Title: Bitterness and Redemption
Rating: M
Spoilers: Books 1 to 6. It will not follow canon completely as I will not base my story and plot on the horcruxes.
Summary: From your abyss you are brought to our land for salvation. Harry finds himself in a world where everything is different yet still the same. What is Harry to do? Alternate Universe!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and all the characters associated with him is the property of JK Rowling. No money is made of this.
Chapter 1
Bitterness
Hogwarts 1999
The world around him was barren and bare. All except for the red patches you could see in the ground or where there was grass that had survived the attack.
The attack. Isn't it funny to think that after seven years, well, basically seven years, of going to the same school, facing challenges each year that all comes down to same cause: Voldemort, you think you would get used to it. Get used to your life being in danger, get used to the fact that your mere existence puts the lives of your friends in danger.
But no. No, nothing could have prepared him for this. Nothing Dumbledore had said, and nothing Hermione or Ron had done could have prepared him for this.
His whole life was beginning to look like a horror story from a writer like Steven King or something.
He felt like he could rip his hair out. He wanted to scream to the sky's above that everything was so unfair. He wanted to ask anyone who would listen, "Why? Why did this have to happen to me?" "What had I done to deserve this?".
But he knew. He didn't ask the questions. He didn't rip his hair out, because he knew. He knew that it was his destiny. His fate. A fate that no 19 year old boy should have to face. A fate worse than death.
The final battle was two weeks ago. Two weeks that he had mourned, cried and even celebrated.
He celebrated the fact that it was over. Voldemort was gone. For good this time. But with him he took so many others. Nameless and faceless death eaters. Countless students and their parents. Professors from the school and Aurors from the ministry.
So many lives lost in the battle. There had been other battles, yes, but none to this extreme.
None of those other battles had claimed the lives of those closest to him. In a battle the previous year, Percy had been lost. The following battle had claimed Tonks and Dung.
But this battle. The final battle had claimed not one but three people close to him. Two of whom were both mentor and friend. He had lost Remus at the beginning of the battle. Remus had been the one to inform them that Voldemort was approaching Hogsmead. With a broken leg and a silver dagger sticking out of his left shoulder, Remus had limped up to the great castle of Hogwarts and had gone directly to the great hall where lunch was being served.
He could still remember the feelings of shock, disbelieve and fear that had coursed through him at the site of the last marauder limping into the hall with barely concealed pain and haggard breaths. He had known from the site of Remus that it was too late for him.
They had been prepared for an attack, yes, but to see the person you had come to see and respect as a parent dying before your eyes, well, lest just say that Harry had snapped at that moment.
He had raced up to Remus and had listened as he had used his last breath to inform them of the attack on Hogsmeade and just before his eyes had closed forever, Harry had heard the last few words from his friend. "Your parents would be proud Harry. Fight for them. Fight for your friends and remember that I will always love you."
That was it. From there Harry had jumped up and ordered everyone in the DA to get their weapons or strategy maps or pranks that could help them in the battle. Everyone had their designated place in the DA. There were strategists, fighters, shielders and pranksters.
The battle was brutal. Harry had fought with everything he was worth. He had trained with the DA since the end of his sixth year. He did not return to Hogwarts for classes but he did continue the training of the DA. Hermione and Ron had helped him in tutoring everyone in the DA. While Hermione had researched all spells and curses that could aid them, Ron had formed strategies for attacks. Ginny had helped in the tutoring of the younger students and Neville and Luna had helped keeping everything together on the days that Harry was not there.
Harry had returned to Godric's Hollow as he had planned. He devoted every minute of everyday to better himself in any and all ways of fighting a battle.
Now he was glad for it. He was glad that his friends had been so stubborn and that they had worked as hard as him in the training. He knew he couldn't have done it without them.
The power the dark lord knows not
Oh, he had searched. Harry had tried to find out what it could be, what it could mean. He didn't know of any extraordinary powers he held. Well, not in the beginning of seventh year.
Either must die at the hand of the other
That, had been a pleasant surprise. But now? Now he was basically immortal. For only Voldemort could kill him, and with Voldemort gone, well, he didn't want to think about that.
This was worse than death.
