Ch. 18

As time had passed with the school; all seemed quiet for the time being, the Order of the Phoenix had met at Hogwarts with Minerva McGonagall as the new leader. Everyone had met with the new Tom Riddle and his wife Lyra; most of them could not believe that Voldemort had wanted to change his ways from what he was doing, to wanting a better future for his upcoming family. At the meeting; people had asked about Albus Dumbledore and what his true ideas were, and then everyone then found out that he wanted to keep the war going which would end Harry Potter's life and to use Lyra to the point of her insanity against Tom. The Weasleys had taken it the hardest since they had looked at Harry as another son; plus having their youngest acting the way he has towards the girl that they had all believed as another daughter; for the most part everything has changed.

Just the meeting was coming to a close Tom Riddle came to Severus Snape, "There is something that we need to talk about, and the Order should hear it too." Once everyone was quiet again, Tom went on to say for everyone to hear, "Severus; you once told me that your mother's name was Eleene Prince?" When he got a nod from the Potions Mater, the once Dark Lord went on, "I knew your mother from my time at Hogwarts and we were to be married, for a while I had thought she was carrying my son. One day she had appointment with Dumbledore and the next thing, she was disappeared. Then eleven years and eight months later; I heard that your son came to Hogwarts, and I knew that you were my son."

"Who told you about me coming to Hogwarts," asked Severus, who neither looked angry or happy.

Minerva spoke up, "I did Severus; Tom promised me long ago that he would not harm my family, as long as I keep my ears open for Eleene's son. When I did send a letter to let him know, he wrote back with a simple fraise, You're bloodline is all safe, and that it is all that I had wanted. For the longest time, I had thought I was dealing with the Devil but I believe that Albus was closer to the statement now more than anything."

Severus sighed, "You knew that I may have been your son since I was eleven years old and you have never once thought about telling me? I have been a part of your life, since I was seventeen years old. Why have you waited until now to tell me?"

Minerva walked over to the man who had been spy for last two decades, "Don't blame Tom for this Severus. Albus and I were doing rounds one night; when you were in your first year, during your first Christmas Holidays here at the castle. We found Tom almost at the front doors; Albus confronted Tom that night, when Tom demanded to see you. The Headmaster was angry that he was able to pass through the wards without altering the changes. Albus told Tom that he had no right to come to the school nor he had any right to come near you, then Albus cast a spell upon your father; stating that as long as he is Headmaster of the school, Tom would not be able to tell you who your real father was."

Hermione asked, "You mean that Albus Dumbledore made sure that Severus Snape was to never have a normal life, as long as he was still Headmaster of this school?"

Minerva quivered, "That would be correct Hermione; the Headmaster had already knew that Severus would be our greatest weapon against his own father, by being a double spy. You have to understand Severus; I was so angry against that old man for making you do these terrible things to you, and all in the name of peace. But I had found out that it was never peace that he was aiming for, but to have his name to be put down in history books, for stopping not just one Dark Lord but two of them. One of them being his best friend from long ago and the other that he had taught at one point, sadly he almost made you into one Severus as well as Harry Potter to another."

"What?! What do you mean, Minerva," growled out Severus. He looked like he could go hunting for the old man at any moment, all because of things that he had done.

The older woman sighed, "He nearly turned you into another Dark Lord because of all this spy stuff and the lies that he kept feeding you. As for Harry Potter; he had sent him to Lily's sister's family and they nearly broke him of the loving spirit that his mother had, and all Albus had done was kept sending the boy back to Hell every year. I could never understand how that boy could be so carrying, kind, loyal, and understanding when he had such a family that had treated like a house-elf, it was just wrong." Then she walked over to Tom, "You did not have such a good life either, did you Tom? All those bullies who would never leave you alone and nearly killed you."

Tom with closed eyes had sighed, "They were one of the reasons why I hated muggles so much and another reason was my own father, and one last person I hated was Albus Dumbledore. He kept sending me back to that damnation of an orphanage, where no one took care of me or even showed me the meaning of love. I understand that under popular belief that I was born evil, not made into evil. That is where people were wrong; I was made evil because no one showed me any different."

Hermione with tears upon her eyes, said, "I am sad to say; I was one of those people that had believed that to be true. I am sorry that I have ever sad that."

Lyra moved her way closed her Tom and hugged him; while he answered, "I would have believed that to be true myself, but your cousin has shown so much love, it almost makes me feel like she is my cure to all those unhappy years that I had gone through." He then kissed Lyra's forehead, and then looked at Severus, "I know that it would not change about how you had lived your life Severus; but I would like to know you the real you, and not some follower of mine. I will be sending most of them into Azkaban here soon anyway; would you help your father out, by ridding this world of those men?"

Severus glanced at Hermione, who nodded that she would allow him to do that. Then Severus said, "Yeah; I'll do that, with your help and also Mr. Potter's help as well."

The Order had mixed feelings about Harry Potter being in the middle of the cleanup crew against the Death Eaters; who were known to be the most dangerous, but most of the Order knew that Harry would want to be a part of it anyway. One Order member spoke up, "As long as I am there next to Harry, otherwise I would not allow Harry to have any part in this."

Severus sighed, "Lupin; you're not the boy's father."

Remus glared, "Neither are you Severus, but he is all that I have left of James and Lily Potter, as well as Sirius Black. I don't anymore of my once family, to be gone."

Tom glanced at his son, "What did Lupin mean; 'neither are you', is there I should know?"

"No father," answered Severus, "but Lily was the love my life, before I messed up and I caused her to run off with Potter and she had gotten herself killed by you."

Everyone had glanced at the young Tom Riddle; who looked like he was paler than normal, "Oh, she was the one that you wanted me to not kill that night. I told her to stand aside Severus, honestly I have."

Hermione glared at Tom, "If she had stepped aside then Harry would never had the power to stop you that night, then where would we be if that had happened?"

Lyra had stepped away from her husband, after hearing her cousin saying something like that, she was afraid that he would have gotten angry and hurt her or someone else. She was surprised that he had done nothing but looked at her in sadness. He looked like he was in pain, just by her stepping away from him, but she saw that he understood why she had done it.

Tom said in a cold voice, "Why are we talking about that night? Can't you see that you're upsetting Lyra by asking these questions Mrs. Snape, but to answer your question; I wouldn't know nor do I want to know. You see; I am happy that things have turned out the way that they did, Lyra has helped understand the world that Salazar was living in, and why he believed the way he did. Those beliefs don't coincide in today's way of living and I will make the world into a better place than what I had once thought about making."

Hermione asked, "Has anyone asked what Harry thinks about all of this?"

Minerva waved her want towards the office door; where she had felt Harry Potter had been listening in for the past hour and half, the new Headmistress said, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Harry? Why were you listening in, you know it is not allowed," said an angry Hermione, who looked far scarier than her husband at that moment.

Harry stuttered, "Well. I had to know what one of my best friends is a part of, since my other best friend is no longer part of this school anymore, after all the things that he had said to you. I have every right to know if I am going to be part of this so called cleanup, when dealing with the Death Eaters."

Remus sighed, "I was hoping that you wouldn't be a part of this Harry."

"I know Remus, but I can't just stand aside and have everyone doing all the work, when Albus wanted me to be in the middle of this since I was born," growled out Harry, the school's Golden Boy.

Tom sighed, "Do you really have a death wish Potter? Your parents had the same wish when they were facing me, back when they were in their seventh year here . . . ops." Tom glared at the floor with his hands in his pockets, "When can I stop thinking like a mad man like I was, I no longer want to be like that."

Harry smiled, "Not everyone can change from a Dark Wizard to a light one overnight Tom, and you're just one of rare ones that want to try. Even Professor Snape here is in the same boat as you. And being father and son, doesn't have anything to do with it."

Severus and Tom grinned at hearing Harry saying the last part; it just shows that the Potter heir was smarter than what most people had once believed, and that he is also good at thinking things on his feet. No wonder he had lived through six years of Voldemort while going to school at the same time, it could give any teenager grey hairs before their time.

Moody grumped, "Are we going to have a big hug like a room full of sissies like we are, or are we going to plan for the attack?" Many people could tell that Moody was not into hugs, so they planned when they would start their big cleanup.