Easy Or Right

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Harry Potter. All characters, and other related texts, are the intellectual property of J.K Rowling, and or her associates as the copyright holders. I have made no money from the publishing of this story.

Easy Or Right

Chap. 2: Snape.

"Mr. Potter, has you headache clamed down"? Lucius Malfoy asked from across the Slytherin table in the Great Hall.

"Er, yes, why Mr. Malfoy"? Harry wearily spluttered out.

Lucius leaned across the table, and beckoned Harry to come closer. When Harry was hesitant, Lucius snorted. "Really, Mr. Potter, I need to say something important that you should only be privy to".

Harry finally gave in and leaned across the table towards Lucius, who then proceeded to whisper into the young mans ear. "Harry, we need to go to the Shrieking Shack and collect Severus' body before anyone else finds it".

"Wha..., Why". Harry stammered.

"He may have certain items upon his person that you should only be privy to. He hid memories upon himself when he was called to Dark Lord, so he could not see them in Severus' mind. He either did that, or left them in his Pensieve". Lucius explained.

Harry rolled this over in his mind for a moment. "Well, when he was dying, he gave me several that I had to collect. They were his last thoughts, and they just started to ooze from him as he got weaker. I left those in Dumbledore's pensieve in his office. You think there's more"?

"Well, did Severus have time to leave any here when he was called to the Dark Lord"? Lucius inquired.

Immediately, Harry felt the guilt sweep through him, and his stomach gave a great lurch. "I - I..., well you see, he was in the same corridor when he came across McGonagall, Luna, and Myself. Luna and me were under my invisibility cloak, and Minerva started to fight with Severus. Flitwick and Slughorn showed up, and Snape fled the castle".

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose at this. "Well, he most likely saved some memories upon himself before he went before the Dark Lord then. I assume that these were very important, especially if he gave you some others".

"I - I don't know if I can..." Harry muttered.

"Mr. Potter, you can not let those fall into the wrong hands! I don't care if you trust the new Minister Pro Tem or not; you should be the only one to view them at first. Believe me, I understand some of it, especially about the so-called artifacts". Lucius quickly whispered, as he looked to see if anyone was trying to listen in on their conversation.

Harry shot Lucius a glare at this, as he wondered just how much Lucius knew. "How in the Hell did you know about those"?

"Shhh, Mr. Potter, keep your voice down will you! That will become clear after we have our talk later. Right now, we need to go and retrieve Severus' body before the Auror's do". Lucius hastily whispered.

"Do you have a wand now"? Harry enquired.

"Yes, I summoned the one that was dropped by McNair when he was incapacitated. It does not work as well as the one that was destroyed, but it will do for now". Lucius explained. "You, Draco, and myself will go retrieve the body. Do you have anyone, that you can absolutely trust in here, that can go with us"?

"Yes, Hermione can. She knows all about certain things, and can be of help. I'm not going to ask Ron after he showed his arse earlier, as I don't want to hear his temperamental mouth the whole time that we're gone".

Lucius stood as gracefully as he could, after the conversation, and looked at Draco. "Draco, you are to come with Mr. Potter, and myself. We need to go collect something, and you should be with us".

Draco never said anything; he just did what his father asked of him, and stood up from the table. Both Malfoy's then walked around the table to stand by Harry, as the young wizard looked across to the Gryffindor table for Hermione.

"Mione"! Harry said aloud, thus getting her attention. "You mind coming with us, as we need to go and see about something rather important"?

Hermione stood up to go to Harry, as Ron turned a sharp glare upon the group, then gave a loud snort, and turned his attention back towards his father. Kingsley Shacklebolt noticed this, and he immediately advanced on the small group.

"Potter, what the Hell are you doing"? The new minister questioned.

"Kingsley, look, we need to go and retrieve Severus' body from the Shrieking Shack. You can come with us, or send some guards, but you all need to stay outside and let us see to him. It's personal, and has to do with what Dumbledore had me working on, and Severus was like Lucius' brother.

"Potter, Harry, you can't trust them"! Shacklebolt exclaimed.

