If you're still here, thank you. You'll already have noticed the group dynamics beginning to shift. There's a nice little surprise in here. Thanks, once again, to the legendary Riverwoman for her Beta skills all through the whole of this fic.
Behind them, everyone was filing back from kitchen and patio, and the smell of coffee and food was filling the room.
'Mind if I stay over here for this one?' asked Sirius casually.
'I — I might like that,' said Snape with uncharacteristic hesitancy.
Harry smiled at them both as his wife joined them with their drinks, and Neville waved at them and joined Dean and Seamus on the sofa.
'Okay guys, heads up,' commanded Harry just as the talking began anew. 'I've been doing some more reading.' He brandished the device. 'This next disc is going to give us issues. It appears the last movie didn't make them as much money as they anticipated, and there's yet another new Director. He hasn't done this kind of movie before and …'
'Oh, no,' groaned Hermione. 'We're never going to get through this one. Are we?'
Harry sighed. 'Not if it's as poor a version as people on the net seem to think. We'll end up pausing every five minutes to argue.'
'Why don't we just skip the damned thing, then,' suggested Draco.
'Have you forgotten what year that was?' Snape's soft voice could have been mistaken for gentleness, but his face said otherwise.
'It was that stupid tournament, wasn't it?' Draco was more than a little defensive.
'And?' continued Snape in that same tone.
Draco froze. 'Oh, that. We have to see it — whatever hash they might have made of it — we have to see it.'
Everyone nodded.
'I want to see it,' declared Lily, a hard edge to her voice. 'I want to see Wormy complete his mission — the one he sacrificed us for.'
'And I want to see what happened to Harry,' added Sirius. 'We've talked enough about it but …'
'I know what you mean,' agreed Snape.
'All right,' said Hermione, conjuring parchment, ink and quills. 'Let's do this. I'll put on the disc, and I won't stop it once until it's finished, no matter what we see. We make notes,' she handed out accoutrements 'and then we discuss it when it's finished. Does that sound feasible?'
'How bad is it exactly?' Ginny wanted to know.
'Hmmm. Let's see,' Harry consulted the iPad. 'Reviewers are saying things like characters left out altogether: no Percy, Charlie or Bill or Bagman.'
Ginny threw up her hands. She appeared genuinely upset. 'How can they just cut out half the family?'
'And no house elves at all,' continued Harry.
'You're joking,' cried Hermione. 'No poor little Winky; and no SPEW?'
'Thank goodness for small favours,' said Draco.
Hermione threw a cushion at him, which he batted away with his arthritic hands.
'Um, it gets worse,' continued Harry over the rising protests. 'They say he's got Dumbledore acting violently towards me.'
That silenced everyone.
'That's — that's preposterous,' breathed Snape. 'Albus Dumbledore could be a major pain in the tail, but he was *never* violent.'
'I think we have to just see it,' said James. 'Hermione's right. We'll take notes and — and then … what?'
Everyone looked at him. 'Well,' now he was uncharacteristically hesitant. 'I'm starting to wonder about all this. We began on this big adventure, but it's starting to feel as if some other force is leading us to … well, I don't know what. It's – it's stopped being fun and started being weird.'
'Succinctly, if colourfully, expressed,' commented Snape, but he nodded thoughtfully.
'And then there are these books.' Ginny reached down and plucked one out of its box. 'The Prof found them at the same time as Father Potter here discovered the discs. Is anyone, besides me, curious about whether they tell our story more accurately than the films? Maybe someone should read them for comparison. I'm a speed reader; I could do it.'
'Me, too,' chimed in Draco.
'No,' declared Lily thoughtfully. 'You younger people were there — on the inside if you like. You're best placed to make a direct comparison between the discs and your recollections. We older ones, those of us who weren't there or were on the periphery, we should study the books. They should give us a more accurate representation of what happened. Between myself, James, Sirius and Remus, we ought to be able to get through the material pretty quickly. It'll be like old school days.'
'And me,' enquired Snape.
