LUNGE AND PUNCH

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit tribute to the works of JK Rowling who created and, together with her publishers and licensees, owns the characters and settings elaborated herein.

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers and especially to my previewers, Bellegeste, Cecelle and Lady Memory.

Ginny saw Harry, pocketed the Quaffle, and flew down, followed by the twins, but Ron was closer and got there first.

"So, what did the git say? Still not going to tell us?" asked Ron cheerfully.

"Still thinking. It's strange." I thought it was all about my father and really it was all about my mother. Funny how Dumbledore got that so wrong.

"Strange, how?" said Ginny.

My father wrecked his life. My mother was his life.

"Old Snape and young Hermione, of course." Fred waggled his eyebrows. "Now that's a match made in the Isle of Drear."

"Although how she managed to find the only two-legged Quintaped in the place..." added George.

"Research! Always been good with the research, has our Hermione." Fred waggled his eyebrows again, and Ginny bounced her Quaffle off his head.

"Let him talk!" she said.

"We talked about Hermione and – other things." Your mother was my friend because we grew up together. Hermione is my friend because she likes me – finds something in me worth liking. "He's a pretty good friend to her, you know. Makes me wonder how we compare."

"I used to have someone older I thought was a pretty good friend," Ginny said. "He lived in a diary."

Harry frowned. "Hermione's not eleven, and Snape's not Voldemort."

"He was a Death Eater and a spy. That means he's good at lying, and he's betrayed every friend he ever had."

"No one's saying Snape's not a git –" said Ron.

"A greasy green and silver git."

"– but he's been trying to do Dumbledore's 'right, not easy' trick since we were toddlers –"

"Stinky ickle bubs with bottles you were," George interrupted.

Ron lunged suddenly and punched his brother's arm. "And he's not going to stop now. Hermione slapped Malfoy in third year; she can handle Snape." He dodged a return Bludger with a neat Sloth Grip Roll.

"That's what we're afraid she's doing," said Fred, with another waggle.

The twins cackled and Ginny scowled, but Harry was thinking about Snape.

"I thought I'd said everything, but I was wrong. I didn't say I'm sorry."

"For getting my mum killed? I know that."

"Both your parents."

"You hated my father."

"He earned my hatred every day for seven years. But he was right in the end; I did become an evil dark wizard. Because of me, you ended up with Petunia. That must have been unspeakable."

"You weren't any better when I came to school."

"I know. I should have tried harder. All you saw was my – my discomfort."

"Loathing!"

"No. I know it seemed like that. I'm sorry. That was inexcusable."

"You were always hassling me in class for nothing."

"I was your teacher, Potter. Correcting you was my job."

"And your pleasure!"

"To feel that I was doing my duty, yes, I took pleasure in that. I'm aware that I'm not a popular teacher. I'm not a popular man. I was not a popular boy. Don't expect me to change."

"You've already changed."

A/N According to Fantastic Beasts, "The Quintaped is a highly dangerous carnivorous beast with a particular taste for humans ...found only upon the Isle of Drear..."