“Are you still thinking of going to the school?” Ginny questioned after dinner.

Ginny and Harry were in the kitchen washing dishes, while the children were out in the living room playing games.

“Yes. I need to find out what this person wants, and who this person is.” Harry replied.

Ginny touched Harry’s arm, causing Harry to meet eyes with Ginny.

“How can you be sure that it isn’t a trap?” Ginny’s eyes began filling with tears.

Harry put his arms around Ginny, and held her tightly.

“Ginny, I really don’t know that it is a trap. I am; however, an accomplished Auror, and anyone who wants to fight an Auror is looking for a death sentence. I can handle myself if it is a trap. You know that.”

“I’m not saying that you can’t. It’s just….”Ginny looked up at Harry. “What if you get hurt or worse?”

Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out two gold coins.

“Take this.” He said as he handed a coin to Ginny. “Do you remember how we used these for Dumbledore’s Army? If I am not back by morning, change the number on the coin to four. If I do not respond within five minutes by sending you a number five, let the ministry know that I have been taken. It won’t come to that though because I will be home by morning, and everything will be fine. I promise you that much.” Harry kissed Ginny on the forehead as he wrapped his arms around her again. “I love you, Ginny.”

“I love you too, Harry.” She said as she returned the hug.

The two of them sat there for a long time, and finally when they released each other, Harry spoke.

“Everything will be fine, Ginny. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Harry grabbed his coat, kissed his kids goodnight, told Ginny that he loved her again, grabbed his broom, and set off for Hogwarts. He was going to be there early to make sure that it wasn’t a trap. Harry had been distracted all day with the idea of returning to the astronomy tower. He had not been up there since Dumbledore had died, and he told himself that he would never return there, for fear that it would dredge up bad memories. Now that is was flying, all of those worries left him and his mind went numb.

After two hours of flying, Harry could see the outline of the school. He knew that he was over Hogsmead, and he stop the memory that was coming back to him.

He was flying along side a very weak Albus Dumbledore at break neck speeds, and the only thing that was going through his mind was what the dark mark meant.

Harry touched down very quietly on the Astronomy tower. Placing his broom on the floor, Harry looked around the tower. There was no one there, so Harry took a seat on the stairs. He was half an hour early. He had time.

“Professor.” Harry called.

Harry was so absorbed in that memory that he had no idea that he was weeping. He tried to shove the memory out of his mind, but he could do nothing to stop it from coming. He had watched the greatest wizard of all time die, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Harry got off the floor and stood where he had been immobilized that night. He turned to face where Dumbledore had been standing, and he cried. Now he could cry as he watched Snape kill Dumbledore in his mind. Harry wiped his eyes, and looked at his watch. It was ten o’clock. Where was this mystery man?

“Potter.” A voice growled from the darkness.

Harry whirled around, pointing his wand in the direction of the voice. His mind was focused, listening for the sound of anyone else being present.

“I mean no harm.” The voice said again.

The voice belonged to a man, that much Harry knew, but he did not know anything else. A man stepped from the shadows. His hands up in front of him, showing Harry that he was not going to be harms. Harry lowered in wand in shock.

“Professor….”

“Snape.” Harry gasped in disbelief as Snape stepped from the shadows. “No, This is not possible. This can’t be real. I must be dreaming.”

“You are not dreaming, Potter. This is very real.”

“It can’t be. I watched you die fifteen years ago. I watched you take your last breath. This can’t be real.” Harry repeated, still not believing that Snape was standing in front of him.

Snape stepped forward and violently punched Harry in the stomach. Harry, taken by surprise, dropped to one knee and gasped for air as it was expelled from his body.

“What was that for?” Harry questioned, when oxygen had returned to his body.

“Did that hurt?” Severus replied.

“Of course it did. You just punched me in the stomach for no reason.”

“Then you know that this is not a dream. Now stand up.” Snape offered a hand, seeing if Harry would take it for help.

Much to Snape’s surprise, Harry took his arm and pushed himself to a standing position. He grabbed the professor’s shoulder for more balance, and once he was standing, he left it there for a moment.

