Chapter Fifteen

Harry woke feeling warm and comfortable in a bed. He opened his eyes to see a familiar face. Snape leaned over him and the darting black eyes studied his face.

"I think he will live, Miss Granger."

The smooth baritone voice sounded very sweet to Harry and he mumbled, "I hope so, Professor."

"Harry!" Hermione was on the bed at his side and smothering him in a veil of hair.

Sputtering and trying to get his hand from beneath the covers Harry chuckled weakly. "Hermione, I can't breath."

"Oh sorry, Harry," she said and withdrew to lean over him a hand on each side of his pillow. They stared at each other and smiled. She stabbed his glasses on his face and leaned back to glance over at Snape. "Thank you, Professor."

Snape nodded and settled back into a chair by the bed. They were in a vardon, a gypsy wagon. Oddly, the wagon held the three of them, even though Harry was lying in bed. Still it could have held a dozen more. The drapes were of rich blues and greens and everything was neatly tucked into little crevices, much like a cabin on a ship.

"Professor?" Harry started to set up and then found it easier to lay still. He remembered being in the very same position in the past.

Snape just nodded, his eyebrows arching towards his forehead. "Pain is the best teacher, Potter. Perhaps you should just lie there while we all sit and chat."

"Nadya?" Harry asked.

"She's safe Harry. She's at Hogwarts and Jolie's gone to fetch her." Hermione patted his chest. "She'll be here in no time."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said and held her hand. He closed his eyes with relief. "I don't remember anything after I left you at the dance."

"I found you in the woods, Harry," Hermione explained. "An elf by the name of Verillieon came and healed you. You were all broken up from the fall." She stopped and Harry opened his eyes to see tears in her eyes.

"I remember now," he whispered. Suddenly he was struck with a thought, "Lupin!"

Snape spoke, "The imposter disappeared after you left the castle. We don't know who it was. Remus Lupin was with me on our way from Godric's Hollow."

"Did he get the map?" Harry asked and Hermione glanced at Snape. "Who was with me the night before the dance, Remus or the other?"

"The real Lupin," Snape answered. "We have the map Miss Granger sent to you."

"The day my aunt came to Hogwarts," Harry said. "She was with you before."

"Perhaps we should start at the beginning and put the puzzle pieces together," Snape suggested. He was looking at his hands and frowning.

"What?" Harry asked. "What is it?"

"I only know that you are impulsive and lack emotional control, Potter. If I tell you the series of events you will most likely over-react or try and jump from your bed and race off like a howling dog." Snape's face changed into his usual grim-reaper look.

Harry nodded, and almost laughed. You really are at your best today aren't you? he thought. "Why don't you give it a try, Professor," he said dryly and continued, "Maybe I've learned a little self control."

Snape smirked and Hermione sat on the bottom of the bed and watched the two of them nervously. She'd never been present when the two acted in this way, Harry giving as much as he got.

"All right," Snape said and stretched his legs out. "Is it your decision as to whether Miss Granger should be present?"

"By all means, Professor," Harry replied, pulling himself up higher on the pillows. "She's earned the right."

"It begins with Fudge and Percy at the Ministry. Fudge orchestrated the attempted kidnapping and murder of Albus Dumbledore. He felt humiliated, I imagine, after he was publicly exposed for not having believed Albus in the first place. He called Albus to the Ministry and set the scene. I don't think he was aware the wizards he hired to do the job were the Dark Lord's."

"Voldemort's?" Harry asked.

Snape frowned. "Yes, now let me continue." Harry settled back and waited. "They killed two of the people at the Ministry and kidnapped Fudge and Percy. Albus was unconscious because he placed an unbreakable charm over himself. They could do nothing with him so they left him. He remained there until I took him to Grimmauld Place. You know what happened from then on."

Harry nodded and kept silent. He didn't want to anger Snape, he wanted him to keep talking.

"As you know, Percy and Fudge were taken to Jeremy Potter. They were tortured. Potter got a lot of information from both of them and they had a lot of information to give." Snape gazed out the window. The wagon was sitting next to a mountain lake and the sun was shining brightly on the water. His eyes didn't seem to notice or take measure of the beauty; he was in another world.

"Fudge kept records and information on you and your parents. Percy read those records because he was jealous of you and your taking over his position in his family; or at least that is how he felt." Snape glanced at Harry who nodded in understanding. " He found your aunt was a squib, that she attended Hogwarts one year and then was dismissed. He knew she continued to spy on your parents and involve herself, shall we say, among a more criminal element. That's why she was at the Hog's Head Inn the night the prophecy was spoken by Sybil Trelawney. Petunia Evans didn't have the sense to keep her mouth shut. She passed it around in hopes of causing mischief, I think."

Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair and turned to them, and continued, "I was with the Dark Lord at the time but I was not aware of the full extent of the prophecy. Nor was I aware of Petunia Evans. Your parent's were murdered soon after and He disappeared." He glanced at Hermione. "I shifted my allegiance soon after."

They both knew the story. "Professor," Harry asked, "What about Percy?"

"Percy found the records and decided to use the information," Snape continued. "I think we guessed accurately. He went to your Aunt who had not been involved in the wizarding world since the death of your mother. He wanted the money and something else and thought to use her to gain whatever it was. He'd also become unhinged by the time he spent in Jeremy Potter's company. We know that Fudge did; he's still at St. Mungo's."

"Did Albus know about my aunt?" Harry asked, "about what she was doing?"

Snape shook his head, and said quickly, "No, he did not know that your aunt maintained a separate identity. It would have been folly to hand you directly over to the person most likely to use you for her own gains."

"Why didn't she use me?" Harry asked. "I've spent all these years with her."

"Dumbledore made her swear an oath she would take you and keep you safe with her blood protection. That was an oath she could not break, Potter." Snape's lips curled into some resemblance of a smile, something that looked out of place on his face. "I for one would never break an oath with Dumbledore. It would be worse than breaking one with the Dark Lord."

"What happened then, Professor?" Hermione asked quietly.

Snape looked at her as if he had forgotten she was with them. He continued, "Petunia got greedy. She wanted the money and was willing to make the visit to Hogwarts. Percy was greedy and angry and fed her the information she needed." Snape's eyes shifted to Harry. "He wanted to hurt you. He knew you were married. How could he not know? His whole family attended the wedding. He was there even though he was not seen."

"He made a mistake," Harry finished for him. "He told someone and it reached Voldemort. Voldemort wanted more than money or me, he wanted the Guardian and access to the Source. He also wanted my first born, as he has wanted the first born of all of his Death Eaters." Harry laid his head back and closed his eyes.

"Yes. The Dark Lord wanted all of that and had the perfect means to get it," Snape answered quietly. "He was hatching a plot that paralleled and outdid Petunia's and Percy's. He learned of the prophecy and knew he had to kill you himself. You were to be kidnapped from the train and taken to him. He could do two things; reverse the blood spell we placed on him and kill you. Then he had an imposter ready to go to Hogwarts. They had a detailed map which Miss Granger lucked onto. With you out of the way the Guardian would be murdered." Snape waited for the information to sink in. "And lastly he intended on finding Nadya and taking your child. I think you are aware Potter what he does with first born children?"

"But Harry apparated from the train and I took his place," Hermione said. "That must have caused problems."

"Not really," Severus said. "They could still use you." He nodded at Harry and she understood.

"To get at Harry," she said, finishing for him.

He nodded, and added, "You got away and they- Petunia Dursley and Percy Weasley were left empty-handed. They didn't have Mr. Potter or you, or the money."

Snape once again looked out the window, "The Dark Lord does not like it when things go wrong. He is empty-handed. He wanted Potter or he wanted you and he got neither. He wanted Nadya's location."

"Lucius told me," Hermione said, "he knew I was in Godric's Hollow."

"Lucius," Harry sat up and scowled at his pain, and snarled, "Malfoy?!"

"Yes, Harry," Hermione continued the story. " Petunia and Percy were watched on the train. When I disapparated, Voldemort received word immediately that they had failed. I apparated to Godric's Hollow where Nadya was. Malfoy figured out why I was there. I thought I had done a pretty good job of hiding but I was foolish and Malfoy caught me on the street. I thought he would take me to Voldemort, but instead, he bargained with me; my and Nadya's freedom for something else." Hermione looked at Snape who nodded to her to continue.

"He wanted Professor Snape to keep Draco out of Voldemort's hands. In exchange, he gave me your invisibility cloak which Draco had stolen. He sent a message to Professor Snape so he could rescue us and provided a safe exit out of town."

Harry gazed at her in fascination as he listened.

"Yes, I know, Harry," she looked back. "It's hard to believe. I didn't think Malfoy cared at all for Draco. You should have seen him, Harry. He was a wreck, half blinded and... scared…"

"The Dark Lord is rarely gentle with those who fail him Miss Granger," Snape murmured. "I want you both to keep in mind that Malfoy is still very dangerous- if he is still alive."

Harry swiveled his head to look at the man. "My aunt came yesterday to bring your message. She was penitent and remorseful."

