Through The Ashes

Author\'s notes: Sorry it took so long for this chapter. But here it is and I hope you enjoy, and remember REVIEW ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heheh, ok, a problem with the way I titled this chappie......its actually chappie four, not five, sorry if that confuses you guys. :)

Chapter Four
The threat of Voldemort was growing ever closer with each passing week. He was growing ever more brave and powerful. Order meetings were scheduled every night in the Black house but the younger children were not allowed to participate. All that Harry would do now was stay in his room, angered beyound measure at his once-favored confidants, Sirius, Lupin and James.
Harry was doing the one thing he hardly ever did in his Hogwarts career...study, and how. The many warnings his friends have given him fell on deaf ears. He was going to do exactly what James did with Sirius...
He was going to resurrect Severus.
It was what he had wanted o do ever since he found out the truth about the night his parents died. He was angry beyond reason when he was tol of Dumbledore’s proposition to have a memorial ceremony in one week’s time, the anniversary of Snape’s death.
“Why now, Dumbledore?” Asked Sirius quietly, “Why now? Don’t you think that it would hinder us, rather than help us if we have a memorial now? We would have to tell the whole story, and what if the Ministry finds out? There’s no telling what they would do.”
Dumbledore shook his head, “I have thought this through Sirius. We will have it, but it will be done only with the Order members, that way, the information will not be leaked out to the Ministry or the public.”
Sirius sat down, in irritation, “All right. Molly and the rest?”
“Molly and Arthur will be told, yes. the children however-”
“Will have to stay out of it,” Finished Harry with an angry smirk, “Like we always do.”
“Harry-” Lupin admonished.
“Don’t ‘Harry’ me, Remus. I am tired of being kept out of everything, when I have to and should be the one who knows. Do you realize that I will have to be the one to stop Voldemort in the end? And how many times have you kept information from me, in which I could have been killed as a result?”
Everyone was silent.
“You have been playing GOD with us, Dumbledore. Two people really close to me have died. I have to deal with the fact that most of the people I know will die and you don’t seem to give a shit. You ordered someone to kill himself, and not to mention a powerful wizard who could have helped us. You are a manipulating old wizard with a god-complez as big s this whole bloody island!” Amidst shouts of outrage, Harry got up to leave. As he got to the door, he turned to look at Dumbledore over his shoulder, “Let me know when I am allowe to be privy to the information that will stop Voldemort.”
He then stepped through the threshold and slammed the door. Thinking back on it, two weeks later, Harry felt regret acting like that. For that two week period after his blow-up, he wold stay in his room, getting his meals by Dobby who left Hogwarts and stayed at the Black house with his idol, Harry. He would talk only with his friends; it hurt James deeply that his own son wouldn’t talk to him, especially after they had finally found each other. Harry would have loved nothing better than to tell James exactly what he was going to do, but he knew that if he did, his father would lock him in his room for the rest of his natural life.
He was studying when his friends entered. Ron and Hermione sat down next to him on the bed while the twins took their seats by the window. Harry glanced up at hermione, “Did you get the things I needed?”
“Yes, but Harry, I don’t think we should do this.”
“Don’t let your conscience get in the way of this, Mione. It was wrong what the Headmaster did, and now we are going to clean up after his mess.”
“But this is wrong Harry, how do you know this is going to work?”
“Because I have been studying this for a long time about this. It was wrong what Dumbledore did, and now I’m going to fix his mistake.”
Ron spoke up at this, his voice pitched low and brown eyes narrowed, “You accused Dumbledore of playing God, now you are going to go and do the same thing. Nobody has that kind of power to bring people back from the dead.”
Silence reigned inside the small room, rage boiling up inside Harry, his heart bating wildly. He stared into his best friend’s eyes until he had no choice but to look away. His lips were pursed, “So, that’s how its going to be now, isn’t it? We all make a decision, and when things get tough, we drop out? I’m trying to someone back who will not only get a second chance at life, but who could really help us in the fight against Voldemort. So let’s say we scrap this plan, are you able to truthfully say that we could possibly win this war without him? Are you all ready to be under Voldemort’s thumb?”
Hermione sighed. “No Harry. I’m just saying that we don’t know where severus ended up. He might be happy where he is.”
“Happy?!” Harry asked in outrage, “You call being ordered to sacrifice your life for someone you hated for your whole life HAPPY?!”
“Calm the hell down Harry!” shouted Fred, “Listen. I want to bring him back too, believe me, but listen to reason man.”
“You have to be careful Harry,” added George, “Everyone who has ever attempted this-”
“They became evil, drunk on their own power.” Ron ended quietly.
“We’re not only looking out for Severus here, Harry. We are worried about you. You haven’t been acting like yourself.”
“And how do you know that this isn’t me?” Harry had asked her, with a raised brow.
Hermione looked stung. ronstood suddenly, his face a deep red, “Now don’t you go attacking us for being worried about you. I’m sick of this! We only care about you and try to help you, and this is how you act?! Godammit!” He slammed the door as he left causing Harry to wince. He exhaled deeply and looked down, “I’m sorry you guys. I’m just really stressed out, I can’t do this on my own. It so unfair, that’s what makes me sick, and everybody acts like its all okay. That Snape willingly layed his life out on the line. He never got a proper burial, no one to mourn him-”
“Is that really why you are doing this?” hermione asked gently, her hand on his trembling shoulder.
He layed his head on her lap, “No. It an overwhelming desire. Its all I can think about. I mean, for all we know, he could be in a dimension that could make Satan shit his pants, and he’s just suffering endlessly. We need his help-I need his help to defeat Voldemort.”
She combed her fingers through his hair, “This means a lot to you doesn’t it?”
He furrowed his brow, “He should have had a chance to live, Mione. He died when he was only twenty.”
She smiled, “And he’s also the person that can save our arse, isn’t he?”
He nodded, chuckling. She laughed, “oh Harry. I hope you’re ready for this.”
Ron came in a while later and sat down on the edge of the bed. he sighed, “I guess I’m in. But when you become evil man, remember who your friends are.”
The rest started laughing, but soon quieted when they heard Remus walking up the stairs, “Dinner is ready, why don’t you all come down?”
Fred and George led the way, Harry bringing up the rear. Lupin smiled softly at him, “All right Harry?”
Harry nodded. Lupin shifted his weight on his other foot, “You coming to eat?”
Harry shook his head, and Lupin sighed. “Harry, we are so worried about you, James is sick with worry. He wants to see you, as well all do.”
“I’d prefer to stay up in my room. I’m just tired that’s all.” It sounded hollow to his own ears. He sighed, “I’m angry and frustrated beyond belief Lupin, its just hard for me to deal with right now.”
“What are you frustrated about? Apart from Dumbledore not telling you valuable information.”
“I-” Harry stopped suddenly, narrowing his eyes at Lupin, “Wait a minute here. Is this some kind of active listening shit you’re pulling on me?”
“No Harry. If you would have listened to us when we talk, or at least eat with us, you would see where we stand on this particular Dumbledore issue. Its not that we are taking sides-you would know if you had spent any time with us, and stopped being so childish.”
He felt worse with every halting sentence Lupin said. Looking at the floor, he quickly said, “I’m sorry.”
“Its okay Harry. We all know how you feel, we’ve felt if before. When Voldemort was at large, and we were about your age. Although, we never knew what it was like to sare a mind with the monster.”
Harry chuckled under his breath, “You have no idea how hard it has been.”
L:upin put his hand on the young man’s shoulder, his eyes connecting look into his imploringly, “Then share the burden. talk to us, tell us how you feel, we can help you. You never know how good it feels to be able to talk to someone, anyone, who cares about you.”
Harry sighed, then nodded at him. Lupin hid his triumphant smile and led the way to the dining room. Everyone stopped talking as soon as Harry stepped into the doorway. Harry was reminded that a couple years ago, he entered the very same and got the same reaction. Harry suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, lest he offend the ones gathered. He slid into a seat beside his father, who poured him a glass of pumpkin juice. He looked down at the table in shame, looking back up with misty eyes, “I-I’m sorry...”
He felt James’ arm settle around his shoulders “Its okay Harry. We understand.”
They proceeded with the rest of their dinner, making small talk until Hemione brought up the Honoring Ceremony.
“So are we going to go?” She looked expectantly up at the adults. Sirius coughed and glanced at James. James let out a deep breath, “Yes. We are.”


