Not Enough Time by Scott Berg

Later that day the students arrive at the Great Hall noting with surprise that the huge doors are barred shut, students start murmuring in confusion as they all congregate noting that none of the teachers are around. Suddenly they all turn towards the steps at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, watching in shock as a procession of teachers led by Professor Snape make their way down the stairs, their heads bowed in grief, each lost in their own thoughts.

There are shocked gasps as they reach a landing overlooking the hall and the Professor steps more clearly into view and they get a clear glimpse at the bundle in his arms. There are cries of shock as some of the students recognized Harry's limp body and several of the students shouted out in protest and murmurs spread through the crowd that he had poisoned him. The buzz of noise increases as more and more students start to murmur and whisper angrily between themselves with arguments breaking out between some of them and still, the Professor stands with his head bowed numb to the world around him.

Dumbledore watches in anger, stepping forward and raising his hands, gesturing for silence, he feels his anger swelling inside him as the crowd ignores him until they reach a fever pitch. He lifts his wand, sending red sparks out, catching the attention of the arguing students "enough!" he calls out sternly, his voice booming. The students stop staring up at him in shock, unused to hearing him raise his voice, they are reminded that he is a force to be reckoned with, a truly powerful wizard responsible for defeating one of the most powerful dark wizards in modern times. He moves forward standing beside Severus and putting his hand firmly on his shoulder showing everyone that he has his full support, around him Professor McGonagall and the other teacher's move forward surrounding him and forming a protective circle around him in solidarity.

"I will not tolerate these kinds of rumours being spread around this school, is that clear?" there is uncomfortable silence "I am extremely saddened to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of one of our new students, Harry James Potter"

"I will say this quite clearly and only once Professor Snape did not poison Harry. He is a well respected and trusted member of staff who has served with us for many years. I'm well aware that Professor Snape is a strict teacher but I also know he would not think twice about sacrificing his own life to protect any student under his care from danger. He did not poison Harry. It was Professor Snape who found him and alerted myself and the rest of the staff to his condition. Professor Snape was the first to administer medical treatment to Harry, he stayed with him and offered him much needed comfort and support in his final moments so that he could pass in peace. We all owe him a sincere debt of thanks for this and regret that we did not realise the severity of his situation sooner so that we could prevent his death"

"I think that it is only right that we should now spend several moments in silence remembering Harry Potter not just as the Boy Who Lived to whom we all owe a great debt but more importantly, the innocent young boy who discovered a wonderful world full of magic and simply wanted to be a Wizard like his parents. He has sadly left us far too young, I am sure that all of us will feel and grieve his loss deeply even though most of us did not have the pleasure to know him well"

The Headmaster quietly incanted Lumos, lifting his lit wand, the gesture is seen and repeated spreading through the staff and students until the whole hall is lit in soft orbs of light. The students and staff bow their heads respectfully as one comforting each other unable to comprehend that Harry Potter is dead. The shrill cry of Fawkes calling out again is the only sound that pierces the silence.

"If anyone must accept blame and responsibility for Harry's death it should be me. I was the one who believed that he should be placed with his blood relatives for his protection against the Dark Lord and his followers should they ever return seeking vengeance. I genuinely believed it to be the best place for him where he would be loved by his family, unfortunately, I did not realize the depth of their hatred towards magic or that he would be abused and neglected so badly by his own family and by the time we were made aware of this it was too late to save him. His death is a result of my failings, we must all learn hard lessons from this"

Poppy ushers Severus out with the other teachers still surrounding him protectively as she leads him back up to the Infirmary. He sits in shock, still cradling the boy in his arms remembering his last promise to the boy never to let him go and leave him alone as his fellow teachers offer their condolences, eventually he drifts off into an uneasy sleep haunted by dreams of the boy who he could not save.

Later that week a memorial service is held for Harry on the grounds of Hogwarts overlooking the lake, the whole school attended and many people came to pay their respects to him.

Many of the students had not had much chance to get to know him and had been more excited by hearing the name of the famous boy who lived than they were interested in getting to know the boy Harry and were now wishing they had taken the time to get to know him instead of just looking to try and befriend him because of his celebrity status. The older Gryffindors keenly felt the loss of one of their own young Lion cubs, their house simply would not be the same without his presence.

