Disclaimer:I have not, do not, nor ever will own Harry Potter.
They walked, a slow procession of mindless, emotionless bodies, down the hallways towards the Great Hall. Mindless, for no one wanted to think about what happened, why they no longer had a Potions Master. Emotionless, because either their emotion was spent, or they had none to spare on a ruthless git who spared none for them. They entered the hall and each took their respective seats. Albus looked around at all the faces, some showing where tears had fallen, but most unscathed, untouched, and uncaring.
"We have lost someone dear to our hearts, and we will miss him always." Albus looked at the Slytherin table, and scanned each face. Oddly enough, from here is where most of the scorn came. From those whose parents were followers of Voldemort.
"Most of you did not know Severus as I did, and more than a few do not know the circumstances behind his death. It has been said that he was a fierce follower of the Dark Arts, and Voldemort, or even that he was bent on revenge, and willing to do anything to kill Harry. Please let me lay those few doubts to rest. For many years now Professor Snape has been acting as a spy. He infiltrated the ranks of the Death Eaters and passed us information." gasps fill the room "I know this may come as a shock to many of you, but it is to those that it doesn't that I fear for." He glanced at the Slytherin table. "I realize there are some in here who would rather the world be full of pure-blood wizards, and the muggle's killed off, but you must see past your childish prejudices. Hatred will be the world's downfall; do not go down with it. Voldemort hated muggles and half bloods. He was willing to take his own experiences with the worst muggles to decide that the world should be rid of them. Severus understood something Tom did not, and that is that love can conquer all. Voldemort was weakened by love, and in the end love was his downfall. He, having never known a real family, could never understand the love between a parent and their child, and it is precisely this that led to his demise. Severus, having to choose between his life and the life of his son, chose that of the latter, and in doing such, sealed Voldemort's fate." The room was deathly quiet. "I realize that for most of you, it will be hard to see past the demeanor Severus tried so hard to keep intact. The mask of the greasy git who did not care for his students. You look at the unfair grades he gave you, and the points he took away, and think that that is all there is to the story. But I must impress upon you all the need to look beneath a person's facade and see who they truly are, not who they present themselves to be. A world does extend beyond these walls, and one day you all will have to enter that world. Severus saw to it that you would all get a fair chance at exploring that world without meeting an end because of who your parents were. He worked on a daily basis to keep you all alive, and stomached the constant scorn he received from students and professors alike. But now is not the time to discuss past grievances. If you leave this castle forgetting everything you ever learned, please remember this: it is never too late to make up for past mistakes. Sixteen years ago, Severus Snape was a follower of Voldemort, but fifteen years ago, Severus Snape became a spy. He chose how he would make up for the wrongs he committed, and he gave his life for it.
So I would like to honor who he gave his life so willingly for. Everyone, please raise your glasses to his son, Harry Potter."
Harry followed the procession into the Great Hall, numb of all thought and only vaguely aware of his surroundings. After the feast, he would be taken by carriage to Snape Manor, and begin his life of freedom, away from the Dursleys, with Sirius as his guardian. For all this he should be at least a little happy, but he would trade all the freedom in the world just to have his father back, his father...the only family member he had left that actually cared about him. Cared about him enough to give his life so that Harry could live. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. Harry was sure, since the end of his first year, that Voldemort would eventually succeed in killing him. He knew for all the near missed and turns of luck, there would be the one time that luck failed, and when that happened he would be alone, completely and totally. Why did it have to end that way? Harry was destined to die, not Severus, so why? But as he listened to Dumbledore's speech, Harry found all he needed to know. He was the reason his parents gave their lives, and why Severus was so willing; they had done all they could, fought evil with the best of their ability, and did enough. It was their time to go, they lived their lives as bravely as any could be expected. It was Harry's turn, his turn to fight whatever evil lurked around, and to prevail. Harry vowed softly that he would do whatever it took to make sure no one suffered the same fate as so many had, with the loss of all that was dear to him. As the Hall raised their glasses in honor of his life, Harry stood,
"It is not my life that needs to be honored. but my father's. He gave his life so that I could live, and in that promised the lives of many to come. His bravery will go down in history, to be rehearsed in these very halls for years to come, and he will be made a hero. But do not forget who he truly was, or presented himself to be, and remember, it is from those that we expect the least that will surprise us the most."
So now the end has come, The world we loved is gone. Maybe the pain will stay, But all else fades away. The life I left behind me Did nothing but to bind me So through this gate I'll cross, Not thinking about the loss But all that I will gain, Never to go back again.
A/N:That's it, that's all, there ain't no more. Was that a fitting end? I am truly sorry about killing Severus, I intended to keep him alive, but lost my inspiration and had to kill him. But to make up for it I will be writing a fic about Snape's life. I hope I can start on that soon, seeing as how summer vacation is nearly upon me (as well as graduation does little dance).
Also, Ankha and I will start on a parody this summer, so be on the lookout. I am not sure whose name it will go under to look at both. It promises to be very...interesting.
So long!
-Principessa.