Pictures of You
It was a sunny morning at the end of the school year. The Minister of Magic and best young Auror were deep in a discussion with the Headmaster. Harry had enlisted Shaklebolt to help him take care of something he had wanted to do for five years.
"You know, "said the frustrated man with green eyes, "he was a Headmaster, however briefly, and he was put in that position by Dumbledore!"
"He was also put there by Voldemort, Harry," said the Headmaster, "and there will still be an outcry from those who lost children in the Battle of Hogwarts while the Headmaster had run away.""
"He did not run away," said Harry, "Fighting openly with Voldemort wouldn't have done much good, anyway. Snape sacrificed his life to be a spy for Albus Dumbledore, the previous Headmaster. You can't get much more loyal to Hogwarts than that! Look, I thought I'd cleared all that up five years ago…"
"Yes," said the Headmaster, "but Rita Skeeter's book came out shortly after that, didn't it? Don't look at me that way, Harry. I know the woman is an incorrigible liar but she is undeniably popular."
Harry was outraged. He snorted, "So, you believe Rita Skeeter over me?"
"I didn't say that, Harry," said the Headmaster in a reasonable tone, "Did I not say the woman is an incorrigible liar? However, her book did nothing to make bereaved parents any fonder of Snape."
"If I may interject, "said Kingsley Shaklebolt, "I have to agree with Harry that Snape was Dumbledore's man and a vital member of the Order of the Phoenix. It is evident he was following the orders of the previous Headmaster and, as such, his portrait is worthy of being included here. "
Harry nodded vigorously and said, "Yes. If Snape hadn't done what he did, especially keeping the fact he wasn't the master of The Elder Wand from Voldemort, Voldemort might not have been defeated and a lot more people would have died."
The persuasive powers of the Minister of Magic and the Auror who defeated Voldemort when he was seventeen proved too much for the Headmaster. He agreed that, as long as it was not done with a lot of fanfare, a portrait of Snape might be included with those of the previous Headmasters of Hogwarts. It was agreed that Snape had been a private man and would not mind it being quietly done. Harry asked that he be given a few minutes alone with the portrait after the unveiling and that was readily agreed to.
An artist was commissioned and Harry also made a request of his own, so, on glorious summer afternoon, Harry had came to Hogwarts to see the portrait. Snape was standing in a sunny herb garden and holding a sprig of rosemary. Harry would not have chosen this setting for Snape and the outdoor setting made it different from those of the other Headmasters but it worked. Snape looked at peace; not cold control but real peace.
"Mr. Potter," said the artist, a skinny witch with tight curly hair the color of biscuits, "I have the other one."
She handed him a smaller picture. This one depicted two small children, a little black-haired boy and a red-haired girl on a playground. They were holding hands.
Harry had spent several sleepless nights before requesting this painting but, in the end, it seemed like the right thing to do. He felt tears welling up in his eyes for the man who had known only one bright spot in his life, Lily Potter, and had done so much without any desire for credit or glory, his only desire to see that Lily's sacrifice in keeping her son alive had not been in vain. It took some effort to keep his voice steady when he thanked the artist. She left and he was alone.
The portrait of Snape looked at Harry and said, "Thank you, Potter."
"I do hope you'll visit," said Harry and he held up the other painting.
"Often," said Snape.
Harry kept the painting of Snape and Lily in the breakfast room overlooking the garden where, one day, he would tell its story to a boy named for two Headmasters of Hogwarts.