Well here's Chapter 4. Again, reviews are encouraged. Hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns all.

Chapter 4

When midnight arrived, Severus glimpsed a barrage of blue lights heading towards them. When they struck the barrier, it shook under the force of the onslaught. For several minutes, all that could be heard was the forceful rumbling of the spells hitting the forcefield. Severus thought that the barrier would hold out longer than anticipated until a massive spell, presumably from the Dark Lord himself struck it.

The forcefield began to dissipate and shreds of it started to drift towards the ground below. The massive crowd of Death Eaters charged the castle. Some flew in puffs of black smoke, while others charged down the cliff towards the bridge.

"Minerva! That didn't exactly last long did it?" Severus bellowed.

"We can only hope it gave Potter enough time."

They joined the battle, aiding as many of the students as possible. Severus shot a disarming spell at a Death Eater before they could cast the killing curse on a student. Within minutes, the courtyard became so immensely crowded that the fighting had turned into an all-out slaughter. The best option, Severus decided, was to place himself in a corner where he could see everything and there would be no attacks from behind.

An explosion was heard from the west side of the castle. Longbottom had done his job, but Severus could only hope that the boy hadn't gotten himself killed. He shook his head. What is the matter with me? He thought, Since when do I actually care what happens to Longbottom. Maybe this all a result of discovering that Harry is my son.

He shot several stunning curses at a Death Eater, but was forced to put a shield up to protect him from a round of the Cruciatus curse. With a flick of his wand, he cast two Sectumsempra curses at nearby Death Eaters. They both collapsed almost immediately.

He strode over towards the two men and looked at the faces of Avery and Mulciber. Mulciber was convulsing on the ground in a pool of his own blood, but Avery was already dead.

"Traitor…you...are…a…traitor." Mulciber spat just before his body relaxed and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was dead.

"The only treacherous thing I ever did was join the ranks of your kind." Severus said with bitter remorse as he looked down at the bodies of his former friends. The Dark Lord's voice filled the air once again.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."

Severus raced from the courtyard to find his son, robes billowing behind him. In the Great Hall, teachers and students were working on collecting and identifying the dead. Harry, Granger and Weasley were gathered around a stretcher with the rest of the Weasley family. Molly had lost one of her sons. He strode towards Harry and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Did you find the Horcrux Potter?" his son nodded. "Then you must come with me. It is time for me to tell you the rest of the truth." They headed for the Headmaster's office.

When they reached his office, Severus moved for the pensieve in the corner. He held his wand up to his temple and a milky silver substance collected on it. He lowered the memory into the basin.

"When you have watched all of these memories, you will understand." Severus watched as his son plunged into the pensieve.

Harry felt himself falling deeper into the basin. He found himself in a field of grass, flowers, and one tree devoid of leaves. Two young girls stood next to him. One had brown hair and was dressed in plain brown clothes. The other had striking red hair and green eyes. Though Harry had never met her, he immediately knew who she was. It was his mother.

She held a daisy in her hand and was opening and closing it with magic. She continued to do so until the other girl, who Harry assumed was his Aunt Petunia, swatted the flower out of her hand. Lily ran up the hill behind her towards the large tree and Petunia followed her.

"Come here, come here Lily." Petunia shouted. "I'm going to tell Mummy. You're a freak. You're a freak Lily. She suddenly stopped walking and looked at Lily incredulously. It was only after Harry turned around that he realized what she was looking at.

A pale skinned boy stood by the tree. He had shoulder length black hair and a hooked nose. It was Snape. Petunia ran at the sheer sight of him. He turned to Harry's mother and introduced himself. They walked down the other side of the hill and strode through a small area of trees. Eventually, they came to a small pond and lay down under a cluster of trees.

"She's jealous." Snape said. "She's ordinary and you're special." His mother looked over him and frowned.

"That's mean, Severus."

Suddenly, the leaves from the trees were transfigured into dragonflies. As they filled the air, Harry wondered if Snape would tell him about his mother if he asked. He knew that he and the Potions Master had never seen eye to eye, but it was possible that Snape might be the closest living person to his mother.

The memory changed.

Lily was sitting on a chair in the Great Hall when the sorting hat cried out.

"GRYFFINDOR!" She hopped off of the chair and went to join the other Gryffindors at their table. Snape watched sadly as his mother and father met for the first time.

The scene changed.

Snape and Lily were walking down the hall carrying books. Snape's voice echoed through the hall.

