Chapter 50

January 29, 1994

I don't think Hermione and Ron are ever going to be friends again. It appears that Crookshanks ate Scabbers. I reckon that Crookshanks did it but when Hermione asked me and I told her, she stormed off in a huff.

My Firebolt is awesome. I still don't know who sent it to me but our match against Ravenclaw is a month away. It gives me plenty of time to get used to it. If we win, we'll still have a shot at the Quidditch Cup. At least all those tests performed on it by McGonagall and Flitwick didn't seem to hurt the broom.

My Dementor lessons are going alright. I can make a shield constantly but I can't make it charge the dementor down. Lupin says that any shield at all is incredible at my age.

Professor Lupin has told me a lot about my parents but I get the sense that he's holding something back. Then again, I could just be crazy. He probably doesn't want to tell me all the bad things that they got into because I know that they couldn't have been perfect angels like he makes them out to be.

-Harry

"Expecto Patronum!"

Harry watched as a shield formed in front of him. He was able to angle it so that the boggart-dementor was pushed back down into the trunk.

Lupin sent a locking charm at the trunk once the boggart was inside of it.

"Very good Harry. You're getting a lot better at it."

Harry smiled. "Thank you sir." He took the offered piece of chocolate and munched on it quietly. He then looked up and saw Professor Lupin staring at him. "Sir?"

"I'm sorry Harry. I'm just reminiscing. Lily and James would be so proud of you, just like I am. This really is magic far beyond your years."

Harry grinned. "I'm happy that you think so sir. Can you tell me anything else about them?"

"What would you like to know today?"

"Anything sir. All I know about them is what you've been telling me."

"Did your Aunt not tell you anything at all?"

"No sir. Asking questions wasn't allowed."

Remus frowned at that. "Would you like to hear what happened at James first quidditch game?"

Harry smiled and nodded.

"Sir, I found it!"

Gralkin walked over to where Kornak's apprentice was standing. Sure enough, the vibrating scroll was directly in front of him.

"Finally. You all can clear out now. I'll straighten up the area."

Gralkin put the now silent scroll in his shirt pocket and started straightening up the vault. He was pleased that finding this scroll only took a few months. He remembered a search that lasted nearly 3 full years. The overseer of the bank had to relocate his office temporarily to get away from the constant ringing.

Later that evening, in the privacy of his office, he grimaced at the well known name on the scroll and hoped that there wouldn't be any repercussions for how long that it did take to find.

"Lupin, can I have a word?"

Remus looked up from grading his essays and saw Severus standing in a doorway with a box in his hand.

"Sure. Come in. What can I do for you?"

"Since you and Potter have become buddy buddy, perhaps you can give this book to him to read."

Remus raised an eyebrow at Severus then eyed the book. "A book on meditation?"

Severus put the box on Lupin's desk. "Examine those."

Perplexed, Remus cast several revealing spells over them. "They have an unbreakable charm on them."

"Yet they're broken. Last month when you rescued Potter from my wrath, he lost his temper twice and this happened."

Remus looked at the broken pieces. "Accidental magic. Very well. I'll give him the book to read tomorrow after class and Severus, for the record, I did not give him that paper. When we were in school, Filch confiscated it so I'm not sure where Harry got it from."

Severus stormed out of the room as a reply.

The potions' master returned to his quarters after handing Lupin that book. He didn't know what had possessed him to want to help Potter, but he did.

Of course, he doubted that Potter would even read the book, but the boy really did need to keep his temper under better control.

Accidental magic that powerful could be deadly.

Severus had just removed his teaching robes and fixed himself a spot of tea when an owl flew in the owl hole.

At first glance, he assumed that it was a reply from Lucius but then he realized that it was a different owl.

It dropped a package in front of him and flew back out the way it came in.

Severus frowned. There was a Gringott's seal on it.

He had not been expecting anything from them.

The potions master opened the package and frowned even deeper. In it was two letters and another package.

He opened the top most letter - the one with the Gringott's seal on it first.

Mister Snape

Per accordance to one of our clients' wills instructions', I am sending these items to you. The will was activated in June of 1993 but we were unable to locate it until February of 1994. It then took a few days to process the instructions.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. If you have any questions, you may contact me personally.

Gralkin, Overseer of Will Processing

Severus was perplexed. He then looked closer at the second envelope.

And froze.

He would recognize that handwriting anywhere. Even though there was no need, he still pointed his wand at the letter and muttered, "Scripto Manifesto". The name Lily Potter appeared in ghostly letters above the envelope.

His breathing increased. He carefully set the letter aside and looked at the package but nothing he did to it would open it.

"Manifesto Veneficium." The spell told him that it was one of Lily's own locking charms, one that he had never managed to break. He couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him.

Setting the package aside, Severus got up and began pacing the room. What on earth had Lily sent him so long after she had died?

He got a foreboding sense in the pit of his stomach.

There were very few things that shook Severus up anymore. He would not let a letter do so.

Even if it was from Lily.

He took a deep breath and headed towards the table where he had left the letter and the package.

He then carefully opened up the sealed envelope.

A/N: Aren't I just an evil person for leaving off here? I think I am. But then again, I'm allowed to be evil. *grins* *scampers off to hide from all the objects being thrown at me* I'll have the next chapter up in a day or two. ;-)