SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Chapter 37 took AGES to write - the heat here is unbearable-.

What's more, when I finally finished it, I tried to open chapter 36 to add the Author's note and was amazed to discover that it wasn't there! I had to re-type it all over again! So, please, try to understand the delay. SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.

Thanks for your comments on the story. I answered all reviews for chapter 35 on my LJ:

on January 26th. You can take a look at it, if you want.

That's all for now; here it is… chapter 36…. Enjoy!

Chapter 36: The order of the Phoenix

It is essential for human beings to have hope; to be able to trust that something better awaits in the near future for without hope we have no reason to live or die.

And believe me when I tell you that there are certain things about life that people consider good enough to stay down here for a while. Depending on how well you behave during your residence in planet earth you may change it into "up here", so it can suit your needs.

Yes. What would come after death? Is there something after passing away? Severus needed to be honest with himself and face the fact that he had no real believes and that he trusted no religion. In simpler words, he had faith in nothing and thus it was only logical for him to be sad. He was going to die; he would cease to exist and that would be the end of it. You see, scientist such as Severus Snape, who believe only in what can be proved, sustain the statement that mass- material- can only be transformed; it cannot be destroyed. So a part of him was glad that his body would repose forever in the fertile grounds of England.

But what about his soul? Would his soul, his essence, transform as well and found itself reduced to only a couple of atoms? Can souls be destroyed? Why do Christians support the sentence: "for as long as you both shall live", if love is an eternal emotion? Would Hermione re marry and fulfil her promise and if so, could she have two husbands in heaven- where there is no pain, where there is no suffering- or would she be put in the position of choosing between the both?

All those silly questions ran through his head while he travelled by Floo Network from Dumbledore's chambers, where he had placed the body on the Old Wizard's bed, to 12 Grimmauld Place, the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters and his home away from home.

"Blessed be those who believe and yet they have not seen," he said to himself, remembering a passage he had once read as a young adult in a Christian Bible, "yes, bless them," he stated out loud while his head reflected about hose words, "bless them because they can say: 'I feel' instead of 'I think',"

It was impossible for Severus Snape to know something and do nothing about it even if every fibre of his body kept telling him to stay still because there was no way of surviving the rage of those with the Dark Mark.  

And because of that, he felt scared, frightened about what was to come. He was in the correct road to become a traitor and a hero, a fool and a martyr before the eyes of both sides: the good one and the dark one.

Unfortunately for Severus Snape, 12 Grimmauld Place appeared in front of his eyes before he could even finish that thought. He was home at last.

Cleaning the dust from his impeccable black robes, he stood from the floor and walked towards the stairs that would take him to the floor where the kitchen was situated. Sure enough, everyone would be there drinking their black coffees to stay awake or in Molly's case, baking cookies for the Weasley children and Harry to devour while waiting for further orders. They needed to stay awake and entertaining their jaws with healthy sweets seemed the appropriate choice.

When he opened the kitchen door, he was not amazed to find the same situation he had pictured in his mind: George and Fred Weasley were desperately trying to gain everyone's attention by eating all of Molly's cookies at once even though Ron, Harry and Ginny seemed too interested in their Chocolate Frog cards to notice the twins. The older members of the order, however, looked rather shabby with their coffee mugs filled with Colombian nectar and Severus was able to image why because their sorrows equalled his. Uncertainty is far worse than a horrid perspective of the future; not knowing can drive anyone insane.

"Why isn't Hermione with you, Professor Snape?," Ron asked, standing up from his wooden stool once Severus' presence could be depicted by everybody.

"She is sleeping, Mr. Weasley," he truthfully answered, coughing several times in order to clear his throat and announce the death of Hogwarts most beloved Headmaster.

"But sir," Ginny interrupted this time, "She told me she wanted to be here when…", she started to say but Harry disrupted her speech with a kiss on her freckly cheek which made her blush and stop talking.

"Ginny, don't you see that Professor Snape here is trying to protect little Hermione?," Harry said sarcastically, "I wonder, though… who protected her from you, sir, when we all knew for a fact that your actions were immoral and your marriage illegal?," he asked sarcastically, standing up from the wooden stool and walking all the way to where Severus was standing, a few centimetres near the kitchen's door.

