A/N – Well, I just had to double post again. It was necessary. What it means is that soon you will have at least a week of waiting between chapters. I need to type, organize and edit. I am still hoping to be done before OotP comes out. Maybe.
*****
Mr. Ross stood and pulled the cube out of the reader.
He looked around at Harry. "Are you all right, boy?"
"Fine thanks." Harry looked up at Professor Snape. Their eyes caught Harry could see his own shock, confusion and anger reflected in the older man's gaze. It was clear that the implications were not lost on either of them "You?"
"Well enough." Snape said, breaking eye contact. He turned to Dumbledore and raised an inquiring brow.
Dumbledore was sitting serenely, if sadly. "I have no comment to make." He said. "Shall we continue?"
"Right" Said Ross quickly.
"You knew at least part of this, Dumbledore, didn't you." Snape said, his voice sounding dangerous.
"If I did, I could not have told you, Severus." Dumbledore looked squarely at Snape. "At Della's insistence there were stronger spells placed around this secret than are around the making of the Philosopher's Stone."
Snape broke eye contact again. He glanced at Harry and then down at his clenched fists. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax into his chair. "Continue."
Mr. Ross plucked another memory cube out of the wooden box and placed it in the machine.
A heavily pregnant woman appeared where James and Lily Potter had been. She had long, light brown hair, streaked with sunshine blonde highlights. Her eyes were kindly, but lines of worry wrinkled her mouth. Her hands rested protectively on her belly.
"I, Asphodel Maddis Snape, being sound of mind and body, do hereby repudiate my husband, Severus Thornton Snape. I say hereby that he is not my husband. He has no claim, not on me, nor on my unborn child, nor on anything that is mine."
"Witnessed." Said a voice that sounded very much like Lily Potter
"Witnessed." "Witnessed." Came two more, unidentified voices.
Harry glanced in Snape's direction. The man looked as if he had been physically struck. Harry watched as the shock faded into bleak despair. His attention was called back to the recording as Della spoke once more.
"I, Asphodel Maddis, give my permission to Lily Evans Potter and her husband James Potter to adopt my child as soon as he or she is born. There are several conditions placed on this consent. First, that they never disclose my child's parentage to anyone. This includes, but is not limited to, Severus Snape, my child's biological father."
She drew in a long ragged breath. "Second, Lily and James are to disguise the child's appearance so that he or she does not resemble his true parents. Third, that they love my child as I do now."
"Fourth," She looked troubled and her right hand traced a small pattern on her belly. "My fourth condition is that on my birthday, when my child is fifteen years old, Lily and James are to inform my child of his or her heritage. They are to introduce him or her to Severus Snape."
The chorus of "Witnessed" repeated, but the recording continued.
"My child, I solemnly wish to be wrong about your father. However, I refuse to let my feelings for him overcome what I feel would be best for you. I do not want you to grow up under the shadow of what he has become." A single tear fell unheeded down her cheek.
"Child, I want you to get to know Severus. Then, I want you to choose whether you will accept him as your father or repudiate him as I have done. Bear in mind that I am not asking you to choose between the Potters and Severus. I want you to remember that Lily and James love you, and will always love you. They are your parents. Never doubt they want you.
"All I am asking you to do is make an effort to know your biological father. Talk to him. Listen to his responses. Try to see in him the person that I once thought I loved." She smiled softly and her image faded.
Ross stood again and removed the second block from the viewer.
He cleared his throat. "Well…erm…Indeed. This is one of the oddest cases my firm has ever administered. However, I am sure you will find that everything has been carried out according to my client's wishes. Now for the reading of the actual will."
He made another odd sound in his throat and picked up a roll of parchment. He broke the seal and unrolled it.
"I, Asphodel Maddis, hereby bequeath all of my possessions to my son or daughter, as yet unborn. These things are to be delivered upon my own birthday in the fifteenth year after the birth of my child, or when I die, should I live longer."
The solicitor looked up from the parchment and gestured to the trunk beside his chair.
"This trunk and its contents were deemed to be the extent of the bequest when my client died. Does anyone present dispute this?" Ross peered around.
"I do." Snape had been silent up until this point. "There is also a small property a few miles from here. It was bought in her name. That should also belong to the boy."
"Ah." Said the little man. "Fascinating. Very well, let me know the details and I will see to it."
Snape nodded.
"In the meantime, Mr. Potter, the trunk is yours."
Harry did not know what to say. The whole presentation had taken less than an hour. In that time, his whole life had shattered and reformed around him. He looked over at Snape. He found that Snape was gazing steadily back at him.
"Well, Potter, I suppose we should talk." Snape said, emotionlessly.
"Erm…" The lawyer began. "I'll just go, shall I? I will be in touch about that property you mentioned."
Snape nodded at the man.
Dumbledore stood as well. "I'll see you out."
