The Guardian of Slytherin

Here you go, people. I do believe many, many questions will be answered with this chapter. But knowing readers as I think I do, not as many as you really want right at this moment. Instant gratification is so overrated. Enjoy!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!

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Chapter Twenty-two


Harry stood in front of the pensive, looking at the memory while feeling the impatient presents of Severus Snape standing behind him. He turned to face the potions master, needing to ask him several questions before the man rushed off.


“Did Hermione cheat on Ron with…”


“No,” he barked. “And it wasn’t because we didn’t want to do so.” He walked over to Harry and snarled, “She may have thought it was a losing battle to keep that sorry excuse of a boy as a paramour, Merlin knows I did. But unlike that fool she was with, Miss Granger knows the meaning of how one should behave in a monogamous relationship.”


Flushing at his words, Harry muttered, “I apologized. I don’t know what else I can do or say to convince anyone that I’m sorry.”


Standing up all the straighter, Snape told him, “Perhaps if you stopped acting like an entitled brat and started behaving like a grown wizard, the people around you might take you more seriously.” Glaring at him, he added, “Now get into that pensive so I may get back to my witch.”


“Why is she dying?”


Severus let out an impatient growl. “For fuck sake, Potter, look at the memory! It might hold the answers you’re looking for!”


***


Waking slowly Ginny found herself alone in bed. Getting up, she wrapped herself up in a sheet out of habit, as she was planning on at least making a run to the loo when she heard Marcus at the door of the flat. She went over only to find that he was speaking to a rather chatty girl who was dressed in less than what would be decent to wear to the beach, never mind on the streets of wizarding London.


Marcus stood looking on at the fangirl, but wasn’t saying a word. Though how even an anorexic syllable could get through the barrage of words spilling forth from the girl’s mouth was anyone’s guess. Ginny changed the sheet into a sundress and walked over.


“…And we just think you’re like the best player ever! My sister told me that if I did this and like totally got your signature above my bum that I would have to have it tattooed there. Because let’s face it, I really do need to wash there, huh?” She only paused long enough to look over to Ginny and asked, “So is this your kid sister?” Holding out her hand, she all but cheered with her glossy way too red ringlets bouncing as she announced, “Hi! I’m Ginger!”


“So I see, but something tells me that the carpet doesn’t match the curtains,” Ginny muttered making Marcus choke on his laughter as she went on to say in a louder voice, “Lovely to meet you, Ginger. Sorry to say, I’m not his sister.”


The girl looked crestfallen. “You’re his girlfriend?”


They both looked over to Marcus, who nodded.


“And I have what is commonly referred to as jealousy issues,” Ginny told the girl. “That being said, he shan’t be signing any bit of anyone any time soon. You understand?”


The girl nodded sagely and went on another five minute rant about how she no longer trusted some men. As soon as they could manage to do so, they had the door closed and were resting on it a minute or two before the youngest Weasley looked over to Marcus.


“I’m your girlfriend?”


He hummed in thought. “I find that I like having you around.”


“Really?”


“Really.”


Sighing she said, “I do have to make it a point to get that girl’s floo connection.”


“Why?” he asked honestly puzzled.


“Simple,” she answered, as she walked away. “For the next time you complain that I talk too much. All I’ll have to do is…”


“Oh no you don’t!” he exclaimed, scooping her up.


Laughing they both went back over to the bedroom, content with what they had established.


***


Entering the memory was so unlike any other time Harry had used a pensive that he actually enjoyed it. He drifted in much like a feather on a current of air or a leaf on a lazy stream. Settling to his feet, he thought he would like to exit at that point if only to experience going into the memory all over again. That’s until he heard it.


The breathing was the first thing he noticed, as the room he was in was only vague shapes and shadows at that point. The breathing was jagged and sounded as if it was taking so much work that the person must be dying. Harry cringed as it the breathing sounded as it was being done in a liquid as the person was also choking on it.


And then he realized who it was. Snape. The room he was in came into clear focus all at once. He was in the shrieking shack and the man was lying where he fell, dying from the giant snake’s bite. He didn’t know how long after the man had been bit, but from the looks of it he was on the verge of death.


A female curse rang through the air and soon Hermione was right next to Severus. The potions master struggled to open his eyes even as she was pouring the healing potion over the gash at his throat. It healed painfully slow as she tried to get him to drink some as well to be able to heal from within.


But instead of healing, the potion dripped out of his mouth, as he couldn’t swallow.


“No!” she breathed. “You need to take it in!” But he couldn’t respond and even Harry could see that Snape’s eyes were beginning to gloss over. “NO!” She looked up. “You brought me back! You can bring him back too!”


Harry couldn’t see or hear anyone answer, but apparently someone did as she looked slowly back down to the dying man in front of her.


Tears were running down her face, as she breathed, “He has proven himself worthy so often and has never received the credit or honors he deserves. So for him, yes, yes I would.” Leaning down she kissed Severus’s lips, a light flooded the room until Harry was blind with it.


Snape took a deep, healthy breath even as Hermione looked ready to drop in exhaustion. “A little help couldn’t hurt either. I doubt I could have moved him before, let alone now.”


A few feet away Regulus seemed to come out of the thin air, hitting the ground naked and very much alive. He stirred, taking in where he was and just whom he was with.


“Who are you?” Hermione asked, but then shook it off and said, “Never mind. We need to get out of here and get Severus to safety. Help me out with that, please?”


“Certainly,” he answered standing up and going over to where they are. “Are you okay?”


“No,” she replied as she stood slowly. “You’re going to have to do the apperating for the both of us.”


“I’m not sure I can,” he told her.


“You better find a way for it to happen, because I don’t think I…” Hermione dropped to the floor unconscious and the memory went black.


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