'There you are! Harry, where on earth have you been?'

~Oh, Ssseveruss, good to see you. Do you know where I can get raw meat ? But, like, in a large quantity?~

'I...wh...raw meat?' Severus repeats in confusion. 'Harry, you have no idea how worried I've been! You disappeared for the whole night! Now, what do you need raw meat for?!'

~For a Cerberus. He probably hasn't had any proper meal in weeks.~ Harry explains.

"White as a sheet" would be a good term to describe Severus' face after the boy's words.

In a panic-stricken movement, he grabs Harry's wrist and drags him into an empty classroom, slamming the door behind.

'Harry, what have you done?!' he whispers, looking at the boy with wide eyes. 'You have been on the third-floor corridor, haven't you?'

~Yes, I have.~ Harry hisses impatiently. ~ So what? Is it forbidden or whatnot?~

'Actually, yes, it is.' Severus hisses.

Harry raises his eyebrows.

~Oh, because of this?~ he asks coldly, reaching to his hip pocket.

He pulls the scarlet Stone out.

Snape gasps loudly and takes a step back.

'Harry...How...Why...?' he whispers.

~There's no need to keep this ridiculous obstacle course up there, so I'm taking the dog away from this castle.~ Harry says firmly. ~I'm thinking upon a best way to sneak him outside, and I want to feed him beforehand, because...~

'Harry!' Snape places his hands on the boy's shoulders and shakes some sense into him; not violently, but hard enough for Harry to hiss in confusion and irritation. 'Are you even aware, what kind of danger did you expose yourself to? Why on earth did you decide to go there? What kind of insane idea was that?! How did you even...wait...'

Snape stops mid-sentence, and his pupils widen suddenly.

'Harry.' he says cautiously. 'How did you manage to solve the potions riddle? You're illiterate!'

Harry narrows his eyes.

~No, you wait.~ he hisses. ~How do you know about the potions riddle? Have you been down there?~

Snape sighs.

'Harry, I have designed this riddle.' he says slowly.

Harry's eyes widen.

~You were the one to design this assault course?~ he asks in disbelief.

'No, not the entire thing.' Snape explains anxiously. 'Only this particular chamber. A big part of the Hogwarts' faculty was involved into designing this assault course. Dumbledore had made us each come up with an obstacle, and then he put everything together himself.'

~Oh.~ Harry mutters, actually not surprised. ~ Tell me then, was it the old coot's idea to make this assault course so approachable? I mean, the toddler-level obstacles seemed suspiciously to be designed specifically for my disabled cousin. That would make a lot of sense, judging by the fact, that my cousin seems to be the only person to actually need this Stone.~

Harry lifts his eyes at Severus and flinches, seeing countless drops of sweat on the young man's pale forehead.

'Your... your cousin, Harry?' he asks slowly.

~ Ssseverusss, you really freak me out today. ~ Harry states, annoyed. ~What you are so paranoid about? Yes, it turned out that I have a close relative here at Hogwarts. Is that really so shocking? Why are you behaving so oddly?~

Severus stares at the boy, clearly unsure what to say.

Harry puts the Stone back into his inner pocket and extends his hand towards Snape.

~Would you like to meet my cousin? I have to deliver the Stone to him anyway and the sooner I do it, the better. Please, Ssseveruss. Come with me. There is nothing to be scared of.~

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry watches Severus falling down on his knees in front of the Scarlet-Eyed.

'My...my Lord...' Snape whispers in disbelief.

Scarled-Eyed's thin lips curl up into a smile.

'Severus, my friend.' he says quietly.

Harry raises his eyebrows.

~ You two know each other?~ he asks in confusion.

Snape turns his head towards Harry and meets his eyes. For a good while, he seems to be searching for adequate words.

'Harry.' he says finally. 'There is... a lot of things out there, that you don't know about... yet.'

Harry snorts.

~Enlighten me.~ he says dryly, crossing his arms on his chest.

Severus picks himself up from his knees and sits in one of the armchairs.

