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This means dear reader that in the unlikely event Ms. Rowling reads this story and wishes to use ideas, characters or plot lines she may do so, and is not required under law to ask the author's permission. Nor is she required to acknowledge the source of the information. The rest of you need to site this story and credit the author if you use something.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J.K. Rowling never actually says that Snape is dead, only that he moved no more. We go through the rest of the story without learning his fate as no mention of his burial or his name being cleared is made. Nor does she list him among the dead. Rowling also doesn't mention who is the Headmaster at Hogwarts in the Epilogue.
This story attempts to expand on these points.
Chapter 1 - Good Night Sweet Prince
'Hssskill!' Voldemort ordered in Parceltongue.
There was a terrible scream. Harry saw Snape's face losing the little colour it had left, it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way, and he fell to the floor.
'I regret it,' said Voldemort coldly.
He turned away; there was no sadness in him, no remorse. It was time to leave this shack and take charge, with a wand that would now do his full bidding. He pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake, which drifted upwards, off Snape, who fell sideways on to the floor, blood gushing from the wounds in his neck. Voldemort swept from the room without a backwards glance, and the great serpent floated after him in its huge protective sphere.
Back in the tunnel and his own mind, Harry opened his eyes: he had drawn blood, biting down on his knuckles in the effort not to shout out. Now he was looking through the tiny crack between the crate and wall, watching a foot in a black boot trembling on the floor.
'Harry!' breathed Hermione behind him, but he had already pointed his wand at the crate blocking his view. It lifted an inch into the air and drifted sideways, silently. As quietly as he could he pulled himself up into the room.
He did not know why he was doing it, why he was approaching the dying man: he did not know what he felt as he saw Snape's white face, and the fingers trying to staunch the bloody wound at his neck. Harry took off his Invisibility Cloak and looked down upon the man he hated, whose widening black eyes found Harry as he tried to speak. Harry bent over him: and Snape seized the front of his robes and pulled him close.
A terrible rasping, gurgling noise issued from Snape's throat
'Take...it...Take...it...'
Something more than blood was leaking from Snape. Silvery blue, neither gas nor liquid, it gushed from his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and Harry knew what it was, but did not know what to do -
A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into his shaking hands by Hermione. Harry lifted the silvery substance into it with his wand. When the flask was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slackened.
'Look...at...me...' he whispered.
The green eyes found the black, but after a second something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank and empty. The hand holding Harry's thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more. (Note 1)
Harry quickly felt for a pulse at Snape's neck. There was a faint pulse, fast and thready, but he was still alive.
'Stasiscorpus, Muffelatio' said Harry softly, too softly for Hermione to hear behind him. 'I will come back for you Professor, and if these memories show you are innocent, I will fight for you.'
Hours later, after the battle and talking with Professor Dumbledore's portrait, Harry lead Hermione and Ron outside.
'Harry what is it mate' asked Ron, "I though we were going back to the tower?'
'We have one more casualty to retrieve, Headmaster Snape,' replied Harry, 'I cast Stasiscorpus on him before we left the shack; he should still be there, hopefully still alive. We need to get him to Madam Pomphrey.'
'Are you sure mate? I know what you said, but he's still a Death Eater,' asked Ron.
'He's a pawn Ron. Dumbledore and Riddle both used him and cast his life away for the greater good as they saw it. He deserves a chance to live,' replied Harry.
When they arrived at the Whomping Willow, Hermione spelled a stick to hit the knot and the group slipped into the passage.
Climbing up the ladder they found Snape's body. Hermione did a quick diagnostic spell, 'He's alive Harry, but he has lost a lot of blood.'
'Harry how are we going to get him to the Hospital Wing? The Aurors will take him on sight as a known Death Eater.'
'I have one last task for the Elder Wand before I return it to its resting place,' replied Harry.
"Hssre...hssslease hsssthis hsssman. Hssre...hsssmove hsssall hsssdark hssma...hsssgics .hssfrom hsssis hsssoul hsssand hsssbody. (Note 2)
The trio watched as a silvery light tinged in green surrounded the wounded Headmaster. A ghostly image bearing the Dark Mark of Snape's body rose and blew away in a gust of rain sweet wind. Snape's face seemed younger somehow and less careworn.
Raising Snape's right sleeve, Harry checked for the Dark Mark. It was gone, as if it had never marred Snape's arm.
