Authoress' Notes: This is a rep-post and a re-do of a story I had originally posted in 2006; I'm now a more experienced writer and I realize that the OC I had for the story was, in actuality, a Mary-Sue. Naturally, I wasn't happy with that revelation and decided to re-do the entire story. Thanks for your support, everyone!
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything in this fanfic... Except Annabel, and the three Spells of my own creation.
Summary: This is my version of the Final Battle and why my favourite Harry Potter character did what he did. Want to know more? Read on!
Warnings: As this was written well-before Deathly Hallows was revealed, and because I believe it to be the worst book in the series, DH is ignored completely; Order of the Phoenix is ignored only partially as Sirius didn't fall completely through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. Opening is during my version of the Final Battle: The last Horcrux, Nagini, was killed/destroyed by Hermione and, furious, Voldemort goes to Curse her and finds himself face-to-face with Harry.
Rating: T for double use of the masculine "B" word, death, and mentions of death.
The Truth Won Out Part One: The Sacrifice
"Avada Crucia!" Lord Voldemort yelled, as he became impatient whilst they circled each other; he aimed the ancient curse at his opponent, Harry Potter.
"Move it, Potter!" A familiar voice roared, pushing the Boy-Who-Lived out of the way and taking the curse that was meant for him; only one other person had been conscious between Hermione, himself, Ron and Voldemort.
"Snape?" Harry gaped at his Potions Professor, who had pushed him out of the way and taken the Curse onto himself. Stunned at this show of betrayal, Voldemort's wand lifted immediately and, however short, the Curse wreaked its Dark Magic onto the wizard who, for all intents and purposes, appeared until that point to be on Voldemort's side; the Potions Professor had even gone so far as to kill Dumbledore the Year before.
"Fight, Potter..." Snape groaned, his body writhing in pain. "Finish him... Finish what Lily started sixteen years ago… for Ann…"
Voldemort chuckled, shaking his head at the fallen Slytherin, "Severus, I cannot believe that it would be you who betrayed me. All for a worthless Hufflepuff; you claim to have loved her, and yet, here you are sixteen years later, still alive…"
"Annabel was not worthless, you self-righteous, hypocritical, Half-Blood bastard," Snape managed to growl menacingly at the self-proclaimed Lord who in turn narrowed his glare at the writhing Death Eater. "She is worth more to me than my own life…"
Harry watched, confused, before he turned around and faced Voldemort, a dangerous glint in his emerald eyes. "You have killed too many innocents, Tom..." He explained, casually raising his wand; he felt deceptively calm about what he was about to do. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that someone was guiding him, somehow. "It's time we ended this; don't you agree?"
"Don't call me by my wretched father's name!" Voldemort shrieked, even as Harry released one final spell from his wand; he'd done his research and knew that there was only one possible way to ensure that Voldemort never returned to that Plain of Existence.
"Tempus Kedvadra!" Harry roared, his magic channelling itself into his wand and releasing it in a deadly curse; one which was borderline Dark Magic but one which he'd researched fully.
"NO!" Voldemort attempted to claw his way out of the cage of multicoloured light that slowly compacted; mere moments later, there was nothing left to indicate that the Darkest Wizard since Grindiwald himself had ever stood there, with the exception of the blackened grass in the shape of a small box.
Harry turned his attention back to Snape, who was now on his back as he laid on the ground, his breathing shallow but even as only small convulsions wracked his body at this point. "Pro...Professor?" He knelt beside the fallen ex-Death Eater. "Why are you always saving me?" He asked, looking into the painful depths of Snape's eyes.
"I...I made a promise… to watch over you whilst She could not…" Snape made an odd wheezing sound, a small smile playing about his lips as he looked behind Harry. "Ann..."
"Yes, Severus... it's time," Harry heard a warm voice assure the dying Potions Master. He turned around, startled, when someone ruffled his hair and saw a seventeen year old girl in a flowing white gown with a white cloak, trimmed in deep black with canary yellow designs on the black velvet, wrapped around her. "Hullo, cutie," the girl, for she was not nearly what one would consider a woman, smiled nervously at him as her long, unruly and curly dark brown hair flowed gently in a non-existent breeze; her soft hazel eyes were sparkling down at him with hope.
