Author's Note: Thanks for reading and I appreciate everyone's input and comments. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 23 – The Boy Who Should Not Have Lived
As a mirror has two halves, the divided soul is a two-way portal into the other's mind. Turn the weapon inward using your own soul as a shield.
"That's it! That's all!" Harry shouted at the paper in anger and slammed his fist on the table. He lowered his head as those sitting in the common room looked at him. "So much for quick and easy answers…" he said solemnly under his breath.
"Harry," Hermione's concern-tinged voice called to him. He looked up and saw his friend approaching the edge of the table. "Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you in his office… now…"
"Did they catch them?" Harry asked simply.
"During the match, I think," Hermione replied. She looked at Harry with concern. "Dumbledore is not very pleased with you… or Ron…"
"I know." Harry folded the paper and placed it in his pocket as he stood up. "Well, I suppose I should go…" he said with a heavy sigh and placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder as he walked by.
He walked the dark corridors his stomach churning with a sinking loneliness, as he never felt before. There were no excuses, no rationalizations nor any reason that he should have done what he did. "But if Snape hadn't been so intimidating…" Harry began under his breath but caught himself as a small voice in his mind said, "But he told you to not touch anything…"
Harry stopped and looked around, realizing that he stood in front of the large gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. Before he could say anything, the gargoyle moved revealing the spiral staircase.
He reached the top and with a deep breath walked into the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk and Snape and Lestrange, fully restored to their familiar adult selves, were sitting off to his left each holding some odd foaming green potion while Professor McGonagall stood stiffly at Dumbledore's right her face contorted into a most unpleasant frown.
"I am glad that you two are all right Professors," Harry croaked.
"Spare us your self-serving concern, Potter," Snape said with venom. He turned his head towards Dumbledore and then to McGonagall in turn. "Let me guess. Since our condition was reversible and he donated the trinkets needed to find us, he'll simply get a few days detention…"
"Severus, please," Dumbledore said quietly. "His fate rests with his Head of House. You insisted on such with Malfoy and crew last year."
"However Malfoy did not turn two Professors…" Severus began.
"No, he betrayed Hogwarts and sided with a sociopath who nearly had me killed… among other things…" McGonagall interrupted brusquely conveying a tone that any student, and that included former ones such as Snape, knew not to challenge. She turned to Harry, "I spoke to Ron Weasley earlier and he will be suspended from Prefect duties until he can demonstrate that he can perform them without giving preference to his friends."
"But it wasn't Ron, it was me!" Harry protested. "I was the one who picked up the vials and accidentally mixed them up. He was too afraid to tell Professor Snape… as was I…"
"Please, Potter," Snape drawled dismissively, "I would expect such sniveling from Longbottom."
"Nonetheless, Mr. Potter," McGonagall continued, "He is suspended until further notice. I cannot have my Prefects overlooking the welfare of faculty and students at Hogwarts simply because it might get their friends in trouble."
"You are about twenty-five years too late on that brilliant revelation," Snape snapped.
"Should I require any advice on how to run my House, I shall ask. In the meanwhile, Severus, you might be well served in finding out whom in your House is a potential recruit for You-Know-Who," McGonagall replied tersely.
"Well what a wonderful idea! What shame it would bring to a Head of House to find out that one of their students is in league with the Dark Lord. Doubly so if they were to become his right-hand-man!" Severus spit with poisonous relish as he leaned back in his chair and casually took a few more sips of his potion as he watched McGonagall silently fume.
"I will assume, Severus, that you need to drink more potion before you are back to yourself again," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes steeled on his Potions Master.
"He seems fine to me," Lestrange piped in and then began to stand. "Perhaps I should be going. Pomfrey wanted me to stop by…"
"To check for germs because you bit a werewolf!" Snape snickered. "Really Ruedella, what a dunderhead thing to do…"
"If I would hold you accountable for your actions earlier given your states, Severus, then you and Harry would be equally in trouble. No," Dumbledore shook his head and then continued, "You even more so. Remus Lupin was quite aware that she wasn't herself and was trying to escape."
