The next morning, everyone but the students that were on the grounds during Snape’s death were surprised to find that, upon entering the Great Hall for breakfast, black banners had been draped from the walls, and there was an air of quietness throughout the Hall. Everyone at the Head table had very grim expressions on their face, and everyone could tell something bad had happened.
Harry was one of the few that knew what had actually happened. He noticed, however, that none of the four Marauders were present. Harry figured Remus was sleeping after another night of wreaking havoc in the Shrieking Shack, Peter was still in the Hospital Wing with a mild fever, but he didn’t know where Sirius and James were. Before he could think about this any more, Dumbledore stood up, and everyone’s hushed whispers ceased.
“As some of you may know,” Dumbledore said, “last night a terrible thing has happened on our school’s grounds. A student wandered too close to the Whomping Willow last night, and was most unfortunately killed in doing so.” At first, Harry wondered why Dumbledore had said it was the tree that had killed Snape, then realized that he, Ron, Hermione and the Marauders were the only students that knew Remus was a werewolf. Dumbledore was probably drawing attention away from the fact that a werewolf was at Hogwarts.
“This student was Severus Snape,” Dumbledore said gravely. This drew mixed reactions from the crowd; some of the Slytherins that had known him looked horrified; students from the other Houses looked slightly relieved that it wasn’t someone they knew that had died. Dumbledore continued: “I know most of you didn’t know him, or possibly disliked him, but I must ask that you take some time this morning and acknowledge the passing of a great Hogwarts student.” He raised his glass, and everyone else grudgingly raised theirs, as well.
“To Severus Snape,” Dumbledore said, and everyone murmured the same, drinking in memory to him. “At this time, Professor Slughorn would like to say a few words.” Dumbledore gestured to his fellow professor, who stood up as Dumbledore sat.
“I probably knew Severus better than anyone else here, including students,” Slughorn said in a strained voice, obviously saddened by Snape’s death. “He was probably my hardest worker, and also one of my top students. He was a brilliant potion-maker, and never hesitated to ask questions...” As Slughorn went on about Snape, Harry looked around, and saw that almost no one was paying attention, except for some of the few at the Slytherin table that had somewhat befriended Snape.
Finally, after another minute of giving praise to Snape, Slughorn sat down, wiping his eyes, and Dumbledore stood up again. “I have one more request,” Dumbledore said, and everyone looked up at him again. “I wish that you do not tell this to anyone,” said Dumbledore. “No letters home to parents, no talking to workers in Hogsmeade, and especially no drawing media attention. We wish to keep this horrible event quiet for the time being.”
Everyone murmured their consent, and Dumbledore nodded. “Now, in light of this event, all classes are hereby cancelled for today.” That finally got everyone’s attention, excited chatter sprung up again as Dumbledore sat down, and the food appeared on everyone’s plate.
Ron and Hermione, as it turned out, had figured out what had happened. When Harry turned to talk to them, Hermione looked near tears and Ron looked perplexed. “I know you had something to do with his death, Harry,” she said angrily. “I checked; it was full moon last night.”
“So? It could’ve been a coincidence,” Harry said, shrugging.
“We’re not as thick as you think, Harry,” Ron told him firmly. “Snape wouldn’t have died if you hadn’t done anything, remember?”
Ouch. Harry had forgotten that. “Okay, fine,” he said irritably. “So maybe I twisted things a little. I thought you said I could do what I wanted!”
“Yes, but killing students...” Hermione was obviously appalled at Harry’s actions. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”
“Snape killed Dumbledore!” Harry said through gritted teeth. “What could possibly go wrong in the future by killing the murderer of the greatest wizard of all time?”
“Harry, Ron and I have been thinking about this,” Hermione said quietly. “Have you ever considered the possibility that Snape killed Dumbledore for a reason?”
“Because he was a Death Eater,” Harry said simply. “What other explanation is there?”
“You told us halfway through sixth year that Snape told Malfoy that he’d made an Unbreakable Vow to Malfoy’s mum,” Ron said. Maybe...since Draco was ordered to kill Dumbledore, and Snape made the Vow to protect him...perhaps he made the Vow to kill Dumbledore if Draco couldn’t...?”
“That’s completely...” Harry started, intending to finish with “stupid”, but then realized this could be true. “...possible,” he finished, stunned momentarily.
“And when we took the Felix Felicis,” Hermione pressed on, “don’t you think Luna and I could’ve stopped Snape from getting up to the Astronomy Tower? If we were truly lucky, we would’ve been able to stop him! If he was evil...he couldn’t have made it to the Tower past me and Luna.”
Harry was incredibly confused now. He stared at Hermione and Ron, dumbstruck.
“Mate,” Ron said, “you just killed the only link between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Harry felt very queasy now; he realized how stupid he had been to kill Snape. Even if Snape was evil, he had no right to kill him before he even got into the Dark Arts! He got up from the table and ran from the hall, feeling sick.
He ran up to Gryffindor Tower, gasped the password to the Fat Lady, then ran up to the dormitories. He needed to lie down. But as he entered the dormitory, he realized he wasn’t alone...James and Sirius were both lying on their beds, looking forlornly at the ceiling. “What’s up?” Harry said weakly, flopping onto his own bed, sighing. “Post-death blues?”
“You mean post-murder?” Sirius said in a strained voice. A lump formed in Harry’s throat as he remembered: Sirius thinks he’s responsible for getting Snape killed, even though it was James’ and mine idea!
