Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Very long wait, so so sorry =( Enjoy the chapter!
Previous Chapter – Dumbledore announces that to the school that Voldemort is back and some students don't believe him. McLaggen tries to cast a hex on Daphne for sitting at the Gryffindor table but Harry and his friends put up a shield. Snape is in an induced sleep at the infirmary as Poppy works on the dark mark on his arm and Harry complains to Sirius that he should be in the Order. Dumbledore tells Harry the full prophecy so that Harry will be on guard to any false images Voldemort tries to send him.
"Harry. Harry, wake up."
Harry stirred, opened his eyes and blearily looked around for his glasses. Someone held them out to him and as he put them on, he realized it was his dad. "Dad!" Harry sat up, realizing he was laying on a cot in the infirmary. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost time for breakfast. He looked back at his father, who was watching him with some amusement. "I guess I fell asleep in here." He didn't remember doing so however.
"I'll say you did," Poppy spoke up from where she was rummaging through a cupboard full of vials and jars. "Fell asleep sitting next to your father. I tried to wake you up so you could go to your dorm, but you told me to...what was it again? Oh yes. Shove off." She smirked at Harry's wide eyes.
Snape coughed to cover the laugh that wanted to erupt.
"I don't remember saying that!" Harry said with a wince. "I'm sorry."
Poppy waved away his apology. "You were asleep Mr. Potter. I take no offense. I merely levitated you into a cot so you could sleep more comfortably."
"Thank you," Harry murmured, embarrassed. He looked at his dad. "How's your arm?"
Snape looked down at his left arm, which was still bandaged. "It only throbs a bit but otherwise it is fine."
"Do you think the treatment worked?" Harry asked anxiously.
"I believe so but we won't know right away," Snape looked at him in concern. "You still look tired, did you sleep all right?"
"When I checked on you through the night, he was tossing and turning quite a bit," Poppy stated as she walked over to run a diagnostic on Snape's bandaged arm. "Of course, it is not too surprising considering the events of yesterday. First Voldemort's return and then the attack at the Gryffindor table."
"Excuse me?" Snape asked in surprise.
"McLaggen," Harry said, a slight scowl forming as he remembered how the sixth year had attacked Daphne. "Daphne sat at our table and he tried to hex her."
Snape frowned. "I hope this was noticed by Professor McGonagall."
"It was, she took points and gave him detention," Harry said with a grin. "She awarded points to me, Daphne, Hermione and Ron for casting a strong shield charm."
Snape looked pleased before he grew more serious. "How are you doing Harry? I imagine you have been worried and I'm sorry that I had to do this treatment so soon after you saw Voldemort come back."
"I'm...okay, I guess," Harry said a little wearily. "A lot of people don't believe me, the Ministry doesn't want to believe me and now knowing the full prophecy..."
"Wait, what?" Snape asked, a little shocked. "What do you mean the full prophecy? I told you what I had heard, that he feared you would grow up to destroy him."
"Yeah, I know but the Headmaster told me the rest of it last night," Harry explained.
"So there was more to it?" Snape asked, almost as if talking to himself. "And Albus knew all this time and did not think it was important to tell me?" A dark look settled over his face. "And he told you last night, without me even be conscious and after the day you had had?" He was practically shouting by the end.
"Dad," Harry said, putting his hand on his arm. "He said there was a reason he thought I should know right away."
"Did he?" Snape seethed.
"He didn't know how long you would be out today and there is a possibility that Voldemort will try and trick me through our weird connection to get the prophecy for him," Harry explained. "It's at the Department of Mysteries and only those who the prophecy mentions can retrieve it."
"And Voldemort will not want to go there and make known he is back yet," Snape said with a sigh. He gave his son a reassuring look, regretting his anger. He didn't want to upset Harry. But he was still angry, although Albus would be the one to feel his wrath. "What is the full prophecy?" He listened in dread as Harry recited it for him. How could he protect Harry if the boy had no choice but to fight Voldemort? He had been training him, as he knew Voldemort would be after Harry but he had not thought that a teenager was the one who actually had to kill him.
