Aftermath

Takes place directly after the Battle of Hogwarts.

May 1998

A.N. For the sake of my own sanity, if no one else's, I've decided to let Fred live as well as Lupin and Tonks; there's only so much disappointment we can take after all. This first chapter is just to explain the AU I'm setting up, so, date wise, it takes place over the whole month of May.

Standing on the stone bridge in the ruins of the battle, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione in time to see them give him two identical, exhausted smiles.

"There's one other thing I need to," he told them.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brow.

"...The Shrieking Shack...I've got to go back."

"What for?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Snape," Harry answered solemnly, "I can't just...leave him there," he said.

"Why not?" the red head scoffed.

"...It's complicated," he sighed, "But...trust me..."

"Harry," Hermione began, "I know...no one deserved to die like that...but he was a Death Eater...he's..."

"No, he wasn't!" Harry cried. "If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't believe it either, but he really wasn't. He was a spy just like Dumbledore always said he was. He gave me his memories...I saw it all. He...risked his life for me everyday...and I never knew."

"Are you for real?" Ron asked, shocked.

"Yeah," his friend nodded, in a similar tone. "I'll show you the memories...as soon as we get him back," he said.

"Alright," Hermione nodded and together, they walked slowly to the Shrieking Shack with Harry telling them exactly what he'd seen in the Pensive.

At the same time, Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts, walked the halls of the ruined castle, surveying the damage as people did their best to care for the wounded. She watched with a shake of her head, as Argus Filtch, stubbornly kept trying to sweep away the piles of rubble, many of which were were twice his height. He would never ask anyone for help, she knew, especially not when they would need to use magic to.

Not many knew it, save for those to have been the head of the school, or perhaps those who had read 'Hogwarts; A History,' but the building was alive. It had been imbued with the magic of each person to walk it's halls and it had taken on a life of its own, so to speak. She knew that once Snape had fled from the school and she had more or less pointed herself as headmistress, that she would be able to communicate, so to speak, with the castle. However, she had been surprised to learn that it hadn't happened straight away and then it hadn't lasted long either. Minerva had heard the castle's whispered for a short space of time and then it had all vanished like smoke. She couldn't understand it and so she went in search of one man who would.

"I don't understand it, Albus," she said to the portrait in her office, "You yourself said that the castle talked to you."

"It did," Albus Dumbledore's painted visage replied calmly.

"For how long?"

"Since I became headmaster...until the moment that I died."

"It didn't...just stop?"

"Never."

"Then why can't I hear it?"

"This upsets you?"

"It confuses me. I haven't had the chance to question it before now but...I know it's hardly the most pressing issue to be dealt with considering the circumstances..."

"It's not normal though," one of the other portraits replied, "The voice...its presence...it should be there in your mind."

"There must be a reason," Armando Dippet remarked.

"Oh, there's a reason," Dumbledore said, "There must be."

"And? What is it?" Phineas Black demanded.

"I couldn't say," he answered, "Not yet. Perhaps it has something to do with damage to the castle."

Professor McGonagall only sighed as the portraits began to be debate, rather loudly, amongst themselves and they seemed to forget that she was even there.

The Shrieking Shack, no matter whether it was morning or noon or even a bright night, always seemed to be a place which detested light. It was a loathsome place of creaking floorboards, of dust and grime and mould and now, for the time being, it was also the resting place of Severus Snape.

"He loved my mum, y'know," Harry stated, "He did all this...everything...because he still loved her...after all this time."

"Dumbledore always said...that love's the most powerful emotion," she replied sadly.

"He was right," he said, "He was right," Harry muttered as they came into the room.

It was as they'd left it but to Harry, at least, so much had changed. The blood that covered the floorboards wasn't that of a vicious Death Eater, it was the blood of an extremely brave man who had loved a woman to such an extent that it had changed the very fabric of his being.

"I still can't believe it," Ron whispered, "Snape was good...all this time."

