pushing aside anyone who got in his way of obtaining either. The Ravenclaw in fifth year was only the beginning Albus. He would go out into muggle London and hunt Muggles for sport, he found it a game, it sickened me."

"Why then did you not find other friends? Why stay so close to Lucius, and participate in his activities?"

Severus stopped his pacing and snorted, "Other friends? What friends are these Albus? Would that be Remus or perhaps Sirius, or James? They never wanted my friendship, although I did try to befriend them, and what was the result, me being ridiculed in front of the entire third year class. At least Lucius excepted the parts of me that others found appalling, the sallow skin, the large nose. These were not features of James' inner circle of friends."

Dumbledore's face did not have its usual smile any longer, and he came around the desk to face Severus.

"Should Harry be hearing all of this Severus? He is but a child."

Severus turned around and stared first at Harry who was sitting in his chair, his lunch forgotten, and then to Albus.

"Is it better to exclude him from the facts, or would you have me let him go through life blindly about the kinds of people who would harm him?"

"Severus Snape! you know I would never let anyone or anything harm Harry."

"But you would have me shield him?" Severus said, pulling Harry into his grasp, as if holding onto him somehow would make everything all right again.

"Severus," Albus said, placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on Severus' shoulder. "Look at him, he is only seven years old. How can he possibly understand all that is expected of him, of how evil the world is wizarding and otherwise? He can't Severus, he is only a little boy, who thinks you are unstoppable."

Severus knew Albus was right. Harry had seemed so mature at times, but then Severus had not known what a normal childhood was. Severus was about to admit to Albus that he was correct when Lucy came tumbling out of the fireplace.

"Master Severus, someone is in the house, and you told Lucy to come and let you know should anyone enter while you are not there."

Severus' face paled even further. "Albus keep Harry here, I shall return in a moment."

Dumbledore crossed the room to stand by Harry as Severus departed via the floo.

"Don't worry Harry your father will be all right," Albus told him, hoping his words were not false.

"Will you stay here? I have to go and see if Professor McGonagall will take his afternoon class. I won't be but a moment, have another cookie until I return."

Dumbledore left out of the room, but Harry did not reach for another cookie, he sat rigid in the chair, his stomach queasy as he stared at the fireplace his father had just left through.

Severus stepped out of the fireplace, wand drawn and already he could hear someone in his study. He didn't want the intruder to know he was there so he crept down the hall, and carefully opened the door. It came as no surprise to him to find Lucius Malfoy rifling through his papers in his desk, and he stood in the doorway as he spoke.

"Going through my things like a common thief I see. Come now Lucius is this not beneath you. Don't you usually send your house elf for such things?"

Lucius Malfoy turned, his wand drawn to find himself already at wand point. This did not seem to startle him at all, and with a quick flip of his hair he placed a smirking smile on his face.

"Ahhh, Severus. My house elf refused to come. The blasted thing kept muttering about morals and such nonsense. Though he is paying a high price for this at the moment."

"Cut the conversation Lucius! Why are you here, in my home?"

"Now we are getting somewhere Severus," Lucius said, making his way around the desk, in his hand Harry's adoption papers.

"You see I kept asking myself why you as one of the Dark Lord's right hand men would not jump at the chance to bring your son. I also had to ask myself Severus why I never see you teaching him any of the Dark Arts that you knew by his age."

Severus made sure to school his features, not revealing his shock at the things Lucius was presuming, while moving steadily closer to him.

"Do not tell me you came here to validate whom is the most treacherous of the two of us Lucius as you have long since owned that title. What do you really wish as I tire of your games."

"Such words from the father of Harry Potter, Severus."

Severus paled and aimed his wand straight at Lucius, his other hand shaking just the slightest.

"I see this information doesn't seem to shock you. I wondered all these things Severus and I have found the proof tonight. Really Severus, a half blood shall be the reason for your death. I thought you a better wizard than that."

Severus straightened at that comment. "You don't know me at all Lucius, you never did."

"What was there to know Severus? You were a sniveling first year and I showed you the way to power. I gave you something to strive for and you became part of his inner circle and this is how you repay me? I made you my son's godfather, and now you betray me for what?"

"You never gave me anything at all Lucius. I earned everything I got, and all of it without your help. You will not take my son from me, but I will take you from yours."

