Chapter ten

'But what about the sword we tried to take and the punishment we got?' Ginny said stiffly.

'Albus had that sword made to fool everyone. Only I knew where the real sword was and why. Before he died, he explained how the sword was coated in basilisk venom from when Harry killed it to save your life Miss Weasley, and since then it could destroy a horcrux. He needed to get the sword to Harry, but again, he worked all that out before he died. Albus had inadvertently cursed himself with one of the horcruxes, I was able to slow it down, but not stop it. We talked and I told Albus he had about a year, no longer. That was when he asked me to kill him and he knew it would be within that year. The night on the astronomy tower, I had no idea Harry was there, but I had to protect Draco as I made the unbreakable vow with his mother to keep him safe, Albus also asked me to keep him safe. He did not want Draco's soul damaged by killing, he knew I was helping him by making sure he didn't suffer if Bellatrix or Greyback got hold of him. So we both knew I could kill him without it harming my soul. Now as for your punishment Miss Weasley, that was also Albus' idea. Hagrid would do anything to keep you safe, but what none of you knew was that I was also in the forbidden forest, keeping an eye on you. Alecto wanted some more severe punishment, I refused to let him.'

'What punishment Snape?' Arthur asked.

'For those involved, he wanted them chained naked in the dungeons and whipped. As I was in charge and they knew Voldemort had given me orders on how to run Hogwarts, I played on that. I told Alecto that the dark lord did not want to much blood spilt, he didn't care one way or another, but the Carrows were too frighten to question me and they would never question Voldemort. That is one of the memories I wish to show, how Albus told me to send them into the forbidden forest when I explained what Alecto Carrow wanted. Whenever I tried to stop all punishment, they got suspicious and if they found the courage to speak with Voldemort about what I was doing, there might have been a chance I would have been removed and the students left to the complete mercy of the Carrows, who were cruel and sadistic. Albus and I knew them both very well.'

'Okay, fine, you stopped that, which I am glad about. But something else happened that you never stopped, about what happened to the girls.'

'Can you show your memories of that Miss Weasley, as I never heard or knew anything about girls being hurt more?'

'I don't have any proof, I just heard rumours,' Ginny said a little stiffly.

Harry and Severus glanced at each other and they could tell Ginny wanted Severus to look bad but it didn't work.

'Unless we can find proof of that, let's leave it for now. Arthur, Molly, I saw that memory of Albus and Severus talking about that punishment that Ginny was given. Severus will show you the memory if you wish. But there is one he stopped that I believe he should show all of you.'

'We trust you Kingsley, so if you say you seen it, that is good enough for us,' Arthur said.

'Then Severus, the memory please,' Kingsley said.

Severus nodded, then poured a memory into the pensieve, moved his wand over it and brought his own memory out for all to see.

Every Weasley, Hermione, Aberforth, Neville, Minerva, Kingsley, the two aurors, Severus and Harry watched Severus Snape listening in on the Carrows, on how they were going to kill Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan, Hannah Abbot and Ginny Weasley, the Weasley girl because she had been Potters girl. They heard how they were going to make sure Snape never found out so he couldn't stop them. Then they saw Severus step over to them and ordered that no one, not student or staff were to be killed and those orders were from the dark lord. If they wish to confirm those orders, the dark lord would be visiting Hogwarts that very night. Finally they all saw the Carrows back off and followed Snape's orders. Severus took the memory out of the pensieve and placed it back into the vial before he looked up at the people around the kitchen.

'As you can see, those four are alive today because of Severus doing the job Albus asked him to do. But also Albus knew that the students would be subjected to cruel punishment, all he asked was that Severus made sure they never went too far, which he did.'

'We owe you our daughter's life Severus, thank you,' Arthur held out his hand and Severus shook it.