"I've got to tell them...everyone...about Snape, about what he did...or else he'll just be remembered as another Death Eater...as the man who...killed Dumbledore. He doesn't deserve that."

"No...he doesn't," Hermione agreed.

Harry took a deep, shaky breath before turning his attention, reluctantly, back to Snape and a trail of tears began to trickle down from his eyes. He'd thought that there wasn't much left he could lose in the war, he'd already lost his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore and so many others and now he'd lost a protector that he'd never even known he had. Snape had been the bravest of them all to do what he'd done for so long and he'd never received any thanks or praise. It was no wonder the Potions Master had been so irate and solitary when he'd been living the life of a double agent with his life hanging by a thread.

"Well...erm...how're we gonna..." Ron said, taking a breath, "I mean, who's...who's going to..."

"...I'll do it," Harry announced, taking out his wand slowly moving to kneel beside Snape so that he could apparate back to the castle; the anti apparating wards having been destroyed in the battle.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione exclaimed quickly, pushing her friend's arm back quickly.

"What?!"

"He just...professor Snape...I thought he just...I thought I saw him..."

"Hermione, the man had his throat cut and he was bit by a snake, you don't just...ah, I mean..." Ron said, but stopped when she, diplomatically, chose to elbow the red head in the stomach.

At the same time, Harry examined the pale and bloodied face of the Potions Master and indeed, he saw a weak, shallow movement in the severed throat. A quiet, almost inaudible noise, like air through a blocked straw, escaped from between dry lips and Harry let out a disbelieving scoff.

"He is..." he breathed, "He's alive...look, he's breathing!" he took hold of Snape's bloodied arm.

"Don't apparate!" Hermione cried quickly.

"Why? I need to get him back to the castle...the hospital wing...Madam Pomfrey..."

"Apparating takes a toll on the body, Harry, and...well...look at him...I don't think he'll survive if you apparate him anywhere."

"Well, by the time I've levitated him all the way back he could die anyway!" he replied hastily. "I don't have a choice," he said, gently placing his hand on the man's shoulder and disaparating without another word.

Harry brought them straight to the hospital wing and he was instantly followed by his friends. He looked quickly for the matron but amidst the sea of people running about the room, it was all but impossible. There had been so many casualties that the hospital wing was overrun and every room, regardless of its state was being used to either hold the dead or to treated the wounded. The hospital staff were clearly overtaxed and anyone who had even a basic knowledge of healing was being put to use.

One person that his eyes alighted on and how spotted him in turn, was professor McGonagall and she ran over to them at once, her robes billowing behind her.

"Potter!" she exclaimed in shock on seeing just who her student had arrived with, "What on earth..."

"Please, professor...it's Snape...he he needs help..."

"Now wait just a minute..."

"We don't have a minute!"

"I..."

"He's dying...please, I'll explain, just...help him..."

She threw her hands in the air, acquiescing with a sigh as she took out her wand and levitated the dark haired man as Harry ran ahead to search for the matron.

"Minerva!" the matron herself frowned when she and Harry finally found her.

"I've been promised an explanation, Poppy, in the meantime, please...do what you can for him."

"I..."

"Please," Harry begged her and seemingly, her reluctance was swayed enough to do so.

Hours passed and after many strong spells and potions, Harry watched as the movements of Madam Pomfrey which had at the start been rapid and quick, became sluggish and weak. Snape hadn't woken once and Harry supposed that was a good thing.

Finally, he turned to professor McGonagall, who hadn't left Harry's side in the last half hour.

"The Pensive in your office, I left it out...I saw Snape's memories in it, there'll still be there, won't they?" he asked.

"I...don't see why not, but I..."

"Watch them," he said, "Just...watch them...and you'll understand," he told her and she nodded, turning to leave without a word.

When she returned, it was with stray tears running down her aged face. She placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled slightly in understanding at him. "I expect," she began slowly, "Once the Ministry discovers that Severus lives...they'll want to arrest him. I'll see that it doesn't happen."

"Thanks, professor."

Remus Lupin sat beside the love of his life, Nymphadora Tonks and held his infant son in his arms. They, like many before them had tried and failed to coax Harry out of the hospital wing. It seemed that everyone, in such a short amount of time, was now fully aware of what Severus Snape had done. Secrets in Hogwarts never did stay secret for long. Harry didn't particularly care in this instance though. The more people that knew the better, in his opinion.

"Harry, we'll send for you if Severus wakes," he said.

"And we won't let anyone take him away," Tonks added.

"I can't just leave," Harry shook his head.

"Madam Pomfrey doesn't even know if he'll wake up, and if he does I doubt it's going to be any time soon," the purple haired woman told him, ignoring the reproachful glare from Remus. "And...I really think you need a bath, and a change of clothes and a..."

"I get it," Harry sighed, "But I'm still not leaving."

Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared to be in charge of rounding up the defeated Death Eaters and his job was almost complete. He and a group of Aurors hovered at the entrance to the hospital Wing as they prepared to arrest the last remaining within.

"Hello, Harry," the tall man said slowly.

"Shacklebolt," Harry inclined his head, sitting up slightly.

"You know why we're here?" he asked and Harry nodded, "Then please, don't make this..."

"I guess people've already told you about what he did...and why."

"Somewhat, but that doesn't change the fact that Severus was a Death Eater. It doesn't excuse any of his crimes. He needs to answer for them..."

"He has already! He almost died, he could still die!"

"Kingsley," Minerva spoke calmly, entering the room. "I don't believe you've seen the evidence exonerating our headmaster," she said.

"I'm sorry...the headmaster?" the man frowned.

"Come with me," she said, leading him away.

"Albus," Kingsley stared up at the portrait of the former headmaster.

"Hello, Kingsley, my dear friend," the old man smiled.

"It's good to see you," Kingsley said, "But I will be needing an explanation."

"Of course, down to business. I always did admire that about you...and Severus," Dumbledore smiled. "Where should I start?" he asked.

When they returned some minutes later, the older man waved a hand at the attentive Aurors who exchanged confused glances but slowly, they moved away.

"If Headmaster Snape wakes up, you'll let me know?" he raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Why?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Potter, I will keep my word. If he lives, he will be a free man...if he lives," he emphasise before he left the hospital ward.

A few days later and the worst of the damage to the castle was slowly being repaired and Harry had either wandered the halls, helping to fix what he could, or he'd sat in the hospital wing, unwilling to leave the Potions Master alone for fear that those around him would finish him off in his sleep. It wouldn't be their fault if they did, they didn't know what he did. Poppy Pomfrey had told him more than once a day, that Snape was unlikely to awake, indeed, the man had stopped breathing several times.

He'd been told that Kinglsley Shacklebolt had been appointed acting Minister for Magic, and that there was to be a large funeral in the castle grounds in memory of those who had died in the battle. THere would be a ceremony to commemorate the dead and then they'd be returned to their families.

It was a sorrow filled, tragic day and not a single person could hold back their tears. Harry, who hadn't been forewarned, was asked to give a speech. He was reluctant at best, but he could hardly refuse.

"There's...one more thing I need to talk about," he said after he'd said all he could think of. "You're probably wondering why Professor Snape wasn't taken with the Death Eaters to Azkaban. You've probably already heard that he was a spy but he didn't betray us. He killed Dumbledore, yes, but...what you won't know is that Dumbledore was dying...he was cursed, he wouldn't have survived the year. He asked Snape to kill him so that Voldemort would trust him completely. I know...it's hard to believe, but trust me, it's all true. The last thing he deserves is Azkaban...so, please...whatever gets...reported or said, just don't believe any of it."

It wasn't long after the funeral that Harry and many other students and teachers were asked to testify at some of the many Death Eater trials which were clearly just a formality. Harry went intending only clearly Snape's name so that the threat of Azkaban wouldn't hang over him if, when he woke up. But somehow he ended up returning to Hogwarts with an Order of Merlin for himself and one for Snape as well. Both First Class. He left them both in the headmaster's office for another day.

As the days passed it became clear that people wanted, needed to leave to be with their families and Harry saw Hermione leave to find her parents in Australia to return their memories and he was in the hospital wing when an owl arrived to tell him of her success and of their subsequent holiday for his friend to recover from the battle. He was still in the castle when Ron, Ginny and the entire Weasly family left. They offered to take him with them, but he refused. Fred had been badly injured and George had lost an ear but at least they were alive and safe.

He saw Luna leave to spend time with her father, and Neville with his grandmother. Harry understood and he didn't begrudge any of them, telling them all when they left that that they were doing the right thing.

As Harry was sitting in the hospital wing, a book in his hand, he heard a familiar trilling sound and he looked up to see Fawkes standing on Snape's bed. The phoenix was crying over the man's wounds and though it began to heal some of the worst, Nagini's venom had been in his system for too long for the tears to heal it all in an instant. But Madam Pomfrey began to use the magical tears on Snape's wounds every day and he began to show a vast improvement.

"What are you doing here?" Harry had asked the bird, gently stroking the soft feathers. No one had seen the Phoenix since Dumbledore had died but here he was, helping the boy who lived keep vigil over Snape in the castle. "Well, I'm glad to see you," he smiled, "You probably saved his life."

The beautiful bird puffed out his chest almost proud of the fact that he had indeed saved the life of the Potions Master.

"Ah, Harry," he'd heard Dumbledore say from one of the portraits.

It was difficult for Harry to get used to hearing the man's voice as though he were still alive, he supposed it was because he'd been raised a muggle. Perhaps people who were raised with the idea of living portraits were more accustomed to them. "Professor," Harry turned around to see the familiar blue eyes, white beard and blue robes.

"I was wondering when Fawkes would return," the man said, "I was rather hoping that he would've arrived sooner...but no matter."

"Why did he come back?"

"Phoenixes value loyalty above all else, my boy," the former headmaster explained. "Severus was loyal to this school and to its people even at the cost of his reputation and his life. I'd be surprised indeed if such a remarkable creature as a Phoenix didn't recognise that."

"So...Fawkes is staying here again? He won't leave?" Harry asked, concerned that the animal would leave and there would be nothing as effective to help Snape get well.

"I don't believe he will," Albus smiled, looking down at the Phoenix which was preening Snape's hair gently with its beak.

Just under three weeks since the battle, Harry had still barely left his bedside vigil in the hospital wing and he was the first one to see Snape when he finally opened his eyes. To say that the man looked confused was an understatement. He squinted at the ceiling for a minute and felt the sheets of the bed with limp, pale hands. He was still breathing louder than expected but Madam Pomfrey had said that it was to be expected. The man's throat had been sliced open and polluted with venom and dark magic; Voldemort had been very through.

"Professor?" Harry spoke quietly, trying not to startle him, but he did anyway.

Snape's black eyes turned on him much quicker than he'd have expected given how weak the man looked and he seemed to examine Harry's face, tilting his head back and forth on the pillow before coming to a conclusion which made him sigh deeply. "Professor?" Harry repeated. "How do you feel? Oh...I should get Madam Pomfrey..." he began. "Wilpsy," he called out and a house elf appeared within an instant. It was wearing a fine looking robe with the Hogwarts symbol on it. "Find madam Pomfrey would you, and tell her professor Snape's awake?"

"Headmaster Potions sir is awake!" the little elf exclaimed happily. "I be fetching matron, Mister great Harry Potter sir, of course!" she said, vanishing again.

"...Pot..." Snape tried to speak but his voice was quiet, barely audible and he broke off in a fit of violent coughs which shook his body. He curled in on himself as he coughed, clutching at his throat.

"Professor," Harry grabbed a glass of water from the beside table and tried to help the man sit up but he was too busy trying to breathe to even think about sitting up.

"Severus," Poppy ran into the room and waved her wand at the ailing wizard. "Mr. Potter, sit him up quickly," she ordered.

"I can't," Harry struggled, still trying to help Snape sit up.

With Poppy's help, they managed to get the man sitting up and he was able to drink the water left out for him. It was hardly medicinal but it helped to soothe his aching throat and the coughing slowly stopped. He leant back, exhausted, against the pillows they'd propped up behind him and he closed his eyes.

"...How?" he asked simply, his voice so quiet and weak they barely heard it.

"How? How what, professor?" Harry asked.

"...H..." Snape went to asked but sighed wearily at his ailing throat and tried to raise a shaky hand to his neck but he couldn't even do that now. His limbs were too weak to move after his coughing fit.

"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey began. "You really shouldn't speak yet. It's lucky you can even say one word, let alone a sentence," she said, clearly seeing his frustration. "And please, try not to move too much; that venom had you paralysed for over a week," she told him and in all honesty she was surprised he was awake at all. She left Harry with strict instructions not to let Snape move or speak too much.

"Well, sir," Harry began once she was gone. He first took out his wand a cast a quiet Muffliato around them. "You know, I can't imagine not using that spell...it's really useful," he said suddenly. "But I guess, you know that since you made it...I erm...found it in your potions book," he said, clutching the wand in his fingers.

Snape raised an eyebrow at him and tried and failed to speak again. "Anyway," Harry pursed his lip, not sure where to start. He'd been sat at the man's bedside for a month thinking of just what to say if or when he woke and now here he was, cementing Snape's idea that he was an idiot by mumbling like this. "I erm...Voldemort's dead. I...killed him," he said, "Well...technically, the Elder Wand killed him when his spell backfired, but...yeah, he's gone."

"B...but ...you..." Snape managed to whisper though it clearly took considerable effort.

"I'm...not dead," Harry clarified rather unnecessarily, "I mean, I was...because I let him kill me so I wouldn't be a horcrux anymore but I...I came back."

Snape turned his head slightly on the pillow and found his wand on the small bedside table next to him. He seemed surprised to see it there at all. "Do you want me to pass you your wand, professor?" Harry asked him, "I'm not sure if you should do any magic yet. madam Pomfrey didn't say."

The pale man gestured weakly with his head and after a moment's deliberation, Harry reached for the simple black wand and placed it in Snape's hand. With a silent and weak flourish, a piece of parchment appeared with spidery writing on it and Harry took it.

It simply read 'Liar.'

"Liar?" Harry furrowed his brow. "I'm not lying. She really didn't say anything about you not using magic because none of us knew if...when you'd wake up," he said, defensively.

Snape pointed his wand at the paper again and more words appeared. It read 'You are not real. Potter is dead. I am dead.'

"I'm not dead, professor and neither are you," the young wizard told him.

'How?' The word suddenly appeared on the parchment.

"I erm...after it was all...over, I went back to the Shrieking Shack. I thought you were dead," he admitted, looking over at one of the windows. "But you weren't. So we brought you back here," he said choosing not to mention the fact that people had been frantic about Snape's condition for weeks.

Madam Pomfrey asked the best healers and potioneers from St Mungo's to help the man. He'd been too weak to be moved from the Hogwarts hospital wing and at one point here had been fifteen people there trying to rid Snape's body of the lethal venom it was been poisoned with. Even with the help of a seemingly endless supply of Phoenix tears, it and still taken this long for him just to wake up.

Harry held the parchment up again, watching as more words appeared. 'Why return to the Shrieking Shack at all?' It said.

"What'd you mean? I couldn't just leave you there?! Not after everything I saw in your..." Harry stopped, seeing the horrified look in Snape's eyes. "In your memories," he finished quietly, a moment later.

