Dumbledore in Cokeworth

Lily had stood up from the couch and offered Dumbledore a hand. He gracefully set foot inside the living room from the fireplace, as if it was the most normal thing to do.

'I do hope my arrival hasn't come as too much of a surprise,' Dumbledore said as he wiped some ashes off his robes.

Erwin, Arnica, and Petunia were all flabbergasted by Dumbledore's spectacular arrival.

Severus was the first one to stand up. 'It's good to see you, Headmaster,' Severus said as they shook hands.

'It's good to see you too, Mister Snape,' the usual twinkle in the old man's eyes faded as he looked at Severus's bruised face.

'Where are my manners,' Erwin said, now over the shock of seeing the headmaster pop out of the fire. 'Erwin Evans, pleased to meet you.'

Arnica introduced herself shortly after. 'Arnica Evans, It's a pleasure to finally meet the man my daughter has told us to much about.'

Petunia however, remained seated on the couch, staring intently at the impressive figure that had appeared in the living room.

Dumbledore caught sight of her and smiled, 'You must be Petunia.'

Petunia got red in the face and all she could do was nod.

'I'll go make us some tea,' said Lily, 'please take a seat Headmaster.'

Lily busied herself in the kitchen as everybody sat back down. Dumbledore sat beside Petunia, who was having difficulty looking him in the eye.

'I remember the letter you wrote me a few years back,' he said to her. 'That you wanted to come to Hogwarts too, just like your sister.'

'I remember that too,' Petunia said softly, embarrassed by the memory.

'I'm sorry that there was nothing that I could do for you, Petunia,' Dumbledore said sincerely.

'It's alright, really,' Petunia said with a little more confidence. 'I found my own magic, thanks to Severus.'

All four people on the couch looked over at Severus. 'What,' he shrugged, 'she does have a talent for art.'

'Is that a painting you made?' Dumbledore asked Petunia as he pointed at a still life above the fireplace.

'I did,' Petunia said proudly.

Dumbledore smiled. 'Then you certainly have a considerable amount of magic, Petunia.'

Lily returned carrying a teapot and six mugs and poured everyone tea.

'Headmaster,' Erwin said as he cradled his tea in his hands, 'I can't help but wonder how you managed to get all foster care documents signed over to us so quickly.'

'Please, call me Albus,' he said, 'and to answer your question, it helps to have a lot of connections with the Ministry for Magic and that's as much as I can tell.'

Dumbledore looked over at Severus and their eyes met in a flash of understanding. 'After we finish our tea, I think it would be wise if you and I went out for a little stroll in private.'

Severus nodded in agreement. 'I think that would be a good idea.'

'Will Severus be able to receive any counseling at Hogwarts?' Arnica asked. 'He told the police department that he wanted to arrange his own help.'

'Certainly,' Dumbledore said reassuringly. 'He'll be able to receive to best kind of counseling for as long as he's attending Hogwarts.'

Severus knew what that type of counseling meant. It meant more frequent visits up in Dumbledore's office to chat while sharing a supply of sweets.

Severus and Dumbledore drained their tea and prepared themselves to go outside.

'Good luck,' Lily said to them as she closed the door.

It was dark and the wind was still. Soft snow was gently falling from the sky, covering everything in a white blanket.

'Is there any particular place you'd like to walk to Mister Snape?'

'Anywhere but Spinner's End,' he said, then started walking in no particular direction.

They walked in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the crisp snow under their feet. After passing several houses, a gate that led to a playground showed up around the corner, and Severus stopped to take a look at it.

'Judging by the way you are looking at the playground,' Dumbledore said, 'this place must be of some significance to you.'

'It is,' he answered. 'Do you mind?'

'Not at all.'

They entered the playground and Severus headed for the swings. He sat down on one of them, wrapping his uninjured hand around the cold metal chain.

Dumbledore sat down in the swing beside him, looking around in amusement.

'I'm rather curious. What is it that makes this place so special to you?'

Severus let out a sigh. 'This is where I met Lily for the first time, all those years ago.'

He looked over his shoulder at what was now a cluster of overgrown bushes. 'I was hiding right there, because I had just ran away from home, and then I saw her and her sister come up here. I knew there was something special about her right away.'

'How could you tell?'

'She made a blossom bloom over and over again in the palm of her hand.'

Severus couldn't help but smile a little at the recall of the memory. 'I told her she was a witch after I saw what she did. She didn't believe me, of course. Thought I had called her something nasty and ran away.'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'And then she came back.'

'She did. She wanted to know all about magic; so I told her everything.'

'I must say, it is very peaceful out here.'

'Mister Snape—'

'—Please just call me Severus. You may not know it but you called me that for years.'

'As you wish, Severus. What happened to you mother; did the same thing happen to her in your previous life?'

'No,' he said while looking down at the ground. 'The last time she died by her own hands.'