"Do I... know you?" Harry asked, confused as he felt the comfort and love the woman was radiating; he felt oddly drawn to her, as he imagined he would his parents. "Who are you and why do I feel like I should know you?"
Her laugh tinkled gently through the still air, "My name, my dear, sweet nephew, is Annabel Janis Potter; I was your father's younger sister. Your parents and I have been watching you, Harry, and I can honestly say that we've never been prouder of you, even when you turned poor Padfoot's hair blue when you were only a year old." At the mention, her lips quirked in a slight smirk.
"You're my Aunt? Why didn't Sirius or Remus or Professor Dumbledore ever tell me about you?" Harry felt hurt and anger at the revelation that yet another thing about his life before Voldemort killed his parents was kept from him.
"That's right; you used to call me Anie Bel," she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed before she let go, giving him a sense of peace, belonging and feeling loved. "Please don't blame them for not telling you; personally, I think that they just didn't know how to bring it up. After all, you have your Mum's temper when it comes to finding out things were kept from you." She sighed, sadness in her eyes, "My death… hit everyone close to me hard; especially Severus, Sirius, Remus, Professors McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick, Sprout, and your parents. They didn't tell you because they knew you would blame yourself for my death, just like you did for your parents." She kissed his hair, "It wasn't your fault; I was killed when Voldemort raided Hogsmeade during a visitation weekend."
"How?" He choked out, tears brimming his eyes.
"Unfortunately, dearest, now is not the time to reminisce..." Annabelle gazed down at Snape's dying form, tears forming in her eyes as she did so; his unfathomable onyx eyes spoke of great heartache and even greater pain. "It wasn't, however, a quick death… sometimes, I wish it were; if only to spare your Dad, Mum, Severus, Sirius, and Remus from seeing me in such pain."
"It was the same curse he tried to use on me; the one that's killing Snape right now, wasn't it?"
"It was," she agree. "Unfortunately, the Avada Crucia is a fatal curse, it just varies on how long it takes to kill an individual. Most of the time it kills within minutes; however, I wasn't willing to leave my friends, family, or my fiancé behind. I lasted four torture-filled hours; the longest known time anyone stayed alive under it. You were only fourteen months old... and already, your innocence was stripped from you and it was my fault. No fourteen month old should see a family member die," she informed sadly.
"No matter how much I didn't want to die, I knew that it was inevitable. I tried to convince Severus, your father, Sirius and Remus that it wasn't any of their faults; unfortunately I know for a fact that they all blamed themselves. Sirius and Remus still do, from what I can tell. Peter," she grimaced, kneeling down so she could lightly brush away some of Snape's hair away from his face, pain evident in her young features, "Peter… he blamed your father; because I was a Potter and he believed Voldemort killed me to get James to join him. That was why he turned over to the Darkness and let it consume him. Severus only became a Death Eater in his Seventh Year, my Third, because Voldemort promised him my safety; he always maintained that it was the most important thing to him. He turned Spy right after my death, in hopes of my memory being avenged in a way," she glanced down at the Potions Master who was steadily gazing at her with fathomless onyx eyes; Harry could only guess he was clinging desperately to the small thread of life he had left, due to his breathing becoming shallower and shallower.
"Ann..." Snape wheezed, he made a slight, very quiet, whimper as though wanting to touch her but being immobilized by the pain.
"Hush, Luv," she smiled tenderly down at him, tears in her hazel eyes as she gently took one of his hands in her own. "I'm here, we're together again."
"I...kept...my...promise..." He rattled, his eyes holding hers.
"Yes, you did, my sweet Severus," Annabel gently caressed his face with her hand that wasn't occupied with holding his. "Thank you so much, Sev. I'm just sorry it had to end this way for you." She gave a choked little laugh, "Now I know how you felt as I laid dying…"
"I'm... not..." He coughed, bringing up blood; Annabel carefully wiped it away with her thumb. Harry gave a start at that and became anxious as Snape's nose began to bleed. "As you… said… we're together… again…"
"I-I'm sorry, Professor; it's my fault-" Harry began apologizing, only to be cut off by Snape.
