Harry, Hermione and Sirius – the latter having been forced into the room and warned on pain of death not to leave – watched as Ron approached Snape warily. Snape was calmer than Harry had ever seen him, while Ron was pale and his sword-arm shook.
"We will start with the basics," Snape said once Ron was opposite him, "Show me what you know."
Ron hesitated, unsure exactly what Snape wanted. Snape gave a snort of exasperation.
"Attack me," Snape ordered.
When Ron still didn't do anything, the Death Knight swiftly lunged forward, his broad sword striking only a glancing blow off Ron's new chainmail. Ron staggered backward in shock, but managed to bring up his own sword in defence as Snape struck again.
Snape gave a small nod and stepped back, waiting for Ron to lead. This time Ron wasted no time delaying and attacked Snape as soon as the Death Knight motioned for him to do so.
Snape blocked every attack Ron made effortlessly. Harry had never appreciated swordplay before, but this was something more than the boys in the village attacking each other with sticks. Snape moved with a speed and grace that was astonishing in the heavy plate mail that covered him from head to toe. Ron, while not as practised, managed to hold his own.
That was until Snape, with a precisely calculated move, disarmed the younger Fighter. Ron's sword skidded over the floor in a parody of his fight against the Goblins. Ron looked to the observers for help.
"Do not expect them to aid you," Snape snarled, "Fetch your weapon."
Ron started toward his sword, but was thrown to the side as the flat of Snape's sword hit his side. The red-head looked up in surprise. Harry had to grab Hermione to stop her from rushing over.
"Fetch your weapon," Snape repeated.
Ron scrambled to his feet, keeping an eye on Snape this time. Therefore he was prepared when Snape made another attack. The broadsword made a loud clang as it hit the shield. Ron grimaced at the force of the blow, his arm ached something fierce.
They continued in that vein, while slowly moving toward Ron's discarded sword. Finally the young Fighter's foot hit the hilt of his sword. Determined, Ron shoved his shield toward Snape, taking the Death Knight by surprise. Taking the few precious seconds his act had bought him, Ron leaned down to grab his sword, rolling on the ground to stand up facing Snape.
This earned him another nod. Ron grinned cockily.
"Again," Snape intoned, readying his sword.
Ron's grin slipped off his face as he twisted out of the way of Snape sword. And so the clash of metal on metal started up again.
While Ron was resting from the sparring match and Hermione was healing him and Sirius had wandered off to Merlin only knew where, Harry followed Snape back into the map room.
"When Voldemort cast that spell on you, did you know what it was before or after the cast had finished," Snape asked, looking over the contents of one of the bookcases, "Or did you have no idea what it was until you were told?"
"I knew what the components were, and I think I understood what he was saying before it struck me," Harry said carefully.
Snape picked a book off the shelves and flicked through it until he found what he was looking for. He pushed the open book over a table toward a confused Harry.
"Here," was all Snape said.
Harry peered at the archaic symbols littering the pages. Something clicked in his mind and the spell became clear.
"Lightning Bolt?" Harry asked Snape.
"Very good, Potter," something that might have been pride tinted Snape's hollow voice, "You may study the rest of the book, none of the spells require anymore skill or power than you should be able to handle."
Curious, Harry flicked through a few pages. He came across a spell that made his breath catch in his throat.
"Fireball? You're letting me learn Fireball?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.
"You need to be adequately prepared," Snape said as an explanation, "Many Mages ignore combat spells simply because they believe that they will never enter battle. I do not want you to hinder us during fights."
"But you already know how to cast a Fireball, why do you need me to as well?" Harry asked.
Snape's gaze snapped unwaveringly to Harry. "Where did you learn that?" Snape asked harshly.
"S-Sirius told us," Harry stuttered, shaken by Snape's tone. Drawing courage from some place Harry continued, "He told us you burnt down Hogsmead."
"Of all the..." Snape muttered, pacing back and forth, "Why would he even tell you about that?"
"That was before I hired him," Harry clarified, "I was talking to Fred and Ron about the Nightmare and Sirius overheard."
Snape stopped pacing to fix Harry with a cold glare. "I thought I told you not to mention me by name."
"I didn't mean to," Harry protested, "Besides, it got Sirius to come along, didn't it?"