'Harry, most importantly, you need to know, that the Wizarding Britain... has not always looked the way it looks now. It hasn't always been ruled by Albus Dumbledore.' Snape starts apprehensively, his eyes clearly saying I'm not supposed to tell you that. 'Once upon a time, our Headmaster was not as influential and popular as he is now.' Severus continues. 'Actually, he used to have a large group of political and ideological opponents, Wizards and Witches of all ages, and this group... used to be led by no other, than your cousin here.'

Harry gasps, looking at Scarlet-Eyed.

Scarlet-Eyed nods, confirming Severus' words.

~Our group has been getting larger and stronger throughout the years, more and more Wizards and Witches were willing to unite under our banner.~ he hisses. ~Eventually, we started a war for domination over the Wizarding World. This was one of the biggest conflicts in our history, known as the Great Wizarding War. I am sure you are familiar with that term.~

~Well, I'm too young to remember the War, but yes, I have heard about it.~ Harry admits. ~I assume that you must have gotten severely injured during the War, what resulted in your... current state. Am I right?~

Severus and Scarlet-Eyed exchange quick looks.

'Harry.' Severus says cautiously. 'You were the one to reduce your cousin to such a state.'

Harry feels an ice-cold cramp in his stomach.

No, that's not possible...

~W-what...?~ he asks absently.

Severus looks at him with a genuine compassion in his dark eyes.

'Harry, please, sit down. We are going to explain you everything.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the next hour, Severus and Voldemort are sitting in front of the boy, telling him the long and complex story of the Wizarding War, the Prophecy and the disastrous Halloween night, when the Dark Lord has fallen.

The whole dreadful truth, that has been concealed from Harry for years, is now being revealed.

Voldemort is telling the major part of the story, using Parseltongue and keeping his voice calm and soothing, trying to keep the boy's emotional shock to minimum. Snape supplements his Lord's explanations, interjecting stories from his own experience.

Harry doesn't interrupt. He is sitting with wide, round eyes and impenetrable face.

When the topic is finally exhausted and neither Severus nor Voldemort have anything more to add, silence falls over the room.

Dead silence.

'...Harry?' Severus asks apprehensively after a while.

~Prophecy...~ Harry hisses absently. ~ All of that... was based upon a Prophecy...?~

'Well...' Snape mumbles.

The Dark Lord nods silently.

~Ssseveruss, you said you had overheard contents of the Prophecy yourself.~ Harry's voice is surprisingly cool and emotionless. ~Could you repeat the part you had managed to register?~

Snape leans forward.

'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.' he recites quietly. 'That's not the entirety. I had been thrown out of the pub before hearing the rest...'

Harry's eyes widen.

~From the pub? You didn't mention a pub, Ssseveruss. You've been eavesdropping on the Seer in a pub? ~ he asks, confused.

'The Seer who had created the Prophecy is currently one of the Hogwarts' Professors.' Snape explains. 'She's gotten the premonition during her job interview the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. This pub belongs to the Headmaster's brother, Aberforth Dumbledore.'

Harry exhales slowly.

~The Headmaster was the one to hold the interview.~ the boy's words are a statement, not a question.

'Yes, that's correct.'

~You've gotten a tip before, that the interview is going to take place in a pub.~

Another statement.

'Yes, I have.' Severus admits.

~What is your point, young cousin?~ Voldemort asks quietly.

~Who holds a legit job interview in a pub?~ Harry asks.~ A pub, that belongs to their brother? How is that possible, that this so-called "Seer" has gotten her premonition precisely during this suspicious interview? How come you have been conveniently thrown out of the pub exactly half-way into her "revelation"?~

Severus feels a cold cramp in his stomach.

It's not like he has never pondered upon this series of odd coincidences - but, at that time, twelve years ago, he seriously had many other things to be preoccupied with.

Back then, he used to be a hot-headed, twenty-years-old kid, who struggled to re-structure his identity - from a timid pushover from an extremely abusive background, to a genuine Death Eater, respected and acknowledged by his colleagues and supervisors.

Back then, he wished to be "somebody" and accomplish "something" - at the same time being held back, haunted by painful memories of his one and only Love.

When he had managed to overhear the part of the Prophecy, he was sure, that he has achieved something meaningful. The Prophecy was believed to be the most precious piece of information out there, and Severus was excited and anxious to be the one to obtain it.

The odd circumstances of the Seer's premonition was a secondary issue and back then, and nobody paid much attention to it.

