Hey, everyone! Mystery Critic here, finally back with another chapter! I am so sorry that I haven't posted a chapter in so long. To those who have sent me a message as to why I haven't been updating, you already know. To those who did not, I had no access to a computer that was good enough to write for long periods of time without crashing (and losing everything I had just written, believe me. I tried multiple times, but it was a piece of fecal matter.). However, it doesn't matter! I'm back, and I'm here to stay. I'm going to start off with bi-weekly, maybe another chapter or two over the next week or two. Just to make up for all the suffering I made you go through. Sorry again for that, by the by. Anywho, I am officially requesting a beta to help me with re-writing the previous chapters (grammar, spelling, punctuation, story flow, anything and everything) and all following chapters. This will be a long project, so I will need someone determined and able to tough it through to the end. If you'd like to beta for Ma Fleur, Ma Ange, Mon Tout, send me a message. In the case of multiple people wanting to help, I will be giving each offer thorough consideration. I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the rights affiliated with it! Anywho, that's all for this author's note! Now, after almost eight months without a chapter, I give you chapter sixteen!

Chapter 16

Italics – French

"Mum? Dad?" Neville says shakily, walking forward slowly. "Is... Is it really you?"

"Yes, sweetie..." Alice squeaks out, tears falling freely down her cheeks and opening her arms. "It's really us."

Running up to his parents, Neville tackles them to the ground, the trio crying in joy. They hold him tightly in their arms, trying to press him as closely as possible. Placing his hand on Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore gently pulls him to the side and whispers in his ear; "Harry, my boy, this was an amazing feat. How in the world did you manage to bring Alice and Frank back?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Headmaster." Harry says, looking up at him and feigning an apologetic look. "Family magic. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course, my boy." He answers a bit dejectedly. "Forgive an old man's curiosity."

"I heard something about it being bad for cats, professor." Harry says, a roguish grin appearing on his face. "We should keep Professor McGonagall away?"

"Alas, I'm afraid that would be ill-advised, Harry." Dumbledore chuckles. "Frank and Alice were some of her favorite students, and she'd most likely flay us alive for even trying."

"Good point, sir..." Harry shudders, looking back at the scene, his heart longing to have what he gave back to Neville.

"You've done an incredibly selfless thing, Harry. The old headmaster says, squeezing Harry's shoulder comfortingly. "I can see it must pain you immensely to see something you were able to give back to your friend, but not yourself."

"Am I that obvious, sir?" Harry queries, looking up at the headmaster.

"I'm afraid so, my boy." He says. "While you're here, I was wondering if I could talk to you in my office after this. I have something important to discuss with you."

"Of course, Professor."

"Thank you, Harry." Nodding to him, he lets go of Harry's shoulder and turns on his heel, walking out of the infirmary. After watching the Headmaster leave, Harry turns back towards Neville and his parents, only to be hugged suddenly by Neville.

"Thank you so much, Harry..." Neville sobs into his shoulder. "I can never repay you for what you've given back to me."

"There's nothing to repay, Neville." Harry answers, hugging his friend back. "I found a way to give your parents their lives back, and I used it."

"I'm serious, Harry." Neville says, stepping back and placing his hands on Harry's shoulders firmly. "Anything, ever. You name it, I'll do it."

Seeing that he wouldn't be able to convince Neville otherwise, Harry grinned at him. "I'll keep that in mind, Nev. I'm going to finish supper, alright?"

"Alright, Harry." Neville says, hugging him one more time before turning back and walking back into his parents' embrace. Smiling at them, Harry turns and walks out of the infirmary, closing the doors behind them. He walks back into the Great Hall and sits back down at the Gryffindor table to finish his supper.

"So, what was the surprise you gave Neville?" Ron asks, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "A new plant? Some Herbology supplies?"

"No, something a lot more important." Harry smiles wistfully as he pushes his plate away, his appetite lost.

"What's more important to Neville than Herbology?" Ron chuckles.

"His parents..." Harry practically whispers, standing up and walking out of the Hall and towards the Headmaster's office. Stopping at the gargoyle, Harry realizes Dumbledore didn't give him the password. "Ugh, bugger. Let's see... Sherbet Lemon? Acid Pops? Blood Pops, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbee, Bertie Bott's, Toffee Eclairs, Licorice Snaps, Cockroach Clusters, Pum-"

The gargoyle rumbles as it slides to the side, the staircase twirling up towards the door. "Cockroach Clusters? Really?" Shaking his head in disgust, Harry walks up the staircase and raises his hand to knock at the door.

"Come in, Harry." Dumbledore says through the door. Harry sighs and opens the door and walks in, looking around the large office. Catching his eye like always, several silver and gold instruments swirl and whir behind the headmaster on a shelf. The ancient wizard gestures to the plush chair in front of his desk a moment later. As he does, the headmaster offers a bowl of bright yellow treats to Harry. "Lemon drop, Harry?"

"Thank you, sir." Harry says, taking one of the treats from the bowl before unwrapping it and plopping it in his mouth. "Calming Drought, sir?"

"Very perceptive, Harry." Dumbledore smiles proudly. "Not many people can detect it."

"I'm not most people, sir." He answers, speaking evenly.

"Indeed you are not, my boy." He nods, intertwining his fingers and placing his chin in top of them

after placing one of the treats into his mouth.

"You wouldn't mind if I took a few more for later, would you sir?" Harry asks, nodding towards the bowl. "I can imagine that the conversation will be rather repetitive and stressful when I get back to Gryffindor Tower."

"I understand, my boy." Dumbledore nods, pushing the bowl towards him. "Take as many as you like. People rarely take them when I offer, so I'm afraid I have a near unlimited amount."

"Hindsight, eh sir?"

"She can indeed be funny, Harry." Dumbledore chuckles before sighing and the mirth dying from his eyes and he sighs. "Harry, I am very sorry."

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry for everything, Harry." Dumbledore says, noticing Harry stiffen and his expression harden.

"Would you care to elaborate, Headmaster?" Harry says coldly, the venom in his voice causing the old headmaster to flinch.

"I am sorry for ever placing you with the Dursley's. It was the naivety of an old man that made me think that you would be safe with those monsters, Harry. I thought that someone who was related to someone as kind and loving as Lily could be nothing but a wonderful mother figure. I was wrong, so very very wrong. Minerva warned me, but in my arrogance, I ignored her warning. Every year you've been here, you've practically begged me not to send you back, and every year I waved your concerns off." Tears were cascading down his cheeks, soaking his beard. "On top of that, every year you've been in danger here, and you shouldn't have been once. It's my job to protect you and all the other students, and I couldn't do my job properly. It wound up being cleaning up my messes for the last three years, and every year before that is already inexcusable. I've always thought what I was doing was right, and after what happened in France, and later in Diagon Alley, I sat down and took a long look at not just the enormous mistakes I've made with you, but all the ones of my past. I realized that I have done so much that does not deserve forgiveness, but most of all with you. There is no reality where I should have any right to ask you this, Harry, but I am begging you, could you please find it in your heart to forgive a foolish old man for his mistakes?"

Harry stares at the crying old wizard in front of him, regarding him and taking in everything he had said. Looking down and sighing, Harry let the ice and venom drain from his heart before turning away and answering; "No. I'm sorry, Headmaster. I cannot forgive you for what you've done. You're right, you have no place in any world to ask me to forgive you for what you've done. You deserve to live with what you've done." Looking down in shame, the Headmaster nods slowly, accepting his answer. "But I will give you a chance, one chance, to make up for everything you've done."

His head snapping up, Dumbledore stares at Harry in shock. "Harry, do you truly mean that?"

"Yes, I do." Harry says, looking back at him. "I will not forgive you, and I will never forget what you put me through, but I will give you a chance for redemption. While I think not everyone deserves a second chance, I believe you do. This is the only chance I will give you, though, Headmaster. Don't betray my trust again."

"I swear to you, Harry." Dumbledore declares vehemently. "I will not. You have given this old man a greater treasure than you realize, and I will treasure it."

"There is one more thing that we will need to talk about another time, Headmaster." Harry says, pointing to his forehead and staring at Dumbledore knowingly, his eyes going wide.

"Harry, how do you...?"

"It's not important right now." Harry answers quickly. "The bottom line is it's gone, it's not coming back, and I will explain everything about it if you do the same with me. Deal?"

"I... You..." Sighing, Dumbledore nods at Harry. "I swear I will. I don't know much for sure, only speculation, but I will tell you everything that I have theorized, and anything I discover in the future."

"That's all I ask, sir." Standing up and stretching, Harry turns and walks towards the door before Dumbledore calls out to him.

"Professor Snape was wrong about one thing, Harry."

"What would that be, Professor?"

"You are so much more like your mother than your father."

Smiling, Harry walks out the door and closing it behind him. "Goodnight, Headmaster."

"Goodnight, Harry."

~Fleur~

After telling his dorm mates he'd tell them about it all the next day, Harry went to bed and dreamed of somehow bringing his parents back. He awoke the next morning crying, knowing it was a dream that could never come true. He stands up from his bed and dresses himself, walking out of the dorm and down towards the Great Hall. Upon reaching the doors, he's stopped by Snape.

"Mr. Potter, may I speak with you for a moment?" Shocked by his cordial tone, Harry nods. "I have heard about what you did for Mr. Longbottom. Your mother would be proud of you."

"Well, to be honest sir, you had a hand in that success."

"How so?"

"'Tell me, Mr. Potter. Where would I find a bezoar?'"Harry quotes, smiling at the Potions Master who'd raised an eyebrow. "Due to you teaching me that in my first lesson, I used bezoar powder as one of the ingredients in the potion I created to cure the poison in their minds, so to speak."

"That sounds like an amazing potion, Mr. Potter." Snape whispers in shock. "Your mother would be impressed."

"If she's as much like Hermione as everyone says, she would have taken two hours, tops, to be ablke to figure out how I did it."

The corner of his mouth turning up in a half-smile, Snape nods. "Your mother was indeed incredibly similar to Miss Granger, and I daresay she wouldn't even take two hours to decipher it." Looking back down, his expression once more becoming stoic, he nods to Harry. "She'd be even more proud of you for giving the Headmaster a second chance, even though he doesn't deserve it. Tell me, why did you do it?"

"Well, Professor Snape," Harry says, offering his hand to the potions professor. "While not everyone deserves a second chance, I believe he did."

"I believe I was wrong before, Mr. Potter." Snape says, smirking and shaking Harry's hand. "You are so much more like your mother than I previously thought. I'd daresay the only thing of your father in you is a particular disregard for the rules."

"We all know those are more like guideline for me, Professor."

The two walk away from each other, a mutual understanding and truce established between them as Lily Potter shines through Harry.

Well, everyone! There's chapter sixteen! I hope you all enjoyed it, and as you can see, Snape will be a little OC, as will most likely several other characters. I am once again sorry that I've been gone for so long, but I am here to stay. Please do message me if you are sincerely interested in being a beta for the story. As usual, read, review, and spread it like wildfire. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and flames will be used on the faces of flamers. This is Mystery Critic, signing off.