AN: This was a short fic written for my twiny-chan between books six and seven among all the debate over Severus' loyalty. Because she always, always believed Snape was working for the light. The title was inspired by a bookmark I saw that outlined points for his innocence (Trust Snape) and against (Snape is a Very Bad Man).

Disclaimer: I do not own any people, places, or ideas created by JKR. Which is just as well, because I am not a very nice authoress.

Trust Snape – Snape is a Very Bad Man

Harry was disinclined to trust that particular bit of intelligence at first. It came from Snape. But then again, Dumbledore had believed in him even till the last. And if it helped win the war Harry could not in good conscious do less than check it out. Not that he was planning on rushing into an ambush – he'd have to tread carefully.

In the end it had been right, and another Horcrux had been destroyed. Then they'd received more information from Snape, and more. And though Harry would never be able to forgive him for Dumbledore's death, he began to trust him. Hermione, and eventually even Ron, began to trust him.

Nearly a year passed while Snape fed the trio information and they did the legwork involved in destroying the remaining pieces of Voldemort's shattered soul. And then, the final piece of luck – the location of the dark lord himself.

The battle still raged outside the small stone building where Harry sat slumped against a wall, staring at the lifeless form of his antagonist. Before he was born Voldemort had hated him, and now he was dead. It was over. Harry had won.

He felt sick.

Harry wondered briefly where Ron and Hermione had gotten off to before remembering that they and several other DA and Order members were doing their best to keep the Death Eaters outside – to give Harry this chance. In a moment they'd all know. In a moment. Breathe first.

Snape was there now, hadn't heard him come in. "So, Potter. It is done?"

Harry nodded in the direction of the corpse. It somehow seemed fitting that this man who had always loathed Harry, had been loathed in return, who had killed Dumbledore, should be first witness to the fact that Harry had become a killer as well.

"I always knew it would be you." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Potter, it was always clear to me that you would free us from Lord Voldemort's shadow. Where is your wand?"

"Snapped. His last curse broke it, so I…" Harry sort of waved weakly at Voldemort. Curious, Snape rolled the body over. Harry's broken wand was still embedded in the heart.

"Crude, but apparently effective," Snape sneered. He picked up the fallen wizard's wand. "This is yours now, by wizarding law."

"Don't want it. Ought to destroy it."

"That would be a pity. It's a finely crafted wand. But then, many things in this life are to be pitied… such as the fact that the famous Harry Potter died in his last battle with Voldemort." Harry's head snapped up, eyes wide, and found himself staring down the length of his deceased foe's wand. "I always knew you could defeat him," Snape repeated. "No one else could quite manage it. Now Voldemort is dead and you - weakened, wandless – will be joining him shortly. Then, Potter, there will be no one to stand in my way."

Harry's quick wit was slowed; his seeker-trained reflexes dulled by the battle only a few minutes won. He could do nothing but stare in horror as a man he had come to trust muttered the killing curse, worst of the Unforgivables. Green light swept over the hero of the wizarding world. Then all was still.