Author's Notes: I didn't feel comfortable writing many swear words completely in this version. Hope the cut words don't turn out to be annoying in some way. This was the chapter with the most so from now on the fic might be better when it comes to that aspect. On another note, you might notice that I always put the name of a song. It's because I tend to write while listening to music and sometimes I listen to one song more times, so I choose that one. No weird thing to it.

Song: 'Now or Never' by Chemistry and M-Flo (Tetsuwan Atom / Astro Boy)

Ch. 3: Encounter in Godric's Hollow

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley got into the car Harry had rented. Ron seemed quite comfortable and wanted to sit in the front, while Hermione frowned at the redhead and sat in the back seat. Godric's Hollow was far from where they currently were. It would be at least two hours before they arrived there. Hermione had insisted on Apparating both guys with her, but Harry advised against it. Harry was avoiding using magic at all costs. Magic could be detected and that meant that they could easily be traced by using it. Harry not only wanted to avoid being tracked down by Death Eaters, but also by the Ministry of Magic. He wanted no one on his tracks and if it meant having to behave as a Muggle, he would do it.

"I still think that Apparating wouldn't have been such a big problem!"

"Hermione... I don't want to repeat myself. I already told you that I want to avoid using magic as best as I can. In emergencies I know that we have no choice, but right now getting to our designated place by car is no big deal, right Ron?"

Ron shrugged. He supported his best buddy all the way and recognized Harry's point, but he still would have preferred magic, as it would have been faster. "I guess you're right, Harry. A car is not that bad anyway..." Ron sounded very unsure of himself, not completely agreeing with Harry.

XxXxX

Severus Snape arrived at Godric's Hollow exactly as planned, at 1:55 PM. He stared at the ruins amazed by the magic that still lingered in that place, but immediately started to search for the reason why he had to visit those ruins. It didn't take him long. There was a source that had nothing to do with the wards and the magic of the place itself, something that was hidden under the ruins.

The heat was consuming him under the blazing sun and Snape had to remove his hood. Under the black cloak, he was sweating a lot and his greasy black hair had gotten plastered to his neck and his face. He sighed under the heat, and started levitating rocks and crumbled walls looking for the hidden magical source. He could feel its brilliance and kept going until he reached it. With a silent summoning charm, he received the object in his hands. It was an envelope with a magical seal and suddenly names appeared on it. Severus read: 'To Severus Snape and Harry James Potter'. He frowned in disgust. With only a glimpse he knew the letter was from Albus Dumbledore, but he hadn't frowned because of that. The reason for his disgust had been the other name on the envelope. How could the late Headmaster do this to him? The man was already dead, but had obviously had a plan under his sleeve and at that moment, Snape knew he was right. All of a sudden, tt was as if he could see the curse before it had even been chanted and he turned to look behind him, shielding himself from the sudden barrage of spells. He leapt and fell behind some broken walls, his heart beating fast, unspoken swear words at the tip of his tongue. Of all people that could have found him...

"You monster! What in Merlin's name are you doing here?", That had been the insufferable know-it-all.

"You bloody vermin! You motherfuc---!You killed Dumbledore, you son of a bit--!", Weasley's use of language was astounding in Severus' opinion.

"How dare you show your face in the place my parents died? How dare you?" Only one of the annoying trio had dead parents so Severus didn't have to guess much about who could that possibly be. Potter.

The three teens kept sending jinxes and hexes toward Snape's hiding spot, but he managed to block them all with great ease as he came out, moving with speed that they couldn't possibly expect from him even if he wasn't too old. In precious seconds he pointed his wand at Weasley and stupefied him without uttering a single word, quickly hiding behind crumbled walls afterwards. He identified binding spells and was amused as he even identified a few dark curses flying in his direction, but hitting rocks instead. He came out again and easily petrified Miss Granger. He then blocked three spells in a row from Potter and with a smirk he wordlessly invoked a spell that bound the teenager to a still standing wall. In seconds, the ex-Potions Master had also summoned the three wands that had just attacked him. He gave them all a boring gaze. They definitely had lots to learn, he thought.

