A/N: Hi guys! I am very excited to bring you Chapter 4 of Harry Potter and Destiny's Last Chance! I hope you guys are still enjoying the story; I know I'm having a lot of fun writing it!

I have a few things to address. First of all, I forgot to mention last chapter that the bolded portion including the insults of Moony, Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail on the Marauder's Map were taken from Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which (of course) copyrights to J.K. Rowling. I don't know if I'm supposed to include legalities in each chapter, so I'll get that out of the way now and make sure to be more careful to give credit when quoting directly from the books. William, Grelle, Undertaker, Sebastian, Ciel, and Grim Reaper Dispatch belong to Yana Toboso. Emily Tarleton, Selena Menzel, the story, the Ignominia Potion, and the events not found in any of the Harry Potter books or movies belong to me. The challenge belongs to Reptilia28. All other characters, locations, spells, and events belong to J. K. Rowling.

Second of all, I received a 2 part review from an anonymous Guest, which reads as follows:

"Ron would never use love poition on Harry and Ron never turn his back on Harry 4 year was a fight that was half Harry fault. And did people forget how many times Ron saved Harry lofe. Risking his own

And

Just becouse you don't like Ron does not make him a bad person. And jk said they did not use love poitions.

Now, since they did not sign into any account and instead come up as a Guest, I cannot respond directly on the review. Therefore, I will respond here. Guest, I understand that J. K. Rowling has stated that there were no love potions at work regarding either the Harry/Ginny pairing or the Ron/Hermione pairing. I also realize that my negative feelings towards Ron do not make him a bad "person". However, since this is a FANfiction, I am writing this story the way I want to, in which love potions were used and Ron is not a good "person". I do not like Ron, and I do not support Harry/Ginny or Ron/Hermione; my Harry Potter OTP is Harry/Hermione. To clarify, I did not say that Ron used a love potion on Harry; Ron used a love potion on Hermione, and Ginny used a love potion on Harry. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ron DID turn his back on Harry because of his petty jealousy about Harry entering the Tri-Wizard Tournament (even though Harry didn't put his name in). There really wasn't a "fight"; Ron decided that Harry wanted glory and found a way to enter the Tournament and did not tell anyone, so he started being nasty to Harry. Sure, there were a few times that Ron gave of himself to help Harry. But, so did Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Dobby, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Fred, George, Seamus, Dean, Hagrid, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Fawkes, and Narcissa. I'll also point out that some of the times that Ron did things to help Harry were simply to impress Hermione (see the book and movie versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for plenty of examples). I'd like to take a moment to point out that in addition to abandoning Harry during the first portion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Ron also abandoned Harry AND Hermione in the middle of the woods during a wild goose chase for Horcruxes that they didn't have any idea where they were located and what some of them even were with Voldemort rapidly taking over the world, all because he was pissed that Harry didn't know everything (because Dumbledore neglected to give Harry most of the information he needed), the Horcrux Hunt wasn't going easy, and (once again) he was jealous because he thought Hermione had feelings for Harry. I respect that you have your own opinion, which is vastly different from mine. You are entitled to it, and I don't mind you expressing it. However, don't act like my opinion is stupid or not as valid as yours, and don't act like my story is the gospel truth. It is a FANfiction, which means I am writing my own story about how I see the characters and events. I never claimed that these things happened in the canon storyline. Anyway, moving on…

Sorry, didn't mean for the review response to take up that much space.

Third and final before I begin the chapter, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my most faithful and frequent reviewer, god of all. Thank you so much for your reviews of all 3 chapters, and I am so glad that you continue to enjoy the story!

Onwards to Chapter 4!

Chapter 4- The Ignominia Incident

Harry was not looking forward to his next Potions class. He wasn't sure what had caused Professor Snape to let him go last night, but he wasn't so sure that the Potions Master would be feeling particularly charitable today.

"Are you ok, Harry?" Neville asked as they made their way down to the dungeon.

"Tired," Harry muttered.