“You can remove your hand, Potter. I am sure that you are not going to fall over.”

“Sorry, Professor.” Harry whispered, realizing what he did and he pulled his hand back to his side. “Fifteen years ago, I watched you die.” Harry said, still in disbelief that Snape was alive. “But your still alive.”

“Thank you for that very astute observation, Potter. No, I am not dead.”

“What happened? Voldemort’s snake attacked you. How did you not die?” Harry questioned, wanting to know why no one knew the Professor was alive.

“Do you not think that I would not carry healing potions with me? I was a spy against Voldemort and I was among his ranks. Did you think that I did not fear being captured and seriously injured? I value my life much more than that, Potter. I thought a great Auror like yourself would have thought of that. Once you left the Shrieking Shack that night, I quickly healed myself and disappeared.”

“Why didn’t you let someone know?”

“I just told you, I valued my life. There were Death Eaters who managed to flee that night. There would do anything to kill the man who was traitor to their leader.”

Now that the initial shock was over, anger filled Harry from top to bottom.

“Well do you know what I did while you were hiding? I managed to kill Voldemort and everyone hailed me a hero. I kept trying to convince them that you were a hero too, but no one would look past you dark mark. No one would say anything at your funeral, so I wrote you eulogy.”

“Yes, and it was very nice.” Snape interrupted.

“You were at your own funeral?!”

“Yes, and your speech was good.”

“You were at your own funeral?!” Harry asked again in disbelief.

“Will you stop blubbering like a buffoon. I was the old man who sat on the isle in the second row.” In his mind, Harry went back to Snape’s funeral and saw the old man that Snape was talking about. “I stayed a few minutes after…” Snape continued. “ You came up to me and I told you that he would have enjoyed it.”

“That was you. You know that you can be sick sometimes?”

“I’ve been told that before.”

“Well, we discovered that your portrait had not appeared in the Headmaster’s office. Everyone said it didn’t appear because you were a death eater. I kept trying to tell them that you were a hero. It took me years to convince them that you were a hero. The Ministry gave you an award for going above and beyond what was expected. After that, I got married to Ginny Weasley and had three kids. We even named one of them after you. Every night he asks me to tell your story and I tell it to him, even though it pains me. I tell it because he looks up to you. You are his hero. He thinks your dead, but it really turns out that you’re not.” Now the anger had all left Harry, leaving him exhausted.

“I know how your life has turned out.” Snape whispered.

“Now it makes since why your picture never appeared in the office. What have you been doing all these years? I know that we would of heard if someone saw you.”

“I lived in a small town and became an Apothecary. No one knew I was alive. I know what you went through because I still watched over you. I kept Dumbledore’s promise and protected you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why do you think that Riley Wulfric didn’t blow you through the wall with that curse? It stopped a few feet in front of you and disappeared, correct?”

“That was you?”

“Yeah, it was me. I did it because you weren’t quick on the draw.”

“You don’t have to protect me anymore. I’m an adult and can take care of myself.”

“No, Potter. I have to watch you even closer now. You have a family and if you die because of work, then your family is screwed. Oh, and speaking of MLE, how was work today? I have some information on that new case you got today.”

“What do you know about this case?”

“3 muggles and 3 wizards dead. Muggle authorities don’t know how they died, but we know that they were killed with the killing curse. If you look into their families, they are either muggle born, or related to a muggle born.”

“I know what you are thinking. It looks like He’s back, but he’s not. I killed Voldemort myself. He is dead and never coming back.”

“That’s what you said about me. Am I not alive?” Snape questioned, taunting Harry slightly.

“Who’s side are you on?” Harry said, angry that he was just made a fool of.

“I’m just stating a fact. I agree it is not him. How many of his followers are still alive?

“There is one alive, and 30 in Azkaban.”

“Who is among those in prison?”

“Yaxley, Dolohov, Lestrange, and Rookwood are among them.” Harry replied, thinking about those who were close to Voldemort back them.

“And what of the Malfoy’s?”