"No, that's the beauty of it… she was herself," Severus countered. "However, perhaps I, too, should be going as I am sure that you need to award Harry some special plaque or metal."
"I will take care of his punishment Severus!" McGonagall said with slow measure, her face red with rage.
"Minerva," Dumbledore said softly, waving his hand gently to calm her down. "Whatever you decide, I shall support. I will send Harry later for you two to discuss…"
"I WANT HIM OUT! I WANT HIM EXPELLED!" Snape screamed as he suddenly stood and threw his potion on the floor, smashing the glass everywhere. The room began to darken and the books and other items shook on the shelves. The portraits ducked in their frames, except for Phineus Nigelus, who leaned casually to one side snacking on Bertie Botts and apparently seeming to enjoy the spectacle. Snape pointed accusingly to McGonagall. "She's nothing more than a dotting old Auntie to the miserable boy! He breaks rules over and over and gets naught but a slap on the wrist! You are just as easy, if not easier, on him as you were with his Father!"
"DOTING OLD AUNTIE!" McGonagall huffed and reached for her wand. "I NEVER!"
"Minerva," Dumbledore rose slowly from his chair. "Perhaps you and Harry can speak tomorrow morning." He paused and looked on as the witch lowered her hands to her sides. "Severus, he did admit… voluntarily… his guilt and contributed to finding you. This was essential in finding you in a timely manner. Otherwise, I'm afraid the damage would have been permanent," Dumbledore countered.
"Well this is starting to sound familiar, like the time I was set up to see Lupin transform? Sirius and Potter concocted a situation so he could look like a hero. So is that where this is going? 'Potter did something regrettable but then made it all better…' Is that the Gryffindor secret of bravery?" Severus spat back.
"Severus," Ruedella said softly. "We have had a hard day…"
Snape turned fiercely and leaned into her, their noses nearly touching. "Sticking up for your 'study buddy' are you? Making excuses for someone who killed your own flesh and blood! You disloyal…"
Lestrange bared her teeth and slapped Snape across the face. "You are hardly one to lecture me about loyalty," she said, her voice cold and low.
Harry stood, petrified at the situation that unfolded around him. He looked to McGonagall, whose jaw was locked and rigid, apparently using all of her constitution to keep her anger under control. He then gazed at Dumbledore who stood at his desk, his thin aged fingers clutched into fists so tight that the knuckles protruded like white claws and his blue eyes took on a fierce hue, not unlike when he confronted Voldemort in the Ministry. Lastly, Harry looked at the couple. Lestrange's handprint was starting to fade off of Snape's cheek and the two stood, their teeth bared, glaring at one another.
Taking a breath he cleared his throat. "What I did was wrong. I was told not to touch the ingredients, but I was curious. Like I was curious with the pensieve and other things I have done over the years. I am very sorry, but I see that words are not enough. I need to start conducting myself better." Snape had turned his head and looked at Harry, his black eyes boring through Harry's soul like a sword. "You have done a lot for me Professor and I have been difficult and ungrateful. Professor Lestrange, I am also very sorry for how this hurt you. Although things did work out, they could just as easily have not." Harry then looked at Professor McGonagall, "Of course I will accept any punishment that you deem appropriate, but I do wish to state again, for whatever good it may do, that Ron…"
"Ron had a responsibility and that is all that I wish to hear on the matter," McGonagall clipped with final authority, her eyes not meeting him but rather still glaring at Snape.
"That will be all for tonight," Dumbledore said exhaling.
"That will not be ALL!" Snape turned to Dumbledore. "I want to know why! Why you gave Potter that special award!"
