Harry Potter and the Soul of the Serpent

Chapter 12

A Man Worth Saving

Standard Disclaimers Apply

oOoOo

Severus Snape took his place in the circle. It was cold, windy, and death hung in the air. The smell of it reeked, penetrated deep into his mind. That would be him soon.

The Death Eaters moved restlessly. The Dark Mark had burned tonight with such anger. Something had obviously happened. And then Lord Voldemort was there. Anger lay thick upon the air, oppressingly so. It was like a water-sodden blanket, impossible to breathe properly through. Snape watched as the Dark Lord stared around the circle, red eyes meeting each Death Eater's under their hood.

He began his usual, slow, intimidating stroll around the circle of gathered Death Eaters.

"Someone here," he hissed in a low voice, "is a traitor. Someone has betrayed me. Who is it? I know, believe me I know. Did you not think I would find out? I, Lord Voldemort, am the most powerful wizard of all time. Do you think I would not realise that one of you was deceiving me? And to Dumbledore, of all people."

Voldemort arrived at Snape and his heart skipped a beat. He cleared his mind.

"This person will die tonight."

He continued on his way.

When he reached his place, he turned to face them.

"Severus Snape, step forward."

Snape stepped forward and moved to stand in front of Voldemort.

Several Death Eaters had moved uneasily at his name. He was known to be a loyal follower.

Snape tried to apparate, though he knew it would be in vain. There were wards laid thickly over this area.

"Severus, I am so disappointed with you. I had always expected great things from you. How long have you been working for Dumbledore? Did you serve him in the first war?"

Snape did not reply.

"Answer me," hissed Voldemort.

"If you are going to kill me, do it," Snape snarled.

"Insolence!" Voldemort sneered. "Crucio!"

Pain beyond pain, like nothing he had ever felt before. He fell to the ground gasping for air, as the Death Eaters laughed.

"Silence! I will not kill you yet, Severus. Surely I deserve a little fun first?" He bent down. "You remember, of course," he said softly, "what I did to Adele?"

This had the desired reaction. Snape paled and swore. He struggled to his knees and looked up. He spat at Voldemort.

"You are worthless,' he hissed.

"Crucio!"

He heard Voldemort's voice in his head, jeering.

You see, Severus? Once again, I am the victor. You kneel before me in your final moments of life, just as you did when your life began.

Suddenly the curse was lifted off him, and he struggled to his feet. He prepared to fight, but Voldemort was not looking at him. His eyes were fixed in surprise somewhere over his shoulder. Snape turned, but saw nothing, and many Death Eaters turned to see if they could see anything.

Voldemort twitched slightly, his eyes widening in what looked to be fear and surprise.

"Run, Snape," he hissed, his eyes rolling in his head. The Death Eaters began murmuring, startled. Snape felt the wards fall with a shock, and Voldemort conjured a shield around Snape and himself.

He suddenly stared at Snape.

"Kill him!" he screeched.

His eyes began rolling again.

"No, leave him alive! Go, Snape."

Snape finally came to his senses, but couldn't move. He pulled his wands from his robes.

Voldemort looked like he was having a battle with himself, and Snape finally realised what was happening as Voldemort whispered to him. He barely heard it, and leaned in as close as he dared.

"Snape, you stupid git! Get out of here! I can't…hold…him…"

Snape apparated just as the shield fell. Curses flew around him and he winced in pain as some of them hit him.

He arrived back at Hogsmeade and stumbled into the nearest shop. He arrived in his office seconds later, stumbling out of the fireplace. He hurried out to the classroom and found Harry lying on the floor, pale.

Snape grimaced as he felt his bleeding chest and leg, caught by a slashing curse. He knelt next to Harry and checked his pulse. It was beating quickly and irregularly. His scar was bleeding, blood dripping down the side of his face.

"Potter?" Snape rasped. No answer. "Potter!"

Harry's eyes opened slightly and fell shut again, but Snape could have sworn he caught a flicker of a smile.

