Chapter 4: Petition

Aaaand here's our friendly disclaimer; though if you actually think I'm J.K. well, then you probably have issues. Which is okay, I wish I was her, which probably means I have some sort of issues too.

Dinner at the Burrow that night was a loud, hectic and absolutely wonderful affair in Harry's mind. He had counted himself as a member of the Weasley family since the first time Ron brought him here, and especially now that he was dating Ginny.

To Harry these dinners were heaven, the room was filled with people who he loved and who loved him, he never knew his own mother, but the way Mrs. Weasley fretted over all of them, making sure they had third helpings of everything, it made him feel like he did have a mother. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had been insisting for a while now that Harry should feel free to call them mum and dad, but so far Harry hadn't managed to do so.

During these contemplations of Harry, Mrs. Weasley was cleaning off the table; while everyone had left to go play some quidditch in the backyard.

"Here, mum. Let me help you with that."

Mrs. Weasley froze, and so did Arthur who had been about to leave the room, did Harry really just call Molly mum? For a month now he'd refused, saying he didn't deserve the that honor quite yet.

"Sure Harry, no problem. Why don't you grab some of those extra chairs and bring them into the shed, after that go join everyone else for the game. You need to relax, your meeting with the school governors tomorrow must be making you nervous."

"Oh, that reminds me," he turned around to face Arthur, "hey dad, do you think you could talk to me a little later and explain what I'd be dealing with tomorrow?"

Arthur nodded at Harry, to dumbfound to speak. Harry grabbed the chairs, and went outside to join the others.

Molly and Arthur looked at each other, tears in their eyes. Finally, after one long month it seemed as though Harry was starting to move forward from his ordeals. They both knew he'd never truly forget, but accepting them as family, it was a big step.

Maybe, after his meeting with the School Governors tomorrow (arranged for him my Kingsley), after what they both knew he considered his last duty, they'd see even more improvement.

Ministry of Magic

Courtroom

School Governors Meeting

Harry looked up at the thirteen people that sat before him, feeling more nervous at this stare down, than when he had faced Voldemort.

The school governors were currently looking at Harry Potter with mixed looks of apprehension and admiration. This was the boy that lived, and the man who won, savior of the wizarding world, and a wizard of high caliber. The Minister had not informed them as to why Harry was petioning them, but they knew it must be important.

A few more minutes passed in silence, before Brandon White, the head Governor as Harry had been informed my Mr. Weasley last night, stood and drew the attention upon himself.

"This meeting is now in session, we address Mr. Harry James Potter."

Harry let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding, 'now or never' he told himself.

"Thank you Mr. White."

"What is it you would like from us, Mr. Potter?"

He prepared himself for the reaction he was about to receive…

"I am here on the behalf of Severus Snape. I am requesting you to petition his portrait as one of Hogwarts Headmasters."

Immediately chairs were falling onto the ground as people stood in outrage, others simply began talking amongst themselves, while again others were yelling insults at Harry and Snape.

"QUIET!" Mr. White yelled.

He looked upon Harry with utter shock in his eyes.

"Do I understand you correctly Mr. Potter? You want a portrait of Severus Snape, who was a known Death Eater, and supporter of You-know-"

"Voldemort!"

Several shrieks were heard around the room when Harry interrupted White so suddenly to say HIS name.

"Excuse me?" Mr. White said, his face as pale as his last name.

"Lord Voldemort. Tom Marvolo Riddle. That is his name, Mr. White, and while I understand that you are in a position of authority over me, I will not tolerate this 'you know who' nonsense any longer. 'fear of a name, only increases the fear of the thing itself,' Mr. White. Voldemort is dead, no longer to return. He was a wizard who went bad, nothing more. Say his name."

Brando White looked at Harry with a new level of respect and nodded at him.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. Back to the topic, however, you want a portrait of Severus Snape, supporter of V-V-Voldemort among the headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I do. It's an honor he deserves. There is more to his story than you know. Severus Snape, for the past sixteen years, has been a double agent. He has been Dumbledore's man in all that time. It was on Dumbledore's orders that Snape killed him, it was on Dumbledore's orders that Snape took control of Hogwarts, it was always for Dumbledore."

The silence in the room was so evident you could almost hear it, no one was making a single sound, you couldn't even hear anyone breathing. This silence lasted for some minutes before a woman stood, looked directly at Harry and asked the question everyone was asking.

"Why? If we believed you, which at this point, I'm not sure if I do, why would Severus Snape do such a thing? I went to school with him, he was into the Dark Arts, treated Muggle-borns horridly, and enjoyed it. And you expect me to believe that this man turned good?"

"Yes. It is rather a difficult thing to grasp, isn't it." This statement and in the way in which Harry said it, reminded everyone of Dumbledore, and they knew they were about to hear a great tale."

"Well, miss. It all boils down to the greatest power known to man, the power that, to all intent and purposes, defeated Riddle: love."

The members of the audience that knew Dumbledore well, were smiling at this point, Harry had taken after the man in the strangest ways.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione, who were sitting right behind Harry, looked at him and then at each other with tears and smiles. Of course he would chose love as the way to present the changed heart of Severus Snape, how else. He really was Dumbledore's man through and through. They turned back at the scene that was unfolding before them. The woman that had stood and questioned Harry, and the Governors were staring at Harry as though he had grown another head. Harry simply smiled, before continuing his tale.

"It is quite the romantic story actually, though it does not have a happy end, and personally still give me the creeps. He smiled sheepishly.

"Sever Snape was in love with my mother, Lily Evans, since the first time he saw her at age 10."

Harry then proceeded to tell the Governors and the assembled audience the story of Severus and Lily, two friends turned against each other, but never stopping to care for another. He told of betrayals and remorse, and explained Snape's vital part in his defeat against Voldemort.

"… I wouldn't have been able to succeed without the aid of Severus Snape."

At the end of Harry's tale, the Governors looked at each other, all sharing the same look of acceptance in their eyes, they wouldn't even have to vote.

Mr. White coughed and drew the attention back to him.

"Harry Potter, your request has been accepted. The portrait of Severus Snape will be revealed a week from now at Hogwarts. It would honor us greatly if you were there."

Harry nodded his accent and turned around to leave the room, his girlfriend and two friends following him; leaving the crowd behind them stunned and speechless.

A/N: Well, folks there you have it. For the longest time I wasn't sure what to do with this scene, and I'm still not sure if I liked the way it turned out… so let me know what you think. Reviews are greatly appreciated. One more chapter and then the epilogue to go. Should be up soon. Epilogue already written. Thanks Bunches!

Lovin_Severus