'You were right in the thick of it,' said Sirius. 'You have to stay. And anyway,' he laid a hand on the bony shoulder as he arose to join his old schoolmates, 'we need you to keep us all on track — cut through all our crap.'
Everyone laughed as Sirius gathered up the box set and crossed the room. The older Gryffindors drew together for a moment, then arose and went out.
'Right,' said Hermione. 'We'd better start this, or we'll never finish before dawn. Quills at the ready?'
The disc had not run five minutes, however, when the first problem arose. The feature was a dream sequence in which Harry saw Voldemort, Barty Crouch and Wormtail murder an elderly man, but it was Wormtail who drew the protest from Snape.
'Pause that disc at once,' he commanded.
Hermione exchanged glances with the others but obeyed without comment.
'Did you hear that?' A skeletal finger jabbed in the direction of the tv screen. 'He — he … that — that *insect* mentioned his name. No one — not even I — would have dared to do such a thing. The only person to routinely call the Dark Lord by name was Albus Dumbledore.'
'And me,' put in Harry.
'Really?' Snape rounded on Harry.
'He did, Prof,' confirmed Ron. 'I kept having to stop him. It was because he used the name that we ended up being taken by those snatchers.'
'Don't remind me,' sighed Harry. 'I just — just think that mentioning the name takes away the fear somehow.'
'Nevertheless,' said Snape, the finger now jabbing in Harry's direction. 'No Death Eater would have dared even think it. This is not an auspicious beginning.'
Hermione had her finger on the play button when peals of laughter issued from the kitchen next door where the elders had gathered.
'Oh, no! Not again! Please, oh dear.' This was accompanied by the sound of a glass shattering on the tiled floor.
Ron arose and went to investigate, but Harry beckoned him back. 'I think they're reading the bit when your dad and Fred and George picked me up from Privet Drive,' said Harry, beginning to giggle. 'They've probably come across the bit where Dudley eats the twins' Ton-Tongue Toffee. His tongue grew to about four feet long.'
'Oh, I'd love to see that,' laughed Seamus.
But they didn't. Hermione pressed play and the film immediately switch to the morning of the Quidditch World Cup.
All who were there bent diligently over their parchments.
'Here, that's a bit on the nose,' protested Ron. 'Dad got us into the Ministry Box, so why have they put us up in the Gods?'
'At least they excluded that windbag Bagman,' said Draco.
'Oi, that's not right,' protested Harry only minutes later when the Dark Mark made its appearance. 'What was the good of having it show up then? Makes no sense.'
All nodded.
The film then cut straight to the journey to Hogwarts, followed by the arrival of the guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, eliciting sighs of awe from the watchers as the golden galleon emerged majestically from the black lake.
When the film cut to Defence against the Dark Arts class with Moody, Neville let out an audible sigh of relief.
'Thank Merlin for that.'
'What?' asked Dean.
'No Blast-ended Skrewts,' chorused Ron and Hermione. 'Now they really were dangerous,' added Hermione alone, glancing pointedly in Draco's direction.
There were fond smiles all round as the twins tried unsuccessfully to breach the age line and enter the tournament, but they soon turned downwards and then grew dark during the champions' selection.
'Dumbledore didn't yell like that,' protested Hermione.
'And he sure as hell wouldn't have yelled at Harry, and in front of everybody,' put in Ginny sadly. 'This film is going to the dogs.'
'I, for one, do not recall any discussion between members of our faculty regarding this,' pointed out Snape. 'Had we done so, however, I would have done exactly as portrayed.'
'Well, I wish you hadn't,' said Harry to Ron sadly as they watched their tv selves settle down for the night. 'How could you even have considered the idea that I'd have gone behind everyone's back? Being in that bloody tournament was the last thing I wanted.'
Ron had the grace to look sheepish but said nothing.
A flurry of scratches on parchment was the only result of the film cutting straight to the photo shott for the Tri Wizard Champions, though some of the watchers wasted penetrating looks in Snape's direction — perhaps remembering the excluded fight between Draco and Harry which had resulted in Snape's dismissing the assault on Hermione completely.
