Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Very Moving Letter

(Middle of the first week of June, 1996)

Severus knew he had to help Harry Potter. He knew that he had to, in some way, break through the iron-clad walls the boy with the lightning scar had built around himself. Severus hoped that, even though he couldn't get to Harry in person, perhaps he could in writing. It wasn't just for Hermione's conscience that he was doing it, but for the pity Severus himself felt for the boy. He wanted to help him. Merlin knows how much good it would have done him if there had been someone there for him as a child, when he was being yelled at by his father and practically abandoned by his mother. He couldn't let the same feeling of despair develop within Harry, as he knew the damage it could cause. Hence, why he was sitting in the library, on his own as he didn't want Hermione to know, writing a letter that would soon be in Harry Potter's hands. If Hermione was there, he was worried he wouldn't be able to transfer the feelings he wanted to on the parchment. Hermione made him carefree, and forget about his problems. And the whole point of the letter he was writing was not to ignore your problems, and instead address them. He had written many drafts, and felt that they weren't right, and didn't evoke the proper message he was trying to send. He had ripped apart many of them, and he was now onto his thirteenth attempt. Severus stopped writing for a second and read the words that had been hurriedly sprawled across the parchment.

Harry Potter,

I know you may discard of this letter without having read it at all, but I hope that you might take the time to read it instead, and that you might actually find solace in these words.

Although I have not lost anyone to death, I have lost them to disagreements, which one might consider to be worse. If Cho Chang was still alive today, you know that she would still be yours. Nothing, but death, has separated you. In my case, the person no longer wishes to speak to me. It is their decision, and I wonder if my own death would have affected them at all. I know your pain is much greater than mine, but always remember that Cho is with you.

Death is the ugly, deformed creature that steals from us the ones we love most. But you must remember that Cho loved you, and still does. She would want you to continue living, Harry. She would want you to defeat Voldemort, whom I know is back. All of your friends are there for you, Harry, and don't think for a moment that they aren't. This is what Voldemort wants. For you to be secluded and hurt; that is when you are most vulnerable. But you must use Cho's death as a reminder that you are stronger than him. You will beat him. Cho Chang did not die for nothing.

I hope time will heal you, as it is most distressing to see you in pain. Although you only see me as Hermione's friend, you must know that I have the utmost respect for you. Keep going, Harry. For Cho. For all of us.

Your friend,

Tobias Prince.

Severus thought for a second about Lily. He wondered what she was doing in his real universe, and what her reaction to his disappearance would be. Although he knew he was much less hurt than Harry, he was hurt nonetheless.

He folded the letter in half and slid in into an envelope where he wrote the words, 'For Harry Potter' on the back. He then set off out of the library to go find him, hoping that he wasn't in the Gryffindor common room.

And luckily, he wasn't. Severus found him sitting on one of the stone benches on the ground floor of the castle. No one was with him, and in fact the entire ground floor seemed deserted. Albeit, it was late, but back in 1976 everyone hung around the castle until the very last minute before they were ordered to go to bed.

Severus slowly approached Harry, who was staring out the stone floor. He was worried he would frighten him, and so cleared his throat to get Harry's attention.

"Hello." Severus said politely.

"Go away." Harry answered back, with his eyes on the floor.

"I want to give you this." Severus said, and he held the letter out.

Harry raised his head to see what Severus was talking about, and Severus immediately gasped. In the darkness, Harry's eyes shone incredibly. They were a vibrant green, and Severus wondered how he hadn't noticed them in the library. Though of course, Harry hadn't directly looked at Severus once during that encounter. But now, Severus could clearly see his eyes, and he couldn't help but recognise them. Where had he seen them before? Perhaps he didn't look so much like James after all.

"A letter?" Harry asked in a bored tone. "I don't want it."

After a few seconds, Severus recovered from the shock of the boy's eyes. Maybe it was the dim lighting that made them seem so bright.

"I'm not asking you." Severus said. "You can rip it apart, though I hope you won't. I'll just leave it here with you."

Harry remained silent and Severus placed the letter onto the stone bench next to him, before walking away.

Harry was not going to read that letter. In fact, he wasn't remotely interested in what Hermione's boyfriend had to say. He looked a lot like Professor Snape, Harry remarked smugly. He would have to tell Hermione that, it would put her off him forever. Even if his hair wasn't greasy and long, they had the same black eyes and hooked nose.

Harry glanced at the letter sat next to him. He wasn't going to read it. No. It was probably a senseless poem that was meant to cheer him up. Perhaps Hermione had written it, and sent her stupid boyfriend to give it to him.

Harry sighed as he considered reading the letter. Maybe he could read it, and then rip it up. After all, he could always laugh at how Hermione attempted to make him feel better. He started opening the envelope, and began to read its contents.

Harry Potter,

I know you may discard of this letter without having read it at all, but I hope that you might take the time to read it instead, and that you might actually find solace in these words.

Harry snorted, Hermione's boyfriend certainly knew him well. He continued reading. At first, Harry was enraged by Tobias' words. How dare he say that losing someone to a disagreement might be considered worse? Was he insane? However, as Harry continued reading he felt a strange sensation take over his body- a sensation he hadn't felt for weeks. The sensation of relief. Finally, someone knew what he was going through. Harry knew very well that Hermione had been trying to comfort him but somehow, her words didn't seem to help him at all. Tobias hadn't said anything knew, Harry already knew that Voldemort was trying to make him weak, but for some reason having someone else tell him gave the words so much more strength. He truly believed it now.

Harry was so moved by the letter that he started to feel tears dripping down his cheeks. He had been keeping it in for so long. Hiding the pain of Cho's death inside him. But now, he was sat in the darkness crying, and it felt so good to let it out. He cried for Cho, for their moments together, and for the fear he felt to what would happen next. He would have to fight Voldemort, that he knew. As Tobias said, he had to fight for Cho. How ironic it was that the annoying boy who looked so much like Professor Snape was actually nothing like the sarcastic teacher who was nice to everyone but Harry. No, Tobias Prince was actually one of the kindest people Harry knew. He had never received a letter so moving.

Harry wiped his tear-stained cheek with the back of his hand and looked out of the window behind him that revealed a full moon, shining brightly amongst the dark sky. Harry imagined Cho was out there somewhere, amid the stars.

"I'll beat him for you, Cho." Harry whispered, peering up at the sky. And he really meant it.