Snape's Redemption

Disclaimer: I’m not her. JKR would never have this much fun for no money!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Redemption

Hermione Granger stood in the middle of an old graveyard, held immobile by both Lucius Malfoy and her own fear and horror. Next to her, Harry too was motionless. However, his immobility was due to being beaten unconscious by a multitude of Death Eaters and only Rodolphus Lestrange’s grasp kept him upright. Before her lay Ron and Ginny Weasley, eviscerated by Voldemort’s Sectumsempra, blood still sluggishly seeping from their bodies although their souls had fled hours before. Possibly even days, weeks or - in Ginny’s case - years before.

“Why?” she croaked out, her gaze fixed on the hem of the Dark Lord’s robes. “Why kill them?”

“Why?” Voldemort echoed, surprised. “What other use did I have for them? They brought me what I wanted,” he almost purred as he reached out a skeletal finger and gathered some blood off Harry’s face. Closing his eyes in ecstasy, he licked the digit clean as a shudder flowed through his body. “Poor little Ginny,” he continued sneeringly. “So broken by Potter’s rejection of her – ‘He’ll try to get to me through you’, which is, of course where I got the idea from!”

His triumphant laugh echoed across the graveyard.

“How?” Hermione whispered. “I don’t understand…”

“How could you? You are just a stupid little Gryffindor Mudblood,” the Dark Lord sneered. “Did you think that my control over the little red-headed slut ended with the destruction of my diary? Fools, all of you. No-one suspected, not even Dumbledore and certainly not your lover. I had her in my power all the time, waiting until I needed her!”

Behind her, Lucius shifted slightly and his hands slid down her arms towards her bound wrists.

“She was a most useful servant,” Voldemort continued, pacing over to the dead siblings. “For most of the time,” he amended, kicking the Weasley girl’s head. “She gave me her brother willingly enough. For what?”

He turned and strode back over to Harry, who had begun to stir. Grasping his hair, Voldemort jerked the young wizard’s head up. Harry looked at him, dazed and confused.

“For this,” the dark wizard hissed. “For the life of this worthless, stupid piece of trash.” He let go of Harry’s hair and adopted a falsetto voice, mimicking Ginny Weasley. “Oh, Tom, please don’t kill him! I have a potion that will release your soul back to you and not hurt him. Please, Tom – let me have him!” He reverted to back to his own sibilant voice, “Idiot child! Let Harry Potter live – did she take me, Lord Voldemort, for a fool?”

“Ron?” came Harry’s slurred voice.

Voldemort swooped back to him, grasping Harry’s hair again and forcing the concussed boy to look into his own reptilian eyes.

“He betrayed you,” Voldemort hissed gleefully. “Just like your little girlfriend! They both delivered you to me – all for the promise of love. You see, young Potter, little Ginny wanted you back while her useless blood traitor brother wanted the Mudblood. But do not worry; they both received a far greater reward!”

Hermione frowned. “Me?” she whispered.

Voldemort released Harry and reached over, striking her across the face. Blood filled her mouth.

“Yes, you,” he hissed. “It did not take much persuading to convince young Weasley that you were what he wanted. Just some night-time suggestions from a most loyal servant, and the boy was ripe for the plucking!”

The Dark Lord smiled triumphantly as Hermione raised her eyes to his, her frown still marring her forehead.

Behind her, Lucius shifted again, one hand moving up to grasp her by the shoulder whilst the other slipped down and curled around her clenched fists.

“Do you not know to whom I am referring?” Voldemort mocked, so intent on breaking the spirit of the two in front of him that he failed to notice Lucius’ fidgeting. “Who in the Order of the Phoenix would betray you all?”

Hermione shook her head in confusion.

“What about a single man? A man, so reviled by those around him that he could never hold down a job. A man whose true nature was so stifled and repressed that he was aged before his time. A man who knew what was being done to you, a poor innocent Mudblood, but did nothing to protect you. Have you not yet guessed?” The Dark Lord smirked as comprehension flowed across their faces.

“No,” gasped Harry.

“No,” stated Hermione. “It was not Remus.”

Lucius sighed, his breath blowing across Hermione’s cheek.

“It wasn’t Remus,” she repeated desperately.

Voldemort’s high-pitched laugh cut across the night as he turned and strode back to his throne-like chair.

All the Death Eaters, except Lucius and Rodolphus, fell to their knees. Grasping their charges, the two standing Death Eaters pushed Harry and Hermione forward, ensuring that they had to step over the bodies of Ron and Ginny.

Swirling his robes, Voldemort sat down and held his arm down for Nagini to slither up. Nothing happened. Perturbed, he looked down to find that his familiar was absent.

