As promised, this finale is dedicated to ThemGirl, who has been reading and reviewing since the beginning! Thanks to all my readers who have taken the time to read this and (hopefully) enjoy it. I give you: THE FINALE
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, typically a place bright with students talking and laughing with (or sometimes at) one another, was shadowed and gloomy, even in the bright sun. Mere days had passed since the devastating news of the deaths of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had broken the blissful peace of the holidays, and the strain was evident on every face.
It was the first weekend back from the holidays, and though little homework had been assigned, many students had opted to remain inside their dormitories. The memorial service for the two boys was scheduled to begin in only a few hours, and the expected number almost rivaled that of the Quidditch World Cup.
Remus wandered aimlessly through the halls, deep in thought. He had spoken at James and Lily's service, and it only seemed fitting that he do so at their son's. He found himself at the Hospital Wing, and allowed himself a smile. Other than Gryffindor Tower, this was undoubtedly where Harry had spent a lot of his time. Every year, he managed to end up in here one way or another. He carefully pushed open the door and peered inside.
Only one bed was occupied at the moment, and the figure in the bed only took up the top half. He entered quietly and noted that Poppy was brewing potions in her mini-lab. Odd, he thought, she usually doesn't brew potions unless Severus isn't around. He made a note to drop by the dungeons after this. He edged closer to the bed and looked over the form of the large eagle. Tentatively, he laid a hand on the animal's chest, feeling the faint but rhythmic heartbeat.
"Remus, I didn't hear you come in," Poppy emerged from her lab and stored the potions in her cupboard.
"Yes, well, I was just checking up on Caribe. How is he?" He absently stroked the golden feathers, a worried expression etched on his face.
"Well, as you know, he was bonded with Samantha as her familiar. When she died, that connection was ripped away from him, injuring him. He was very weak, and since that time, Draco had been looking after him. They, too, formed a connection, though not as strong as that between Samantha and Caribe. The bond he and Draco shared was greater than that of wizard and a normal pet, and when Draco died, he was again injured. He is very weak, and I do not know if he will be able to recover from this one." Poppy checked the bird's vital signs and then walked with Remus to the door.
"Have you any word from Albus?"
"No, Remus, I'm sorry. He and Professor McGonagall have been in discussion all morning. Discussing the memorial, I suppose. If you see Severus, could you tell him he needn't worry about this month's pain relieving potion?" Remus nodded, and apologized for Severus' forgetfulness.
"Oh, Remus, I'm sure he didn't forget. I believe he has reached his breaking point with this latest news. Albus tells me he hasn't left his chambers since the announcement."
"Yes, I am going to speak with him momentarily. Good day, Poppy." He nodded and left, briskly walking to the dungeons. Passing the Entrance Hall, he took a look out at the courtyard. Sadly, it was empty, almost as if there were no students here at all. Remus frowned and continued on his quest.
He reached the dungeons, after stopping to check on the Slytherins, and gave the password. He knocked lightly on Severus' private chamber. No answer. He knocked again, this time harder to ensure that he had indeed been heard. Cautiously, he entered, and was immediately assaulted by Beethoven's "Requiem." Apparently, Severus had strengthened his silencing charms on his chambers. He quickly shut the door behind him to contain the noise.
"Severus? Are you in here?" He had to shout to be heard above the orchestra, and he found his companion staring into the fire, lost in thought. Vyeros was curled on the rug in front of the fire, hissing softly. Snape looked as though he hadn't moved from that spot in days, which was probably near the truth.
Remus clapped his hands over his ears as the crescendo reverberated through the room. "Finite Organum!" The music abruptly stopped, but still Snape sat unaffected.
"Severus, you must get up. The service is less than three hours away, and your presence will be required." Silence. "I will be forced to remove you forcefully if you persist much longer. This is not healthy." That got a response.
"Do you honestly think anything you can do to me would be worse than this?" Remus didn't understand what he was talking about, and he said so. Snape merely waved him off and returned to gazing into the fire.
"Severus, you must talk to me," he moved to sit opposite him, almost forcing Snape to look at him. "I will not let you keep this bottled up. You've done that for far too long. You don't have to pretend anymore; Voldemort is gone."
Snape let out a dry laugh. "You think this has something to do with him? You couldn't be further from the truth." It was obvious to Remus that he was not going to offer this information freely.
