TITLE: BETRAYAL
AUTHOR: Lilly
RATING: R for later chapters
PAIRING: HP/SS
SUMMARY: Ten years ago harry was framed for a crime that he didn't commit, was expelled from Hogwarts, and turned on by his friends. Now he's back but will the Wizarding world be able to handle the new Harry? SLASH!!
DISCLAIMER: The only thing about this story that is mine is the plot. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 3
Two Hours Before
Severus Snape snarled at a passing student as he hurried towards the headmaster's office. He was well aware of what the meeting Albus had called was going to be about, Harry Potter. After ten years of waiting and hoping it had happened Blaise Zabini had been captured in a death eater raid and been put under a real truth potion. Under it affects he had confessed to what had really happened with harry shocking the reporters, aurora's and Minister of Magic Arthur Weasley who had taken the position when it was revealed Fudge had been a death eater all along.
(You think that might clue them in a little, after all it was him that gave Zabini the truth potion when he was being questioned about Potter)
Snape gritted his teeth as he rounded a corner then jogged up a flight of stairs leading to the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the headmaster's office. He remembered going to the great hall that morning for breakfast like he had done every day since he had started teaching at Hogwarts only to freeze as he noticed the complete silence in the room. Taking his seat and picking up his coffee that had magically appeared he took a sip and nearly spit it right back out after reading the headline on the front page of the daily prophet.
BOY WHO LIVED INNOCENT!!
(Sirius Black proven completely innocent)
Harry Potter the boy who lived and vanished ten years ago after escaping custody was proven innocent yesterday after Blaise Zabini was captured in a death eater raid. Zabini who had previously, ten years ago, confessed under supposed truth potion to Potter's admission to the rape and murder of Virginia (Ginny) Weasley, youngest child of the Minister of Magic Arthur Weasley. However under a real truth potion, taken from the stores of Severus Snape renowned potions master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Zabini confessed to lying about Potters involvement in Miss Weasley's tragic death. He also told those in the room when questioned, that the plan was invented by Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew who had previously been discovered to have framed Sirius Black for the murders of Lilly and James Potter and sent him to Azkaban for twelve years, apparently noticed how much Potter relied on his friends for support. Attempting to use this to his advantage He Who Must Not Be Named decided he would get rid of Mr. Potter by turning his friends and the wizarding community against him. Obviously his plan was successful the only question now is where is the boy who lived?
By:
Albus had locked himself in his room all morning and most of the afternoon after reading the article, trying to track down Harry and then at 4:30 he had contacted all member's of the Order of the Phoenix about an emergency meeting.
That is what brought Severus here to the stone gargoyle. A whisper of the password (chocolate frog) and he was up the stairs and entering the headmaster's office.
Glancing around the room, he took great satisfaction in seeing the pale horrified faces of his co-members of the Order.
(It's about time; these idiots aren't even feeling half of what Harry... Potter must have felt when they betrayed him. I remember that look in his eyes so dead and lifeless, one can't fake that look. I knew then that I had to help him. Though I did have my suspicions even before that, Harry...Potter, oh all right Harry but only in my thoughts. Harry just isn't the type for that sort of thing, and friends with Zabini I would have noticed that right away.)
"Ah, Severus so glad you could join us we..." Albus began only to be cut off by Ron.
"We don't have time for pleasantries we have to find him!!" Ron exclaimed angrily "in case I'm the only one that remembers we are fighting against a Dark Lord here and loosing. We need his help"
Severus bared his teeth at that comment "Help" he whispered in a deadly quiet the word seeming to effect the people gathered in the room like a cold whip.
"Yes Snape you pompous jackass, get over yourselves we need his help despite how much that must hurt you to here. Harry is the only one that can..."
"SHUT UP WEASLEY!!! You dare to lecture me, me when it was you, who abandoned him, you who took the word of Fudge and Zabini two men that you despised and hated over that of your best friend. All of you who attacked him both physically and or mentally on that day, if it hadn't been for me Potter would be rotting away right now in a cell in Azkaban. AND NOW WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO? GO TO HIS HOME AND DEMAND HE HELP YOU? USE GUILT TO MAKE HIM COME BACK? DON'T YOU DARE TO PREACH AT ME YOU LITTLE SNIVELING PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING!! POTTER MAY HAVE PUT UP WITH THAT HIGH AND MIGHTY ATTITUDE YOU CARRY AROUND BUT I WILL NOT!! NOW SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!"
The people in the room stared in shock at the potions master, they had never seen him like this before. Ron inparticular sat open-mouthed watching as Snape took big gulps of air; his face red with anger and his hand clenched knuckles white. In all the years he had been a student no matter how many rules he had broken Ron didn't remember ever having Snape get this angry before.
"Severus" Dumbeldor said almost tentatively "what do you mean if it hadn't been for you? What did you do?"
"Well Albus it was I that helped Potter escape that day, I gave him a port key that took him to the outskirts of muggle London. And it has been me since then that has helped him stay hidden from the ministry of magic and all your spies that have been looking for him"
"Why?" Minerva spoke for the first time.
"Why? Well I think that should be perfectly obvious, I didn't want you idiots finding him until you knew that he was innocent" Snape growled then approached the headmasters desk pulling a old letter form his pocket he handed it to Dumbeldor. "Potter sent that to me one year after he left the wizarding world, it is a copy of the note that the Dark Lord gave him. It's basically the same as what Zabini said, it just has a lot more insults about Harry and his family in it"
Albus read the letter before handing it to Minerva who stood at his right who then gave it to Remus to look at. As the letter was passed around the room Dumbeldor took the opportunity to watch Severus, who had retreated back to his spot near the door after giving the headmaster the letter. He noticed a number of emotions on the potion masters face loneliness, anger but most of all a longing for something. And Albus was pretty sure he knew what that or should he say who that something was, that was if the display of anger Severus had shown earlier was anything to go by.
(They deserve each other; they deserve to be happy for once in their lives. Both have had to put up with so much and I blame myself for a lot of that. My decisions were wrong. I should never have let Severus return to spying for me and I should have known that Harry was innocent no matter how much proof they had)
Clapping his hands together to get the attention of those in the room he started to speak "I had originally called this meeting to get some help with ideas to locate Mr. Potter, as I have been unsuccessful in doing so thus far. However that no longer seems to be necessary as it appears we have someone here that both knows his location and is the perfect candidate to go and get him"
"WHAT?!" was the reaction from most everyone in the room except for Dumbeldor and Snape surprisingly.
"SILENCE!" Albus roared "I have made up my mind on this and Severus will leave to retrieve Mr. Potter immediately. The rest of us will stay here and between thinking up ways to get Harry's forgiveness we will pray for it, that is an order understood?" he looked pointedly at Ron, Sirius, Remus and Hermione.
"Yes Albus" rang throughout the room.
"I'll go now," Snape said as he disappeared out the door and headed for Hogsmead so that he could apparate in front of Harry's house.
Walking into the apartment building Severus decided to take the stairs as muggle inventions didn't sit too well with him. Climbing the stair quickly he reached the proper floor and walking along the hallway to Harry's apartment door quickly knocked and waited anxiously for it to open.
He heard muffled voices and then there he was Harry Potter. No longer a skinny little boy who needed to be protected, or a young man rash and reckless but an adult tall, and confident, and beautiful.
"Professor Snape" he whispered a look of shock, and if you looked closer happiness on his face.
"Hello Potter" Snape said crossing his arms over his chest "it's time for you to come home"
To be continued