They all watched in silence as tv Sirius warned Harry to keep his friends close now that Hogwarts was no longer a safe place for Harry to be, given the dream and his suspicious entry into the tournament.
The quills continued their scribbling through Harry, Hagrid and Maxime's examination of the dragons, Harry informing Cedric and his confrontation with Draco who was turned into a ferret by Moody.
'And here's me thinking they had left it out,' sighed Draco mournfully.
'I think you made a very cute ferret,' said Seamus innocently.
Draco threw a scatter cushion at him.
Ginny shivered as Moody instructed Harry in his office prior to the first task. 'Was I the only one who heard someone calling from inside that trunk? Isn't that slightly giving the game away?'
'Only to those of us who know the entire story,' replied Snape. 'For the "audience" it's just additional drama.'
'Tsch, tsch, tsch,' said Snape as the special effects show representing Harry's wrangle with the dragon played out on screen. 'What an overweening ego this director must possess,' he remarked with disgust. 'There are no circumstances under which the competition would have continued had most of what was staged here actually occurred. This is a puerile attempt to paper over what is turning out to be an extremely shoddy attempt to tell our story.'
'Just be thankful the guy didn't succeed in having me burn down the whole Forbidden Forest,' put in Harry. 'It seems that Ms Rowling vetoed it.'
Quills and inkpots crashed to the floor as most people held up their hands in horror. Snape merely shook his head, lost for words.
Through the celebration party and the preparations for the Yule Ball, no one said much, though the scratching of quills did intensify around a scene in which Professor McGonagall attempted to teach the students of her house to dance.
'I don't remember that happening,' protested Neville. 'And I don't remember dancing round the dorm by myself either.'
'But you're such wonderful entertainment value,' cooed Draco, who promptly found himself showered with paper serviettes from several directions at once. Assuming a face-cracking smirk, he transfigured them into roses and proceeded to arrange them around himself while Dean, Neville and Seamus mimed throwing up, causing Ginny to giggle helplessly.
'What's happening?' demanded Snape.
'They're just being stupid,' said Harry. 'Ignore them. Second childhood or something.'
Harry was just settling back into the seat when a frail hand snaked towards him with surprising speed. 'Hermione Granger Weasley, Where is that controller?'
Hermione sighed and pressed pause. They all knew what was coming. The scene showed a Potions class in which tv Snape was periodically hitting the boys on the head with a book while they discussed the difficulty of finding dance partners. This was a somewhat comedic version of one of their Potions classes, made all the more surreal by the addition of Fred and George — two sixth year students who would not ordinarily participate in a fourth-year class.
'Mr Potter.' Harry rolled his eyes. It was really serious if he'd reverted to that. 'Do you, by any chance, recall that Potions lesson?'
'Actually, I do, sir,' replied Harry equably. 'We covered the antidotes I'd missed the other week; I forgot the Bezoar because I was too caught up in getting up the nerve to — to ask Cho to the ball. I got bottom of the class — again …'.'
'And in all our time at Hogwarts,' continued the ancient wizard, his voice lowering ominously, 'did I ever have occasion to strike a student, though I may have fervently wished to do so on many occasions?'
All shook their heads. 'No,' replied Harry. 'Though there was that time when I looked in your pensieve and you threw …'
Snape raised a trembling hand to silence him.
'Then steps will have to be taken,' he concluded, his face like thunder. 'I can perhaps stand to be misquoted — even accounting for grammatical errors — but I will not be used purely for comic relief. That little scene was a blatant fabrication.'
'You're right,' put in Ron, 'I don't ever remember us having any fun in your classes, Prof.'
Snape glared at him but said nothing.
'Oh, come on, Prof,' laughed Neville. 'I get used for entertainment quite a lot. That little bit where they had me dancing round the dorm? That very definitely did not happen.'
'Listen, Prof,' soothed Ginny 'on these discs (and probably in the books too) all we are is entertainment pure and simple. If any one of us was to suddenly appear in front of a load of muggles tomorrow, they'd probably die of fright.'
