Our Only Hope

Chapter 3 Our Only Hope

Remus held on tightly to Lily as she struggled with all of her might to get to her father. Her love for magic disappeared quickly as she watched these strange men place a stick to her father’s temple, causing him to crumble to the ground in pain. His screams echoed throughout the halls of the castle as he convulsed on the cold stone floor.

Not able to endure anymore, Lily bit Remus’s hand before tuning around and using her tiny fist to punch the werewolf in his family jewels. Lily took off running to her father.

Kneeling besides him she patted his hand and said, “I’ll take care of you daddy.”

She gave the men around a scowl that would Severus proud.

Severus slowly sat up and took his daughter into his arms, “I’m fine Flower. These men did not hurt me.”

Snape saw Mrs. Weasley standing in the far corner of the room drying her eyes with the corner of her apron. He may have never cared for the Weasley but knew that Molly was a fine woman and outstanding mother.

“Mrs. Weasley, would you please take my daughter out and feed her a piece of one of your famous pies?” he asked calmly so not to disturb his daughter anymore than she already was.

“Certainly. Come along child--I’ll bet you’re famished,” Molly offered her hand to the little girl.

Lily looked back and forth between the two of them, not wanting to leave her father.

“They wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if they wanted to hurt me,” Severus explained to Lily. “Now off with you. Mrs. Weasley will take good care of you.”

Lily frowned but took Molly’s proffered hand. She looked over her shoulder, keeping eye contact with her father, all the way out of the room.

Severus waited a few seconds to be certain that his daughter was far enough away not to hear the conversation. Brushing off his slacks and straightening his jacket, he slowly turned to the small group of Wizards that had gathered. Most were members of the Order of the Phoenix, his so called friends. He saw Minerva, who had not aged gracefully, sitting by herself in the far corner of the room. When Draco came into view, he snorted his derision. Years before, Draco had forgotten all about him and high-tailed it out of England to one of his many mansions.

“Ladies,” he nodded slightly to the few ladies that were attending. “Gentlemen, what dubious reason have you found yourselves in that you need my assistance.”

“Severus it’s good to have you back,” Arthur Weasley walked up and presented his hand to the Potions Master.

Severus looked at the proffered hand and with a sneer, slipped his own into his slack pockets,“Let us cut out the niceties, shall we? What catastrophe has occurred to the Wizarding World that you find yourselves needing the help, how did the Ministry put it, oh yes, ‘The most vile of Wizards’.”

“Severus…” Hermione started to speak.

“The name is Mr. Raymond. Severus Snape ceased to be ten years ago,” he slowly walked about the room, his hand firmly, fastened behind his back, facing each of his so called friends.

“I shouldn’t be angry, but be thanking you for your betrayal. Because of you ignominious action I found love and true friendship. People that I can rely on, who expect nothing in return, not even a thank you. I would have never known a love that most people have only dreamed of and never obtained. So, you see, I forgive you for destroying everything I had held dear, my home,” spittle flew from his mouth in anger, “my wand, my magic and worse you took away what I was most proud of, my intellect.”

“Does that mean you will help us?” Hermione asked hopefully.

“Has Hell frozen over, has the sun stopped rising in the east, have tornadoes stopped destroying trailer parks? I think not and the idea of me helping you is ludicrous. Now you will kindly return my daughter and me to London where we can start our vacation,” Snape demanded.

“We can’t do that Snape,” Harry stated. He was sitting in a swivel chair at the desk, his back turned to Severus. His hands were situated on the arm rest as he turned to face his ex-Professor.

With disdain Severus turned to look at a grown up Harry Potter, giving a snort, “Potter, are you behind this madness?”

“I thought it was a waste of our precious time.” He turned to his friends and told them, “Send the man on his way. He will be useless to me if he doesn’t want to be here and obviously…” he gestured to Snape.

“This is too good, be a use to you?” Severus chuckled. “And what use can the old hateful Professor be to the boy-who-lived?”

“Severus, since the death of Voldemort all of the children are being born with out magic,” Arthur explained.

“Not all,” Kingsley interrupted, “Snape’s kid can use magic.”

There was a collective gasp followed by complete silence.

“Is it true? Is your daughter a witch?” Hermione asked hopefully.

“She seems to have some talents,” Severus said guardedly.

“We must study her,” Draco finally spoke up. “We must find out why she was gifted with magic when my…our children are nothing more than squibs.”

“You will keep your fucking hands off of my daughter.” Severus snarled, turning his attention to Draco. “So you found something that money can’t buy…how does it feel having squibs for…sons?”

He noticed Draco flinching, “No, not even sons but daughters.”

The Potions Master walked around an irate Slytherin, “Oh, you tell everyone that it doesn’t matter, that you adore your beautiful daughters but it eats away the insides of you. A Malfoy, a squib, nothing more that a Mudblood,” Severus spitted out.

