Author's Note: First, thank you for reading and reviewing. Second, I needed to think of a way for Dumbridge to give Harry a detention in Snape's class and I thought it was plausible that she would stoop that low. If it bothers you – just imagine that I came up with something better. Harry has gotten detention for less in the past so I thought it would work.

I also needed something to get Snape and Harry talking and I went back and forth a lot with what Snape would have done in this chapter. I think what he does is reasonable.

Work is really hectic and I have zero time for writing. I hope to get more time in October. Because things are going to pick up in this story very soon.

Posted 10/3/15

Standard disclaimer about not owning anything; I am so thankful for JKR and all that she did for us. She gave us one of the greatest gifts, and so many people have taken to this site and played brilliantly with her creation. We should have a JKR day and it should be a global holiday!

Snape stared at Harry, unable to articulate anything in response.

That very question and all of the history that went with it was and had been a dominating thought in his mind. The only thing that consumed more of his mental energies was wondering when the Dark Lord would call his followers back to him and how he would have to take up his role as a double agent again.

Harry was watching Snape intently, half expecting the man to snap at him for his brazen question.

Eventually, Snape found his voice, though he debated what to say to the boy.

He knew it wouldn't be long before Harry would be made aware of the prophecy and from there it was only a matter of time before he started putting the history of everything together – if he wasn't already.

But he also just couldn't tell him nothing until then – that would just make Harry even more furious when the boy found out what he had done.

"It's complicated, Mr. Potter," Snape managed after a few more minutes of quiet contemplation.

Harry's face lightened when he realized that the man wasn't angry with his question, and Harry became even more curious as to why.

"But now is not the time," he started and Harry's face sank.

"Our absences would be noted at dinner; however, I will tell you what I can tonight at your detention."

Harry was stunned; it was more than he could have hoped to get out of the man.

He could only nod his head and then hurried off to the hospital wing to check on Neville before dinner.

Madam Pomfrey had everything under control when Harry arrived and Ron and Hermione were quietly talking in the corner when they spotted him and beckoned him to join them.

"Harry, what happened after we left?" Hermione eyed him warily.

"Dumbridge made Snape give me a detention for injuring another student in class. How is Neville by the way?" Harry continued quickly.

"Madam Poppy said a light concussion and that he would be fine in a few hours."

Harry was relieved but Hermione was intent on knowing everything that happened after she had left.

"Tell me everything," she practically ordered.

"At first, I couldn't think what I had done," Harry whispered after looking around to make sure no one else would hear them, which intrigued Ron greatly and he leaned in closer.

"But, as soon as everyone else left, Snape called my name. He asked me what I had done and I told him that I was sure that an explosion shouldn't have happened at the stage we were at in the potion, which he agreed with. However, then he said that he thought Dumbridge was behind the entire thing and for me to be wary around her. He thinks she is up to something, and that he didn't want to give me a detention and I can just do my homework when I go there tonight."

Harry hesitated on telling them the rest, but he wouldn't have been able to even if he had wanted to because Hermione was furious. It was one thing in her mind for a teacher to not take his or her role seriously but to purposefully endanger a student was the point of no return for her.

"That vile, loathsome, ughhhhh," she shrieked, causing Madam Pomfrey to look over at them.

"If you are going to talk loudly, I will have to ask you to leave," she glared at the trio.

Harry made an apologetic face, nodded, and led his friends outside where they could talk more freely.

Once they were clear of the hospital wing, Hermione began her tirade again which Harry had needed to head off.

"Now, Snape has no proof that it was her – so we have no proof but he did warn me." Harry said firmly, even though it was likely the hag was behind it.

"I can't believe she would do that. I swear, I will make her pay for almost hurting Neville," Hermione harrumphed.

Ron and Harry agreed with her, and they talked for a few more minutes until she was calm enough to head down to the Great Hall and be in the same room as Umbridge without shouting off curses.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered on the way.

"I think it would be beneficial for you to teach us Occlumency as soon as possible." Hermione said very seriously. "I don't think classes with her are going to be easy knowing what she has done."

That perked Ron's interest as well.

"Sure," Harry said immediately.

Dinner went by quickly for Harry and it turned out that Umbridge wasn't present until the very end, just when they made to leave. Harry headed down to the dungeons and Hermione and Ron headed off to the library to get their work done before their patrol as prefects later that evening.

Harry entered the Potions classroom and sat down at his bench and pulled out his homework to work on until Snape entered the room from his private laboratory.