Snape took a deep breath. "I don't know how much stock we can put into this prophecy but whatever happens, you are not alone. And if you do have to be the one to face Voldemort in the end, I will be right beside you."
"I know," Harry smiled and he relaxed a little.
"So the Headmaster mentioned an Order meeting for later today." Harry commented after Snape had been released from the infirmary.
"I figured there would be," Snape said as he and Harry began walking out of the infirmary with Poppy calling out to let her know if his arm began to bother him.
"I think I should be allowed to attend," Harry said, trying to sound firm.
"Was I asleep longer than one night? Did you turn seventeen already?" Snape asked lightly, not wanting to fight about it. He understood why Harry thought he should attend and honestly, the boy had a point. However, with Voldemort back there would likely be reports of killings and he didn't think Harry needed to hear about all the gruesome details.
"So I have faced Voldemort several times and yet I can't be in the Order? That makes so much sense," Harry said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
Snape frowned. "You clearly are in need of more sleep. That is the only thing that explains the rude tone in your voice." He eyed Harry sternly.
"Sorry," Harry muttered.
"I understand your frustration Harry," Snape said. "I promise you, I will inform you of the important things, no matter what anyone else thinks. But there are some details that will be discussed which you do not need to hear. Trust me, all right?"
"All right," Harry said quietly. He still thought he should be allowed to attend but it wasn't worth fighting about it, he supposed. "So what now?"
"Now you go have breakfast and then go to your classes," Snape said.
Harry's mouth dropped open. "Classes?"
"That is generally what school is about."
"But...Voldemort, we have to destroy him," Harry argued. "I have to."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and you're ready now? You know how to kill him? Where he is? How many death eaters have returned to his side? What his next move will be?"
Harry made a face. "No, you know I don't know any of those things."
"Exactly. So go to breakfast and then to class."
Harry fought the scowl that wanted to spread across his face. "Fine. Are you going to be teaching?"
"Yes. I hope you did your potions homework for today."
"Of course I did," Harry said. Well, most of it, he thought a little guiltily.
"Excellent. Enjoy your breakfast and I'll see you in class," Snape said as they entered the Great Hall.
With a sigh, Harry headed to the Slytherin table and slid into the empty seat next to Daphne. Just seeing her made him feel more calm, more settled.
"How are you?" Daphne asked after kissing him on the cheek.
"I'm okay, considering. I just feel like I should be doing something more productive than sitting in on classes." Harry said. He made a face. "My dad disagrees."
Daphne glanced over at the Head Table. "Professor Snape look well. Is he in pain?"
"Not really but he has some potions he can take if it starts to bother him again." Harry grabbed his potions essay out of his book bag.
"Didn't finish your essay?" Draco asked as he read a letter from his mum, telling him that his father was doing well after blocking Voldemort's call.
"I fell asleep in the infirmary and didn't finish," Harry said as he opened his potions book. "It's almost finished."
Daphne hesitated. "Do you want to look at mine?"
Harry flashed her a grin. "Cheating? Have I been a bad influence on you?"
Daphne grinned. "Of course you have, but I prefer to think of it as helping rather than cheating."
Down a few spaces, Astoria snorted. "If you think that Daffy, then why did you scold me when I helped Tabby with her Defence essay?"
"First, don't call me Daffy," Daphne leveled a glare at her younger sister. "And second, Tabby hadn't even started her essay whereas Harry is almost done with his. And Tabby hadn't had a horrible night sitting next to her Dad's bed while he was in the infirmary."
"She always has an answer," Astoria grumbled. She looked at Harry sympathetically. "Are you doing all right Harry?"
"I'm trying to be," Harry said. He gazed down the table, noticed Blaise smirking at him. Harry's face darkened. Of course the git would be happy, his dad's master was back. Blaise was probably planning on becoming a death eater himself.