He stood up abruptly and conjured Harry onto a stretcher.

Students stared as he walked quickly up to the hospital wing, Harry floating along in front of him.

He barged through the doors of the hospital wing.

"Poppy!" he yelled. She bustled out of her office looking irritated, but her face cleared when she saw Snape. Worry clouded her features.

"Severus, what have you done to yourself?" Then she caught sight of Harry and gasped, rushing forward. She took over from Snape and placed Harry on a bed, and forced Snape to lie down as well.

She forced Snape to drink two potions before turning back to Harry.

"What happened to him, Severus?"

"I'm not sure," he replied slowly.

Except that he probably saved my life, he thought in disgust. Another debt to a Potter. Just great.

"Well, I can't really find anything wrong with him, except for the bleeding. He's unconscious though."

After a moment, Madam Pomfrey turned away and looked at Snape.

"Should I contact Albus?"

"Yes please, Poppy," he replied.

A minute later, Dumbledore stood at Snape's side, frowning. Snape explained how Voldemort knew that he was a spy, and how he had gotten away.

"I don't know what Potter did, but it was definitely him."

Snape frowned.

"It looked like he was possessing Voldemort, but surely he is not powerful enough."

"Maybe he is," Dumbledore replied softly. "We know he was reading about it."

Snape was silent for a moment.

"I've never seen the Dark Lord look scared before," he said eventually.

"It is a rare occurrence," said Dumbledore gravely. "I must leave now, and see what I can find out. I will return later to see how Harry is doing."

Snape nodded and Dumbledore exited the room.

Snape lay back against the pillows and waited for his wounds to heal. His whole body ached from the curse, and he wondered why it had been so bad. Possible because the Dark Lord had been particularly angry, or maybe because it had the power of two wizards behind it as well. Snape eventually drifted off to sleep, and when he awoke, it was evening, and his daughter was sitting by his side.

"Katherine," he said.

"Hey, Dad. How are you feeling?" she asked.

He sat up and accepted a hug.

"Not too bad. Has Potter woken yet?"

"No, and I've been here for a couple of hours, so I would have seen."

Snapped nodded and looked at his daughter. He had thought that he would never see her again.

She was beautiful, he thought, just like her mother. He remembered Adele so well. He had met her before he became a Death Eater, when life had seemed like it was just starting to go right.

Katherine had beautiful brown eyes, just like her, but her hair was as black as his own.

"Do you feel…relieved?" Katherine asked quietly.

Snape nodded.

"Very much."

Although he knew he would be in more danger now, the sense of fear that something bad was about to happen had lifted off of his shoulders. It felt like he could breathe properly. No more pretending to be someone he wasn't.

oOoOo

Harry Potter however, had stopped trying to figure out who he really was. He bitterly looked away from the scene in the bed next to him.

Even Snape had someone who loved him.

oOoOo

Harry awoke the next morning, his head aching. He groaned and put his hand to his head, feeling a bandage there.

He felt around on the table for his glasses, but someone handed them to him.

"Thanks," he grunted.

"I suppose," said a sour voice, "that it is I who should be thanking you."

Harry's head jerked up in surprise.

He shrugged.

"I didn't really have a choice."

Snape raised his eyebrows.

"How so?"

"Well, it's what's expected of me, isn't it?"

Snape didn't reply, and there was a lengthy silence. Harry finally spoke again.

"Besides, I was thinking, maybe you were a man worth saving."

oOoOo

As Snape headed back down to the dungeons, he thought about his recent conversation with Potter.

He was mad, mostly because it had forced him to re-evaluate his opinion of the boy, from arrogant Potter, to- well, he hadn't really decided yet.

He remembered Potter's words.

"I saw you talking to Katherine last night, and I realised that you're not such a bad person as I thought you were. I think mostly I was blinded by the fact that we've never really gotten along, and that you always seemed to pick out the worst in me. But if you hadn't, I don't think I would have really understood you as well as I do now. I mean, I don't really know much about you, and I don't expect you to tell me, but I think I understand your motivations and the reason you do things, to a certain extent."

