Chapter 6
Harry sat in the headmasters office watching the old professor. The old man's eyes held a certain warmth that Harry had seen a few times before.
"Now Harry, I too know what has made you so upset. You know the truth now."
"But Professor Snape said it was a lie." Harry blurted out.
"Harry, you have to excuse his reaction. He understands the greater consequences of being your father. He has denied it for many years. We have spoken on occasion about it and he remains stubborn. Let me tell you what I know Harry."
Dumbledore moved from behind his desk to sit in a chair next to Harry.
"Your mother wrote to me the day she found out she was with child. She knew then that the child wasn't from James. The two of them had just gotten engaged. Professor Snape didn't take the news to well. You see Harry, Professor Snape and your father were not the best of friends. Lily however was the one connection the two had. Before she started going out with your father Harry, Lily and Professor Snape were very good friends. They still were long after her and James wed. A couple of days before the wedding, your mother met Professor Snape one last time. One thing lead to another, and well Harry, a mistake was made. Though I don't like to think of you as a mistake."
Harry sat in silence trying to take in everything the old man was saying.
Dumbledore continued. "Your mother invited Professor Snape to her wedding day. He unfortunately did not attend. He was heartbroken. He had hoped the last night would convince Lily to come back to him. From what I know about Professor Snape Harry, losing your mother to James crushed the professor so badly that he turned to the dark arts as an escape. That is why he became a death eater. He felt they could give him the one thing he wanted most in this world. An end to James Potter, and the love of Lily. That decision cost him greatly. You have to know Harry, a person can make a very bad decision in a time of despair."
Harry sat almost in shock. He didn't know what to say. His eyes looked to the professor trying to find the words to ask the questions that were running thru his mind.
"Harry, I can tell your confused by all this. You are probably wondering why the professor acted the way he did. Well Harry, the letters your mother wrote. The ones you now have shocked the professor. He knew if James were to find out he would be a ruined man. He also knew the death eaters would turn on him. For you see Harry, Professor Snape is a spy. A spy for Voldemort must not have children. Especially a child with someone so set against their Lord. Lily and James fought bravely against Voldemort. At the time that time the professor did not want to be branded a traitor. He wrote those letters to Lily the way he did, in case they were intercepted by a death eater." Harry started to understand why Professor Snape always seemed so angry with him around.
Dumbledore nodded and began again. "You see Harry, Professor Snape holds a certain bitterness towards James for taking Lily. Snape could never be mad at Lily. He knew she was telling the truth in her letter and came to me about it. Lily and I did converse a lot thru our own letters about the matter. I am the one who told her to lie to James. . You see Harry at that time we were in a war. You however ended that war. You were the boy who lived and shall always remain that way. Now since his return I must ask you not to let on the Professor Snape is your father in any way. I will set up a meeting to try and straighten him out. Lately with all the other students around it has been difficult for him to get free to talk to you."
"Who-who else knows sir?" Harry asked, his voice was shaky.
"I know, so does Remus and Sirrus Black your godfather knows and so does some of the best MLE agents who were working the case about James and Lily. No one else."
"Sir I don't know what to say, for all these years I thought I had no family. Now I do and my real father doesn't want any part of me."
"Harry, it is defiantly not how it looks. However do not push the matter. I'm sure Professor Snape will come around in his own time. However I do not think Professor Snape will be the father figure you are looking for. Now Harry, you must not tell a soul, not even your friends Hermione or Ron. I know it will be difficult. Just try alright. We don't want another rumor flying around the school. We have enough of them to quell as it is."
Harry nodded and walked off out of the professors office. He walked slowly down the hall to try and take in everything he had just heard. He pulled out the letter from his pocket and went over it again slowly. He couldn't understand that Professor Snape loved his mother when in his letter it held so much hate. All the professor had ever done to Harry was to hate him. He seemed to detest Harry from the sorting ceremony of his first year. It always seemed that Professor Snape could not stand to be around him. Was this the reason. That he was in fact Harry's father. Why hadn't anything been mentioned before. Harry's thoughts swarmed as her read. He didn't notice that he had made a wrong turn and had ended up in the lower halls by the dungeons.
"Looks like poor old Potter finally got a letter." Came a rather evil voice.
Harry looked up and was confronted by Draco Malfoy. Along side Draco was Crabbe and Goyle.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry said. His voice was a bit angered.
"Look Crabbe, Goyle. Seems we have a Gryffindor intruder looking for our common room. Shall we go tell Snape that the great Harry Potter is snooping around."