Now, however, the fishiness and inconceivableness of that situation strike Severus like a blow in the stomach.

~My Father always used to say, that the future is in a constant motion, and only our choices have a power to determine it. ~ Harry hisses. ~He considered the art of Divination a tool for manipulative Wizards and Witches. In his eyes, the Seers were nothing more than frauds, and their Prophecies were nothing more than scam. I've always agreed with my Father on that, and our situation is just a confirmation to his beliefs.~

Silence. Snape can hear his heart pounding.

~Ssseveruss, can't you see? Dumbledore had managed to fool all three of us.~ Harry goes on. ~Now I finally know, why is he so obsessed over me. I finally understand, why was he so fixated on bringing me here, to Hogwarts. And his reaction to my Sorting...? I mean, he completely lost it, didn't he? He hadn't wanted me in Slytherin for some reason, and when the Hat didn't act in accordance with his wishes, he went berserker...~

~What does that mean?~ Voldemort asks, narrowing his scarlet eyes. ~Did Dumbledore try to manipulate the Sorting Hat?~

Snape sighs. The memory or the disastrous Sorting Ceremony is still difficult to handle.

'Yes, he wished the Sorting Hat to put Harry into Gryffindor without even considering other options. After the Hat had disobeyed him, he wanted to vent his anger on me. When Harry stood up for me, Dumbledore literally lost control over his magic. He used an enhanced version of the explosion spell, nearly killing Harry and permanently crippling his familiar.' Severus explains briefly.

Dangerous twinkles light Voldemort's eyes up.

~Is that true, young cousin?~ he asks.

~Yes, it is.~ Harry confirms. ~I have obviously gotten the vibes that he is specifically interested in taking control over my life, but now, the picture is complete. I think... I think I can understand everything. Would you listen to my theory?~

~If you have a theory, young cousin, I am more than willing to hear it.~ Voldemort declares.

The boy clears his throat.

~As I picture it, Dumbledore's War efforts seemed to be all in vain, because for so many years he hasn't managed to successfully end the conflict and achieve victory. His followers were slowly getting fed up with him, because he turned out to be an incompetent warchief and a weak leader, and nobody wants such a person to rule the Wizarding World. Having that in mind, Dumbledore has decided to come up with a secret weapon.~

Severus starts to follow Harry's track of thoughts. The boy speaks with an unbelievable maturity, forming logical conclusions, even despite of the shocking truth he has just discovered.

~A golden uber-soldier and a sacrificial lamb, all in one person, do you get it?~ Harry looks at the Dark Lord, and then moves his eyes onto Severus. ~The Prophecy is a scam. I never had, and never will have, any power to "vanquish" you, cousin. Dumbledore had created the contents of Prophecy himself, only to make you believe in that crap. That is what made you do something as unreasonable, as going after a baby. Yes, I had repelled your Killing Curse, but I'm afraid this had nothing to do with the Prophecy. I'm afraid there was some far more creepy stuff involved.~

~What do you have in your mind, young cousin?~ Voldemort asks quietly, but - judging by his facial expression - Severus assumes, that his Lord already knows what Harry is referring to.

~If I had an eidetic memory, I could provide you both with a penseive trail.~ Harry says calmly. ~ Unfortunately, like most people's, my long-term memory started storing information only after the age of infancy. Nevertheless, I can submit my mind to a Legilimency search. You, cousin, happen to be one the greatest Legilimency masters out there, are you not?~

Voldemort nods slowly.

~I believe I could restore your memories from when you were a baby.~ he says cautiously. ~However, young cousin, I have to ask you first: what do you expect to see?~

Harry exhales slowly.

~Our Grandfather, Marvolo, used to research dark Blood Sacrificial Rituals.~ the boy starts, and his words give Severus creeps. ~An ancient, forgotten, and very powerful branch of magic, that is able open pathways to many unnatural abilities... such as putting a stopper to death.~

Severus cowers. He does not like the direction, in which Harry's deliberations are going. Is it possible, that Dumbledore...?

