After a brief discussion, it was decided that they could cover more ground if they split up. Ron and Hermione were to go to the Ministry of Magic and get copies of the transcript of Snape's inquiry, if possible. None of them were quite sure if the record would be sealed given that Snape had been a minor. Harry and Ginny's task was to go to the records office in Cokeworth and fight out everything they could about the Muggle trial and hopefully where exactly Eileen Prince had been incarcerated. Much to his dismay, Dudley got the boring task of heading back to Private Drive and grilling Petunia for more information.

As they sat in a tiny room waiting for the clerk to bring them the documents they requested, Harry whispered to Ginny, "Did you notice anything strange at Grimmauld Place?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, what's up with Kreacher? Why is he being so helpful?"

Harry had been talking about the Snape voice, of course, but didn't want to sound completely daft. "Oh that, well he's sorta accepted me as master of the house, so his loyalties have shifted."

"Well, that's good."

"I suppose," Harry shrugged, "but I meant something else? Did you notice anything weird?"

"Yeah, it was weird having Dudley there and him being nice."

"Yeah," Harry drummed his fingertips on the table impatiently. Obviously, Ginny hadn't sensed Snape at all.

"Why? Was there something I should have noticed? You mean with the letters?"

"No, it's nothing." Harry was thankful that the short little man returned with the trial transcripts at that moment.

There was only one folder, which Harry thought odd for a murder trial.

Harry flipped back the cover and soon discovered that Eileen had confessed to the crime about halfway through the proceedings. Harry searched the pages looking for her sentencing records. But he stopped suddenly when he came across the photos of Tobias Snape's corpse.

"Wow, he really took after his father," Ginny said, looking at the dead man and his long greasy locks.

But it wasn't the likeness that had caught Harry's attention, but the wounds. Harry knew the pattern. That particular splicing of the body hadn't been caused by and machete as Eileen had claimed. No. Harry knew who'd killed Tobias Snape and he knew exactly how he'd done it. The Sectumsempra Curse!

"Harry, you okay?" Harry's face had lost all of its color.

Harry didn't answer, his eyes were glued to the photo.

"Harry?"

"Fine." He moved past the photo and perused a few more pages before finding what he was looking for. "There," he pointed to the name of the prison. "I wonder what time visitation is?"

As it turned out, Harry wouldn't be able to see Eileen until Wednesday. So, he and the others agreed to meet for diner at a small diner near Privet drive.

"Mum thought it was curious that I was asking so many questions about your world. She wouldn't give. Especially with Dad glaring at her." Dudley said as he tore into his sandwich.

Hermione pulled a thick packet of papers from her sling bag. Then went back in for seconds. When she finished piling the files on the table, Harry gawked at the three stacks. He could just see Hermione's face from her nose up, the papers obstructed his view so.

"That much?" Ginny, remembering to thin folder she and Harry had seen in Cokeworth, was surprised by the dearth of maternal

"The inquiry lasted four two weeks and look, " she flipped through the pages, most of it was blacked out.

"I hope you didn't spend a lot of money printing those," Dudley thought the pages were as unfruitful as was his interrogation of his mother.

"I'm going to work on a spell to see if I can get past the mark outs." Hermione defended her decision to print the pages. Harry got the feeling that she'd already had the same argument with Ron. Harry wasn't sure if he didn't quite Agee with the boys on this one. Still, he pulled his wand and making sure that no one in the restaurant was looking, he whispered, "reveal your secrets."

The wizard and the two witches looked at him incredulously. But Dudley looked at the papers as if he expected words to start flying off the page.

To Harry's chagrin, nothing happened.

"Seriously Mate, you don't think we already tried that." Ron felt offended.

That evening, Harry returned to Grimmauld Place alone. He'd been hoping for a bit of alone time with Ginny but Rom had taken her back to the Burrow.

Ron had spent dinner hinting that he and Harry should room together. Harry got the distinct feeling that Ron wanted to move into Grimmauld Place with him. Harry knew if that happened, he'd never get Ginny to himself. As he made his way up the old staircase to his room, Harry said a little prayer that the Chudley Cannons would sign Ron to a lengthy contract.

Harry had brought the biscuit tin to the bedroom with him. He put it on the nightstand and tried to put it out of his mind. He slipped into his pajamas and placed his glasses on top of the tin. He pulled the silver beaded string on the table lamp and let the darkness engulf him. Harry let his mind drift to the memory of lazily strolling the fields near the Burrow with Ginny. He could almost hear the birds overhead but then he realized the screeching was coming from his room.

He hastily turned on the little lamp and looked across the room. He'd forgotten to let his new owl, Mortimer, out for his evening hunt. "Sorry buddy," Harry opened the bedroom window then released his tawny owl. Harry leaned against the window sill and watched Mortimer flap his broad wings over the backyard and soar out across the town. He knew he wouldn't see the creature before morning.

