Story Title: Final Goodbye
Author: Cessedy
Rating: K+
Summary: Although the war is over, Harry still has one important thing left to do.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all contents relating to the books belong to J. K. Rowling. I'm not making any money with this.
A.N.: English is not my native language, so please bear with me. I don't have a beta so be generous with your reviews. I would love constructive criticism to improve my writing and of course my English. And now on with the story. I hope you like it!
Final Goodbye
Hours after its beginning Harry eventually managed to leave the party at the ministry which celebrated Voldemort's downfall (not that anyone other than Harry and his closest friends dared to call him that). His attendance had been mandatory so he'd had no other choice than to endure it, though his thoughts were drawn to another topic that was buzzing around in his head. There was one important thing he desperately wanted to do.
After he'd managed to leave the building unobtrusively, he apparated directly to Hogwarts. With long strides he crossed the grounds and headed towards the Whomping Willow. About a hundred metres further he entered a small courtyard that was enclosed with a shoulder high stone wall. He'd never noticed this place as a student, only after Dumbledore' portrait had told him about it, was he able to see it. This was the place the former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were buried. Not all of them of course, only those who had no remaining family or those who had requested to be buried on Hogwarts' grounds. With one last look over his shoulder to ensure his privacy Harry closed the gate behind him.
On the inside the courtyard looked quite beautiful if one could call a graveyard beautiful. The stone wall was overgrown with ivy that shone a brilliant green in the evening sun. The graves and monuments of generations of Hogwarts' Headmasters and Headmistresses looked well-cared for and nothing suggested that some of them had been in this place for hundreds of years. Small sand paths crossed the courtyard and granted access to a small open space in front of every grave and monument so that people could stand or knee before them.
Harry turned right and followed one path until it ended in front of a moderately sized marble stone that reached Harry's chest. It was obvious that this grave was quite new as the earth was fresh and the flowers newly planted. Most of the plants weren't flashy or colourful but instead useful ones, which could have been used in numerous potions. 'Just like he would probably have wanted.', Hary thought. In the top left corner of the stone was a depiction of a cauldron with a wand above it that emitted three sparks, the symbol of the International Potions Guild, which the inhabitant of the grave had once been a member of. Finally Harry stopped stalling and sank to his knees in front of the stone. For a second time he read the words engraved in the marble:
'Severus Snape
The script was precise and flowing and reminded Harry painfully of his former potions teacher. 'As if he wrote it himself' Harry thought. Under the dates was the Slytherin House coat of arms, which for the first time appeared noble and proud to Harry.
9.1.1960 - 2.5.1998
' Honored Potions Master
Head of Slytherin House 1980-1997
Headmaster of Hogwarts 1997-1998
Here lies a man who incorporates what bravery means. Often misunderstood he nevertheless continued on his chosen path to repent for mistakes he no longer needed to repent for. For years he risked his very life to ensure the continued existence of the Light and to protect all those who could not protect themselves. Even in his death he followed those beliefs and thereby enabled the final victory over the Dark. We all owe him our lifes and will never forget the sacrifices made by a man who could not forgive himself for mistakes made, but is forgiven by all of us.'
Finally Harry wasn't able to control his tears any longer. He had been praised and hailed. 'Harry Potter 'The Man Who Vanquished'' , they had said. But no-one was interested in what really happened that night Voldemort had finally been defeated.
Flashback
It was done. He had finally managed to destroy Voldemort. His theory concerning the Elder Wand had been sound and Voldemort was finally dead. Most of his family and friends had survived, though Fred's, Tonks' and Remus' deaths hit him hard. After Harry had located all those dear to his heart that had survived, he wandered aimlessly through the hall. Suddenly he was grabbed by someone, 'Where's Severus?' the person asked frantically. Harry turned and stood face to face with a dishevelled Draco Malfoy. 'Damn it Potter, where is Severus?' For a moment Harry was frozen, his thoughts a jumbled mess. Then he understood what Malfoy wanted. 'H-He – the S-Shack out-outside', He stopped talking and turned abruptly, before running out of the Great Hall and towards the entrance of the castle. How could he have forgotten about Snape?
'Potter what are you – where are you going? Wait! Potter! Stop!' He recognized Draco Malfoy's voice, but he didn't understand what the other boy was saying as he ran towards the Whomping Willow and the entrance to the secret tunnel ending at the Shrieking Shack. He vaguely heard someone running after him, but did not stop to find out who was behind him. While running he charmed a stick to fly and navigated it towards the knot at the bottom of the tree trunk. The tree stilled and Harry jumped through the hole, slid down the slope and started running again as soon as he got on his feet. Finally he reached the door to the room he had left Snape in.
Taking a deep breath Harry grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. The smell of blood assaulted his nose, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted. There he was. Severus Snape was laying there exactly like he had left him. Harry let himself breathe again. No-one had been here and done anything to Snape's body. Slowly he stepped nearer, then knelt down on the ground and looked at Snape's face. He couldn't quite grasp the fact that his former Potions Professor, the man who had never hidden that he hated Harry, had been the one to always protect him. The one that had ultimately enabled Harry to defeat Voldemort. The man who had been ordered by the old headmaster himself to kill the already dying Albus Dumbledore so that he himself could continue to aid Harry undetected.
Harry didn't know what to feel anymore. It definitely wasn't hate, no, there never had been a reason to hate Severus Snape as much as he had done. Maybe it was gratitude, gratitude mixed with sorrow, because ultimately, after all he had done and sacrificed to reach this goal, Snape would not be able to experience his life without either 'master' vying for his loyalty.
Suddenly there was a gasp behind him, followed by what could pass as a sob. 'Is he...?', Draco asked Harry unable to finish the sentence. 'Yes', was the simple answer that followed.
Nothing was said between those two as Harry cast first a cleaning charm on Snape, so that the blood would vanish and then arranged the dead Headmaster's robes to hide the wounds in his side. Finally he cast a levitating charm and made his way back through the tunnel towards Hogwarts Castle, followed by the quiet form of Draco Malfoy.
Flashback end
The ministry had put up quite a fight to have Snape buried together with all those Death Eaters that had died – without any honour, but Harry, supported by newly appointed Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, had put his foot down and had made quite clear that Severus Snape had died a hero and deserved to be buried as one, and if the ministry didn't heed this warning, he would go public with all those mistakes that had been made during the war. So the officials had caved in and given Harry and McGonagall free hand in arranging the burial of Severus Snape.
What followed was a small ceremony with only few people present, but those that were there, knew what a great man Severus Snape had been and they paid their respect willingly and glady. Even the Malfoy's had attended, though Lucius Malfoy had been guarded by two Aurors to ensure he didn't make a break for it. Harry himself was a witness in the Malfoy trial and had confirmed that Narcissa Malfoy had aided him greatly and that both elder Malfoys had abandoned the fight to save their son, resulting in a lower sentence than it could have been.
Shaking his head Harry stopped reminiscing and his mind came back to the present. The tears had stopped flowing and Harry sneezed once. He had come here to say a private thank-you and goodbye to the man they all had misunderstood and hated. After all, without Severus Snape he would not have been able to win this fight and he would never forget all Snape had sacrificed to ensure this. With that final thought Harry stood up, gave one last look to the newest grave in the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' final resting place and left the courtyard. With a quiet 'Goodbye Severus Snape. May you finally find your peace.', Harry closed the gate from the outside and returned home, where the remaining Weasleys were waiting for him.