"Are you going to kill us like you killed him? Is that what you are planning to do? How did you even know we were coming here? Kill me then! Kill me already if that's what you desperately want!" Harry was full of anger, with absolutely no control over his emotions. Of all people, why did they have to encounter the greasy git?

Snape ignored Harry's yelling and sat on a rock, placing the three wands beside him, as if waiting for something. Harry was panting and looked at the man incredulously. The wizard started to absentmindedly play with his own wand. Hermione couldn't speak in her petrified state, but she could perceive that there was something odd with the scene as her eyes slightly moved, scanning the wizard that had been one of their teachers. Snape hadn't attacked them. He had shielded and protected himself against their spells, but he hadn't really attacked them. He had simply stopped them from attacking him. It was a very strange behaviour in her opinion and she wondered if Harry was thinking the same.

Harry kept staring at the 'Death Eater' that seemed to be waiting for something. After what seemed like an eternity, but had actually been five minutes Snape bound Ron and woke him, then he bound Hermione and un-petrified her. Hermione remained silent, but Ron quickly reacted. "What are you doing here? Fuc-! Of all people! What are you doing here, you greasy git?" In the same way, Ron kept yelling at the man and Hermione tried to calm him. Harry also remained quiet and after a while, there was silence.

"Are you going to let me speak now?" Snape suddenly seemed older than his years and worn out. His voice came out softly, which was something that surprised the three teens. They just stared at him incredulously and Severus took that as a 'yes' to keep speaking. "I won't play innocent. I did kill Albus Dumbledore, but things are not..."

"Of course you killed him you bastard! You betrayed us all you son of a bit--!" Ron exploded once again.

"I don't have to be reminded about it, I was there, you know? I saw you kill him, you coward!" Harry's anger boiled even more, causing his face to burn red with fury.

With Ron's yells and Harry's, Snape simply stopped speaking and Hermione hushed the two boys. A long minute passed and Snape continued, ignoring the fact that he had been called a coward by Potter just like that 'night'. "As I was saying, things are not as they appear to be."

"Are you going to tell me that you had to do it for some noble reason?" Harry spat the words interrupting, but he didn't really yell.

"No. There was no noble reason involved whatsoever except for the fact that Dumbledore asked me to kill him himself."

Hermione gasped, but the two boys reacted.

"That's a blatant lie!" Ron hissed.

"You are lying! He wouldn't have! Never!" Harry's fury was intact, but he sounded unsure as he spoke.

Severus had gone silent again and Harry and Ron decided to remain silent too. Then Severus continued. "I am not lying. Dumbledore himself made me swear." Snape suddenly was alert waiting for more interruptions, but there were none. "I made an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy. The Dark Lord himself sent young Draco Malfoy on a mission to kill Dumbledore. Narcissa believed her son would never be able to do what the Dark Lord himself hadn't been able to achieve. She was right. The woman, in her distress, made me swear that if her son was about to fail I was to complete his task. I never hid that from Dumbledore and he just smiled that annoying smile of his and told me that then I was going to be the one to take his life. Dumbledore didn't like the idea of a student soiling his hands by killing. The old fool made me swear that I was going to be the one to kill him if the situation came to that. Whether you believe it or not, that is the truth. I killed your adored Headmaster on his own orders, and those orders included joining the Death Eaters if the young Malfoy found a way for them to enter Hogwarts."

The three teens glared at Severus. The tale had to be a lie. Albus Dumbledore would have never played such a dangerous game. One thing was trusting a man who had been a Death Eater, but trusting that man with his own life like that? That was just plain crazy! What kind of idiots did their ex-Potions master think they were?

Severus spoke to them again. "At this moment you can decide whether you believe me or not. That means that you would have to trust me," he sneered. "If you three can do that and swear that you won't even try attacking me again I will free you and let you go, but if you don't, I will just leave you there. Perhaps I will have mercy on you and send an anonymous owl to someone like... Arthur Weasley? I'm sure he would get here as fast as he can with half the Ministry to rescue you from your pathetic position. Of course, that would only happen if I pity you enough. I could just leave you there to be found by just anyone including the Dark Lord, or for wild animals to eat you. I don't even care. It's your choice after all." The man moved his wand playfully again and held it with both hands.

The teens remained silent and Severus remained seated and stopped fumbling with his wand to start playing with the letter that he had hidden in his robes when they had started their sudden attack. He noticed a brilliant green gaze staring curiously at the envelope and smirked. "Want to know what it says, Potter? Curiously... It is addressed to both of us." The wizard flashed the envelope at the raven-haired teen and emerald orbs opened wide. Snape then opened the envelope, removed the parchment and started to read in a flash, and then he started to laugh. Seeing the man suddenly laughing out loud made the three friends shiver. It was definitely a creepy sight, especially when the laugh was so full of bitterness and resentment. "This letter... This letter from your 'oh so adored' Albus Dumbledore, confirms what I've just told you."

"Read it then. I want to listen to what it says and I am sure that Hermione and Ron want to hear it too. I am not hiding anything from them." The brown haired girl and the redhead nodded with serious expressions.

Snape then proceeded to read the letter:

"Dear Harry and Severus,

"If you have come to this place in search for this little piece of information then I am certainly on my next great adventure. Severus, I am truly sorry for what I have done to you, but no one else could do it. Not just anyone from the Order could have managed such a burden and ordeal. As I told you, I didn't want Mr. Malfoy to stain his hands. I still have hopes for that child, Severus, and I hope that it is not too late for him. Severus, I have to thank you. If I was to die by someone's hand, I am glad that it was you who ended my life. If it had been..." Snape took a breathe before proceeding. "...Voldemort himself the whole Wizarding world would have crumbled in fear. I couldn't have that, Severus. There are also bonuses to having ended my life, my son. I am sure that now you have secured your place as a strong spy that would never be suspected by Tom. That will help you in supporting Mr. Potter on his quest.

"Harry, I am so sorry my boy. I want you to understand that it was I who ordered Professor Snape to kill me. Please understand me, Harry. I know that you can. It had to be this way, my child. It's the only way for Severus to be able to help you in finding the rest of the Horcruxes. I was old, Harry, and if Severus hadn't killed me, he would have died himself. I couldn't allow that. I'm so sorry I've failed you, Harry, and I'm sorry that I could never finish teaching you everything that I wanted you to learn. Severus can continue that. Learn from him, Harry. There is a lot that he can teach you, but do not worry. No matter what, I will live inside you. You will discover it little by little. You'll see what I mean very soon. I planned everything from the beginning.

"Harry, I have told Severus about the Horcruxes just as I've done with you. It is not that I do not trust you to be able to do it yourself. It is just that I have always wanted for you two to understand each other and I am sure that Severus will be a great aid. His knowledge is vast and I am sure that you will find yourself in need of that knowledge that he can provide. Please understand, Harry, and forgive me.

"Severus, now you know that Harry knows. I know you, Severus, and I know that you will try to search for the Horcruxes on your own, but I do not want that. I know that you only want to protect Mr. Potter as I also made you swear, but Mr. Potter is indeed an important factor in such a quest. You will need him Severus, whether you agree with it or not. Please understand this, my son, and forgive me.

"I have to make this short, but these few words will make you both understand. Find the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul and stop the darkness from destroying our world. I trust you.

"Forever with you,

Albus Dumbledore"

Harry couldn't control the tears that wanted to come, but somehow held them. His voice came out weak and hoarse: "How could he? How... Why? How could he?" Green orbs full of grief clashed with an onyx gaze that seemed full of hatred, but that gaze suddenly softened and lowered staring at the rocks.

Hermione and Ron were crying. They couldn't understand it either. It was like they could understand, but at the same time they couldn't, but when they thought of possible other ways things could have been there were none.