'Nah, they wouldn't even recognise us,' dismissed Draco.
'You know what I mean, clot,' retorted Ginny.
They played through the awkwardness with Harry and Cho, then with Ron and Hermione following the former's disastrous attempt to invite Fleur, before a change in the music signalled the night of the Yule Ball.
'Oh Merlin,' moaned Ron. "I'd forgotten how awful those robes really were.'
'Yes,' drawled Draco. 'It says something when clothing can be entirely forgettable and memorable all in one hit.'
'Ah, I want to see this bit.' Lily glided into the room, followed by Sirius and James. 'We didn't have anything like this during our school years.'
They all stood, staring as a transformed young Hermione made her triumphant way down the stairs, to admiring glances all round.
'Oh, no,' moaned the woman herself. 'Whatever possessed them to dress me in pink? That was never my colour. Put a bow on top of my head and I'd look far too much like Dolores Umbridge.'
Ron snickered, and she slapped his hand.
James bowed to his wife just as Krum did the same to Hermione.' My lady, would you do me the honour?'
Lily smiled up at him, and they readied themselves as the great doors opened to admit the on-screen champions.
Ron and Harry exchanged glances and, rising, looked more shyly at their own wives who nodded and also made ready.
'What's happening?' demanded Snape.
'Looks like we're going to have a little dance,' announced Draco wistfully, only I get to be a wallflower yet again.'
Dean and Seamus also joined the others as the champions processed stiffly into the Great Hall.
Sirius glanced around and, coming to a sudden decision, snatched up the remote and paused the disc. No one moved as he crossed back to Snape, knelt down beside him and said softly,
'Ok, old timer. How far do you trust our newfound truce?'
Snape looked askance.
'Do you trust that I will not hurt you?' continued Sirius in that same soft tone.
'Sirius Black, what in Merlin's name are you planning?' hissed Draco.
But Sirius only had eyes for Snape who, after a moment's hesitation, nodded.
Sirius tossed the remote to Draco and, to huffs of surprise from the couples, gathered up the frail form of his schoolmate and turned to the screen. Sensing the mood, Neville arose and joined Sirius as Draco numbly pressed play.
Suspended in a moment of time, as a sparkling dewdrop on a blade of grass waits to be burnt away by the sun, the residents of St Osric's danced: all four Potters, the Granger-Weasleys, Dean and Seamus — and Severus Snape floating in the arms of Sirius Black, and held by the hand on either side by Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy.
When the music changed to the Weird Sisters, everyone looked around as if awakened from a dream. Lily and James glanced over at Severus, wide-eyed with wonder, cradled in Sirius' arms and smiled.
'That was …' tried Ginny softly, but she was unable to find words to complete her sentence. Her husband merely nodded his understanding as everyone settled down to watch the rest of the ball scene.
'Mind if I stay in here?' asked Sirius as he settled Severus back into his chair. 'I've read most of my allotted material already.'
Snape, still dazed, merely smiled.
Everyone grew silent as the nightmare played out, followed by the discovery of the clue within the egg. Harry scribbled frantically on his parchment and Snape huffed as the film cut straight to the hours immediately prior to the second task.
'Wish that really had been me helping you,' said Neville wistfully.
'Who was it?' demanded Snape.
'It was actually Dobby,' replied Harry equably. 'He must have nicked the Gillyweed from your stash. He was a tryer and no mistake.'
Everyone sighed as the task played out.
'By Godric, that kid must have trained for ages to do that,' commented Sirius. He was all admiration, both for the actor and for his godson.
'He did, from what I read,' smiled Harry. 'Wish I'd had as much training. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon wouldn't even let me have swimming lessons.'
Everyone cheered when tv Harry finally came out of the water.
'Hold on. I'm now thoroughly confused,' moaned Harry as the death of Crouch Senior and the scene with Dumbledore's pensieve began to play out. 'Where's the rest of it? That all happened only a month before the final task.'
'Hey, and they've gone and left out our trip with you, Padfoot,' put in Ron exasperatedly. 'What did you say the name of this Director was, love?'
