SlythsRule :Thank you.
Night-Owl123: Thank you for reviewing!
Lap : Heehee, thank you for reviewing!

This fic is finally ending soon, thank you all for your support!

Chapter 13:

Severus was half-expecting the visit when Harry knocked on his door.

"I know it's late...and if I'm bothering you I can come tomorrow," the boy had innocently asked, all the while settling comfortably into the best armchair in the room.

"Harry..."

"I know, I know you are wondering what on earth am I doing here...well, like I said, I've come to help you all out. Why? Because I recently acquired certain information..." at that, Harry broke into a wry smile.

"Harry you must realize –"

"That not everyone is going to be happy with me here? Oh sure I know that, what with all the stares and looks; they are not exactly the subtle type, the people here, you know?" he laughed his mirthless laugh again and gazed into the fire.

There was an uneasy silence, and Severus was rather glad when Harry spoke up again – although he immediately regretted thinking so when he heard what the boy was speaking about.

"Do you know James Potter? Or Lily Potter? Surely you did, I can see that from your expression...how can you not? The Kingdom's most noble defenders...most loyal..." the strange smile is gone from his face now, and he whispered the last two words in so sad a fashion that Severus suddenly understood.

"You...I mean, they are –"

"Yes, they are my parents, apparently. And no need to dance around it; I'm not going to break down on you – not again, anyhow." Harry stood up from the chair and walked about the room, deep in thought. Then he stopped abruptly and turned to face his one time mentor, "There was an ambush, wasn't there? All the Potters are declared dead, martyrs…"

Severus stared at the boy with mixed emotions; he could only image the emotional turmoil Harry must be experiencing. A thousand questions flew through his mind as he recalled the Potters and their association with the prophecy. A question rose in his mind; which, as he realized now, had always been in his unconscious thoughts; it's just that he had believed the obvious and never allowed it to surface, "Harry, are you... are you the one?"

The wry smile is back again, "Why? All the so called loyal followers of the Prince seem to be asking me this question lately, is this how you show your faith in him?"

"Harry, this is serious..."

"Well, I am serious. I don't know...are you asking if I am the One in the sense of the prophecy? Then I could have been, couldn't I? All the infants born that year could have been...But things change, fates change...For all we know, Neville is the One right now. It could have been meant for me, but it doesn't matter now."

"But what if he does not have enough power to defeat the Dark Lord?"

"No, he doesn't. And neither do I. But together, we do...it is time people stop putting all the responsibilities and hopes on one person; for a war cannot be won by one."

"But the prophecy..."

"The prophecy said that the one will be able to reunite the kingdom and lead to the fall of Dark Lord, for that only Neville will qualify."

Harry's voice rang in the room. He, however, merely shrugged and placed a dozen parchment on the desk, "Here are some maps and strategies I can think of."

Severus raised one questioning eyebrow.

"Well, as you said, I don't really expect Thales to use my ideas."

"True...which reminded me...Harry, Thales is very bent on upholding his nephew. By now he should have heard of the story already, and he'll view you as a threat no matter what."

"I know...I really do," Harry answered, "Still, I want to see if things could turn out differently, see if I could stay." Before Severus could speak, the boy had on the cheerful mask again – the moment of vulnerability lost, "Well, we shall see, won't we?"

With a big smile he walked across the room and bade Severus goodnight as he did so many nights before at the Dark Land, all with the air of someone carefree at heart – although Severus did notice that the smile never quite reached his eyes.

Reaching for the door, Harry sighed. As soon as he opened it, a dagger flew towards him – faster than lighting. It was too fast for anyone to react on the spot, yet Harry was ready. He merely raised one hand, and the dagger fell as dusts even as it pricked the skin of his finger, leaving only a crimson spot. Harry looked at the young man before him, who was obviously scared by that show of power but yet was still trying to appear brave.

He tilted his head to one side as he recognized the man, "Burr? Was it not?"

"Do what you want, just be done with it!"

"How did you know which room is mine?"

"I heard Lord Thales discuss it."

"I see…" Harry narrowed his eyes, the young man before him was but a tool, yet the implication of Thales' setting him up was not nice. He smiled bitterly as he pushed a startled Burr out of his room and shut the door; if his guess was correct, he would be expecting more – "visits" soon.