"This is the crux of your issue, isn't it, Severus?" Dumbledore inquired, his voice firm, but kind. "You tormented each other, yet that incident is the one that you cannot forgive isn't it?" Seeing Snape give a simple nod, he continued, "If you learned everything do you think that you can begin to mend?" He then looked to Harry. "Perhaps we need to do this. You two need to work together and I was hoping…" The old wizard trailed off. "Anyhow… it appears that the incident poisoned you towards even Harry and your actions towards him created and fueled his disregard for you." He looked to Lestrange who had managed to sit down and who was looking rather ill. Dumbledore's eyes then panned to Harry. "I also understand that perhaps you are not satisfied with a few things and you too are looking for answers… more answers. I think that we should get everything out…" He looked directly to Lestrange. "And I mean everything out…"
"But sir," Lestrange said weakly. "You promised…"
"What is revealed here will stay here, Ruedella," Dumbledore said, looking upon her kindly. "You know this must be done."
"What does SHE have to do with this?" Snape bellowed, motioning towards his companion.
Dumbledore did not answer at first, but simply took a parchment and a quill and wrote a short note and handed it to McGonagall. "Remus is probably in the kitchen getting some food. Please send him here straight away." He then set down the quill and looked at Lestrange and then to Snape. "Everything, Severus, everything…"
SECTION
The five wizards sat in a small room around a circular table. In the center was the familiar white and rune-laden pensieve that belonged to Dumbledore. Harry looked at each wizard in turn. Dumbledore looked resigned, Remus appeared to be nervous, Lestrange appeared to be quite ill and Snape looked smug and almost in Harry's eyes, appeared to be vindicated. Harry wasn't sure what expression, or lack thereof, adorned his face, but given the knot in his stomach he knew that at least he was both scared and excited.
Dumbledore pulled out the parchment that contained Hermione's clarification practice and sat it on the table beside the pensieve. "I know, Harry," he began, "that you have many questions. However, I think this will serve in providing some context. Next time, however…" He paused and panned his eyes briefly to Lestrange who didn't seem to notice as she was staring at the pensieve intently and appeared to be quite terrified. "Next time, please approach me first for answers."
All Harry could do was nod and looked over to Remus for support.
Taking out his wand, Dumbledore tapped the pensieve. Soon a memory filled the room, making it appear that they were now standing in hall corridor of a dungeon.
"Is your memory, Severus?" Remus asked.
"No, it is mine," Lestrange unexpectedly replied for Dumbledore, her voice trembling.
Harry turned away from the adults and looked down the corridor. Like in the other pensieve memories they could not be heard or seen, but rather were viewing the memory much like Muggle television, except they were standing in the scene. He could see two boys approaching, both about his age. One he recognized instantly as Snape and the other was a shorter boy with moppy brown hair and grey eyes – the same boy, Harry surmised, that the Boggart had impersonated with Lestrange.
"So what's this all about, Snape?" the other boy asked. "If we go any further, we'll be under the lake." He stepped into a large puddle. "On second thought we probably are."
The young Snape turned and faced his companion. Looking down the hall he frowned and then shook his head. "I wanted to make sure your nosey sister was not following. I think we lost her, although she does know these halls well…" He trailed off and stared at a part of the corridor wall for a few moments, apparently concentrating. Shaking his head he then turned back to his partner.
"Taking her down here a lot to snog, were you?" Rabastan Lestrange chided. "Ow… hey…" He rubbed his arm where Snape inflicted a stinging hex. "You did that without a wand…brilliant…!"
"You certainly give me enough practice," Snape said coolly. "Do you want in or what?"
"What's in it for me?" Lestrange asked suspiciously.
"Perhaps a special service award," Snape replied. He lowered his voice. "I suspect that Hogwarts is in great danger. Dumbledore is harboring something quite dangerous and it is up to me to prove it. However, I need a witness and a lookout. I need you to follow me tonight. Meet me at the East Gate in an hour."
"Dumbledore could be sacked… and the new Headmaster… probably Karkaroff… would be in our debt!" Lestrange rubbed his hands greedily. "Tell me what it is!" the boy requested excitedly.
