Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my thoughts of AU and OC, the rest all belong to J K Rowling.

Chapter 25

Those years around the first Wizardry War were terrifying. On one hand, Molly Prewett had got everything she had ever dreamt of. A loving husband and four boys to be proved of. On the other hand, she had joined Dumbledore's secret society called the Order of the Pheonix to fight for the Light. Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter were Gryffindor juniors from Hogwarts. The ever so motherly Weasley adored them much like her on siblings, Fabian and Gideon. But Lily Evan was one true friend, whose untimely death she couldn't quite digest. Even after all these years, Lily's leather-bound journal brought fresh tears in her eyes.

After the death of the Potters' and Harry's disappearance from the Magical world, Molly was quite bewildered, when she had received a summoning letter from the Gringotts.

Accompanied but Arthur, she had gone the very next day and was received by Griphook. The goblin had made both the husband and the wife sign a bond of secrecy, and had handed over the case, with the words, "Mrs. Lily Potter wanted you to have it." They were ushered out of the bank in no time.

Apparating back to the Burrows, the mother of four boys, had opened the case, where she had found a letter from lily, kept above the journal. It read:

"Dear Molly,

If you are reading this letter, then I can assume, I must have died in this bloody battle we are fighting. Keep this journal safe and secure. The case has a charm of its own, and it can recognize you as its keeper. On one else will ever find it, unless, you have assigned someone in your absence to be its keeper. What is inside with most previous. Keep it safe, keep it hidden. It will find its owner when the time comes.

Much love,

yours,

Lily.

Picking up the bound book, like those many years before, she once again tried to flip through its pages. But wasn't demoralized when the next pages won't allow her to flip through. The cover still had the age-old words written on it in Lily's floral cursive handwriting,

"The tear of the child will wake me up,

the magic of the child will call me forth,

and you shall know for whom,

I am preserving the story written within my pages."

She was about to close the cover when the journal started writing the following letters on its own.

"Benevolent Keeper,

take me to Severus Snape,

the Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Her hands flew to cover her mouth. "Merlin's pants! Merlin's beard! Snape, it was always Snape."

Just then, the Floo connection came to life, and she heard Bill Weasley, calling for her.

"Mum, Dad, Gin…'m back."

Picking up the case and storing the journal within, the mother got her coat and had rushed to her son.

"Bill, son, good, you are back, how is Hermione?"

"She is better," then carefully peering at her, her son doubtful urged, "Mum, is everything fine? Gin's fine, right? Harry is still at Hogwarts…the Headmaster…"

"Yes! Where is Snape?"

"At Hogwarts."

"Good, that is good." She gathered the floo powder from over the mantle, then turning to her surprised son, she ordered, "George will be back, tell your father to stay back and keep Ginny company. Dinner is ready, I might be late."

Kneeling in front of the fireplace, she clearly spoke the Deputy Headmistress's name. After waiting a couple of seconds, she shoved her head in the green flames.

"Deputy Headmistress, Minerva, are you there?"

The older witch had been pacing in her chambers having dismissed her colleague, the repenting Lupin and Flitwick, moments ago. She was more than surprised to see, Molly Weasley, peeping out of her fireplace.

"Molly, hello, has something happening? Shall I send for Mr. Potter?"

Shaking her head, the Weasley matriarch insisted, "The matter is urgent, I need to speak to you, in private, now."

Shocked at the others pleading voice, the older witch had given her assent. In moments, Molly was standing in the Hogwarts chambers of her former transfiguration professor. Walking up to her mentor, she grabbed hold of her hand and asked vehemently, "Take me to Severus, I have something that belongs to him. He must have it, Now."

"Molly, you look worried, I would have taken you to the Headmaster myself, but we would be busy tonight, there are errands…"

Shaking her head in disagreement, Mrs. Wealsey pressed on, drawing the other's attention to the case she was carrying with her, "You don't understand…though, it is just my guess, that This, all this, everything has to do with Hermione and Severus. I can't say much…Minerva, can I trust you with a secret…"

"Yes, Molly you can, what is it, I don't really understand…?"

Pointing at the case in her hand, Molly continued, "Lily had left this to me, according to her will. It contains a journal. Arthur can't see it, but I can. I would guess neither would you be able to see it. But today, just a while ago, it had started buzzing and a blue glow has coming out of it. It has been years, and I had completely forgotten about it. You see, there are instructions written on the cover page,

"The tear of the child will wake me up,

the magic of the child will call me forth,

and you shall know for whom,

I am preserving the story written within my pages."

And today, I could read another line below it…

"Benevolent Keeper,

take me to Severus Snape,

the Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Minerva had stared at her former Gryffindor student, in rapt attention, and then as if understanding the true meaning behind all this hurriedly walked up to the door,

"The headmaster might still be out on the grounds, but with guests coming in, I think he would soon be back to his chambers, come along Molly, bring that case with you, we might as well wait for him at the entrance to his office."

'Hagrid is such an emotional bundle of goodness,'' Snape tsked his tongue and curled his lips. Even then he couldn't shrug off the feeling of being so openly appreciated. He was now feeling more uncomfortable. With the number of people relying on him and his magic finesse, he was feeling the pressure of all those years gathering its weight over his soul.

When he finally made up to his headmaster's chambers Nigellas Black's portrait called him out. "Severus! Boy, you took long." "Hello, Headmaster Black."

The man in the portrait nodded in appreciation. But his smug face had soon softened and even in this dim-lit room, Snape could make out the lines of worry etched out over the long-dead man. The most unpopular headmaster in the history of Hogwarts, Sirius Black's Ancestor, next, asked him the oddest question, "How is she doing? They don't keep portraits in that blasted corridor. Madam Dilys Derwent could only overhear you all from the portrait that hangs next to Healer Norman's chamber. The smart lass that one. Severus, you must not lose hope, fight for her, that one is a fighter through and through, your girl."