They sat in silence for a while, Snape was at his desk writing something on parchment with quick pen strokes and Harry just read through his Transfiguration text. Harry kept glancing at Snape every so often, wondering when they were going to talk but not feeling quite as brave as he did before to initiate the conversation himself.

About halfway through the detention though, Snape started to speak, interrupting Harry from his reading.

"You never did anything to me," Snape uttered in his trademark voice.

Harry almost dropped his book from the sudden admission, and closed it on his bench before looking at the man.

Snape was staring at a point just behind Harry and his quill was still in his hand.

"Sir?" Harry asked.

Snape set the quill down but still didn't look directly at Harry.

"Your mother and I were very good friends when we were younger," Snape offered and instantly gaining Harry's absolute interest with talks of his mother.

"We lived near each other and became friends before Hogwarts. Your mother continued the friendship even after she was sorted into Gryffindor and I was sent to Slytherin; she never cared that people thought it was unusual."

Harry didn't know how to feel about hearing that his mum and Snape had been good friends but found that it didn't bother him in the least.

"Your father and I, however, is a different matter."

Harry knew about that and just nodded his head.

"However, things happened and we grew apart. In a moment of weakness, I called your mother something unforgivable – and she gave up on me."

Harry could only guess what name he could have called a muggleborn and he wanted to be angry with the man but he saw the regret and remorse in his eyes. Harry was certain that Snape would have done anything to go back and change things.

"After Hogwarts, we went our separate ways. Now, there are some things that happened that I can't tell you – just know that I have acted the way I have because I felt you should hate me – and I couldn't stand the sight of you because you look so much like your father. Except you had your mother's eyes."

This was a lot for Harry to process, and he was sure this was the most he had ever heard the man say. It wasn't exactly filling Harry in on what he wanted to know but it was something.

"What changed then, Professor?" Harry asked quietly.

"Your eyes stopped looking like your mother's, and it killed me to see them so dull and lifeless. And then you started to write with great insight just like she had and it reminded me so much of her that I simply couldn't stand making you more miserable than you already were."

"Oh," Harry responded at that very honest admission.

"And other reasons of course, but that is the gist of it."

Harry thought for a few moments, taking in everything that he had just heard.

"Sir," Harry began, knowing that he didn't need to know everything to start putting together a solid theory for why he must have acted the way he had.

"Whatever you did that you can't or won't tell me, do you regret it? Just like you regret what you said to my mum?"

'So like Lilly,' Severus closed his eyes in thought. Of course Harry would more or less put things together with limited information.

This time, Snape looked directly at Harry when he opened his eyes and answered his question.

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret what I did. I would do anything to take both of those things back."

Harry's green eyes stared into Snape's black obsidian orbs for a few seconds before the man blinked and turned his head to the side, where Harry was wondering if he was imagining the man's eyes becoming slightly more glistening and wet.

"I think that is all for tonight. You may leave, your detention is finished." Snape shuffled the papers that he had been working on and got up and exited to his private lab, leaving Harry contemplating what could have possibly affected the man's core so much.

'What horrible thing did he do?' Harry asked himself. He sat there for a few minutes longer, wondering if he should be mad at the man – but he couldn't find it in him to be. The man was obviously sorry and for the moment that was enough for him and he would have to worry about it later.

Harry gathered his book and shoved it in his bag and started walking towards Gryffindor with a lot on his mind.

Harry was still thinking about what Snape had said a few weeks later when everyone was getting ready for the holidays.

He wondered if it was in any way connected to what Dumbledore was supposed to tell him once he had mastered Occlumency – except that Harry found whenever he thought about approaching the man to test how far he had come he could never find him.

At any rate, it was too much to think about with everything else that he had going on. On top of finishing all of their work before the holiday started, which would only lead to more homework over the break, they had been informed that they would be meeting with their head of house to discuss their career options.

Each student had been assigned a one-on-one time to go over their classes and get feedback on their performance and how likely it was they would achieve the required O.W.L. grade to continue on in that subject that would allow them to take their N.E.W.T.s in two years time.

Harry had never really considered what he would do after Hogwarts; he was more or less just focusing on making it out of Hogwarts, alive.

His time with Professor McGonagall was Sunday, right after supper the week before break started. Harry spent some of his limited free time looking over the pamphlets they had been given describing various careers and the different grades needed to apply. So far, Harry thought something in the Department of Mysteries sounded interesting but he wasn't about to rule out a career in the DMLE either. Harry felt an inexplicable tug towards the prospect of being an Auror like his father and didn't want to rule that out yet, even if the described positions as an unspeakable spoke to his changing study habits and interests.