Hermione sighed. 'Can't remember.'
"Oh, of course. They just had to include that bit,' said Harry as the scene in which Snape threatened him with Veritaserum played.
'Good thing they left out all that stuff Skeeter wrote about you in the papers, Hermione,' said Draco.
'Oh, I don't know,' she retorted with a touch of acid. 'That bit about how I discovered her secret wouldn't have come amiss.'
Harry sat scribbling furiously on his parchment as the third task approached. 'This is bollocks,' he muttered to himself as the task, its drastic changes and it' tragic outcome played out. 'The task wasn't like that at all. I got a damned broken leg out of it.'
The furious scratching of his quill was the only sound as the scene returned to Hogwarts where everyone gasped at Dumbledore's attempt to part Harry from Cedric's body.
'No fucking way,' ejaculated Ron. 'Albus Dumbledore would never in a thousand lifetimes have done that.'
As the fake Moody revealed himself to be Barty Crouch Junior, Snape gave another huff.
'How typical. I might have known they would leave out something as important as the entire explanation of how he achieved his aims.'
'Oh, hell!' cried Sirius. TV Dumbledore had just grabbed Harry's injured arm. 'If that's an indication of the quality of this disc, then I pity your wasted time.'
Everyone sat in despair of the remainder of the disc.
'You ought to sue that writer,' huffed Hermione in defence of her husband. 'He made you look like a right idiot. You and Harry always wrote over the summer. What was he thinking?'
'I suspect there was not much of that during this abomination,'' declared Snape. 'If, as I further suspect, there are dunderheads who refuse to read the story-books, they will by now have a completely skewed idea of the events of that year.'
'Completely screwed, more like' huffed Draco indignantly. 'They've cut the whole thing up like one of those … those things you once told us about Harry …'
'Jigsaws,' supplied Harry, still absently scribbling.
'Yes, those things,' continued Draco. 'Then they've chiselled some pieces, decorated others, left some out and then filled in the gaps to make something they think looks prettier. Urrrgh.' He made a disgusted face.
'Which begs the question,' said Remus, gliding in ahead of the elder Potters, 'Why are we doing this? It seems to me that the versions of our story are increasingly diverging with each disc, or am I wrong about that?'
'Except it's not our story, is it?' retorted Snape. 'It's Harry's story — from Harry's point of view.'
'Yes and no,' replied James. 'It's still the story of the war, as seen through the eyes of Harry and those around him.' He glanced over at his son. 'These books are giving us some fascinating insights. I — I only wish your mother and I could have been there to help.'
'You were,' reassured Harry, finally putting down his quill. 'You were with me every day.' He raised his head and looked around at his friends and family. 'This story belongs to all of us. Everyone here played their part. We wouldn't all be sitting here else.'
'Very nobly put,' sneered Snape.' But Lupin's question has yet to be addressed. Why are we doing this? Surely it was not what we envisaged when we planned this escapade?'
'I didn't plan on anything more than getting in here and seeing what the young git gets up to of an evening,' declared James.
'So, if this is just causing us all grief and frustration,' put in Remus, 'should we continue? Surely Stevenson doesn't sit here watching fake stories about us — not when he could just ask.'
'You know,' said Hermione, her chin resting on her steepled fingers, 'I rather think that's the point.' Everyone turned in her direction. 'No one asks, do they? Last night, the Prof here asked me how it felt being petrified. No one had ever asked me that — not even Ron. And how long had Neville been carrying that memory of the Potions class and his toad around before it came up?' Everyone nodded. 'Don't you see what's happening here?'
'I do,' declared Sirius, reaching for the hand of his old frenemy. 'Fake and tacky as some of this is, seeing it played out in front of us is — well — confronting. I'm damned curious to know how they're going to portray my death.'
'I'm not,' barked Snape, his hand in Sirius'.
Everyone just stared silently at the two elders.
'Nor me,' said Harry, finally breaking the silence. 'In fact, I think things are going to get rocky from here on in. We'd better prepare ourselves.'
'And how do we do that?' demanded his father.
