Chapter Sixteen
“Potter would you let go of me,” the voice was muffled. Harry held Snape against his chest, tears dropping onto the black hair.
“What?” Harry let go and Snape’s head dropped to Harry’s lap. “You’re alive! How?”
Snape lay looking up at him as droplets sprinkled his face. He was frowning. “Miss. Granger’s time-stopper, Mr. Potter; I turned it.” He glanced up past Harry and saw Hermione, “I think you may have some difficulty in explaining how you came by it Miss. Granger.”
Harry laughed in astonishment and looked over at Dumbledore who had Snape’s hand in his own. Snape was looking into the old man’s face. Something happened between them and Harry saw Snape smile very quickly at Dumbledore before he helped Snape to his feet.
“It’s alright Severus, I’ve got you.” Dumbledore held the unsteady man.
Harry looked around at the people standing in the hall. Lupin broke in, “Everyone break up into threes and search this place.” he ordered. “Find the vampire and any others.” The crowd dispersed leaving he and Ron and Hermione with Snape and Dumbledore.
Ron and Hermione led Harry to the steps to sit down. Marcuso was sitting on a step, leaning against the rail. He looked at Harry and bowed slightly. Harry nodded back.
“Harry,” Hermione was looking at Jeremy Potter. “Is that…is that your father?”
Harry glanced over. “No, no it isn’t. Not anymore.”
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Harry had missed almost a month of school. He would be taking his N.E.W.T.S. in the Spring and hadn’t looked at a book or practiced a spell. He spent time with Hermione and Ron and avoided being cornered by anyone wanting to learn all about his ‘adventures’. Since arriving back at Hogwarts he’d been given a warm welcome by most of the staff and students. He had deliberately avoided meeting with Snape.
Harry thought it felt strange to be in school after his trip through Knockturn Alley and his meeting once again with Voldemort. It felt good but did not lift his mood. He wasn’t sure if there was anything that would take away the feelings and memories he had carried away with him that night in Snape Manor.
It was now Halloween and he was finishing up the second to the last class for the day. He was loaded down with books and parchment and homework, trailing behind Ron and Hermione. A dark shape flew in through an open corridor window and Harry knew immediately who it was. “Dante!” he said. The raven, as usual, landed some feet away and walked up to him.
“Have you brought me mail?” Harry asked in Romani. “Mande an! (give it to me). He shouted when the bird went waddling off down the hall. It avoided other students and
Headed for the main entrance. Ron and Hermione joined him in the chase. “Dante!”
“Mail deliver, Balo (swine), mail deliver.” Dante ran through the double wide front doors and out into the courtyard. Harry was fast behind him, parchment and books dropping from his arms. The bird stopped and Harry slid to his knees and then down on his belly as he grabbed the bird.
“CAW, CAW” Dante screamed flapping his wings.
“I’ve got you, you stupid bird!” he shouted and then he heard it. The sound of a fiddle playing, and then a tambourine. He glanced up shoving his glasses to his face. Hermione and Ron stood next to him. Coming into the courtyard were dozens of bare feet and swishing colorful skirts. The ankles of the women glittered with gold bracelets and they were dancing and singing. The Vardo Gypsies were at Hogwarts.
Harry saw Nadya at the front and above her on stilts was Gregor and Viktor. Jolie was playing his fiddle and Pascal the tambourine. She walked over to him and looked down at him laughing. “What are you doing, my love?” she asked in her language. Dante flew up when Harry let go and landed on her shoulder.
Harry slowly rose to his feet, “Why are you here, Nadya?”
She pouted and put her hands on her hips. Somehow Hermione understood the gesture and she put a hand on Harry’s back and pushed him forward. “For goodness sake, Harry. She’s come all this way to see you. Is that how you treat your wife?”
Harry took her hand, “I am honored that you come and happy to see you.” He knew that to show affection was inappropriate, but he desperately wanted to hold her.
Ron stepped in and said, “Go on mate, go for a walk and we’ll take care of this.” He was grinning. Harry pulled Nadya from the group and ran from the castle.
Later, the celebration was in full swing. The Great Hall was decorated with pumpkins the size of Hagrid’s hut, the tables were filled with delicious platters and the Romani were playing music and dancing in the aisle. Dozens of students were dancing along with them and in the center was Dumbledore. A trapeze was strung from the ceiling and the trapeze artists were swinging over the heads of the students.
Harry was showing his friends how to mount the stilts and maneuver them using only the straps attached to his thighs. After awhile he turned them over to Ginny Weasley and Dennis Creevey. He was enjoying himself and laughing at their squeals of terror as they careened around the hall.
