A/N: this is an odd chapter, you won't agree with it, but tell me what you think all the same.
- CHAPTER EIGHT –
The Reason
"I would assume that Potter had told you about the horcruxes," he said snidely.
"Naturally," she bit her lip and folding her arms, feeling her hands shaking convulsively.
"Well then," he leaned forward so that she could feel his hot breath on her face, "you'll know that he had four more to destroy, after the diary and the ring."
"Yes," she said warily, "you seem to know a lot about this."
"Dumbledore trusted me," he said simply, but she could see his face tightening.
"Yes; the cup, the locket, the snake, something of Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's." she said, bringing the conversation back to its purpose.
His eyes came back into focus, "Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's … that was the Mirror of Erised."
"Yes … how did you know?"
"Potter told me," he said distractedly,
"Freely?" she asked, "or did you use Legilmency?"
"Freely; Potter and I ended our disagreements, if we were both fighting against the Dark Lord then we were on the same side."
"Fine," she said contemptuously,
"So you, Weasley and Potter found and destroyed these horcruxes, then all Potter had to do was kill the Dark Lord himself in his body form." Snape leaned yet closer towards her,
"But the Dark Lord had a suspicion; one that I knew had been shared by Dumbledore. So I risked my own life -"
"As usual," she said heavily,
"It was the most dangerous thing I've ever done in my life," he said scornfully, "but I found Potter and told him, he behaved ridiculously at first, just as arrogant as his father. But he understood and forgave me, something that his father could never have done; his head wouldn't have deflated for long enough.
"I told him what Dumbledore had planned if his suspicions had been true, he accepted them, and he knew it was what he'd have to do." Snape's eyes averted his gaze for a split-second before locking back onto hers.
"He never told us anything about you talking to him; he kept going on about how much he hated you." Hermione said scathingly,
"Of course he'd say that; Potter was too noble. He kept my cover and didn't worry you, because he knew how you would react, it was something he had to do on his own."
"So are you going to tell me what happened?"
"We're getting there," he growled. "It was the scar."
"Yes," she said softly, "it had gone, we all wondered why. You know?"
"I think so." He rubbed his long hooked nose. "Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord suspected that it was indeed much more than a mark on his skin. It always seemed to be able to detect his presence, and during his fifth year it progressed so far that many fell into the folly of believing that the Dark Lord had managed to possess Potter. But he had not; the Dark Lord had always been part of Potter, but had only just realised." He paused, looking at her questionably,
Hermione's eyes widened and she gaped at him, "carry on, please …"
"Very well. Albus had speculated that when the Dark Lord failed to kill Potter his soul was in a fragile state; he had just killed a strong wizard and witch, when the killing curse rebounded it couldn't kill him, but it caused a tiny part of him to leap across to Potter; into his scar."
"A horcrux? Harry couldn't have been a horcrux; you need incredibly complex spells to create one." Hermione criticised.
"Did I say he was a horcrux foolish girl?" Snape spat, "No, I don't think I did. Of course I know the spells needed to create one cannot spontaneously conjure. This is a differently phenomena, it had never been seen before, possibly of course because no-one had survived the killing curse before.
"But it works similarly to a horcrux; the Dark Lord could not be completely vanquished unless every part of him was destroyed."
Hermione gasped, "So Harry couldn't kill him? He had to tear his own scar off first?"
"No, of course not." Snape sneered at her, "Potter destroyed all the Dark Lord's horcruxes and his body, there was just a minuscule part of him left inside Potter's scar, only a single atom. But his force was concentrated entirely into the scar, leaving Potter in agony."
Hermione began to feel tears trickling down her face; she was finally going to know how Harry died. But did it have to be in so much pain? She gestured with her hand that Snape should continue. He sat a little straighter in his chair.
"That was how I found him, lying on the floor writhing with a pain worse than any curse a wizard could induce. And he was turning his own wand on himself." Hermione covered her face with her hands, "But I happen to be adept at creating my own spells, and I quickly thought of one to extract the force that was destroying Potter's body.
"But it was very dark magic, staining my lips with evil as I spoke them. But it released Potter, and his scar erupted into the room, causing huge bolts of lightning to plunge down on us. You must have noticed that I'm sure from where you were." She nodded, remembering how the whole sky had suddenly seemed to split in half.
"We were trapped in a room full of the Dark Lord's power; I was still weak from performing such a spell and Potter had a gaping hole in his forehead. I did not expect either of us to survive. But through the lightning came a whirlwind of flames; Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix had returned to us.
"He protected us with a circle of flames, singing jovially and showering us with tears. Soon we were both healed and able to stand, but still the Dark Lord's power persisted, tempting us to choose an easier way. But Fawkes began to fly towards the silver orb floating above us that seemed to be emitting the lightning, Potter pointed his wand at it, shouting the killing curse, but it didn't work. Fawkes flew straight into the orb and I suggested Potter should try again, now there was some substance there.
"For a moment he was reluctant, but Fawkes sang back a note of peace from the centre of the orb and Potter with renewed courage aimed his curse at it. Immediately it shattered, bursting apart, a sudden explosion and then pitch blackness, all the while accompanied by phoenix song." He sighed, looking across his desk at her,
Hermione was sitting on the edge of her seat, her wide eyes red from tears, her face blotchy, but beneath the resurfaced grief he could clearly see defiance and strength.
"It is a terrible thing to kill a man. No matter whom he was or what he may have done. And in one so pure of heart it is hard to ignore nature's anger; the first time is always the hardest and he was already so weak that almost all the life had been drained from him." Snape inclined his head,
Hermione turned away, knowing what would come next.
"'It is better to die doing something good, than to live tortured by an act of violation,' he told me, he asked me to let him go back to everyone he loved; his parents, Sirius Black, Hagrid, Dumbledore. Of course he didn't want to leave you all alone, but he hoped you'd understand; you would see him again one day.
"And then I killed Harry; it hurt more than any pain I have ever felt. Dumbledore was the first I had ever killed, but I managed to keep myself sane because I knew what I had to do and he had told me to be strong. Yes," he said seeing the stunned look on her face, "I may have been a Death Eater but I had never killed before."
"So that's it?" she said, the fire burning in her eyes had banished her tears.
"Yes, the truth as I have never told it before. Judge me how you want now." He rose from his chair and walked towards the wall before spinning around to look at her, "Well, are you going?"
She got up and walked slowly towards him, reaching out a hand until it touched his chest. He backed away, looking down at her nervously. She put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him into her embrace, he stiffened, but she ignored it.
"Thank you," she whispered, "I've not felt better for years. I know it all now, no more questioning and speculating. So many things have changed, but I'm so glad you haven't."
She looked up at him and gently kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned and walked from his office, out of the door and straight into a Gryffindor fourth-year, Emma Burrage.
"Professor Granger, are you alright?" she asked,
Hermione felt her hot cheeks and sighed, "Oh don't worry; I'm fine. But Emma what have you done to your hair?" she quickly reverted back to being a strict teacher.
But in his office Severus Snape was sitting puzzled at his desk, gently fingering the spot on his cheek where moments earlier he had been kissed by Hermione Granger.