Our Only Hope

Chapter 2 Our Only Hope

Harry pulled on the collar of his tuxedo with his forefinger, trying to loosen the chokehold it had around his neck. He could tell Shacklebolt and Lupin were as uncomfortable as he was about wearing the penguin suits.

They were ordered, without explanations, to attend the Globe Theatre in London to watch a production of Richard III. Harry would have rather had his fingernails pulled out one by one than watch Shakespeare. Harry re-read the billfold in his hand, which he had nervously twisted and turned until you could barely read the writing.

“It says the guy that’s playing the lead is world renown,” Harry tried to make small talk.

“I’ve never heard of him,” Kingsley snorted. “Can’t be too famous.”

“What’s his name again?” Remus asked as he shifted from one leg to another.

“Let’s see…Allen Raymond, ever heard of him?” Harry wondered.

“No, can’t say I have,” Remus responded.

The light from the building dimmed and brightened.

“What was that?” Shacklebolt asked.

Remus noticed that the crowd started to head for the theater doors, “It must be about to start. Shall we?” With a sweeping gesture, he waved towards the door.

“If we must,” Harry said with a put upon sigh.

The three men sat silently in there front roll seats, waiting for the curtain to rise. As the theatre darkened Harry muttered quietly, “Finally.”

Harry found the language hard to follow at first but soon he got into the rhythm and found that he was starting to enjoy the play. When the hunchbacked, lame-legged Richard came out on stage the three men all gasped and murmured ‘Snape’. The crowd turned and hushed the three men into silence.

The thought that Snape was Allen Raymond, an award winning actor, heralded as one of the greatest thespians alive, was preposterous, totally bizarre. Harry blinked twice thinking that the figure on the stage would have changed somehow but it didn’t. It still was Snape, just a very different looking Snape. This Snape still had the same hawk like nose and piercing black eyes, but his skin was no longer sallow—it had deep golden tone. Harry wondered if it was the make-up or if it was because Snape had gotten out of the dungeons. He snickered. There were no dungeons in Snape’s world now.
The three men watched in awe at the performance, soon the trio was mesmerized and forgot just who was portraying Richard.

By the end of the play, the three Wizards stood with the audience and added their bravos to the rest of the crowd. Flowers were thrown onto the stage. Dramatically Snape…Allen…Snape, swept up a red rose that landed at his feet. He clutched his hands in front of him and bowed deeply. Harry could see the trail a tear took, as it descended down the actors face. A moment later Raymond raised his hands to silence the audience. His booming voice resonated to the back of the room.

“My dear, dear friends,” a cheer broke out again and Allen had to wait for them to calm before he continued. “As most of you know that I am taking a much deserved sabbatical.”

The crowd booed and hissed at the news, “I shall be back and that is a promise.”

Allen gave the audience a crooked smile and the crowd roared their approval. Harry wondered what happened to snarl that Snape was known for.

“I would like to say a few words before I depart on my long needed vacation. Most of you know my story. Found on the streets of London with no memory of who I was. No name, no history only a shell of a man. The two doctors that treated me, Dr. Allen and Dr. Raymond were a godsend, and without their support I would still be wandering the streets of London and sleeping in the gutters. They are only two of the hundreds of people I wish to thank for all the love and concern they have shown me over the years.

“I don’t remember anything of my previous life, but no matter what it was, it could not compare to the wonderful life I now live. I was blessed with a love so few have known. All Jasmine had to do was to look at me with her emerald eyes and I was undone. She was so amazing that God, in His wisdom, decided that He needed her with him. Before she left, however, she gave me an incredible gift—our daughter Lily. Without Lily I would have withered away. She’s such a special child, blessed in so many ways, but I am the one who is blessed to have her in my life. Thank you all for your well wishes and support. It is truly appreciated. Until we meet again my friends, God bless,” Raymond said, kissing the tips of his fingers and sending the kiss out to his hundreds of admirers.


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The three wizards sat stunned in their seats long after the crowd had dispersed.

“Do we take him in?” questioned Lupin.

“Snape married? Who would in their right mind, marry ‘him’?” a stunned Harry asked.

“Do we take the child with us?” Kingsley inquired.

“If we want his help we better.” Remus answered.

“Do we kidnap the two of them?” Harry wondered.

“He named her Lily, do you think it’s a coincident or do you think he can remember?” Remus added.

The questions were coming fast and furious with no one really listening.

“Gentlemen, you have to leave,” a young female usher informed the wizards.

They looked up from their seats and stared at her as if she was speaking a foreign tongue.

“The theatre is shutting its doors for the night. You must leave,” she spoke slowly and distinctly as she saw the confusion on their faces.

“We’re just leaving,” Remus nudged Harry in the side. “Sorry to keep you late. The performance was remarkable. I had never heard of Allen Raymond until this evening.”

“Awe inspiring isn’t he. I was nine years old when I first saw him act; he changed my life. He was the reason I became a thespian,” she smiled broadly.

“What happened to his wife?” Kingsley asked.

“Cancer, poor thing. Mr. Raymond quit acting so he could stay by her side. She didn’t last six months from the diagnosis to her …” her eyes swelled with tears. “If it weren’t for Lily, I think he would have taken his own life. She keeps him in line. Tough little cookie she is. She’s only five but she can manipulate her father to do her bidding.”

The lights dimmed.

“We had better leave before they lock us in for the night,” The young girl led them from the theatre.

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Severus Snape locked the door to his mansion and turned to his daughter who was waiting impatiently to start their vacation. She was dressed smartly in her royal blue traveling coat, matching hat and tiny white gloves.

“Are you ready Flower?” he asked using the nickname his wife and given their daughter.

“Been ready,” she answered with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

“Our limousine awaits, Milady,” he gestured to the shinny black car that awaited them.

An attractive, well built Black man stood with the door opened for the pair. Raymond stopped and looked suspiciously at the driver.

“Haven’t seen you before. Where is my regular driver?” he inquired, not seeing the two figures in the front seat.

“Sick with a cold, Sir. I’ll be your driver this afternoon. My name is Shakelbolt,” the Auror informed the actor as Raymond climbed in after his daughter.

Lily dutifully fastened her seatbelt and instructed her father to do the same. He smiled and complied with his daughter’s wishes.

Raymond was a little perplexed when the Shacklebolt fellow climbed in after them and settled across from the two of them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“Relax, we have a long trip ahead of us,” Kingsley pulled his wand from his sleeve and pointed it at the two.

“I would suggest that you do not try anything,” he threatened.

“And what do you think you’re going to do? Beat us with your stick?” Raymond snipped.

“Do not let this ‘stick’ fool you. With it I can do wonderful things, but if I wish, horrible things also,” Kingsley calmly explained.

Raymond pulled his daughter protectively under his arm. “You do say?” he said indignantly.

“Yes I do say! Lumos,” he ordered. A light emanated from the end of his wand.

“Papa, he can do magic too.” Lily shrieked with glee.

“Shhhh, child,” he ordered.

“But Papa, he can do magic like me,” she whined.

“Lily, can you do magic?” Kingsley asked as his heart rushed. This was the first child that he knew of, since the defeat of Voldemort that was able to do magic.

“Yep, I can make things float, can’t I daddy?”

Raymond protected his daughter with his body, “You will not harm a hair on her head,” he demanded.

“Why would I want to hurt you daughter?” Shacklebolt asked.

“The masses have always wanted to destroy what they don’t understand,” he answered.

“That maybe true but I do understand what is happening to your daughter; she’s a witch.”

“Told you,” Lily stated matter of factually.

“You are not a witch,” he looked angrily at his captor. “There are no such things as witches.”

“I’m afraid your daughter is right,” Kingsley informed Snape, “You are, in fact, one yourself, well a wizard that is.”

The car started to move not forward, as one would suspect, but slowly and steadily up into the air. Stunned Raymond pulled his daughter close and with wide eyes looked out of the moving vehicle to see the ground fall away as the car moved higher.

“Don’t worry, Papa, it’s magic,” Lily explained as she bounced up and down excitedly in her seat.

“There is no such thing as magic,” he said nervously. “It’s done with mirrors. We’re being kidnapped by lunatics.”

Raymond held onto his excited daughter and kept repeating over and over again, “There is not such thing as magic. There is no such thing as magic…” All the while gazing out of the window as the ground slowly disappeared.

Some time latter the widow that separated the front of the limousine with the back, slowly lowered. Harry turned to the Auror and notified him that they should be arriving at their destination soon and that he might want to put a calming charm on their guests until they got to their location.

“Already did,” Kingsley told him. “Snape was starting to act up a bit and I didn’t want to hurt him. The girl wore herself out and is sleeping on his lap.”

Raymond, who was in a spell induced stupor looked up from his repose to see emerald eyes watching him.

“Jasmine,” he whispered, as he reached out to touch the face of his deceased wife, only to blink to find her image gone and a young man taking her place.

“Take it easy Snape, you’re almost home,” the young man reassured him.

“The name is not Snape but Allen Raymond and my home is located in London. It’s obvious that you have made a grave mistake. Return my daughter and myself to London and we can forget this ever happened,” he ordered.

“Sorry, that won’t be happening. You are Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master extraordinaire. The Wizarding World is in dire straights that only you, it seems, will be able to correct,” there was some bitterness in Harry’s voice.

“I am an actor. I know nothing of ‘potions’ and I don’t believe you when you tell me that there is such a thing as witchcraft. This is an elaborate joke played on me by one of my outlandish friends, who will be extremely sorry once I get done with him,” Raymond crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. Harry snickered as the real Snape peeked through.

With a thud the car landed, waking up Lily from a sound sleep.

“We’re here,” she hollered and was out the door before anyone could stop her.

Raymond dashed after her to only find his daughter too stunned to move. Raymond stood by his daughter and looked at the fantasy that was being played out in front of them. Everything he had ever believed in was shattered as he looked upon an ancient castle that towered above a lake. Strange animals were wandering the lush grounds, animals that could come from someone’s imagination.

“Lily,” he looked down as his daughter, “I don’t believe were in London anymore!”

“Yeah,” she beamed. “Isn’t it wonderful?”


A/N Please take the time and review.