'Bloody Hell Harry, it worked!' exclaimed Ron. 'How did you do it?'
'Snape was never truly Voldemort's or Dumbledore's man, he was Lily Evan's man. As her son, he is my man, so I can free him of the enchantment,' replied Harry.
'So what now?' asked Hermione.
'Now I carry him out the front door and Apparate to the Hospital Wing. The wards are down since the Headmaster is "dead" as far as the castle can tell.
I can hear Hogwarts whispering in the back of my mind. I think I can take the wards temporarily if Headmaster Snape agrees.'
-xxx-
Harry, Hermione and Ron Apparated into the teacher's ward in the Hospital wing. It was empty. Harry laid the Headmaster gently on the bed while Hermione went in search of Madam Pomphrey.
Hermione burst into the office where Madam Pomphrey and Molly Weasley were having a well-deserved cup of tea.
'Madam Pomphrey, the Headmaster is severly injured. You need to come immediately,' demanded Hermione as she burst into the Mediwitch's.
'Go away Miss Granger, I have critical patients I can't leave,' replied Pomphrey coldly.
'Mrs. Weasley is a trained healer; she can watch your patients. The Headmaster needs you. You can come willingly or I will put you under Imperius your choice,' replied Hermione coldly.
'How dare you!' shouted Poppy and Molly together
'He didn't murder Dumbledore... we have proof... now move it or else,' countered Hermione.
'Truly?' asked Pomphrey her voice softening as she sprang to her feet.
'Even the Wizengamot and the Ministry will not be able to object. Headmaster Snape is a hero,' replied Hermione watching as Poppy gathered her diagnostic wands.
'Goddess bless! I couldn't believe Severus had murdered Albus in cold blood. It didn't seem possible. Albus always told us that regardless of how it looked, Severus would never betray us.
He protected the children from the Carrows you know and the other Death Eaters here. He required that he set all the punishments. Usually it was helping Hagrid or Filch or preparing ingredients for Slughorn for Potions.
Entering the ward, Poppy hurried to the injured man. Waving her wand she discovered he was in stasis.
'Who put the spell on Severus?' asked Poppy.
'I did, it is Stasiscorpus, Madam Pomphrey,' replied Harry.
'Harry can you reach Severus's mind?' asked Poppy
'I don't know. Can you do Ligillimens on someone in stasis?'
'Yes, with that spell. I need to know what happened to him and what poison Voldemort used. I am certain know he has them on hand, but I will need the passwords for the wards to get them.
For now while you do that, I will start an IV with whole blood. He's lost a great deal, too much to use a blood replenishment potion.
What blood type are the three of you?'
'I'm O negative' replied Hermione.
'I'm O negative too Madam Pomphrey," said Ron.
'I'm AB negative,' replied Harry sticking out his arm, 'I'm a match for Snape. Go ahead.'
'He's lost at least two litres. I'll take two litres from you Harry and Hermione and Ron can each give you a transfusion of a three-quarter litre. You all have blood replenishment potions afterwards.'
Poppy bustled around setting up the transfusion equipment, starting with Harry. While she did that, Harry contacted the Headmaster while Ron gently held his eyes open.
'Ligillimens', said Harry softly, not wanting to force his way into Severus's mind.
-xxx-
Harry found himself at a cottage with a neat herb garden in the front yard. He knocked on the door and was startled when his mother answered.
'Yes?'
'Is Professor Snape at home? I need to discuss a problem with him. I'm Harry Potter, from Hogwarts.'
'Potter, any relation to James Potter?'
'Yes, he was my father, but he and my mother died when I was an infant. I never knew them.'
'Please come in Harry and sit down, Severus is in his lab in the basement,' replied Lily.
A moment later Harry heard a familiar voice.
'Potter? Is there no escaping you even in the after life?'
'You are not dead yet Headmaster. When you lost consciousness, I put you in stasis. The castle though you died when I put you in stasis, so the wards are down. I can hear Hogwarts whispering in my mind. I believe with you permission I can take the ward until you are well,' replied Harry.
'Good thinking Potter, we need to protect the students and staff. If you can hear Hogwarts she has chosen you as a future Headmaster.
Hogwarts hear me! I Severus Tobias Snape accept Harry James Potter as my deputy, to carry the wards as long as I am unable to perform my duties as Headmaster.'
A soft glow surrounded both men.
'Good the wards are now shared Potter, and Hogwarts should have raised all the wards,' explained Headmaster Snape.
