Chapter 52: A New Chance

June 12, 1977 King's Cross in London…

"Mum!" Severus greeted as he came out of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

"Hey sweetie how was your first year?" Eileen smiled.

"Really great I…met a lot of family," he stated.

"I see. How is the old wench of a headmistress?" Eileen asked.

"She told me to give you this. She cried when I left mum I think she misses you…Grandma Monica really does," Severus replied.

"Don't let those big green eyes fool you Severus. Katherine's as cold as the serpent she houses," Eileen snapped as she took her son by the hand and led him to the car before she saw any of the family that might still be school age.

Later that night as Tobias and Severus were asleep Eileen snuck out of bed to the kitchen. She turned on the little light over the kitchen sink and slit the seal on the letter to read it.

My Dearest Grandchild;

I doubt you'll ever read this. I'm certain the anger you have toward me is as fresh as the day you ran. But if you are reading I want to say how sorry I truly am. I was upset you'd not waited to have a baby. I've always thought having children early in live can ruin what you want to do in the world; but the older I get the more I realize that people have to make their own choices and mistakes. It's what makes us who we are.

I hope one day I can say I'm sorry to your face but until I know you won't slam the door in my face I dare not come. I want you to know your parents have searched for you since you ran. They missed you more than you'll ever know and Eric requested when he died that he was burned with a picture of you.

We all love you so much Eileen and we hope that you'll come home to us one day.

All my love,

Grandma

Eileen had tears in her eyes as she read the letter. The woman she'd thought was such a pureblood fanatic had apologized and had meant it she was sure. Eileen knew she had to go home with Severus but she couldn't do that with Tobias. He'd never let her leave. She'd have to get rid of him first.


June 25, 1977 McGonagall's Home in Godric's Hollow…

"Gin!" Monica laughed laying her cards down.

"Ugh not again," Myles groaned.

"I told you when it comes to cards I always win," Monica laughed.

All seven McGonagall children and those that had spouses were playing cards or dominos in the large dining room. Benjamin and Katherine were working at the end of the table on a jigsaw puzzle together flirting. All of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren had gone to the movies together.

"This is why dominos is more entertaining," Mercedes stated.

"Personally it looks like a jigsaw puzzle can be more fun."

"No Ben it doesn't go there," Katherine sighed taking the piece from him.

"Why not?" he asked his breathe close to her ear.

"Because it…it just doesn't," she sighed deeply.

"You could always force it," he whispered leaning closer to her.

"It wouldn't be right. Look see how perfect it fits here," Katherine breathed.

"I do," he whispered before nibbling on her ear. She giggled batting at his arms.

"Wow that must be some puzzle," Albus blinked.

"Na dad's always on mum nowadays," Milena stated.

"She get's more in the bed than we do I know and we're newly weds," Mercedes stated. She and a man named Donald Dame had married last month.

"Dad has to coerce her even into the bed most of the times," Milena stated.

"And he still gets more," Donald pouted.

"Close your mouth Donny you look like a caught fish," Mercedes stated patting his upper leg.

The groups continued their sort of family night while the others were out. Sometime after eleven the muggle phone rand in the hall causing the children to look down at the table questioningly.

"I put it in just a few months ago so the muggle borns and half bloods and their parents can get a hold of me if need be," Katherine shrugged as she disentangled herself from her husband and headed into the hall.

She picked up the phone and leaned against the wall.

"Hello McGonagall residence?............Yes I'm Katherine………….Yes she's here. What's this all about?..........I see….."

"Who do you think she's talking to?" Madra asked.

"Who ever it is it's about one of us," Matilda stated.

They listened closer for any information but it was all very cryptic.

"Yes I understand…..No I'm sorry I did know him actually…..Yes of course I'd be delighted to have him. Can I ask how you got my number? Oh yes of course. No tell him not to worry will be there in thirty minutes. …….No thank you," Katherine replied and hung up the phone. She reentered the dinging room and they could see she looked thoughtful and upset.

"There's been an accident. Eileen's dead," Katherine stated turning to Monica.

"What?" Monica asked tears already pooling in her eyes.

"From what the muggle child services told me there was a fight and both she and Tobias are dead," Katherine stated as she walked down the line of the table and stood close to Monica. Monica pulled her mother to her sobbing.

Silence filled the room for seconds that felt like hours before Matilda looked at her mother.

"Why would muggle child services call you?" she asked.

"They have Severus," Katherine stated and laughed lightly, "Apparently Severus was under the impression he was being taken to a sort of child jail. He said if he was going to jail he wanted to get his one phone call and he spouted my number. Said to call that number and he'd have someone that would want him."

This elicited a light chuckled from the group; some even laughing through their tears.

"Well go on go get the boy," Ben stated, "The rest of us will figure out a room for him."

"All right. Come on Monica I'm driving," Katherine stated.

"Pray for me," Monica whispered before her mother pulled her out of the room.

"A pureblood witch that drives ninety miles and hour…poor Monica," Myles shook his head.

"Where'd she even learn to drive watching racing?" Donald asked. He was a pureblood with a muggle step-mother since he was ten.

"Yes," the six children nodded.


Severus sat on a bench reading from his potions book. He was in a social services office in London with dozens of children coming and going and adults shouting at each other and clicking away on type writers and chatting on the phone. He felt very out of place.

"Severus!" a voice shouted and before he knew it Monica had him in her arms holding him tightly and crying over him.

"Monica…Monica baby let the boy breathe," Katherine stated as she gently took the boy in her arms.

Severus realized he was either very small or she was very strong as he sat on her hip like he used to with his mum when he was five.

"Severus you okay?" Katherine asked brushing his hair back and checking his head and arms.

