Whatever It Takes by SanctuaryAngel

Harry picked up his wand as he turned to face Voldemort for the last time.

They stood face to face in the Great Hall, as onlookers lined its crumbling walls to witness the fight taking place before them. The Horcruxes were finally destroyed, including Nagini and the soul embedded in Harry. Both destroyed. Now the man before him was finally vulnerable. Mortal. And this was the final fight he knew he could not win. At this point, Harry had already told Voldemort how he was fooled and deceived by Snape, and his sacrifice for the greater good, which led to the destruction of his final Horcrux – Harry – One of which Voldemort was unaware of until now. Harry had shared with the now-silent room of the sacrifice his mother Lily made, and how that magic gave him the strength to finally face his enemy. But then Harry offered him remorse, but Voldemort was angered at the mere thought of reprieve.

Students, Hogwarts staff, Aurors, and Order members…All watched warily and defiantly as both Harry and Voldemort circled each other. Many of the surviving Death Eaters had fled by this point, but some stayed behind in unwavering support of their dying Dark Lord.

Now seething in anger, Voldemort raised the Elder Wand and sent what appeared to be a bolt of lightning in Harry's direction. The lightning storm which emanated through his wand began to ricochet off the walls, sending pieces of stone to fall apart from its tapestry. A few of the students screamed and ran, while many of the older witches and wizards raised their wands in defense against the oncoming attacks. Voldemort fired another bolt directly at Harry, but something else happened.

"PROTEGO!"

A glistening white magical shield materialised directly in front of Harry, repelling the oncoming bolt of lightning and redirecting it to three other Death Eaters standing behind their master. It took them down instantly. Confused, Harry turned around and his gaze was immediately shared by shocked gasps and murmurs.

Severus Snape had returned. This time, Draco Malfoy trailed hesitantly behind him.

Snape looked just at Harry last remembered – Truly as if he had risen from the dead, barely holding on to life Harry thought was gone. His own blood was still wet and soaked down his shirt and cloak; Face still pale and gaunt. But there he stood now, in front of the crowd with his wand raised, and faced his former master with a sneer Harry was all too familiar with. Harry was not sure who was the most shocked – Himself or Voldemort.

"TRAITOR!" Voldemort hissed with a bubbling rage at the man who defied him for years.

"Potter, finish him," Snape did not dare to take his eyes off Voldemort, wand still pointed directly at him as a warning. "Vanquish this tyrant."

"But sir, how did you…?!" Harry asked, still clearly shocked by the man now moving to stand just behind him.

"NOW Potter, do it!" Snape raised his voice slightly higher this time.

Without another word, Harry cast Expelliarmus while Voldemort cast Avada Kedavra. Both spells collided in an instant, but this time, the fight would be quick. Harry's spell was overpowering his, once Voldemort realised the Elder Wand was not obeying him. In an instant, Voldemort was defeated. The room immediately erupted in cheers of relief, as the dark wizard was finally vanquished. The battle was finally over.

Turning around, Harry saw Snape leaving without another word, and the man didn't even give Harry a second look. His black cloak billowed behind him, as he turned to leave the Great Hall, and disappeared behind the crowd. Harry immediately left to follow him, but Snape managed to fly away from Hogwarts and finally disappeared from view in a cloud of black smoke.

Harry stood at the Hogwarts entrance, clearly confused by the encounter. He was there when Snape died…Ron and Hermione witnessed it too. Snape knew he was doing to die – And yet he came back from the dead in time to witness Harry defeat Voldemort once and for all.

+ + + +

The fireplace roared bright green, as Harry and Hermione emerged and found themselves in McGonagall's office. Both looked around to find it eerily unoccupied as they cautiously stepped outside and wandered toward the office door.

"It feels odd being here now. It's so…quiet," Hermione looked over at Harry, who appeared deep in thought. "Shall we check the Headmaster's office? I can't imagine where else she'd be."

Harry nodded, as they began to make their way down the deserted corridor. It was hard to imagine any students being here now, and the possibility of a fight erupting here just seemed like an afterthought. It was all just a little too surreal for Harry to ponder, even despite the battle happening barely a week ago. But regardless, Hogwarts started to look more like its old self. Most of everything they saw had been repaired back to its former glory. No longer was crumbled stone laying in a dusty pile or rubble, or broken wands littering the floor, or the sight of fallen students lay helpless.

