Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters. I do this for fun.

Warnings: Violence, Language, spoilers for OotP

Archive: FFN

Author's note: This story is a crossover with Neil Gaiman's incredible graphic novels The Sandman. 

The Stormcrow

A harry potter fic

Chapter 2

The setting sun was pouring through the stained glass windows when Albus Dumbledore looked up from his desk when Fawkes trilled a greeting to Snape.  The Headmaster laid his quill aside and smiled at the Potions Master.  "Ah, Severus, how kind of you to visit.  What can I do for you my boy?" The blue eyes twinkled merrily and Snape wasn't fooled for a minute.

"Albus, I need you to remove the enchantments," he announced without preamble, his robes rustled as he shifted from foot to foot.

"So this day has finally come," though Albus' expression didn't entirely give away his surprise, it held mostly resignation.  "May I ask what has precipitated this?" 

"Professor Trelawney has somehow managed to actually managed to prophesize something of relevance." Snape said, staring at Albus with great intensity.  Albus could see the tiny bolts of lightning flickering in back of Snape's eyes, as it tended to do when the man was feeling strongly about something.

"Did she?" Albus mused, falling back on asking questions in order to avoid the topic of conversation. An old trick and an effective one if the other person didn't know it. He could see Snape knew exactly what he was doing and raised a hand to forestall the Potions Master from calling him on it. "What did she say exactly?" he asked with unusual seriousness.

Word for word Snape relayed the prophecy.  "I did some research and I think I know where to look now, Albus.  Remove the enchantments and I will be on my way."  The lightning was flickering faster now.

Leaning back in his chair with a look of grave concern, Albus sighed in resignation. "The timing is very unfortunate. You are irreplaceable both to Hogwarts and to the Order. Are you absolutely sure?"

"Albus, you know my reason for being here has nothing to do with Voldemort or teaching.  I agreed to aid you in return for your assistance when I came here, but only until I could resume my purpose in the human world in the first place.  That time is now."  Snape stood straight and tall, and though there was no wind in the office, his robed rustled again, like the rustling of black feathers.

Standing up, Albus extended his hand to Snape. "Very well. I thank you for all you have done for me, for all of us here in the Wizarding world as well as the Muggle world.  And if you ever need it, there will always be a place here at Hogwarts for you."

The Potions teacher took the offered hand, shook it and released it. "Thank you Headmaster, but I think that will not be necessary."

"Nevertheless, the offer stands.  When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as the sun has finished setting," was the reply.

"Very well."

Snape turned to leave and stopped when Albus said "and Severus?  Good luck. I will miss you.  Maybe we will see each other again."

"Headmaster," Snape said, his eyes glinting with humor. "If anyone else had said that, I would have called them a fool. No one wants to ever see me, enchanted or not. As it is, I do hope for your sake that you will never see me again."

Albus smiled in return.  "We shall see. In any event, please take care of yourself and please tell Remus to come on in."

Nodding, Snape swept out the door.  Seeing Remus Lupin standing there, he couldn't resist getting in one final dig on the former Marauder.  He walked up to the werewolf and smirked. "Well Lupin, this is it.  I'd like to say it's been a pleasure and that I will miss you, but as we both know, it would be an utter lie.  So I will content myself with saying Sod Off, and if I see you again it will be twenty million years too soon."

Lupin blinked. "You are leaving?" he asked, getting the gist through the insults.

Snape nodded. "Yes. My time here, though it seemed to be interminable, is finally finished. However, I am glad that I got to stick around long enough to see both Black and Potter die wretched and horrible deaths.  That fact alone almost made it worth it."

Genuine anger stirred in Remus. "Severus, you are a complete bastard, you do know that, right?"

Smirking, Snape nodded. "Yes," and turned to go, but hesitated for one last shot. "And Lupin, I changed my mind. I do hope you see me again."  And with that cryptic statement, Snape turned on his heel and swept away.

Lupin stared after him, puzzled and angry. Deciding it wasn't worth it, he entered the Headmaster's office.  "Albus, I just ran into Snape and he said," Remus started and trailed off at Albus' expression. "But you already know don't you?"

"Yes, lad. Severus has left us."

Lupin frowned. "But why? Why now? Where is he going?"

"I know why he is going, but that is between myself and Severus," Albus said as he wearily walked to one of the large windows and with a gesture of his wand, opened it.  Outside, the sun was set and a few stars were winking in the clear sky, and insect noises floated up to fill the quiet room.  "As for where he is going, I don't know."

Knowing that Dumbledore would not confide his secrets to him, Lupin just nodded in resignation.  "What are we going to do without Snape?" he asked, feeling irritated at Snape for just abandoning them when they needed him most.

"What we always do," Albus replied still looking out the window as he made several intricate gestures with his wand.  "We change and move on."

Lightning flashed right outside the window making the office bright as day. Thunder crashed like a gunshot following immediately. Remus shouted in surprise and jumped back from the window.  Rain poured down like a waterfall.  "Where the hell did that storm come from?" he panted.

Albus didn't answer; he didn't even move away from the deluge, his robes and beard were soon soaking.  "Farewell, dear boy," he whispered to overhead storm.

TBC

Thanks for the reviews! 

AN: Harry shows up in the next chapter.

Grrrinning  Golden Rretriever  -  Destruction shows up in Brief Lives  and The Wake.  Check them out, both of them are incredible.  And no, this will not be slash, for reasons that will become clear in part three of this fic. Hope you don't mind.

Arwen Rayne  - Actually, Sybil has played her part, for now. I am not sure if she will show up again. So no, I won't be mean to her, although Snape might have other ideas.