Impending Doom

Harry closed his eyes as the dagger was thrust down toward his heart. He heard screams coming from everyone in the room. Why were they screaming when he was the one about to have a dagger jutting out of his chest?

He opened his eyes. Everyone was on the floor writhing in agony, including Voldemort. A cloaked figure was standing at the door way, their wand was out. Harry again felt the familiar tugging sensation from behind his naval and found himself in another dimly lit room. He was back at Grimmauld place.

The cloaked figure removed the chains from Harry with a flick of their wrist.

"Sirius?", Harry asked eagerly sitting up.

The man removed his cloak to reveal Severus Snape, his potions master from Hogwarts. He looked absolutely livid. "What were you thinking? You know you are not to leave that house! I can not believe you fell for that! My cover is completely blown! Do you know how hard I had to work to become a member of that group again? Do you know what I had to endure?! You foolish boy!", he yelled.

Harry curled up into a ball, and peered at Snape from behind his arms. "You should have let him kill me.", he mumbled.

Snape stared at him and removed a feather from the folds of his cloak. He used it to write a letter. When he had finished, the letter and the feather disappeared with a bright flash.

"Get up.", Snape hissed.

"Leave me alone." Harry mumbled turning over on the floor so he didn't have to face Snape any longer. He curled up even tighter, covered his ears and closed his eyes. He felt the floor beneath him disappear. Snape must be levitating me, he thought. He didn't care. He just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. Why did Snape have to go and stop Voldemort anyway?

Harry felt ice cold water envelope him and he opened his eyes. Snape had tossed him into a bath full of ice cold water. "What is wrong with you!?", Harry spluttered. He stood up shivering and stepped out of the cold bath.

Snape was glaring at him. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! The freedom of the wizarding world is depending on you!"

"Well, then they are lost aren't they. I can not save anyone. I only kill people around me. You had better leave or you will die next." Harry said angrily. He pushed Snape out of the way and grabbed a clean towel that was hanging on the door.

Snape looked like he was going to hex Harry. Dumbledore's voice sounded from the next room. "Severus, Harry."

Harry shot Snape a dirty look, "What did you go and invite him here for?"

Snape pointed his wand at Harry and he dried instantly. Harry did not thank him, but walked out of the bathroom. Dumbledore was standing near the window. His brow was furrowed. Harry just knew he had another lecture coming. He threw himself into the dusty couch causing loads of dust to fly up into the air. He crossed his arms and stared at his shoes, determined not to look at Dumbledore.

"Harry, why did you leave the Dursleys house?", Dumbledore asked in his too calm voice.

"I don't know. I thought Hag-", Harry started, but Dumbledore interrupted him.

"You did not believe Hagrid would ask you to meet him in such a public place." Dumbledore said sharply.

Harry jumped. Dumbledore had never spoken so harshly to him before. Not even when he had broken the things in his office.

"You put Professor Snapes life in jeopardy. Voldemort now knows that he was working for me." Dumbledore said angrily.

Harry heard someone laughing hysterically. He realized it was him. He glared at Dumbledore. "YOU PUT HIS LIFE IN JEOPERDY! YOU MADE HIM GO BACK! VOLDEMORT KNEW HE WAS SPYING FOR YOU! SNAPE HAD GONE TO THE MINISTRY AND TESTIFIED AGAINST HIS FELLOW DEATH EATERS! OF COURSE HE KNEW!" Harry shouted.

Dumbledore sat down in Sirius's favorite chair near the fire. He looked like he was trying to gather his self control. "There were extenuating circumstances that you are not aware of." Dumbledore said in a too calm voice. "Voldemort sent Severus to spy on me. Severus was to confess his sins to me. Voldemort knew I would forgive Severus and ask him to spy. He did not count on Severus really turning over a new leaf."

Harry gaped at Dumbledore. "Then how do you know he really did turn over a new leaf? How do you know that he isn't really Voldemorts' spy?" Harry said glaring at Snape who was standing by the fire with his back to them.

Dumbledore looked at Snape. "Severus, it is your story to tell."

"It is none of his business." Snape whispered silkily.

"He needs to know the truth if he is going to stay here with you." Dumbledore said as if he were telling them to use an umbrella in the rain.

Snape turned around and now he glared at Dumbledore. "Surely you do not think I am going to stay here," He looked around distastefully, "with him."

"Grimmauld place is the only safe house we have at the moment. You will both be staying here along with the Weasley's, and you will resume Harry's Occlumency lessons." Dumbledore said calmly.

Harry watched Snapes face contorting into one of his most horrific looks. A look that would send Neville Longbottom screaming out of the room. "If I refuse?" Snape asked.

"You can not." Dumbledore said in a matter of fact tone.

Snape walked over to the bar behind the couch. Harry could hear the glasses clinking. When he stepped back into view Snape was holding a glass full of what looked like Ogden's Fire Whiskey.

Snape sat down in another empty chair and swallowed his drink in one gulp. He closed his eyes and began. "I joined Voldemort, because of my father. No, he was not a death eater. He was an evil and powerful wizard, but he did not follow Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy introduced me to the Dark Lord shortly after I had graduated from Hogwarts. I was working on my Potions Master Degree. Lucius knew I wanted to free my mother from my father. I was too weak to do it myself." Snape flinched. "Voldemort offered me the power to kill my father. So, I joined him. He taught me so much that Hogwarts would never teach its students. I killed my father shortly there after. My mother was finally free. But, she was ashamed of me. She begged me to go to Dumbledore. I did, but not before convincing the Dark Lord that I should go to Dumbledore in order to spy and keep him aware of his movements. I told Dumbledore the whole truth. We staged my mother's death and Dumbledore took my mother into his home in order to keep her safe."

Snape walked back over to the bar and poured himself another drink. When he sat back down his usually cold face was full of pain. "Dumbledore has kept her safe ever since. I am eternally grateful to him.", he whispered.

Harry suddenly realized why Dumbledore believed Snape. He had Snapes mother, and he knew the power a mother's love had. He would have gladly died to save his own mother, but she died to save him instead.

"I'm sorry." Harry whispered. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure when it happened, but his face was covered in tears and his vision was completely blurred. He couldn't make them stop. He felt so foolish crying in front of Snape.

Dumbledore touched Harry's arm lightly. "Go on upstairs and go to bed Harry. I will see to your things."

Harry did not look up. He merely nodded feeling numb, and walked upstairs. He was relieved to find that Ron was not here yet. He wondered why the Weasley's were not here as he fell asleep. He was so tired he even forgot to remove his glasses.