“Lucius and Narcissa died in a car crash. Many think that someone got to them and killed them for running away from the battle, but It looks to be just a car accident.”

“And Bellatrix Lestrange?”

“Killed by Molly Weasley during the final battle. Draco still lives.”

“Draco was a coward. He couldn’t handle killing someone if his life depended on it. I would owl Azkaban and see if Yaxley is still there.”

“Why Yaxley?”

“He is an unregistered Animagus. That was how Black escaped.” Harry walked away from Snape and took a seat on the stairs, running a hand through his hair. “What is wrong, Potter?”

“I’m still shocked that you are alive.”

Snape took a seat next to Harry, and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“I made the same mistake that Albus did during your fifth year. I was afraid to tell you because the time was never right. The way you acted toward me after I was attacked, I knew that you would be hurt by my death. I knew that you would also be hurt by the memories that I had given you.”

“Why did you give them to me, if you knew what they would do to me?”

“Because I feared that I was actually going to die. But when I looked into your eyes and saw your mother’s eyes, well I just had to fight. Once you left, I was able to give myself just enough healing care to apparate. At my home, I gathered my strength for a few weeks. I was planning to tell you at my funeral, but the way you acted……well I didn’t think it was right to put you through the emotional blender. I wanted to tell you. I really did.”

“You don’t have to say anymore, Professor. You just had my best intentions in your mind. You didn’t want to hurt me and that’s fine. I’m just shocked.” Harry turned to look at Snape. “How do you know that it’s a death eater who is killing these people?”

“I was coming home one night and I could see a green glow coming from the windows of a nearby house. The glow quickly disappeared and as I approached the house, a man stepped out of the door. He walked up the street and knocked into me. I saw the mark on his arm. The house owner was found dead the next afternoon when he didn’t show up for work.”

“Did you see the man’s face?”

“No, but I saw the mark.”

“You should come and stay with me.”

“No.” Snape with a very defiant tone.

“It would only be until the case was closed. I want to make sure that you are safe because I am not losing you twice.”

“He didn’t see me, and he wouldn’t recognize me. I had an disillusionment charm on me. He won’t recognized me.”

“Please. It’s just a safety problem. Plus, my son would be very excited to meet you.” Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture of his family.

“That’s James Severus Potter.” Harry pointed to the picture. “He’s nine years old, and can already beat me at chess. He is also crazy about Quidditch. My daughter, Lily Luna, is four years old and I would do anything for her.” Harry moved his finger over to Albus and pointed to him. “And that is my other son, Albus Severus. He’s eight years old and you are his hero. I think he would give up anything in the world to meet you once.”

“It’s a nice family, but I’m not so sure. I can tell you that whoever killed that man did not see me or recognize me. Plus, no one knows that I am alive and I would very much like to keep it that way.”

“What name have you been using?” Harry asked, pocketing the picture of his family.

“Charles Prince, why do you want to know?” Snape asked

“That is how I will introduce you to my family, then. No one needs to know who you are. Though I am very sure that Ginny will recognize you but I can tell you that, if you ask her, she will not tell a soul.” It was quiet for a few minutes between the two men. “Professor, why did you choose up here for our meeting?”

“I needed a private place to speak with you. Yes, the Shrieking Shack would have worked but I needed to see if you would be angry at me. I watched while you were crying, and I am pretty sure that you were crying for both of us. If you were crying for me as well, then I knew that you couldn’t be so angry at me that you would attempt to kill me.”

“You’re coming back with me?” Harry asked, but it didn’t sound like a question.

“Are you giving me a choice?” Snape questioned right back.

“No, not really. I told you before that I am not up to losing you again.”

“Well seeing as I don’t have much of a choice, I will come with you.”

That settled everything. As they walked through the grounds, both men reflected on their motives for staying with each other. Harry, of course, wanted to keep Snape safe and alive, but he couldn’t see why his Professor argued about staying with him. It wasn’t that Snape didn’t want to stay with Harry. No, he was planning on saying yes if asked. Snape only said yes because he had to watch Harry. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and Snape had to be there when it did.