A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.

Chapter 57

"Harry, we have 10 minutes to get back before Dumbledore locks the doors!"

Severus was walking with Fudge through the castle towards where Black was being held. "I hope Albus doesn't find some way to stop this. The kiss will be administered immediately?"

Fudge nodded. "As soon as MacNair returns with a dementor. Of course, you'll be getting an Order of Merlin Second Class for apprehending Black."

Severus smirked. Oh yes. Vengeance was sweet indeed. With Black out of the way, he could finally focus on Potter.

As they climbed the last set of stairs, Severus unlocked Albus' locking ward and stopped in his tracks. The room was empty. Just then MacNair arrived with the dementor. When it sensed that Black was missing, it let out a horrible screech.

Severus added his own yelling to the screech. "Potter ..." he snarled.

Severus then started sprinting back to the hospital wing. Midway down the stairs he met the Headmaster. "You. You and Potter somehow did this. How could you do this Albus?"

Albus stared at Severus over his half moon spectacles. "Severus, I locked Harry up in the hospital wing not ten minutes ago."

"We'll see about that!"

Fudge was trying to think of ways that Black could have escaped. "He must have disapparated Severus. We really should have left someone in the room with him."

"You can't disapparate or apparate inside of this school!" yelled Severus. He was furious beyond reason. As he rounded the corner to the hospital wing doors, he sent a spell at the door that told him Albus had indeed locked the ward. He quickly unlocked it and stormed into the room.

"What did you do Potter?" He saw Potter and Granger sitting on their hospital beds eating chocolate.

"Professor Snape! Please! Control yourself!" exclaimed Madam Pomphrey.

Severus walked over to Potter. "Do you have any idea what you did? That you just let your mothers killer go free?" he hissed so low that only Harry heard him.

Harry just stared with wide eyed innocence at him.

"Now Severus," said Dumbledore. "Poppy, have these students left their beds since I locked them in?"

Madam Pomphrey shook her head no. "I would have heard them. They've not moved."

Severus and Potter were having a glaring contest. He then startled slightly when Albus put a hand on his shoulder. "He could not have done it Severus."

The potions' master turned and stormed out of the hospital wing.

Albus sighed. Until he got a chance to explain, Severus would not forgive him for this.

Severus stormed around in his quarters. His owl had flown out of the owl hole the second it saw him. How could Albus arrange for Black to escape? Despite Albus' claim of innocence, he knew that the man had orchestrated the whole thing.

And somehow Potter helped.

Frustrated beyond belief, he suddenly had an idea. He swiftly walked over to the cabinet where he stored Albus' pensieve for those times that he borrows it.

He sighed. The cabinet was empty. He must have returned it. Knowing that there really wasn't much of a choice, he strode up to Albus' office and headed to the cabinet. He had the Headmasters permission to borrow it any time he needed to.

Curiously, Albus was not in his office. 'He must still be dealing with the minister', he thought. After leaving a note telling the man he borrowed it, he headed back to his quarters.

Severus barricaded himself in his library and calmed himself down. He knew that even though he was unconscious, his subconscious would have picked up on the conversation that was going on around him.

He was counting on that now.

Severus approached the pensieve and concentrated on the memory from where he first entered the whomping willow and ended it when he woke up outside of the tree.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he touched the surface with his finger tip, which pulled him into the memory.

He watched as the scene played out. When he was knocked unconscious the memory dimmed to almost total darkness. Everyone's voice became as a whisper but he was still able to distinguish phrases every once in a while.

"I'm not saying I believe you." That was Potter.

The next clear thing he heard was from Black. "Fudge gave me his paper and there on the front page was Peter on the shoulder of a boy Harry's age."

"He's been scared of that cat!" That came from Weasley.

"Well faking his own death had worked once before." That was from Black as well.

"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Severus was confused because that came from Potter and he sounded pissed.

"I persuaded James to change to Peter at the last moment."

Then Severus heard something that made him blink in disbelief. He just heard Peter Pettigrews' voice.

There were a few other sentences here and there that Severus couldn't help but shake his head at. Then he heard Pettigrew ask, "What was there to gain by refusing him?"

And he heard Black's reply. "Only innocent lives Peter."

"NO!" Severus wasn't expecting that yell so he startled slightly. "Don't kill him!"

