Snape knelt down beside Harry’s body.

“Harry…..Harry!” Snape shouted as he tried to shake Harry awake.

His hand quickly slid down to the boy’s neck. There was a pulse and it was steady. Harry had been feeling sick before the met Mary Evans. This poison had been really strong and was most likely still raging hell inside of Harry. The floor had changed and Snape was no longer kneeling on dirt. It was a carpet and when Snape looked up, he found he was in the Potter household. This was where they both needed to be.

Snape conjured a cot and, carefully, lifted Harry into it. In the next few seconds, Snape had collected a few healing potions and spelled them into Harry. Now, Snape could only wait for the potions to do their job. Harry would wake up in a few hours, be really tired and sore, but the poison would be fully out of his system. Snape picked up the phone on the table beside him and looked at it. It had been a long time since he had dialed this phone number, but he remembered it well. Snape brought the phone up to his ear and waited to hear a Weasley answer at the other end. Ginny would freak out if she did not know where Harry was.

“Hello.” Ginny answered.

“Ginny, It’s Severus.”

“What happened?” She asked quickly.

“Harry is okay.” Snape began. “He passed out when we apparated back to the edge of your parents property. I brought him back home to make sure that he is safe and well. I thought it would nice if you knew where he was.”

“Do you know when he will wake up?” Ginny whispered after giving a hearty sigh of relief.

“He should be up in a few hours.”

“I will give the kids some time to pack and we should be at home in two hours.”

“Let the kids take their time Ginny.”

“Bye, Severus.” She said quickly as if someone had entered the room.

Snape did not get a chance to say anything because the dial tone rang through the phone. Setting the phone down, Snape took a seat on the couch. He looked over to Harry, whose breathing had evened out since they arrived. There was a pitter patter on the window and Snape looked to his right. It was lightly drizzling and the clouds looked as if they could flood the world. Snape leaned back on the couch. Soon Harry’s breathing and the sound of the rain would rock Snape off to sleep.

The sound that woke him up was the sound of movement. Harry was trying to sit up, but was unsuccessful in his attempts. Snape rocketed off the couch and went to Harry’s side.

“Potter, lay down.” Snape ordered in a whisper.

“Where are Ginny and the kids?” Harry questioned in a panic, looking up at Snape.

The look in Harry’s eyes was one of fear. A fear that could only be associated with the fear that someone was gone forever.

“Potter, they are fine. They’re over at Mrs.Weasley’s. They will be home soon. Everything is okay.” Snape shouted, taking Harry’s hand in his own. He had to know that his dream was over. It was just a dream and it would never come true. “It’s okay.” Snape whispered as the back door opened. The kids ran into the living room and almost jumped Harry.

“Dad!” They shouted in unison

“Hey guys.” He replied, letting go of Snape’s hand and giving each kid a hug. “Why don’t you guys sit down? I have to tell you something important.”

The children, obediently, sat on the floor.

Harry motioned to Snape.

“Do you remember who we told you this man is?”

“Yeah.” Albus replied. “That’s Mr.Prince.”

“That was the name that he told me.” Harry began. “But that is not his real name.”

“What is your real name then?” Lily questioned, looking to Snape.

“My real name is Severus Snape.” He replied.

“See, I told you James. I told you that his name wasn’t Mr.Prince.” Albus cried, turning toward James.

Snape and Harry sat in a stunned silence.

“How did you know?” Snape questioned

“I thought you looked familiar, so I went digging through some history books that Aunt Hermione had. I found your picture and I instantly knew who you were. I can’t believe that I didn’t figure it out sooner. I told James what I found, but he didn’t believe me.”

“You are so much like your grandmother.” Snape whispered to himself, his voice filled with sadness.

“Why didn’t you tell us until now? Dad always tells me about you, but you die in his story.”

“I thought he had died, Albus. I didn’t find out until recently that he was alive.” Harry commented.

“How did you survive?”

“Let’s just say that I am very glad that I was a potions master. This has to stay a secret though. No one else can know, understood?” Snape questioned sternly.