He realized that his moments of delight were punctuated by melancholy only when he looked at the staff table and saw that Snape was missing. All of the other teachers were either on the floor enjoying or involved in the dancing or were mingling with the students. Harry had not seen him since returning to Hogwarts several days before. Snape had been taken to Madam Pomphrey in the hospital wing.
“Professor McGonagal,” Harry stopped the woman whose hair had come lose from her bun as she danced in a circle, arms linked to others.
“Oh Potter, hello. Wonderful party,” she said out of breath.
“Yes it is,” Harry nodded. “Where is Professor Snape? Is he still in hospital?”
“Oh no,” she answered. “I imagine he’s in his rooms, Potter. Not his kind of thing, you know.” She waved at him and was pulled back into the dancers.
Harry looked around and slipped from the Hall. The corridors were empty as was the steps down to the dungeons. Since returning to Hogwarts, Harry had taken his old bed in Griffindor tower and was no longer staying in Slytherin. But he knew the way to Snape’s quarters, they were next to Slytherin’s. He tapped on the door and a voice called out.
“Who is it?” it was Snape’s.
“It’s Harry.”
The door opened and Snape peered out. “What is it Potter?”
“Well, Severus…” Harry looked at the man who had the very familiar sneer etched across it. “Professor. I didn’t see you in the Great Hall and wondered if you were alright.”
“Do I not look alright, Mr. Potter?” Snape’s eyebrow rose.
Harry could feel the old familiar anger rising up. “May I come in?” he asked.
Snape turned and left the door open. He had a book in his hand and returned to his seat before the fire. “What is it Mr. Potter?”
Harry stood, feeling uncomfortable at Snape’s formality. “I never had a chance to thank you, Sever…” Snape scowled.
“There are very few things in life that I truly consider I deserve respect for, Mr. Potter. But I do think I have earned the right to be called Professor.”
“Alright Professor,” Harry said, and continued, “I wanted to thank you for protecting me from… Him. And for other things. I thought that since we have shared so much that we could be friends.”
Snape stood and laid his book on the mantle and turned to Harry, “That’s not wise, Mr. Potter.”
“Very well,” Harry turned away angry and embarrassed.
“Mr. Potter…Harry stop for a moment.” Snape said it gently. He turned back and Snape leaned against the mantel folding his hands together. “You take too many risks. Now you know everything there is to know. There is nothing else being kept from you, so you can now make informed decisions. What you did this summer was foolish. You put yourself in the heart of it all without thought to what would happen if you died. Because you’re friends care about you they are willing to risk themselves, too. Is that fair to them? Is it not better to not make friends. You know the task that lays before you. I have found it best to perform that task in a solitary way; it’s safer for me and for everyone around me.” Harry started to interrupt and Snape held up his hand. “May I remind you that we, you and I, are now hunted people. We have effectively taken away His closest and strongest allies. You saw him; he is weak and very angry. Each step you take now you must consider carefully. If you fall; then we all fall.” Snape was looking at him with brooding eyes.
“I don’t agree with everything you’ve said, Professor. My friend Ron once said that it is their war too. They have a right to decide to put themselves at risk. We would not have survived if the people in this school had not come to our rescue. Professor, they went to that house to help you… because they cared about you.” Harry emphasized, frustrated at the expression he saw on Snape’s face. “Professor, I don’t want to go through life alone. I don’t want to have to deny my feelings for others. If there is a chance at happiness then I‘m not going to throw it away.”
“You mean you don’t want to be like me,” Snape said bitingly.
“Yes,” Harry said standing firm, “I don’t want to be like you! I was in your mind, I saw your memories. My mother did care about you. I don’t know if she loved you but she reached out a hand, she was kind and she did care. Who knows if she could have been a friend or something else but you never took the chance and you’ve regretted it ever since… you’ve been bitter…”
“Enough!” Snape straightened and was glaring, “You will not speak of this again!”
“Why because you’re afraid?” Harry was shouting too. “She was my mother! Before that she was a young girl not older than I am now. I know she loved my father- I know it with all my heart and I never doubted her, not even when Jeremy insinuated that she was something other. Do you know how hard it was for me to hear that?” Harry walked closer and lowered his voice, “And I don’t believe that she abandoned you as a friend on purpose. You pushed her away just like you do everyone. Is it so hard for you to look beyond my face and see me as a person. I am not James Potter. I am not the one that hurt you! He didn‘t steal her away from you, you let her go.”