'I'm afraid this changes everything Severus.'

Severus looked over at Dumbledore, who was gently pushing himself back and forth on the tips of his toes.

'What do you mean, changes everything?'

'Forgive my bluntness Severus, but the murder of your mother is not something that has gone unnoticed in either the muggle world, or ours.'

'What is so remarkable about the situation?'

'What's so remarkable is the fact that a muggle is being held accountable for the murder of a witch. A pure blood witch, I might add.'

Severus took a moment to think about why it was so remarkable, but then it started to dawn on him. 'Everyone in our world will know about it, won't they?'

Dumbledore nodded. 'This is yet another happening that might push people over the brink to join Voldemort's cause,' he said sadly. 'And everyone will know, Severus, that you are the son of the muggle who did it.'

'Are you saying that I might be in danger?'

'I'm afraid so.'

Severus let his head rest against the metal chain. 'I'm not afraid of people knowing that I am a half-blood, but what I do fear is—.' He closed his eyes, looking for the right words to say. '—I fear that this war will not be what I have always known it to be.'

'What I fear most at this moment for you,' Dumbledore said, 'is that this war may come sooner than you remember it and every detail and every lead you have ever known will crumble and mingle.'

'You are right to fear that Headmaster, but I don't think the Dark Lord's motives will have changed.'

'Tell me, Severus, what is it that you do know about Lord Voldemort?' Dumbledore asked curiously.

'He wants power,' Severus listed off. 'He's cunning to the bone. His birth name is Tom Riddle and he killed his own muggle father.' Severus put a lot of emphasis on the latter. 'And he—'

'—Hold on,' Dumbledore stopped him. 'Why is the murder of his father of such importance to you?'

Severus felt his blood rise. 'Because I did the exact same thing,' he spat out. 'In my previous life I held my father accountable for everything that was wrong in my life. He was the very reason that I grew disgusted with my own blood. After mum died…I killed him.'

The anger he felt started to rattle the chain of the swing. 'And I would do it again if I had the chance.'

Dumbledore looked sadly at Severus's rising temper. 'Problems cannot be solved by taking another man's life, Severus.'

'I know that,' he gritted through his teeth. 'I am well aware that death does not solve a single thing!'

A lump had started to form in his throat. 'I killed him because he was everything I never wanted to be.' He let his head hang down low, burying his face in his hands. 'And I became him by doing so.'

Dumbledore stood up from the swing and knelt in front of Severus, putting his hands on his shoulders.

'I was just like my father, Albus,' Severus said through dry sobs. 'Bitter and resentful and prejudiced. And I hated myself more than anything else.'

'Look at me, Severus,' Dumbledore said kindly but inarguably.

Severus looked up at the old man's piercing blue eyes. His vision blurry from the tears.

'You are not your father.'

'I look just like him,' he said as the tears started to fall.

'You are not your father.'

'I am just like him.'

'You are not your father, Severus,' Dumbledore said more forcefully. With his thumb he gently wiped away a tear off Severus's face. 'I can only imagine how brave you must have been.'

'Can we go back home, please?'

'We can do that.'

They both stood up and made their way towards the gate. 'I think it is time you and I met up a little more frequently when you come back to Hogwarts.'

Severus wiped away the last remaining tears off his face. 'I think that would be wise.'

They walked their way back in the same silence as they came.

'I have something for you,' Severus said as he opened the door with the key Erwin had given him at Christmas.

Boxes filled with books that had belonged to his mother were piled up against the wall of the hallway. 'All of these can go to the Hogwarts library as a donation.'

Dumbledore looked delighted at the boxes filled with books. 'I'm sure Madam Pince would love receiving those. Do you mind if I send them to Hogwarts right away?'

'Go ahead. They're only standing in the way here.'

With a wave of his wand Dumbledore vanished the boxes. 'And, as a thank you, would you like me to heal that hand of yours?'

'I nearly forgot about that,' Severus said as he held up his injured hand. 'But yes, I would like to get rid of these bandages.'

A warm glow passed through his hand as Dumbledore held the tip of his wand against it, relieving the stiff pain, and vanishing the bandages that were wrapped around it.

'Much better,' Severus said as he bent his fingers. 'Thank you.'

The family was still awake. They all looked up when Severus and Dumbledore entered the room.

'How did it go?' Lily asked.

'Very well, if I may say so myself,' Dumbledore said. 'I am sorry that I must cut this visit short, as I have a school to tend to.'

He pulled a small pouch out of his pocket, and threw some floo powder into the fireplace, turning the flames green.

'I shall be back tomorrow with Professor Slughorn for the funeral.'

'Thank you Albus,' Erwin and Arnica said. 'Until tomorrow.'

'Until then.' Dumbledore said as he stepped into the flames, spun around, and disappeared.

A/N In the British version of the book it's called the Ministry for Magic, in the American version the Ministry of Magic.