(Natasha's note: For those of you who have been reading the most recent chapters, you may feel like this is a rough draft. And you're right. There are some discrepancies in the story line and I have been going back and correcting them as quickly as I can. I hope you bear with me and and will continue to enjoy Harry's Story.)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Father

Snape's Doppelganger stood staring out into the night but he wasn't really seeing anything. He wasn't thinking about their predicament. He was thinking about the letter. He did not doubt that it was genuine.

Her last words were shocking and horrific. Why couldn't you ask me to stay? she wrote and added. I might have.

He was aware that he was the Double. Voldemort confirmed it. He was also aware that he was stronger than the real Snape. And what he wanted more than anything was to die. Why not? he thought. Why not take the Horcruxes and save the boy. After all I am nothing but a Doppelganger. I can keep the promise I...you...we... made to her. The Snape double stared at the human beside him and the real Snape stared back.

Although, he was not real, he had real feelings even if they were copied from the human at his side. He felt everything that a real human could feel. He felt like a real human.

He heard the boy's voice behind him when they entered the room and it sent chills through him.

My son. He is my son. The thoughts pricked at his brain like razors.

He doesn't need me, the real Snape thought. Time can't erase what has passed between us. He hates me and I...

I hated him, the Double finished the sentence. He lived and Lily died and it was my fault, not his. But I blamed him. Every time I looked at him it reminded me of what I did.

I used the Candidas charm knowing that it would mean her death. I knew sooner or later Riddle would kill her. She sacrificed herself so the boy could live. The real Snape gripped the sill of the window and thought about throwing himself out into the dark night to fall to his death. I wanted her back. instead I got him, a constant reminder, every single day.

She made me...you... do it. The double thought, knowing that Snape shared the same memories. You didn't want to.

I can't live with this pain, Snape thought. It feels like I've lost her all over again.

Can I abandon my son? Can I walk away from him the way I walked away from his mother? How many ways can I do the same despicable thing?

The Double nodded. We...I... have to do what needs to be done.

You'll leave me behind? the real Snape thought in shock. No! You can't do that. All alone with myself? That would be worse then death.

It was obvious if anyone could have listened in that Snape was going insane. He now no longer wanted to rid himself of the Double. It had absorbed so much of his personality that, like a twin- a brother- he would miss his companion, felt he could not live without him. He was drowning in self-loathing and despair and nothing was stopping his descent. On the other hand the Doppelganger held the reins of sanity. It's alright. I won't leave you, it thought, comforting his human twin.

The real Snape was pale, paler then death. What he didn't know was that he was dying. The Doppelganger could not continue to live because he was truly absorbing the essence of the real Snape and he knew it.

While the real Snape could not or would not look at their predicament with any concern- he was now beyond that- the Double was thinking about their dilemma. If it's true what they say, and I am what I am, I should be able to see in the dark, he thought. The real Snape heard the thoughts (independent of his own) and did not react. He was beyond reacting. I can search for the Dark Lord and find him. He will kill me and along with me destroy his own Horcruxes without knowing it. At that, he disappeared.

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat on the floor oblivious to the struggle taking place in the man.

"Sooner or later he'll find us Hermione," Ron said, absentmindedly scratching in the dirt at his feet.

She nodded. "Until then we must think of what to do."

Harry didn't contribute to the conversation. His back to the wall, he was staring at Snape and the shadow that seemed to now, always be at his side. What am I supposed to think? he wondered. How am I supposed to feel? He is my true father. But I hate him! I have hated him since the first day at Hogwarts. He has bullied and embarrassed and humiliated me for years. Can I send him to his death just because of that? Do I want him dead?

"You know I was thinking," Hermione began. It seemed to Harry like hours had passed.

"What Hermione," he mumbled still deep in thought.

"Well that woman, the ghost," she nodded towards the ghost who now looked as if she were sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Ron glanced over at the ghost. "What about her?"

"Remember when we saw Peeves at Hogwarts and it gave me the idea of transferring the Horcruxes into a living creature, but a non-human one?"