~Only reaching to my earliest memories can prove me right, but I believe one of such rituals must have been involved. An infant-me has been "enhanced" with a death-stopping sacrifice.~ Harry goes on. ~Dumbledore is a kind of person to have a knowledge in all branches of magic, and at the same time he is a kind of person to go this far to achieve his goals.~

~I am willing to prove you right, young cousin.~ the Dark Lord whispers, apparently as shocked by the boy's words as Severus.

He uses Quirrell's hand to draw a wand and point it towards Harry.

'Severus, I will need your help.' he turns towards Snape, rousing him from his thoughts. 'Even using Quirrell's magical stores, my power is insufficient to perform Legilimency on such a deep level. We will have to cast the spell simultaneously.'

Severus immedietly pulls his wand out and joins Voldemort.

'Yes, my Lord.' he replies shortly.

'Follow my lead and don't diverge, Severus.' the Dark Lord instructs. ~Harry, lower your shields and relax. It's not going to take long.~

Snape waits for Voldemort to make an eye-contact with Harry, and they utter "Legilimens" at the same time, entering the boy's mind.

According to his Lord's wishes, Severus follows his lead obediently. Voldemort makes his way quickly and surely towards Harry's earliest memories, without violating unnecessarily the more recent ones.

When the journey through the boy's mind is over, Snape finds himself in a small room.

He gasps, recognizing nursery in the Potters' house in Godric Hollow.

Walls covered in light-blue wallpaper. A small window. A wooden crib with a sleeping baby inside.

Exactly how Severus remembers it. Exactly like back then, on that disastrous night, when he found a lifeless, still warm body of Lily Evans among the debris...

Snape gasps, when the emerald-eyed, auburn-haired and still alive Lily enters the nursery.

The young man finds it painful and hard to look at his old love. He lowers his gaze, as the girl leans over the crib to hug her baby son.

'That won't make your decision any easier, Lily.'

Severus flinches at the sound of the loathsome voice. He turns around; Dumbledore is standing in the doorway.

'Albus.'

Severus' heart sinks, when he hears Lily's vibrant, youthful voice.

The girl is apparently surprised by the old Wizard's visit.

'Albus, I know how important this is, but ... I'm still hesitating. I mean... Harry... He's just a baby. We are talking about basically turning him into a walking weapon...' Lily whispers, clearly avoiding Dumbledore's eyes.

'We are talking about turning him into a hero, Lily.' Albus replies gently. 'We are talking about turning your baby into a Savior of the Wizarding kind, worshipped and cherished worldwide. Most Mothers would be proud and happy, having the opportunity to provide their son with such a bright future.'

Lily closes her eyes and turns towards the crib.

'Does it have to be Harry, Albus?' she asks quietly.

'Well, the contents of the Prophecy have already been revealed to the Dark Lord.' Dumbledore says calmly. 'If you refuse, I will have to appoint the Longbottom boy, who also meets the requirements. Nevertheless, I won't lie to you; I would much prefer young Harry in the Savior's role. According to Frank and Alice, baby Neville was born practically a Squib, what makes Harry a much better candidate.'

Lily sighs.

'I will do it, Albus.' she says finally.

Albus smiles.

'Terrific. Have you familiarized yourself with the introduction to the Sacrificial Rituals, like I had asked you?'

'Yes, Albus, I've read everything carefully, and I already know how to perform the Ritual.' Lily answers apprehensively. 'However, this ... this is another thing in this whole endeavor that repels me. Dark Magic... It's just not my cup of tea. Besides, I have graduated from Hogwarts merely two years ago. At school, I would have gotten punished or even expelled for practicing Dark Arts. Now, resorting to the Darkest branch of magic out there, additionally under the supervision of the Hogwarts Headmaster himself... It just doesn't feel right.'

Dumbledore snorts.

'Lily, my dear girl, school is school, and the grown-up world is the grown-up world.' he says lightly. 'In the grown-up world, nobody is going to give you a detention or take points for your actions. In the grown up-world, we do what we have to do to achieve our goals.'

Lily winces.

'I get it, Albus, but don't you think this is a little bit hypocritical...? I mean, you are the Headmaster. The words you've just addressed to me... Would you address these words to any of the Hogwarts students?'

Albus smirks.

'Lily dearest, of course I wouldn't. I wouldn't even have to; the students are going to find that out themselves sooner or later. They are going to find out as soon as they grow up.'