"So you can cut me out? I do not think so," young Snape snorted. "Either follow me and accept what I will generously provide or I shall go alone and then I alone will receive the accolades."
"You're going to hog most of them anyhow," Lestrange said glumly.
"Do you want a little of something or all of nothing?" Snape snapped. "East Gate. One hour," he said, poking his long index finger into the boy's bony shoulder. He then turned and fled down the corridor, Lestrange in pursuit.
Now Harry would have expected the scene to end there, except he saw a slight movement. He squinted his eyes and peered at the dungeon wall, which looked like it was moving. Then, slowly the stone took shape and there stood a girl with big bushy hair whom he recognized as a younger Professor Lestrange.
"A concealing charm," Professor Snape said. "And how exactly did you learn that?" He turned to Professor Lestrange his hands on his thin hips.
"It's called a library," the Professor quipped back, "in books filed under 'useless wand waving.'"
"But wait…" Snape tapped his chin. "You could not have been there because we saw you immediately thereafter in the common rooms – you and Regulus Black were about to sneak off and do something, I was quite sure -- and there is no way that you could have passed us…"
"Enough, you two," Dumbledore warned and they watched as the scene changed once again.
This time they were outside on a dark path that led to the area that contained the Whomping Willow. Harry could see young Snape, followed by Rabastan Lestrange, leading the way while Ruedella Lestrange followed them at a distance, careful not to be seen.
"This isn't right!" Professor Snape declared. "Rabastan Lestrange never met me! He claimed that he got locked in Filch's storage closet by Peeves!" He looked at Ruedella Lestrange who was now shaking. "Now what's wrong with you now!"
"Shh…" Dumbledore warned and they picked up their pace so they could follow the students.
"Get back!" young Snape hissed to his companion and the two dodged into some nearby bushes. He whispered to Rabastan. "Pomfrey should be by any minute. She leads him here every month about this time… about a half-hour before the full moon. Now she should be coming up the path and we should let her pass. After she's out of sight, we'll head to the Whomping Willow and I'll immobilize it, go into the tunnel underneath the tree and take a quick photograph…" He reached into his cloak and produced a small camera.
"Oh… one of those instant deals!" Rabastan said. "Rodolphus used to have one, but shook the pictures so hard that the wizards in the photos got sick and puked all over the place. Like when Rosier and Nott had the chocolate frog-eating contest on the Hogwarts Express our second year and they spewed all over the compartment glass. Remember?"
"Thank you for sharing," young Snape replied curtly, looking at Rabastan with disgust. "Now, here she comes… shh…"
Harry could see a younger Madame Pomfrey make her way up the path and back towards the castle. He also spied a rustling of the bushes further back, which he assumed was the young Ruedella Lestrange hiding. After Pomfrey passed and was nearly at the castle, the group looked on as young Snape and Lestrange made their way to the Whomping Willow.
A few meters away from the trunk, Snape held up his arm and motioned for his companion to stop. He reached into his cloak and produced a medium sized balloon that was filled with liquid. Taking out his wand, he tapped the balloon gently and called out a spell that Harry recognized as a reversal to an anti-breaking charm. Then he threw the balloon against the tree, smashing the balloon and releasing a frothing liquid that coated the bark. In a few seconds the tree stopped moving and froze completely, save for the movement of the springtime wind.
"Now stay here and look up the path," Snape instructed Rabastan. "If you see anyone coming, yell down the tunnel." He pointed up to the ridge. "In the moonlight you can see someone approach way before they can see you." He looked to the sky and noticed the moon was just beginning to peak over the mountain. "Perfect. Now the potion should provide ample time, hours if we need-- and we will if I am to show Karkaroff the photograph and bring him here to see for himself." Severus glared at Rabastan. "Now remember, if you want to be my right-hand when I am Head Boy, then keep your eyes on the ridge. Understand?"
