A/N Harry Potter and all related characters, places and terms belong to JK Rowling and/or (not sure which) Warner Brothers.

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Chapter 7: Redemption

Dumbledore stared at Snape in disbelief. Veritaserum was a highly concentrated potion. One drop could leave you open to all sorts of questions. Ten had you unwillingly spilling your deepest, darkest secrets. But a whole bottle... Dumbledore shuddered at the possibilities.

Currently, Severus was lying unconscious on the floor. Dumbledore had had his suspicions about Snape, but he had given him a chance. Now that all his suspicions were realised, the Headmaster was extremely disappointed, and was finding it tempting to call Barty Crouch in and have him arrested. But the man hadn't done anything extremely untoward so far, and he had swallowed a whole bottle of truth potion, so surely he had something worthwhile to say. So, curiosity and compassion getting the better of him, the Headmaster levitated Snape up onto a chair, and tapped his wand on the man's shoulder muttering a spell.

Snape's eyes fluttered open.

"Can you hear me, Snape?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore sighed, wondering what to ask.

"Better start from the start then… Severus Snape. Are you a Death Eater?"

"Yes," came the blunt reply.

"Do you want to be?"

"No."

"Have you ever wanted to be?" Dumbledore was nearly holding his breath, waiting for the Potion Master's answer.

"For a while, yes."

Dumbledore sighed, and shook his head, slightly disappointed at Snape's answer.

"For how long have you been working for Lord Voldemort, Snape?"

Snape hesitated for a second or two, as if trying to remember. "Four years."

Dumbledore also paused before asking his next question, doing a mental calculation. "So, you were already working for the Dark Lord when you came and took your position here at Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you working here at Hogwarts?"

"Lord Voldemort needed a spy. He wished to keep track of the activities of Albus Dumbledore."

Dumbledore was surprised. "Why?"

"Voldemort is scared of him. He believes that the Headmaster is a threat."

Dumbledore looked graver than ever, and nearly whispered his next question. "Severus - do you believe that I am a threat?"

* * *

Voldemort had sent Wormtail away to find a map of St Mungo's. The Dark Lord knew that the Potters - all three of them - had to die soon, preferably tonight. As long as everything went to plan, it would be easy… but the Dark Lord was worried about Snape. The Potions Master had lied to him once already, saying that Lily Potter wouldn't give birth for at least another month. It could have been an innocent mistake but the glint in his eye and the wringing of his hands told otherwise. He knew that the man would be a problem, and Lord Voldemort had no use for disloyal followers. Maybe Snape could share his fate with that filthy muggle-born he loved so much…

"Here my Lord, the map."

Voldemort turned around. "Ah yes, Wormtail, the map." They rolled out the parchment on the table, and weighted down the corners with jars of strange potions. He cast a critical eye over the maps, and then over his cringing follower.

"Now, which room are they in?"

Peter blanched, and took a step back. "Room, my lord?"

"Yes, Wormtail, the number." There was no answer, and Voldemort turned around slowly, and his voice was like ice. "I assume you took note of the ward number, Wormtail?"

Pettigrew stood, desperately trying to remember the ward number. "Um, my lord…"

"Well?"

Peter sighed with relief as he remembered. "A4, my lord, on level three."

"Are you sure, Pettigrew?" Pettigrew nodded mutely. "Fine then. Now leave me here, and go back to the hospital, and report back soon, I want details as to when it is the best time to attack. Hurry, they should have missed you by now."

"What will I tell them?"

Voldemort sighed. "Tell them what you like, come up with a story. If you hadn't rushed off so quickly, you wouldn't have this problem, would you Wormtail?"

"N…no, my Lord."

"Planning, my rodent friend, is something you must learn. Well, go then! What are you waiting for?" Wormtail whimpered a bit in fright then disapparated. Voldemort shook his head and turned back to the maps, forming a plan and placing his Death Eaters at the entrances so that escape would be impossible.

* * *

James and Sirius sat on either side of Lily's bed, waiting for her to wake up. Remus had gone to look for Peter. Sirius whispered across the bed, so as not to wake Lily. "James - we should tell Albus. He'll want to know. "

"Oh yeah - I forgot. I'll go see if I can borrow one of the Hospital's owls again. Just a sec." He walked out of the room to go talk to reception.

Sirius sat next to Lily's bed, staring at the ceiling and betting with himself who would come back first. When he looked down again, Lily was awake and smiling at him.

"Hey Sirius. Something interesting on the roof there?"

He laughed. "Actually, yeah. I thought I saw McGonagall in a pink nightie and matching hair curlers doing the cha-cha up in the air."

Her head snapped up, "What? Where?" Sirius laughed again as Lily punched him as hard as she could, which, because of the circumstances, wasn't very hard at all.

She sat up on her pillows and looked around, and frowned slightly noticing the emptiness of the room. "Where is everyone, Padfoot?"

"James has gone to owl Albus. Peter, well, after Harry was born Peter just suddenly disappeared. Remus has gone to look for him."

