A/N: I do not own Harry Potter
I know the ending of this one has been a long time coming. I have gotten busy and this WIP really got abandoned for a hot minute. I only posted Chapter 6 a day or so ago, so I am attempting to get this ending to you as soon as possible. It was all supposed to be in Chapter 6, but there was too much to say, and I didn't want to rush it. So here goes.
If feel like I got a little carried away in this chapter. Mary and Lily's 'discussion' seems to really follow the general argument of those that are Pro Snape and those that hate Snape. I have tried to be honourable to both sides of the argument, despite my own views on the matter.
The Snapes and The Potters
Godric's Hollow was a small town in the west midlands of England. It was a historic town as far as the wizarding community was concerned, being the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There were very few towns like this in England, as it was almost completely wizard populated – although Hogsmeade was the only wholly magical town in Britain. This was also where the Potters lived.
You had to be wealthy to live here – it was prime wizarding real estate – or come from 'old money' which James Potter did. To this day, he hadn't had to work a day; he simply raked in the Galleons every time a bottle of Skele-Gro, Pepper-Up Potion, or even the more recent invention of the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion range – which had only increased their fortune – was purchased. All this is to say that, on the outside, the Potters appeared to live a charmed life.
Lily Snape, still in a fury and desperately needing a friend, ventured towards the large cottage where her friend – and wife of James Potter – Mary lived. The front of the house had the same garden that was believed to have been used by Linfred Stitchcombe, but instead of strange and wonderful magical plants, there were now beautiful roses and tulips growing, a lush green lawn, and a hanging swing. The scent of honeysuckle filled the air as it crawled up the side of the cottage, which finished the idyllic look. Lily strode up the path and knocked firmly on the door.
Mary, a slight woman with bright blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, opened the door. She had a generous sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks, but her expression was worn.
"Lily," she said, greeting her old-friend with a voice that seemed as tired as she looked.
"Mary," Lily choked, "can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere private?"
"Come in. James isn't here — he's not going to be back for a while."
"You're sure?" she asked. "I wanted to talk about… well, this whole mess really... and Severus. Things are such a mess at home."
Soon Lily's face was in her hands as she struggled to contain herself. Verbalising the mere idea that she and Severus were having problems shook her to the core.
"I'm sure," she replied. "He moved out." Mary stood to the side, letting Lily past the facade that everyone else saw.
Neither said anything as they walked through the home. Mary led her to a bright open kitchen. A large window overlooked a far more exotic garden than the one at the front. There was a large oak tree with a half-constructed treehouse sitting in the fork of the tree.
"Just one of the many broken promises," Mary said as she noticed where Lily's gaze had landed.
Lily didn't reply, turning her attention to the kitchen. It was all cream walls and dark oak — luxurious looking. She sat at the large, heavy oak table and waited for Mary.
Mary didn't put on the kettle or fetch glasses of water; instead, she brought over an uncorked bottle of red wine. Placing a glass in front of Lily, she poured until it was full and then turned her attention to her own glass. There was a tense silence as neither of them knew how to start.
"So," Mary began, "you finally realised it was a mistake to marry Severus?"
"What? No, of course not!" Lily exclaimed. "What on Earth gave you that idea?"
Mary blushed slightly, realising that she had said the one thing she shouldn't have. It was a topic she knew to steer clear of.
"You said things are a mess at home. I know what Severus is like," she said, remaining truthful, but trying to course-correct all the same.
"You do, do you?" Lily asked accusingly.
"You were always the exception to the rule, Lily. Surely you know that?"
Lily looked at Mary, noticing the pitying expression, almost as though she – Lily – had been living in the dark all this time. She barely remembered the row, the issues that they had with Harry, as inside her rose that need to defend her family. Ever the peacemaker, she rarely was so outspoken, it built up, and she would explode, and as Severus had said, 'not always in the right direction.' It was clear to her now, she didn't just need to protect Severus – there was a prejudice against Harry, just because of who his father was.
Lily suppressed the anger that rose; she always did, but her husband did not. She restrained her ire. "What rule?" she asked.
Mary shifted uncomfortably in her seat, taking another long sip of the crimson liquid in her glass. Lily noticed how the woman wanted to move on to another topic, and as civil as she could be, she was determined that she would set the record straight. Severus' words haunted her: 'Be your usual polite self, but don't give her a bloody inch!' Severus might have been talking about someone else, but she knew it applied here. It was time for Lily to stand her ground.