Rabastan nodded and quickly turned his back to Snape who looked at the boy with a rather curious expression, as if he were trying to read something but couldn't. Shrugging his shoulders, he made his way to the tunnel, his thin frame easily sliding down the opening.
After a few minutes, Rabastan looked around and down the tunnel. Taking out a small camera he proceeded down the passage.
"Now this is not right at all!" Snape kicked the dirt underneath his boot. "Lestrange was never with me and Potter stopped me before I could get very far down the tunnel."
"Well maybe this one goes to 'plan' and you've traded me in for a Head Boy badge," Lupin chimed in, uncharacteristically sarcastic.
"I maintained then as I do now that a werewolf in the midst of underage and untrained wizards is a very dangerous thing," Snape huffed. "Watch…" he said, motioning to the young Ruedella Lestrange who was watching the Willow intently and then suddenly ran into the tunnel, following the boys.
"We must keep up with her," Dumbledore said quickly, interrupting.
The group proceeded to the Willow and down into the tunnel, picking up their pace to keep up with the students. Suddenly, in the not too far distance, they heard howls and a fierce roar.
"I must be…" Lupin began, but before he could finish, the tunnel echoed with screams and tearing of flesh.
They ran further down the tunnel and rounded a corner. Ahead stood Ruedella Lestrange, her mouth open like she was screaming, but no sound came forth. Further down the tunnel were her brother and younger Snape, the latter with his wand up and calling out curses while the former lay in a puddle of his own blood, his throat ripped out. The werewolf/Lupin lunged at Snape and knocked the wand out of his hand and then bit his chest, ripping out a large chunk and spitting it out to the side and hitting Rudella's feet with a bloody pile of flesh and shredded clothing. In a second, Snape was down, apparently dead and Lupin then slowly turned to the girl, his muzzle dripping with blood.
In a quick motion, the girl stooped down and picked up the shredded cloth that bore a bloodied Slytherin emblem. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the werewolf, shrieking a few odd defensive spells that did little other than to annoy the creature. Just as Lupin was about to lunge, a boy ran up and pushed Lestrange out of the way.
"Dad!" Harry yelled, but of course the memory could neither see nor hear him.
"Run!" James Potter yelled at the Slytherin girl who was frozen in pure terror. He turned back to the werewolf. "Remus… you…" and before he could say another word, the werewolf snapped its jaws and bit him on the upper arm.
Shrieking, Lestrange turn and began to run. She stopped and looked back one last time to see a stag with a bloodied leg holding back the werewolf so she could make her escape.
As the memory faded, along with the surrounding scene and the sounds of the growls and slashing hooves, Harry closed his eyes, trying to absorb all that he saw, his mind racing, his heart pounding. He was about to ask if it were indeed real, when he heard Lestrange sobbing.
SECTION
The five stood in the small room, the pensive sitting serenely in the center. Lestrange walked over to a chair and sat. Taking a few deep breaths she looked to Dumbledore who nodded for her to continue.
"I ran out as fast as I could," she said softly as she lowered her head and stared at the floor.
"I do not understand this! This is made-up! This is not real!" Snape insisted. "And, real or not, I was never pleased that you took to shadowing me. You were lucky that I tolerated it…"
"It is real, Severus!" Lestrange said, her throat tight. "I shadowed you…because…" She looked to Dumbledore.
"Tell him, Ruedella," the older wizard said with a sad resignation.
"I was doing a divination… playing with the runes. Silly girl things, really… as I had a bit of a crush on you," Lestrange stated, her eyes on Snape. "I asked something along the lines of about our future and I got a rather odd answer. First, that you would be dead soon and second that you would 'return' before our first child was born." She looked at Snape whose face was even more pallid than normal. "It didn't make sense, so I rephrased the question and found out that you would die under the willow." She cleared her throat and conjured a glass of water, which her shaking hands tried desperately to grip. "I then took to following you…"
"Karkaroff knew…" Snape said with suspicion.