If the death of 3 friends was this bad, he didn't want to think of what it could mean for his future, when all his other friends died of old age and he continued to live.
Someone, he thought it might have been Bellatrix Lestrange, had shot a killing curse at him during the summer after sixth year and while he had endured excruciating pain, he had not died like any other normal person would have.
That had sealed his theory that only Voldemort could kill him.
Harry felt a presence behind him and turned to face a tear strained Hermione. He quickly pulled her closer to him for a hug. While Remus's death had hit hard it was nothing compared to Ron's death. He had died while jumping in front of an oncoming Avada Kedavra that had been aimed at Hermione.
His death had been the cause of about 20 death eaters' deaths for when Harry had realized that Ron was dead he had seen red. He had shot spell after spell at anyone in the vicinity. Ranging from Stupefy to Avada Kedavra.
NO, Harry was not above using such curses. He had learned the hard way that the only way to win against death eaters was to fight as dirty as them. It was not something he was proud of, but it had to be done.
While Voldemort had already been vanquished by the time that Ron had died, death eaters had still fought for the memory of their master, those stupid enough to do so.
And unfortunately for both Ron and Pettigrew, Pettigrew had been one of the stupid ones. When his killing curse had hit Ron, Hermione had retaliated with her first ever death curse.
They had all learned how to use the unforgivable but only Harry had used them. Ron had once, during the first battle, but before that incident, he and Hermione had only used it on mice and other small animals.
Now here they stood. Hermione held firmly in Harry's embrace. The three of them had grown closer over this last year but Ron's death was definitely hardest on Hermione. They had truly made a wonderful couple.
But the death that had hit Harry hardest was that of his surrogate mother. Mrs Weasley had always been his second mother, ever since second year. He had loved her and Mrs. Weasley had even spoken of adopting him. Harry had felt a warmth of love in his heart when she had mentioned it to Harry, and while he was actually too old to be adopted he was still grateful for the notion.
Mrs Weasley had raced to Ron's side when she had realized that he was down but she had unfortunately stepped right into the circle of death eaters that was busy making a port key to get out of there. When Harry had let loose with his spells Mrs Weasley had already been killed by another faceless Death Eater. At least, Harry reflected, she had died without pain. It was a clean death. Just like Ron's.
Many students had been lost in the battle. Neville, Seamus, Luna, Collin, Denis, Zabini, Parkinson, to name only a few.
The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches.
Why, oh why, did prophecies have to be so vague? He had not realized the exact meaning behind those words until he had stood there face to face with Voldemort, his two best friends behind him.
He did not really want to think about that right now and so he led Hermione back to the castle.
All he could think of was that if Voldemort was to be resurrected by some curse or miracle, he would not be able to defeat him again. For his "power" had died along with his 3 friends.
Yes, Harry was powerful. More so than normal wizards. And he was an excellent fighter, how could he not be with Remus and Mad eye Moody as tutors? But Harry didn't think that he could love anyone as he had loved those three people. Remus as a father figure. Mrs Weasley as his surrogate mother and Ron as his brother. More than a brother, a friend, a confidant and a brother in everything but blood.
After Dumbledore's death everything had changed. Harry had grown closer to Remus and Mad-Eye and Remus had begun tutoring Harry by the time he should have been half way through 7th year. Before that Harry had searched for any and all things that could aid him in the final battle.
Hermione was his sister. His friend, his conscience and his anchor. He was sure that if it weren't for her, he would have died along with Ron in that battle. He would have asked the nearest death eater to just off him and get it over with.
It was that love that had saved him and had been the downfall of Voldemort. Hermione and Ron had helped him in his final fight with Voldemort but he was the one to seal the fate of his nemesis.
Harry started when he found that they had walked all the way to the fat lady's portrait and he hadn't even realized it.
Tomorrow was the last day of the school term. Harry, Ginny and Hermione had gone through the last few weeks in a blur. They had all stayed at Hogwarts after Hermione had finished her seventh year and even when Ginny had finished hers. Harry had continued his training with Remus and Mad-eye at Hogwarts during that time.
Harry and Hermione had thought of any possible ways to go back and change the outcome of that battle. To save Ron and Mrs Weasley, but they couldn't. The time turner would not work for by the time they had thought of it, it was already too late. A time turner could only go back so far as 5 hours and they had thought of it only by the next day.