"Nightmare?" asked Hermione.

"No, just couldn't sleep. How bout you, Mione? Your eyes are a little puffy."

The witch blushed lightly. "Just busy with homework".

"Oh, you need to lighten up, Hermione!" said Ron.

Thankfully, the group had reached Snape's classroom before the Ron-Hermione Bicker-Fest could begin in earnest. Much to Harry's relief, Snape regarded him with a neutral expression rather than his usual glower.

"You will be brewing Ignominia today. Who can tell me what Ignominia is?" Snape asked.

Unsurprisingly, Hermione raised her hand first. Snape paused for a moment before answering, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Ignominia is a special potion that forces the drinker to admit what he or she is most ashamed of," Hermione answered.

To the shock of the entire room, Snape nodded and said, "Excellent. 10 points to Gryffindor. Now then, who can tell me where this is commonly used?"

Though Hermione raised her hand once again, so did Malfoy.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Ignominia is used at St. Mungo's a lot for mental and emotional healing, especially after trauma or domestic violence."

"Also excellent. 10 points to Slytherin. Now, the directions are on the board. Pay very close attention to the directions; this potion is very easy to mess up. Get to work."

Neville, who was even more afraid of Snape after the boggart incident, was trembling like a leaf as he attempted to make his Ignominia.

"Neville, calm down," Hermione hissed.

"Do you want to help him, Hermione, and I'll help Ron?" Harry asked.

Hermione hesitated for a minute. Had Harry asked her this last year, she'd have never let him. However, Harry had really stepped up to the plate academically this year, and his reasoning made sense. Hermione had noticed Harry's new studious attitude before, but her own overcrowded schedule was overwhelming her, so she'd forgotten. Making a mental note to make sure that she asked him about it, she agreed. This ended up being a good idea as Hermione's confidence and patient instructions calmed Neville's nerves to a point that he could help, especially when it came to understanding the plant parts that were crucial ingredients to the potion. On Harry's end, it made his potion brewing easier as Ron would take corrections from Harry much better than he did from Hermione. Despite his renewed efforts in class, Harry was still surprised by how perfect the potion turned out. He was not the only one.

"What's this? Potter managed to create a perfect potion?" Snape asked as he came around to inspect the students' work.

"I helped…" Ron mumbled.

"I seriously doubt that, Weasley. You may not know this, Potter, but your mother was brilliant at Potions. It would seem that you've inherited some of her skill. That, Weasley, is why this potion was a success. 10 points to Gryffindor, Potter. Let's see… perfection from Granger, as always…and Longbottom, too? Finesse in Herbology does help with this potion. 10 points each for Gryffindor, Granger and Longbottom. Malfoy, Greengrass, 10 points each to Slytherin for, as usual, making a perfect potion…" After Snape had finished making his rounds, he began scanning the room for a student to demonstrate their potion. "Hmm… Potter, come up here with a vial of your potion. I still can't believe that you and Weasley working on the same potion turned out successfully. Still, as I said, I think you were responsible for the success, so I want you to demonstrate."

Harry paled, and an uncomfortable knot formed in the pit of his stomach. It was his turn to tremble as he approached the front of the room.

"Come now, Potter; it won't kill you," Snape chided as Harry reached him.

Malfoy sniggered, a mirthful smirk on his face. Ron glared at the blond while Hermione and Neville regarded their friend with concern. Snape took out a dropper and extracted a small amount of Ignominia from Harry's vial. "Put out your tongue. Just a few drops will do it."

Swallowing and taking a deep, shuddering breath, Harry obeyed. Once had swallowed the potion, Snape paused for a few minutes before asking him, "Well, Mr. Potter, what is it that you are most ashamed of?"

"My aunt and uncle," Harry murmured, trying to be as vague as possible and praying that he'd get a break from Snape again. He wasn't so lucky this time.

"Your aunt and uncle? Why are you so ashamed of them?"

"Because, because…" Harry tried very hard to resist the potion's urging.