"You fooli- sh child… did you put me under the Imperious and order m-me to jump in front of the Dark Lord?" When Harry didn't answer right away, he snapped, "Well?"
"No, but-"
"Then do not dishonour my," he coughed violently, bringing up more blood; Annabel carefully wiped it away again, "sacrifice by claiming fault. I chose to… you will not take that away from me… not like I allowed my… Ann to be taken…"
"Stubborn bastard," Annabel shook her head, squeezing Snape's hand affectionately.
Looking at Harry, she smiled at him fondly, pain and longing in her features, "There's nothing we can do for him, dear; just help him die in peace." Turning back to Snape she smiled lovingly down at his innate form; choking back a sob, she traced his lips with a delicate finger, visibly soothing him, "Sweet Severus… my Love, you do know that I could never stop loving you, no matter what you did, don't you? I never blamed you for my death; nor did James, Sirius or Remus... no matter how much they hated you. After all, if they truly blamed you, they would have killed you directly after."
"I...know...I...love you...too... my Ann," Snape held her gaze, pain etched in his features. Onyx locked onto hazel, "Forever and a… day…"
"I know, my Love. It's time," Annabelle glanced off to the side at something only she could see and nodded before returning her attention back to Snape. "I will see you soon, Severus; Salazar is here to take you Home, as he does to all True Slytherins. I just want to say goodbye to my Godson." She smoothed some of his black hair away from his face.
When he nodded, she smiled, a true warm smile, and leant down, giving him a passionate kiss, which Harry notices he returns full-heartedly. When they finished, Snape took a single breath before his eyes closed for the last time and his spirit left that world.
"Is he gone?" Harry asked nervously, looking down at his former Potions teacher's still body; a content smile curled his usually frowning lips and Harry wondered why he never smiled.
"Yes, he's gone Home, cutie. Where your mother and father are with your Grandparents and Cedric," Annabel assured the young wizard, her voice catching on the word "Home".
"Cedric's with my parents?" Harry stared at her.
"Um-hm." She nodded, "Your friend, Cedric, came Home and told us about how you tried to save him. He told me to tell you that he doesn't blame you; his death and the other causalities of the Second War weren't your fault." She stared at him, "As your parents would tell you, as well, I'm sure. No one can save everyone, or even take everything upon themselves."
Harry gazed into his Aunt's hazel eyes with his own emerald green, "I think... I finally believe that now." He smiled, embracing her again as they stood back up, "Even though I don't remember you... I do know that I love you, just like I know I love my parents."
"And I love you, my dearest nephew. I'm proud of the man you've become. I'm afraid I must take my leave, dear. I have to go help your mum keep my brother from fighting with Severus," a small grin formed as she seemed to listen to something only she could hear, "Remember, we all love you; and we're always watching. You have a long, fruitful life ahead of you, live it to its fullest with love." She kissed his scar as she pulled away and seemed to fade; against his forehead she murmured, "Amor Tempus Protego." Harry felt warmth spread through his body. As he closed his eyes in bliss, he faintly heard, "Tell Sirius and Remus that I'm always watching over all of you, with your parents...always loving..."
When he opened them what feels like moments later, it's to a distinctly darker sky and his bushy haired best friend, Hermione Granger shaking him anxiously. "Oh, thank Merlin you're alive, Harry!" She threw herself into his arms and shook against him, "Ron's dead, Harry. Ron's dead and I killed him!"
"Hermione, Ron killed himself by turning to Voldemort," Harry soothed her. "He did it to himself…" He heard something and looked to his left, where he could faintly make out someone frantically shouting his name, followed by Hermione's; he recognized his Godfather's, Sirius Black, and his former Defence teacher's, Remus Lupin, voices. "Sirius! Remus! We're over here!" He called, waving his arms to get their attention.
As soon as Sirius reached him, the Animangus enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug as Remus hugged a startled Hermione. "Harry, thank Merlin you're safe! We thought we lost you; we've been looking for hours!"
"Harry, what happened to Severus?" Remus asked, taking his turn to hug the seventeen year old as Sirius hugged Hermione as well.