Snape snorted. "Sometimes I ask myself if that really was a good idea."
"You said you needed someone who could pick locks," Harry was getting angry, "Sirius can do that and he's quite good at fighting too."
"I didn't want a demonstration of his skills on half my Keep!" Snape snapped.
"Well you should've barred the door or something," Harry shot back, "You knew what he was like and you didn't do anything about it!"
"Do not take that tone with me," Snape snarled.
"Or what?" Harry felt reckless all of a sudden, "Or you'll stun me and leave like you did with Sirius? You've never faced up to anything, have you?"
In one lightning fast motion, Snape grabbed the front of Harry's robes and dragged him over the table. He held Harry about a foot off the ground, so they were eye to eye.
"You know nothing about what I have done," Snape hissed, "What I have given up, what I have lost... Nothing."
Harry could feel the Fear spell slip out of Snape's control again, but for some reason he didn't feel the need to run like last time.
"You heard the song last night," Snape continued, "I face my mistakes every time I hear it! I know what my greed cost me, what my pride stole from me. I live an unlife and I face it every second of every day."
He threw Harry to the ground and crouched down in front of him.
"You want to hear a story, Potter?" Snape asked, his voice deceptively calm, "Once upon a time there was a Paladin who turned his back on the Order and was cursed by an Elf maiden. Now he has been coerced into working with her great grandchild." Snape stood up over Harry, "Don't call me a coward, Potter. I face my mistakes every time I look at you."
With those chilling words Snape turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving a bewildered and shaken Harry behind.
Ron found Harry an hour later. The Mage had been staring at the Fireball spell, but not taking anything in ever since Snape had stormed out earlier.
"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Fine," Harry replied automatically.
There was a short silence. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Harry beat him to it.
"What would you do for Hermione?" Harry asked, not lifting his gaze from the strange patterns on the page.
Ron scratched his head in confusion. "Depends on what you mean."
"Say..." Harry thought about how to phrase what he was about to say, "Say she loved someone else, what would you do to win her heart?"
"Harry..." Ron said, "What are you getting at?"
"Would you betray me and Sirius?" Harry looked up for the first time, "Would you go to Voldemort to see if he could help you get her?"
"No, of course not," Ron said immediately, "I mean, if Hermione was happy..."
"She was happy," Harry snapped, bewildering Ron even further, "She was happy and he betrayed her."
"Harry..." Ron said slowly, "Are you still on about Hermione?"
"No," Harry hung his head.
"Then what's wrong?"
"It's Snape..." Harry choked on the name, "He... Do you remember someone joking that I must have some Elven blood since I could see in the dark better than everyone else?" Ron nodded slowly, "Remember Dumbledore not joining in with the laughter?" Ron nodded again, "That's because I do have some Elven blood."
"But you don't have pointy ears or anything like Sirius," Ron pointed out in confusion.
"It was my – what did Snape say? – great grandmother," Harry said bitterly, "She cursed Snape into a Death Knight."
"Blimey," Ron breathed, "And he always seemed to like you better than the rest of us."
"He does," Harry whispered, "He loved her. She was happy... and he let Voldemort kill so he could have her."
It suddenly became too much for Harry. He sank to the ground, tremors running through his body. Ron collapsed next to him, putting an arm around Harry's shoulders comfortingly. They sat in silence until Harry's shaking subsided.
"I'm not as good as Hermione at this sort of stuff," Ron admitted, "But I want to help you, whatever you need."
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said quietly.
"The way I see it," Ron said, scratching his head with his free hand, "If Hermione was with someone else who I didn't think was good enough to breathe the same air as her, I'd try and find a way to make her see that." Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Ron carried on, "And even if she found someone who could treat her like a princess, I'd still hate him and love her."
"But would you go to Voldemort?" Harry asked in a whisper.
"No," Ron said, "But what use would I be to a Lich? I mean, you've seen how Snape fights, right? I was giving it my all and he was holding back loads. Besides, if he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he'd be able to give Voldemort information from them too."
"Well, if not Voldemort, someone else with a lot of power?" Harry pushed.
"Maybe," Ron said quietly, "She means a lot to me, so... maybe"
They lapsed into another silence. This time it was broken by Harry.
"I... I'm going to find Snape," he said slowly.
"You sure?" Ron asked uncertainly.
