Percy was quite positive he was staring at Severus Snape, but something was a bit different about him. He had a strange look to him, at least stranger than he was used to. When Percy would see Snape around school, the latter always seemed to be wearing an expression of complete disgust. He walked about with a grimace, knowing he was better than the students and his position at the school. Percy had only ever seen the professor smile when he was taking points away from Gryffindor, or when he made a first year whimper. It was due to Snape's steadfast dedication to being an absolute prat, that Percy was surprised to see Snape not trying to barge into the house. In fact, it seemed as though he was waiting to be addressed. It was a bit pathetic, actually.

"Hello there, Professor Snape." Percy said curtly, the faintest flicker of humor behind his eyes. "Got a bit bored of death did we?"

"It's alright, Perce," Neville said from behind Snape.

Percy looked past his old potions master, and noticed Neville and Luna for the first time. Luna smiled calmly, and gazed about the Burrow, seemingly perplexed as to how it was still standing. Indeed, the Burrow could well have topped Voldemort's list of places to destroy. Perhaps they would find out why the Death Eaters left the place untouched, though it was quite possible that the disheveled and depressed state of the place was enough of a victory for Voldemort. Molly Weasley had killed Bellatrix Lestrange, but Voldemort had destroyed the Weasleys' happiness. He had ended their way of life, and their spark had faded. Their very hair seemed a less vibrant shade of ginger.

Neville, on the other hand, hadn't taken his eyes off the back of Snape's head. His right hand held his wand, which was pointed at Snape's back, and he held the man's wand in his left. As he spoke to Percy, his voice was dry and harsh. Neville had always spoken with such conviction and passion in the aftermath of his friends' deaths, and meetings at his house in Hogsmeade Village were always full of anger and words of revenge. He had a hatred for Voldemort which spewed forth like fire from a newly placed log, where others' voices had fallen flat in a state of bewildered depression. Yet now as he spoke, he seemed just as lost as they all had been. Truly, Snape's sudden reappearance six months after he was seen being killed was causing Neville to question whether his own existence was possible.

"Can we come in?" Luna asked politely. "Bit nippy out here."

Neville and Luna's faces were flush red from the cold air. There was a dash of red barely making an appearance on Snape's face, which betrayed the fact that he was indeed alive. Percy stepped back, opening the door wider, and the three visitors spilled into the front room.

"When are the others due to arrive?" Neville spoke with a slightly lighter tone, though he still had his eyes and wand focused on Snape.

"Any moment now, actually," Percy said, glancing once more at his watch. He lowered his voice, "The rest of my family is here this time as well."

Luna squealed with delight, "They made it?" She rushed into the room, and Neville smiled a bit at the sound of Molly laughing and crying loudly.

Percy, Neville, and Snape followed Luna into the sitting room. Luna's blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb amid the sea of red hair. She looked right at home, but Neville could tell that the Weasley's were a bit nervous. Their smiles were weak, and they shifted around quite a lot. They stopped shifting, and their smiles disappeared when they turned to see Snape standing in their house.

"Severus Snape," Molly said with venom in her voice. "You are not welcome in my house." She turned to Neville, jabbing him with her finger, "How could you bring him to the Burrow."

"I think we should hear him out," Luna said weakly from somewhere behind Molly.

"He's a traitor," Molly said in little more than a whisper.

"Yeah, and a dead one at that," George said with a strange look on his face.

"He's not dead, and he never was," Neville said pointedly.

Arthur saw the look on George's face, and went over to comfort him. He understood that George believed Snape to be proof that he could see Fred again; that for an instant, Fred might be brought back to life.

"It can't be done," Arthur whispered so only George could hear. Then he spoke to Snape, "How did you do it? How did you survive Nagini?"

"Might I have some food?" Snape said, eyeing the food in the kitchen, not yet cleaned up by the family.

"No." Molly said with no hesitation.

"Molly, the man must be starving. Let him eat." Arthur said quietly.

"Mum, nobody has been as paranoid as dad since that night," Percy interjected. "If he trusts Snape in this unexpected meeting, perhaps we all could."

Molly argued with herself in her head for a moment. The Weasley in her won, and she moved toward the kitchen. "Oh very well," She said politely enough, "take a seat."

Snape sat down in Ron's seat without so much as a "thank you" and waited patiently to be served. Neville followed him, and sat to his right, still not having taken his eyes off the man. He had put his wand away, however, at Percy's mention of Arthur's paranoia, not wanting to raise the poor man's blood pressure. The rest of the Weasley's took their seats, and waited impatiently for Snape to begin talking. Molly walked over, and plopped a plate of food in front of Snape, who then began tearing at the food like a starving wolf. He began speaking before he swallowed. It was gross, but at least he didn't make them wait longer.

"That fool Voldemort thought he could kill me with a snake," he spat out food as he spoke.

"Not just any snake," Neville said with a bit of pride.

"Nagini was just a snake," Snape said with a mouthful of food. "A weak one at that. She shared a soul with Voldemort, didn't she?" He saw as Neville looked a bit dejected. "I heard about your little defeat. Killing that snake was important, and I'm glad you did it, but it wasn't as hard as you wish to believe. Just a snake, Longbottom."

It was an odd thing to see a man sneer as he ate, but Snape did so swimmingly. "I taught first years how to cure a poisoned victim for years." He pointed at a picture of Ron on the nearby wall, "Potter cured your boy in their sixth year with a bezoar. You think I walk around without at least three? I was honestly wondering if Voldemort meant for me to live, though I can't imagine why."

"Why would he want you to die?" Arthur interrupted.

Snape stopped eating momentarily, and looked directly into Arthur's eyes. "You think you were the only ones who knew I was a double agent? As soon as I told Voldemort I would kill Harry, he knew that I wanted to spare the boy."

"You wanted Harry to live?" Ginny said, unwilling to believe it.

Snape eyed her, and then let his eyes drop. He took a moment to himself before saying quietly, "That will remain between Dumbledore and myself, if you don't mind."

They all sat around for what seemed like an eternity. Snape had mentioned Harry, Ron, and Dumbledore in the span of two minutes, and the Weasley's, Luna and Neville were all a bit shaken by it. It would seem that Snape was truly a member of the Order. Those at the table were ready to welcome him cautiously, but not trust him completely just yet. They weren't quite sure how the others would take his arrival. Snape finished eating, and let his fork clank to the plate. They all looked toward him.

"Tell me," he inquired as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "how did Harry die?"