Hermione placed her hand on Draco’s forearm, effectively stopping him from attacking their ex-teacher.

“You have no choice in this matter. You will help us find a cure, once that is done you and your daughter can go back, with a small mind alteration, to the life you seem to love.” Arthur told Snape.

“Aww. Has the Wizarding World sunk so low that they made a Weasley, Minister of Magic?” Snape sneered.

Arthur dismissed the derision that he heard in Severus’s voice and continued. “You don’t have to like us…in your shoes I would probably feel the same way but until this crisis is resolved we must try every possibility at our means. You are not our only solution, you are our best hope.”

“And how do you think I would be able to help, if I remember correctly and I do remember ever detail, you took my magic from me. Is there some miraculous spell that I don’t know about that will give it back to me?” He noticed the sheepish look on all of their faces. “I thought not.”

“But you could assist one of our best Potions Masters. With your knowledge and Harry’s skill, you maybe able to come up with a solution to our problem?” Hermione said optimistically.

“What do potions and Mr. Potter, have in common?”

“He is one of our top Potions Masters,” Arthur replied.

“If that wasn’t so pitiful I’d laugh.” he snarled.

“Laugh away Snape,” Harry said, “I studied at the University for four years under the tutelage of Grand Master Lowenbrau.”

“Preposterous, Mathew wouldn’t take on someone who is incapable of infusing tea correctly.”

“I make a pretty damn good cup of tea,” Harry grinned maliciously. “After I graduated, with honor I might add, I apprenticed under Master Chi.”

“Impressive Potter,” Severus stared at Harry through narrowed eyes. “I see your name has once again catapulted you to places where you shouldn’t be.”

“Listen up Snape,” Harry snarled, “I earned every honor I ever received. I am as good at Potions as you ever were; better now,” Harry smiled.

“I wouldn’t let you clean my cauldrons if I agreed to this ridiculous notion. You, a Potions Master? That takes this bizarre day and turns it into a nightmare,” Severus said nose to nose with Harry.

“Gentlemen, enough,” Arthur bellowed. The two Potions Masters became silent but continued to glare at one another. “The fact remains that you and your daughter aren’t going anywhere until we find a cure. You can either do it willingly or we can force your hand.”

With a snarl Severus turned his attention to the Minister, “Are you threatening me, Weasley?” The contempt could be heard throughout the room.

“Yes, Snape, I am threatening you. Your choices are thus--you can help us voluntarily and keep your daughter by your side or we can take your daughter and use her as a guinea pig in our research. The choice is yours,” Arthur didn’t like himself at the moment, but the thought of his six grandchildren and all of the other magically deficient children was haunted him.

Severus took a long deep breath, releasing it slowly before he continued, “Once again I have no choice at all,” he began. “At one time loosing my magic was possibly the worse thing that could ever have happened to me. But after living as a Muggle for the past ten years, I find that they, with all of their faults and they have many, are more honorable, caring, and steadfast than any Witch or Wizard I have ever known.”

He continued, “Leave my daughter out of the formula and I will help to the best of my endeavor. However I have a few of my own demands. I want a home for Lily and me. Not a room with a loo but a cottage on the outskirts of town where we can have some privacy. I will only work from nine to five with a half-hour lunch. No matter what crisis may arise I will leave at five and spend time with my child. I want none of you around my daughter. I will not have her corrupted by the likes of you. I want, not only a house elf, but also a nanny, of my choosing, someone I can trust,” Severus turned and scowled at Minerva who shamefacedly turned away.

“And I will not work with Potter,” he added.

“Listen Snape,” Harry spoke up, “I am willing to put the past behind and start fresh with you. Neither one of us are the same person we were a decade ago. Let bygones be bygones and let us work together peacefully,” Harry suggested.

Before Severus could answer Harry, Arthur spoke up, “I agree to all of your demands…”

“What?!” yelled Harry.

Arthur raised his hand to stop Harry’s protest, “I will agree to all of your demands except the part of working with Harry. That is non-negotiable.”

Harry crossed his arms and gave Severus a smirk.

“Then I want a third person in the room to go between him and me. Besides I want a witness if anything goes wrong that it was not my fault but…his,” Snape hissed.

“Now that I am to do your bidding I want it to be known that I want nothing from any of you. Do not attempt to befriend me or even talk to me. When you took everything from me, you made it perfectly clear that you wanted nothing to do with me. Now I can honestly say the same…I want nothing to do with the lot of you. You can all burn in hell for all I care. Understood?” He asked the Minister.

“Perfectly, Severus…”

“Mr. Raymond, I will answer only to that.” Severus stated.

“Perfectly Mr. Raymond and I speak for the Wizarding World and say the feeling is mutual,” Arthur calmly replied.


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