Crabbe and Goyle just snickered.
"I am not Malfoy, I just took a wrong turn."
"Likely story Potter. We know you Gryffs. A tricky and odd lot you are. Tainted by mudbloods like that Granger."
"Take that back Malfoy."
"Make me Potter."
Harry pulled out his wand and forgot the letter for a moment. Malfoy on the other hand pulled his wand and snatched the letter from Harry.
"Give that back!" Harry said angrily.
"I think I should like to read your love letter Harry. Is it from that mudblood. I personally wouldn't bother." Draco said as she started to unfold the letter.
"I'm warning you Malfoy give that back. It isn't yours." Harry said as he raised his wand.
"Crabbe, Goyle. Show this Gryffindor what we do with pests." Draco replied as he finished unfolding the letter and began to slowly read it.
As the two goons smiled and advanced on Harry, Draco read the letter. Harry stepped back and was almost ready to say a spell when the letter was snatched from Draco's hands.
"Hey I was reading that. Give it back." Draco said angrily as he turned to come face to face with Professor Snape.
"Mr. Malfoy return to your common room with Mr. Crabbe and Mr Goyle. I shall have a word with Mr. Potter."
Malfoy stood stunned.
Snape turned and glared at Malfoy.
"Do you have a problem with that Mr. Malfoy."
"No sir." Draco said dully as he waved for the two others to follow. As they disappeared around the corner.
Snape walked over to Harry and tossed the letter to him.
" Things like this Potter start rumors. I do not know how much you let Malfoy read. You should keep those in private Potter. For you lack of better judgement I shall only take twenty points from Gryffindor. As for Malfoy he will be dealt with accordingly. Fighting in the school is not good practice. Even though you think you are good at spells from the tri wizard tournament Potter. Remember that you almost broke a school rule and I would enjoy being the one to expel you. Now go back to Gryffindor." Snape hissed.
"Sir, I did not let him. He grabbed the letter."
"Which you were reading. Does this hall look like a library to you. I think not. Leave before I change my mind and take more points off for your disobedience."
Harry sighed and turned around. He began to walk off when he though he heard the Professor give out a mournful sigh. He shook it off and continued his way to the Gryffindor Common room to see his friends.
Harry sat in the headmasters office watching the old professor. The old man's eyes held a certain warmth that Harry had seen a few times before.
"Now Harry, I too know what has made you so upset. You know the truth now."
"But Professor Snape said it was a lie." Harry blurted out.
"Harry, you have to excuse his reaction. He understands the greater consequences of being your father. He has denied it for many years. We have spoken on occasion about it and he remains stubborn. Let me tell you what I know Harry."
Dumbledore moved from behind his desk to sit in a chair next to Harry.
"Your mother wrote to me the day she found out she was with child. She knew then that the child wasn't from James. The two of them had just gotten engaged. Professor Snape didn't take the news to well. You see Harry, Professor Snape and your father were not the best of friends. Lily however was the one connection the two had. Before she started going out with your father Harry, Lily and Professor Snape were very good friends. They still were long after her and James wed. A couple of days before the wedding, your mother met Professor Snape one last time. One thing lead to another, and well Harry, a mistake was made. Though I don't like to think of you as a mistake."
Harry sat in silence trying to take in everything the old man was saying.
Dumbledore continued. "Your mother invited Professor Snape to her wedding day. He unfortunately did not attend. He was heartbroken. He had hoped the last night would convince Lily to come back to him. From what I know about Professor Snape Harry, losing your mother to James crushed the professor so badly that he turned to the dark arts as an escape. That is why he became a death eater. He felt they could give him the one thing he wanted most in this world. An end to James Potter, and the love of Lily. That decision cost him greatly. You have to know Harry, a person can make a very bad decision in a time of despair."
Harry sat almost in shock. He didn't know what to say. His eyes looked to the professor trying to find the words to ask the questions that were running thru his mind.
"Harry, I can tell your confused by all this. You are probably wondering why the professor acted the way he did. Well Harry, the letters your mother wrote. The ones you now have shocked the professor. He knew if James were to find out he would be a ruined man. He also knew the death eaters would turn on him. For you see Harry, Professor Snape is a spy. A spy for Voldemort must not have children. Especially a child with someone so set against their Lord. Lily and James fought bravely against Voldemort. At the time that time the professor did not want to be branded a traitor. He wrote those letters to Lily the way he did, in case they were intercepted by a death eater." Harry started to understand why Professor Snape always seemed so angry with him around.