“We promise.” The kids said standing up.

“Go ahead and play kids.”

The children left the room, all except Albus.

“What’s going on, Albus?” Harry questioned.

“I’m glad that my dad gave me your name.” He said to Snape.

“And why is that?”

“You are my hero.” Albus stated.

“I shouldn’t be your hero though. I’ve made a lot of mistakes.”

“That’s why you’re my hero. You are not like these superheroes that James enjoys reading about. You are human. You’re a good person to look up to because you stand for something bigger than yourself.”

It was silent for a moment.

“Well, thank you Albus. I didn’t know that you thought that way.”

“I do.”

Albus ran out of the room and joined his sibilings. Harry was thinking about what just transpired. Harry swore at some point, he had seen money exchange hands between James and Albus. They were just like their uncles. Once Harry was sure that the kids couldn’t hear , he spoke.

“I told you that you were his hero.”

Ginny entered the living room and interrupted the conversation.

“Dawlish is waiting in the kitchen.” She spoke with a confused voice. “He says that he has something important to tell you”

Snape instantly put his bracelet on and he changed into someone else.

“How long has he been here?” Harry questioned.

“He just arrived.”

Harry began to sit himself up on the cot.

“Let him come in.” It took seconds before Dawlish entered the living room. “When is Teddy coming over?” Harry looked up at Ginny.

“He should be here in a hour or so.” Ginny replied before she left the room.

Dawlish set himself on the edge of the couch.

“Harry, I am about to tell you something very important and it needs to be kept between us for now.” Dawlish whispered, even though he knew that Ginny was out of earshot.

“What is it?” Harry said. The look on Dawlish’s face told Harry that he had spoken too loudly for his boss’ tastes.

“Rodolphus Lestrange was beaten to death in Azkaban.”
“What!?” Harry yelled.

“Shhhh. Three death eaters are being put to death for killing him.”

“How long ago?”

“About two hours.”

“Did anyone else get hurt?” Snape questioned.

Dawlish turned to Snape, contemplating whether he should have the man leave. He then realized what the mystery man had said in the hospital and Dawlish figured it would be good for his health to answer the man.

“No. No one else got hurt. None of the assailants had a scratch on them. ” He did not enjoy the fact that the man was in the room, but he would have to bear with it.

“That doesn’t make sense. Lestrange is a fighter and he always bragged about how he would die fighting. Who killed him?”

“Three nobodies. They joined the death eater ranks something close to a day before the second war started.”

“They wouldn’t have attacked a higher ranking death eater.” Snape informed. “Something is not right.”

“I don’t know. We have people looking into it.” Dawlish told Harry.

A bright blue orb appeared in the room. It was much like the orb that Harry had seen when Kingsley had announced that the Ministry had fallen, during Bill Weasley’s wedding. This could only mean bad news.

“They’re gone.” The voice said, then the orb disappeared.

Dawlish let out a large, slow sigh. It was the only noise that broke through the silence.

“Whose gone?” Harry questioned after he got over the initial shock of the announcement.

“Frank and Alice Longbottom have died.” Dawlish responded.

There was a large and heavy silence that filled the room. It was minutes later that Harry realized something important.

“Lestrange was the last of their torturers.”

“They were tortured for two hours.” Snape added.

“They got their final revenge on the death eaters who destroyed their lives.” Dawlish whispered.

“Good for them.” Harry said sadly.

“May God rest their souls.” Dawlish spoke as he stood up from the couch.

“Dawlish, I need to speak to Neville. Can you tell him that he has to come here?” Questioned Snape.

“And what do you need to speak to Neville about?” asked Dawlish, who was unsure about this mystery man.

“That is between Neville and I. Just tell him he needs to come here.” Snape spoke harshly.

“Fine.”

And with that, Dawlish disapparated from the house.

“What do you need to say to Neville?” Harry questioned.

“I just need to explain something to him.”

Snape offered no more because there was a knock at the door. Ginny came out from the hallway, where Harry knew that she had been listening, to open the door. A solemn face greeted her.

