Harry heard something he shouldn't have. Rather, something he should have, but a long time ago and from someone else.
Actually, it was all Draco Malfoy's fault. Harry had been hounding the blond git incessantly for weeks and was planning on catching him in the act of a nefarious plot against the Gryffindors.
In his possession, Harry had the magical Marauder's Map which showed him the location of every witch and wizard on the Hogwarts grounds. He had been following the black ink-stain with the words Draco Malfoy like a hawk and had one night caught him stalling by Dumbledore's office.
Harry pulled on his Invisibility Cloak, snuck over by the door of the Pheonix office and crouched down. The door was opened just a peep and Harry could heard Dumbledore talking to himself.
But Armando, could there be anouther way?
Albus we discussed this. The man must sacrifice himself to save the Chosen One.
But he was also just a boy-
-Severus Snape had done unthinkable things. He willingly joined the Dark Lord and had betrayed the Potters to him. He mistreated their only son. He's a spy. If you don't think he'd ever go behind your back and betray you, you're sorely mistaken.
I suppose you're right.
You know I am.
Harry couldn't believe his scar. Severus Snape, his least favorite professor, had been the worst wizard ever? He had been right about him all along? And to boot, he was at fault for the death of his parents.
An unreal anger filled Harry's veins. He would put an end to this once and for all.
He rushed out of his hiding spot and stumbled to the third floor, where the ink-spot labeled Severus Snape was shown pacing about the dark corridors, patrolling the school.
When the figure of the dark-robed man appeared around the corner, Harry's wand was quivvering and he shot out, zapping him with an Expelliarmus.
Snape flew backward, steadying himself on his knees. Almost instantly, Harry felt his body whipped around the air and then his head pressed up against the hard, brick wall.
-x-x-x-
It was only a matter of time before the chit sank his claws into him.
Severus squeezed the boy's thin, shaking figure against the wall before releasing him.
"You, you killed my parents." Harry's voice shook and hot tears streamed down his cheeks. "You bastard!'
Severus's entire demeanor softened. "Come with me," he said quietly.
That's how he told Harry the truth. The whole truth.
There, on the floor of his Defense classroom, Severus told him about his mother. How much he loved Lily Evans and how she had met his father James and married him. He told him about his childhood in Cokeworth, and how he and Lily played for hours by the water and how much she wanted to leave their town. How he had been accepted to Hogwarts, and spent too much time around the wrong people. How he had never meant to betray her.
And Harry listened to all of it, and when he finished, sat quietly, wiping his face.
"You need to leave," he said plainly. "Professor Dumbledore says you have to die. I was there, at his office."
Severus nodded.
He had to go and do the thing he should have years ago.
"Goodbye Potter," he said, stood up, and let him into the corridor and shut the door behind him.
-x-x-x-
"Where is Professor Snape?" Hermione asked as Professor Lupin walked to the front of the room and pulled down the projector screen.
"Your professor in on leave. That is all you need to know, Miss Granger," he said with a gentle smile. "I hope my substitution will be adequate enough."
"Of course," she chirped. All the other students nodded their heads. Professor Lupin had taught them before and he was the best Defense Professor they'd ever had.
Harry fumbled with his wand. He had done the right thing by warning Snape. In any case, a spy for Voldemort was not good to have around the castle. He didn't want to see the face of the man who was responsible for his parents' death anyways.
He hadn't heard anything of Snape in weeks, until one night, Professor Dumbledore called him into his office.
"Harry," he said calmly, "Do you know of Tom's dissapearence?"
Harry shook his head. How could he?
"Someone had eliminated the threat and set apart his followers. I supposed that with your inquisitive nature, you have been involved in this?"
"No sir," Harry lied. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly who had been involved in Voldemort's dissapearence.
-x-x-x-
Some years later, Harry sat in a small London cafe, feeling a strange sense of peace wash over him. He'd be in Grimmauld place soon enough to see Ron and Hermione and Sirius and the rest of them, but this time was all his.
Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared before him and placed a hand on the empty seat.
"Potter," he said. "May I?"
"Sure." Harry cleared his throat as Severus Snape settled across from him. He was looking better than before, more tanned, more fed and he'd even cut his hair and changed into more ordinary clothing.
"You saved my life," he said with struggle. "I appreciate that."
"I think you saved my life. All of ours."
"Very well."
"What did you do with him?"
Snape didn't answer. He came up, and planted a kiss on his forhead, and whispered, "Thank you."
-x-x-x-
Severus had discorporated the Dark Lord and hidden his body where nobody would find it. And if they wanted to, they'd have to do it over his dead body. But it meant Potter was safe, and he had finally repaid Lily.
After all those years.
He smiled and was off on his next grand adventure.