Dumbledore nodded and began again. "You see Harry, Professor Snape holds a certain bitterness towards James for taking Lily. Snape could never be mad at Lily. He knew she was telling the truth in her letter and came to me about it. Lily and I did converse a lot thru our own letters about the matter. I am the one who told her to lie to James. . You see Harry at that time we were in a war. You however ended that war. You were the boy who lived and shall always remain that way. Now since his return I must ask you not to let on the Professor Snape is your father in any way. I will set up a meeting to try and straighten him out. Lately with all the other students around it has been difficult for him to get free to talk to you."
"Who-who else knows sir?" Harry asked, his voice was shaky.
"I know, so does Remus and Sirrus Black your godfather knows and so does some of the best MLE agents who were working the case about James and Lily. No one else."
"Sir I don't know what to say, for all these years I thought I had no family. Now I do and my real father doesn't want any part of me."
"Harry, it is defiantly not how it looks. However do not push the matter. I'm sure Professor Snape will come around in his own time. However I do not think Professor Snape will be the father figure you are looking for. Now Harry, you must not tell a soul, not even your friends Hermione or Ron. I know it will be difficult. Just try alright. We don't want another rumor flying around the school. We have enough of them to quell as it is."
Harry nodded and walked off out of the professors office. He walked slowly down the hall to try and take in everything he had just heard. He pulled out the letter from his pocket and went over it again slowly. He couldn't understand that Professor Snape loved his mother when in his letter it held so much hate. All the professor had ever done to Harry was to hate him. He seemed to detest Harry from the sorting ceremony of his first year. It always seemed that Professor Snape could not stand to be around him. Was this the reason. That he was in fact Harry's father. Why hadn't anything been mentioned before. Harry's thoughts swarmed as her read. He didn't notice that he had made a wrong turn and had ended up in the lower halls by the dungeons.
"Looks like poor old Potter finally got a letter." Came a rather evil voice.
Harry looked up and was confronted by Draco Malfoy. Along side Draco was Crabbe and Goyle.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry said. His voice was a bit angered.
"Look Crabbe, Goyle. Seems we have a Gryffindor intruder looking for our common room. Shall we go tell Snape that the great Harry Potter is snooping around."
Crabbe and Goyle just snickered.
"I am not Malfoy, I just took a wrong turn."
"Likely story Potter. We know you Gryffs. A tricky and odd lot you are. Tainted by mudbloods like that Granger."
"Take that back Malfoy."
"Make me Potter."
Harry pulled out his wand and forgot the letter for a moment. Malfoy on the other hand pulled his wand and snatched the letter from Harry.
"Give that back!" Harry said angrily.
"I think I should like to read your love letter Harry. Is it from that mudblood. I personally wouldn't bother." Draco said as she started to unfold the letter.
"I'm warning you Malfoy give that back. It isn't yours." Harry said as he raised his wand.
"Crabbe, Goyle. Show this Gryffindor what we do with pests." Draco replied as he finished unfolding the letter and began to slowly read it.
As the two goons smiled and advanced on Harry, Draco read the letter. Harry stepped back and was almost ready to say a spell when the letter was snatched from Draco's hands.
"Hey I was reading that. Give it back." Draco said angrily as he turned to come face to face with Professor Snape.
"Mr. Malfoy return to your common room with Mr. Crabbe and Mr Goyle. I shall have a word with Mr. Potter."
Malfoy stood stunned.
Snape turned and glared at Malfoy.
"Do you have a problem with that Mr. Malfoy."
"No sir." Draco said dully as he waved for the two others to follow. As they disappeared around the corner.
Snape walked over to Harry and tossed the letter to him.
" Things like this Potter start rumors. I do not know how much you let Malfoy read. You should keep those in private Potter. For you lack of better judgement I shall only take twenty points from Gryffindor. As for Malfoy he will be dealt with accordingly. Fighting in the school is not good practice. Even though you think you are good at spells from the tri wizard tournament Potter. Remember that you almost broke a school rule and I would enjoy being the one to expel you. Now go back to Gryffindor." Snape hissed.
"Sir, I did not let him. He grabbed the letter."
"Which you were reading. Does this hall look like a library to you. I think not. Leave before I change my mind and take more points off for your disobedience."
Harry sighed and turned around. He began to walk off when he though he heard the Professor give out a mournful sigh. He shook it off and continued his way to the Gryffindor Common room to see his friends.