Yes, Harry Potter had certainly grown into a mature young man. Then again, Snape thought, he had always rather more responsible than the others of his age. Snape didn't really know much about Potter's life with the muggles, but from what he had heard, and what he had seen at school, Potter hadn't had much of a childhood. Had he ever really acted like a child?

"How did you do what you did, Potter?"

"I'm not really sure. That book I've been reading, it helped, though. Whenever I have these visions of Voldemort, it's whenever he's feeling particularly emotional, and it's always been as if I were him. I guess I found a way to separate our consciousnesses."

"I thought you had mastered Occlumency, managed to block your mind to these visions?"

"I don't think they have anything to do with shielding my mind. I think it's because of our connection. If there were no connection, I would have no visions."

"What was it like?"

Potter had laughed, then.

"It hurt like hell. Even when Voldemort possessed me it didn't hurt that much. But it felt…comfortable, I guess, almost like it was my soul. Almost."

Well, Snape thought, he had come across stranger things, but not by much. Bonds between two humans were very powerful, and little study had been done into them. The two of them had sat in silence for some time.

"How are you feeling?"

Harry shrugged.

"Same as usual."

"And what is usual?"
"I don't know. I just feel…empty, I guess. I don't really care about anything any more." He gave a short chuckle. "If I had to describe it, I think I would say I was feeling old. Weary."

A way a sixteen year old boy should never have to feel.

"How about you, sir?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I know he hurt you. I saw it."

"You were there then?"

"Yes, but I couldn't figure out what to do. I think I got mad and made him hurt you a bit more."

"That does not matter. I am alive, and that is what is important. He would have hurt me anyway."

"What did he look like?"

He paused, wondering how to answer.

"It was strange, almost frightening. When he was in control, he looked scared, and angry. None of us had ever seen him look afraid like that. When you were in control, his eyes were rolling around. He looked weak. The wards preventing me from apparating fell and I believe you conjured a shield around us."

"Yes, I remember that. You weren't listening to me. You were just standing there."

"You called me a stupid git."

Harry grinned.

"Completely deserved, if I may say so."

For once, Snape decided to let him off.

"Tell me, Potter, when you had that vision in the classroom, you were hissing. Has that happened before?"

"No. It was strange. I wasn't in Voldemort's head that time, I was in the snake's head."

"Snake?"

"Nagini. His pet."

"Oh. When you came out of it, you said 'He knows'. How did you know that?"

"He was telling me. He said he would soon be able to give me a meal. He had found out from his spy who the traitor was."

"Who is the spy?"

"It's someone in the Order. I don't know their name."

How could there be a spy in the Order? They had been so careful.

"Professor… who is Adele?"

He had ignored Potter. It was none of his business. But he had lost loved ones to, and for the first time in many years, Severus Snape had let down his guard, and revealed something of himself.

"She was my wife."

oOoOo

She was so beautiful. He loved her, more than anything.

They married in April, a quiet ceremony with none of his family present. It was the happiest moment of his life.

A year and a half later, his daughter was born. She was perfect; so small her head fit in the palm of his hand. He had cried that day, never before and never since.

A month after that, he had been approached by Voldemort's followers. Join us. No. Your father would be disappointed. My father is dead.

They killed his wife. He joined. Do not disappoint me, or your daughter will be next. He was the model Death Eater. His skills, carefully drilled into him in childhood, were the object of much approval and awe.

When he could stand it no more, he had gone to Dumbledore. The war had ended after two years in Dumbledore's service. He knew some suspected him. He sent his daughter far away, where she would be safe.

He went on with his life, because there was nothing else he could do.

oOoOo

Snape wondered if he had always compared himself with Harry Potter because they were so similar. He saw himself in Potter, and he despised that. He detested Potter's father with a passion, and to see himself reflected in his son was the ultimate insult that James could fling at him. He knew, of course, that this was silly. He hated what was in himself; the unresolved bitterness at the unfairness of the world.