"Just like your father. Lazy. Arrogant." James and Sirius came rushing down the hall, bumping both Lily and Snape as they went. The books toppled to the floor as Snape glared down the hall. James turned back and smirked at Lily, but was met with her sad gaze

Once again, Harry was shown the memory that he saw in Snape's pensieve. He knew what had happened and he knew what Snape had called his mother. . Harry wondered how his mother and father ended up together at Hogwarts. He was met with his answer when the next memory appeared. It turned out they weren't.

The memory changed to show Lily in a nightgown speaking with Snape outside Gryffindor Tower.

"I only came out here because Mary said you were threatening to sleep here." She said coldly.

"I'm sorry." Snape tried to apologize.

"Save your breath." Lily muttered.

"I never meant to call you Mudblood. It just"

"Slipped out? It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can even understand why even talk to you. You and your precious Death Eater friends… You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine." She started walking back towards the tower.

"Lily... I love you." Those words made her stop in her tracks. As the memory faded and the next one appeared, Harry knew that Snape's words had made all the difference. Snape and Lily were dancing in the Hogwarts courtyard before sharing a kiss.

The memory faded almost as soon as it appeared.

Snape and Lily were standing at the altar, both wearing dress robes. Snape was wearing robes of brilliant forest green, while Lily dressed in shining ivory robes. Snape looked happier than Harry had ever seen him. The priest closed his book.

"I now pronounce you man and wife: Mr. And Mrs. Severus Snape. You may now kiss the bride." Snape drew Lily in for a kiss as the onlookers cheered. The happy memory did not last as long as it should have, for it was quickly replaced with one that had quite opposite emotions behind it.

Snape was yelling at Lily with absolute agony on his features.

"You cheated on me with James and now you're marrying him? How could you do this to me?" He bellowed.

"Sev, you don't understand…." Lily pleaded.

"What's there to understand Lily? I never want to speak to you again." Snape swept away, throwing his wedding ring down as he left. Trelawney's voice echoed, "Servant and master shall be reunited once more! Voldemort's head appeared.

"Severus." He hissed.

"No don't kill me!" Snape pleaded. He appeared on a mountainside, facing Dumbledore.

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July." The former Headmaster explained.

"Yes, but he thinks it's her son." Snape was in tears and Harry could hardly believe what he was seeing. "He intends to hunt them down now to kill them. Hide her. Hide them all. I beg you."

"What will you give me in exchange, Severus?" Dumbledore questioned. Snape's reply was simple.

"Anything."

The scene changed.

Lily was standing in front of a crib. Harry's crib. She was crying.

"Harry you are so loved. So loved. Harry, mumma loves you. Dada loves you. Harry be safe. Be strong." At that moment, Voldemort burst into the room.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" His mother fell as the scene dissolved.

Snape and Dumbledore were standing in the astronomy tower. Snape was leaning against the wall and tears were streaming down his face. Harry had never seen this side of Snape and it was both frightening and saddening at the same time.

"You said you would keep her safe." Snape cried.

"Lily and James put their faith in the wrong person Severus, rather like you." Dumbledore explained. "The boy survives."

"He doesn't need protection. The Dark Lord is gone!" He bellowed.

"The Dark Lord will return, and when he does the boy will be in terrible danger. He has her eyes." Snape looked up at that. "If you truly loved her."

"No one can know." Snape pointed a finger at Dumbledore.

"I shall never reveal the best of you Severus." He replied.

"Give me your word."

"When you will risk your life every day to protect the boy."

The memory shifted to show the first time Harry saw Snape, whose voice echoed.

"He possesses no measureable talent. His arrogance rivals even that of his father and he seems to relish in his fame."

"James Potter. Lazy. Arrogant." The memory dissolved.

"My father was great man!" the memory Harry retorted.

"Your father was a swine!" Snape cried as he threw Harry into a chair. The scene disappeared and Harry finally understood where Snape's hate for him came from. Snape loved Harry's mother and she left him for James. He knew that he looked like his father, so it was only natural that Snape would feel hate towards him. Harry felt sorry for Snape and maybe, just maybe he could forgive him for everything.

Another scene appeared. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. Dumbledore's hand was blackened and a ring lay smashed on the desk, with the stone still intact.

"It will contain the curse to your hand for the time being, but it will spread Albus." Snape explained.

"How long?" Dumbledore asked with a grim expression on his face.

"Maybe a year." Snape moved swiftly away from the desk and headed for the door.

"Don't ignore me Severus." Dumbledore called. Snape stopped in his tracks and faced Dumbledore. "We both know Lord Voldemort has ordered the Malfoy boy to murder me, but should he fail, I should presume that the Dark Lord will turn to you. You must be the one to kill me Severus. It is the only way. Only then will the Dark Lord trust you completely.

Once again, Harry was forced to watch Snape kill Dumbledore. This time, however, he knew the truth behind Snape's actions.