"Look Minister, I can, and I will. They cannot hurt me over the family vow, and they are under my protection. This has to be done now, not later. So, if you don't mind, we must be going". Harry stated, turned, and started to walk towards the large double-doors of the Great Hall, with the group following behind him.

"All right, Damnit, I'll come with you, just slow down"! Kingsley shouted, as he made haste to catch up with the group.

The group walked out of the huge oak main doors of Hogwarts, and onto the blood stained grassy lawn. It now showed, under daylight, just how much damage was actually done. Harry noticed a few bodies lying here and there that hadn't been collected, and he felt his stomach knot up.

The group came to a halt when they heard a violent gagging and heaving sound, and then the sound of vomit hitting the ground with a splash. They all looked around and found Hermione wiping her mouth. She had turned pale, but she then stood, and motioned for them to go on.

They walked through the front gates, and made their way towards Hogsmeade. They all noticed the damage to some of the buildings, but continued on to where the road turned to the vacant shack they were heading to. When they arrived at the door leading inside the Shrieking Shack, Harry then turned to the new minister.

"Kingsley, wait here, and sound an alarm if something was to happen, or if someone tries to approach the building". Harry stated, and started to go inside.

"Wait, Potter, are you sure about this"? Kingsley asked. "I'm sorry Harry, but I don't trust the Malfoy's at all. Lucius is a known supporter of You Know Who".

Lucius snorted at the comment. "I am sure, Minister Pro Tem, that Mr. Potter would like to get finished with this task and get some rest, so if you will please excuse us"?

Kingsley looked as if he was about to retort, when Harry quickly cut him off. "Yes, I would at that. Now, Minister, if we're not back within, say, 30 minutes, you may come inside searching for us".

Before anything else could be said, the group of four went inside the old shack, and made their way to the room just behind the staircase. Here though, Harry stopped at the door, and looked at the three behind him.

"Eh, it's not pretty". Harry stated, with a pale and drawn face. "Nagini got him, and bit him several times, especially in the neck.

Harry took a huge breath, steeled himself, and made his way through the door with the others following behind quietly. As they walked upon Severus Snape's corpse, each one could feel bile rising in their throat. As they looked down, there was a huge puddle of congealed blood where the last Hogwarts Headmaster had bled before he died. When Harry's legs began to tremble, he fell to his knees right at Severus' head, and then pulled the dead man into his lap. Harry wrapped his arms around Severus' shoulders, his mother’s best friend, squeezed his eyes shut, and finally broke down crying.

Lucius Malfoy had seen plenty of death, but Severus' was the worst. The last time he had seen the man, it was just outside the very building they were in. He felt responsible, as he had been the one to bring Severus to the Dark Lord, and then he had left. It was the last time he had seen his best friend alive. With a grimace, he gritted his teeth, as the young Potter heir broke down in front of him, but he remained stoic and stayed silent.

Draco Malfoy looked down at his dead Godfather. He could feel his bottom lip tremble, and he knew by the burning in his eyes that tears were coming forth. He tried to stay calm behind his mask, but he just couldn't do it. Finally, he also dropped to his knees beside Harry, and placed an arm across the younger wizards shoulders. He did his best to console Harry, but he rather needed it himself.

Hermione Granger had started crying when they walked into the room. For all of Severus Snape's faults, he was still loyal to the end, or at least according to what Harry had told them. When Draco Malfoy broke down, she chanced a quick look at the elder Malfoy, and noticed that he too had a shiny wetness to his eyes, even though he held his mask. Finally, she quickly walked over to a window across the room, and took a huge gulp of air into her lungs. She knew that if she hadn't already lost what little she had had to eat earlier, that she would have been sick again. As she started to turn around, she heard Lucius Malfoy speak at last.

"Harry, Draco, I know you are both grieving, but I think it is best that we do what needs to be done". Lucius said with a crack in his voice. "We need to check his pockets, and collect his wand. Then, we will do our best to make the man presentable, and save as much of his dignity as possible".

Harry took a deep breath, wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and nodded his head. He then looked over at Draco next to show his gratitude. "Thanks Draco, I needed that. I know he was your Godfather, so I guess we should do as your father said. We don't have much time, and we don't need anyone barging in on us".