"Potter, I want you to know, that if you insist on seeing my daughter, I want you to do all you can to let no harm come to her."

"I'm not seeing her."

"She told me you didn't want to."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tell me about it."

"You know why. The same reason you don't want her near me. It's dangerous. And there's no point."

"Thankyou."

Snape wondered what he had meant by 'there's no point.'

"Because I'm going to die."

Maybe he was still wallowing in self-pity. Drowning in his despair. But maybe he just knew. Snape had told Harry to pull himself together, or he really would die.

oOoOo

No one found out about the incident, except for the fact that Snape could no longer be a spy. Harry explained his brief absence from lessons easily enough, and they went on with life.

Snape finished preparing the lesson just as the bell went. Within minutes the classroom was full. They knew not to be late for his lessons.

It was the first lesson he had held since the incident, and he wondered how fast news travelled.

He would soon find out.

As soon as Malfoy entered the room, his eyes sought out Potter.

"Hey, Scar Head! Had any visions lately, Potty?"

Harry had ignored him, as usual.

"Mr Malfoy! 30 points from Slytherin! Take a seat!" Snape had said softly.

Malfoy turned to stare at him in shock, closely followed by the rest of the class. Potter, of course, was the exception, and glanced at Malfoy in boredom.

The look on Malfoy's face quickly turned to one of anger.

But he was a coward, Snape knew. He wouldn't say anything.

Snape had not enjoyed teaching so much in years. For once, the class was perfectly behaved. The Slytherins were polite. He let them laugh.

He smiled at their jokes when they weren't looking.

oOoOo

The first Quidditch game of the season was the best time Harry had had all year.

It came not with the satisfaction that he had found in the Chamber, or with the thrill he had had at saving Snape's life, but with he sheer happiness of doing something he loved. He allowed himself, for a brief few seconds, to imagine he was closer to his father and mother, before concentrating on the game.

They were against Slytherin. Oh, how Harry loved seeing Malfoy's face in Potions now. Snape was no longer the vindictive tyrant of years past; though still his usual sneering self, he let the Slytherins know he no longer had to put up with their attitudes.

Soaring through the air, Harry had a wonderful idea. It was time he had some fun. He allowed Malfoy, who was tailing him, to raw closer, then went into a steep dive. Malfoy, the gullible twit, thought he had seen the snitch. Laughter bubbled up in Harry's chest as he thought about what he was doing.

A metre from the ground, he pulled up sharply, hearing behind him a satisfying crunch as Malfoy hit the ground. Harry flew back up to normal height amid thunderous cheers from three houses and promptly caught the snitch.

Gryffindor won, and it couldn't have been a more satisfying victory.

Madam Pomfrey rushed onto the pitch and joined Madam Hooch next to Malfoy. Harry decided it would be only too polite to go and see how Malfoy was doing. He pushed through the team mates congratulating each other, and made his way over to the teachers and Slytherin team, who were crowded around Malfoy. The Slytherins glared as he approached.

"Sorry about that, Malfoy," said Harry. "I thought you could fly better than that."

Malfoy glared at him, but Harry had already turned away. He ignored Malfoy when he yelled after him.

"Eat shit, Potter!"

Harry jovially joined his team mates for a loud and raucous party in the Gryffindor common room.

oOoOo

The weeks passed by students returned to their homes for Christmas. As Harry didn't have a home, he went to Grimmauld Place with Lupin. To his delight, Katie was staying there as well.

And that is how, on the first Sunday after school ended, Harry found himself sitting at the dining table, having a fascinating conversation with Katie, Remus Lupin, and Severus Snape.

Lupin and Snape had managed to become quite attached to each other, if that were possible. Harry suspected it was simply the fact that Snape enjoyed having someone with whom he could have an intelligent conversation that led to them resolving their differences.

Snape was still sour about the fact that he was potentially as useless as he said Sirius had been, but at least he could still show his face in public.