"No need to clam up now, Mary. Spit it out!" Lily looked at her, demanding answers, her posture far from the sedated, painfully polite woman most people saw.
"You know exactly what I mean! What he did at school, the things he said!"
It was Mary's turn to get her back up, and it seemed that she was going to finally speak her mind, too. Maybe this was the real reason that they had lost touch – it was far easier to blame James and Severus.
Lily's cheeks reddened, not from embarrassment, but from anger. "Seriously? He never did anything to you!"
"He called me a Mudblood!" Mary declared.
"Don't say that word!"
The word offended Lily for many reasons. There was the outright prejudice of it, that she was less due to her birth, the insinuation that she was dirty, filthy, not welcome in this world — like it wasn't her world. Then, there were the memories that came with it. The day that she and Severus had almost been torn asunder. The word that had nearly broken them, and it had taken a lot to repair that damage — it was still being restored if she asked Severus. She could see it in the way that he acted, how he still believed he had to earn forgiveness for uttering that unforgivable word — it haunted their marriage.
"He did, and you know it. He also stood by while his friends, McNair and Avery, cursed me! How can you be on his side? How could you have ever forgiven him? We were supposed to be friends!"
It hit the nail on the head really. Lily saw herself through Mary's eyes, and it wasn't pretty. To her, Mary had picked out facts from their lives and made them her canon, but conveniently ignored the facts that made her understand the 'why' of her husband's actions. It was sobering to see herself as Mary saw her, and while it did nothing to cure the anger, it did make her understand somewhat.
"You forget that he said the same thing to me. I took it seriously; it nearly broke Severus and me. I was sure when I forgave him, and I am more so now, that that isn't who he is. You know what he did to make up for everything. You also know about the many and varied extenuating circumstances — why he felt unable to give those friends up. Don't ever insinuate that my husband ever did anything — he didn't."
The wine was all but forgotten, and she looked at Mary, a fiery expression on her face — she was determined to stand up for the man that she loved. Mary didn't seem to take on what was said; her expression was as stony as ever.
"For you!" she said. "You can't say you don't know what he thinks of the rest of us? You can't honestly believe that he doesn't long to see the rest of us dead!" Mary paused, looking directly into Lily's eyes. "You can't really be that blind."
Lily's face paled and her lip trembled. She had never before felt her husband's point of view. Now, she sat listening to what her 'friend' – and what most of the wizarding world – thought of him, and it hurt. It hurt so much she could barely take in a breath, and she marvelled how he held his head high — how dignified he was. He was on the offensive so much more than she was; Lily would always be the type to resolve conflict, no matter the cost. Her husband was not; he demanded the same of others that he demanded of himself: repentance and justice.
"He doesn't." A tear rolled down her face, the pain she felt now showing on her face.
"Doesn't he? What about the 'Lestranges'? He conveniently reveals something to Dumbledore – right before the so-called movement ends – and he gets off, no consequences!"
Lily sighed; she knew how it looked. Many people thought that Lily was a fool because of this exact point. "I guess I always thought that you knew me better," Lily whispered. "How wrong I have been. I have been wrong about so much."
Mary looked up at the expression on her face. "You were always a little blind where Severus was concerned, but he genuinely loves you. I know that, and so I knew he would never hurt you." Mary paused. "It's why I would never say anything, not until it needed to be said."
"Mary, he joined at Professor Dumbledore's request. He provided the information that brought the Lestranges' down. He was never prejudiced – at least not against Muggle-Borns." She sighed. "Muggles and Gryffindors, that's another conversation entirely."
Lily was adamant about defending her husband, knowing that he never would, that he cared so little for the opinion of others – particularly those whom he felt were ignorant. Lily imagined that Mary would qualify, but she had treasured and missed that friendship. She was determined that at least she would understand her husband, that at least she would know how great her husband was.
"Because it's okay to hate Muggles?" Mary asked, an eyebrow raised, her eyes almost rolling. "I'm sure Severus told you whatever story you needed to hear, and I know you would want to believe it."
"No, I was there when Dumbledore asked him. There's a file at the ministry detailing his entire involvement with 'The Cause'. As for his prejudices, he was raised by a Muggle father, who beat him, and his only other contact with Muggles – for a long time, at least – was my sister, Petunia."