"I don't think you can do that with a ghost, Hermione," Ron said, hesitantly. "I mean they have no substance. Technically they're not really alive. Wouldn't the Horcrux just...sort of...go through them?"

She stared at him and then nodded. "Yes, you're right. But there are other non-human forms. Remember, we joked about it; spiders, and such. Non of us would feel bad about killing one of them."

"That's all well and good Hermione, but I don't see us running into one in here."

"Harry could summon Dobby..." she began.

"I'm not getting him into this," Harry said quickly. "I wouldn't use him to do this. Besides I am not his master. I don't know that I can summon him. Remember it was Remus that sent him looking for me last time. I don't think we can count on him to rescue us this time. We weren't even suppose to enter the castle, if you remember."

"Let me finish, Harry," Hermione chided. "He could get us out of here and bring us what we needed at the same time."

"And just who would that be, Hermione?" Harry asked. "Hagrid, a dragon...who? It's not like we can just use any old non-human. I don't happen to have a mountain troll at my beck and call. Do you?"

"Don't go shooting down my ideas out-of-hand, Harry. I do not want to sit here and wait for Voldemort to stroll through the door and kill us all."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled. "One thing is for sure. At least we know that Voldemort is here with us."

"Yeah, so?' Ron mumbled.

"He's not with Ginny."

"Oh, right," Ron dropped his head with guilt. He'd forgotten about his missing sister.

"Ginny," Hermione murmured. "Well there were a whole lot of people at Hogwarts, Harry. I'm sure that everyone of them would be looking for her. And Ron, your mum and dad were there- and Mad-eye. They'll find her."

Ron nodded and appeared relieved.

Harry withdrew into his thoughts and time slipped away.

"Hey," Ron said a little too loudly.

"Ron, shush." Hermione frowned at him.

He leaned over and whispered, "Snape is gone. He's left his Double behind."

They all turned to stare at the man who was crumpled into the corner of the room, sitting on the floor, staring out of a window at the moon. His face was white and there was no life in it.

Harry got up and slowly walked over. "Hermione, bring me your mirror."

The other two joined him and Hermione handed him a compact. He opened it, bent down and tilted it before the man's face so that they could all see. There was a reflection.

"Oh my," Hermione breathed.

"Is he alive?" Ron asked, reaching out, almost touching the cold skin.

"Yes," Harry said. "He's still alive."

"Where do you suppose his Double is?" Ron asked, searching the room with his lit wand.

They all looked around. "I think we won't have to worry about finding that non-human we were talking about, Harry," Hermione whispered. "The Double is gone and he's taken the locket and the Phoenix."

They stared at one another and then looked down at the man. Harry slowly knelt down and reached for his hand; it was limp. Harry looked into the eyes but there was no recognition.

"Now what do we do?" Ron asked.

"It looks like the whole situation is out of our hands now, Harry," Hermione said kneeling by the innert Snape.

"We have to find the Other," Harry said.

"But..." she began to argue, turning to him. "But why? This is what we planned from the beginning."

"You don't understand Hermione," Harry mumbled. "Snape is my real father."

She turned back to Snape, studying the face of the catatonic man. "Oh, dear."

...

Ginny was waiting in the dark with Draco and Neville agonizing about the fact that she had not told her parents that she was alive and well and not in the hands of Voldemort. But then, she argued with herself, if they knew, they would make me stay behind. No one will believe Neville's story and they certainly wouldn't let him go it alone. This is the best course.

"Are you ready? Neville asked.

She nodded. Draco took her by the arm and drew his wand. "If I have to I may have to hurt you a little just to show that I'm on their side."

She nodded and heard Neville grumbling at her back. "Just so you know Malfoy, if you hurt her too much , you'll get double in return."

"Stop being my big brother, Neville," she managed, taking a deep breath to quell her rising fears. "Don't I have enough of those already?" She knew that she had hurt his feelings when he let out a sigh. "Sorry."

"That's okay Ginny."

Ginny felt him watching as she and Draco moved to the house. She had known for a long time that Neville liked her. She felt bad about it because he was such a kind man and yet, she couldn't bring herself to share the same feelings. She did and always would, love Harry.