Hey everyone, I know this has been a long, long time coming but I'm going to re-do my fics as I get to them. This one, dare I say it is one of my faves, but I do feel that I need to fill it in a bit and then keep going with it. Also I will be going with this until my muse stops. Therefore the others will just have to continue to be held on ice. I do love reviews but it is enough that you're just reading. Thanks ~Erin~

I should also mention that I do not own Harry Potter, I just hijack their world occasionally.
A third thing I should mention is Harrys speech, Not sure who wrote it but a beautiful reviewer pointed out that it was from Les Miserables. When I originally wrote this is '06 I randomly found it on a poetry site and had no idea where it was from. Thanks for pointing it out :D

I don't know why this didn't post like it should have, I did repost so that I was crediting the poem to it's original origins. I thought it had I apologise if I have offended anyone. Thankyou for bringing it to my attention.

Harry approached the podium. He was slightly pale and the speech cards he was gripping tightly were giving away the slight quiver in his hands. He had grown since Hogwarts had ended. Although he still came to a modest 5 foot 8. His black hair hung down to the middle of his back, the messiness that, while there when short, gave way to soft waves once it grew. His eyes were still the same green, however they now held the echoes of the demons he had faced and conquered. And the scar that had started the sitcom that he called a life was faded and no longer raised. Once this mess was over he was going to talk to some healers in St Mongos. He reasoned that maybe there was something they could do now that the dark magic within his scar had disapated so too could the constant reminder of everything else.

He stepped forward, and took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this. As he looked around at the faces that were gazing back at him, he noticed that there were a lot less than there once was. He felt the lack of a few people specifically. His throat was suddenly dry and as he took a sip of cold water he could almost imagine them all here. And it was as he was looking at the grim faces below him that, Harry Potter, for the first time in his life froze. He'd defeated Voldermort. He'd won the 'war'. But it was a hollow victory. And there were far too many people not here to witness the final night, and see the first rays of a free day. Harry blinked and cleared his mind. Whatever happened after this may come as it may. His job wasn't over yet.

"I do not offer words of victory." He started. "For any that I may have had, would be meaningless." He paused. People still had dirt under their fingernails, fresh from digging the graves for those lost, on both sides. He took one last deep breath and managed in a steady voice that carried throughout the great hall "There is a grief that can not be spoken. There is a pain that goes on and on, empty chairs at empty tables. Now our friends are simply gone."
There was a sniff from the back of the room. Harry pushed himself to continue.
"It was here that we talked of revolution. It was here that we lit that very flame, here it was that we sang about a tomorrow, a tomorrow that never came."
People were starting to openly cry now. Harry grimaced. He could almost hear Hermione, he could almost see Ron.
"From that table in the corner" He pointed to where Gryffindor table used to be. "We could see a world reborn. And we..." He gestured to the whole hall. "rose with voices ringing."
People all around him were lost in memories. Harry was trying not to be. He had to hold himself together. Just that little bit longer.
"I can hear them now." And it was true. He could hear Sirius and Remus singing at Christmas, he could hear Ginny laugh, and he could hear the roar of the dragon he faced in his fourth year.
"The very words we had sung. They became our last communion. On that lonely barricade at dawn."
He had everyone's attention again.
"Oh my friends. My friends forgiver me. For I still linger while you have gone." He could see Ron dive in front of the green light that was meant for him. He could see Hermione knock Bellatrix and herself over a cliff after the crazed witch had disarmed her.
He found his voice again.
"There is a grief that can not be spoken. There is a pain that goes on and on. Phantom faces at the windows. Phantom shadows on the floor. Empty chairs at empty tables. Where we shall meet our friends no more."
He looked at the ground. and kept his eyes there while saying the next part.
"My friends. My friends don't ask me. What this pathetic attempt is for. Empty chairs at empty tables... Where we will meet no more."

He stopped. He looked at the faces that were gazing back at him. He noticed that there were a lot less then normal. He noted that there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"There is no point in dwelling on the past. There is no point in forgetting it either. And now, there is no point to be here." He gazed over at everyone again. "Most of you have family at home. All of you have someone who needs you there. So go now, don't keep them waiting. Go and tell them to watch for the sunrise. Go tell them that that will be their first day of true freedom! And tell them not to forget the sacrifices that were made this night. Do not be decived, there is still a lot of work to do. Tom Riddle may now be lying in his grave but his ideals will still be thought on by those who seek to enslave all that is good in the world. Look to each other and remember Tom Riddle, remember what this was all for."
Every voice cheered. And everyone started to clear that room.
"Everyone has someone... except me" Harry whispered to the ceiling. Which was sparkling with starlight. He looked to the dog star in particular. Hoping in vein to get some reaction from the universe. But no matter what there would always be the hollow void in his soul. After all, there was no Ron, there was no Hermione, there were no Wesley's, there was no Dumbledore, there was no Remus, there was no Sirius, there was no one.

He gave up. Now that he had fulfilled the prophecy, now that he'd done what the world expected him to do, where would he go? Who would accept him now? Who was he kidding, he wouldn't get a chance to find out. It was very likely that Fudge was right now assembling his people and making a move to arrest him, on any and all charges he could dream up.

There was movement from behind him.
"I too have no one."
Harry looked toward the voice. "Spies never do."
" Ah, but I'm a spy no longer."
" What do you want Severus?"
" I want what you want." His voice was certain. And alarmingly sincere.
" And what is that?"
" To belong..."