Within the explanation, her anger dissipated. It could have been the slowly changing expression on Mary's face. The once stern eyes softened, and understanding seemed to sink in.
"That'll do it," Mary scoffed. "I still don't think it makes it okay, you realise that, right?"
"I do, and I would love for you to look at Severus the same way you look at Monty; a child that struggled and couldn't cope with the war he had at home and made mistakes. If you cannot forgive Severus, if you can't see the great man that he is now, how on Earth can you expect us to show any kind of leniency towards Monty? It's just the same."
"There is a great lack of understanding where our families are concerned." Mary looked up at Lily, and for the first time in a long time, they seemed to be the eyes of a friend again. "Can you and Severus look at Monty that way? A child that can't cope; a child that made a mistake."
"Yes, I can. I'll speak with Severus, too, but you have to understand, we will never accept that there are no consequences for Monty. Severus had consequences, and it changed who he was."
"That's what consequences do, I guess." Mary smiled. "I spoke to Monty," she continued. "We know he did it, though I promise he didn't intend it to be so dangerous. He just wanted to ruin the potion."
Lily pursed her lips, the same issue rearing its head. The benefit that Mary wanted her to give to Monty, and yet was unwilling to give her husband.
"Oh! Well, I guess that's all right!" Lily said. She picked up a glass of wine and took a long swig. "I don't suppose it's lost on you that you're asking for something you denied Severus for so long?"
"You know that's not what I meant," Mary said, her voice rising in her impatience. "Severus would paint Monty as a malicious child intent on murder! I want to be clear that that is so far from the truth, and I don't want him to try and paint my son as something he isn't, just like he did with Sirius!"
"Do you even know what happened?" she asked, unable to disguise her superior tone.
"I know that Sirius played a prank on Severus and it ruined his friendship with Remus. I know that the word 'murder' has been foolishly thrown around, but I never asked what the prank was."
"Seriously? You have thought me ignorant of my husband's true nature, blinded by my love! You have no idea what happened, and I personally struggle to think of another way to describe that 'prank'."
Mary's lips thinned. It seemed that the moment they made progress – gained understanding – they were soon arguing about the differences between them again. Lily's expression did nothing to help the anger rising within her.
"Sirius set Severus up to meet a werewolf – the werewolf being Remus, their friend, apparently – in a very confined space. There are only so many ways a prank like that can go!"
"Why must James be tainted by Sirius' sins?" she said, trailing off. "I suppose this explains why Severus is so insistent on painting Monty as malicious. He wants vengeance where he got none. It counts for something that his intent wasn't malicious."
"You don't know him. He doesn't want vengeance for himself; he wants to make sure that his son doesn't have the same experience that he had. Everything about our life, how he parents, it's all focused on giving Harry everything that he didn't. In his anger, he does think Monty was malicious. I would think you could understand why he's so angry. His son is blind, and he feels like he has failed to protect Harry."
"I don't want Monty's life to be forever ruined over an accident!"
"That is very generous," Lily replied, her tone calm, and yet it was clear the statement was offensive to her.
"There are extenuating circumstances." Mary implored.
"Harry is blind, and that is forever, whether it was an accident or not. He may not have intended it to be dangerous – I will give the benefit of the doubt – but he chose to throw something in the cauldron. I don't think a week's detention is appropriate. What if it were the other way around?"
"I'm not suggesting detention; you're right, he chose to do that. I don't want Monty to grow up thinking that kind of thing is okay, and like you said earlier, consequences change us for the better. I'm just begging that he not be expelled." Mary paused, looking at Lily, thinking desperately how she could put this in a way that Lily would understand. "If it were Ron Weasley, would you both be begging for expulsion? Or is your dislike of the Potters a contributing factor?"
Lily stood up then, furious. "I'm not like that! Honestly, today has shown me that you don't know me... at all! I thought you would understand that I only want what is reasonable; what's right! I know I would find it a lot harder if it were Ron. I will give you that, but I like to think I would treat him the same as Monty."
Lily paced the room, her head in her hands. She tried to regain her calm and focus on some sort of resolution. Finally, she looked at Mary again, more relaxed than she had been a moment ago, and asked, "You said there were extenuating circumstances?"