'What did you see?' Harry read the words that appeared after a tense silence.

"You don't...remember what memories you...gave me?" he asked.

'Difficult to concentrate with your throat cut,' was the rather sarcastic, written response and Harry couldn't help but give a small smile. It was so reminiscent of Snape's usual sarcasm that he simply couldn't help it.

"Well...I asked professor McGonagall to take them out of the pensive. They're in a bottle in her...in your office. I know you probably only meant for me to see one of them...but...there was more," he replied, thinking of the many memories that made him see the Potions Master so differently than he ever had before.

'The Dark Lord is gone?' Snape wrote, still shocked at the very idea.

"Voldemort is gone," Harry corrected, verbally.

'Do not say his name,' the pale man visibly shuddered as he spelled the words onto the page. 'How many dead?' he asked.

"On our side...fifty," Harry answered him sadly.

'The Death Eaters?'

"Most of them were caught and sent to Azkaban. Some of them died. But Rodolphus Lestrange, Macnair and Travers escaped. Shacklebolt's still looking for them. He's the acting Minister," Harry explained. *1

'Lestrange is dangerous,' Snape wrote, 'The other two are stupid. He is not.'

"Doesn't matter; I haven't been looking for them. I wanted to help but Kinglsley said it'd be best if I didn't."

'They will come after you,' more words appeared suddenly.

"I've been here since...since the battle. Three Death Eaters can't get through the wards...or, so I've been told."

'The wards were broken.'

"Professor McGonagall and the others fixed them. But they said you'll need to cast the spells again when you can because you're the headmaster," Harry told him quickly.

'What?' Snape wrote. The stoic mask he'd been working on for the last few minutes was shattered again and now he looked both vulnerable and surprised.

"Erm...you're the headmaster..." Harry repeated, slowly. "I told the Ministry that you were innocent so they wouldn't take you to Azkaban...but they can't really sack you, either."

"Y...you...told..." Snape hissed but gave up once he realised that no matter how hard he tried, he just could speak yet.

Both of them were startled when they looked across at the open door to see Minerva McGonagall walking towards them.

She didn't think of herself as an emotional woman but she didn't try and stop the tears from falling down her aged face as she quietly approached Snape's bedside. "Severus," she said, "I was worried you'd never wake up."

Snape only stared at her with dark eyes as though willing her to disappear. He'd never wanted people to know everything. He was supposed to be dead and yet here he was, surprisingly alive, having a civilised conversation with Potter and being hovered over by a crying Deputy Head. What was the matter with them? Had they simply forgotten everything he'd done over the last year?

'Send me to Azkaban,' Snape tapped his wand against the paper again and Harry looked horrified. McGonagall glanced down at it and she gave the same expression.

"Send you to Azkaban, Severus?!" she exclaimed, "We'd be laughed out of the castle." He furrowed his brow, not understanding her at all. "No. You're not going to Azkaban," she reiterated. "I'll not hear...or read...another word about it and neither will Potter, not after what he did to keep you out of that dreadful place," she sighed, conjuring a chair for herself. "Can you ever forgive me?" she asked him, seriously. "I can't have made your life easy this last year. If I'd known everything I'd never have..."

'You weren't supposed to know,' Snape wrote, 'That would've ruined it all.'

"Yes. Yours and Albus' precious plan," she sighed, "Genius though it was, it feels as though you bore the brunt of it all. I know we haven't always been the best of friends, Severus, but I...I am truly sorry," she finished and Snape looked away.

Aside from being very confused and weak he simply wasn't accustomed to hearing genuine apologies. He was usually the one having to apologise. "Well, we'll let you rest," Minerva said after a moment. She stood and Harry did the same after a simple wordless gesture from her.

*1 I realise I may be taking liberties here but I did a quick check and I don't think any of the three Death Eaters I mentioned are actually killed in the Battle of Hogwarts.