“Nagini!” he hissed.

He waited, but there was no reply. He clenched the arms of his chairs, knuckles showing white. He spat out something in Parseltongue.

There was still no response.

“NAGINI!” he finally yelled, his fists balled up in anger.

Suddenly, out of the dark she came, flying through the air and smacking into Voldemort’s chest.

Her head followed two seconds later.

Voldemort’s face was expressionless as he gazed down at his decapitated familiar. He then raised his head, nostrils flaring and tongue flickering as he sniffed and tasted the night air.

“Snape,” he growled, flicking the snake’s corpse off his lap as he stood, drawing his wand. “Too pathetic to fight me face to face, are you?” he shouted into the night.

As Voldemort scanned the surrounding graveyard for a glimpse of his new enemy, Hermione felt the binding spell on her wrists dissolve. A long shaft of vine wood was thrust into her now freed hands. Nothing but a slight widening of her eyes betrayed to the world that Lucius Malfoy had just returned her wand to her.

She darted her eyes over to Harry. Rodolphus had pushed him to the ground and, with all the other Death Eaters, had his wand out and was scanning the surrounding area, straining for a glimpse of their attacker.

A bolt of green light flashed into her sight, hitting Rodolphus squarely in the chest. He fell without a sound as Snape’s low, mocking laughter filled the night.

“One down - the rest of you to go,” Severus’ seductive voice whispered across the remaining Death Eaters.

“Miss Granger, please allow my compatriot to see that you have your wand,” came Lucius’ drawl from behind her. “I really do not feel like being Avada’d out of existence.”

Senses reeling, Hermione moved her arms in front of her, using both hands to grasp her wand. Her eyes darted to the left and right, desperately trying to understand what was happening.

“Compatriot?” she squeaked at the wizard behind her.

“Well, I am now that the tide seems to have turned,” he murmured back.

Voldemort was still firing spells off into the darkness, unaware of the betrayal of Lucius Malfoy.

“You … you …. Slytherin!” Hermione hissed at Malfoy.

“Why, thank you! What a lovely thing to say! I have always strived to uphold my House’s principles,” Lucius deftly returned, sunnily turning the insult into a compliment.

It was times like this, Hermione reflected, that she understood why he pissed off Severus so much.

“FIND HIM!” shrieked Voldemort, tired of the cat and mouse game he had been playing with Snape. “FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME!”

As the Death Eaters began to fan out to hunt for Severus, the graveyard was suddenly filled with pops of Apparition and flashes of spells as the Order of the Phoenix arrived.

“The wards are down!” Yaxley, the large, blonde Death Eater yelled.

“I KNOW THAT!” Voldemort screamed. “KILL THEM ALL!!”

Thus the final battle began.

Hermione, still shocked and dazed, crouched over the once again unconscious body of Harry. She prodded him gently, bending over to check his breathing as Amycus was hurtled into the space where her head had been. His body smashed into the side of a mausoleum and Hermione heard an ominous crack of bones. Glancing over, she noted his sightless eyes fixed on the night sky above. Shivering, Hermione turned back to Harry and started to blast him with every healing spell she knew. She was so intent on her task that she did not notice the tall figure sweep down on her until she was lifted up and gathered into a crushing embrace.

Abruptly she was released and Severus’ hands swooped down her body, checking for injuries. He then stepped back and started firing healing spells at her.

“I’m fine,” she gasped, ducking as an errant curse exploded above their heads. “But they’ve broken Harry’s wand! How can he fight Voldemort?”

“He is not going to,” Snape replied briefly, casting one last spell on her.

He then turned to Harry and, lifting him until his was sitting up, poured a potion down his throat. Harry began to convulse, his body bucking against Severus’ restraining hold.

“What are you doing?” Hermione gasped.

“Destroying Voldemort’s last Horcrux,” he replied, watching Harry’s forehead intently.

“No!” Hermione cried, once again forgetting she was a witch and beating Snape around his head and shoulders. “Don’t kill him!”

Reaching out, Severus grasped her wrists and pulled her down beside him as yet another spell whizzed above their heads.

“He will not die,” he hissed.

Hermione gazed up at him with wide eyes as he turned his attention to the now still boy in his arms.

The boy whose forehead was now smooth and free from any blemish. Swiftly, Snape prised Harry’s mouth open. Hermione turned her head just in time to see a cloud of inky black smoke flow from her friend’s lips to disappear into the night air.

Then Harry coughed and sat up by himself, rubbing at his forehead as Snape quickly deflected another errant hex from hitting Hermione.

“What happened?” Harry demanded groggily.

Snape ignored him.