“I may die Snape, but I will die knowing that I have friends. I came here tonight because I thought you might need a friend. Someone who could comfort you. Because we both stood there Severus, watched our fathers die one more time! But I see that I was wrong. You don’t need anyone, do you?” He kept speaking although Snape was turning a shade of red that resembled a blood stain. “She tried a long time didn’t she?” Harry shook his head, “I’m not going to make the same mistake, Professor.” He turned and headed for the door.
“If this is about pitying me…” Snape roared.
Harry turned and smiled, “Actually, I’m not feeling pity for you at all, Professor. I came here tonight because I thought I had a lot to learn from you. That you could help me in a way that no other could. Now I realize that there is something very important that I know and you could never teach. I’m happy because I just realized that I can never be like you.” Harry spun on his heel and left the room. The smile that was on his face minutes before disappeared. He returned to the Great Hall where his wife found him. Seeing the look on his face she pulled him into the dark and wrapped her arms around him.
Later, Nadya found Draco, the one she called ‘the young old man’ because of his white hair.
“You, Mr.,” she said in broken English. “Bring me to the Snape man, yes?” she asked.
He looked her over and snickered, “You’re Potter’s wife aren’t you. A Gypsy. Don’t speak English do you?” He laughed and Pansy who stood next to him giggled too. ‘Wanna dance with me?” He grabbed her around the waist, while she struggled to break free.
“Get off you pig!” she said in Romani. “I will hex you and you will walk like a frog all your days.”
“I think she means it,” a voice said from the shadows of the corridor. Snape stepped into the light and Draco let Nadya go.
“She intends to turn you into a frog Mr. Malfoy,” Snape advanced. “I think you owe Mrs. Potter an apology.
Draco looked at Snape and then at Nadya. “Sorry.” He hurried away with his companions.
“Uncle,” Nadya began, “I speak to you, yes?” She stared up at him, her head barely reaching his chest.
He nodded and led the way back down the corridor and into the dungeons. She followed in her bare feet and gazed at her surroundings as she went. He opened the doors to his quarters. She stopped and peered in, hesitant.
“I will not harm you,” he said and motioned for her to enter.
He closed the door and stood waiting as she circled the room, her hand touching things as she went. “HmmmHm,” Snape cleared his throat.
“Ah Uncle,” she began.”
“I am not your Uncle Nadya,” Snape said in her language.
“She shook her head vigorously, “Yes, Uncle you are. I come to you for your help. You are family and I have no other. Harry does not know I speak to you and he must not know. Va?” She was frowning and speaking quickly.
“Nadya, you must speak slowly. I don’t understand you,” Snape said gently.
“Yes, I see,” she nodded and sat on the sofa without invitation. Snape crossed the room and sat in a chair facing her.
“What do you need, Nadya?” he asked. The room was lit by the fire and the light lit her face as she gazed into it and then looked up at him. “It is not like your people to let you be alone.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “My Harry, he will need your help. He is a young man and does not know his heart as an old man does. He trusts you, Uncle. He faces this horrible Devil, the Black One-Kalo Beng and he is afraid,” she clasped her hands under her chin and rested them on her knees. “He would never tell that to anyone, but I know it. He comes to you tonight for your help, but I see him come back and his heart is broken. Why is that? You cannot help him or he could not ask?” she asked.
Snape sat quietly, “I don’t know if I can Nadya.” The muscle in his jaw was working and he sat gripping the arms of the chair.
She nodded slowly, “Cannot?” Her eyes burned brightly and tears filled her eyes threatening to spill down her cheeks. “Men!,” She said it like a pronouncement, “Pride always is in the way. Harry is a proud man, too. Until this storm is over and this Devil is gone, he suffers. I know that he must kill the Kalo Beng.”
“He told you that?” Snape asked, frowning.
“I know many things that are not spoken,” she said. “We Romani women are very wise in these things. He does not tell me, but I know.” She shrugged her shoulders, “He must not feel alone in this. We cannot do this for him but we can stand by him and he will find the courage that is needed.” She stood and approached Snape. He looked at her as she gently took his hand and knelt at his feet. “Do it for the mother that gave birth to you, for the woman who looked at the moon sailing across the sea of stars and wept tears of sadness for you.” She placed her smooth cheek against his hand and wet it with her tears. “Do it for the son that I carry so he will have a father. I will keep you in my heart always. I will tear my clothes, pull out my hair at your death and mourn your passing. Do this so that when I am old and gray I can tell the story of the man who stood, his fist to the sky and swore an oath.”
“Romani women are very wise Nadya,” Snape said.