Christmas was a delightful affair; Snape and Lupin decorated the house in red and green, both insisting that it was not their house colours, but the traditional Christmas colours. Harry wasn't sure if he believed them.

Presents abounded. Harry had at first been reluctant- after all, he had promised himself that he would distance himself from these people. But he couldn't fight the urge to feel a part of this big family, and he gave in with a grin. Mrs Weasley, as usual, prepared a huge feast, and they partied into the night.

All too soon, it was time to return to school. They packed their trunks and took a portkey instead of the train. That would not be a wise option at this time.

On the first day of lessons, Snape was sitting at his desk waiting for the bell to ring. They would not be here for at least ten minutes, so he busied himself with absolutely nothing. It was quite boring. This tedious task was broken however, by the entrance of a student. Snape watched as they placed their things on their usual desk and removed a thick piece of parchment from their bag.

They approached Snape's desk.

"Good day, Potter."

"Hello, sir. I'm here early, because I need you to sign something, and I'd rather no one else saw it," Harry said.

"Oh? What is it?"

Harry looked as though he were hesitating, and then placed the parchment on the desk.

"I just need you to witness it," he said.

Snape read over the first page of the document in surprise, but handed it back to Harry, unsigned.

"Sir?"

"We will talk about this after class, Potter. I need more than ten minutes."

Harry returned to his seat, and other students began arriving. Harry couldn't wait for the lesson to be over, and as a result, it went slower than ever. At the end of the class, Harry once again approached the desk, but Snape stood up and directed Harry to his office.

"Take a seat, Potter."

Harry did so, and Snape sat in front of him and motioned for the document.

Harry passed it to him again, and sat, fidgeting.

"Why do you not get your head of house, or Dumbledore to sign it? I believe they would be much more appropriate options."

"I don't trust Dumbledore," said Harry abruptly, which surprised Snape. He wondered if the old man knew.

"The why not Professor McGonagall?"

"Because she would tell Dumbledore, and I don't want anyone else to find out."

"Which brings me to my next question. Why do you have a will at all?"

"So everyone knows who gets what when I die."

"What makes you so sure you are going to die, Potter?"

Harry was getting angry.

"Look, I just want you to sign it, okay. I don't want questions. It's just in case."

Snape sat back.

"Very well. Obviously your parents left you quite a fortune; this pile is rather thick."

"I inherited the Black estate when Sirius died, but I think you know that. I also wrote letters for everyone."

"Potter, don't you think it's a bit soon to be writing good-bye letters?"

"It's going to happen soon," said Harry. "I know it will."

"Why do you say that, Potter?"

"There was an attack this morning. A big one. Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. I suppose you had a vision?"

"Yes. He attacked the ministry. Lots of muggles died at the entrance, and more died inside the Ministry. He was looking for the prophecy again. He found it."

"What! have you told this to the headmaster?"

"What's the point?" Harry shrugged. "Voldemort knows the prophecy whether Dumbledore knows he does or not."

"I thought the Prophecy broke."

"Only the copy broke, you know that. Another copy was made, from Dumbledore's memory."

Snape leaned forward and signed the will.

"He will come for me now,' said Harry.

"What will you do when he does?"

"I've been looking for something. He won't die if we destroy his body, we know that. I have to destroy his soul. I've found a spell, a Parselmagic spell."

"Why are you so certain you will die, if you are so prepared?"

Harry looked away.

"Have you not heard," Harry said softly, "that the night he tried to kill me, Voldemort transferred some of his soul into me? Our souls are joined. If I destroy his, I destroy myself. That's the only way it can go."

"Does Dumbledore know this?"

Harry gave a sharp laugh.

"I don't doubt that he's known from the beginning that I would probably perish when I killed Voldemort. But since when has Dumbledore ever told me everything?"

"I doubt that is true."

"Maybe."

oOoOo

A/N: Ooh I like this chapter. Please review! The end draws near…

Chapter 13: A Parting of Ways