He can barely imagine school resuming now, with memories of such a dark day embedded into these corridors -

He felt a nudge from Hermione, and he was suddenly snapped out of his wandering mind. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. They were now standing at the familiar eagle statue guarding the Headmasters's office. They had not got the slightest clue as to the password.

"Err…" Harry started.

"- Albus Dumbledore!"

Harry shook his head in confusion, and both he and Hermione turned to find Professor McGonagall striding towards them in her magnificent familiar emerald cloak. They were relieved. The statue roared to life as it suddenly scraped the entranceway, as it moved to the side to reveal the spiral staircase.

"Mr. Potter. Miss Granger – Your timing is impeccable. Please follow me –" Minerva McGonagall beckoned for the young Gryffindors, and both followed her during their ascent to the Headmaster's office.

Once they reached the familiar room, Minerva made her way to the desk and leaned back on it with her arms comfortably clasped in front of her, "Now, we have an important matter to discuss. There have been reports of – "

"- Death Eaters? Yeah, we know. That's partly why we are here," Harry nodded.

Minerva's expression was stern, but concerned, "I hope you realise that they will likely try and target you, Potter. You must take extreme precautions. We all do."

"We read about it this morning in The Daily Prophet. So, it's true?" Hermione asked.

The professor nodded with a small sigh, "I'm afraid so. It is uncertain how many of them there are, but I daresay enough to be a problem. The Aurors are trying to hunt them down as we speak."

"Has anyone been attacked?" Harry asked.

"Not that I am aware of. But I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they take action. Potter, do you have a safe house?"

"Well, not really. Grimmauld Place was compromised, but it has not been re-warded yet. It's not safe enough. We haven't been in there for months. Molly asked me to stay at the Burrow, but honestly, I don't want to put them in any more danger."

"Then Potter, I suggest you remain here at Hogwarts and stay within these walls under my watch. It now has all the necessary magical protections in place. Miss Granger, you are also most welcome to stay…to at least try and keep Mr. Potter here out of trouble. That is until the situation has been taken care of," Minerva asked, "I'll send word to Arthur and Molly, so they will not worry."

Hermione looked at Harry, and both of them nodded.

"That takes us to our next problem, Professor," Harry drew in a deep breath and looked at Hermione once again. He turned back to McGonagall, "Snape's hiding on the grounds."

Minerva dropped her hands and stood up. Her expression was of mere shock and her weary eyes darted to both Hermione and Harry, "Here? At Hogwarts?"

"A few days after the battle, I found him seeking refuge at the Shrieking Shack. He was in bad shape. I don't think he knows about the Death Eaters…They could be after him."

"You do realise that the Ministry is also after him? Potter, he is a wanted man. His actions during the war were indeed heroic, but the Ministry will still want to interrogate him for his crimes."

"You have to help him, Professor. Please," Harry pleaded, "I know you have mixed feelings about him, and what he did. I mean, so do I. But I wouldn't have defeated Voldemort if Snape didn't share those memories showing me what I needed to do. What he did, was for the greater good. You know him, Professor. Help me, help him. We owe him that much."

"He is right, Professor, "Hermione chimed in quietly, "We can't just…Leave him for dead. After all, Dumbledore trusted him until the end."

Minerva pursed her lips together in thought. Her blue eyes were tired and worn. "I drove him away from the castle, and I knew I'd have to face him eventually."

"He deceived everyone, Professor. Even Voldemort," Hermione spoke softly. "It's okay to feel guilty. I'm sure he's feeling just as worse."

"How very noble of you," Minerva smiled sadly, as she looked at the both of them, "I'll do what I can, but if the Ministry finds out and intervenes, there will not be much else that I can do."

Harry nodded, "Thank you, Professor. I know he won't listen to me, but with you…"

"Good heavens, I'm going to put that man in his place," Minerva said, sarcastically. "Does anyone else know about him?"

Harry shook his head.

"Good. We best be sure to keep it that way. Now, lead me to him, " Minerva instructed as she flourished her hand towards the office door.