Harry knew that even if a time turner would have worked he could not save Remus for that could be too dangerous. That could change the outcome of the battle with Voldemort and he did not think that he would survive yet another battle with the monster.
Harry and Ginny had had a tentative relationship since sixth year but with Harry's training and all their other distractions, such as battles and school work, they had not really progressed in their relationship. Now, Harry didn't know if he really wanted to take the chance and begin a relationship with someone only to loose them to some angry death eater. No, it would be best to just carry on as they had and be friends for even that was a danger for Ginny and Hermione.
Harry settled back into the couch in front of his fire while Ginny and Hermione promptly planted themselves on either side of him. His room was located in the dungeon and while Ginny and Hermione had always asked him about it, Harry wasn't sure he could answer that just yet. That was something he really didn't like to think about. Something that he felt even guiltier about than Sirius' death. Shaking his head to clear those thoughts away Harry occluded his mind and fell into a restless sleep.
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Hogwarts: It's the year 1997 and the first stirrings of Voldemort's second rise were felt.
Bowing deep to the creature before him the man kept his eyes on the floor and waited for permission to rise. When a smoky voice reached his ears bidding him to rise and step closer, Severus Snape raised his head ever so slightly and was careful not to make eye contact with the 'thing' in front of him. It could only be called a thing really, there was no visible flesh and barely even a wisp of smoke that was in reality a soul. Yes, a soul. Even if no one who had felt Voldemort's first rise of terror wanted to believe that that thing had a soul, Snape knew that every living man, woman and child has a soul. It could be pure and clean or tainted with hatred, like the figure in front of him, but Snape knew that everyone has a soul.
Voldemort's was definitely the darkest, blackest soul that Snape had ever encountered and he felt that self disgust and loathing he often felt for himself when he thought that he had once willingly given his own soul to this thing.
Now, standing here infront of what was left of Voldemort Snape could do nothing but wait and hope that he would get out of this alive. Snape was under no disillusionment that Vodlemort would just up and forgive him, no, Voldemort would definitely punish him for not being there when he was just defeated by that Potter child, what had his name been, Harold or something, oh well, that's in the past, this is now. And now, Snape had to think about living and getting out of there alive!
"Rise Ssseveruss. You have dissssappointed me my sservant. You have not been asss faithful asss you had pledged all thossse years ago. You will be punissssed for that and when I'm finissshed with you, you will definitely think twisssse about disssappointing or dissssobeying me again. If of courssse you sssurvive thisssss."
As the first crucio hit, Snape bit on his lower lip in order to stop himself from screaming. It was a weak crucio but it still hurt like hell! Voldemort was clearly not at his full strength yet and Severus felt extremely grateful for that little reprieve. Just as he regained use of his senses the pain hit once again and although Severus knew that it had not intensified in it's strength it had already weakened his body enough that the pain felt twice as bad as with the first Crucio.
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Time passed by excruciatingly slow. Even though Snape hadn't a clue as to how long he lay in Voldemort's newest 'safe haven', breathing heavily from the damage done to his body, he knew that he could not have been there longer than a week. It had felt like an eternity but Severus's internal clock which he had developed during all his years as a Potions' master told him that he had been there no longer than a week.
He didn't know if he was ever going to get out of there alive but deciding that since giving up had never been one of his strong points, he was going to do his best to at the very least let Dumbledore and the Order know where he was and what was happening.
It has been 3 months now since they had first started suspecting that Voldemort was on the rise again but they could not confirm this since he had not summoned any of the death eaters that were spies for Dumbledore until he had summoned Snape. Seeing as Severus had been in Diagon Alley shopping for potion ingredients when he had felt the dark mark burn he had had no time to inform Dumbledore of his summons.
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After yet another round of 'tension relief' for Voldemort, Snape was beginning to doubt his own sanity. He could swear he had heard a voice telling him that everything would be alright, saying that the life debt owed to him would be fulfilled soon.