Eventually, he reached a point where he couldn't think about it anymore and knew that he would get helpful feedback later that night during his session and so he spent the morning replying to Charlie's last letter. It had been over a month since he had responded to Charlie's last letter because he had had a lot on his mind since then with what happened with Snape and thinking about his upcoming exams and what they could mean for his life.

Charlie,

I can't help it; I am very thankful for your help and will always feel like I have to say it.

I am sorry it took me so long to reply to your last letter. Things have been quite

busy here with all of the work and then with meeting with our head of house to talk about our career prospects. I had never given it any serious thought before. But I guess I am leaning towards something in the Department of Mysteries or an Auror.

Anyways, I think that I read your previous letter at least twenty times. I found it really comforting to read it when I was having some of my more difficult moments. Your words really help! I will listen to anything that you want to share or think that is relevant; it has worked so far, and I think I may give that whole therapy a try once things have calmed down somewhat. Maybe after O.W.L.s this summer when I have the time.

And you were right by the way (you are right about a lot of things) about Ron and Hermione. I can't expect them to know what I am going through, but it hasn't stopped them from being there for me. I feel a little bad with how much it has taken on their part, but I would do the same for either one of them. They make the hard moments easier (just like your letters).

It is getting easier to get on with my life – but I still think of Cedric often. I have been thinking about visiting him at St. Mungo's over the holiday – but I don't know if I am ready. I have been making a lot of progress and wonder if it will set me back. Am I strong enough to see him like that?

Because it is hard not to blame myself, Charlie. Very hard. I don't think I could stand to see him lying there knowing that if I had been just a second quicker…

What happened with Geoff? Do you visit his grave often? Sorry, that was forward. But I am comfortable with it if you are about talking about it. I agree with your suggestion and will only write what I want to and you do the same.

Anyways, my life is a real kicker isn't it? And you don't know the half of it. Maybe I will tell you all about it sometime, but that would be quite a long letter and I don't have a week to devote to it. Sometimes I wish my life was different, but then I don't know if I could have dealt with Cedric. It was almost like dealing with everything else made me surviving what happened to him possible. Is that a weird thought?

Thank you for wishing you could share my burden, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Well, that isn't true. There are a few people I could think of that I would wish it on. If you are around at Christmas I'll tell you about it. Just don't tell Sirius, he would flip!

One of the reasons I read your letter so many times was because your words gave me hope. You told me what I needed to hear but I also believed them when you wrote them. I feel like I have a lot to give on the inside – and I am surprised by how much is still there after what happened. I don't know why life hasn't broken me yet – but I guess that having people like you and my friends and Remus and Sirius help. And I barely know you!

I don't think I have ever been this frank with someone about how I feel. And I really appreciate you talking to me like an equal. It doesn't feel weird in the slightest. I feel like I can tell you anything, Charlie. I can't tell you how much easier it makes all of this. I don't have to second guess what I am writing and can just tell you things that I can't even tell Ron or Hermione.

Like me being gay. I haven't been able to open up to Ron or Hermione about that even though I know that they know. I never realized how I felt for anyone until Cedric, but since then… that felt weird to write… I notice guys more than girls and I find guys attractive. Sometimes I feel bad for noticing a guy so soon after Cedric – even though we never got very far. Which I'm sure you don't want to hear about.

When did you know you were gay? What was your experience like? How was it after Geoff?

I don't know if I would feel like opening up to someone else right now – not when it is so easy with you. As long as you are happy to listen, I think I will be more than happy to talk.

Because I want the future to get better and I want to get better. I don't think I will ever get over what happened to Cedric because of other things I suppose I never really got over – or dealt with properly now that I think about it. Like my parents, but that is a whole other discussion and I have to get going to my career appointment.

~ Harry.

P.S. What are you doing for the holidays? If you are around here you should come over to Grimmauld Place. It would be nice to see you in person and pick your brain about O.W.L.s.

Harry had a small smile on his face that lasted all throughout dinner. He didn't know why talking to Charlie felt so right, but he couldn't imagine opening up to anyone else about this.

Hermione had talked nonstop throughout the meal about the career advice that she had received earlier in the day.

"I never thought about all I could do and taking all those electives really opened up a lot of doors," was just one of the many statements that she had made between small bites of her food. It was obvious that she was excited by the choice of future that she had and so Ron and Harry humored her need to go through some of thoughts aloud.

It was the least that Harry could do after everything his friend had done for him.

When dinner was finished, Harry waved off his friends and headed to the Transfiguration classroom where his meeting was scheduled to be held.

He approached the room and slowed his approach upon hearing two raised voices from within and abruptly stopped upon entering the doorway. He tried his best to back out unnoticed.

