AN: Look who joins the cast...I don't own him, either, as much as I might like to.

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Harry lay in his bed, awake, staring at the canopy.

He didn't know what to think.

Riddle, who murdered his parents, was evil and needed to be destroyed if he ever came back. Not even his cousin argued with that.

Sirius Black, who betrayed his parents, was evil as well, and deserved to rot in prison. There seemed to be equally little discussion going on about that part.

But Black had been a follower of Riddle, and there were all these other followers of Riddle apparently roaming free, and not only was not Alduin too bothered by it, not even those Gryffindor people he had met yesterday were.

So what was the difference?

Was it that Black betrayed his friends? That was fair enough, Harry decided. Even if they were both evil, he would still be much more amenable to letting Alduin's uncle out of prison, a man who did what he could to protect his family and friends, apparently, than Black, who betrayed them.

So that meant that all followers of Riddle were not equally bad after all.

But what if there had been some unknown circumstances in Black's case as well? What if Riddle threatened to kill his wife and children if he did not betray Harry's parents?

The boy frowned. Surely if there had been such a thing, Alduin would have told him. But no, he had said Black was a sociopath instead.

But, a voice in his head insisted, if he had been threatened, would you have thought better of him?

To his dismay, he had to admit that yes, it would change the situation a lot.

Harry turned in bed, and buried his face in the pillow, irritated. Why were things so complicated?

He wished he knew what his parents would have thought about this. His father, Alduin had said, never asked too many questions, so would he have bothered with this at all? And what about his mother?

Harry frowned again, realizing he had no idea about his mother at all. He would have to try and remedy that.

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The next day, Harry said during lunch: "I really feel like I know a lot about my dad already, what he was like and so on, but I hardly know anything about my mum. I know you weren't really friends with her or anything, but wasn't one of those people we could ask for dinner? I would really like to hear some stories..."

And that was how Alduin found himself writing to one Severus Snape.

He had not seen him since the days when James and Sirius tormented him, and he suspected that the man would not take kindly to a latter from someone who was closely related both to his bullies and to the family that disowned his mother. However, he had to try, for Harry's sake. After considerable effort, he composed a missive that looked like this:

Dear Professor Snape,

I apologize for imposing on you in such a manner, when we have not spoken since our schooldays, and even then, we hardly ever did.

As you may know from Headmaster Dumbledore, I have recently become the guardian of Harry Potter. Since then, I have been trying to educate him in the ways of our world and to correct the damage that his Muggle relatives have left on him with their neglect and mistreatment.

The boy grew up in an emotionally cold house (towards him, that is) with only the memory of his parents to cheer him up, even though his relations did their best to spoil even that. Under the circumstances, it is I believe understandable that he wishes to know as much about his parents as possible. I have told him what I can about James (and while I try to soften the image – the boy is only eleven, after all – I hope you know that I do not offer only glowing praise of my cousin, since you might remember that I disagreed with him and disapproved of him frequently), but there is little I can say about Lily, whom I hardly knew. To this purpose, I am writing to you.

If you would consent to as much as write your recollections of your childhood friend, I would be much obliged to you, for my young charge's sake. Harry has some pictures, but they cannot tell him what his mother was truly like.

Your sincerely,

Alduin Travers

The reply he received was short and to the point: I am willing to discuss it. Be in Three Broomsticks at 9 PM tomorrow, without the boy. Snape

Alduin tried to swallow his irritation at the tone, telling himself he really should be grateful that the man was even willing to see him, given everything. And so, the next day, he left immediately after dinner to meet the famously strict – to all but Slytherins, if one was to believe the rumours – professor.

Years did not improve Severus Snape's visage, and given the look on his face, it seems they have not improved his attitude either.

"I'm interested," he drawled once Alduin sat down, "to hear why I should indulge the curiosities of the beloved celebrity of the wizarding world. My time is precious, after all."

Alduin resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. Instead, he just looked at Snape. "I'm not asking you to indulge the curiosities of a celebrity, I am asking you to spare some time for a ten-year old boy, son of your childhood best fried, to tell him about his dead mother."

"Do you honestly believe that a sob story is going to work on me?"

"I am not telling it to make you cry, but it contains legitimate reasons for compassion, I believe."

"And you expect compassion from a Death Eater?"

Alduin raised his eyebrows. "I might have been in a coma at the time, but I read the old newspapers. I know that you have been cleared, and why."

"Not everyone would be so easily convinced that my loyalties are where I say they are."

Alduin laughed. "You mean fanatical Gryffindors who never grew out of seeing the world as black and white and regard Dumbledore as a fairy-tale grandfather. I am not actually stupid, Professor Snape. I know Dumbledore is everything but stupid, and he would never believe you unless he was absolutely certain. Mere platitudes would never convince him. I suppose one could say that you were too good an Occlumens for him, but, well, you were only about twenty at the time, weren't you? It seems most unlikely."

"You have to make up your mind – either I was too good an occlumens for Dumbledore, or for the Dark Lord. Which is more likely?"

"The Dark Lord, given that he, contrary to Dumbledore, did not know he should be looking for treason."

Snape exhaled. "Well, it is refreshing not to be talking to an idiot," he conceded, "but I still don't see why should I indulge golden Potter."

"And I don't see why not," Alduin returned. "Of course, if it's matter of your time being precious, as you say..." He paused significantly and waited for Snape to bristle.

The man, however, shot him a look. "Whatever you think about my loyalties," he said, "in any case I was a spy. Do not expect me to fall for this."

Alduin shrugged. "I wasn't trying too hard," he admitted. "And I would be completely willing to offer you money, if I thought that was the incentive you needed."

Snape was silent for a moment, then he asked: "Have you contacted Lupin?"