“Hi Neville.” She spoke softly as she gave him a hug.

“Hello Ginny.” He responded

“How are you doing?” She questioned, leading him into the house.

“I’m doing okay considering….”

“I heard what happened. I’m really sorry Neville.”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to be sorry. They are in a better place now. How are the kids?”

“They are doing well.”

They had now entered the living room.

“Hey Harry. How are you?” Inquired Neville.

“I’m doing okay. How are you holding up?”

“Pretty well.” Neville answered as he sat on the couch. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Actually….” Snape interrupted. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry…My name is…” Neville stammered because he had not recognized Snape, who was still incognito.

“I know who you are.”

A teenager walked into the room.

“Hey uncle Harry.”

“Hello Teddy.”

With that Teddy Lupin left the room to go find Harry’s kids.

“He is a very good student.” Neville commented. “Now who are you?” He questioned, turning to Snape.

Harry watched as Snape took the bracelet off of his wrist and he transformed back into himself. Neville gasped so hard that Harry was sure that the entire house had heard it.

“Professor Snape?” remarked Neville.

“Yes, it really is me Longbottom. I am the reason that Dawlish told you to come here. I have something to talk to you and I wish to apologize.”

“For what?” Neville asked. His mouth was still wide open from shock.

“I must apologize for how I treated you as a student. You need an explanation and it deals with both of you.” Snape explained, motioning between Harry and Neville.

“Professor, that is all water under the bridge.”

“For you it might be, but it is not for me. I need to explain my actions to you.” Snape began his story. “Back when I was a death eater, I heard a prophecy and I relayed this prophecy to Voldemort. It told of a boy who was born at the end of July and he would be the one to destroy the dark lord. He figured that it was one of you two. He saw Harry as the bigger threat, so he went to deal with that. He also sent a group of death eaters to….incapacitate your parents. We know how this end because Harry becomes the “chosen” one. When you two boys came to school and I read your name on my roster, Neville, I became a very bitter man. I loved Harry’s mother and there were times that I wished that you had been the boy of the prophecy. I was bitter toward you because it could have been you and Harry’s mother would have still been here. I am really sorry for how I treated you and It never should have happened.”

“Like I said, Professor, It’s all water under the bridge.”

“I’m sorry that your parents were forced to suffer.” Snape apologized

“It’s fate, what happened to my parents. There is nothing that could change that.”

“Neville.” Harry spoke up. “If you need anyone to talk to, I’m here to listen.”

“Thank you Harry. All the doctors said that they would never recognize my face. They were wrong. Right before they passed, they told me that they loved me. They even said my name. The doctors said that they would never do that.” Neville spoke with a smile.

“I thought you should know that the last man to hurt your parents died about two hours before your parents. He was the last one of them alive.”

“Thank you.” Neville stood up. “It is getting late, so I think I am going to go.”

“Alright.” Harry stood up and placed a hand on Neville’s shoulder. “If you need anyone to talk to, don’t be afraid to call.”

“Thanks again, Harry. I shall see you later.”

Snape walked beside Neville to the door as Ginny walked into the room.

“Are you going to stay for dinner, Neville?” She questioned

“No, thank you, Ginny.” Responded Neville.

“Please, I insist. You shouldn’t eat alone.”

“I would stay, but right now, I need some alone time. I am planning on eating dinner with Luna when I get home.”

“Tell Luna that we said hello and, please, take care of yourselves.”

Everyone said their goodbyes and Neville stepped out into the cold rain.

“Dinner is almost ready, boys.” Announced Ginny as Snape shut the door.

Snape and Harry made their way into the dining room, taking their seats when they arrived.

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Snape questioned.

“Much better, sir. What happened after we apparated toward the burrow?”

“You collapsed, so I brought you back here.”

Snape wanted to ask why Harry had freaked out, but the look on Harry’s face told Snape that question was off limits. Within minutes, the room was filled with people and food. Lily and Albus were talking about Quidditch while James and Teddy were talking about their game of Chess. Harry and Ginny were holding hands, just glad that everyone was okay. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Then all hell broke loose.