'She has Professor. Now about you, Madam Pomphrey is giving you blood transfusions, but she said she needed the passwords to your potions cabinet,' replied Harry.
'Why did you save me Potter?'
Harry started to speak when Severus interrupted him, 'You have looked at my memories,' said Severus flatly, 'go ahead and tell me I am disgusting for lusting after your mother.'
'I saved you because with what you though was your dieing breath you tried to tell me the truth, to give me what I needed to destroy Voldemort, to protect the son of your rival, the son of the woman you love more than life itself,' replied Harry softly.'
'I...,' began Severus.
'Headmaster, the memories you gave me will clear you of Professor Dumbledore's murder. It isn't murder to allow a man to die with dignity, to have his death mean something.
And there is no proof you were a Death Eater, you no longer carry the Dark Mark, I removed it. You never were Voldemort's man nor were you Dumbledore's man. You have always been my mother's man and always will be. As her son I owe you my loyalty as well as my respect and admiration.
You have a choice at last Headmaster. We can heal you, and you can become the man you were meant to be, and a good Headmaster. Or I can tell Madam Pomphrey that you were too close to death, that I could not contact your mind and that we should let you go. I do know that she will believe me if I tell her you would not want to live as the Longbottoms live, alive without thought.
Please call me Harry. Since my Mother was your Soulmate, I guess that makes you my second father in a way. I would be honoured to be your son by the way,' grinned Harry, 'just think of the mayhem it would cause if I came back to complete 7th year and you introduced me as your son. Hufflepuff would cry, Gryffindor would sick up, Ravenclaw would faint and Slytherin would be figuring the angles on how to use this to their advantage with the Headmaster.'
'Before I answer, tell me what happened with Voldemort please, Harry,' asked Severus.
'After he left you, Voldemort issued a challenge. If I gave myself up and allowed him to kill me, he would spare Hogwarts.
So at the appointed hour I surrendered and he used the killing curse on me', smiled Harry.
'Harry, forgive me, but why are you not dead?' asked Severus.
'Because Dumbledore was wrong, I was not a Horcrux. When the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets bit me, the venom destroyed the Horcrux in me, and Fawkes's tears cured the Basilisk venom. Dumbledore conveniently forgot that it seems.
The real reason I survived is that the wand Voldemort had was not the Elder Wand, but Professor Dumbledore's wand. Draco had the Elder wand from the night on the astronomy tower until I took it from him at Malfoy Manor. Its power deflected the curse I was simply knocked out.
Voldemort made Hagrid carry my body back to Hogwarts to show the students, and decided to use Neville as an example of what would happen to troublemakers. He released Nagini from her cage and told her to maim. Neville cut off her head, finishing the final Horcrux. I "rose from the dead," and cast a shield charm around the students and cast the disarming curse as Voldemort cast the killing curse. The killing curse rebounded killing Voldemort. That was about six hours ago, it took us that long to round up the survivors and dead and have a meal.
Please say you will come back, we need you Professor, and I...I need you. I've lost too may people in my life. People I couldn't save, but if you let me, I can save you. Please!' begged Harry.
'Harry, the password to my potions cupboard is Lily. The amethyst crystal bottle on the top shelf has the antidote to Nagini's poison. Poppy needs inject it into the transfusion line before she releases the stasis charm. The rest of the potions she might need are clearly labelled. Miss Granger should be able to find them.
I'm sorry did she and Mr. Weasley survive? I'm not thinking clearly I am afraid. Who did we loose?'
'We lost Fred Weasley, Dora Lupin, Remus Lupin, Colin Creevey and thirty-house elves. Kretcher lead a group of elves in the name of Regulus Black. It turns out that Regulus destroyed the first Horcrux, but died from the same poison that was killing Professor Dumbledore. We also lost 10 Aurors, five centaurs and five town folk, but I don't know their names. We were lucky we only lost one student and none of the professors. Your school is still there Headmaster.
I don't know if he was your friend or not, but the Malfoy's survived. Narcissa was the one who told Voldemort I was dead, not unconscious, after he killed me. Once Hogwarts was entered, they found Draco and stayed out of the battle, neutral.
'I'll see myself out Headmaster, so I can let Madam Pomphrey know the good news," smiled Harry.
(1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling, pages 527 and 528. Quoted without permission of the author.
(2) Parceltongue - Release this man. Remove all dark magic from his soul and body.