"Yeah I'm okay," Severus sighed looking at the large diamond hanging from her neck.

"Okay sit with grandma and I'm going to find somebody who can get you out of here," Katherine said as she kissed his head and handed him back to Monica.

"Kay," Severus nodded. He was relishing in all the attention.

"Uh are you Mrs. McGonagall?" a voice behind Katherine called.

"Yes I am. I'm his great-grandmother and this is my daughter his grandmother," Katherine stated.

She turned to see a short portly woman with blonde brown curls and hazel eyes.

"Uh yes well follow me please. I'm Amelia Richards," the woman stated as she turned and headed down the hall. Katherine left her daughter and the boy and followed the woman into a very messy office full of files.

Katherine couldn't see anywhere to sit so she just stood.

"I must say Miss Katherine you look very young to have an eleven year old great-grandson not to mention an almost thirty year old granddaughter," Amelia stated sitting in her chair. She looked back at the woman and still had to shake herself mentally.

The woman looked maybe fifty-five; a very beautiful fifty-five mind you, and her daughter had looked late thirties. (Kate's 79 and Monica is 45)

"I'll take that as a compliment. The truth is Monica had Eileen at sixteen and at sixteen Eileen had Severus," Katherine explained, "Now can you please tell me what's happened exactly."

"Like I said over the phone the police haven't told me much and are still investigating. But so far it appears that Tobias might have been poisoned by his wife and a fight ensued. Before he died of the poison he had ingested he shot Eileen once in the heart effectively killing her. The neighbors reported a disturbance and when they broke down the door they found the bodies. Severus was found in his bedroom. There were too big suitcases and a trunk packed. Severus said they were leaving," Amelia explained.

"Severus said?" Katherine asked.

"He says he knows the whole story but he'll only tell you. We have an officer outside and we're wondering if maybe you could sit with him and Severus and get it out of him. It would really help the investigation," Amelia stated as she made beckoning motion toward a window that looked into the office area and a tall officer came in.

Katherine sighed and ran a hand through her head scratching her head roughly.

"If I get him to tell you can I take him home? I want to take my baby home to his family and let him get some sleep," Katherine stated.

"We promise ma'am," the man who told them to call him Officer McCracken.

"Right then let's get it over with," Katherine stated opening the door and leaving the office.

Monica saw her mother coming to her and smiled standing while she held Severus' hand.

"Can we go now?" Monica asked.

"No uh….they want Severus to make a statement so he and I are going to go with the officer and this social worker. You stay here okay," Katherine stated holding her hand for Severus.

Severus took her hand looking back at his Grandma nervously.

"O-Okay," Monica nodded.


Severus entered a small white room. Nothing was in it but two chairs and a table and a tape recorder. Officer McCracken sat at one chair and scooted to the table as he turned the tape recorder on.

"This is Officer John McCracken taking the statement of Severus Snape in regards to the death of Tobias and Eileen Snape on this day June 25, 1977. Here with us is his great-grandmother…."

"Katherine McGonagall," Katherine stated eyeing the tape recorder warily, "Officer what exactly are you doing?"

"I'm recording our conversation for investigation purposes," the officer stated.

"I see," Katherine nodded.

She came fuller into the room with Severus trailing nervously after her. Severus sat in the only other remaining chair while Katherine sat on the table. Her back was to the policeman while she looked down at the by.

"Severus," Katherine called getting his attention.

Severus looked into the woman's green eyes.

"I want you to tell me what happened," she said softly as she reached out and caressed his cheek.

Severus took a deep breath before he began.

"It wasn't long before dad would come home for supper. Mum told me to stay in my room. She said not to come out only when she came to get me. She told me while I was waiting to pack," Severus stated.

"Why did she ask you to pack?" the Officer asked.

"She said dad was going to die and when we were rid of him we'd go home," Severus replied looking at his clasped hands on the table.

"Go home? Where's home?" McCracken asked.

"Mum said home was where you could get in trouble but in the end of the day your grandma tucks you in and tells you she loves you. She said we were going to go find grandma and Gran and go home but she couldn't do it while dad was alive because he wouldn't let her," Severus replied.

Katherine fought very hard to keep herself from crying as she listened to the boy's words.

"Did she say what she was going to do to your dad?" the officer questioned.

"She said Bella would help her. Bella would get rid of him…when I was packing I heard them fighting again. He said she was a freak and a bitch and she wasn't leaving this house. I heard a bang and then nothing till you people came and got me," Severus then finished quickly as he looked scared and close to tears.

"Whose Bella? Did she say who Bella is?" the officer asked.

Severus shook his head. Katherine hopped off the table and held Severus to her as he started crying.

"Did you know anything about this?" McCracken asked Katherine.

"Hell I didn't even know who Tobias was. I've never even seen him before," Katherine said angrily through tears, "But if he killed my grandchild because of us he deserved to die."

"So you don't know who Bella is?" the man asked.

"Considering who her mother was I can only think she meant Belladonna. Ingested in the right amount it's a deadly poison," Katherine sighed wiping her eyes and looking at the man.

"I see," McCracken nodded.

"Can I take him home now? It's got to be well past midnight," Katherine stated.

"Uh yeah sure," the officer nodded, "We're done here."

Katherine nodded and stood with Severus wrapped around her keeping his face away from the officer.

After exiting the questioning room they went and got Monica and found Amelia again. She had several papers that had to be signed so Monica took Severus letting Katherine's hands be free.

"Uh we actually need the guardian to sign them," Amelia stated.

"That would be my mother. She's the legal guardian of all the little ones should anything happen to the rest of us. Just tell her where to sign," Monica stated.

The woman nodded and signed everything before whisking the boy away to her home where he was welcomed into opened arms and found himself with more love and attention than he knew what to do with.