Extremely Long Author's Note:

The first fifteen chapters of this story have been rewritten. There were errors and few Grand Canyon sized plot holes that need to be repaired.

At the start of this I had an awesome bet who brought many of the dead parts of this story to life and I would like to thank TreenBeen for all the support given.

I would also like to thank the 56 people who have place this story on alert, and the 31 who have made added it to thier favorites. I also appreciate the 82 reviews that I recieved for this story. All were positive feedback or constructive criticism and without that I would not have been able to redo this and complete the fic.

The characters donot belong to me. The only thing that is mine is the situations that I put them in.

Waking the Dead – Chapter 1 – Decay

When Severus Snape handed his memories over to Harry Potter he wanted nothing more than to die. He would see Lily again. That alone made the thought of dying bearable, but damn the old man and the promise that he made to him. He had promised Albus Dumbledore that he do everything within his power to live. So when the boy and his friends left him alone to die Severus reached into the pocket of his robes for a vial containing the anti-venom that was infused with phoenix tears. This was a version of the same potion that he created for Arthur Weasley two years ago when he was attacked by Voldemort's beast, vastly improved by the addition of the tears.

He drank the potion, and almost immediately began to feel his body begin to heal. He then reached for second vial containing blood replenishing potion and swallowed that as well. As soon as he was well enough to stand he cast a cleansing charm on his robes. He then proceeded to transfigure a rotted floor board to his own likeness. The transfigured object resembled him in every way except for the fact that it looked cold, dead and covered in blood. He examined his wand work for just a moment, then he disapparated from the shrieking shack.

~o0o~

Hermione Granger thought it would be simple. Go to Australia, restore her parent's memories, and go home. Only it wasn't that simple, when she arrived in Australia she didn't find her parents. Officials from the Australian Ministry of Magic were waiting for her at the international apparition point with the news of her parent's demise. Rogue Death Eaters had made their way to the place where Grangers lived and killed them.

When she arrived in Brittan Ron was waiting for her. She cried in his arms for what seemed like hours. When she was all cried out, she sent him home. She claimed she need some time to be alone to sort out her feelings. Ron being the type of boy, who took things at face value, gave her the space she needed and did not come to see her for two weeks. His family had been mourning their own loss and he knew that she would be alright, or so he thought. Unable to sleep, Hermione began to wander the streets at night. Soon going home became unbearable even in the daylight hours. She began sleeping in parks and dark alley ways, Hermione Granger never returned to her parents' home again. When Ron came looking for her she was gone. The Magical Law Enforcement was informed about the missing girl. The search lasted for two months, and then she was presumed dead.

After living on the streets of muggle London for two months Hermione became an expert at finding food in rubbish bins behind restaurants and grocery stores. She mostly kept to herself but managed to make a few acquaintances among the other vagabonds. When one of them offered her a way to make the pain go away she readily accepted. Of course she knew better, but what did it matter now. Her parents were dead and it was all her fault. The pin prick of needle hurt the first time. After that the pain was trivial compared to rush she received. The pain that tormented her soul would be gone, if only temporarily. Hermione's life had a new purpose, keeping the pain at bay. She knew that the price would be high and she did not care. Thus began the road to an addiction that would be the ruin of Hermione Granger.

~o0o~

Minerva McGonogall stared up at the portraits on the wall of her office. There was one missing but she made no comment. People would presume that there was no portrait of Severus Snape because the office had not accepted him as head master, or because he had abandoned his post. She knew all too well that this was not the truth. Minerva had been the deputy head mistress for far too many years. She understood the magic that governed the office of the head master better than anyone living. Severus would have never been able to access the office if it had not accepted him as head, as was the case with Umbridge. The new head master or mistress would have to have been loyal to the old, and after everything that was revealed there was no doubt that Severus had been loyal. Minerva would of course keep her thoughts to herself. Filius Flitwick would eventually guess as he took his responsibilities as deputy, she would deal with that when the time came. She was sure that no else would, well there was one, but she had been presumed dead. Poor Ms. Granger, thought Minerva. Her thoughts went back to Severus, if he was indeed still alive and in hiding somewhere, she would not disturb him. Nor would she tell anyone what she believed. The poor man deserved some peace after everything he had been through.