"No. Why? I can tell Harry enough about his father to satisfy him, and I can weave in some degree of criticism – though not too much, he glorifies both of his parents exceedingly – and keep silent about the things I believe he should not hear about, lest they inspire him. The last thing he needs is tales that praise the things he and Sirius did, and I don't just mean to you. It is his mother he knows nothing about."

Snape nodded, and seemed to consider. "I am willing to try," he said at length, "but do not expect me to treat him with excessive kindness."

"I will warn him," Alduin replied, "but I would like to ask you not to share any of the particular stories of James'...behaviour. I fully intend to tell him when he is older, but I do not think he could handle it now. I am doing my best to teach him that world is not all black and white, but it is an uphill battle, and it will take time."

"Very well. As long as he does not ask me about his father."

"Again, I will warn him."

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And so, on Saturday at breakfast, Alduin said: "Harry, a friend of your mother will be coming for tea this afternoon."

"Really? That's great! Who is he?"

"He is Professor Severus Snape, and he teaches at Hogwarts."

"Is he related to you, or to me?" Harry apparently learned his lesson about how the wizarding world worked.

"Not directly," Alduin replied, "but his mother was the sister of my father's cousin's husband."

"Er..."

"My father's aunt had a daughter, and that daughter married Professor Snape's uncle."

"I see."

"But at any rate, Professor Snape's mother married a Muggle and was disinherited by her family, so we never knew each other and he is not fond of the connection, so you would do best not to mention it. And similarly, Harry, and this is important...Professor Snape seriously disliked your father."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, he was a Slytherin and your father was a Gryffindor, that's often enough to begin with. Also, your father was a rich pureblood heir with all his rights, while Professor Snape's mother was disinherited. From the other side, well, Professor Snape was poor at the time, and not very good-looking, and rather socially awkward, too, so he was a prime object to make fun of, and your father could not always resist." Alduin mentally apologized to Snape for understating the situation so much, but well, what else could he do? "As far as I know, there was strong antipathy from the beginning, at both sides. It grew stronger when your father fell in love with your mother, because he thought she shouldn't be friends with such people and Professor Snape thought that your father was not worthy of his friend."

"And my mother didn't mind? That her boyfriend disliked her friend, and the other way round, I mean?"

"She did, and for a long time, she rejected your father, precisely because of the way he treated Professor Snape. But then they fell out, and some time after that, she started to date James."

"Why did they fall out, do you know?"

"I do," the entire school had known, at the time, "but it was intensely personal and if I should give you only one advice about Professor Snape, it would be never to ask him about it. The second one, of course, would be not to ask him about your father. Simply stick to your mother, when they were children."

Harry frowned, but agreed.

Now he sat in the afternoon parlour, covering a little before the glare Professor Snape was sending his way. "I just...I just wanted to ask about my mum, Professor," he said hesitatingly. "My cousin says you were friends with her."

"Yes." The was a short silence, then Snape started to talk. "You mother and I grew up in the same town, in adjacent neighbourhoods. As you know, she was Muggle-born. When her magic started to manifest, she had no idea what was going on."

Harry nodded, understanding perfectly what that was like.

"I saw her, and I realized what was happening, and I contacted her. We became friends quickly. She was curious about the magical world, naturally enough, and I was able to provide some answers. Her sister, however, never liked me."

"Don't worry about it, Professor, my aunt doesn't like anyone."

"I daresay. At any rate, we were friends for some years before going to Hogwarts, and we managed to keep our friendship strong for a time even there, despite her being sorted into Gryffindor and me into Slytherin."

"What was she like?"

"Your mother was very vivacious. She was generally kind, but could also be strong-headed and she was very fierce, and not to be trifled with when angry. She had quite a temper. She was a very good student, especially of Potions and Charms, and a prefect and the Head Girl, too, though I suppose you already know that."

Harry nodded. "Do you have some...I don't know, some stories about her?"

Snape sneered. "Not such amusing ones as I have no doubt your father's friends would have been able to produce," he replied. "Your mother was not quite so...adventurous. We spent most of our time together talking, or brewing potions. I can tell you that she managed to brew Veritaserum in her fourth year, but I do not expect it will tell you anything."

Alduin, who was present for the entire conversation, interrupted here to say: "It is a potion that is normally only taught in the sixth year, to the advanced students who manage to get into NEWT level potions class."

"That's cool," Harry said appreciatively. "And you said she was good at charms, too?"

"Yes. She was one of the first in our year to manage the Patronus charm – after, of course, Ginevra Ollivander," he said with small and slightly mocking bow towards Alduin.

Harry shot him a questioning glance, and his cousin explained: "Ginevra was the Ravenclaw prefect in their year, the year above me. She was the best student of her year. She married my second cousin, Jonathan Crouch."

"But if she was the best student of her year, how come my mum became the Head Girl, and not her?"

Alduin and Snape exchanged a look. "Well, that's Dumbledore for you," Alduin replied light-heartedly. "He always mixed education and politics."

"Yeah, that reminds me of something I've been wondering about for a while-" Harry said, but then he stopped.

"Yes?" Alduin asked, unsure of the wisdom of that. But there was hardly a polite way of shushing Harry once he started.

"Well, I mean, how come both of my parents were Head Boy and Head Girl? Isn't it a little strange, to have both from the same house?"

"Yes. Yes, it is, and there was a huge outcry against it at the time," Alduin replied, exchanging another glance with Snape, "but as I said, it was a political decision on Dumbledore's part."

"Was it? I mean, I would expect it would make people other than Gryffindors angry, and aren't political people supposed to avoid that?"

Snape gave him an appreciative glance. "I see, Mr. Potter," he said, "that there is hope for you yet."