"Oh. OK." She was beginning to lie back down when she suddenly remembered something. She sat up again with lightning speed, and looked around, panicked. "Where's Harry?!"

"He's fine. Calm down Lils. He's in the nursery with all the other newborns."

At that moment, Remus walked back into the ward. "Can't find him, Sirius. He's gone!"

Sirius shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it Moony. Just sit and wait."

Remus sat in the chair that James had vacated, and suddenly realised that Lily was awake. "Lils - you're awake! How do you feel?"

Lily laughed. "Just fine, Remus. But I am a bit hungry."

"That's easily fixed." And before they could stop him, Sirius was hollering so loud that nearly the whole wing of the hospital woke up. "Oi nurse! Some food here please!"

Both Lily and Remus scrambled to try and cover their friend's mouth. But it was too late. The frustrated looking matron bustled into the ward, carrying a tray of food.

"Mister Black, will you please keep your voice down! We now have a chorus of screaming babies, including young Master Potter, and you gave one of the nurses such a fright that she dropped a whole box of potions! To call a nurse, pull this here" she demonstrated by tugging on a rope that ran up and through the wall, which Sirius assumed was attached to a bell somewhere, "and I assure you a nurse will come." The matron conjured up a table to put Lily's food on, and after throwing one last reproving look at Sirius, walked out the door.

Lily started to eat, and Sirius finally breathed out. "Phew, I thought I had it there. That nurse was nearly blowing steam!"

* * *

Severus blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings. His eyes were still slightly unfocused, but when his vision cleared, he jumped slightly. Albus Dumbledore was standing over him, watching him closely and placing his wand back in his robes.

"Are you all right Severus?"

Snape sat up straighter. "Yes Dumbledore, I believe so." He looked up at the Headmaster coldly. "Do believe me now? Do you trust me?"

Dumbledore sat down in a chair opposite Snape and looked straight into his eyes. "Nearly. Just answer me one question Severus - do you believe I pose a threat to you? Are you afraid of me?"

Severus was as close to blushing as he had ever been in his life. Clearing his throat nervously, he looked down and mumbled a "Yes".

Suddenly the temperature in the room upped a couple of degrees, and the legendary twinkle returned to Albus' eyes, and the corners of his mouth started to twitch upwards. Snape looked up disbelieving.

"What, is that all Dumbledore?" Snape started to get angry, and stood up looking accusingly at Dumbledore. "You're laughing at me. Did you just want to humiliate me? Is that it? I don't need this from you, Headmaster, I get it enough from Voldemort. If it's just going to be like this I might as well just go back and let him do whatever it is he's planning." He started towards the door as if to leave, but Dumbledore grabbed his arm before he left.

"Sit down, Severus. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been laughing." Snape sat back down in his chair, and Dumbledore continued. "It's just that I see no reason why I intimidate you. Do you know yourself, Severus?"

"It's power, Dumbledore, that's all there is to it. You're even more powerful than Voldemort and he's bad enough. Don't you see?"

Dumbledore leant back in his chair. "Is that all, Severus? If that's the only reason, you have no reason at all to fell threatened. I doubt that there was or ever will be a time when I need to do anything against you." Dumbledore took one look at Snape's face, and suddenly it clicked. "I see, you thought there might… well, that remains to be seen. This is the question then, Severus. Are you willing to cross over? "

"What if I say no?"

Dumbledore was visibly shocked. It seemed that this hadn't come to mind. "Then, I would do as I see… fit."

"And if I said yes, Dumbledore, would you believe me?"

"Yes, I truly would."

"Why?"

"Because you risked you life swallowing a bottle of the most potent potion known. You've already proven to me that you'll tell the truth now matter how embarrassing the answer is, how hurt your pride will be, or how weak you believe you will sound."

Snape was surprised. "When?"

"Just then. I asked you earlier, though of course, you aren't aware of this, if you believed I was a threat. When I asked you again and you were not forced to tell the truth, you gave me the same answer." Dumbledore leant forward. "I believe, Severus, that you want to do the right thing. Will you change sides? Would you turn your back on the Dark Lord and help us? The consequences would be numerous, more even, than I think you have anticipated, but the rewards would be great."

Snape didn't even hesitate. "Yes, Dumbledore, yes I will."

* * *

Sirius and Remus were talking with Lily as she ate when James came into the room.

"James!" Sirius said. "Come on, join our little party, why don't you?"

James looked sternly at his best friend. "Was that you I heard screaming for food earlier? I could hear you and I was all the way down at the end of the hallway." He leant over and kissed Lily on the forehead, then went and sat down. "Well, at least it was for Lily. Knowing you, I thought I'd come back to find my wife starving and my best friend pigging out on her food."

Remus started to cough violently, and Lily spit out the drink she had just taken a gulp of. Sirius shot them both a dirty look, then decided to ignore them. He turned back to James.

"Did they lend you the owl?"

"Sure did. Dumbledore should be getting the letter quite soon. So, Peter still isn't back?"