Lucius stood to his full height, and was still a couple inches shorter than Severus. "You would kill me Severus? You would shed my blood for Potter, who has kept our Dark Lord from prospering as he should?"

Severus gripped his wand, pointing it at Lucius' head. "Your Dark Lord Lucius not mine. You want to know how I feel about you, well, I loathe you and all those like you. I go out of my way to derail every plan that I can, and I do it all for Harry, my son."

"If that is how you feel Severus then I have no qualms about this."

Severus never heard the curse but he felt the impact of it as it sent him flying backwards into the chair, and back at Hogwarts Harry felt it too.

Harry had been standing there staring at the fireplace, willing his father to come back through it when the pain hit him. It was like all the air had been knocked out of him and Harry hit the floor, gasping.

Holding his now certainly broken arm, Harry started to panic. He wanted the Headmaster but didn't know where he was. Knowing he was the only one who could help Harry fled out of the room to find him.

"Lucius, is that the best you have?" Severus smirked, getting up from the floor and cursing Lucius before the man could shield himself properly.

Severus' curse hit him squarely in the chest burning away the fabric of his shirt and leaving behind a bright red mark on his chest, the flesh blistering.

Lucius grimaced in pain but his wand was still in his hand, and with it he sent the curse flying. Severus managed to put up a shield, but it wavered underneath the constant curses sent by Lucius and soon it failed and the many curses hit him at once, sending Severus to his knees.

Harry had made it out of Dumbledore's office and down the staircase but now he was standing in the middle of the vast hall wondering which way to go. It was then that the curses hit him, and Harry fell to the floor screaming in agony, his whole body twitching."

"Lucius, I have had enough of this. It is time you were removed once and for all!" Severus yelled the curse flying from his wand, even as he sat on the floor.

The curse hit Lucius, and sent him hurtling back in a stream of red light. His scream was loud and Severus moved in to finish him off, but in his clouded thoughts Severus forgot something important, Lucius Malfoy was used to pain, just as he was from the Dark Lord. Severus had his wand leveled ready to end Lucius' life, when he heard the words, he dreaded to hear.

The Avada Kedavra hit Severus, and his body hit the floor with a resounding thud, his eyes open in a look of horror. Lucius crawled over to him, and peered into Severus' face, and only then staggered over to the floo, content with the fact that Severus Snape was dead.

Everyone came out of the Great Hall from eating lunch, going back to their dorms to collect their books for the next class of the day. No one however got any further than the small boy laying in the middle of the hallway, curled into a ball, screaming in pain.

Dumbledore pushed students to the side, followed by McGonagall and Hagrid. On the floor lay Harry, and the Slytherin's were beside themselves snickering as everyone else was in shock.

"Harry! Dumbledore called to the boy, as Harry's body continued to twist in pain.

"Get him to his feet," McGonagall advised, but before Dumbledore could touch Harry his mouth began to ooze blood from the corners.

"Don't touch him!" Poppy Pomfrey screamed, running towards them. "He could be cursed!"

All of the students took a step back in fear and to allow the mediwitch through.

"What is it Poppy? What is wrong with him?" McGonagall asked.

"He looks to have been cursed, several curses to be exact. His arm is broken, his heart beating three times faster than it should."

"We should move him then to the hospital wing," Dumbledore suggested.

"He can't be moved right now. The slightest movement could cause irreversible damage."

The four of them scanned Harry for ways to rid his body of the curses when he sat up his body arching, his broken arm, dangling at a grotesque angle. His eyes opened wide, and the blood curdling scream sent waves of fear through them all. Dumbledore reached for him before he fell but pulled his hands back when the green light encompassed Harry.

Harry saw his father fall, and wanted to help him, but his own body was suddenly slammed with the full effects of the unforgivable. He could see the Headmaster and McGonagall staring down at him, but he couldn't speak, his voice gone. Harry expected incredible pain, but it never came. He could feel himself fighting for air as his heartbeat slowed down, but soon his heart stopped beating and Harry drew his last breath.

McGonagall burst into screams and tears, the students horrified to see their stern teacher so beside herself with grief. Dumbledore sat down on the floor, and pulled Harry into his lap, cradling his head, tears streaming down his face. He sat staring into those emerald eyes, ones that used to hold the innocence of childhood, now staring back at him from the cold vastness of death.