The same tired look Mary had when she opened the door returned ten-fold. She picked up the glass of Rioja and took another long swig. "I said that things haven't been good at home, and obviously it affects Monty. James has moved out, now, but it wasn't any better before. We argued all the time, and I can't talk to anyone about it."
"You could have owl'd me. I would have come, I could have listened."
"Really, you? I don't think so, Lily."
"Why? I have always considered you a friend."
"The main thing that causes arguments for me… is you." Mary looked down now, unable to meet Lily's eye.
"Me?"
"He pursued you relentlessly. He only stopped when you and Severus finally got together; do you think I don't know that I'm second place? He flirted with you recently, for crying out loud! He's staying with Sirius now. Monty has heard us yelling and screaming at each other for years. He's heard me complaining about being second best, he has heard his father call me all sorts in his anger, and then he brings home presents to smooth things over. He has had a lot to deal with, and he doesn't know how to cope. There is so much anger, and he has nowhere to put it."
"I'm sorry, I really am." The revelation floored her. How could she be the cause of so much upset in a home she had nothing to do with? "I don't know what to say. There has never been anything between James and me, and I can't imagine him having any thoughts about me now. As for Monty, as callous as this sounds, it doesn't give him a free pass."
It was Mary's turn to pace now. With a thoughtful expression, she began to fold a pile of tea towels – focusing on something other than the conversation, the feelings, everything that was going on in her life.
"Your son chose to do this, regardless of what he thought would happen. Harry was innocent, and yet he is the one suffering. You are so concerned about Monty, but have you ever thought about Harry?"
"You know he was innocent?" she asked.
"By the version of events we've heard from multiple sources – yes, we know. I also know my son, and he doesn't have that temperament at all."
"James just wondered – hoped really – that Harry had escalated things. I guess he assumed he's like Severus."
"Well he didn't, and he's not. Severus is the way he is because he grew up defending himself; we always made sure Harry wouldn't have to."
Mary flung herself back down in her seat, sighing. "Dumbledore had said it needed to be sorted out on both sides and here it feels like Monty is getting all the blame."
"Don't get me started on Albus-Bloody-Dumbledore! How dare he put the responsibility on Harry – blaming the victim! "
"You know that there are two sides to every story, Lily! We both know that Severus wasn't completely innocent at school. Maybe if you could look around, you might see the same here!"
"You keep coming back to that, and we go round and round in circles. James and Severus were both wrong at times; Severus had – like Monty – a lot of anger. He called you a name, he didn't stand up against something he should have, but then he changed his life. He put himself in so much danger to put an end to a group of people that did real harm to Muggles and Muggleborns. As for Harry, multiple people have told us – he did nothing, never even fought back. Until someone says otherwise, he is innocent."
"Well, Monty wouldn't just pick on someone for no reason," Mary demanded, lacking conviction.
"I would love to know his rationalisation," Lily said. "James had poor rationalisation too – I was there when he decided that Severus was public enemy number one. He hadn't called anyone any racist names yet; he hadn't even been sorted."
"This is why we don't talk anymore. We said when we married that James and Severus wouldn't come between us, but they have."
"That is beside the point. I understand the mistakes my husband made, and I know that your husband did too. I am okay with that, it doesn't affect my time with you, not until you refuse to accept that Severus has changed, or that James ever did anything wrong. More than that, this isn't about James and Severus, it's about Harry and Monty."
"It's all entwined. That is why Dumbledore said we needed to work this out together. How coincidental that Monty chose Harry to dislike – even with him being in Gryffindor. One would have thought that the Malfoy kid would have been more fitting, but no, he picked a Snape."
Silence reigned as the words Mary spoke permeated, soaking through Lily's mind and making her think about the situation just a little differently.
"Before you know it this will be a rival as old as Weasley versus Malfoy," Mary continued. "This has more to do with Severus and James than you would like to admit."
Lily picked up her glass, swirling the remnants of wine in the bottom of it. She thought about it all, about everything that had been said. The room was silent; surprisingly it wasn't tense or awkward, each thinking about how on Earth this could be resolved for the best. It seemed that they had both joined the side of their husband's and were now unable to find some middle ground.
"I think that is what Albus meant. Somewhere in the small things we do or say, we have trained our children to dislike each other – to hate each other." Mary glanced at Lily and seeing her more thoughtful expression she continued, "I believe if we want this to stop for good, we need to see each other's point of view."