"Then tell me what's been bothering you? What's been keeping you in here for the last three days?" He leaned forward, elbows on knees, non-verbally pressing Snape to answer. The latter sighed, knowing he was not going to be left alone until Remus had been satisfied.
"Very well, but will you retrieve Albus? I do not wish to repeat myself." Remus nodded and grabbed some powder from the urn. Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire, and Snape saw for the first time how much the old wizard had been affected.
"Albus, could you come down here please? Severus has something he would like to discuss with us." The Headmaster sighed and said something to someone in the room, presumably McGonagall, then stepped through. If a glimpse through the fire was bad, Snape was now in shock at the state of the man who now stood before him.
The Headmaster's shoulders were uncharacteristically slumped, and the twinkle was completely gone, with no hint of it ever returning. His robes, normally cleaned and perfect, were ragged and dirty, as if they hadn't been changed for days, not for lack of time, but for lack of care. Snape ventured a small experiment.
"Albus, would you like a Lemon Drop?" Remus raised his eyebrows, then quickly reverted his expression to neutrality, understanding what the potions master was doing. But Albus merely shook his head and sighed, sitting, rather stiffly, in the plush chair opposite Snape. Remus sat on the couch and nodded at Snape, who seemed to have momentarily lost his ability to speak.
"Albus, I have noticed over the past few days that Severus has not been his normal self. And I believe it goes deeper than the recent events. He has agreed to tell me, but only on the condition that you were also present." Albus seemed to sit up straighter when his young friend was mentioned. His face then morphed into guilt, but Severus caught it.
"Albus, don't feel guilty for not having noticed. I'm actually surprised anyone noticed. Everyone had so much on their minds, and I suppose I just needed some alone time. The thing is I never came out again." He sighed, preparing to bear his soul to his mentor and friend.
"When Samantha came from America, a part of me was rekindled; feelings I thought I had buried. I was never good with children. I don't even know why you chose me to be a teacher. But, of course, she was my daughter, so I promised myself that I would at least try to get to know her, even if she was staying only temporarily.
"In the short amount of time she was here, I had begun to open up more to her. I was actually accepting the fact that I had a daughter who didn't despise me for who I was or had been; I was given the chance to be a father. Of course, as with all good things in my life, she was taken from me, and a wound was created. Those feelings that she had unlocked could no longer be contained. I think that night was the first night I have cried in a great many years.
"Grief turned to hate so quickly as I saw the three Death Eaters in the café. Something inside of me snapped, and I charged them with every intention of killing them there on the spot. But I regained control of myself and was prepared to turn away. Then they mentioned her and I was once again consumed by my hatred and loathing of them.
When Potter, Harry, came and saved my life in that courtroom, I was angry with him. I was not angry that he had saved my life, but that he had broken his promise to me to never use the spells of that book, and that he had been injured in the casting. I understand that you gave him permission to use that spell?" Albus nodded gravely, expecting to be chastised, but next came something neither expected. "Then I want to thank you. Once again, you were right. With Harry in the infirmary, and I watching over him, we were given a chance to, as cliché as this sounds, get to know one another. Again, Albus, you were correct; Harry is – was – quite adept at potions. In the infirmary, he correctly identified that a potion had been brewed incorrectly. In that moment, I felt a surge of pride. It had scared me that day, and I still do not understand where it came from.
"As time passed, and the holidays grew closer, we came to a tacit agreement, which blossomed into a companionship of sorts. That void that had been left in Samantha's wake was beginning to mend, though slowly. I think Harry understood that he could never replace her, and I don't think he ever intended to try. But I do know why he loved Hogwarts so much; it was the only place he felt truly at home. I can't even begin to forgive myself for attempting to get him expelled all those years. He would have been sent back to those despicable Muggle relatives." Severus leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. Remus had a distinct feeling the story was not over, but he didn't press the subject. Severus had already opened up much more than he had expected. After a few moments of silence, Severus did continue.
"Draco was to be one of the greatest in the world, I felt it. The day he renounced his father's ways, I was filled with a sense of hope. I thought perhaps, if the Malfoy line were freed from the darkness, there was hope for others.
"Upon hearing news of their deaths, the wound had been ripped open tenfold. I thought perhaps if I was to shut myself up, I could get control of those emotions, but my mask would not go back on. And that is how Remus found me." During his speech, he had sat back up, and was now slumped back against the chair. No one spoke for a few minutes, then Dumbledore stood.