“Take this,” Severus commanded, turning to Hermione and pressing a gobstone into her hand. “It will take you and Potter somewhere safe. I will come and get you both.”

He stood, leaving Harry sitting dazed and confused on the ground as he reached down and hauled Hermione upright.

“But …” Hermione protested, only to be silenced as Severus pressed his lips to hers.

“Go,” he ordered hoarsely. “I need you all safe,” he added, his hand dropping significantly to her belly. “Please, Hermione – do this.”

He gave her a deep, penetrating look before striding off with a whirl of his robes to join the battle, which had moved even further away from the two young Gryffindors.

Flummoxed, Hermione turned back to Harry, to find him standing, albeit unsteadily.

“They want us to leave,” she repeated dumbly.

The howl of a werewolf cut across the night to be answered by a cacophony of others.

“I can’t,” Harry stated softly. “You know it has to be me.”

“I know,” Hermione returned gently. “But they don’t.”

Harry gave a tired grin. “Maybe we should have told them about the prophecy,” he admitted.

“Maybe,” Hermione returned, a small smile echoing his.

Slowly Harry turned and staggered over to fall beside the bodies of Ron and Ginny.

“It was Kreacher,” he stated as he brushed Ron’s hair from his forehead. “Kreacher did this to him. He was the ‘loyal servant’.”

“Of course,” Hermione replied.

“But it wouldn’t have happened if … you know … Ron hadn’t …”

“I know,” Hermione interrupted, realising that Ron’s obsession with her was something that had always been inside of him.

Harry stood slowly and gazed across the tombstones to where the battle was taking place.

“I have to go,” he whispered, clasping Ron’s wand in his hand. “I have to stop this.”

Tears pouring down her face, Hermione could only repeat, “I know.”

Harry swallowed convulsively. “I always thought it would be us three, together to the end, not … not …”

Hermione walked over to him. Placing one arm around his shoulders, she reached out and covered his hand with hers, wrapping both around the wand of their best friend.

“It will be us three,” she assured him. “To the end.”

Dropping the gobstone, Hermione reached into her robe pocket which she had noted felt heavier. Two bottles resided there and she pulled them out, smiling. She handed the Healing Potion to Harry, before taking a small swig from the other bottle. Holding it out to Harry, she smiled as he took it.

“I think we’ll both be needing a bit of this,” she commented.

Harry looked down and laughed before taking a small dose of Felix Felicis. Once he swallowed, he frowned.

“Hermione, what about the side effects? What if we’ve had it too soon after the other dose?”

“Side effects?” Hermione grinned. “Oh, you mean possible giddiness, recklessness and dangerous overconfidence. Sounds like the normal Gryffindor state of mind, if you ask me.”

Harry gazed at her in shock. “Ron was right – you have been around Snape too much.”

Hermione laughed and waved her arm towards the battle.

“Lay on, MacPotter,” she instructed.

Harry gave her a gentle push before they both ran towards the battle in front of them.

*~*~*~*~*

Severus thrust his wand into Yaxley’s mouth, casting Aguamenti and drowning the blonde Death Eater who had exhibited such pleasured in breaking Severus’ ribs on various different occasions. Pulling back, he realised he was spending too much time on each individual Death Eater. It was time to dispatch them all quickly and get back to Hermione and make sure she was safe. The next Death Eater was fortunate only to get an Avada Kedavra from his former Brother.

Seeing Minerva’s tall hat ahead of him, Severus used a Blasting Curse to clear his way to her.

“Where are the children?” she gasped, firing off a Petrificus Totalus at a Death Eater prepared to attack Severus.

“Potter and Miss Granger have been sent somewhere safe,” he informed her brusquely, hitting another attacker with his own altered Conjunctivitus Curse, dissolving her eyeballs. He could not help himself – Alecta had always cheered on her brother whenever Amyclus had temporarily blinded Snape during his various tortures.

“And the Weasleys? You didn’t harm them, did you?” Minerva grunted as a weak Crucio slipped past her defences.

Severus quickly cast a Finite Incantatem before turning on the caster and setting him alight with a well placed Incendio. The smell of burning flesh combined with the stench of blood and released bowels permeating the battleground.

“No,” he hissed as a Diffindo slashed his outside thigh open.

He quickly cast back Engorio, swelling his assailant’s throat until he choked to death. Belatedly, Severus realised it was an Order member. Glancing around, he was relieved to note that no-one noticed his mistake. Then he frowned, realising that members of the Order were attacking him.

“So they’re fine?” Minerva yelled at him as she fought a couple of yards on his left, the battle having divided them up.