The two young Gryffindors led Minerva McGonagall out of the castle and towards the Whomping Willow as quickly as they could. Minerva stopped in her tracks when she saw the looming deadly branches of the dangerous tree overhead. Clearly, she was unaware of how to subdue the tree, but she watched with amusement when Harry tapped a spot of the tree with his wand, as the tree snapped back to its usual stationary position. Once the opening was clear, they made their way inside with much haste.

Harry led the way through the narrow tunnel leading towards the Shrieking Shack, with his Lumos-lit wand lighting the way. They stepped through cautiously to avoid making any startling noises. Once they reached the entrance, they slowly descended the old staircase leading to the topmost floor. Minerva looked around the aged and dusty house, but her wand outstretched in caution. Harry walked ahead with careful steps, keeping on high alert for the ex-Potions professor.

"Snape?" Harry whispered. When there was no answer, he continued ahead and entered the room containing the old piano. The room appeared darker than he last left it. He noticed the windows had been sealed further with panels of wood – presumably taken from elsewhere. It was even more difficult to breathe, as dust and mothballs seemed to hang in the air. It was rather unpleasant.

He also noticed that the room had been re-arranged. Damaged. The piano, as he noticed, was in pieces on the wooden floor. The old torn couch overturned, with visible scorch marks on its surface. He turned to find the bed also in ruins, with all the bedding torn in pieces on the floor. There were shards of glass scattered across the room, and Harry noticed the unmistakable scent of old firewhiskey filling the suffocating air.

This was not an attack, much to Harry's relief. But he could not help but feel nauseated from the worry building up inside him. It has been days since he last left the man during his narrow brush with death…again. And he was in a bad enough state the last he left him, and Harry could not help but feel fearful and guilty. He should not have listened to him and approached McGonagall sooner. As much as he was at odds with him, he most certainly would not forgive himself if something were to happen to him now. As much as Harry would not like to admit it…he felt responsible for him.

Harry felt a light tug on his sleeve and turned to look at Hermione. She looked mortified, as she nudged Harry to the far side of the room. In the corner, was a mass of black robes leaning against the wall. It was hard to see at first, as the room was so incredibly dark, that even Lumos could not illuminate all places. The man shifted slightly in his uncomfortable position, not fully realising the extra three guests in the room. Beside him, were two large bottles of Firewhisky. One was empty and shattered on the floor, and one barely touched. Harry figured he must have used the Cloak to steal them from somewhere. He looked at the sunken form of his ex-teacher against the wall and wondered to himself why he stayed so long at The Burrow. He really did not consider anything like this to happen.

Once Minerva McGonagall followed their gaze, she raced to the man's side and knelt beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and nudged him gently. Severus Snape was barely awake and seemed to be staring off into the distance. He appeared dazed and disconnected. Surely that could not have been the after-effects of the firewhisky?

"Severus. Severus, please," McGonagall prodded him gently a few more times, "Oh good heavens, what have you done to yourself?"

Snape stirred and blinked several times as if allowing his eyes to focus. The man squinted as Harry and Hermione drew nearer with their wands lit. He turned slowly to look at Minerva, and his face contorted to dread. He also noticed the other two Gryffindors in the room. "Potter, I specifically told you not to alert anyone. I don't require a bloody audience." His voice was hoarse. Almost as if he had been yelling so much that he lost some of his voice.

"Severus, you are ill-equipped to be on your own at this time. What the devil are you doing hiding in here?" Minerva asked.

"Staying away."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. Potter was concerned for you and notified me. Here, let us get you up off the floor," Minerva squeezed the man's arm, but he made no move. Frustrated, she threw her arms up in exasperation, "I'm an old woman. Don't make me drag you up."

Much to their mild amusement, Harry and Hermione took that as their cue to assist the man in a standing position. Snape did not say a word, but the mumbles and growls of frustration emanating from him spoke volumes. Minerva turned around at the state of the room and flourished her wand gracefully several times. Almost immediately, the furniture began to repair and re-arrange themselves back to its original state. Splintered wood from the walls and floor began to knit itself back together. The couch and sofa chairs flipped themselves gently on the spot and slid across the floor into their original place. The piano was finally restored, and the broken glass now melted back together.