But, he must have heard wrong. For one, there was no one else in the room except for him and Voldemort and Snape really doubted that Voldemort would be encouraging him to keep faith and tell him that all would be alright. No definitely not! For another, Snape was not aware of any life debt owed to him. He could not remember ever saving anyone from certain death and since that is the only way for a life debt to be activated, well, that and if someone was to kill Snape and feel true remorse for that, which could also not be, seeing as Snape was still alive if not too well. So, no, Snape really could not fathom why he had heard that voice and deduced that he MUST be going crazy.
"High time, if you ask me." He muttered to himself as he slumped against the wall of his cell. Voldemort kept him in one of the dungeon cells of his manor (Riddle manor) and Snape was only allowed out when Voldemort wanted to release some tension.
Laying his head on the cool ground Severus decided that he would just rest his tired eyes for a minute. Just a minute he just had to close it for a while and so, closing his eyes, Snape fell into a deep and surprisingly restful sleep.
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The first thing Harry noticed when he woke up was that he was alone. Ginny and Hermione were not with him. The second thing he realized was that it was dark, very dark, and too dark to be normal in his chambers which had windows and even if it was night, the stars or lights from other windows in the castle could always be seen through his numerous windows.
Sitting up, Harry searched for a wall and finding one behind him he put his hand against it and slowly climbed to his feet. Moving his hand against the wall to feel his way through whatever room he was in Harry almost lost his footing when he bumped into something. Hearing a soft moan, Harry realized that it was not something, but rather someone that he had bumped into. Quickly withdrawing his wand which he had secured to his arm with a wand holster, Harry sent a quiet thank you to Mad-eye for drilling into him the importance of ALWAYS keeping your wand with you.
Not knowing whether the person he had bumped into was friend or foe Harry decided that the best course of action was to stun whoever it was and then determine the identity.
As he opened his mouth to shout the stunning spell he heard another moan, this one louder and he could hear that the person's breathing was becoming haggard.
Harry didn't want to cause even more pain for this person and so decided to rather just first determine how coherent he was. For it was definitely a man by the sound of that moan and voice.
"Excuse me, are you alright." Yeah sure, I'm moaning in pain here on the ground for my own personal amusement. Smooth Harry, real smooth!
The person who had been curled up on the ground scooted away from Harry so fast that he only realized the movement when he heard a soft thud on the other side of the room.
Not liking the sound of that particular thud as it sounded the same as when you hit your head on a wall (which Harry was intimately familiar with thanks to the Dursleys), Harry rushed in the direction the sound had come from.
Cursing himself for his stupidity, Harry cast a quick Lumos and sank to his knees next to the figure cowering on the ground.
Harry could not contain the gasp escaping his lips. This was not possible. The person laying on the ground in front of him could not be who he seemed to be. It was just not possible. In front of Harry lay Severus Snape, or someone who looked like Severus Snape for it could definitely not be him. Snape was dead. Buried six feet deep in the ground. In Godric's Hollow. Harry himself had been the one to kill Snape. Snape had been his first victim. His first ever Avada Kedavra. About two months after that incident Harry had found out the truth, it was the same time he had returned to Hogwarts and thus, the portrait of Dumbledore which had told Harry exactly how grievous a mistake he had made. Not that Dumbledore had told him it was wrong or a mistake but Harry had figured that out by himself. How could he not? Snape had not been as guilty as Harry had thought him to be. Yes, he had killed Dumbledore but only because Dumbledore himself had asked Snape to do so so that Snape could remain a spy and in the ranks of Voldemort.
Not a day had gone by where Harry had not reprimanded himself for his foolish and rash behavior. For killing Snape before he could even explain.
Now that Harry thought back on it, Snape had come to him. Snape had showed up on his doorstep, hands in the air in a submissive manner and had told Harry that he wanted to talk to him, that he was unarmed and that he wanted to explain things to him. Harry, ever the foolish and brash Gryffindor, had only seen red and in his state of mind, did not even register the words that Snape had spoken and had just released every built up emotion he had felt since Dumbledore's death and had fired the killing curse with all the malevolence he could muster at Snape.
No one knew of the incident. Everyone thought that Snape was either in hiding somewhere or that one of the other death eaters had killed him and Harry had never dissuaded that notion.
"Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?"