"No. I looked and looked and looked, and I didn't see him anywhere." Remus sighed and shook his head. "Who knows where he is?"

"Who knows where who is?"

Four faces turned to face the door. Peter Pettigrew was standing in the doorway looking as if nothing was amiss.

"You! That's who. Where have you been? I spent ages looking for you!"

Peter looked quite startled at Remus' anger. "Me? It hasn't been that long has it? I just sort of, well, I felt sort of sick after Harry was born, and I sort of had to go to the toilet."

"For an hour and a quarter?" Sirius began to laugh. "Your stomach isn't that big, Peter."

"Um, well, I couldn't find the one on this floor so I figured there wasn't one and I went downstairs to that one. And anyway, Sirius, I'd just had dinner and believe you me, I can eat a lot when I'm hungry."

"That still doesn't explain it though, Peter." Always the voice of reason within their little group, Remus was still a little perplexed. "For one, I checked all the toilets on all the levels, and two, that still wouldn't have taken so long."

"Oh." Peter was looking a bit jittery. "Well… I was walking back here and… I was looking in all the wards as I went past, and, um, yeah that's right! I saw someone I knew and went to say hello."

"Who was it?" asked James. "Can we go say hi too?"

"Oh, no, you don't know her. Family friend." Peter cast his eyes around the room for a change of topic. The first promising thing he spotted was Lily. "Lily! How are you, feeling all right?"

Lily smiled, ignoring the fact that Peter had disappeared. "Oh, just fine thanks Peter. Feeling much better. Pull up a chair, why don't you?"

"Thanks Lily, I really would, but I just came to tell you guys that I've got to go."

"What?" They all chorused.

"You only just got here, Peter." Lily said.

" I know, I'm sorry guys, but I've got to go. Work, you know?"

"But Peter," James said, looking at his watch, "it's ten to four in the morning."

"Well, um, I've got the early shift today, James, you know how it is." Before they could ask him anything further, he had changed the subject. "So, Sirius, Remus, you're staying? Because I might come back and see Harry later, just wondering if I'll see you."

"Yeah, I guess so, if that's OK with you, Lily?"

"Sure guys, stay as long as you like."

"Thanks." Sirius looked back up at Peter. "I'll be here for the next couple of hours, at least. I don't have to go into work until eight. I think I'll go straight from here."

"As for me," said Remus, "I have no where to go, so I'm staying here until they kick me out. So we'll see you later, Peter?"

"In one way or another, yeah, I guess you will. I'll, um, be seeing you then." And with that, Peter Pettigrew turned his back and left his four friends talking together for, as far as he was concerned, the last time.

* * *

Peter apparated next to Voldemort. "My lord!" he began hurriedly, "My lord, you can attack the Potters any time you want. They are vulnerable, my lord, at the hospital. James and Lily are in her ward, and Harry is in the nursery."

"Good then, Wormtail. We will attack now." Before Peter could protest, Voldemort pulled up the left sleeve of Pettigrew's robe, and pressed against it until it turned black. A seconds wait, and the room began to fill up with black robed figures. Voldemort started towards the centre of the swiftly forming circle, but was interrupted by Pettigrew, who was already in his own place.

"Wait my lord, there's a problem. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black are visiting the Potters. They were there even when I came and they told me themselves that neither of them will be gone until at least seven thirty."

Voldemort looked over his shoulder at Peter, still walking to the middle of his circle of followers, which was complete except for one. A cold and malicious smile forming on his face.

"What makes you think that that could pose problem?"

* * *

In ward A4 of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, the Head of the maternity ward was handing Lily Potter her son. It was the first time she had seen Harry after he had been born, and she was instantly in love. Wrapped in a blanket with his little head - complete with a tuft of jet black hair - sticking out of the top, he soon had the other three people in the room gushing.

Sirius slapped James on the back. "Congratulations Prongs! You now have your own little stagling!" He leant over Harry, and tried to place a hand in his forehead, but ended up covering the whole top of his head. Moving the heel of his hand to stop suffocating the little boy, Sirius put on his mock serious voice and intoned in the dullest voice imaginable, "From this day forth, I christen you Bambi. Live long and prosper."

James punched him in the arm, Remus sat down shaking his head, Lily smiled, and then -

"See James, look!" Sirius pointed at the newest Potter. "He's laughing! He finds it funny."

And indeed, Harry Potter was laughing.

It seemed to be infectious. Soon all the adults were nearly doubled up themselves. As it began to subside, Lily looked up at her husband and friends, and smiled.

"Looks like he's going to fit in just fine."

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Evil, isn't he? I'm sorry it took so long, but I've had an extreme case of writer's block. It's pretty long, and I've got more than half of the next chapter written. For those of you who've been reading since the very start, go take a look at chapter one for now because it's been given a major overhaul. Lily was never sick, OK? I realised how stupid it sounds.

Thanks, as always, go to Kit Cloudkicker for constantly reviewing and Blue Yeti for half-betaing.

~*Lady*~