Harry and Hermione half-dragged the man to the restored couch and placed him down gently. Minerva settled herself beside her ex-colleague and peered upon his wary gaze. Harry had never seen the woman look so concerned in the years he has known her. He could not imagine what she must be feeling at this moment. They were not just colleagues. They were friends. Close friends, even despite the house rivalry. Minerva taught young Severus when he began at Hogwarts. All those years she has known him, only now to face a man so broken and defeated. She drove him out of the castle, not knowing at the time that it was Dumbledore he was truly loyal to.

She kept a gentle hand on the man's back, "We must get you back to the castle. We have reason to believe that you may be in danger."

Snape frowned and glanced at the elderly woman, "If you tell me Lord Voldemort is back again, I may as well go and get myself splinched."

"Oh heavens - no," Minerva said sternly, "There were reports of surviving Death Eaters re-grouping. They were reported at your residence. Not all of them were captured and sent to Azkaban after the battle."

Severus Snape pinched the bridge of his nose in mild frustration, "They plan to retaliate, even despite their dwindled numbers. They will not hide for long."

"You do realise that you would be high up on their target list?"

"Let them."

Minerva was shocked, "Are you hearing yourself, Severus?"

"Very clearly. I'd rather them finish me off, than have me thrown into Azkaban by the Ministry."

"Don't be absurd! We will not let that happen. Minister Shacklebolt will see to it that you are protected. He has always supported you. You will not end up in Azkaban."

"Don't be so sure of that, Minerva."

"I'll testify to the Wizengamot myself."

"I deserve to be punished. Do not harbor me within Hogwarts as a criminal – I'll only put you in unnecessary danger. "

"You are not a criminal! You had to do terrible things. I know that now. I had only wished I knew before…" Minerva looked saddened. She paused and placed her other hand gently on Severus' forearm. "Why…Oh, why didn't you confide in me? I would have understood. I – "

"– There was nothing you could do. The less I told, the safer they would be," Severus lowered his voice, "Albus requested I keep it between us. That wretched fool…"

Minerva's bright blue eyes began to water, "Severus, I called you a coward. I am deeply hurt by what I said to you out of anger. I drove you from the castle…Could you ever forgive me?"

Severus drew in a deep breath, and looked at Minerva with tired dark eyes, "Of course, I will. I know you could never completely forgive me for the things I've done, but I offer you my deepest apology, Minerva. For everything."

Minerva smiled, "You've done well, Severus." The woman looked at the young Gryffindors, as they watched the little exchange with deep empathy. "As for you two, once we get back to the castle, I will send word to the Weasleys, so they needn't worry where you are. I sent the last of the wayward students home yesterday evening, so we can at least keep Severus hidden until we can find a solution."

Severus gave a hmfph at the demand. Minerva shot him a look of warning. "Oh, don't be stubborn. You'll be safer at Hogwarts, not here."

"May I suggest I do a lapse of the grounds and make sure our defenses are in check?" Severus asked the new Headmistress.

Minerva was taken aback. Her expression was almost comical. "You most certainly will not! Stay within the castle. Good heavens, you are terrible. You are almost on par with Mr. Potter. I may have to assign Miss Granger to keep a watch on you two."

Harry sniggered, and Snape immediately shot him and Hermione both a warning glare. If it were one person who could joke about Snape and get away with it, it was their Gryffindor Head of House. She was strict and fair, but she had an incredibly dry sense of humor. Harry often wondered about their camaraderie and noticed that they always seemed to pair up in dire times of danger in the years leading up to Voldemort's last stand. Even so, he was always amused by their civil rivalry in the House Cup and Quidditch throughout the school year. Despite the playful competition, Harry had never seen them argue. And that was a relief.

Harry retrieved his Invisibility Cloak which was found nestled upon the piano chair and handed it to Snape once again. The man took it without hesitation this time. "Looks like you'll be needing this a lot more than I will."

Minerva smiled at Harry, as she rose from the chair along with Snape, "Wonderful idea. Now, I want the three of you to remain within the castle walls…And Severus, no more firewhisky for you. I must request that you re-stock the Potions supplies and ready-made potions. Much of the supplies were damaged during the battle…Horace wasn't able to replenish them."

Severus Snape frowned at Minerva, "I was under the impression that my services to the school were forfeited?"