'By continuing to read the books,' replied Lily.
'And by deciding to be totally open and honest with one another,' put in Neville. 'I agree with the others. Something's happening here. I don't say I like it; but it feels somehow right. I say we all gird our loins and carry on to the very end.'
'Spoken like a true Gryffindor,' said Draco, though the expected sarcasm was missing from his tone.
'That being the case,' said Harry, 'we ought to be all on the same page as to all the important stuff that disc left out.'
The residents then proceeded to compare notes about the missing plot points.
'I don't think the connection between your scar and Voldemort was made clearly enough,' said Hermione.
'Nor the wands being twins,' put in Harry.
'And how are they going to account for Rita agreeing to interview you without the blackmail of the Animagus?' asked Neville?
'Bugger that,' put in Dean. 'What about the whole thing that it took old Fudge a year to believe you. How're they going to handle that, then?'
'Seems as if this disc made a bit of a mess of things,' observed James. 'I don't suppose that little scene in which you were nearly caught by Moody, or our Severus, or Filch, ended up in there? That would have made for some neat drama, surely.'
'Actually,' said Harry, turning to his old Potions professor, 'I have a confession. I guess you do remember that argument you and fake Moody had the night you found a champion's egg on the castle stairs?'
'It was difficult to forget,' said Snape coolly. 'Most humiliating in fact. That stone-brain treated me like a paranoid fool.'
'Well,' Harry hesitated. 'You were right all along,' he said finally. 'I was about two inches away from you when you stopped on those stairs. I heard everything. My foot was trapped in that bloody trick step and the egg fell out of my arms …'
'I knew it!' The force of the reaction surprised even Harry. The frail professor was shaking with rage. The hands that gripped the arms of the wheelchair were almost transparent; the face above them — usually only sallow — was now white, making the dark eyes — which burned like the heart of Orodruin — seem all the fiercer within that wasted landscape. Harry was reminded painfully of the time he'd peeked at Snape's worst memory — the time of the cockroaches. Ah well, that time was coming. The fifth-year film would be shown tomorrow night (if they included the scene at all).
'Potter, you imbecilic whelp! Where in hell are you?' Now the voice was little more than a whisper.
Harry stretched out his hand, surprised at its steadiness. 'Right here, Prof,' he replied, his voice also surprisingly steady given the jackhammering of his heart.
His wrist was gripped in a claw which, for all its owner's frailty, was somehow worse than the pincer grip he'd felt on being thrown out of the dungeon office all those decades ago. 'Dreamless Sleep, Calming Draft, Hypertensio potion, alcohol — anything to maintain an equilibrium! Not to mention Occlumency!'
'I'm sorry I was such a burden, Prof,' said Harry quietly.
'Not a burden,' returned Snape, 'a trial.' Snape sank back into the depths of his chair, releasing Harry's wrist. His next words sounded far away and infinitely sad.
'There are times, Potter, when I believe it miraculous that you succeeded at all!'
'I know what you mean,' sighed Harry. 'I sometimes wonder about that even now.'
The others had tactfully moved away from the scene and begun putting the room to rights in preparation for their rest.
Harry crossed to help his wife clear away the debris of the night's feasting.
'Who's going to put him to bed tonight?' mouthed Ginny. 'The mood he's in, it probably shouldn't be us.'
Harry sketched a question-mark.
'I'll do it,' whispered Sirius, tapping her on the shoulder.
'Can you?' Ginny wanted to know.
'Pfft. Of course,' smirked Sirius. 'I may be the eldest around here, but I'm still one of the strongest.' He flexed his biceps dramatically.
'Git,' laughed Ginny, straightening up and re-stowing her wand. 'Are you sure, Unc?'
'Course,' replied the older man, smiling down at her. 'Run along to your bed, kiddo. Same time tomorrow night, eh?'
Ginny stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before retreating.
'It's a date,' she called from the doorway.
'Cheeky mare.' Sirius' smile did not quite reach his eyes which, if anyone had been close enough to see, showed a deep sadness.