"Please free me... I won't touch you... I just want to read the letter myself." Snape looked cautiously at Potter and could see honesty in those glaring emerald orbs. With a flick of his wand, the teen was free and quickly took the letter and read it. He studied Snape for a while. Just weeks before he wanted to kill the man, but now it was as if he'd been sapped of all his energy and hatred. He turned to his friends. "Hermione... Ron... I believe him, and I believe Dumbledore." The two teens nodded and with another flick of Snape's wand, they were free too, but wary.

The four people remained silent, but the older wizard suddenly stood. "We have to get out of here." The three teens also stood looking at him with what seemed like looks of amazement and they found themselves receiving their wands. "The Ministry will be here any minute. They detected the use of magic spells here."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked the older man curiously, but the ex-Potions master ignored the young man's question, replying with another.

"How did you three get here?"

Ron answered with a shrug: "By car."

Severus raised an eyebrow: "Car?"

In less than five minutes, they were closing the doors and Harry was starting the engine. Soon he went in reverse, changed the car to 'D' and stepped on it. They could feel the sudden reflected power of wizards and witches Apparating on the ruins, but they were sure that those Ministry officers would never suspect a Muggle car, plus they had been quick. Harry didn't think those wizards and witches would detect the car anyway.

Severus was looking out his window in the back seat. Hermione kept her distance and was glued to the other door. Snape turned to her and gave her a curious look and spoke with disgust: "I don't have any contagious diseases, Miss Granger."

Hermione gave a nervous laugh and spoke with embarrassment: "It's not that, sir. It's just that you..." The girl then looked for something in her backpack. It was a unisex spray cologne. "Just put this on, sir, and please don't ask why."

Severus pursed his lips and spoke softly while putting a little bit of cologne on his cloak and the robes below it. "This is what happens when you're a fugitive, Miss Granger... This is what your beloved Headmaster did to me. I know I must stink. It's been weeks since I've been able to cleanse myself properly. Aurors are constantly surrounding most of my properties and the only cottage they don't know about is in the middle of an enchanted forest. I haven't even glanced at that place yet. I can't even go to Gringotts' to access my gold either..." The man lowered his gaze not wanting to look at Hermione or the other two. It was a bit comfortable not to be alone, but these weren't the people he would have wanted to be with. Life was indeed ironic and if it weren't for the fact that Dumbledore was already dead, Severus would have willingly killed the old wizard yet again.

Harry stopped the car all of a sudden and took two flower bouquets he had bought during the morning with Ron and Hermione. "You three can stay here. I won't take long." The green-eyed teen left the car and entered a cemetery.

Severus didn't even want to look at the graveyard. He knew very well which tombs Potter was visiting and the guilty sensation was eating the older man's soul. He hated the feeling and pushed it aside with all his might. He was glad he was good at blocking his feelings.

Harry had told them the truth. He didn't take long and soon he was in the car again starting it, but before actually putting the car in motion, he turned to the back seat and his emerald eyes clashed with an obsidian gaze. Harry gasped as he saw images in his mind, but in seconds, they were gone. Severus smirked with displeasure. "Occlumency, Potter... When will you learn? Are we going to the Blacks' house then? I already know there's a Horcrux there. You just showed it to me just like you would have shown it to any other Death Eater or to the Dark Lord himself."

Harry growled and swore in a whisper, then spoke bitterly: "Yes. That's where we are going now, but I still don't trust you. I am not Dumbledore, you know? Maybe I'll give you a chance to gain my trust through this Horcrux. You will let me destroy it. Have you told Voldemort about Dumbledore knowing about them?"

"I am not mad, Potter..." Then Snape added with clenched teeth: "And don't say the Dark Lord's name."

Harry ignored the last statement and drove. They would get to Number 12 Grimmauld Place by Muggle means, but that night they would rest. By the next day, they would start figuring how to destroy the piece of the Dark Lord's soul that resided inside Slytherin's locket, if by any chance the locket was still in the House of Black.