"Yes, when I drove you away. I have now been appointed Headmistress by the new Minister, and I would very much request that you stay. Once we can clear your name officially, that is."

Snape clasped his hands behind his back, as the four of them began to make their way downstairs. "Well, perhaps I can finally take the blasted position of Defence Against the Dark Arts permanently, now that the position's hex has now been lifted."

Harry shook his head in confusion, "So wait. You knew the position was cursed? And you still took the position last year?"

Snape stopped in his tracks and turned to the young Gryffindor without a word, hoping that he would understand the reasoning behind it without him attempting to explain it.

"Oh! Well, of course…Dumbledore knew, didn't he? He asked you to take it," Hermione exclaimed in revelation. "He knew that you'd…" Hermione's face fell in horror. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor."

Snape nodded grimly, "Precisely."

Harry bit his lip – So Dumbledore knew all along. Well, that explained why he consistently refused him taking the position every year. Until last year, that is. It was a running joke within the school, and they presumed Dumbledore did it out of spite and amusement. The Headmaster knew that it was going to be Snape's last year…The thought alone was sickening. That was a cruel act, even for Dumbledore. And Snape knew it, too. Harry felt terrible that he thought it was a joke.

Minerva was just as horrified by that new fact, "Remind me to yell at Albus' portrait when I return." They made their way down the old staircase, and the woman continued, "Besides, I offered Harry a position at the school, should he choose to return in the near future. Isn't that a wonderful idea, Severus? "The woman shot Harry a smirk. Harry's eyes widened at the idea, but even more, amused that the Headmistress anticipated Snape to be annoyed by that.

"What?!" Snape stopped in his tracks again. This time he looked livid.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts. Rather fitting, don't you think? I will eventually need a new Head of Gryffindor."

Snape's face seemed to lose color, "I will not be demoted by this Gryffindor. And I refuse to be stuck teaching Potions again."

"Oh, lighten up, Severus," Minerva smiled, "You had Potter perform so poorly in Potions, that you can't expect me to give him that position?"

Frustratingly, Severus Snape threw the Cloak over himself as they reached the tunnel entrance of the Shrieking Shack. The four of them made their way through.

"It's alright, Professor McGonagall. I'm still yet to go back and complete my seventh year. I won't be doing any of the sorts for a long while yet," Harry ran his hand through his messy hair, feeling Snape's seething gaze with the idea of being colleagues to the Chosen One he spent years antagonizing. Harry was not all that bothered by the idea. Snape, on the other hand, would be hating it with a passion. It was hard to imagine them working together in any capacity.

Hermione smiled at Harry, "Another year? After everything, I didn't think you'd want to come back."

Harry shrugged, "Initially, I didn't think so too. But I'd actually like to finish the year. Properly, this time. At least I can enjoy a school year where I'm not marked for death."

Minerva shot a look at Harry, "You and Severus have the same morbid sense of humor."

"I am still here, Minerva," Snape stated in his usual monotone voice. He sounded annoyed. Harry, once again, forgot Snape was now under the Cloak. But now Harry seemed slightly offended by that comparison.

They finally reached outside, and each one withdrew their wands immediately in defense. Knowing that some of the Death Eaters fled after the battle, it was a matter of time until they found their way back to Hogwarts once again to finish the job their dark master started. Harry's hair prickled on end – They were now being hunted again. Harry thought he was done with this; that it was all finally over. His life, in danger, once again. And he was absolutely tired of it. Tired of being a target. Tired of running and fighting. Tired of trying to survive. What would it take to finally have a normal life? It's like sacrificing his life was barely enough – And he meant that in a literal sense.

Once they made their way to the castle, Minerva cast her feline Patronus and sent a message to Minister Shacklebolt notifying him of Harry's protection within the castle. Snape walked off without a word, as he removed the Cloak, and disappeared down towards the dungeons once again with much haste. Harry and Hermione left the Headmistress and made their way towards the now-empty Gryffindor tower, and settled themselves down in the Common room by the fireplace.

They would have to tell Ron about finding Snape sooner or later. Either one hated the idea of keeping that a secret from him, but for now…As Snape mentioned earlier, the fewer people knew, the safer they would be.