Blaise's grin widened when he saw Harry glaring at him. "Ah, soon this school will be just perfect."
Crabbe scratched his head. "Uh, how Blaise?"
"Soon all the blood-traitors and Muggle-borns will be gone. And we'll have competent professors, even a better Headmaster who won't tolerate Mudbloods walking these hallways... of course there won't be any Mudbloods around, they'll all be wiped out. Those who support them will be wiped out as well."
Tabby gasped and Astoria grabbed her hand in comfort. "Shut up Blaise!" Astoria snapped.
"You shut up, blood-traitor," Blaise snarled. He opened his mouth to say something else but no sound came out. His eyes widened in fear and he grabbed his throat.
"What's the matter with him?" Crabbe asked Goyle.
"Dunno," Goyle said with a shrug as he shoveled food into his mouth.
"Did you cast a Silencio on him?" Harry asked Daphne with amusement as he watched Blaise tried to speak.
"No, I thought you did," Daphne laughed. "Was it you Draco?"
"No. Theo?"
"No. Tracey?"
"Wasn't me."
Suddenly they heard a giggle and saw that Tabby was now the one who looked smug as she put her wand away. "I'll reverse it after breakfast. Maybe." She giggled.
"Good for you Tabby!" Astoria squealed, clapping her hands.
Harry chuckled and took a sip of pumpkin juice. He loved all his friends, he really did. He had just finished his essay, with a little of Daphne's help, when breakfast was announced to be over. Harry put his essay away with a sigh and went to class, trying not to think about what Voldemort was up to right now.
HP
"Severus, you wanted to speak with me?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly when the potions master entered his office.
"Yes, I don't have class this hour," Snape said tersely. "Harry told me about the prophecy. The full prophecy." He glared at the Headmaster.
"Yes, I imagined he would," Dumbledore said easily.
"How could you not tell me? Especially when I adopted Harry?" Snape demanded.
"I was hoping Voldemort would not return until Harry was older, an adult. That you two wouldn't have to have this weighing on your shoulders so soon." Dumbledore sighed.
"That's very generous of you," Snape said sarcastically. "However, he is my son and I need to know everything so that I can not only protect him but help him be ready to confront Voldemort."
"Of course, forgive me Severus," Dumbledore said. "You want to protect Harry and I want to protect the both of you. I did what I thought was right."
Snape sighed. He knew the old coot cared about them. "Is there anything else I should know?"
Dumbledore fiddles with his bowl of lemon drops, not meeting Snape's eyes. "Voldemort made sure he could not die by creating several Horcruxes that house a part of his soul."
"Merlin," Snape breathed. "He truly is insane."
"I and other members of the Order have been searching for them for years, and destroying them. I believe there are only two left and I have two Order members searching for one of them now."
"Once the Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort can be killed for good?" Severus clarified.
"Yes."
"What are you doing about the last one? Who is looking for it?"
"I know where it is and I will be taking care of that Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. "It should be soon." He murmured.
"Soon," Severus said in relief. "He will be destroyed and we can all go on with our lives. My son won't be in danger anymore."
"Harry is a brave and courageous child," Dumbledore said absently. "He does the right thing, puts others before himself. You should be very proud of him."
"Of course I am," Snape said. "But you're sure Harry has to be the one to kill him?"
"Voldemort marked him as his equal," Dumbledore said. "Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives." He recited.
"Right." Snape rubbed his hand over his face. "He will suffer for taking a life, even if it is Voldemort. His heart is so pure."
"Yes, it is," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "You should spend extra time with him so that he doesn't obsess over Voldemort's return. As of now, there is nothing he can do. Not yet anyway."
Snape nodded. "I agree. Thank you Headmaster, for telling me everything."
"Oh, my boy," Dumbledore whispered after Snape had left his office. "Both my boys. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I only hope you will understand and forgive me someday."
TBC: