The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Chapter 11: Brand New Day

June 25th Morning: Headmistress McGonagall’s Office

The Headmistress sits behind her desk. Harry paces around her office broodingly. Everyone else sits about the office drinking tea and munching on scones. The others present are Bill Weasely, Ginny, Neville, Hermione, Ron, Tonks, Remus, and Luna. Hermione is taking notes on the meeting.

“So this is what we know,” recaps Hermione, “Snape has been receiving payments from person or persons unknown for the last ten years or so. We don’t know what services these payments represent. In a separate vault we found his lab notebooks. Should make for some light reading. Remus, I am going to need your and Luna’s help to go through them”

“Ah, I knew they were somewhere,” says Remus.

“Yes,” replies Hermione, “Hidden in one of the earlier labnotebooks dated around the death of Harry’s parents is a letter addressed to Harry and an owl charm. The charm is made of platinum and the body of the owl is an emerald the size of a knut.”

Bill speaks up, “I have a source that can look at the emerald and tell me from where it came.”

“Really!” asks Harry.

“All jewels in the magical and muggle worlds are tracked, Harry, particularly one that size.

“When can I read the letter?” asks Harry.

“Actually Harry I think you need to hear some other things,…first,” Ginny slowly says.

“Well, Neville and I learned some things about Snape, and Narcissa Malfoy, and….,” she begins carefully.

“And…,”Harry continues frustrated, “Get to the point.”

“The point is your mother had relationships before she married your father, OK,” spits out Ginny.

“What Ginny is trying to tactfully tell you is you mother and Snape at one time had a romantic relationship,” Neville gently tells a traumatized Harry.

“I thought he HATED he, because she was a muggleborn,” stutters Harry.

Ron steps in and says, “Are you sure about this, who is your source?”

Ginny says bluntly, “Slughorn. According to him Snape, Lily Potter, and Narcissa Malfoy were his “Golden Trio”. They worked on certain experiments for him. These experiments…”

She is interrupted by Headmistress McGonagall, “These experiments encompassed all of the studies of magic.”

A stunned Hermione manages to say, “You approved of these activities, Minerva.”

“Absolutely. A war was brewing and at the time those three showed the most potential as far as the craft was concerned, “ states the Headmistress.

“But…,” begins Remus.

“I know you are about to say what about James and Sirus. Yes, they were very talented, but they were very immature. Lily and Narcissa demonstrated maturity beyond their years. Why Narcissa only had to see a how gifted Lily was and she was more willing to participate in our extracurricular activities. Also, she managed to overcome her upbringing and came to see Lily as a friend. Yes, they were very good friends. You boys were too busy playing pranks to notice anything else. Severus was two years younger than all of you. He had an abusive childhood. He never knew his father and he came to Hogwart’s after losing his mother. James and Sirus should have been ashamed of their actions. They were no better than what they accused Severus of being. Yes, I will take up for him now. Of course, I agreed to this. The new “tools” those three thought up have been used by the Aurors for the last ten years. Harry, your mother has left a legacy in our world which your father could never possible imagined or even surpassed,” finishes Professor McGonagall.

“But she was with SNAPE!” bellows Harry.

“I don’t think it lasted, Harry. I have it on good authority he was seeing Narcissa regularly well before your mother\'s death,” soothes Remus.

“Snape was the MAN!” exclaims Ron.

“Yea,” says Bill, “What were they, Remus, two of the hottest girls at Hogwarts.”

“I wonder if it is still going on today,” contemplates Luna. “Better yet, Narcissa Malfoy has the resources to finance Snape. She could be the one paying him,” she continues.

Hermione looks at Luna and says, “You would find a conspiracy in a first year’s Chocolate Frog card collection. But you may have a point. However, why give him money?”

Luna gives them all a look. She says, “ A number of reasons: maybe he is keeping Draco out trouble, that’s a full time job; is Draco Lucius’ son?; maybe she was waiting for the time Voldermort tried to recruit Draco and Snape was suppose protect him; or maybe the money was for “old times sake”. Who knows. We could ask her, a tried and true technique. ”

“We could ask the portrait in Dumbledore’s quarters, too, “ mentions Ron. “It seems very cooperative.”

“We need to look in the pensieves you found in there,” lists Hermione, “Anything else?”

“We need to look through Snape’s quarters, again,” concludes Ginny.

“Why?” asks Ron.

“Because I think that I know what to look for now,” says Ginny.

“Anything else that needs to be thrown on the table,” says Hermione as she finishes recording the meeting.

Ginny and Neville look at each other a little uncomfortablely. Harry narrows his eyes and says, “Spit it out, what else do you know.”

“Well our conversation with Slughorn was really informative,” begins Ginny.

“Yes, and…” tepidly says Harry.

“How much do you know about your aunt?” ask Neville.

“Other than she is a backboneless bitch, not much. Why?” continues Harry carefully.

“Well according to Slughorn she went to Howart’s until her fourth year. We went back and checked her records. She did really well, right until she left,” says Ginny.

Everyone turns to the Headmistress. Who in turn looks at Harry and explains, “Your aunt was very talented, but she had problems accepting who she was. In the end, she decided to live as a muggle and return home. When you came to live with her, obviously her past caught up with her. Your mother’s family has lived in the muggle world for centuries even though it has produced magical children. I wish you had the chance to know your mother and your grandmother Cassandra another brilliant witch. Cassadra died a year before Lily. I know that people tend to focus on the heritage of James, but when I look at you, I see Lily.”

Harry takes a deep breath and calms replies, “Is there anything else we should know?”

The Head mistress smiles beatifically and nods, then tells everyone, “Severus Snape was Albus Dumblebore’s grandson.”

Luna giggles, “You holding that one back, weren’t you.”