"And Ron?" Sirius added, staring at the prone form of who Harry had once called a best friend, now who he dubbed "Wormtail II".
"Ron, I'll tell you about later," Harry stated, looking at Hermione pointedly. "Professor Snape is a lot less complicated. He dived in front of the "Torturous Death" curse Voldemort meant for me..." Harry shook slightly, feeling small, warm weight on his chest. "I owe my life to him."
"He looks so happy..." Sirius observed, "I don't think I've seen him this happy for nearly sixteen years now."
"He was visited by an Angel," Harry informed, taking whatever felt warm off of his chest and out of his jumper; he observed the ornate oval locket that had H.J.P. carved delicately in the gold with curiosity. He opened it, ignoring Sirius and Remus' gasps of surprise; he smiled when, upon opening it, he found two tiny Wizarding photos: one of a red headed woman with warm emerald eyes and a messy black-haired man with mischievous hazel eyes holding a messy black haired baby boy, the other of a seventeen year old girl with unruly dark brown hair that was a mass of curls and sparkling hazel eyes holding the same baby as she grinned at the camera. The two elder Potters beamed and waved up at him, the seventeen year old girl gave him a secretive wink as she moved the baby's hand in a wave, "We both were."
He absently turned it over and read the tiny inscription on the back out loud, "Always watching. Always loving. Your Auntie Bel."
"Harry, it's beautiful! Who's that girl, though?" Hermione exclaimed, staring at the pictures that were facing her.
"My Aunt Annabel, Professor Snape fiancé who died during a Hogsmeade Raid in 1981," Harry answered, staring at Sirius and Remus who both looked surprised and ashamed. "I'd like to know about her…"
To be continued…
Authoress' Notes: Wow, that gave me a case of the goosebumps! Lol. Okay, I want to know what people think of this fic. I revised it, so I hope that it's better than before. Hopefully, Annabel is less-Sueish than she was before. I love the three C's: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism, so bring 'em on!
Alrighty, here's the "dictionary" for the three spells I created, please keep in mind I don't really know Latin, so I just winged it:
Avada Crucia: Okay, this one is the "Torturous Death" curse. It's considered Dark Magic because it is a mixture of the Avada Kedvadra (I have no clue how to spell that, I don't have any of the books) and the Crucio, both being one of three "Unforgivables". Voldemort often used this curse on people he wanted to suffer before they die. As said in the story, most people die within minutes of the curse being put on them, because their body doesn't have a high pain tolerance and because their body slowly shuts down and they lose all use of their motor functions, including the ability to breath.
Tempus Kedvadra: This is the "Timeless Death" curse. It isn't considered Dark Magic, nor is it considered Light Magic; because it doesn't necessarily harm the person it is cast upon, nor does it leave them unharmed. Confused? Basically, this curse sends the person it is cast upon to another dimension, one that is referred to as "the Hell dimension". In this alternate dimension, when you are sent there you not only die, but you die in the most painful ways imaginable; and not only once, either. In addition to dying, you are also tortured and forced to slave to your Keeper, who is a demon- with the power of a God. Like the name of the curse suggests, you keep on dying over and over again, until the End of Time; this dimension is timeless, as it has no sense of time. I thought it would be the perfect curse to put an end to Voldemort. Because, really, by that point he'd be practically impossible to kill with Avada Kedvadra.
Amor Tempus Protego: This is my favourite spell of my creation. It is the "Love's Timeless Protection" or "Love's Timeless Shield" charm. This is considered the Lightest of all Magic. Only someone who loves a person unconditionally can cast this on the said person; I believe that it is the "charm" Lily used on Harry, causing the Killing Curse to rebound onto Voldemort that fatefull Halloween. It provides the person it is cast upon with timeless protection, until they choose to pass it onto someone, they die of natural causes, or they choose to die. The key to this is Love, the most ancient Magic of all, and one that has defeated Voldemort more than once.
That's all of the original spells used in this fic; if anyone wants to use them, please let me know first, because I do technically own them. As always, R&R!
Peace reigns where creativity surpasses reality,
Uncutetomboy a.k.a. Lor