That was Potter's voice, which confused him, until he heard the next clear thing said.

"If he's dead, the truth dies with him. Alive - and Sirius, you should be set free."

Potter was more merciful than he would have been. He eventually became aware of the fact that he was being moved. Since he had been starting to come around some by this time, the memory brightened a little. Thus he was able to hear most of the conversation in which Black asked Potter to come live with him.

Severus felt something tear inside of him when he heard Potter answer so quickly.

Eventually the memory kicked him out. After he returned it to his mind, he strode into his room and retrieved Lily's letter.

'James done something without my approval nor my knowledge before hand and it's giving me one of my feelings. One of my bad feelings. The nature of the charm prevents me from telling you what was done but suffice to say it is not what was planned.'

He was an idiot. Lily basically told him that they had changed the secret keeper. Why had he not realized that before?

Severus resumed pacing and replayed what he learned over in his mind.

The next afternoon found Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting by the lake. They had finally explained to Ron what happened while he had been unconscious.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about the time turner," said Ron scathingly.

"I was sworn to secrecy Ron."

Harry was looking across the lake. Ever since he woke up, he felt weird, tired. He just assumed it was lag from the time turner usage, though he did notice that Hermione didn't seem to be affected.

"Hey you three," said Hagrid. He was swinging around some kind of dead animal. "Guess what?"

"What?" they all asked.

"Beaky got free!"

"That's great Hagrid," said Hermione.

"Shame about Black getting away though. Harry, Professor Lupin said that he'd like a word when you get a free minute."

Harry nodded. "I'll go see him now. See you guys later."

He headed off towards Lupin's office.

"Hello Harry," said Lupin pleasantly.

Harry's hand froze in mid air. He had been about to knock on the door.

"I saw you coming." Lupin pointed to the map open on his desk.

Harry looked around the room. There were packed boxes and trunks scattered everywhere. "Are you going somewhere sir?"

"I'm leaving in a couple of hours Harry."

"What? Why?"

"Because what happened last night cannot happen again." He rounded the desk and sat on the front of it. "I cannot put you or your friends in danger again. To do so would kill me. If I would have hurt you or anyone else last night, I would not be able to live with myself."

"Something tells me that last night was an isolated incident."

Lupin laughed. "You sounded just like Lily then. No. I need to go. I can't take the chance that someone saw me out on the grounds and informed their parents that a werewolf was out running amok. It wouldn't take long for them to figure out who it was."

Harry frowned. "It's not fair. What is it with people being afraid of a werewolf? Technically speaking, you're only dangerous the night of the full moon."

Lupin smiled at Harry. "Lily once made that same rant to me. It's just in peoples nature to be afraid of what they don't understand."

Harry sighed. "Hermione told me that you don't have many rights - at least not the same as every other wizard."

"We don't Harry."

"That's not fair."

"It's something my kind is used to and life isn't fair."

To Lupin's surprise, Harry snorted. "So Snape keeps telling me."

Harry was silent as he watched Lupin pack a few things up.

"Albus told me what you did last night. Tell me about your patronus."

"How did you two know about that? I didn't tell anyone ... other than Hermione and Ron."

Remus smiled as he closed one of the trunks. "Who else could have made those Dementors go away?"

"What was dad's animagus form?"

"He turned into a stag," said Remus with a fair bit of curiosity laced in his voice.

Harry nodded. That's what he thought. He grinned. "That's what my patronus is."

Lupin looked over his shoulder. He saw Albus standing in the door way then he realized that Harry's smile didn't reach his eyes. "What's wrong Harry?"

Harry sighed again. "None of it made a difference. Sirius is still on the run, Pettigrew got away ..."

"Didn't make a difference? Harry it made all the difference in the world." He sat down on his now cleaned off desk. "Last night you saved a man from a horrible fate and uncovered the truth that was kept from everyone for 12 years."

"I wanted to go live with him. He asked me last night. I had a chance to finally leave the Dursley's. I suppose that won't be possible now." Harry fidgeted with his robe. "Professor Lupin, can I write to you? You are the best defense professor we've ever had - not to mention the only one that hasn't tried to kill me directly, and well ... it'd be nice to have some link to my parents."

