Warning: Sensitive Content

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Chapter 1: A Final Assignment

March, 2004

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Harry took a deep breath and pasted a professional expression on his face. Then he reached his hand out and grasped the doorknob to the office of the Minister of Magic. Entering the outer office, he noticed that Dora Poppings, Kingsley's secretary, was not at her desk. Nice, he thought, at least someone gets to enjoy their weekend off. So he crossed to the far door and entered Kingsley's private office, the door opening at his approach.

"Harry, thank you for coming," said Kingsley, extending his hand toward a chair facing his desk and indicating that Harry should be seated. "I'm sorry that I had to disturb your weekend."

"It's not a problem, Kingsley," Harry lied as he sat in the chair. Ginny had been upset when the Minister's Owl had arrived summoning him. Now in her fourth month of pregnancy with their first child, Ginny had not appreciated having their plans postponed. They had planned to go to Hogsmeade to visit George and Kira, and enjoy spending the Mothers' Day weekend spoiling Molly.

Kingsley smiled and brought his hands together on his desk as he faced his favorite Auror. "It's hard to believe that six years have gone by since the defeat of Tom Riddle and his Death Eaters."

"They've been six good years, Kingsley, years of peace, of reform, of rebuilding."

"Yes, I hope the safeguards we have put in place will assure that the use of evil and Dark Magic to gain power is firmly behind us. But, I'm sure you are wondering why I sent for you."

Harry smiled. "Your message was rather cryptic," he said. "Something about Professor Snape, I believe?" Harry wondered if Snape's body had been found. After the Battle of Hogwarts and Tom Riddle's death, he had led what members of the Order of the Phoenix remained to retrieve Snape's body. It had vanished. The black marble tomb that stood next to Dumbledore's at Hogwarts as a memorial to Harry's great protector was actually empty.

"Yes. The Goblins finally managed to open his vault. He had it protected by so many dark curses that they had been unwilling to go near it for years. But Bill Weasley was finally able to come up with a Neutralizing Spell to break them. It turns out that Snape left a considerable amount of wizard gold and Muggle money. He lived most frugally, it seems. He'd been stockpiling his wages for decades. We found his last will and testament. He left you something, Harry."

Harry took a deep breath as Kingsley lifted an old, battered case, made of deep green dragonskin from the floor behind his desk. "His will asks that you follow the instructions in this case."

Six years ago Harry had to come to terms with the fact that he had been wrong about Severus Snape. To learn that a despised nemesis was actually the man determined to see you survive and prevail, even at the cost of his own life, had been a shock. Harry reached his hand out and grasped the case. The lid popped open at the first touch of his fingers.

Inside were a small packet of letters, a sealed scroll of parchment, and a crystal vial. Harry inwardly moaned. The vial was filled with softly glistening silver threads of memories. The scroll had his name on it. Harry broke the seal on the scroll. He noted that it was dated during Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, a few days after he had witnessed Severus Snape kill Professor Dumbledore. He read aloud.

Mr. Potter,

If you are reading this, then you were fortunate enough to prevail against the Dark Lord and my life has not been completely wasted. My vow to Dumbledore has been fulfilled, and my debt to your mother has been paid. I never expected to survive to see the defeat of evil. I beg to ask one last assignment from you. Deliver the enclosed letters and the vial of memories to Allison Dalton. Although it truly was the right thing, the best thing, and the only thing I could do, she has remained my biggest regret. My fear is that she has been encouraged to believe the very worst of me by those who raised her. I left a letter for her once, when she was thirteen. My letter was was returned, unopened, with the note that you will find in the packet of letters. I want her to know the truth.

Severus Snape

Harry looked at Kingsley. "Do you know who this Allison Dalton is?" he asked.

Kingsley smiled, remembering back to Snape's wedding at Hogwarts to Emma. "Allison, I believe, is what his daughter was named."

"Daughter? He had a daughter?" Harry's mind formed a mental image of Snape as a woman and inwardly shuddered. The poor thing couldn't possibly be very pretty.

"Yes, he was married to an American girl named Emma the summer after your parents were killed. I was at the wedding. It was held at Hogwarts. She was a Muggle."

"Was?" Harry asked.

"Emma died bringing their child into the world," Kingsley explained.

Harry flinched, thinking of Ginny at home, pregnant. He would be less than honest if he did not admit that his own stomach clenched at the thought of how easily things might go wrong. "Professor Snape was not very lucky in love, was he?" observed Harry. "So, where is this daughter?"

Kingsley rose from his seat and walked to an intricately carved door set deeply within the wall behind his desk. It had no doorknob. Kingsley ran his finger down the door and it opened.

"I ran into Snape in Diagon Alley not long after Emma's death. I tried to offer my condolences, but he brushed them off. Professor Dumbledore told me that he had requested that neither Emma nor his daughter ever be mentioned to him again. There is a Pensieve in my inner sanctum; I'm sure all your questions are best answered by the Professor himself."

Harry had to admit that he was curious. He had never stopped to wonder whether or not Snape had ever loved anyone else in the years after Harry's mother had been killed. Perhaps, however, he had not loved this Emma. Harry was no longer naïve enough to believe that every child was born from a union so blessed. He rose from his chair and took the vial of memories into the Minister's inner sanctum.

Harry hesitated for a moment, remembering the previous times he had occasion to learn what secrets his Potions Professor's mind held. The first had been during his fifth year at Hogwarts, during his special lessons in Occlumency, during which e and had seen Snape being tormented as a young student. His tormentor had been none other than Harry's own father, who had goaded and humiliated Snape into such a state that he had lashed out at the one person in the world he had loved. Harry had not found out what that moment of anger had cost the man until the next time he had watched how Snape's life had played out. It was the night Snape had been killed.

Harry removed the stopper from the vial and poured the memories into the Penseive. Then, resolutely, he took a deep breath and plunged into them.

Harry was on Charing Cross Road. He saw Snape's reflection in a shop window. He was a young man, wearing Muggle clothes, approaching the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Then, suddenly, a girl walked right into him and he heard their exchange of words. Without warning, he was suddenly propelled along with them to a café where he watched as Snape toyed with the young Muggle, whose name was Emma, his obvious use of Legilimency to not only taunt her, but to pique her interest. He heard her agree to meet him at a pub that evening. Harry never understood how some girls were attracted to men who were obviously up to no good.

Harry continued stand, a mute, impotent observer, as Snape stood outside a dilapidated building and heard a woman scream. Snape had run into an alley, stupified a Muggle man and saw Emma bleeding on the pavement. Suddenly, he was in Mungo's and saw him sitting by her bed. He observed the conversation between Snape and Dumbledore and felt outrage at Fudge as he so easily deprived the girl of her freedom. As the entire history of Emma and Severus Snape unfolded, Harry was most struck by her eyes. Emma had his mother's eyes, his own eyes. It was easy to see why Snape's attraction had been so intense, so immediate.

Harry found himself at Hogwarts as Snape and Emma were married. Then, he was tugged into Courtroom Ten where he watched and listened as an American wizard he recognized as Michael Dalton, the High Leader of the American Community of Witches and Wizards told him that he was setting Emma free and demanded that he leave the courtroom. Then, he was in a room at the Ministry observing as Dumbledore walked into the room and informed Snape that the Wizengamut had voted to turn Emma over to the High Leader for a period of three months. Snape had nearly lost it. He'd grabbed Dumbledore's robes and hissed, "You told me this was a formality. You promised they'd listen when she said she wanted to stay with me."

Harry was stunned as he learned that Michael Dalton was Emma's father; then he grew amused as he listened to the verbal battles that had taken place between Snape and his father-in-law. Harry took a moment to thank God that he was blessed with in-laws that loved and accepted him completely. Well, Percy could be a bit of a trial at times, but with so many Weasleys, Harry could easily avoid him at family gatherings.

Harry was surprised to view a side of Snape that he'd never known. Although the marriage had periods of instability, it also had moments of deep tenderness and profound poignancy, humor, and acceptance. Snape had been growing, emotionally, into a different man.

But that growth had been stunted by what had happened during the last memory. Finally, Harry was back at the Hospital wing in Hogwarts, watching as Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey tried to coax Snape away from the body of Emma. He watched Snape's face as he offered his daughter to his father-in-law and exacted a promise to be provided a grave next to Emma's and walked away. He'd kept his back turned to his father-in-law, his bearing stiff, his voice cold.

Only Harry saw the clenched fists that had filled with blood as Snape's nails cut into his palms. Later, he watched as Severus had sought out Emma's half-sister and had given her a coin he had been charmed to turn black upon the moment of Snape's death. He heard the girl promise to come to retrieve his body so he could be buried next to Emma. Through it all, Harry could not get over the fact that Emma, her father and half-sister all had his eyes. The sister, in particular, resembled Harry's mother so much his heart skipped a beat. If carrying out Snape's final wishes was not enough reason to seek out the Daltons, then this odd resemblance certainly was.

Harry left the Minister's inner sanctum and once again faced him from across his desk.

"Did you happen to notice the Daltons' eyes?"

"Yes, I did," Kingsley answered. "I traveled to Hogwarts for the funeral service that was held for Emma before her parents took her body back to the States. I had previously met the High Leader at the Ministry and had noticed those green eyes. I remember thinking that your mother's eyes had been the exact same color. Dalton's other daughter even had your mother's coloring. I remember it gave me a feeling of déjà vu."

"Did you question it at all?" Harry asked.

"No. The man had just lost his child. The Ministry had imprisoned his daughter and let it be published she was dead. High Leader Dalton did not make himself very approachable to anyone who worked for the Ministry."

"What is his problem with us?"

"Tension has always existed between the Ministry and the American Community of Witches and Wizards, as they call themselves. Most of it our fault. The Ministry was not happy with how enmeshed the wizard colonists were becoming with the Muggles of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Aurors were dispatched to stir up trouble, resulting in the Salem Witch Hunts. Muggles and one witch were tried and hanged. In the end, our Aurors vanished. We assumed they were executed. The Wizards went underground for nearly a hundred years, forming the Supreme Coven as their system of self-government. After the Revolution, which the Supreme Coven both instigated and abetted, they refused to sign the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. As I understand it, the Supreme Coven acts more in an advisory role than a real government. They pretty much let people do whatever they want so long as nobody gets hurt. Attacks on Muggles are dealt with especially harshly, as I understand it."

"So, exactly how am I to find Snape's daughter now?" Harry asked.

Kingsley smiled and opened the drawer of his desk. He removed a copy of the London Times, a Muggle newspaper. He handed it to Harry. Harry looked down at it. It was nearly three years old. The headline blared, "Senator Dalton Breaks with Bush over Iraq." The accompanying photo showed the man on the steps of the Capitol Building, being interviewed. Naturally, he was older than he had been in Snape's memories. He appeared slightly out of focus. Harry smiled. Witches and Wizards never photographed well for Muggle cameras. It probably drove the American press crazy.

"Security in America is rather tight since the terrorist attacks in 2001, so arranging an audience in Washington would be difficult. The Supreme Coven is headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts. I will send him an owl saying that I am sending you as an Ambassador of Good Will and desire that he grant you an audience. By the way, don't use the word, 'Muggle,' around any American witches and wizards. They consider it offensive. They don't live separately as we do here, and intermarry with Muggles at a very high rate. Some of our spies have suggested they are attempting to increase their presence in the country, and that is the most expedient way to do it. Also, they tend to be rather arrogant. If, at the same time, you can find a way to communicate the fact that I have no desire to place them under Ministry control, I'd appreciate it. The American wizard population is very distrustful of us. I'm sad to say that we did earn the mistrust."

"I'll make sure not to use the word. I would go even if I was not curious about the resemblance to my mother. After all, Snape gave his only child up because of his obligation to me. I owe him more than I can ever repay. When should I go?"

"Would you be able to leave on Wednesday? I know you've been trained in Inter-Continental Apparition, but it may be better to make several smaller Apparitions, say from here to Iceland, to Greenland, to Canada and then down to the States."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Kingsley," said Harry, holding back the desire to remind him that he was grown now. Kingsley, along with other surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix, tended to remain a bit overprotective of him even after all this time. The only thing he would need protection from was Ginny when he told her he would be going to America.

Kingsley grimaced and smiled. "I was doing it again, wasn't I?" he asked.

"Yes, you were. I'm used to it though. Ginny's parents still whisper when they say 'You-Know-Who' when I'm around too."

"How are Molly and Arthur doing?"

"They're great. Ginny's dad spends his days helping George in the Hogsmeade store. Mum Weasley helps Kira keep track of the children."

How many children do George and Kira have now?"

"Let's see, the first set of twins just turned six in January, and Ricky will be four in May. The second set of twins, Gideon and Fabian, will be two in November. George and Kira really need to take up a new hobby, I think."

"I'd better contact the Headmistress about adding a few new dorm rooms in Gryffindor Tower. Did you know that Kira sends me a scarf for Christmas every year?"

"Mum's jumpers and Kira's scarves are holiday staples. Then we're all supposed to act surprised."

"How is Ron doing? I have to admit that I was surprised when he turned down my offer to join the Auror squad."

"I guess Ron just wanted something else," Harry answered. Harry had been secretly relieved when Ron had turned down the offer. Although they had never discussed it, Harry had suspected that Ron had not wanted to spend his life in Harry's shadow. Harry knew that he was being groomed to move up to Head Auror in a few years when the current one retired. Being Ron's boss would have been uncomfortable. He also knew that Hermione had been disappointed by Ron's decision. She was now the senior prosecutor for the Wizengamut. Unfortunately, their marriage was strained.

Try as he might to ignore it, Harry was still referred to as 'The Boy Who Lived.' It was downright embarrassing to walk into the Leaky Cauldron and have the entire place go quiet. He wished that everyone would just get over it. He wondered what everyone would think of him if they could have seen him last night wearing an apron and helping Ginny make pies to take with them to George and Kira's. Some big bad Dark Wizard Slayer he was with flour coating his glasses and hot apple filling dripped down his front.

"Well then, Kingsley," he said. "If we're done here, I'd better get back home to Ginny while I still have a home to go home to." Harry placed the vial of memories and the packet of letters back into the battered old green case. He would read the letters later, when he was alone.

He stood, shook Kingsley's hand, and left his office. Once back in the main hall, he used the Floo Network to return to Godric's Hollow, where he had rebuilt the home that had been destroyed the night his parents had been killed. Harry had donated Number Twelve Grimmauld Place to the Ministry as the very first Remus Lupin Center, a safehouse for werewolves to live each month during the full moon where they are provided with Wolfbane Potion and locked down. To reward werewolves for willingly taking advantage of the service, the Ministry now provided them with jobs and financial resources to help alleviate the poverty the stigma caused them.

As Harry stepped out of the fireplace, he saw Ginny standing in their parlor, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well? What was so important it couldn't wait until Monday?" she demanded.

"It's a long story, Ginny," answered Harry. "You'd better sit down."