Prologue
Severus Snape found himself staring out a window overlooking the Black Lake. The serene water was lifeless before his eyes, appearing as a big sheet of black glass. Snape clutched his fist pressing one clenched hand up against the cool pane. He grit his teeth before swinging around glaring at a painting hanging over his desk.
"Why?" he snarled. "I've sacrificed everything, why can't I be granted at least this."
"You know exactly why, Severus. He needs to be reunited with her." Albus Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room.
The professor looked around the Headmaster's office feeling misplaced. Ever since Albus's death the room felt barren, like a soul less husk yearning to return the light that Dumbledore took with his fall. All of Hogwarts felt the dark wash of cold abandon when Albus plunged to his grave.
Snape turned back looking at the late Headmaster and shook his head, "I just wanted to see her one last time. To hold her once more." Tears pricked the lids of the new Headmaster's eyes.
"There, there, Severus. It's not forever, she will unite us. She will make everything right again, soon." Albus smiled his eyes twinkling.
Severus nodded sitting down before the darkwood desk. With shaky hands, he dragged parchment paper to sit in front of him. The stiff sheets awaited the sharp tip of a quill to slash ink over its creamy pages. The previous Potions teacher grasped the black feather in his unsteady fingers and slowly wrote a letter. After a few sentences were scrawled out, he signed the missive. Before he could fold the parchment to place in the envelope, a lone tear escaped the swell of water in Severus' eyes and splashed on his signature.
Snape ignored the drop as he pulled a small photo from the folds of his robes. He looked one last time at the young girl smiling back at him. He traced the long raven curls of her hair, the thin wire frame glasses sitting on her nose. He stared back into the happy green eyes that she shared with her mother. The girl didn't try to speak, nor did she wave. The photo remained still unlike the many paintings and photos lining the walls of the office.
Slipping the small picture into the envelope he quickly sealed the letter and wrote a name on the front. With haste he wrote another note and rolled it up tying it with string before turning to the owl sitting on the sill of the window the man was gazing out of just moments ago. "Take this to McGonagill."
The owl shook its wings as it prepared for flight. He took off within seconds of Severus opening the window.
As Snape watched the owl fly off, he asked one last question of the old man. "Will he find her?"
"I believe he will, Severus. I believe he will." As Albus responded Severus saw one last thing before the owl flew out of sight. The name on the letter that had been scrawled out across the vellum. Harry.