Hermione interrupted him. "She was horrible Harry. She must have been acting yesterday. I was there when she was talking to Percy. She was going to make a deal with Voldemort and she was... she was greedy. I think she believed she could make a deal with the Dark Lord since she would always have access to you.

Harry looked from her to Snape. "Where is she?"

Snape shrugged and replied, "We do not know where she is right now. My guess is… Well...," he didn't continue.

Harry knew what he was saying. His Aunt Petunia was probably with Voldemort or dead by now. He could feel anger, a slow burning anger and not the white hot anger that often erupted when he learned about such things.

"I want to go after Him," he said after studying the ceiling of the wagon for a minute. "I don't want to wait to be trapped. I don't want him to try and kidnap anyone again or go after Nadya."

Hermione reached over and grasped his hand, "We have to think of school, Harry. We're almost done and Hogwarts is safe again for awhile. After that, when we leave, I'll go with you. Ron will go too, I know it."

"Yes, I know Hermione," Harry said, softly. " I can't just keep waiting for Voldemort to plot against me and Nadya. That's not the life I want to have never trusting in anyone out of fear he will get his claws into them. But now is the time to do it. His last plan failed and he's losing followers- some of his strongest- Malfoy, Jeremy and others."

Snape cleared his throat, and spoke, "I hate to break up your little chat Potter, but I'm going to stop you from making the mistake your father made."

Harry turned his head once again.

"What did you think you were really going to do after your last year at Hogwarts?" Snape asked softly. "Go off with your wife and child, with these people- the Kampania -and lead a normal life? You forget you are the Protector. The Guardian has a connection to Hogwarts, an attachment if you will- albeit a fatal attachment it seems- at least it was for your father. Snape's face grew grave. "The Guardian cannot leave Hogwarts."

Harry nodded slowly and frowned, "Neville told me. He said the castle was a living, breathing creature; like a garden and he was the gardener. He said he couldn't leave."

"Yes, but you are attached to him," Snape said in frustration. He sounded like he did in the classroom. "Your father thought he could take his family and live out in the world. He only came back to teach at Hogwarts…"

"He did?" Harry asked in surprise and pulled himself up to sit straight.

"He was Guardian, Potter," Snape answered, leaning forward now frowning as well. "He could not be apart from Hogwarts. He was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore never told you?" Snape was shaking his head in exasperation at Harry's astounded expression. "Albus! You leave it to me, you old scoundrel…" Snape said speaking to the room at large and staring at his hands.

"Go on, Professor." Harry was struggling to move his legs and swing them out of bed.

"Not if you leave that bed!" Snape snapped. He was up and over to the side pushing him back. "I said you'd over-react!"

Harry dropped back to the pillows as both Snape and Hermione held him. "Okay! I'm laying down." He looked at Snape in the face and demanded, "Tell me the rest."

The man waited and then continued, "Why do you think I teach there? Because I'm so good at teaching little bright minds the art of potion-making?" He whirled and returned to his seat, dropping down heavily. "No! I'm there because the Guardians are there- Albus, your father… Let me tell you Mr. Potter, your father did not make my task lighter. He was arrogant and he disliked me and I detested him. He wanted to take Lily away from Hogwarts and knew he couldn't. And, I had to be there and watch them together, day-after-day, the two of them with their friends," he spat bitterly. "Then, he did take her and they moved to Godric's Hollow and I resented him for that. He left himself and your mother vulnerable. He knew he could not stay away forever."

Harry was watching the churning emotions play across the man's face. He knew the feelings were there boiling just below the surface; he'd seen them before. Now he was learning in more detail the cause of those feelings.

"He was big-headed because he thought he could have a normal life," Snape went on. "He knew his destiny was tied to Hogwarts; as is mine and yours." Snape shook himself as if he had revealed to much and felt exposed. "It is both a prison and a sanctuary."

Hermione gasped. Those very words had been in her mind hours before.

"James Potter also thought he could go off to battle and fight Voldemort," Snape said standing up. "He risked his family and ended up losing. He thought he could not be touched." Snape looked at Harry once and turned to leave. "That was not his duty. He broke the rules and he ended up dead, as did his wife. Don't make the same mistake." He opened the door. "It's time you rest. Nadya will be here in awhile."

Harry lay looking at the door while Hermione watched him. Snape had been sincere, he'd never spoke Voldemort's name aloud until that very moment. All he could think of as he rolled the information around in his mind were the words, we all make mistakes. Harry thought his father did not know what lay in store for his wife and his son. He could not have known and probably thought he was doing his job taking care of his family, doing what he was supposed to do. But he didn't have a prophecy that said he had to kill Voldemort, or be killed by him, he thought. What am I supposed to do Snape?!

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