Hands began to smack tables and feet began to stamp on the tiled floors. And whispers became roars.
"Harry! Harry! Harry!"
Dumbledore lifted his head and held his wand up, the tip lighting up. One by one, the other staff left their seats and formed a line down the centre of the Great Hall, one by one they raised their lit wands and one by one they let their tears fall. They were quickly joined by students from every house. Cedric lead the Puffs, Cho Chang lead the Claws, Percy lead the lions and, in a move that shocked Titania, Draco Malfoy lead the Slytherins. Soon the Hall was filled with light
Titania leant into Fred's side and the older boy wrapped his arms around her, as she sobbed. He wasn't aware that her tears were from relief not sorrow, but tears were tears and he knew what to do with a crying girl. You held on and you didn't let go.
Luna looked at her friends and sent up a prayer of thanks to Lady Magic. Her friend's future was her own.
Intermission
Professor Snape.
No-one but you will be able to read this, unless you want them to, and even if you want them to, they won't be able to keep it for long, it will return to your hands within five minutes and no-one but you can destroy it. Mum's security charms are brilliant.
You were mum's friend and dad's enemy. But you were also my teacher. You don't like me and I don't particularly like you but that hasn't stopped you from stepping in and saving my life when it was threatened. Yes, I know about you and the counter curse to my hexed broom in first year. About you volunteering to co-host Lockhart the Incompetent's duelling cub, to ensure that I wasn't assigned an older student that would 'accidentally' take advantage of the situation. And don't forget stepping in front of Ron, Hermione and I in the forest, tonight. Professor Lupin loosing control of his animagus form was scary for us but you didn't even hesitate to push us behind you.
I know that this is partially because you owed dad a Life Debt and partially because Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard and basically guilted you into it.
Either way, as far as I'm concerned, you've more than paid it back.
I, Henry James Evans-Potter, known as Harry Potter, do hereby acknowledge any debts owed to either my father or mother by Severus Snape, head of Slytherin house and potions Master to Hogwarts, as paid in full.
I heard you and Trelawney speaking outside the hospital wing and her comments were just thing too many for me to accept.
You will be pleased to know that Harry Potter is no more.
But don't worry, I got rid of the snake-faced idiot before I left. Voldemort is gone. He made horcruxes, more than one.
Six.
If you ever find Godric Gryffindor's office, or can convince a house-elf to show you, you will find the remains of four of them. A locket belonging to Slytherin, a cup belonging to Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw's diadem and the Gaunt Family ring. Unfortunately, in removing the horcrux from each item, they were broken beyond repair. The only thing I knew for sure would kill destroy them was a basilisk fang, I used one to destroy a diary-horcrux in second year. Malfoy has the remains of that.
The other one was me.
And the only way to destroy a horcrux, according to the books in the restricted section of the library, is to destroy the container.
That's why I said Harry Potter is no more. By the time you read this, it will be over and done with.
Please tell Remus to look in the usual hiding place for a letter and a copy of my Will. Gringotts have the original. Dumbledore might say he's my guardian but I know better and so do Gringotts. Sirius was falsely imprisoned, he never got a trial and was never convicted. That meant that according to Gringotts he's still my guardian. He was never trying to kill me, he was trying to protect me, why do you think he attacked Ron and not me? Ron's rat is Peter Pettigrew, he was mum and dad's Secret Keeper, he was the one to betray us. Isn't he going to be upset when he finds Voldy is gone?
I know that a lot of people will be, but I know that you're not going to be one of them.
You'll never have to worry about Sirius coming back and getting angry that you didn't save me again, I sent him a message and told him what I was going to do and why. I told him to leave Scotland, get a new identity and start a new life. His reply said something called a blood adoption would do that. He was going to leave a letter for Remus, with mine.
I've left mum's potions journal for you, needless to say a dead person doesn't have much use for a journal.
Thank you.
Harry.
P.S. The pictures that Trelawney spoke about? I had a non-Hogwarts elf fetch them for you. They'll be in your rooms, on your personal desk. I didn't look at them, they're not my business, nor are they hers. Blackmailing you is stupid, but Sirius said she was never the smartest witch out there.
Severus Snape read the letter for a third time and for a third time, his heart shuddered. The boy was dead. He climbed to his feet, the Headmaster needed to know about this.
He quickly made his way through the castle to the headmaster's office, only to have a portrait that hung opposite the office's stair, speak to him.
"Potions Master Snape, the Headmaster is not in his office, he was called to the hospital wing just a few minutes ago." The elderly wizard informed him.
"My thanks, Master Brannigan." He nodded to the painting. "My need to speak to the Headmaster is urgent, so I shall hasten there, immediately." He gave a shallow bow and spun on his heel, hurrying back the way he'd come.
He knocked firmly on the hospital wing's door and waited impatiently for them to open. Madam Pomfrey's face greeted him and before she could say anything, he held up a hand.
"I need to speak with the Headmaster, urgently. It is in regard to Potter."
Her eyes widened and she pulled the door open only far enough for him to enter.
"Severus?" Dumbledore said. "I will have to speak with you later. This-"
"I know." Snape held up the letter. "Potter wrote to me. He's dead."
Dumbledore blinked and he darted across the room to stand in front of Severus.
"What?!" He demanded.
"I found this, this morning, my wand was sitting on it." Severus handed over the letter.
"It's blank." Dumbledore said.
Snape frowned and understanding cleared his face. "I give permission for Albus Dumbledore to read the letter, sent to me from Harry Potter." He said and watched as Dumbledore's eyes fell to the letters bleeding out of the parchment.
The Headmaster read the letter and slumped back onto an empty bed.
"Oh, no…" He whispered.
"Yes." Snape replied.
"Is it true?"
Snape bared his left arm showing an arm free of the vile Mark that Voldemort had forced upon him. "It is true. He is gone." He sank down beside the Headmaster. "So is the boy." He let his head fall to hands. "Lily's son is dead."
"…" The Headmaster made sound of heartache and a tear slid from his eye. "How did he know? Who told him?"
"I don't know, Albus." Snape sighed. "Does it matter, now? At the very least, he's safe from the Dark Lord and from those… muggles." The last word was almost growled.
"He is." Dumbledore sighed. "He is safe from all harm."
"And you plans are all wasted." Snape sneered.
"Not wasted but thankfully, not needed." Dumbledore replied.
"I'm not telling Lupin." Snape declared.
"Severus…"
"No." Snape was adamant. "No. You put him with the muggles. You made sure he was isolated. You laid the trail to entice the boy into your traps. Well, he sprung them and now you can deal with the fallout. My part in all this is clear… to the boy, as well as everyone else… My task was to see he lived. He's dead. My part in this is over. I'm free."
"Severus, you owe James-"
"A Life Debt that passed to his son, a son that absolved me of that Debt." Snape cut him off. "He acknowledged it as paid. I am free. And I refuse to submit myself to your machinations, any longer, Headmaster. My contract says that I will remain here until the end of June 2000. I will agree to no amendments nor will I sign another contract with Hogwarts or you. I am free to choose my own future and you will not be a part of that choice." Snape stood. "I suggest you call the Aurors, before I do." He reached out and removed the letter from an unresisting Dumbledore and left the Hospital. "I will expect them to visit me in my office, this morning. All my classes are cancelled."
On the other side of the hospital, Hermione Granger listened to the discussion between Snape and the Headmaster. She let her head rest on the pillow and thought about what the said and what she knew of Harry's life at Hogwarts and in the muggle world.
"What did Snape mean?" Ron asked.
Hermione held up a hand and continued to think. Finally, many minutes later, she sighed and let her hand fall.
"Well?" Ron was now sitting up, a tray holding a breakfast meal in front of him.
"Harry's dead, Ron." Hermione sighed.
"No, he just-"
"He's dead." Hermione corrected. "Last night he was prepared to go with someone, that only a couple of hours earlier, he believed to be murderer, just to escape from his Aunt and Uncle."
"No." Ron repeated.
"Yes." Hermione corrected. "I don't know what Snape's letter said but both of them believe Harry's dead. And that Vol- You-Know-Who is dead, too, apparently Harry did it. My guess is, if Harry sent Snape a letter, then he knew going in, he was going to die."
Ron blinked. "He wrote to Snape…?"
"He did." Hermione nodded.
"Yeah. Harry's dead." Ron sighed. "He'd never do that if he knew he had to face him again."
"No." Hermione curled onto her side, facing Ron. "I hope wherever he is, it's better than here."
"It is." Ron said firmly. "It has to be. Harry's there."
"Yes, if Harry's there, it's a good place." Hermione began to cry, silent tears trickling down her face.
Two hours later, Remus Lupin limped into Snape's office.
"Dumbledore told me that Harry wrote to you." He greeted Snape.
"He did." Snape held out the letter. "I give permission for Remus Lupin to read the letter that Harry Potter sent me."
Remus read the letter and sighed. "Bollocks. I had hoped…" He re-read a portion of it again. "The usual place?" he dragged himself to his feet. "The usual place…"
"Lupin?"
"The usual place? How did he know we called it that?" Lupin frowned.
"How did he know about the Dark Lord's horcruxes? How did he know about the Life Debt I owed his father? How did he know that I was Lily's friend? How did he know that his father and I were enemies? How did he know I saved his life? How did he know about Gryffindor's office? How did he know about Lily's charms? How did he know about Lily's potions journal?" Snape replied. "All I have are questions. I have no answers. And unless the letter he left for you answers them, I never will."
Lupin tilted his head. "Want to come with me to fetch it? I'll let you read it."
Snape studied the man for a nearly a minute before he replied. "Yes, I think I will."
Before he could stand, a figure in Auror's red filled his door. "I'm looking for Professors Severus Snape and Remus Lupin."
"That's us." Lupin said. "I'm Lupin."
"And I am Potions Master Snape."
"Excellent." The Auror nodded. "I need to take your statements. In regard to last night and this morning."
"A statement, or would you prefer to remove a copy of the memory of the incidents?" Snape asked.
The Auror hummed in thought. "I'll take the memories, if you don't mind?"
"Copies only." Snape said. "If we need to provide statements later, we'll need to have access to them."
"Certainly, Master Snape." The Auror nodded and retrieved a bag of phials from his pocket. "How many phials would you like?"
"Four." Snape said, he thought it best to give a selection including from the night before as well as this morning.
"Same." Lupin decided he would provide the memories of meeting with Dumbledore and discussing his interactions with Harry, teaching Harry to cast a Patronus, the events of the night before and the casting of the Fidelius Charm back in September 1981.
Half an hour later, the two Professors entered the shrieking shack.
"Here?" Asked Snape, looking around in distaste.
"Up here." Lupin corrected and climbed to the room opposite the one they'd been in last night. He went to the far wall and knelt down, lifted a portion of the wall's kickboard away from the wall and reached into the cavity. His hand returned holding a biscuit tin.
A few seconds passed before Lupin sighed and rose to his feet. "Do you want to do this here or back in the castle?"
"Here." Snape replied. "Dumbledore will want to confiscate them, before we read them, if he can."
"True." Lupin nodded and opened the tin. Inside, were a small box and four letters, each with a single words written on the outside of them.
Moony – in the familiar 'chicken-scratch' of Harry Potter.
Moony – in a shaky but clear hand.
Snape – in the smae hand as the second 'Moony' letter.
Gringotts – in Harry's rough writing.
"The mutt left one for me?" Snape blinked as Lupin handed him the tin, after having removed the two letters addressed to 'Moony'.
Lupin didn't answer, her was too busy reading.
My Dearest Moony.
I don't know where to start. I've spent the night talking with Harry and he
Gods, Moony, the shit he's had to put up with. It's crap. Complete and utter crap.
Petunia deserves to be handed over to the Death Eater for the shit she's let happen to Harry.
Oh, don't panic, she never did anything to him, she just never stopped her husband or son from doing it.
Anyway, Harry explained to me what he plans to do tonight. It nearly killed me, when he told me, but
I can't see any other way, either. Voldemort has to go and har
If my mother said horcruxes are evil, you know how bad they are. And Harry's got one in his head. I found nothing in Grimmauld that disagreed with what Harry found in the Hogwarts library. The only way to destroy a Horcrux is to destroy the container.
Whether it's alive or not.
He's going to use a selection of potions.
Oh, Moony, our cub's going to kill
There won't be anything left to find, the potions will make sure of it and I can only hope it's quick.
As I write this, I have a pair of bloodline conversion potions in goblets, in front of me and once I finish this, I'll drink them. Harry's orders.
We'll meet again, one day. When everything quiets down, I'll come see you. I won't look like me but underneath, I'm still the idiot you called 'brother'.
Wish me luck.
Padfoot ?
P.P.S The shrunken trunk is for you. Get some decent robes, you skinflint.
Lupin snorted and opened the second letter.
Dear Moony
I don't know what to say.
Thank you for being there this year. Knowing how to cast a Patronus saved my life, and Sirius'.
I have to do this. I'm sorry. If there was any other way, I'd take it, but neither Sirius nor I can find one. The potions will end it.
I'm sure there's people that will call it suicide, but if that kills Voldemort and saves my friends, I'll take it.
I don't trust the Headmaster, he hired Voldemort as a teacher for my first year. I don't know why he's trying to kill me, but I was far safer in the muggle world than I have been here. Other than Hermione and Ron, this place has nothing for me.
I'm going to miss them. And you and probably Snape, too.
He's the only one here that didn't treat me like some sort of celebrity.
I hate being the Boy-Who-Lived, it's rubbish and it sucks.
Sirius said he was going to take some potion that would change his identity, so you will see him again. I think he has unfinished business with Snape, the way he carried on was like dad did with mum. Maybe he fancies Snape.
Oh, God. Don't tell Snape!
Please?
Anyway, my time is up. It's time to end this, once and for all.
I think I could have called you Uncle, but I guess we'll never know, now.
Goodbye Moony.
Harry
P.S. When you see Sirius next ask him if he does have a crush on Snape. I would love to see his face.
Meanwhile Snape had opened the letter addressed to him from Black.
Snape
I'm sorry.
I know how much Lily meant to you. Knowing what Harry has planned is
I'm sorry.
This sucks, it really does. Harry shouldn't have to do this. The Ministry and the Aurors should be doing it, but the useless pack of wankers are refusing to even admit that the snake-faced bastard's not gone.
By morning, he will be. And so will Harry. And that sucks.
My godson is going to basically commit suicide to end a war that the Ministry won't even acknowledge is happening and there's not a bloody thing I can do but watch.
And he won't let me. Says the risk of the horcrux attacking me is too great.
Bollocks.
He's tearing my heart out and neither of us can see any way around it.
I'm sorry.
I'm
I'm sorry.
I know you don't want to hear this, but I was young and stupid and I hurt you. I'm sorry.
Sirius.
Snape read the letter and sighed. "Stupid idiot." He muttered. "I know you're sorry, but that doesn't change Harry being dead, now does it?"
"That bad?" Lupin asked.
"No, I suppose not." Snape allowed, handed the letter to Lupin and accepted two in return. His eyes flicked through them, brows raising as he read Potter's letter. "Well, that would explain a few things."
"Doesn't it, just?" Lupin smiled sadly. "We'd better take these to Gringotts and the Ministry. They'll probably want copies."
"I'm sure they will." Snape nodded. "I suggest we do that before returning to the castle."
"Agreed."