"Can we not take this away?" asked Fred.
He was looking down at a ten year old Severus crying himself to sleep alone in a dark room.
"Mr. Weasley, we are not here to Obliviate Professor Snape," McGonagall's voice was stern but her eyes were rimmed with tears. "In taking away bad childhood memories you are changing pieces of his adult personality." She sighed. "I agree that Severus personality as its flaws… But a memory like this, hurtful and sad as it may be, might have triggered his development of empathy, or even giving him the determination to join the Death Eaters in the first place."
"Then why not…?"
"If you take away the reason for him to join the Death Eaters," she turned to her teacher mood, "…you may take away part of the reason why he had to leave them."
Fred sighed, he knew she was right. He did not want to change Severus personality, even if… He winched as he observed himself and George leave another pile of exploding dung-bombs outside the Slytherin House and getting caught in the act by Professor Snape. He could remember the fear his twelve-year-old self felt as he and his brother was dragged to the Hogwarts dungeons. He felt a little ashamed over that his former Head of House could see some of the pranks that she had missed the first time around. She shook her disapprovingly as Severus was showered with a bucket of water the twins had meant for a Hufflepuff.
As they continued to explore and sort out the memories, Fred became more and more worried. He bit his lip, as once more Professor Snape scolded him and ordered him to polish all the trophies in the trophy room. If… when… when Severus got his memories back, he would remember all of this too. Could the man still care for Fred after remembering? Fred had come to terms with that he still was in love after all of the scolding, detentions, punishments and down right hateful remarks had come back to him, but would Severus fell the same? He was after all a Slytherin, he had held a grunge on Harry's father alive since age eleven, and he was, after all, Severus Snape.
"Here we come to the important part," said McGonagall, interrupting his thoughts.
He looked up to see a Snape, about Charlie's age, sitting in Dumbledore's office crying. Dumbledore sat behind his desk holding a sleeping raven-haired baby to his chest, a lightning shaped scar of dried blood was visible on the child's forehead.
"He promised me he would not hurt her…" Severus sobbed. "He promised me!"
"Tom was never the one to keep his word…" sighed Dumbledore. "You should have known that by now."
"I can not stay there anymore," Severus tried to gain control of himself. "I want to leave Him, never see Him again!"
"You know I can not grant you that," Dumbledore rocked the infant Harry as the baby stirred. "You are too valuable. This boy need all of the help he can get now."
"You want me to spy." It was not a question.
As Fred and McGonagall stepped out of the Pensieve they noticed that they were alone in the room. McGonagall bottled the memories they have chosen and copied.
"I am taking these to the Minister," she said and paused. "I trust you with the rest, Mr. Weasley. I hope you do what is right with them."
"You can trust me, Professor."
"If this is what love does for you, Fred" she smiled as she used his given name, "…I highly recommend you finding a companion for your brother as well."
She left at that. Fred looked after her, wondering where the others had gotten to. After a couple of seconds his attention was drawn back to the Pensieve. There had been some memories they had skipped over quite quickly, intimate ones. His lover was certainly no blushing rose, he had a healthy appetite. Fred's boisterous side kicked in, you can not expect a tiger to shed all of his stripes at once, or at all. He gave a wicked smile.
Ron was on night watch duty. He sat in the armchair by Harry's bedside and read a letter from Hermione. She had sent him notice as soon she had found her parents. They had been quite surprised to get back their old personalities and find themselves living in Australia. It was going to take a little time coming back to England since the two had set up a relatively successive dental practice in Brisbane. Hermione also told him that she had met with the Australian wizarding community. She was happy to report that they were very helpful and that they might be able to have a solution to some of their problems with Harry. She was going to write back when she had done more research.
"More research," snorted Ron, "She is in Australia, could she not relax for…" he went quiet, terror spreading in his body. Harry was not in the bed. "Shit."
Ron rose, laying the letter aside and looking around in the room. There was no sign of Harry anywhere. He stepped outside the door, nothing. Shit, he thought again, he had lost Harry. Now knowing the tendency for sleepwalking, maybe they should have tied him to the bed. Worriedly he ran around, looking in the closest rooms. Reluctantly, he even searched Draco's room but found only a pile of sleeping house elves on the bed. He did not bother to wake any of them.
Ron continued to look around as he made his way to Bill and Fleur's room. It was a big place, Harry could be anywhere. Of course this was going to happen now at his watch. Like he was not in enough trouble being secret keeper, now this was happening as well. He wondered if this was going to affect his chances of getting in to Auror education. Fleur opened the door wearing a short negligee that Ron's head spin and his nose prickle.
"Yez?" she looked totally oblivious to his reaction. "Is it 'Arry?"
"So that is it then," said Narcissa lying with her head to her husband's bare chest, she had been crying, his skin was damp.
"Arthur Weasley said they would bring him by us in the morning, before…" Lucius did not finish the sentence."
"My baby boy…"
"I wish I could take his place," Lucius held her closer. "They are doing this to him because of me."
"I forgive you," whispered Narcissa. "I just wish I could have seen him as well."
There was a slight knocking on the door.
"Yes?" asked Lucius.
The door opened and Bill Weasley looked in, he looked a bit embarrassed at the obvious intimacy between the two, and the fact that Narcissa's tears were still visible.
"Sorry to disturb," he said. "You have not seen Harry have you?"
"How could they even win the war?" moaned Narcissa. "They seem to misplace each other half the time."
"I will help you look," Lucius rose from the bed pulling on a dressing robe. "Merlin knows you need all the help you can get."