“NO!” he hollered back, both to Minerva’s question and in reaction to seeing Hermione and Harry advancing alone on Voldemort, who was surrounded by a group of werewolves that had changed into their animalistic form.

Looking up as he bolted towards the group, Severus saw the quarter moon and realised that it was Voldemort’s magic that had changed them, just as one of the werewolves leapt out to attack Hermione. Her wand was raised, but before she could cast anything, Severus hit the creature with an Entrail-Expelling Curse. Suddenly aware of a new threat, half of the werewolves turned towards Severus. A wave of blind panic swept over Snape as they leapt towards him.

Suddenly, from behind him, two other werewolves leapt over his shoulder and began attacking their fellow creatures.

“Tonks and Remus,” Bill Weasley panted out, racing up to Severus. “Moody somehow changed Remus and then Tonks morphed.”

Severus nodded and tried to run to Hermione.

“No!” Bill ordered, grasping Snape by his arm. “Where’s Ginny and Ron?”

“Dead,” Snape answered tersely. “Let me go, boy!”

Stunned and heartsick, Bill released his former Potions teacher. Snape sprinted towards where he had last seen Hermione. Seeing only werewolves, he gathered his failing strength and cast the Homorphus Charm into the group over and over until all had been returned to their human form. Seeing this, the eldest Weasley child snapped out of his reverie and efficiently began killing off all the human werewolves, using all his rage and anger from the death of his youngest siblings to aid him.

Severus left Bill with that task as he scanned the surrounds for Hermione. Blankly he noted that the battle with the Death Eaters was over as the Order held them all at bay. In the corner of his eye he saw a flash of light from behind another tomb. He turned and ran towards it, rounding the square crypt just in time to see a flash of light speed towards Hermione.

Without any conscious thought, Severus Snape leapt, placing his body between Hermione and the curse. There was just enough time to wrap his arms around her before the spell hit, striking him between the shoulder blades, causing his body to push Hermione’s down on the ground.

His last memory was of Hermione’s wide, brown eyes staring into his before everything stopped.

*~*~*~*~*

Harry Potter did not see any of this.

His attention was focused only on the wizard in front of him and the words of the prophecy which circled around and around in his head.

Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live if the other survives.

Raising his wand, Harry pointed it at his nemesis and felt the rage and hatred swell up inside of him. Opening his mouth to kill, Harry’s brain realised that Avada Kedavra was too simple for this man’s death. Instinct took over.

“Interficio Amor!” Harry cried as a golden rope of light leapt from his wand and wrapped itself around Voldemort.

Shrieking, the Dark Lord was lifted up from the ground by Harry’s spell. The single rope divided itself and, as one strand thrust itself into Voldemort’s gaping maw, the others slithered up into his nasal cavities and ears.

Everyone stood transfixed as the spell wormed its way into the Dark Lord’s body. The night, previously filled with the sounds of battle, was now infused with the familiar song of a Phoenix, last heard at Dumbledore’s funeral. As Harry looked up, expecting to see Fawkes, a huge green and silver bird shot down from the sky and grasped one of the wavering tendrils of light in its claws. Still singing, the bird dragged the strand over to where Hermione sat sobbing, propped up against the tomb, cradling the lifeless body of Severus Snape in her arms.

“I swear,” Harry heard her whispering, “I will give this child to Malfoy to raise if you don’t wake up, you greasy git.”

There was no response from the corpse.

Still singing, the Phoenix jumped onto Severus’ chest, pushing Hermione’s head back, and thrust the cord down into Snape’s mouth. Of its own volition, the single strand slithered down his throat.

“What?” Hermione gasped, finally looking up and around.

In front of her stood Harry, looking down at her with compassion in his eyes. In the air behind him, the body of Voldemort glowed with a golden light, before suddenly flaring brightly. The night became darker as the spell ended and the body of the Dark Lord fell to the ground.

Hermione looked back to Harry.

“You did it,” she croaked over the song of the Phoenix.

“Don’t know how,” Harry replied.

They both managed wan smiles as Hermione struggled out from under the dead weight of Severus Snape. Standing, she staggered over to Harry and, wrapping her arms around him, they both fell to their knees, weeping for everything they had lost that night.

Abruptly the song of the Phoenix stopped.

*~*~*~*~*

A/N: The spell Harry uses translates as kill love. However, as I have said before, I’m not a Latin scholar (neither is JKR) so I have my translation as kill with love.

Thanks again to my wonderful betas (all who have threatened me with much evilness if I left the story like this): JuneW {please don’t hurt the donkey}; GinnyW {remember the promise I made when you first started betaing for me}; and Claraminutes {I hear and obey}. Without these three, this story would not be as half as good. You are angels - sometimes scary angels, but angels nonetheless.