"Severus, would you like to speak at the memorial? I know Remus is going to, and I believe Minerva is as well, but Draco has no one to speak for him. Would you do him that honor?" Severus looked up, the battle between heart and mind evident on his face. Finally, heart won, and he nodded. Dumbledore smiled weakly and left, leaving Remus to talk quietly with the potions master.
He entered his office, finding Minerva in tears. She quickly composed herself, but the Headmaster simply laid a hand on her shoulder. After a few moments of silence, they summoned Professor Flitwick, and the three went to the Great Hall to prepare for the memorial. They found Severus and Remus waiting to help, as well as almost every professor there. Poppy was tending to Caribe, who had insisted on being at the service, and Professor Binns. Even Trelawney had come down to assist in any way she could. Together, they arranged the thousands of flowers they'd received in a few short days. They extinguished half the candles in the room, darkening the overall mood. Bright and cheery wasn't something they wanted right now. Minerva transfigured all of the tables and benches into pews, and lined them up all the way to the door.
With less than an hour until the service, the first attendants arrived: The Weasleys. They had pulled their children from the Tower, as well as Hermione, Colin, Alicia, and Lee. Now the mass was moving toward the front of the Hall, all of them either sobbing uncontrollably or weeping silently. Minerva rushed to greet them, as did Remus, and Ron and Hermione broke from the pack to embrace their friend. Alicia and Ginny wept into Minerva's robes as Arthur attempted to calm his wife. Bill and Charlie were consoling the twins and Lee, and Percy stood, stoic and stone-faced.
Slowly, the Hall began to fill, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins took their places at the front. Professor Sprout watched with tears in her eyes, remembering Cedric Diggory's memorial. Sadly, there hadn't been as many in attendance, but it had been heartfelt just the same.
Soon, the Hall was standing room only, but the doors burst open and cameras and reporters flooded in, snapping pictures and asking everyone questions. Remus and Severus stood with determination and strode forward. Snape brought down the full force of his glare upon the nearest photographer, who subsequently dropped his camera, breaking it. Remus grabbed the other camera and ripped it open, taking some of his aggression out on it. He then turned to shoo the students away from them, leaving Severus to deal with the intruders.
"How dare you come in here as if this were some festival! Have you no respect?" He bore down on all of them, and they shrunk back. "You can be sure the whole of the Ministry and every witch and wizard will know of your intrusion! I will not rest until the lot of you have been removed from your positions and given ones that befit you! Perhaps guard duty at Azkaban will cure you of your disrespect and contempt!" They had been backed up to the door, and were now quivering in fear. Normally, when Snape yelled like this, only his Slytherins smirked at the unfortunate ones. Now, the whole student body smiled proudly at their potions master and shot daggers at the trespassers. Of course, there was always a brave one, and the nearest reporter spoke up.
"Sir, we mean no disrespect," this received chortles and glares from the students, "It's just that the Minister is unable to attend as he is dealing with the last of the Death Eaters, and he asked if we would record the proceedings in pictures and words so that he might relieve some of his grief." Snape's eyes narrowed; he had not noted the Minister's absence, but was somewhat relieved that he hadn't shown. However, he could not let these people stay after their interruption.
"If you had bothered to check with us, you would have found that we already have a photographer and a reporter. They are students here and volunteered. Now if you will kindly leave?" He gestured to the door, but the man again spoke.
"Sir, I understand that we have trespassed, but perhaps you will permit us to stay? We wish to pay our respects to the brave boys." Snape scrutinized them for a moment, and Remus touched him on the shoulder and nodded.
"Very well, but you will relinquish your quills and parchment to me and you will sit in the back." They agreed and handed their tools to the potions master, then snuck back to the door, standing apart from everyone. Remus and Severus returned to the front, and the Headmaster nodded at them. Gravely, he stood and stepped up to the magical microphone.
"Welcome, and I thank you for coming. Today, we grieve for the loss of two students, classmates, and friends. Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy gave their lives defeating the Dark Lord Voldemort. Valiantly and willingly, they fulfilled a prophecy laid out for them many years ago. I will now read it to you." He opened his leather book to a designated page and cleared his throat.