'It's what I promised Albus to do, keep them safe, but also to make sure Voldemort never suspected me. I could have left his service years ago, but Albus believed staying as his right hand man gave him the advantage, which it did. Oh one more thing Minister, the plan to remove Harry from his relatives place that last time, that was thought up by Albus. He asked me to use the confundus charm on Mundungus to make it look like his idea. But I also had to give the real night you had planned to move Harry or it would have seemed too suspicious. Voldemort believed I was his spy but Albus trusted me with all important information, so we both thought it would be safest to give the correct day. Also, George, I am truly sorry about your ear, but I was trying to save Remus at the time. Avery was about to kill him when I sent the curse, but he moved at that exact time. So while Remus was helping you, and no one could see what I was doing, I killed him, which gave you and Remus enough time to escape.'

'Well Snape, all I can say is that bloody spell hurts, why did you invent something like that? Harry did tell us it was yours.'

'It was and at the time I was a death eater, so the more powerful and painful the spell, the better Voldemort liked it. I had the thought of that spell when I was still a student, I wanted to use it on James Potter and Sirius Black for all the times they hexed me. Harry knows all this, but he has also seen some of those memories, of his father and godfather hexing me, but also of me trying to hex them.'

'Yeah, my father was damn fast, Sev never stood a chance against him. Sirius always wanted to hex Sev just for fun and would do it when he wasn't expecting it. I spoke with Sirius and Remus about that not long before Sirius died.'

'I need a questioned answered Harry, one that only you can answer, and after everything, I think I deserve to know,' Neville said seriously.

Harry saw the look on his friends face and knew exactly what Neville wanted to ask. So Harry nodded then turned to Hermione and Ron before looking back at Snape to tell everyone the one thing he needed to put behind him.

'I know what you want to ask Neville and I always planned to explain. You want to know why I lied to you that night?'

'Yes, you tell me the snake had to die, I don't ask why, I just trusted you that it must have been important. Then I ask if you were turning yourself over to him, you said you weren't, but you did, right after walking away from me.'

Harry sighed and felt Severus tighten his arms around him, 'First the horcrux, it's the worst dark magic there is. Dumbledore was finding and destroying them before he died, after, I realised I had to finish what he started. There items Neville, Voldemort placed a piece of his soul into these items, he did this to make sure he never died. That's the idea of a horcrux, as long as one is out there, he will always live. But he made seven Neville, one he never knew about, thank merlin, the snake was one. She was made either right before he returned or right after he came back, his seventh. But his sixth, the one he never knew got made, well, that was me,' Harry lifted his hair.

'This scar isn't because of the killing curse, it's where his soul entered me,' Harry opened his shirt and showed his other scar, 'This was when he destroyed it. Sev gave me the memory of Dumbledore explaining that I had a piece of soul and Voldemort had to kill me. After seeing that, I knew what I had to do, I had to die. So as I walking back down through the school I realised that Dumbledore only allowed me to tell Hermione and Ron. I was about to die, Hermione and Ron could die, I know that sounds cold, but I had to think like Dumbledore or we'd never be rid of him. So I needed someone I could trust, but also someone that wouldn't waste time with questions. Then I saw you, bringing in more of the people that died. If I told you I had to face him, you would have tried to stop me. I never even told Hermione or Ron what I was doing. So you see why I lied Neville, I couldn't waste time, people were dying and I could stop it, but only if I died first, which I was willing to do.' Harry put his head back against Severus.

'But you survived, you're here, how?'

'Well, I never realised I'd live, but how, well Dumbledore explained that night. I'll tell you that in a moment, but when Voldemort hit me with the killing curse, that destroyed the horcrux inside me, I was knocked out, but technically alive.'

'So the horcrux actually saved you, is that right?'

'Yes, but I never knew any of this. Dumbledore knew I would survive but never told Sev and we have no idea why he kept it from both of us. Anyway, while I was unconscious, I went somewhere, Dumbledore was waiting for me. He explained everything, finally told me the whole thing, every plan, every bit of information he'd been hiding for years. All I ask is that you never mention to anyone about me. But the help you and Aberforth gave, I figured you both deserved to know.'