Draco gave Harry a nod and a small grin, and then dropped his arm from around Harry's shoulder. "Granger and I will look for his wand, and you and father can work with Severus".

At Harry's nod, Draco stood, and began looking around the room for the missing wand. Harry slowly started feeling inside Severus' cloak, and found it hid multiple pockets. Most of them were filled with phials of potions, along with several pieces of parchment, but in the last one he searched, he found five phials containing more memories. He quickly placed those in the moleskin pouch that hung around his neck, along with the potions and parchment. Draco and Hermione found Severus' wand under a ratty chair, which they collected, and handed it to Harry.

Lucius began to clean and repair Severus' worn cloak, and then his robes. Next, he cleaned the blood off the man, placed his arms across his chest, and closed his eyes. Last, he cast a postmortem rigour charm on the body to keep the corpse in this state while they transported it back to the castle.

When Lucius stood up away from the body, Hermione conjured a stretcher, and Lucius levitated the body onto it, after he cast a weight lightening charm. He then bound the body to the stretcher with a sticking charm, and finally, Lucius levitated the stretcher into the air. The four made their way back out of the Shrieking Shack, with Severus's body in tow. When they made it outside, Kingsley came over to inspect the body.

"Well, I see old Severus got what was coming to him for associating with old Tom". Kingsley exclaimed. "Throat wound huh"?

"Kingsley, Severus Snape was an innocent man. He was innocent of all that I accused the man of right after Albus' death. He was loyal to us until the end, except I didn't know that until he was dying, and he gave me some memories to watch in Dumbledore's pensieve. It's just like I told Voldemort, Albus had Snape to kill him to save Draco's soul, and to keep him, and his family, from being killed by Voldemort. He was a dying man anyway, from both his cursed arm, and the poison he drank on our mission that night. He begged Severus to put him out of his misery that night, and to make Severus look good in Voldemort's eyes as a Death Eater. So please, don't let me hear you, or anyone say that the man deserved this again". Harry said with a cold voice. "Now, let's make our way back to the castle, as I'm about ready to drop in my tracks".

"Potter, er Harry, Severus had both a pain potion and a pepper-up potion in his cloak. They're the blue and orange phials that you saved. You might ought to take them, as they'll help you until we get you situated at the castle". Draco stated, as Harry fished them out. "Here, let me smell them, to make sure what they are".

Draco took both phials, removed the stoppers, and then quickly sniffed each one. He nodded his head, and reached to blue one to Harry first. "That's the pain potion, take it first".

Harry accepted the potion, and quickly drank it down before Kingsley could argue him that it was poison. Almost immediately, he felt the aches and pains leave him again. Draco then handed him the orange potion, which he gratefully accepted, and drank it quickly down. A warm sensation quickly ran through his body, and it was like a huge adrenaline rush. Finally, steam shot from both his ears, and gave a whistling sound. At this he gave Draco a huge grin, and handed him the two empty phials. "All right folks, I fell as right as rain again. Now, let's make our way back, and see about laying out Severus in his quarters away from the gawkers".

The four wizards, and one witch, made their way silently back to Hogwarts, while towing Severus Snape's corpse behind them. Nobody felt like talking at this solemn time. On the way there, Draco slung his arm around Harry's shoulder in a show of support, in which he received a grin from Harry for it.

0-0-0-0-0

"I'm telling you now Ginny, you best not be goin’ around Potter now that he's associatin' with the Malfoy's"! Ronald Weasley almost shouted at his sister.

"Please, I would never go anywhere near someone who supported that family. I've already spoken to Dean Thomas, and I think we'll most likely give it another go. So, don't you go pointing that finger at me Ronald Weasley"! Ginny exclaimed, as she slapped away Ron’s finger from in front of her nose. "Brother or not, do it again, and you'll pull back a nub"!

"That's enough you two"! Molly Weasley shrieked, forcing several people nearby to almost cover their ears. "Fred's lying over there, dead, and all you can do is argue over the Malfoy's? You should be ashamed of yourselves, the both of you. Harry also saved my life just awhile ago, or did you forget that"? Molly seethed, as George looked up when his twins name was mentioned. "I will not have this bitterness expressed around me, do you hear me, and I mean from any of you"!