"Out with it, Potter. You'll end up in the Hospital Wing if you fight it too hard," Snape warned.

Lowering his gaze to the floor, Harry said, "Because they don't love me. They beat me, they starve me, and they allow others to treat me badly. The first time anyone ever showed me affection was when Hermione hugged me before I faced Quirrell at the end of first year. I slept in a cupboard under the stairs until my first Hogwarts letter arrived, and I only got to have a room then because the letters were addressed to 'Mr. H. Potter, the Cupboard Under the Stairs' and my uncle was scared. I'd never had a birthday cake or a Christmas present until I came to Hogwarts. I had a burst of accidental magic when I was 10, and my uncle didn't feed me for a week. My aunt smacked my head with a frying pan for saying the word 'magic' in front of my cousin. They treat me like a slave, and my uncle beats me whenever he wants to." By this point, tears were unwittingly dripping down the young wizard's face. Snape's sallow skin paled to a deathly white, and his eyes held a look that promised murder. Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, and (to Harry's later surprise) Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass were crying. Ron's expression suggested that he'd been told he had to live in the Forbidden Forest with Aragog. Neville was a sickly shade of green and Seamus had balled his hands into shaky fists. Also to Harry's surprise, Malfoy looked absolutely horrified, the same way he'd looked in first year when they'd heard about the troll.

"Everyone except Potter, get your things and get out of my classroom! And keep your mouths shut!" Snape barked. Everyone scrambled to obey, with Hermione, the last one out, giving her beloved friend a last teary glance before following Ron and Neville out of the dungeon. Snape then turned to Harry, who was now sobbing in earnest with a beet-red face. "Potter."

Harry didn't answer him.

"Potter. No, Harry. Harry, I am so sorry…"

Startled by the apology, Harry looked up at the Potions Master. "D-Don't apologize. It's n-not your fault," he responded, pulling his glasses off and wiping furiously at his eyes.

"The fact that you just had to tell the entire class about this is my fault, and for that I am very sorry. How could any human being treat a child like that?! And why the hell are you living with Petunia?! She's hated magic since she was a child! She and Lily hadn't spoken in years when she died!" Snape exploded.

Harry calmed himself and saw Snape in a much better light. Though he already knew from having viewed the man's memories in his previous attempt at life, it still was quite an experience to hear Snape speak of his mother so familiarly. Perhaps he'd noticed, as Snape then said, "I don't know how much you know about your parents, though I know everyone tells you how much you look like them and I'm sure Lupin has told you about your father." When Harry nodded the affirmative, Snape continued, "I met your mother when we were children. It was I who told her that she was a witch, and she was my very best friend for a long time. I grew to love her, but after I did something awful to her, Lily separated from me and I went on my own way. Now-"Snape was interrupted by the arrival of a house elf.

"Mr. Snape, sir, Mr. Flitwick, sir, sent Tippy to find out why Harry Potter no come to Charms," the elf squeaked.

"Tippy, tell Mr. Flitwick that there's been an incident and I need Potter for the time being. I'm sure Miss Granger will make sure he gets caught up. As a matter of fact, just a moment." Snape went over to his desk and got out a parchment and quill. He quickly jotted a note and gave it to Tippy. "Give this to Miss Granger and tell her to show it to any other professors that ask about Potter until he returns."

"Yes, Mr. Snape, sir," Tippy replied, giving a little bow before disappearing with a crack.

"Now, you said your first Hogwarts letter was addressed to you and "the cupboard under the stairs?" Snape asked, anger creeping back into his tone.

"Yes, sir."

"Why would the Headmaster allow you to live there? Surely your parents had a will bestowing guardianship?"

"Sir, I uh, I overheard Professor McGonagall saying that Sirius Black is my godfather, but he was the one who betrayed my parents to Voldemort. Was he supposed to be my guardian? Who else besides him or Aunt Petunia could take me?" Harry asked, playing naïve about Sirius.