'So when you said you had a job to do, that was destroying horcruxes, and that was that job my brother gave you?' Aberforth asked.

'Yes, there was one more that we knew of in the castle. We had no idea what it was or where, only that it had something to do with Ravenclaw and it was at Hogwarts. Nagini was with Voldemort, he kept her with him at all times by then because he found out we were destroying pieces of his soul. That was after we broke out of Gringotts. He slaughtered everyone that was at Malfoy manor, except the Malfoy's and Bellatrix, who managed to escape his anger. Kingsley, did you find all the bodies there, including Pettigrew's?'

'Yes, Hermione and Ron explained how Pettigrew tried to kill you and how his hand killed him. Even after finding out he was the one that betrayed your parents, you still tried to stop him dying, why?'

'I don't know, but one thing I do know is I've seen enough death, I didn't want to see anymore, even him. The only death I wanted to see was Voldemort's. Too much death, too much violence, too much suffering, I just wanted it to end and even if I died, then for me, it ended.'

'That new scar, is that what needed healing?' Hermione asked.

Harry looked up at Severus, 'That was the main one, but Harry had a lot of injuries. A broken hip, broken foot, his fingers were broken, plus the burns, cuts and bruises all over him. I have never seen so many scars on anyone before. So I had Harry stay in bed for the first week, he needed to heal and keep as still as possible. The only time I allowed him to move was to use the bathroom, which I helped with that even after he told me to let him go alone. I would have found him on the floor if I did that.'

'I think it was more embarrassment, I was naked and needed help.'

'Why were you naked?' Ron asked as he stared up at Snape.

'Harry's clothes were disgusting, I threw them out. When he refused to move from the bed, I gave him one of my robes to wear.'

'You don't mind seeing each other naked now,' Kingsley grinned, then looked back at Hermione and Ron, 'After leaving here the other day, I found where Harry's house was. I tried the door, no answer, so I went round back and found both of them naked with Harry sitting on Severus.'

'I was rubbing lotion on his back, we just got out of the pool. It was easier to sit on him, but fun as well.'

'Oh gross Harry, we don't need to hear that and you better be clothed when we turn up, you did invite us you know. I've seen you naked before, I do not need to see Professor Snape and Hermione doesn't need to see either of you.'

'I don't,' Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron, 'It might be an experience I'll never have again. Walking as a man was a strange experience.'

'Not going to happen Miss Granger, I keep telling Harry bath robes in case someone wishes to visits. Finally he started to listen to me.'

'You're lucky, he never listened to us, pretended to, then did what he wanted.'

'Hey, sometimes I listened, just not always. Anyway, are there any more questions about all this, because I'd like to go home and go for a swim with Sev. Hermione, Ron, Neville, why don't you three come back with us, but I promise we'll wear trunks.'

'Good, you better, I do not need a memory of seeing Professor Snape naked. Imagine, I could be sitting in his class and that image comes to me, no thanks,' Neville said but grinned, making the others laugh but it made Harry burst out laughing and everyone realised that Harry had already imagine doing that when he was a student again.

'I think you're students are seeing and hearing about a whole new side of you Severus. You might not have the same control over them as before,' Minerva chuckled.

'Oh when they start losing points or ending up in detention cleaning the potions room that might remind them what I'm like.'

'What, even Harry if he stuffs up a potion?' Ron asked.

'Yes, even Harry, but his detention might be something completely different to yours Mr. Weasley.'

'Oh, now I'll make sure to stuff up my potions. But let's go, I want to get cool.'

'Give us a minute to get our costumes, you can wait five minutes.'

'And I can lend Neville something, come on Nev, lets go change.'

Harry watched his friends hurry up the stairs and he sighed in relief. They had accepted his relationship with Severus and he realised Severus must have known that as well, because he tightened his arms around Harry and put his chin on Harry's shoulder. The two men stood together, content with their relationship and content with their lives.

The end: