Chapter two

Minerva McGonagall walked down the stone steps at the entrance way to the castle and made her way over to Harry who was working on the damaged wall.

'Harry,' she said.

'Professor, did you want something?'

'Yes, can you come inside with me please, I need to show you something then speak with you?'

'Sure,' Harry put his wand in his back pocket then followed her into the school. They headed to the rooms that had been set up as a hospital and Harry wondered what she wanted to show him.

Minerva and Harry stepped into the room, she nodded to Poppy then opened a door to a smaller room, then gestured for Harry to enter.

'As you can see, Severus is alive.'

Harry stared down at the man that had been in love with his mother and saw dark eyes stare back at him.

'He looked dead and we still needed to do something.'

'You don't need to explain, that's not why I brought you here. Because of the damage done to his throat, he can't talk and Poppy said he won't be able to for a long time. But the minister and I need answers Harry, answers only you or Severus can give us.'

'He gave me a memory before I thought he died and I suppose it's time to show you,' Harry stepped over to the bed, 'We might not like each other Snape, but you did help, so thanks,' Snape gave a curt nod but otherwise made no other gesture.

'Come with me Harry.'

Harry again followed McGonagall until they got to Dumbledore's office, Harry still thought of it as Dumbledore's even though it was now McGonagall's. When they stepped inside Harry saw Kingsley Shacklebolt sitting there.

'Minister,' Harry said giving a small nod.

'Harry, its good to see you and we're not at the ministry, so Kingsley is fine.'

'Okay,' Harry gave him a smile, 'So you need answers, I was expecting this,' Harry blew out a deep breath, 'I have a memory that you can both see, but I would like your word that the part about me, near the end, that it never gets mentioned to anyone. Only Ron and Hermione know, and Snape knows as well. I want to keep it that way. It's not something that anyone else needs to know.'

'Far enough Harry, so we might as well watch that, then if we need more answers, we'll know more.' Kingsley said.

'Alright,' Harry stepped over to Albus Dumbledore's portrait, who looked down at Harry and gave him a nod. He pointed his wand at it, opened it and took out a vial before turning around then closed the portrait. 'I thought it was safest to leave it here.'

'How did you know that was there, I never knew it was there?' Minerva asked.

'I never knew until I saw this memory. Just so you know though, I had no idea about any of this and only found out during the pause in the fighting,' Harry handed the vial to McGonagall, 'I don't need to see it again, but it should answer a lot of your questions.'

'Then why don't you sit down until we finish,' Minerva said, Harry gave her a nod then sat on the small sofa in the corner of the room. Kingsley and Minerva both looked at the vial, then she poured it into the pensieve, both of them entering Severus Snape's memory.

'I would like to tell you Harry that the pensieve actually belonged to me, not the school. I wish for you to have it, once you have a home that is.'

Harry stood up and looked up at his old headmaster, 'But aren't they very rare professor?'

'Extremely, but I know you would put it to good use. I also know there are some memories that you would like to leave out of that very full head of yours.'

Harry nodded, 'When you first said that to me, I never understood, but now, I feel like my head might explode from having so much inside it. So yeah, leaving some out would be good. Well, if you're sure you want me to have it, I'll look after it and actually like the idea of owning something of yours.'

'I do have something else for you, but I was going to wait until you finished your last year here before mentioning it. I ask only one thing Harry, that for the first few months, use it for yourself, it will help you with healing, with learning to live with what you have been through in your very short life.'

'Oh, yeah, okay. I might have been angry with you a lot, but I always trusted you. So I'll keep it to myself. Is it one of these strange and weird instruments?'

'No, it is my home Harry. I know you probably think I always lived here, but I did have a home that I would spend time in after the school year finished.'

'But don't you want your brother to have that?'

'I did offer it to Aberforth if I died before him, he turned me down. You know that my brother and I never got along even if he did assist me over the years. So I do understand why he does not want it. It is a very beautiful and calming house Harry, something I think would suit you.'

'Um, well, I do need somewhere to live, I can't stay at the Burrow forever. I know I can buy something, I just figured I would after I finished Hogwarts. So if you're really sure, okay, I'd love to accept it, thanks professor.'

'Wonderful and Minerva has all the details for you. Ah, but I see ripples in the pensieve, they are returning, so you need to sit down with them and explain. I will be here to assist with things I know from before I died.'

'That's good to know professor, because you know more about this stuff than I do. But I will tell you quickly, even though I'm not going to use it, I have decided to keep the wand. But since you've given me a house, I might keep it there, under enchantments and hidden of course.'

'If that is what you wish Harry, it is yours to do with what you like. I only say this, try not to let anyone else know what that wand is.'

'No one apart from Hermione and Ron know professor and they have both promised to keep it to themselves. They also believe it's with you, I never told them I decided to keep it.'

'Oh my,' Minerva said as she stepped over to Harry, 'That's why he believed you were dead?'

'Yes professor, I saw that and realised what I had to do. I never expected to survive though,' Harry looked up at the portrait again, 'Something you never told Snape to tell me.'

'Only because I was not positive it would work. I did not want to give you false hope.'

'Did you think Harry could survive Albus?' Kingsley asked.

'I thought there was a good chance, but I was not certain of it.'

'So you never knew this until you saw this memory?' Kingsley asked.

'No, nothing, it makes sense now though. I kept seeing into his mind, I knew he was turning up here, I speak parseltongue. It's because I had that inside me and that's what I don't want anyone to know, everything else is fine, just not about me.'

'That's why you've been getting sick, isn't it Harry?' Minerva asked kindly.

'Yes, but how did you know?'

'We have been keeping an eye on you.'

'Minerva, just so you know, I have told Harry that he now owns my pensieve, also my home. I always planned to tell Harry, but thought it could wait until after he finished his last year here, I just decided to tell him now.'

'I'm not like Albus, I don't use a pensieve, but maybe you will Harry. You remind me so much of Albus when he was younger. Would you like to take it with you now?'

'No, not until after I finish, then I'll take it to the house. He said you have all the details.'

'Yes, Albus explained and left me with everything.' she went to her drawer and took out a thick envelope and handed it to Harry.

'So Kingsley, do you have any questions?'

'More than I can think of, but right now I'm in shock Harry. So for now, I could use some time to think about all this. Why don't we meet back here tomorrow?'

'I'll be here, professor, do you want to know anything?'

'Just like the minister, I would like to think over what we have seen. So why don't you head to the Burrow and relax for a while?'

'Yeah, I might do that. Could you take care of that memory?'

'I'll place it back where you did.'

'Thanks,' Harry gave them a smile and smiled up at Albus Dumbledore before leaving the office.