"When he discovered Rabastan's betting pool, he pressed me to tell him everything," she replied. "I told him that I predicted a death but was uncertain whom."
"Well, that might have helped to prevent this had you told him everything!" Snape growled.
Ignoring him, she continued. "I knew what was going on because I was eavesdropping when Sirius Black goaded you, Severus, into going to the Whomping Willow. When I heard that… Whomping Willow… I knew that was it! I followed you and Rabastan into the dungeons and when I found out that you were indeed going there, I rushed to find Sirius Black."
"He didn't listen, though, and found the whole thing amusing." Lestrange dabbed her eyes. "I found Pettigrew and gave him a note to give to Potter – I forged it to make it look like it was from Lily Evans. In it I said to for him to 'meet' Lily at the Whomping Willow. Everyone knew Potter had eyes for Lily Evans – ALL the boys had eyes for Lily Evans – she looked accusingly at Remus and Snape in turn. I figured that Potter would be there to meet Lily and by his presence, you, Severus, wouldn't go near the Willow and be spared. However, that rat, Pettrigrew, apparently took his time in giving the note to Potter and I suspect, given what I noticed later, that Potter was late because he was so arrogant that he wanted to make Lily 'wait.'"
"Once I escaped, I tried to collect myself, but wasn't very successful. I snuck back to the girl's dorms and broke into Circe Llewellyn's dresser and took a few of her calming potions – she was such a twitty nervous sort I figured she had a stash of them simply to make it through Karkaroff's classes." She raised her head and looked at the wizards. "Once I got my head together, I remembered something Quirrell had said, about seeing Barty Crouch at the top of the stairs and then in the hallway… he was also taking some electives that occurred during the same time period – it was then that I concluded he must have had a time turner."
She continued, "I went to the library to find Barty. I told him that Regulus had obtained some Firewhisky and wanted us to meet him. He followed me to a remote location in the dungeons where I stunned and body-bound him. I then found his time-turner…"
"And you used it to change…" Harry said softly, but then stopped. "But, Professor Dumbledore…" he began and cleared his throat at the adults simply looked at him. "If she used the time turner, wouldn't she have somehow appeared in her first memory? Like when Hermione and I saved Sirius, I performed the Patronous charm that dispelled the Dementors – I had always been there…" Harry stopped and gasped, putting a hand over his mouth as Snape's and Remus' mouths simultaneously dropped.
"Please continue, Ruedella," Dumbledore said after nodding an acknowledgement to Harry.
"Once I had it in my hands, I knew I had all the time in the world," Lestrange said, biting her tongue. "My first plan was to stop my brother. So I went back about three hours to when Severus and Rabastan were talking in the dungeons. I had a suspicion that you knew I was there, Severus, so I made sure I was in the common rooms when you two were finished with your conversation. I was talking to Regulus about playing a trick on Rabastan. Regulus was pretty agreeable and we concocted a story that sort of paralleled your story, Severus, that Regulus was also 'in' on the plan and had 'just been told' by you that they needed something out of Flitch's supply closet. Regulus lured Rabastan, took his wand, and locked him in the closet."
"While Regulus was doing that, I ran to Potter and told him what Sirius had done. I told him that in a few minutes he would receive a note from Lily, but it was actually a plan by me to get him to stop Severus. He did a jelly leg hex on me and I fell down a number of times – breaking the time turner – he relented when I told him about Pomfrey and Lupin and that if he didn't go there right now, I'd go straight to the Daily Prophet. When Pettigrew showed up a few minutes later with the note, Potter ran off and was able to grab Severus before anything could happen."
Severus and Remus simply stared at Lestrange for a number of very long moments. Eventually, Remus spoke, "Why Potter?"
"Well… because he was there the first time," Ruedella said. "When I approached Sirius Black the first time, it was because I wanted him to right a wrong…"
"Ruedella, that is not the entire truth, is it?" Dumbledore inquired.