Harry was forcefully brought back to reality by that voice and could only stare in stunned silence at the figure sneering at him from the ground. The same sneer which had been directed at him since his first year at Hogwarts.
"Are you stupid or did you not hear my question? I asked you who the hell you are and how you got here?"
"Dead. You're dead. You're supposed to be dead" Harry was not sure if he was speaking out loud or just in his mind.
"I really don't have all day." Snape stated as he drummed his fingers impatiently against the cold floor.
"Well, no doubt that you definitely sound like Snape." Harry muttered under his breath while racking his brain for a reasonable explanation for this.
Seeing a death glare aimed at him, Harry realized that his had not answered the question.
"Oh, er, it's Harry sir." He was decidedly uncomfortable with the situation. In front of him was a man he had killed with his own wand. A man that should have been dead. As in, six feet underground. Pushing up daisies. Haunting his nightmares if not his life. Well, okay, that he did. Harry had nightmares quite often about that sneering voice taunting him for his rash behavior, calling him a murderer no better than Voldemort.
Shuddering as he remembered his nightmares Harry turned back to the figure on the ground.
"Are you hurt sir?" Okay, that is really stupid Harry. He's slumped on a cold floor in what looks like a cell, no, he's not hurt, he's having a party. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Seeing that he only received a sneer in response Harry realized that Snape must really be in pain for he would not let an opportunity like this pass by without inflicting his own vicious personality.
"Could you tell me where we are sir, I, er, don't really know how I got here or where here is."
That caused Snape to look at him as if he had grown another head. When Snape tried to answer him, Harry realized that Snape could not speak and quickly conjured a glass of water.
When he finished the glass of water Snape was again staring at Harry but this time with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.
"You mean to tell me that you don't know how you ended up here. In a cell. With a known death eater?"
"Er, no, I don't. Last thing I remember was falling asleep on my couch with Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger on either side of me." Blushing at how that sounded Harry quickly looked away from Snape.
"Granger and Weasley? How do you know them? They are students at Hogwarts and as I have never seen them with you or in any of my classes I know you didn't attend Hogwarts."
"What? You don't know me? Sir, did you hit your head? I'm the bane of your existence, thorn in your side, Golden Boy of Gryffindor" The last was spit out like a foul tasting potion ingredient.
"I assure you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my mental state and I know for a fact that you have never attended Hogwarts while I was and am a professor there and neither when I went to school there. Although, I must admit that you do resemble Potter a bit."
"Potter? Sir, are you talking about James Potter?" This was just too weird for Harry. Snape looked like he did the last time Harry had seen him, if not a bit worse for the wear and Harry was not sure how to proceed with this conversation. Did Snape somehow think that James Potter was still alive? How did he not know who Harry was? Did he not remember him?
"Of course James Potter! What other Potter could I be talking about?" The sneer was back again and this time any doubt Harry had that this was not Snape was put at rest for no-one could produce that sneer but Snape.
Deciding to wait with the rest of the questions until they were out of where ever they were, Harry decided to ask his previous question again.
"Sir, where are we? If I know where we are, maybe I could try to get us out of here." Harry cringed at how small his voice sounded. He had not talked like that since his sixth year!
Snape gave him another suspicious look before answering.
"We are in Riddle Manor. The Dark Lord summoned me about a week ago and I have been here since." His voice was flat and devoid of any emotion.
Harry thought he was going to faint.
The Dark Lord.
That part of the sentence repeated itself in his head over and over. This could not be happening. He had killed Voldemort about a month and a half ago and he had thought at the time that it was for good this time. That Voldemort would not be able to come back.
"How?" He asked out loud, not even realizing it. How did he come back? Why did he have to come back. Didn't Harry deserve a bit of rest. Hadn't he done enough?
"How? You ask? Are you really that daft? When he summons his death eaters, our marks burn, we concentrate on the burning sensation and on the Dark Lord and thus we apparate directly to him. How you got here is another question, for only those with the dark mark could apparate to him." The suspicion was back full force in Snape's eyes and Harry took only a moment to realize what he had insinuated.
"Me? A death eater. Sir, you really must have hit your head! I would never be a death eater, NEVER!"
The force with which he said it was such that Severus could do nothing but belief the young man in front of him, but that still did not answer how he got there in the first place.