On the night of the Honoring Ceremony, the young adults gathered in Harry’s room. Tonight was the night they had been waiting for. They gathered their things and set out for Hogwarts.
At midnight, under the full moon, their plan will be put to action. Until then, they were to suffer through the dinner and remembrances. Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, Lupin, and the Weasley clan were all gathered as the rest entered. Bringing up the rear was McGonagall, Binns, Flitwick, Hooch, Pompfrey, and Hagrid. They were all seated, and the dinner began with Dumbledore’s speech.
“I\'m afraid it is rather bad news that has brought us all together tonight. Severus Snape, our Potions Master, is dead.” All of the people gathered, with the exception of those who were living at 12 Grimmauld Place, gasped. Dumbledore raised a hand for silence, “Not recently, however. At the end of July, eighteen years ago, we had word that Voldemort was going to attack the Potter’s. Severus was the one who had told me. He arrived back from a Death Eater meeting...rather distraught. I ordered him to go to the Potters and fend Voldemort off.”
“No one would have been able to survive that.” Replied McGonagall. As her eyes widened, Harry knew what just went through her mind.
“You sent him to his death?” Molly questioned. Her hand grabbed Arthur’s tightly.
Dumbledore nodded, “It was a mistake of mine that night.”
“Then how is it,” started Moody, “That there has been someone teaching under his name?”
“There is someone here who can answer your questions.” With that, Dumbledore nodded at a hooded figure sitting beside Harry. The man stood and took off the hood. To their horror, James Potter stood before them all.
“I can explain.”
As he started telling the story, the children slipped out. Harry didn’t care if Dumbledore saw them or not, and had the sneaking suspicion that the old man did. He stopped as they left the castle, not knowing exactly where his parents were buried. Hermione took over as she led them to a graveyard, a little way past Hagrid’s hut. Harry vaguely wondered why he had never seen this place before, until Hermione answered his unasked question, “The first fight with Voldemort resulted in many deaths. Whole families were lost, and instead of burying them in a place where anyone can stumble upon it, they decided to bury them here. Dumbledore bewitched it to look like a garden, even when you were inside, unless you really wanted to see it for what it was. Not a lot of children had been here, and many don’t remember being here if they had.”
They walked along, Harry glancing at the nearest headstone until finally they stopped at a vine-covered headstone. Harry bent down, his heart in his throat, as he brushed away the overgrowth to reveal it contents.

James Bartholomew Potter
1960-1980
Beloved Husband
Father
Friend
We will always remember you

Harry, still staring at the headstone murmured, “Let’s do this.”