*****
A/N – The next piece will be up in a few days… most likely… unless I am compleately sidetracked.
*****
Mr. Ross stood and pulled the cube out of the reader.
He looked around at Harry. "Are you all right, boy?"
"Fine thanks." Harry looked up at Professor Snape. Their eyes caught Harry could see his own shock, confusion and anger reflected in the older man's gaze. It was clear that the implications were not lost on either of them "You?"
"Well enough." Snape said, breaking eye contact. He turned to Dumbledore and raised an inquiring brow.
Dumbledore was sitting serenely, if sadly. "I have no comment to make." He said. "Shall we continue?"
"Right" Said Ross quickly.
"You knew at least part of this, Dumbledore, didn't you." Snape said, his voice sounding dangerous.
"If I did, I could not have told you, Severus." Dumbledore looked squarely at Snape. "At Della's insistence there were stronger spells placed around this secret than are around the making of the Philosopher's Stone."
Snape broke eye contact again. He glanced at Harry and then down at his clenched fists. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax into his chair. "Continue."
Mr. Ross plucked another memory cube out of the wooden box and placed it in the machine.
A heavily pregnant woman appeared where James and Lily Potter had been. She had long, light brown hair, streaked with sunshine blonde highlights. Her eyes were kindly, but lines of worry wrinkled her mouth. Her hands rested protectively on her belly.
"I, Asphodel Maddis Snape, being sound of mind and body, do hereby repudiate my husband, Severus Thornton Snape. I say hereby that he is not my husband. He has no claim, not on me, nor on my unborn child, nor on anything that is mine."
"Witnessed." Said a voice that sounded very much like Lily Potter
"Witnessed." "Witnessed." Came two more, unidentified voices.
Harry glanced in Snape's direction. The man looked as if he had been physically struck. Harry watched as the shock faded into bleak despair. His attention was called back to the recording as Della spoke once more.
"I, Asphodel Maddis, give my permission to Lily Evans Potter and her husband James Potter to adopt my child as soon as he or she is born. There are several conditions placed on this consent. First, that they never disclose my child's parentage to anyone. This includes, but is not limited to, Severus Snape, my child's biological father."
She drew in a long ragged breath. "Second, Lily and James are to disguise the child's appearance so that he or she does not resemble his true parents. Third, that they love my child as I do now."
"Fourth," She looked troubled and her right hand traced a small pattern on her belly. "My fourth condition is that on my birthday, when my child is fifteen years old, Lily and James are to inform my child of his or her heritage. They are to introduce him or her to Severus Snape."
The chorus of "Witnessed" repeated, but the recording continued.
"My child, I solemnly wish to be wrong about your father. However, I refuse to let my feelings for him overcome what I feel would be best for you. I do not want you to grow up under the shadow of what he has become." A single tear fell unheeded down her cheek.
"Child, I want you to get to know Severus. Then, I want you to choose whether you will accept him as your father or repudiate him as I have done. Bear in mind that I am not asking you to choose between the Potters and Severus. I want you to remember that Lily and James love you, and will always love you. They are your parents. Never doubt they want you.
"All I am asking you to do is make an effort to know your biological father. Talk to him. Listen to his responses. Try to see in him the person that I once thought I loved." She smiled softly and her image faded.
Ross stood again and removed the second block from the viewer.
He cleared his throat. "Well…erm…Indeed. This is one of the oddest cases my firm has ever administered. However, I am sure you will find that everything has been carried out according to my client's wishes. Now for the reading of the actual will."
He made another odd sound in his throat and picked up a roll of parchment. He broke the seal and unrolled it.
"I, Asphodel Maddis, hereby bequeath all of my possessions to my son or daughter, as yet unborn. These things are to be delivered upon my own birthday in the fifteenth year after the birth of my child, or when I die, should I live longer."
The solicitor looked up from the parchment and gestured to the trunk beside his chair.
"This trunk and its contents were deemed to be the extent of the bequest when my client died. Does anyone present dispute this?" Ross peered around.
"I do." Snape had been silent up until this point. "There is also a small property a few miles from here. It was bought in her name. That should also belong to the boy."
"Ah." Said the little man. "Fascinating. Very well, let me know the details and I will see to it."
Snape nodded.
"In the meantime, Mr. Potter, the trunk is yours."
Harry did not know what to say. The whole presentation had taken less than an hour. In that time, his whole life had shattered and reformed around him. He looked over at Snape. He found that Snape was gazing steadily back at him.
"Well, Potter, I suppose we should talk." Snape said, emotionlessly.
"Erm…" The lawyer began. "I'll just go, shall I? I will be in touch about that property you mentioned."
Snape nodded at the man.
Dumbledore stood as well. "I'll see you out."
*****
A/N – The next piece will be up in a few days… most likely… unless I am compleately sidetracked.