As Molly stood and walked slowly over to Fred’s still body, Ron glared back at Ginny. "I don't care what mum says, I'll not be friends with a traitor! Plus, when Mione gets back, I'll be laying down the law to her too".

Ron, nor Ginny, never noticed Narcissa Malfoy, who taking in every word that was said from her seat at the Slytherin table, as she consoled her sister, the same one whom she hadn't spoken to in years. She would remember this, if either one of them tried to take advantage of Harry in the future. The poor boy had been trampled on too many times now to allow it to ever happen again. He had saved them all, especially her son, and now it was their turn to save him.

0-0-0-0-0

When the group, led by Harry, made it to the large doors that led into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Harry froze. He gulped down the bile rising in his throat, then looked back nervously at the other four. "Uh, are we ready for this"?

"Yes Harry, we're ready". Hermione said with a small smile.

Draco nodded to Harry that he was also ready, and placed the palm of his hand against the small of Harry's back for support. Lucius also nodded, and gave Harry a look that said that he was supporting any decision that he made. Kingsley walked up beside Harry next, and with that, they strode into the Great Hall. Once inside, everybody turned to look at who was arriving, and it all went silent, as everyone gawked with their mouths hanging open.

Harry shook his head at this, as he and Draco walked side by side up to where the Headmistress now stood.

"Oh my, oh dear, oh dear". McGonagall said, as she then choked out a sob, and looked upon the body floating behind Lucius. Finally, she withdrew a kerchief, and started to blot at her eyes. "Poor Severus, and I feel that this is all my fault".

"Er, Professor, or er Headmistress, we didn't know that he was still on our side when we met him in the corridor". Harry tried to explain, but it only made her cry worse. Finally, he walked forward, took the elderly lady into his arms, and let her collect herself.

"Mr. Potter, where do you want to lay Severus out at"? McGonagall finally asked.

"Well, er, I thought we could take him to his quarters, if that would be all right with you? You know, away from prying eyes, and what not. I know he liked his privacy, and I would like to do what I can for him now that he's gone". Harry said with a sorrowful tone.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Potter, if you would all follow me to his room. It’s in the tower by his office, on the 7th floor". McGonagall said after she finally got herself composed, and began to walk towards the doors.

On the way out, Harry glanced over at the Weasley's, and caught Ron sneering at him, and then at the corpse behind them. At this, he stiffened, but then he felt Draco place his calming hand to the small of his back again. When he did, he heard Ron give a loud snort, and then an "I told you so" was muttered to Ginny most likely. They continued to walk ahead, and he never looked back. He figured that Ron had sold him out twice already, and a third time was no surprise to him at all. He was more worried about what would happen with Hermione.

Harry noticed that he had gained two people to his group besides the Headmistress. It was a shock to him, as one of them was Andromada Tonks, who was being supported by her sister Narcissa. Harry also noticed that Narcissa had a baby held to her chest, and that the baby was Teddy Lupin. She had him covered with a small blue blanket, and had him held snug to keep from dropping the precious bundle. Harry had to swallow down another lump in his throat at this, as Teddy was his Godson, and he was now responsible for the child.

As the group started to round a corner that led to the moving stairs, Lucius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, and began to talk lightly into his ear.

"Harry, when we get to Severus' chambers, we can find you a bed to lie down in. I'm pretty sure you have some Dreamless Sleep potion on you, and if not, I'll obtain some. His quarters will have three bedchambers, and I think we all need some rest. After that, when we awake, we will discuss all that you need to know. I also need to send a Patronus to the head of the ICW when we get there, to let him know what has happened".

Harry looked at Lucius quizzically. "ICW, what's that"?

"The International Confederation of Wizards, Mr. Potter. They are something similar to the muggles United Nations, and have a peacekeeping force that all the nations involved with the organization send out during an emergency, and I'm sure this qualifies as one. I am also their spy, and I have to make a report". As Harry started to ask more questions, and as Lucius noticed Mrs. Granger stare at him inquisitively, he quickly continued. "We will talk more about this after we have rested ourselves, and by that time, the ICW will have arrived".

At Harry's nod, the small group made their way over all the rubble and debris, to the 7th floor.



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