"So unless we come to an arrangement that suits you, Monty will do this again?" Lily asked, jumping to an angry conclusion.
"Not at all, Lily. Come on! I mean... on top of everything, I'm pregnant, and you said you and Severus were trying. Do you really want younger siblings to end up at each other's throats again, just because that's what our families do?"
"I'll speak to Severus. I won't say I disagree, but you have to understand, forgiveness or not, Monty should have consequences. Please remember, expulsion isn't unreasonable; criminal charges could have been filed, but they weren't."
"I think you should go," Mary whispered. "Don't get me wrong, I know what you mean, but talking about criminal charges will only start another row."
Mary had then shown Lily the door, and she had then walked through the village, wondering why she was so angry. What had Severus said that was so wrong? Why were her family always fighting? She thought maybe they were all hurt in different ways, and taking it out on each other. Talking with Mary reminded her that she was on the same team as Severus — despite disagreeing on how to handle things.
Severus remained in the living room, his fury growing rather than fading. He felt like some progress had been made, and then this. He was sure that by standing his ground, he had earned the cold shoulder – it was likely he'd spend a night or two on the sofa. Severus couldn't bring himself to regret it, though; he and Harry had made progress. They understood one another, and that was important; he refused to lose it.
The thought resounding in his head was that he and Harry had made progress. Lily had hardly gotten the chance to know how Harry felt, to understand. He had to admit that Harry had barely given her a chance — and as far as Lily was concerned, Severus had just backed their child in disrespecting her. He, Severus, had divided him and his wife – broken the unity.
That led to a calmer Severus making his way upstairs. Harry needed to know it wasn't okay to speak to his mother like that, even if he understood why.
He opened the door without knocking. Harry lay on his bed, sulking.
"Harry," he began.
"I take it you're back on Mum's side?" Harry asked sullenly.
"It's not about sides. You didn't give Mum a chance – she's on your side, too. I realise that this is hard for you, and your mum and I cannot understand. You also cannot understand how hard it is for her!"
"'Cause it's my fault!"
"It's no one's fault!" Severus bellowed. It was a rarity, and Harry sat up, shocked. "This family is going to stop acting like we are on separate teams; we are going to communicate with each other, and most importantly, think about where each of us are coming from. "
Harry huffed.
"Don't have that attitude with me, Harry. This isn't how our family does things – we listen and respect each other. Do you understand?"
"Yeah…" Harry mumbled and then remained quiet.
Severus sat on the bed beside his son, basking in the quiet. It was stiffer than usual but not quite as tense and awkward as it had been over the last few weeks.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, finally breaking the silence. "I shouldn't have spoken to Mum like that. I should have spoken to Mum like I spoke to you; you know, explained how I felt."
"You should." Severus placed an arm around Harry and held him closer. "I shouldn't have shouted, and I shouldn't have been opposed to your mum. Things always go better when we're on the same side. I'm proud of you; you're a terrific kid, do you know that?"
Harry shrugged, leaning into his father. The quiet was comfortable now, but both Snapes' minds were consumed with thoughts of just how divided the family had been of late.
"You will apologise to Mum."
Harry nodded, knowing it wasn't a question. They sat together for some time, talking about things the way they used to, and listening to one another. They sat together, talking about how things could be better for Harry. Severus had found a few obscure spells invented by people that had the same problem as Harry. There were many obstacles to overcome, but finally, they were moving forward — together. The only thing that would make this more complete was having Lily beside them.
It had been a few hours since she had left, but eventually, Severus heard the front door close. He stepped out onto the landing — it looked straight down the house to the front door— and there she stood. Her eyes were red and puffy, but there was a small smile on her face, and it made Severus feel hopeful.
"I'm sorry!" he blurted out almost immediately.
Lily's lip trembled, and she was soon in tears. Severus rushed downstairs and embraced his wife almost instantaneously. A litany of 'sorry's were whispered in her ear.
"Sev, we need to do something. Something needs to change," she sobbed.
"We will, I promise. We need to be together again – the three of us."
She nodded, wrapping her arms around her husband, melting into his comforting embrace.
"We need to do more." Her breathing started to even out as she felt him pull her closer. "Dumbledore was right. Callous and as always wrapped in a riddle, he was right."