Lily turns towards the elderly Wizard, clearly confused and disappointed.

Albus gets serious.

'Enough small talks, Lily. Perform the Ritual as soon as you can, and when the time comes, remember which factor is necessary to unlock the ultimate protection for your son.'

Lily's emerald eyes darken and Severus' heart sinks.

'My sacrifice...' she whispers.

'Exactly. You will have to sacrifice your life to make Harry the Savior. When Voldemort will come for Harry, you are going to purposely stand on the line of fire, exposing yourself to his attack. Thanks to your sacrifice, Harry is going to become untouchable. Voldemort is undoubtedly going to use the Killing Curse against him, but the boy is going to simply bounce it. The Dark Lord is going to fall, stricken down by his own ricocheted spell, and young Harry is going to become a hero.'

Severus looks at Lily's tense, pale face. He feels unwanted tears falling down his cheeks.

'If that's what it takes, Albus.' she says quietly.

Dumbledore nods, clearly satisfied.

'I have only two terms.' Lily adds.

Albus raises his eyebrows.

'Yes?'

'After I'm gone, I want Harry to have a normal, happy childhood.' she says, looking affectionately at the sleeping baby.

'Of course.' Dumbledore shrugs 'And the second term?'

'James cannot find out.'

Snape gasps loudly, when the Dark Lord retreats from Harry's mind.

When Severus opens his eyes, he finds himself kneeling on the floor, with his eyes burning and his face in tears. A pair of emerald eyes and a pair of scarlet eyes are looking at him with concern.

'It's true.' Severus whispers in disbelief, looking at the Dark Lord. 'He did it. Dumbledore sacrificed Lily.'

'I'm really sorry, Severus.' Voldemort says quietly. 'I admit that I should have connected the dots earlier. I have asked the girl to step aside no less than three times. She refused, literally putting herself under my wand. I could have guessed, that it all was a part of the old coot's scheme.'

~I assume, that after Dumbledore realized, that the ricocheted Curse had failed to kill you, cousin, he decided to extend his schemes even further. He still wanted to use me as the "Savior", and that's the reason he's developed an unhealthy obsession over me and my life. There is only one thing he hasn't taken into consideration.~ Harry turns towards Severus. ~I'm not his "Savior" anymore. After the Blood Adoption, the "ultimate protection" I have gained thanks to the Sacrificial Ritual, has worn off and lost its power. I'm not the same person we have seen in the memory; I'm a Gaunt now. Besides, Dumbledore may not realize that, but there is one more reason I would never decide to fight against my cousin. A Speaker is forbidden from fighting against a fellow Speaker. This is a sacred rule, established a thousand years ago by Salazar Slytherin himself to protect our bloodline.~

~Indeed, this is a sacred rule.~ Voldemort confirms. ~A Speaker standing against other Speaker is an abomination and a blasphemy.~

~Dumbledore is out of luck.~ Harry sneers. ~I want you to accept my apology, Scarlet-Eyed cousin, for my unwilling contribution to your ordeal. You have been suffering a miserable fate for many years, and I'm glad I will be the one to put an end to your misfortune.~

The boy pulls the Sorcerer's Stone out of his pocket and hands it over to Voldemort.

The Dark Lord's scarlet eyes brighten.

'If I may, my Lord...' Severus starts shyly.

Voldemort and Harry turn their heads towards him.

'I want to brew the Elixir of Life for you.' Snape says quietly.

The Dark Lord looks at Severus cautiously.

'Would you really do this, Severus?' he asks with acknowledgement.

'Of course, my Lord.' the young man answers simply.

Voldemort hands the ruby-red Stone over to Severus, and the young man accepts it.

'I wish I could bring Lily back to life, Severus.' the Dark Lord says sincerely. 'Sadly, that's not possible, even having the Stone.'

Severus' face tenses, as the painful flashback kicks in powerfully.

Lily, standing in front of Dumbledore beside Harry's crib. "If that's what it takes, Albus.."

Snape forces himself to sober up and looks up at his master.

'Bringing Lily back is not possible, my Lord.' he says quietly. 'But destroying the one who manipulated her into sacrificing herself, is.'