"The love of a flower saves, and the evil fades into shadow. Many years will pass before blood and mark will restore it to power, and the souls of the past can give only passing safety. The merger long feared will come to pass, and terror will strike the hearts of even the most valiant. Only the union of lion and dragon can defeat the evil, but can only succeed with the strength of a true alliance. The legacy of the eagle reigns high, and will aid in a time of need." Everyone was quiet as the words sank in.
"The legacy of the eagle spoken of in this text is this bird, whom many of you may recognize." He gestured to the golden bird cradled in Madame Pompfrey's arms. "This is Caribe, whom was being looked after by Draco Malfoy. It belonged to Professor Snape's daughter, Samantha, who passed away last fall. She was an animagus, an eagle. Caribe aided Draco and Harry, giving them the needed assistance to bring down the Dark Lord." A pause, then, "A few of the boy's friends and teachers have asked to speak a few words." He stepped away, and Ron walked up with Hermione. Together, they stood behind the mike, Hermione crying into Ron's shoulder. He cleared his throat and began.
"My first day on the Hogwart's Express was nerve-wracking to say the least. With five older brothers who had done so well for themselves here, I had a lot to live up to. Almost everyone would know me right away because of my looks. But despite my reputation and the standards I'd have to live up to, he was my friend. He didn't care that I was a Weasley. All he cared about was that I was Ron. Not a lot of people knew this, but he never wanted to be famous. He did whatever he could to hide his scar, so that people wouldn't notice him and fawn over him. But at the same time, he accepted the responsibilities that came with it. He was loyal and brave, a true Gryffindor. He will always be my best friend." He choked on the last words and stepped away, giving Hermione a chance to speak. She stifled one last sob, then wiped her eyes.
"Harry……*sob*…Harry……goodbye, Harry Potter. I will always hold you dear in my heart." That was all she could manage as she lost her control and began to cry. Ron led her off the stage, and Severus stood.
"I am here to say a few words on Draco's behalf," the mask was in place again, albeit temporarily. "Contrary to popular opinion, Draco never wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Yes, it is true that he held his father in high respect, but I do not believe it went so far as to emulation. Over the past several months, I believe many of you began to see the real Draco. My only regret is that you did not see it sooner. He had so much potential, and he was beginning to see that himself. I have no doubt that the friendship he and Harry shared was spawned from this new show of self from Draco." Ending rather abruptly, he reclaimed his seat. Minerva stood and shakily approached the mike.
"Harry was an excellent pupil, and a decent person. He was selfless in every sense. There was a sort of innocence about him that endeared one to him very quickly. I was there when we rescued him from the ruins of his home in Godric's Hollow and dropped him on his relatives' doorstep. He was sleeping, as if nothing in the world was wrong, and to this day, I have not forgotten the blissful image." She sat back down, and Dumbledore stood.
"As neither boy has any magical relatives to seal their coffins, we ask that Remus Lupin and Severus Snape step forward." The two men stood and nodded at one another and walked to the empty caskets. Each laid a hand on the boy's casket and silently cast a spell. Light engulfed each, sealing it forever. They sat back down, and Dumbledore began to speak, but was interrupted by someone sheepishly approaching.
For the first time in his life, Dumbledore stood speechless, and resisted the urge to faint. He took a step down and looked into the eyes of this young boy; this young boy he knew so well. When he finally found his voice, he could only manage to croak out one word.
"Harry?" But his wasn't the only voice that had rung out in the silence. Snape had stood as well, looking into the boy's face, and had spoken at the same time.
"Draco?" The boy, however, did not seem perturbed at all by the misunderstanding. He merely looked from the Headmaster to the potions master and nodded.
"Yes."
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And voila! It is complete! No, I'm not kidding…that's the end. Of this one anyway. There will be a sequel, focusing on the boy, but I probably won't start that for a month or so. I need to finish up my X-Men fic, and as soon as that's done, I'll start on this one. I also have another HP fic in the works, untitled as of yet, but I've already got two chapters written. It's not a Severitus challenge, but it is a Snape is like Harry's father thing.
I thank all of you for reading this. I am very proud of it. I'd like to thank ThemGirl for sticking with me for almost 4 months. I'd also like to thank J.K. Rowling for creating such a wonderful world filled with unique and intriguing characters. This would not have been possible without her inspiring genius. Can't wait for the 5th book or the 3rd movie!