Out for a Walk in the Moonlight:

Harry quietly navigated through the gigantic creaking trees of the forbidden forest. He had not imagined that his search would take this long but doubt was nowhere to be found in is mind. He did wonder if his enjoyment in having a task again was delaying the achievement of his search.

Ahead, the strong glow of his patronus picked silently through the mist. Harry smiled to himself at the thought of how easily his patronus came to him now. Now that it was just him and happy memories of a world safe from darkness.

Suddenly the patronus's head and ears whipped back and looked at him. A trickle of fear ran down Harry's spine as he quickly crouched and turned whilst drawing his wand.

"Potter!? What the devil are you doing out here!?" hysterically questioned Professor McGonagall.

"Professor! I'm sorry," stammered Harry, as he quickly stowed his wand to his side! I was just looking for something?"

"Sorry my…looking for something?!" exclaimed the Professor. "What do you think gives you the right to be wandering around the grounds, unprotected at this hour!? "Aaand," continued the Professor, silently dispatching Harry's protest with a glare, "do not try and suppose this is your first walk out in the moonlight."

Harry eyes shifted momentarily to his patronus who was still starring at the Professor. He smiled off the question. "He is quite bright isn't he?"

"Extremely Mr Potter," bluntly answered the Professor. "I have Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students, entranced from their bedrooms, convinced there is a Ghost or worse haunting the forbidden forest!"

"I'm sorry Professor, I seem to keep forgetting I'm under rules again," admitted Harry as he scratched his head.

"Potter-when have you ever remembered," affectionately smiled the Professor. "A year on the run hardly will have improved your familiarity with them."

Harry grinned but his smile faded as quickly as it appeared.

"Potter, I trust you know there is no hiding from what Granger, Weasley and yourself did," quietly entered the Professor. "You saved our world and that of the muggles too, from a terrible fate. A year at Hogwarts cannot erase it."

Harry ducked his head and clamped his eyes tightly shut.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up into the Professors shining eyes.

She gave his shoulder a little squeeze, "but I'm glad you all returned," whispered McGonagall.

The Professor dropped her hand and stared after Harry's stag patronus, which had returned to picking through the underbrush. Suddenly it stopped, half circled so as to face Harry, and planted its feet defiantly. Harry quietly gasped and calmly made his way over to the patronus. At its hooves lay a particularly shinny stone. Harry bent and recovered the resurrection stone, running his finger over the carved insignia of the deathly hallows.

Returning to his confused Professor, "the resurrection stone," informed Harry placing it in her hand.

The Professor turned it over in wide eyed disbelief.

"Dumbledore made sure that I had use of it prior to…surrendering," Harry ended in a whisper while starring ahead at a hollow of sorts, where there were an all too familiar clearing of trees.

"I saw my Dad that night, so I had a feeling that our shared patronus would be able to help track it to where their combined energy was last strongest. Magic's funny like that isn't it?" smiled Harry.

"Indeed magic is," hushed the Professor, as she handed back the resurrection stone.

"Is there something troubling you professor?" queried Harry.

It was the Professors turn to fleetingly shift her eyes from Harry's patronus.

She got out her wand and silently waved her it, in a fly fish manner. Quietly a magnificent swirl of blue appeared and formed a patronous doe.

Harry looked from the doe to the professor. "But professor I thought your patronous was…"

The professor did not respond but simply gazed at the doe like she had wronged it greatly.

Harry looked from the professor to the doe again and froze like he had stumbled on a private moment.

"Professor - he couldn't risk telling anyone," earnestly stated Harry.

"He shouldn't have had to!" choked the Professor. "I should have known. I should have trusted him – trusted him to the last," sniffled the Professor.

"Professor you both saved this school," quickly replied Harry whilst moving to comfort the Professor.

"Professor Snape I'm sure censured many of the more dangerous Carrow punishments, and you led the school through and after the battle," urged Harry, to no seeming avail.

"Truly the stain of Voldemort has been lifted from the castle Professor," emotionally continued Harry. "I have not seen the sun shine through its walls and pierce everyone with its warmth since my first year. If I have to confess, it is also this that brought me back," smiled Harry.

"Hogwarts was my home. Because of Professor Snape it is still standing, because of you it is flourishing," ended Harry.

"Thank you Potter," warmly smiled the Professor.

They both turned to leave the forest, led by their patronus's all the way, bright as ever in the dark.