“You didn’t murder him, Sirius,” James said, which was apparently something he’d said several times in the past few minutes. “It was me and Harry’s idea.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have to listen to you guys,” Sirius said sadly. “I didn’t have to actually tell him about Remus.”
“But...” James started, but Harry sat up and cut him off.
“Sirius, I think there’s something we should tell you,” he said, sighing. “I’m not from this time, Sirius. I’m from the future.”
Sirius looked at Harry oddly, looking like he wanted to laugh, but he frowned when he saw James’ face, which hadn’t shown visible surprise. “What do you mean?” Sirius asked, sitting up as well to face Harry. “You’re from the future?”
“Yeah,” Harry said, nodding sadly. “When I left the future, it was summer of 1997...then that night that Ron, Hermione and I walked into the Hall, we’d just been transported to this time.”
Sirius looked surprised, yet curious. “How did you get here?” he asked. Harry then proceeded to explain to Sirius (and James as well, who hadn’t heard this part of the story) about Hermione’s theory that the leather binding the photo album of his parents was a time-traveling device, and something he’d said got them stuck here. James and Sirius nodded slowly. “Who were your parents?” Sirius asked, then gasped in realization and turned his head to look at James, then back to Harry.
“Yeah, James is my dad,” Harry said. “Or, was. He was murdered by Lord Voldemort when I was a year old. So was my mum.”
Sirius looked at James in dismay. “James dies?” he asked, incredulously. He began counting on his fingers. “So if you’re from 1997...and you’re our age...you were one year old in 1981...so James only has five years to live?”
Harry nodded, and Sirius turned white. “There’s more,” Harry said. He went on to describe the events surrounding his birth, including the prophecy made about him and Voldemort and the Potters going into hiding, and Sirius being their Secret-Keeper, and also Harry’s godfather. Sirius stopped him for a moment. “If I was Secret-Keeper and your godfather, your mum must’ve trusted me, too,” he said. “Who was it?”
“Lily Evans,” Harry said softly, and Sirius shot a look at James, who hadn’t reacted. After a few seconds of looking gleeful, Sirius resumed his solemn state and listened to the rest of Harry’s story. Harry told of how Peter had convinced the three of them to make him Secret-Keeper, then betrayed them to Voldemort. Sirius flinched slightly, as though wanting to go search out Peter right that moment, but stayed seated.
Harry sighed. He told Sirius of how, after the murder, he’d confronted Peter in a crowded street, and Peter made a show of accusing Sirius of murder of the Potters, and then blew up half the street, leaving as a rat to let Sirius take the blame. “...and you were...you were chucked into Azkaban for twelve years,” Harry finished. Sirius’ eyes went wide.
“Azkaban?” he said weakly. “For twelve years? Most people don’t survive for a few weeks...”
“Your future self told me that the only thing keeping you alive was the thought that you were innocent,” Harry explained, and Sirius nodded slowly in understanding. Harry then told of how Sirius had seen Peter’s picture as a rat in the Daily Prophet with the Weasleys, and escaped. Everyone thought he was after Harry, to finish what he started twelve years ago, but was actually after Peter. He told of the end of his third year, when Sirius and Remus caught Peter in the Shrieking Shack and almost killed him, before Harry stopped them and inadvertently let him escape back to Voldemort, who rose back to power the next year.
This was when it got tough. Harry sighed. “Well, the Order of the Phoenix used your old parents’ house as headquarters,” he told Sirius, “and Dumbledore ordered you to stay there, since you were still a convicted murderer.” Harry then explained that, when he was lured into the Department of Mysteries by Voldemort, Sirius couldn’t resist not coming to fight the Death Eaters. “Then,” Harry said, “you were dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange...and she cast a spell that made you fall through a stone archway.” Sirius didn’t comprehend that, so Harry elaborated: “You died, Sirius.”
Sirius sat digesting that information, then stood up suddenly. “What are you doing?” James asked, standing up also.
“Going to kill Bellatrix Lestrange,” Sirius said quietly, then crossed the room to the door. He found, however, that it wouldn’t budge: Harry had locked it with Colloportus.
“Sirius, listen,” Harry said, “we killed Snape for a reason. And there will be something coming to Lestrange, too.” He explained that Snape had been a Death Eater, and killed Dumbledore. “We thought it would be a good idea to kill Snape, since we were saving Dumbledore’s life,” Harry explained.
“Well, wasn’t it?” James asked, suddenly confused.
“I just realized something, back at breakfast,” Harry said, sighing. “Snape killed Dumbledore because he was under an Unbreakable Vow. He was actually working for the Order, and was only being a spy for the Order and saving his own life, not killing for the sake of Voldemort.” James and Sirius looked at him, appalled.
“So what are you going to do?” Sirius asked.
“I just have to keep going with my plan, and hope I haven’t destroyed things in the future. I still need to find a way to eliminate Peter, for killing James and Lily, and Bellatrix, for killing you. And I guess it would also be a good idea to expose the rest of the future Death Eaters currently at the school, too.”
Sirius nodded. “So I guess I should tell Remus, too,” he said. “He’s in the library right now, doing homework, and I happen to know that Peter hates staying in the library for more than ten minutes, so Remus should be alone.” Sirius pulled out his wand, unlocked the dormitory door, and walked out of it, off to the library to find James.
As the door closed behind Sirius, a feeling of horror filled Harry’s body. As the door closed, Harry caught a glimpse of something small slipping through the crack just before it closed.
Something that looked very much like a rat.
Author's Note: I bet you all hate me after that cliffhanger! You'll have to wait until Ch. 12 is validated to find out what is going on...thanks for reading; please review!