Chapter 33

Harry and everyone sat down in silence, each thinking their own thoughts about the scene they had just witnessed in the Pensive. It had felt like they'd been in the memories for several hours but in reality it had only been roughly two hours.

Ron's stomach rumbled loudly making everyone giggle.

"I guess I'm the only one who ate before that trip down memory lane. Why don't I ask Kreacher to bring a large platter of sandwiches and a jug of Pumpkin Juice up for us all. While we wait we can talk about those memories," suggested Harry. The others nodded their agreement. After Harry called the house elf and made the order he sat back in his chair and looked at the stone bowl sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

No one said anything for several minutes until Harry cleared his throat.

"Mum, dad…I want to apologize for the way I acted earlier. I know I said I was sorry before I saw your memories, but now I guess I can really see where you were coming from, and I know that I was being a git."

"I wouldn't say git, but thanks for apologizing. I'm glad you can see why your mum reacted so strongly," James said. Lily looked at her son.

"Harry, dear, if I promise not to…over react to the rest of your memories, would you still show us some?" Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Minerva spoke first.

"I can probably be persuaded to leave the Pensive here for a few days, if I get a promise that it won't be abused, or broken?" she asked. Harry nodded emphatically.

"Oh, of course Professor," he said with a bright smile.

"Also, I know this could dampen the fun of seeing memories, but I'm going to ask that only James, Lily, Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione add memories. I don't want every single Weasley and friend you know to be coming and sharing memories. It gets quite messy and hard to separate the different memories if too many people use it within the same time period.

"I'll also ask that if you are telling stories, tell stories, don't just throw in several memories and allow anyone to view them. Augment your stories with memories, not the other way around. Don't show your entire life either, it does run in the same time as reality, so showing your lifetime, would take a life time. Keep in mind how long the memory is, and if it's easier to just tell the story, don't use the Pensive. Alright?" she said. Hermione had a pen and paper tablet in front of her writing down the rules as the professor said them.

They all agreed to the rules at the same moment Kreacher brought lunch. They all grabbed a few sandwiches and a mug of juice and settled in for a long discussion. After shoving a few bites of ham and cheese sandwich in his mouth Harry asked a question that had been bothering him for a while.

"What I don't get is who was the third blood donor?"

"Yeah?" asked Ron through a large bite of turkey and swiss on rye.

"Oh come on you two, surely you can't be that thick? Dumbledore said the third donor was the caregiver," she said frustratingly. She gave them a look that said she thought they should know who it was.

"So, if you know who it was…who was the donor?" asked Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Harry, who watched over you who didn't want too?" she asked. Hermione smiled. At least someone understood. Harry thought for several long moments, and then his eyes widened.

"Snape!" he shouted. James and Lily looked confused, while Sirius shook his head.

"No, Harry he said the donor had to be willing. Snivellus would never had agreed to watch over James Potter's son," he said.

"But he did watch over me. He might not have done it for James…er, dad. But he would for mum," Harry said softly. Lily's eyes widened, as did James. Sirius guffawed. "Severus Snape always loved you mum. After you started dating dad, Snape decided that he would never get you, so he turned to the darkness and became a Death Eater." James, Sirius, and Lily's eyes were all wide.

"He went to an inn one night and overheard a…the prophecy regarding me and Voldemort. But he only heard part of it before he was kicked out. He went and told his Lord, who ended up deducing it was me or Neville Longbottom.

"When Snape found out Voldemort was going after us, he realized you were in danger, mum, and he went to Dumbledore. He begged forgiveness, and basically sought redemption, but Dumbledore asked him to be a spy.

"When you both were – well, I guess I can't say killed anymore – put into comas, Dumbledore asked Snape if he would help watch over me, for Lily. Snape agreed and once I started school, he saved my life a few times. Once in my first year when my broom was being jinxed by a different teacher, in my third year when Remus turned into a werewolf in front of us, he stepped in the way ready to take the attack but Remus heard…a female in the distance," Harry said looking at Hermione out of the corner of his eyes. She was grinning.

"In my fourth year, he was very suspicious of all the foreigners at the school for the Triwizard Tournament. In my fifth year he…supplied fake Veritaserum to Umbridge so she couldn't implement me into telling where Sirius was. He also lied to her when I told him what was going on so he could let Dumbledore and everyone know what was going on. Though I didn't know that he was on our side at the time; he was a very good actor in that aspect. Then during the war, he helped us by getting the sword to us while we were on the run, and he gave me his memories so I'd understand what I'd have to do to finish the war.

"Dad, Sirius, mum, I know you all had your differences with Severus Snape, but he was on our side, and he helped me more than a lot of people. He…he was a good man. A true hero."

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were smiling. Lily, thinking of the young man she knew from her childhood, had tears in her eyes, while James and Sirius were sharing doubtful glances, but not saying anything.

"A beautiful speech, Harry. Severus truly was a hero. Thank you for that," said Minerva sadly. Everyone was quiet for a few moments.

"I still don't understand who the third donor was," said Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Think, besides Snape, who cared for Harry, for almost his entire life, but didn't want too?" she asked. Harry's eyes widened.

"No," he breathed. "My aunt? But the donor had to be willing, and…and that would mean Dumbledore knew Sirius and Remus weren't going to take care of me! Which means he lied straight to my parents faces when he said Sirius and Remus were to be the caretakers. He led dad to believe that Sirius was the donor when dad asked about werewolves being able to donate. I can't believe how manipulative that…that bloody codger was!"

"Harry, Language!" said Lily abruptly.

"Actually Lily, I agree with him. Dumbledore went too far this time," said Sirius. "You haven't heard all the nasty stories about your sister and her husband. Let's just say the first time I saw Harry after breaking out, he was running away from home after super inflating his uncle's sister with accidental magic, at age thirteen. They are nasty buggers," he finished. James was holding in a chuckle at the image of Harry inflating someone after getting upset, but Lily was staring at the floor thinking hard.

"So, Albus knew that Sirius wouldn't be the caregiver from the ritual. He used Petunia's blood, so that means he intended from the start that she would be the caregiver. She had to do it willingly, which means either he told her I was going to live, or he threatened her…unless willing means 'not coerced' also." Lily sat for a moment longer, a deep frown on her face. "I'm going to have to pay my dear sister a visit soon."

Harry grinned, as did Sirius and James. Ron and Hermione shared a glance and smiled also, as did Ginny after seeing Harry's grin.

"But not tonight," Lily continued. "I want to be declared 'Alive' before I go. It wouldn't do to have a dead woman walking around and having to explain to all the magical folk. For now, I think I'd like to hear more about your schooling."

A/n: Wow, life is busy right now! I finally forced myself to sit and write a bit, i have another chapter to post after i get a few reviews for this one. I might just wait and post it in the morning, since it's kinda late here. The last two weeks, i've been sick with a nasty head cold, just glad it's not H1N1, we've had a few outbreaks here at my school so i've been really careful since i don't have health care right now...(eep)...I have a Logic Midterm on Tuesday...(another eep), a paper due monday, and a quiz due then too. So i'm busy this weekend. Not to mention we've had two birthdays in the family, and a few more with friends, big party time of the year for us.

i want to mention one thing, i'd like people to let me know if i should keep peppering my story with various memories and such, or should i move past that part, and just let people assume Harry is still telling his parents about his past?

So, i think i remember only two people guessing who the donor was...I'll admit, i never thought of Snape, but it was a good idea...Okay, Please Review! I'll post another chapter tomorrow, and maybe even a third...if your good to me! Thanks!