'Okay, old chap, it's just thee and me,' said Sirius. 'Now show me to this amazing chamber of yours. I hear it's legendary.'
Snape huffed. 'It does not do to believe all you hear,' he retorted, but he failed to keep the smile from his voice or a slight upward curl from his lips as they proceeded.
'Tell you what,' said Sirius once he had his old schoolmate safely ensconced, a mischievous glint in his eye, 'How about one for the road before we retire?' Sirius waved his wand and a tray with two glasses materialised on the nearest surface.
'Sirius Black. What, in Merlin's name, are you doing?'
'Whisky,' announced Sirius, producing a hip flask from his robes. 'Macallan's of Speyside. Best in the world. Leaves that old firewhisky in the shade. What do you say?'
'Where did you get it?' enquired Snape suspiciously.
'I — um — appropriated it,' replied Sirius boldly. 'From the old bag's office next door. She's got so much of the stuff she won't even miss it.' He caught the disapproving look on Snape's face and laughed. 'Well, me old china, at our time of life it's a poor lookout if we can't enjoy breaking a rule or two. Bet you five galleons you've never tasted stuff like this in all your life.'
'Black, you are incorrigible,' snorted Snape, holding out his hand for a glass despite his misgivings.
'I try,' returned his schoolmate with a grin. 'Cheers.'
Each lost in his own thoughts, the two old wizards drank.
'Sirius? What do you suppose will happen tomorrow?' Snape's voice, though casual, had a definite edge.
'Don't know, Severus,' sighed Sirius, failing to keep the heaviness out of his own voice. 'Whatever it is will be difficult — for all of us.' He collected their empty glasses and made for the door.
'Goodnight, Sirius,' whispered Severus, settling into the pillows.
'Goodnight, Severus, returned Sirius from the door. 'Oh, and can I offer a suggestion? Make up with our Harry as soon as you can, eh?'
In a modest sitting-room at the opposite end of the hallway, all four Potters, plus Ron and Hermione, had gathered for a bedtime cocoa.
'I'm beginning to wish we hadn't done this,' declared James. 'It's starting to feel more like Pandora's box to me.'
'I think we're doing exactly what we're meant to be doing,' declared Ginny. 'Don't ask me why. Things just started clicking when I found that book on Snape.'
'And that's another thing,' continued James. What are you going to do about him, son? He can't keep speaking to you like that.'
'You weren't sitting beside him,' replied Harry quietly. He faced his parents. 'You didn't see his eyes. He was more upset than angry. I think I may have gotten under his skin despite his best efforts.'
His father shook his head in dismissal.
'No, father,' said Harry sharply. 'You have to listen to me. Ever since we locked eyes that first feast on my first day at school, he was the bane of my existence; ridiculing and belittling me in class, sabotaging my work, but also protecting me — with no support and no thanks.' He put an arm around his wife's shoulders. 'I've had a great life, all in all. I've got a beautiful and loving wife, and we have fantastic descendants. I have true friends,' he motioned to Hermione and Ron 'and heaps of people who care about me — so much so that the 10 years with the Dursleys before everything changed seems almost like a dream now. He — Severus Snape — hasn't had any of that. We've both been surrounded by people, but he's always been alone.'
Ginny, Ron and Hermione nodded.
'Tomorrow night is going to be hard on me — and on Snape,' continued Harry. 'You'd best read the books if you don't want to have a hernia over some of the things that happened.'
'I don't know why or how we've all ended up doing this,' put in Hermione, 'but Harry's right; we all need to support one another through whatever's coming. Who, besides me, noticed how Uncle Sirius and the Prof were getting along after disc three?'
All nodded.
'That dance,' breathed Lily. 'I almost stopped, just so I could look at them. Did you see the look on his face?'
'I was otherwise occupied,' retorted her husband.
'I saw,' said Hermione. 'This experience is making us rethink a lot of things.'
'I agree,' put in Ginny. 'Let's make sure to take special care of one another tomorrow night, then.'
They all nodded, even James.
'And on that sobering note,' announced Ron, 'I'm off to bed.'