Ron Weasley was one of those reflecting. He who had been overshadowed by his older brothers had lost his first real friend. He'd had few chances to make friends and wished that he hadn't acted like such an insensitive idiot, asking him all about his scar. Harry hadn't cared that his family wasn't well off, he'd accepted him without question and made him realise how lucky he was to have such a loving family, he'd been so innocent and excited about the wizarding world, he wished he'd had more chance to get to know him. He thinks guiltily that perhaps if he'd waited and accompanied his new friend down to breakfast that maybe he could have done something to help him or alerted a teacher.

Hermione Granger wishes that she could talk to the other children as easily as she could immerse herself in books and memorise them, for a gifted but socially awkward child like her other kids were just so complicated, she never seemed to make friends easily and yet there'd been something about Harry that she'd liked, he seemed so interesting and friendly much more so than the boy she'd read about in her books. She'd hoped that she'd be in the same house as him and would maybe even get the chance to one day to be friends with such a remarkable boy, it saddened her to think that she would never get the chance.

Neville Longbottom wished that he'd made a better first impression on Harry. His Gran had known the Potters and told him many stories about how his parents had been good friends with Harry's parents when they were growing up. He could sense that Harry was kind and fair like his mother had apparently been and not at all acting like the celebrity the rest of the world saw him as. He thought that he could have been a good and loyal friend and he regretted to his deep shame and embarrassment that he hadn't made a better first impression than just being the clumsy boy who'd lost his toad.

Even Draco Malfoy was reflecting on his encounter with Harry Potter and wondering how it had all gone so wrong. His father had insisted he should attempt to befriend him and align himself with Potter as he was likely to be a powerful wizard and could become a valuable ally. Yet when he had come in determined to impress Potter and present a good first impression, Potter had seemed unimpressed by the display of power and the Malfoy name seemingly preferring to hang around with penniless blood traitors like Weasley's instead. He had been unimpressed by power and wealth and had been almost insulting in his rebuffal. Draco couldn't believe he had been so rudely snubbed and attacked by a filthy, mangy rat, he had been all set to make Potter's life hell in retaliation, but perhaps it was he who'd got it wrong. Perhaps he should have done things differently shouldn't have taken his father's lessons so much to heart and should have gone in with a bit more modesty instead of flaunting his power after all much as he hated to admit it they did at least seem to be having a good time as appose to him being stuck with his gormless childhood friends Crabbe and Goyle, true they were good as muscle and general lackies but really they didn't have a brain cell between them, hardly good friend material.

Severus is still standing close by refusing to leave his side whilst many of the teachers stand together united in their grief.

Music is playing in the background, and one song, in particular, captures the mood for Severus Snape, a muggle song called Tears In Heaven.

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong
And carry on
'Cause I know, I don't belong
Here in heaven

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?

I'll find my way
Through night and day
'Cause I know, I just can't stay
Here in heaven

Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please
Begging please

Beyond the door
There's peace, I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong
And carry on
'Cause I know, I don't belong
Here in heaven

'Cause I know, I don't belong
Here in heaven

The words float on the breeze, resonating deeply within him and he wonders, as he did so many years ago, if they are up there watching over him if one day he will be reunited with Lily and Harry. If they will greet him as friends and forgive him for his mistakes, he hopes that one day he can atone for his misdeeds.

When the service is over they levitate his small coffin between them before a much smaller crowd walks outside the grounds to a point where they can apparate to Godric's Hollow, they appear just outside the graveyard and quickly locate his parent's graves, a hole is quickly made between their graves and the small coffin is carefully lowered in. A marble headstone marks the grave, the inscription to the boy who lived, hero of the wizarding world does not do justice to a boy who suffered so much in his short eleven years of life, how can such simple words ever adequately sum up such a life.

Gradually the crowd disappears until one man remains behind shrouded in billowing black robes, he falls to his knees in front of their graves Lily and Harry his face covered by a curtain of black hair hiding the tears that roll down his cheek, remembering another day years ago when he stood here heartbroken grieving for the lost life of the only woman he ever loved, the deaths for which he felt so responsible for, he couldn't save them. He summons a wreath to appear before each grave, the cold autumn breeze whipping around him sending the leaves flying, he feels nothing, not the cold, not the wind that cuts through the mourners thick robe as he laments mourning the family that he never had the chance to have, the boy who he'll never see grow up, was it his fate to forever walk this path alone as punishment for his sins?

Tears spill from his face, splashing to the ground and the soil parts as a new plant emerges, fresh shoots pushing their way up before a single bud opens up to reveal a beautiful Lily flower, simple and pure white as the child who has been laid to rest, even in death there can come new life.