"You said Riddle Manor. Is it only Voldemort here or are there any other death eaters?"
Snape was sure that had he been eating or drinking at that moment he would have spit whatever was in his mouth right out.
"You said his name. Do you have a death wish or something?" The incredulity in Snape's voice made Harry pause. It was as if he had never heard anyone else say the name. Well, maybe Dumbledore but no one else.
"Of course I said his name. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. But if we want to get out of here could we leave the chit chat for later?" Harry realized that he had a sneer not unlike Snape's on his face and he shuddered with the realization.
"And just how do you suppose we do that? Just walk out? Have you ever come face to face with Voldemort? Of course not, you would not be so cocky if you had."
Harry decided to just stay quite for now, he would think about all of this later. Right now, he had to figure out how on earth he was going to get them out of there.
"Well, I do have my wand so if we come across anyone else I could do my best to defend us."
Snape was again looking at him with surprise. Apparently he had not realized that Harry had his wand with him. Well, Harry had used the bit of wandless magic he could to conjure the glass of water and when he lit his wand Snape had been too out of it to realize.
"You can tell me later how you had managed to keep your wand when you were thrown in here but for now, we must try to get the hell out of here."
Opening the cell door with a quick Alohamora Harry and Snape made their way quietly through the halls.
Thanks to nightly visits from Voldemort before he had mastered occlumency, Harry was quite familiar with Riddle manor's hallways and he quickly lead them to the back door. Snape was looking at him with surprised confusion again and Harry got the distinct impression that there was more to this situation than met the eye. It was the way that Snape looked at him. As if they had never met.
"Oh, sssso my 'loyal' sssservant wantssss to esssscape. And he brought a friend along with him. How delightful. Bow to death traitor. No one defies the dark lord and livessss to tell the tale!"
Harry wanted to shout and cry and scream all at once. This could not be happening. He had faced Voldemort countless times. He had killed the bastard not too long ago but no, the bastard couldn't just stay dead. Oh no, that's asking too much. He had to come back and make Harry's life a living hell. Well, he had defied Voldemort more times than he cared to count and he would do it again.
With that resolve Harry turned around and almost wanted to burst out laughing at the thing in front of him. Voldemort had never looked less intimidating!
"Tommy boy. How delightful to see you again. I'm sorry, but Snapey here and I gotta go. I'm sure I'll see you again as that happens more than enough, so toedels for now."
Harry had just turned around and prepared to apparate away when he saw the shock on Snape's face.
"How dare you, you little ingrate!" ah, Voldemort had decided that he had not had enough of Harry yet.
"Oh Tommy. Come off it. You know you'll never beat me. You've tried, numerous times. There was that time when I was one, then again when I was in my first year at Hogwarts, then my second, then my fourth, then my fifth, then the summor of sixth year, twice in seventh year and twice the year after that. I thought it was finished the last time. Guess not hey? Well, there's always tomorrow, so if you like, I could come by again tomorrow and just finish you off then. What do you say?"
"Fool boy! Who do you think you are? No one has ever defied me and lived to tell the tale. I am Lord Voldemort. You will bow to me or face the consequences."
Harry felt that push behind his back that had made him bow in his forth year but he resisted. He had grown in strength and power since then and not even Voldemort would make him do something he did not want to.
"I said BOW TO ME!" When Harry still did not move Voldemort opened his mouth to shout another curse.
"Crucio!"
Harry grabbed Snape by the arm and quickly erected his strongest shield (which had sustained the Avada Kedavra once before) and apparated them both to the Gates of Hogwarts belatedly realizing that apparating Snape in his condition was not the wisest of choices.
Cursing himself for his own stupidity he quickly cast a mobolicorpus on the man before he could hit the ground and rushed onto Hogwarts grounds. As it was summer holidays they met no students on the way to the front door.
Harry decided that he would take Snape to the hospital wing and make sure that Madam Pomfrey could help him before he went to look for the Headmistress, he was sure that McGonagall stayed at the school the whole year.
Just as he was about to enter through the front doors eh was met by a sight he did not think he would ever see again.
"Dumbledore." Was all he breathed before falling to the ground in a dead faint.