She looked at the floor. "I thought that if I kept it to Black and Potter, those who knew what was going on with Lupin, that I would have leverage to blackmail them later. It was only when I threatened to expose him," she pointed to Lupin, "that Potter ran off hoping to do damage control."
"Fascinating story," Snape said, narrowing his eyes. It was apparent to all that he did not want to believe it; and Remus, who was visibly shaking, looked to Snape hopefully to see if the Slytherin could reveal the real truth. "According to all records of time turning, including the interesting revelation Mr. Potter here shared with us…" He glared at Harry. "… Your series of events are not believable. You should not have two different recollections of events, but one set of events which your time-displaced self helped to alter."
"Not entirely true, Severus," Dumbledore said. "She was wise enough to not be seen being in two different places at once – well, at least by the same person. Her time displacement was considered to be a 'inside loop.' What occurred, at least in our plane of time, should not have happened." He reached into his robes and pulled out a cloth bag. "I shared you skepticism, Severus, when I first heard this… not long after you and Karkaroff stormed into my office."
"Flitwick was in the office… with Crouch…" Snape said softly and then grabbed a chair and sat down.
"Professor Flitwick was informing me that Barty Crouch's time turner had been stolen. Of course, the discussion ended the moment that you two entered, given that having a time turner in one's possession was a confidential matter," Dumbledore elaborated. "I interviewed everyone in turn. James Potter, of course, told me that Sirius Black had told him what he had done. Barty Crouch told me that Ruedella Lestrange knocked him out and stole his time turner. Yet, during the same time she was supposed to be 'stealing' the time turner, she was also spotted in the Slytherin girl's dorm. When Peter Pettigrew let it slip about seeing Ruedella talking with James Potter – and knowing that the two of your didn't exactly run in the same circles – I knew something was up." He opened the sack. "Obviously, Ruedella was not holding herself well as the calming potions wore off. She told me everything, which was unbelievable until she handed me these items." He pulled out a bloodied Slytherin crest, a battered camera and, lastly, a shattered time turner. Turning the camera to the side he held it up. "Property of Severus Snape," Dumbledore read the inscribed label.
"I thought that I would be expelled," Ruedella said.
"You did the wrong thing for the right reasons," Dumbledore replied. "So, Severus." He turned to his Potions Master. "I was faced with a dilemma. I had one student who predicted a death and told her Head of House, who did nothing, including not telling me – although he did have ample evidence that she did have some 'talents.' I had another student goad a second into a dangerous situation…"
"In short, had she not stolen the Time Turner, Severus and Rabastan Lestrange would have been dead, James Potter, and possibly even Ruedella herself, a werewolf or dead, I more than likely would have been destroyed, Sirius Black expelled and probably sentenced to Azkaban and you would have probably been sacked," Remus concluded.
Dumbledore nodded tiredly. "I had two choices. The first choice was to accept the series of events as they played out with Ruedella's intervention the second was to report what occurred. If I reported what happened, then the Ministry would have to try to 'right' the timeline – in good conscience I could not do that. All said, I very well could not punish Ruedella for something I had done myself; it would be rather hypocritical…"
"Is this where Hermione's clarification ties in?" Harry asked softly, trying to speak around the lump in his throat. Snape didn't even look at him, but continued to stare at the crest, camera and time turner.
"In a way, yes," Dumbledore replied. He patted Remus Lupin on the shoulder. "Remus," he said, trying to get the wizard from his shock-induced near trance. Waving his hand in front if Remus' face, he was finally able to get Remus' attention away from the items that lay on the table. "Summon Dobby and tell him to situate you in one of the guest chambers. I trust that perhaps you will not be up for even a short trip to Hogsmeade this evening?" Seeing Remus simply nod, he again offered a supporting pat and watched as the wizard exited the room.
Once Remus had left, Dumbledore sat down and unrolled the parchment. "Quite an interesting piece of work, Ruedella. Now if I recall correctly, Miss Granger wrote down a name and folded the paper. You then cast silver and gold runes based on what she wrote, but sight unseen?"
