Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it!
Coming from the halls of the once greatest school, the cries of mourners could be heard throughout the castle. Brothers and sisters clung to their fallen siblings, mothers and fathers sobbed for their lost children, and friends cried for those that gave their lives fighting to protect their world. Walking among them all, crying for all who had died, the Professors mourner the innocence that had been lost this day; for their students that they would never see grow up and those whose blood would forever live within the stones.
"You heartless bastard!" Rang through the halls, accompanied by the sound of Padma Patel's open palm meeting with George Weasley's cheek. The entire hall went silent, turning to watch the scene that had interrupted their cries. Tears were streaming down Padma's cheeks; her body shook from repressed rage and sobs she refused to let out. There, standing before her with a red and stinging cheek, stood George Weasley. Nothing more was said between the two as Padma stomped to away to her sister's body and dropped to her knees beside her twin; it is only then that the halls notices the lack of tears on Georges face, though they all knew that he had lost his twin this night.
Before another word could be spoke, before the mourning could start anew, before anyone could even turn back to their dead; the doors to the great hall were thrown open. Standing in the doorway was a man many in the hall despised, a man whose loyalty many were unsure of, and a man that most of them thought to be dead; Severus Snape stood in the doorway, blood still dripping from his neck where a crude bandage was held in place with a spell.
"Hogwarts, if you please." Snape spoke, his smooth voice carried across the silent hall. At his words, magic seemed to come alive in the hall, lifting those that had died in the final battle into the air. "Heal!"
At Snape's command magic formed around the dead, those in the hall looked on as bones mended and skin reformed; leaving bodies floating in the air looking as if the individuals were simply sleeping. Seemingly unbothered by the bodies, Snape walked between the mourners to the middle of the hall, where, with a flick of his wrist, a full cauldron arose from the floor. The mourners watched in shock as George Weasley leaped forth and dipped a ladle into the cauldron before walking to his floating twin. Raising the ladle to his lips, George pored the potion into Fred's mouth and massaged his throat to get him to swallow.
"How long until we know if it works?" George asks, turning to his once professor.
"Three…two…one" Snape counted. Right as the last count left his mouth, Fred sat up in the air with a gasp. Taking in a large lung-full of air, Fred looked to his right and smirked at his twin and professor before dropping to the floor. The twins embraced before turning to Snape, giving him no warning before they grabbed his arms and swiftly guided him to a chair and forcing him to sit.
"You have done your part, Professor" George said
"Let us to the rest" Fred finished.
Both twins set off with ladles of the potion, delivering a ladle-full to each body that still floated among their loved ones. Catching on quickly, others began to grab bowls and cups, filling them with the potion and helping to distribute it to those they thought they had lost forever. Soon, those that had once lain dead in the hall, were awake and healed in the arms of their family and peers.
"How is this possible?" Was yelled from somewhere in the hall, causing all eyes to turn to Snape as he stood from his chair and addressed the hall.
"I designed a potion many years ago, not long after the first war concluded. This potion allowed for an individual to continue living for twenty-four hours after their body had died, then it was only a matter of getting the antidote into them before time ran out." Snape's voice, as it had done many times during his teaching career, carried throughout the room and ensnared all those that listened. They were in awe, that their potions professor had managed to create a potion that could have potentially saved them all. "I had no intentions of losing any students this night."
"But professor, what if you had truly died? Would we all then be dead still?" Colin Creevey asked timidly, old habits die hard you know.
"No, I ensured that, should I die in this battle, three others knew of the potion and what was needed heal you all." The hall was shocked when Snape, the dungeon bat who never smiled, or showed any amount really, smiled at the Weasley twins. "The twins here knew exactly what to do should I not be able to administer the potion myself."
"You said three though!" Professor Flitwick called to his colleague, now intrigued with who else Severus could trust enough to leave the information about his creation with. "Who is the third?"
Before his question could be answered, the hall doors once more were thrown open. In the doorway, stood Harry Potter. Blood still covered him, his hair sticking up and his clothes covered in dust from the fallen castle. The cleanest part of him was the fresh tear tracks on his cheeks. The hall watched as Harry swiveled his head back and forth, looking frantically through the hall for someone, then his eyes locked on Snape. Harry tool a small step forward, never removing his eyes from his potions professor. The hall was expecting an explosion, for Harry had not been there for the healings or Snape's explanation. They were definitely not prepared for what really happened.
"Papa?" Harry asked in a quiet voice, as if afraid his eyes had tricked him. Severus gave a slight nod and that was all it took for Harry to race into his open arms with a shout upon his lips. "Papa!"