"I... yes," Harry said firmly, pushing himself to his feet, "I want to figure some things out."
"Well, all right then," Ron stood up, still looking unsure.
"You should tell Hermione you know," Harry instructed Ron, "Before someone else does."
Ron's ears went red with embarrassment. "Not right now..."
"Soon," Harry said firmly, smiling for the first time since Ron entered the room.
However, his smile faded as he set off to find Snape. He'd be damned if he let the Death Knight keep such important secrets from him again.
Harry finally found Snape, at the top of the Keep. The sun was high in the cloudless sky, but there seemed to be a darkness surrounding the armour-clad figure. Snape's back was to the trapdoor Harry pulled himself through, but the Death Knight didn't appear surprised at the Mage's appearance by his shoulder.
"Come to have your revenge?" Snape asked sardonically.
"Why? Because you betrayed my great grandparents?" Harry watched a solitary bird take flight out of the vast forests nearby. "Ron doesn't even know his grandparents, I wouldn't have ever met them."
"Elves live longer than human," Snape reminded him, "You may have seen Lily."
"Was that her name?" Harry asked.
Snape looked at Harry for a long time before answering. "For one so curious for stories and adventure, I would have thought you might have asked someone before now."
Harry shrugged. "Our history teacher was really boring. Listening to something like Charlie's stories about Dragons was a lot more interesting. I ended up believing the only good stories were made up or were happening right now."
"And what do you believe now?" Snape asked.
"The only reason right now is so interesting is because of what's happened before," Harry answered slowly. "So the stuff before has to be interesting too."
"History teaches us lessons," Snape said, looking out over the land again, "If we can learn from our mistakes then history has served its purpose."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked quietly.
"Why are you still here?" Snape asked straight back.
"Because..." Harry struggled for the right words, "Because you're helping us get rid of Voldemort."
"Is that all?" Snape pressed.
Harry shook his head, but didn't say anything. Snape gave a tired sigh.
"Had I told you my entire history immediately you would never have followed me," Snape explained, "There are still things you don't know, things which I am not going to tell you unless I deem it absolutely necessary."
"Why not?" Harry demanded.
"Because," Snape enunciated carefully, "Despite having been involved in a fight against Goblins and meeting Voldemort, you are still a young man who knows little about the ways of the world."
"I know plenty!" Harry bristled.
"I am sure you do," Snape agreed, "Just not in the subjects I am talking about. No," he held up his hand as Harry tried to interrupt, "I am not insinuating anything bad about you, just that you have not the experience that I have."
Harry shut his mouth with a click, still fuming.
"For one thing," Snape turned fully to face the young Mage, "You have yet to take a life."
Harry's anger faded as he nodded his agreement.
"I doubt your Cleric friend has either," Snape continued, "That is something you must learn on this quest. While I hope everyone in Diagon does not have to learn the horror of warfare, I have a feeling that this will not be the case. Voldemort is on the move again, already casualties have occurred."
"I was almost one of them, wasn't I?" Harry asked sombrely.
"Almost," Snape agreed.
"And you saved my life," Harry said softly, "That could've killed you."
"I have a strong resistance to magic," Snape explained, "I was in no danger."
"Oh," Harry said, "Couldn't you try and kill Voldemort easily then?"
There was a moment of stunned silence then Snape began to laugh. He grabbed the parapet to keep himself upright while Harry looked on in confusion and annoyance.
"It wasn't that much of a stupid suggestion was it?" Harry snapped.
"This is exactly what I mean," Snape still sounded amused, "You have no idea what it is to battle a Lich. There are plenty of spells which could still harm me. Say he summons a battalion of monsters and Teleports away? Or he could set a trap using his illusionary spells. I may be able to cast a Fireball spell that can wipe out an entire village, but what use is that if the Dark Lord is too close to something I don't want destroyed?"
"I'm sorry I asked," Harry muttered.
"You will learn in due time," Snape sobered up, "And it will not be easy."
There was something off about Snape's voice, but before Harry could ask about it, the Death Knight strode over to the trapdoor and swung it open.
"Come, I believe I have to discuss combat with the Cleric," Snape ordered, "And probably drag the Bard out of a room he should not be in."
Harry nodded and followed. He didn't know if he felt any less confused, but he definitely felt better after that talk.