"Yes, sir," Lestrange said simply. "Could you put… put those away?" she pointed to the items still on the table.
"Of course," Dumbledore said and waved his hand with a flourish and they faded away.
"Before we traipse into talking about Potter," Snape said, his voice nearly a whisper, "Perhaps you could still explain why Potter Senior received the award?"
"It was not for saving you," Dumbledore said. He started into Snape's eyes as the Potions Master's face showed a hint of confusion. "Pulling you away from a tunnel was hardly a feat worthy of such an award. Rather, I awarded it because he put himself in danger in trying to save Ruedella." Dumbledore shook his head. "In hindsight, perhaps I should not have, as it obviously raised more questions and created more problems than I anticipated. I made a grave misjudgment… a mistake… Severus, and I am sorry."
Harry half expected Snape to gloat over this, but the Potion Master simply averted his eyes and looked to the floor, apparently still quite troubled.
"Well, yes…" the Headmaster said with a soft cluck in his chin. "Back to this," he announced, holding up the parchment. "And, Harry, what did Miss Granger tell you?"
"That it wasn't about me," Harry said, "but I don't believe her."
"Why not?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well…" Harry huffed, "I think she is trying to protect me… spare my feelings… I don't need that!"
"I see," Dumbledore replied. "Would it help if I told you the real truth… that she was not lying to you or trying to 'protect' you? That… in fact… this has nothing, really, to do with you?"
"How do you know that?" Harry asked.
"I asked her. In fact, it is about Professor Snape, not you…" Dumbledore replied. "Ah, Severus. I see that your interest has returned…" He put the paper on the table and began. "Amazing number of similarities. Just amazing. Except, Harry, I count that you 'escaped' death three times – and technically, I suppose, that if the original timeline took place regarding the Whomping Willow incident your father would have either been dead or a werewolf – both making it unlikely that you would have existed at all. Logically, therefore, even without Miss Granger revealing the information, the clarification could not be about you."
Snape snatched up the parchment and read. "Aside from perhaps a few incidents involving the Dark Lord, I count the 'werewolf incident' as only one. It says here, plainly, that whomever this piece of rubbish is about, died twice."
"The first time, Severus, was when you were still in your mother's womb," Dumbledore said.
"You were the one who found my mother after the attack. But we were quite alive!" Severus exclaimed.
Dumbledore sighed. "As I said, I very well could not blame Ruedella for something I had done before. The first time I discovered her, she, and of course by proxy, you, were quite dead. It was by fortunate chance that I was both on the Committee which was reviewing the regulations surrounding the Time Turner and doing additional research on the properties of dragon blood that I had a time turner in my possession. I could not tell accurately when the attack occurred, so I did my best and went back two hours – enough to catch the vampire in act and dispel him, but not enough to prevent the bite. And, although I did seriously consider it, I did not dare to try to go back a second time."
"So it is my very existence, the fact that I survived…" Severus began but his voice simply faded out as he began to mentally calculate the implications.
"We can only speculate, but chances are that Lily and James Potter would be alive today and the Longbottoms sane and well… and your brother…" Dumbledore said the last softly, studying Snape with interest.
"But Sirius…" Harry began but stopped as Dumbledore raised his hand. There was a long silence and then Dumbledore cleared his throat, disappointment crossing his face for just a fleeting moment. Harry remained seated as the two Professors silently rose from their chairs and left the room. When they were out of site, Harry turned to Dumbledore and said simply, "Regulus… he killed his own brother?"
"Not the hunter, but more than likely the hound," Dumbledore said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"How can you trust him?" Harry said simply. "I know that you do, but I don't understand how? There's just so much I do not understand…" Harry lamented and then turned again to the stairs.
"I have made many mistakes in my life," Dumbledore said distantly. "Perhaps it is time that I review what I know, what I have learned, and most importantly, what I have assumed…"
END OF CHAPTER
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