Severus' arms loosened. "Where did you go? Did you lose your mind?"
"No, I didn't. You can't deny that for us to come to a decision, we need to put this grudge behind us, and understand one another."
"I understand them perfectly. Honestly, Lily, I thought we actually agreed on this. It's not Harry's fault."
"You're right, it's not. What I mean is that we think we understand them, and they think that they understand us, but they don't, and neither do we. What we have is a whole load of assumptions and negative opinions."
Lily pulled Severus into the living room and onto the settee. Wiping her tears, she looked up at him in earnest, begging him to listen and not have another argument. It was only when she saw in his eyes that he was willing to listen that she would continue.
"Do you know that Mary believed that you joined The Cause and that I'm foolish for believing and forgiving you. That's because you refused to defend yourself – to them, it's like an admission of guilt."
"It's not! You know that the ministry knows, Remus knows. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?"
"It matters because there is a fundamental misunderstanding of who we are as a family, and who the Potters are!"
"The Potters are not complicated," Severus said, his eyes rolling. "Monty likely gets everything he wants. Mary – well we know she's miserable, but you can guarantee that Potter got her something shiny and now they are united in keeping that brat in the manner which he is accustomed to!"
"Hardly," Lily replied with a sad smile. "James moved out; things have been bad for a while, and it's really affecting Monty. "
"That's no excuse! "
"No, it isn't. It does make it understandable, right? You know what it's like to grow up in a warzone; you know how hard it is to be a child with so much anger and nowhere to put it. I'm not saying he shouldn't have consequences, I am saying we can at least see why! We can understand that he isn't like James. He isn't doing this just because he needs amusement; he isn't as cruel as that. Can we bear it in mind?"
Severus was silenced. He couldn't help but reflect on his own childhood – and likely Lily's plan – and he found he could understand. There were many mistakes he had made as a child, things he dearly wished he could take back. He hoped Monty felt the same, but even without the answer to that question, he identified with Monty Potter.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
"I just want to soften the blow. I would never ask to let him off the hook, that's like saying what happened to Harry is okay — it isn't."
"We need to put our family first, we need to be on the same page and know what we want first. What Harry wants needs to count, and Harry's future needs to be looked at first. He is our priority. If we can find a way to soften the blow after our family gets what it needs, fine."
She smiled at him, finally feeling like there was some hope. "Of course."
"I need Harry back at Hogwarts, and Harry needs Hogwarts to be Monty free."
"Agreed; now we just have to look at how to soften that blow!"
A few weeks had gone by since Lily had spoken to Mary. She and Severus had worked out a plan of action for Harry, and today they had made their way to Hogwarts. They would be telling Professor Dumbledore what they needed to happen; their hardline.
They had taken the train up to Hogsmeade and now stood before the gates of the magical school. It was nerve-wracking; after all, today they would be forced to confront the Potters and lay down their decision. They waited until Remus Lupin approached the gates and released the wards that kept them locked during the week.
"The Potters are already here and waiting. Are you ready?" Remus asked, looking weary.
"As I'll ever be," Harry replied nervously.
They walked through the gates. This time, Harry couldn't see the forest, the lush lawn, or the giant lake. He could feel the icy bite of the air on his cheeks, the freezing snow as it soaked through his robe and shoes. Then he felt the vastness of the grounds, the uncertainty of being in an unfamiliar environment for what felt like the first time since his accident. His hand reached out, clutching his father's robes as they followed Remus through unknown corridors.
"Everyone is in here," said Remus. "I am not coming in; it's been noted that I am not completely unbiased."
Harry heard the creak of a door being pushed open and was then guided into a room. It felt smaller and more closed in, to Harry, after walking through the Hogwarts grounds. He had no idea who was there, what the room looked like, and it made the entire experience even more frightening. He felt his mother gently nudge him to one side, and he heard the scrape of a chair in front of him. He slipped into the chair, clasping his hands together in front of him. It was comforting feeling one parent on each side of him, protecting him from anything that might happen.
A/N: I know, it's a terrible place to finish it! I am having issues on how I play out this final meeting with Dumbledore and how it will go. I know what will happen, as in the final decision as it were, but I am not sure of everyone's reactions and how it will be said. I have a few emotional revelations to fit in too, so I decided to leave this as a shorter chapter and get a proper handle on how I will finish it.