The Trio left the Headmaster's office and headed towards the Great Hall. Suddenly, Harry turned abruptly and started towards the exit.
"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked quietly.
"To bring the Headmaster back to Hogwarts," was the terse reply.
"Dumbledore…but he's dead…" Harry shook his head.
"Headmaster Snape, Ron. I…you go to your family. This is something that I need to do alone." Harry's eyes darkened behind his glasses. "I'll be damned before I leave my mum's best friend to rot in that filthy shack. Headmaster Snape was a hero, guys, and he will get the credit that he deserves for his part in bringing this horrible nightmare to an end." Harry pulled the invisibility cloak over his head, barely noticing as Hermione slipped two bottles of blood replenishing potion and one of dittany into his hand with a whispered 'just in case'.
There were bodies scattered everywhere, from both sides, but Harry ignored them as he strode purposefully towards the Whomping Willow and slipping into the tunnel underneath it. As he neared the entrance, Harry heard the unmistakable sound of phoenix song. He opened the door to see Fawkes, who had been missing since Dumbledore's funeral, perched on a chair. Still on the floor, struggling to sit up and weakened from the blood loss was Severus Snape. Harry ran over and dropped to his knees.
"I've got you sir," he said, pulling Snape to a seated position and holding him upright. "Blood replenishing potion," Harry murmured, lifting the vial to Snape's lips so the older man could drink it down. Snape didn't respond, his thoughts on what had occurred while he was unconscious.
He had been at Hogwarts, lying under a tree when he heard a painfully familiar voice calling his name over the distance. Looking down, Snape realized that he was completely nude and briefly wished for something to wear. No sooner than the thought crossed his mind when a clean set of robes appeared. Snape quickly pulled them on as a young woman ran towards him, her red hair gleaming in the sunlight.
"Sev!" Lily Evans-Potter rushed forward to hug her oldest friend. Behind her, strolling at a more sedate pace, were his former nemesis's, James Potter and Sirius Black. The pair drew alongside Lily, and much to Snape's shock, both were smiling at him genuinely.
"Thank you for everything, Severus," James said, extending his hand. Snape shook it, still stunned.
"I'm so sorry, Lily," Snape whispered. "It's my fault that you…all of you," he looked at the entire group. "It's my fault that you died." Whatever reaction Snape was expecting, this was not it. The three Gryffindors looked at each other and began laughing.
"Lily, dearest, did you have a hot steamy affair with Severus here in 1980?" James asked his wife.
"Not that I am aware of, darling." Lily replied. "I thought that perhaps you gave Sev some Polyjuice with your hair in it." Sirius grinned as Snape crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow.
"Relax, Snape," Sirius said with a grin. "It's just that you sound so much like Harry." Snape's eyebrows shot into his hairline.
"Excuse me?"
"James and Sirius are right." Lily commented. "You have so much in common with Harry."
"Like what?" Lily began ticking off on her fingers.
"Crappy childhoods with lousy relatives, never fitting in anywhere, although you both consider Hogwarts as home…"
"Having arrogant prats as classmates," James added with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"And professors that played favorites with the same obnoxious gits." Sirius added.
"The tendency to blame yourselves for something that is NOT your fault." Lily added firmly. A look of sadness crossed her face. "Harry was luckier that you, Sev." She added softly. "His best friends forgave him for his stupid comments and actions."
"Maybe so, Lily, but he never sunk so low as to call Miss Granger that filthy name." Suddenly, Sirius stood still.
"He's on his way to Voldemort, and he knows everything. Dumbledore gave him the Resurrection stone, and we're about to be summoned." The two Marauders and Lily vanished then returned minutes later, Lily sobbing into James' robes.
"He's in his own limbo now." Sirius said with a smile. "Dumbledore is meeting him."
"Limbo?" Snape asked.
"You're not dead, Sev. Fawkes is with you, healing your wounds." Lily smiled. "Come over here, Severus. You can watch everything before deciding whether to go back or go on."
Snape watched as Harry told everyone within earshot, especially the Dark Lord, the truth of Severus' loyalties. Snape wondered if he returned, would he be chucked into Azkaban? He had never been one to make rash decisions, but when he heard Harry Potter refer to him as Headmaster Snape and as his mother's best friend, he made his decision. Lily seemed to know what he was thinking as she placed a hand on his arm.
"Sev, you are finally free. No Voldemort or Dumbledore pulling your strings. You're only thirty eight years old, and I think that you have finally been able to let go of the past. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but there are several people waiting down there for you, and I'm not just referring to my son. Just give them and yourself a chance to love." Snape nodded, and a moment later, was back in the Shrieking Shack. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked around and braced himself, trying to rise. Snape saw Harry out of the corner of his eye as the younger man dropped to his knees and lifted him up.
After two doses of blood replenishing potion, Snape was able to stand, albeit unsteadily, on his own two feet. Harry saw how weak the man still was and swept the cloak over both of them before allowing Snape to use him as a crutch.
"Headmaster, I'm going to take you to the rooms that Professor McGonagall gave me. That way you can get some rest without the idiot brigade mucking it up. It'll give you a chance to recover and think things over, but…" Harry stopped, knowing what he wanted to ask, but unsure of how to do so without offending the older wizard.
"Thank you, Pot…Harry. I believe that you will inform me of my status in the eyes of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall?" Harry nodded, and the two made their way to the Head Boy's rooms, where Harry endeavored to make Snape as comfortable as possible. Snape watched as Harry sent patronus messages to Kingsley, Minerva and Hermione Granger.
"Why not the Weasley's?" Harry sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Fred was killed, and despite how much I love the Weasleys, sir, they have the worst Gryffindor trait of them all…Hex first and ask questions later, if at all." Snape nodded and covered himself with the Invisibility cloak as Harry walked over to the door. Standing there were Kingsley and McGonagall. Harry assumed that Hermione was with the Weasleys as he bade his visitors to sit as McGonagall handed him the pensieve.