Harry looked insulted. "Why would I want to belong here? With half the public saying that I should be through into Azkaban for killing that..." Now that the goodbyes to the dead were done, Harry was back to being furious.
Snape sighed. "Harry, for as long as you can remember you've either been hated or fawned over. That is not going to change because he is gone."
And wasn't that the sad truth of the situation? He had briefly thought to disappear into the muggle world, however he realised that there would be no life for him there either. He had no schooling, had never held a job, and had no references. He was trapped.
"Severus, you're the only one who has ever been entirely truthful with me. I need that to continue..."
"Potter..." Snape warned slightly.
"Look, am I going to get out of this?"
Snape was about to answer with an 'of course' when Harry's last statement hit him.
"No," He sighed. "The ministry is not going to want someone so powerful to upset their authority. Add into that that moron Fudge will not allow another Dumbledore situation to occur either."
Harry nodded. "Azkaban?"
Snape hesitated again. "No.." It was drawn out. Damn the brat for choosing him to come too. Yes they could stand to be in the same room together, they were somewhat friendly, and he had saved Severus' own life just hours ago, and now the only way he could try and repay the debt to Potter was to tell him that his fate would be…
Harry had paled while Severus had been lost in his thoughts "They're going to kiss me aren't they?"
"I think fame has gone to your head." Snape cut back.
"You know what I mean."
"And because of that I am truly terrified." He cut Harry off abruptly
"Your sarcasm tells me what you don't want to say." His voice was resigned
"Potter..."
"Severus, I want you to give me a potion. I don't want to lose my soul."
"Potter. . . . . . . . .Gryffin..."
"It's not though is it? What I want to do is purely Slytherin. Stupid hat was right!"
Snape blinked at him.
"Look, either I flee, fight, or kill myself. If I flee, I'll be caught eventually. If I fight then I will lose. At least death stays true forever."
"There are those who would fight for you."
"Who? Look around you Severus. You're the only one here! No offence but the ministry isn't going to let you anywhere near that court room!"
Severus sighed. The brat was right.
"Please..."
There was a bang, and ministry officials stormed the room. None of them looked too thrilled to be there. And the pink haired woman at the back looked ready to rebel.
"Harry Potter?" She asked in the most disheartened voice he'd ever heard from her.
"Tonks." He replied.
"You're under arrest for the charges of..." Her voice wavered as she looked at the paper, "hem.. For the charges of causing public discord, for ascosiating with terrorists, for aiding and abetting a known criminal, and lastly crimes of treason against both state and government."
Harry looked Snape in the eyes.
'Thanks for everything Sev. It's been a real slice' He thought across the older wizard.
"You have the right to silence and if you wish it a spell may be applied to this effect, you have the right to legal representation. Your trial date is…" Tonk's voice stopped and she looked at a wizard Harry assumed was her superior. "Hold it, the trial isn't set? He's going to be locked up god knows how long before the trial date is set?!"
The older wizard looked at her sharply. "Aurora Tonks! Do not make me regret requesting your pardon!"
Tonks looked like she wanted to spit on the floor. Harry shook his head at her and she deflated. "Your trial date is yet to be advised. Until this date you are to be held in the maximum security, solitary, criminal insanity wing of Azkaban. Please bow"
Harry wasn't ready for the icy collar she snapped around his neck, nor the uncomfortably hot cuffs that matched. "This is to ensure that no 'accidental' magic's nor animungas transformations should occur. Auroras, take him away."
Harry was dragged out of Hogwarts. As He was dragged backwards only he saw the tears streaming down Tonks' face and he smiled as Severus embraced her.
'Called it!' He thought to himself.
Snape blinked and broke the connection with a scowl.
"It starts" Severus whispered to Tonks.
"What can we do Severus? You're an ex death eater and I'm on probation." She looked into his obsidian eyes and saw a determination there. "What are you planning?"
"You best get to the office. Wouldn't want to be late for your weekly interrogation from Fudge"
Tonks winced and took off running.
Snape went into Gryffindor tower and retrieved Harrys' trunk. He fossicked around and found the dragon hide poutch that contained the broken mirror Sirius has given Harry.
~

It had taken Severus over a month to research and trial the spell that restored the mirror. He now stood at the veil, two mirrors in hand. (Sirius had left his half at HQ the night of the ministry debarkle) Severus approached the veil and dropped his mind shields, all of them. "SIRIUS BLACK!" he shouted at the veil. It moved as though an un feeling wind was whipping through the area. There was a solitary shadow which appeared. Snape slid the mirror under the curtain.
"Sirius Black" he said
Sirius' face appeared and with eyes narrowed looked at Snape.
"What do you want Snivelus?" He sneered
"Black, you've been found innocent, time to come and claim your wayward godson."
"Harry? You expect me to believe you're here on behalf of Harry?"
'What you choose to believe is irrelevant Black" Snape bit back. "The war is over, Harry took out Riddle and is now in your old cell. You have been exonerated, You are the head of an ancient and noble house, you have also become a decorated war hero. Loathe as I am to admit it, you are the only one with the power and pureblood status that can help Potter."
"One problem Snape, how the hell do I get out of here?"
Snapes lip curled. "Have you tried walking?"