"There will come a time when Harry Potter must be told something, but you must wait until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable."

"Must be told what?" Snape questioned.

"On the night Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry and Lily Potter cast herself between them, the curse rebounded. When that happened, a part of Voldemort's soul latched itself onto the only living thing it could find: Harry himself. There's a reason Harry can speak with Snakes. There's a reason he can look into Lord Voldemort's mind. A part of Voldemort lives inside him." Snape's face was serious, but his expression soon became quite worried.

"So when the time comes, the boy must die?"

"Yes." Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, he must die."

"You've kept him alive so that he can die at the proper moment." Harry could feel Snape's rage. "You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter."

"Don't tell me now that you've grown to care for the boy." Dumbledore said. Snape pulled out his wand.

"Expecto Patronum." A silvery doe sprang from the tip of his wand. It pranced around the room before disappearing out the window.

"Lily!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "After all this time?" Snape was staring at the headmaster, a lone tear sliding down his face.

"Always."

There was a pause.

"So when the time comes, the boy must die?"

"Yes, and Voldemort himself must do it. That is essential. The memory changed.

Snape was talking to a ghostly form. It took Harry a moment to realize that it was his mother.

"No!" He cried, sinking to his knees. "It's not possible; he is the spitting image of Potter." Lily would not meet his gaze.

"Sev, I was the charms student in our year if you remember correctly. It only took a few glamour charms to conceal Harry's true appearance. His real name is Harry James Snape and he is your son."

Those words alone shocked Harry more than any of the memories before it. He was abruptly pulled from the memories and before he knew it, he was back in Snape's office.

Severus watched Harry resurface from the pensieve. He fell back onto the steps with a look of utter shock on his face. Severus moved to sit beside his son. There was a long silence until Harry spoke softly.

"How long?"

"I'm sorry?" Severus looked at him.

"How long have you known that you're my... father?" Severus sighed.

"About a day and a half." Harry looked shocked. "I found out just before my cover was blown. I spoke to Lily with the resurrection stone and she told me herself. Until then, I had always believed that you were Potter's son. As you have probably guessed, that is why I regarded you with such remorse. My heart broke when Lily left me, and for the person I hated most. I now know the truth about why she left." He paused for a moment.

"Shortly after we graduated from Hogwarts, we were married. I knew that a war with the Dark Lord was coming and I promised I would keep her safe. I would have been able to, but Albus requested my assistance as a spy for the Order. Everything went horribly wrong for me when I was forced to take the Dark Mark." Severus felt his breath catch in his throat, and was embarrassed at allowing his emotions to overcome him.

"I was called to a mission and was gone for quite a while. When I returned I found out that I was proclaimed dead. I found out that she married Potter shortly after and when I learned that she was pregnant I assumed the child was Potter's. When I went to Lily, She acted as though she wanted nothing to do with me. I was jealous. Why should Potter get to have what was supposed to be mine?" Severus clenched his fists, anger building up inside him. "It seems that nothing in my life has gone as planned. I wish that I could ask for your forgiveness, but it seems a little late for that."

"I can forgive you. The truth was hidden from both of us and I understand why you hated me for being James' son. I also know that you protected me on numerous occasions even when you thought I wasn't your son."

Harry did something rather unexpected. He leaned over and embraced the man he had hated for seven years, the man who was his father. Severus was shocked by the display of affection, but held his son. He knew that it was probably the last time he would get to do so.

"Harry. You are so much like your Mother. Besides having her eyes, you have the same kindness in your heart and the obligation to help people whenever you can."

"What was she like?" Harry asked longingly.

"She was the kindest person I have ever met and she was capable of finding goodness in everyone. When things were bad at my house, I could always sneak away to see Lily. She would listen to my troubles and try to comfort me. Even when we were at school and in different houses, we still remained friends despite the pressure from both of our houses. She even forgave me after the incident in our fifth year." The clock struck four, indicating that the Dark Lord would be expecting Harry.

"Harry, I wish I could tell you more, but it is time for you to go to the Forbidden Forest. You now know what you have to do."

"Are you sure that it's the only way?" Harry questioned. Severus sighed.

"I hate to admit it, but yes it is." They both stood and Severus embraced his son once more. Harry headed for the door, but stopped once he had opened it.

"Goodbye... Dad." It happened so quickly and in a moment, his son was gone. Severus found his heart breaking just as it had when Lily died. Harry had just acknowledged that Severus was his father and now Severus was about to lose the last person he cared for. Severus moved to sit down in his hair and buried his face in his hands.

Well, what did you guys think of that chapter? Let me know in a review. They are greatly appreciated.