"This is highly inappropriate, Dolores."

"Be that as it may, Minerva, I am simply fulfilling my duties as…"

The sound of Harry entering and then trying to back out caused a shuffling sound on the stone floor that alerted Minerva and Dolores to his presence.

"I can just come back later," Harry tried to explain while he kept backing up. He had no desire to be in her presence at the moment; getting through her class was hard enough.

"I'm sorry, Harry. It would seem that you are right on time."

Harry didn't like the sound of resignation in her reply.

"Professor Umbridge here," Minerva didn't try to keep the disdain out of her voice, "has demanded to be present for your career consultation. She maintains that it is within her right as Hogwarts High Inquisitor to be present for any event in the castle that she chooses."

"Yes, Minerva, as High Inquisitor it is fully within my purview. Now then, Mr. Potter, come here."

Her predatory smile was back, as was her clipboard and quill, and she settled into a chair and beckoned Harry to join them.

Harry reluctantly walked forward, the good mood he had been in with replying to Charlie's letter completely forgotten.

He took his seat and looked at Professor McGonagall, ignoring the narrowing eyes of Umbridge.

"Well then," Minerva continued, "shall we?"

Harry nodded.

"Have you given any thought to the pamphlets that we've given you?"

Harry nodded again.

"Yes, professor," Harry replied.

"I think I have narrowed it down to a few options."

Minerva wasn't surprised that Harry had taken the initiative; his performance this year had really improved all around and Minerva had high hopes for him.

"Obviously, I have considered following in my father's footsteps and becoming an Auror."

The sentiment warmed Minerva's heart and she smiled.

"Hem hem," the toad interrupted and continued without anyone asking for her input.

"I don't know if he has the temperament for that. The Ministry performs strict background checks and he has quite the record."

McGonagall ignored her and Harry began his usual retreat into his mind to tune her out.

"I see here that you certainly seem to be a good candidate for the prerequisites as your grades have markedly improved this year. I don't think you will have a problem getting your required O.W.L.s and if you put in the same amount of work for your N.E.W.T.s than you should be fine."

"Hem hem," Dolores croaked louder.

"Are you sure you have his most recent grades, Minerva? He has been performing quite poorly in my class so far this year and I don't see him improving any time soon."

At this point, Minerva turned her head to reply.

"I'm sorry, Dolores, I should have said that his grades are more than satisfactory in any class taught by a competent teacher."

At that, Dolores looked like she was ready to blow and began scribbling as if her life depended on it.

"Now then," Minerva turned to Harry.

"What were your other thoughts?"

"Well, I have enjoyed some of the theoretical aspects of magic this year, and I've been thinking about the Department of Mysteries."

Dolores snorted, if she had her way then Harry Potter wouldn't find any employment with the Ministry.

Minerva was slightly surprised by that, but too much as it did follow Harry's increased improvement so far this year.

"Really, Harry? What kind of work were you think about – I see here," she shuffled to look through some of the requirements.

"That you would need Runes and Arithmancy for most of the positions – and while you aren't taking them now, I think you could pass the tests in a few years if you devoted some serious independent study to them."

Harry was glad that Minerva was taking him seriously, it was a little weird how decisions made in third year could affect the career choices you made and he was happy that she was very open to the idea even if it did mean he would have to learn those courses by himself. It was a great vote of confidence in his abilities and he appreciated her support.

"Thanks, Professor." Harry said.

"I was thinking about something involving research – I really have found my rhythm this year and thoroughly enjoy some of the essays that I've had to write."

This was music to Minerva's ears and she was delighted to see Harry taking more and more after his mother.

"There are many options within the Department of Mysteries. You could work on magical mysteries, confidential research into time or space, even prophecies," Minerva stated absentmindedly.

Harry, however, felt his world come crashing down at the word prophecy.

Nothing had ever been more clear to him and he could have kicked himself that he hadn't put everything together before. Heck, he had even witnessed someone utter a prophecy in his presence and knew of there existence from the time he had spent with Trelawney.

But it fit; it explained everything and made so much sense that it simply had to be true.

Minerva noticed it immediately at Harry's face shifted to a sudden realization followed by intense thought. She realized her error and glanced sideways at Dolores who was thankfully so busy with her quill that she failed to notice the change of pace.

"Harry?" Minerva said hesitantly.

Harry didn't need to look at her face to see the acknowledgement that she had more or less confirmed what was running through his head.

Harry knew prophecies existed but now he knew that one involved him and possibly Voldemort, all of the questions that he had for Snape and Dumbledore just fell into place as he now had one of his many answers.

Thoughts?