When he returned to the bed, the shiny tin caught his eye. "Oh whatever." Frustration got the better of him. He put his glasses back on and pulled off the lid and went directly to the un-read letter that sat at the very top of the pile.

Sev,

I asked my mum and dad, they said it would be fine for you to go to the carnival with us. You're going to love it so much. I can't believe you've never been. You'll ride all the rides with me, won't you? And do the funhouse? Tuney's such a stick in the mud, she'll never do the funhouse with me. Ask your dad straight away.

See you tomorrow morning at the tree.

Lily

Harry released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. That one hadn't been so bad. He guessed they'd been rather young. He also realized that Snape's crush must have started very early on in their relationship. Otherwise, why would he have kept all the letters? Harry picked up the next envelope.

Sev,

Tuney's got a boyfriend. And Dad is letting her go on a date! I am excited for her, if a bit envious. I mean I'm 14 and no boy has even ever asked me out. Well, except James Potter, that git! Seriously, I pity whatever idiot girl give into him. He's so full of himself. He's nothing like 're so kind and considerate. Not boastful in the least and your marks are better than his. I bet you'd even be better at Quidditch. You always beat me in broom races. And, you are amazing with your hands, I mean nobody is better at potions than you. And you the way you handle your wand! Anyway. Do you think anyone will ever ask me out?

With Love,

Lily

Harry wondered how more obvious his mum could have been. "The way you handle your wand!" Really! Gross! One a second glance at the letter, Harry saw that she had signed her name with a little heart over the i. Snape must have been clueless that his affections were returned for her to have to spell it out to him like that. Even more, she was essentially telling him that she preferred him over the most popular boy in school

Harry dared to move on to the next letter. As he unfolded the note, a strip of photographic paper fell into his lap. Jotted across the back in his mother's handwriting were the words: Here are you copies. I love you.

Harry flipped the strip over. They were a series of four shots taken in a photobooth. They were black and white Muggle pics, unmoving. In the top picture, Snape, already sporting long black hair, and his mother were making fish faces into the camera. In the second picture, his mum made a funny face but Snape had been caught eternally by the camera, looking at Lily. Harry saw the love in his eyes, Snape had lips were cured in the tiniest hint of a smile. Harry guessed the Lily had brought a joy to his life that Snape had never known. In the third picture they held up two spread apart fingers in the sign of peace. But the fourth picture was the one that Harry couldn't stop staring at. Snape had his hands, already large for his age, buried in Lily's red hair. Their lips were glued together and Lily's hand seemed to pull at Snape's neck hungrily. Harry had always coveted every image of his mother that had ever crossed his path. But this one was too much. As he looked at her, he guessed her to be about fifteen, maybe sixteen, he wondered if he'd ever know who his mother had really been in her short twenty-one years of life.

Harry didn't know if he could bear to open the letter. He considered just dropping the photos back into the envelope along with the letter and just trying to go back to bed. But he couldn't. He told himself it couldn't be worse than infidelity. What could be worse than infidelity?

Dear Sev,

Here are your copies of the photos. Last night was amazing. You are amazing. I always dreamed you'd be a good kisser, you certainly didn't disappoint. I am glad I was your first kiss. We have so many things to share together, Sev. I love you. Just think, we will be going back to Hogwarts as boyfriend and girlfriend. I hope we have lots of classes together. You know will have Slughorn together and of course DADA. Herbology maybe. Can you imagine what everyone will say? A Gryffindor and a Slytherin? I don't give a fig! Let them talk.

Sev, I want to talk to you about something but I don't know how to say it in person. I know you love me and you know I love you. And I am so glad you finally asked me out. I really liked kissing you last night but I was wondering don't you want to do more. I mean we were alone for over two hours and all you did was kiss me. I know Lori's already gone to third base with Alan. I am not sure what third base means but I'm pretty sure it's more than kissing. I'm not trying to rush you or anything. I just want you to know if you wanna, you know, touch anything, I'd be okay with that.

Now, I feel silly. Oh well, if this makes things weird, I can always put a Confundus charm on you!

Love you and thinking of sneaking in your window tonight,

Lily

Harry fought the urge to call his mum a tart. God, she really led Snape around by the goodies!

Harry stuffed the photo and letters back into the envelope and put them in the tin. The letter had made him blush as he'd read it. His mum would've been sixteen at the oldest and she was talking about going further with Snape than Harry had ever been with a girl and here he was nearly eighteen years old. Did Ginny want more? Would Ginny welcome his advances the way his mother had been waiting for Snape's? Was he moving too slowly?

He decided he couldn't take anymore of the Snape/Lily saga, so he put the box away and crawled back into bed. He prayed that he wouldn't have vivid dreams of his mum and Snape doing the horizontal dance.