Lupin smiled. "Of course you can. Your owl can find me. It's time for me to get going. I'm sure I'll see you again Harry." He handed Harry the map enclosed in his invisibility cloak and winked.

Harry nodded and turned around after putting it in his pocket. He wasn't surprised to see Dumbledore standing there. They watched Lupin walk away with his trunks floating behind him.

"Sir, can I ask you a question?"

Dumbledore smiled down at Harry. "Of course, my boy."

"Why did Voldemort come after me as a baby?"

Albus was startled. He looked at Harry. "What makes you ask that?"

Harry went and sat in a chair near Lupin's vacated desk. "Two things actually."

The Headmaster sat down across from him.

"First, Professor Trelawney made a prediction yesterday during my exam. Her voice changed and her eyes rolled up in her head. She said," Harry took a deep breath, "that Voldemort's servant would be set free after 12 years and with the servants aide , he would rise up more terrible than before."

Albus internally cringed. "And the other reason?"

"When the Dementors get near me, I hear my parents being murdered. My dad told my mom to take me and run. When Voldemort met up with my mom, he gave her the chance to stand aside if she would just give me up. She refused so he killed her too."

Harry had let his gaze travel to the floor.

Albus frowned. While he had always wondered what exactly went on that night, he never wanted to find out via Harry's memories.

"So, please tell me sir, why did Voldemort come after me to begin with?"

Harry watched the Headmaster get up and look out of the window. When Dumbledore turned around, he realized that he wasn't going to get his answer.

"Harry, I will tell you one day but for now, I don't want to burden you."

"No offense sir, but it seems that every year so far I've had to fight for my life or for those of my friends. I feel I have a right to know why I'm being targeted, especially if that was a real prediction Trelawney made."

"You do Harry but I want you to stay a child for a little while longer."

Harry snorted. "No offense Professor but I don't think I've ever been a child."

Albus looked at him curiously but before he could ask why he believed that, Harry seemingly changed the subject.

"Is there anyway you could set up a safe house for Sirius so that I can go stay with him?"

"Harry, we talked about this last year. You have to go back to your aunt and uncles house -"

"For at least 2 weeks," Harry finished lamely.

"Why don't you like staying with them Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "They've never liked me and ever since I've came to Hogwarts this has felt more like a home to me than there ever has." Harry laid his hand on the wall and smiled.

He could feel the power of Hogwarts through its walls and it soothed him.

Albus raised an eyebrow at the gesture. He didn't miss the way Harry's face had relaxed as soon as he had touched the wall.

The Headmaster then sighed. He needed to know the answer. "Harry, do the Dursley's abuse you?" he asked gently, but bluntly.

Harry turned to look at the Headmaster and said something that sounded far wiser beyond his years. "If you have to ask, then you probably already know the answer." Harry walked to the door. "I need to run up to the library sir. I'm going to see if Madam Pince will let me check out a couple of books on meditation for the summer. I don't want to blow anyone up again." As Harry headed out the door, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "And sir, I'm not giving up on that reason. I will ask again."

Harry left the room and headed towards the library effectively leaving the Headmaster alone with his thoughts.

Severus was finishing up his grading when a knock at the door made him look up.

Severus let a well placed sneer take over his face when he saw Lupin. He was still pissed beyond belief for a variety of reasons.

He did not sleep the prior night. Actually, he was surprised that Albus hadn't ambushed him yet.

"It's really not a good time Lupin."

Severus saw Lupin enter and close the door anyway. He felt wards go up around the office.

"How long have you known?"

"How long have I known what? That you were a reckless man?" he snarled.

Remus sighed. "No. How long have you known that Harry was your son?"

A/N: Remember, no throwing things at me! This was originally two chapters ... the first one ending when Harry asked Dumbledore why Voldemort came after him as a baby ... but that would have left the second one really crazy short ... so I combined them. I'll have to add in a cliff hanger later on to make up for the one I took away. *grins*

As an aside ... any one else realize that Severus didn't out Remus as a werewolf? Of course ... I imagine that by the time you got the end of the chapter, you wished he had. hehe I asked a while back if any of you all got the impression that Lupin was hiding something. See. He was! *points*

I should have the next chapter up in a day or two ... at least it'll stop things being thrown at me. (I hope.)