"Mr. Potter, you are just as stupid as your father when he was your age," Severus said between his teeth for no one to hear, "Do you wish to become a hero, Mr. Potter? Then, be a man and quit acting like a child because this time there will be no Dumbledore to defend you," he said, his voice barely a whisper. Delivering the news to the rest of the group in such a rude manner seemed inappropriate and impolite of him.

"What do you mean?," Harry enquired, forgetting all formalities. He looked calmer, as if the sudden news had tamed his rebel spirit.

"Mr. Potter, Albus Dumbledore is dead," he confessed, trying to hide his feelings from the rest of the world even if the pain was horrible and unbearable.

"What?," Harry shouted, utterly surprised, "You…you killed him! He trusted you and you killed him!," the boy-who-lived said for everyone to hear while closing his hands into fists. Severus Snape needed to pay for his actions. He had killed the only father he ever knew; he had killed Dumbledore. He had been right all along: Snape was nothing more than a Death Eater working for the Dark Side.

Fortunately for Severus, the feminine voice of wisdom- Minerva McGonagall- interrupted their private chat.

"Harry, dear," Professor McGonagall said from behind them while Ron wrapped Harry with both his arms in order to prevent him from beating Severus. "The professor has important news for us all," she said, catching the attention of the rest of the members. When all heads had turned into their direction, she added in a murmur, "Where is Albus, Severus?,"

Swallowing hard, Severus tried to find the courage he needed to tell the Order of the Phoenix that Dumbledore was dead even if he knew first hand that no wizard had the necessary audacity to break such news. Without Dumbledore, the Wizarding World was left with no hope. And without hope, as I said before, there is no reason to live or die: nothing matters any more.

"Professor Dumbledore is dead," he clearly said.  For a moment there, there was utter silence. Who can dare speak after such terrible words?

"What do you mean by "dead", Professor Snape?," Molly Weasley said, breaking the silence while rubbing her dirty hands in her apron, "because, Professor, Arthur will be here from the Ministry any moment now and I don't want to disturb him with false information. Albus cannot be dead, Professor Snape… you know that. Explain yourself, please," she stated, giggling like a schoolgirl. No. Albus could not be dead; it was impossible. She must have misunderstood Professor Snape.

"Mrs. Weasley, I am afraid that Albus Dumbledore is, indeed, dead. There is nothing I or any of you can do about it. The plan we elaborated, however, may make all the difference," he said, in front of a group of sobbing men and women known for their courage. Yet now they looked like vulnerable children whose parent would be no longer there to protect them.

With one last deep breath, Severus told them everything just like Dumbledore had done with him a couple of days ago.

"That means that…," Ginny said, speechless, "that means that…," she tried to state, but she had run out of words. The scheme was so clever, yet so dangerous. She couldn't find the proper group of syllables to articulate the turmoil of emotions she was feelings at the moment, so she stopped talking for there was no real need for words. Everyone had obviously understood the plan and judging by the look on their faces, Severus could tell that he had given them optimism again even if he had lost it forever.

"My presence is required elsewhere, I am afraid," he said, looking for the first time at Harry Potter who had fresh tears in his light blue eyes, "Lucius is rather impatient and making him wait will not make things any easier," he explained, still looking at Harry. Those eyes reminded him of Lily so much that the pain of one thousand stubs invaded his chest in no time when the memory of Harry's mother reappeared from the back of his memory.

"Murderer," Harry gesticulated for only Severus to comprehend. And he had understood indeed.

He glanced for the very last time at the Order of the Phoenix. There was a very good change that this would become the last time he would ever see them all together and alive again and that was an excruciating thought to have even for a tough man such as Severus. Walking out of the kitchen and towards the stairs where the Floo Network would communicate him with Lucius Malfoy, he reminded himself to stay calm because Lucius would not hesitate in killing them all. The wrong word, the unsuitable gesture and his heart would beat no longer.

But it was pointless to think about it.

Throwing some green powder into the flames which roared green with the fury of one million lions, Severus' head appeared at Malfoy Manor.