"Your parents could have appointed anyone to be your guardian. I'm sure that Lupin was listed as a guardian, but due to circumstances, he wouldn't have wanted to take you. I can't tell you those circumstances; that is up to him to tell you. As far as Black is concerned, there's no love lost between us. I hated him and your father and their group of friends, and they hated me. They picked on me and I began to get back at them. I'm telling you this because what you've been told about Black being a follower of the Dark Lord is a lie. He was your father's best friend; he would never have betrayed him. Also," Snape sighed and took a deep breath before finishing, "I befriended several future Death Eaters, those are the Dark Lord's followers, while still in school, and I joined them after I left Hogwarts. Black never joined the Death Eaters. However, another of your father's friends, Peter Pettigrew, was a sniveling coward, and he did join the Dark Lord. The disgusting waste of life boasted about turning on your parents and revealing their location to the Dark Lord." Snape stopped to give Harry a chance to process all of this information, though he had no way of knowing that Harry already knew most of this.

"So Sirius is innocent? But why was he convicted? Surely he could prove he wasn't a Death Eater? And what did happen to Pettigrew? Professor McGonagall said that Sirius blew him to pieces."

"Yes, Black is innocent. Now that you mention a conviction, I can't recall hearing about a trial…He could have tried to prove that he's not a Death Eater, but there are many who did a good job of convincing the public that they'd been forced into service, and the Wizarding World was in massive chaos during that time. I don't know that it would have made a difference. I don't know about what happened to Pettigrew, but I seriously doubt that Black blew him to pieces. Pettigrew always was a slippery little lump; I'm sure he managed to slip away unnoticed. I've heard it said that Black was murmuring, 'He's at Hogwarts' in his sleep. Everyone took it to mean that he was referring to you, but I believe that he thinks Pettigrew is at Hogwarts." Snape sighed. "I'm going to talk to Lupin about how we could find your parents' will to see who should have guardianship of you. I need to allow you back to class. Harry, I am truly sorry for the way I've treated you. I told you earlier that your father picked on me, and I took revenge on him. You've been told that you look exactly like your father, except for your eyes. When I first saw you, I saw the face of my tormentor, and I took out my feelings from my childhood on you. I am so sorry."

Harry saw the remorse in Snape's eyes, and he felt himself thinking warmly of the man before him. "Please don't be sorry. I understand what you've told me today. You've told me more about my past in this conversation than I've known my whole life other than what Professor Lupin has told me. I see how it may not have been entirely accurate, since he was my dad's good friend. I'm sorry for how much of a hard time I've given you since I began here. I'd like to talk to you more about my mother and about the past, if you don't mind. I also want to ask the Headmaster why he allowed me to live with the Dursleys when apparently I could have lived with people who cared about me!"

"No, I don't mind talking to you about anything you'd like. Come see me, or call for Tippy and send a message. You just have to say his name and ask him to come. Harry, I must ask that you not confront the Headmaster. One does not simply tell the Headmaster that he's wrong; it could end catastrophically. That's not to say that he's a bad man, but he's old, set in his ways, and thinks that everything he's doing is for the Greater Good. No, we'll have to be sneaky about this. I'm also going to look into Black's trial, if there even was one. I better send you off now. Here, let me give you a note. If you hurry, you can still make part of Charms." Snape quickly wrote Harry a note and handed it to him. The man hesitated for a moment before giving the teen a hug. It wasn't as awkward as either thought it would have been, but things were different now than they had been before. "We'll talk," Snape reassured as he sent Harry on his way.

"Thank you, sir. I'll talk to you soon."

Meanwhile, in Grim Reaper Dispatch, William smiled as he read the latest chapter of Harry's life.

"Well, that turned out better than I expected," he commented.

"Oh, are you seeing how your adjustments to Severus Snape's book are coming along?" Grelle asked slyly as he peered over William's shoulder.

"Yes, and please back up. Personal space and all."

The redhead, of course, ignored him, but the brunette didn't appear to truly mind as they both continued reading.