All That You Leave Behind

Thanks to Dark Gothic and Jan for reviewing!



Chapter 4







Harry turned a wary face to her. What was it now? Was she going to tell him that she had discovered that Snape had lied? That he had only shown Harry those memories he wished? That Snape had manipulated him and Snape had been lying all this time? After all, he had apparently fooled Voldemort, there was nothing to say that he had really fooled Dumbledore. That he had been Voldemort’s servant the whole time.



NO! Harry’s mind screamed. He was a good man. If nothing else, I am sure of that.



"Harry," she repeated, twisting the hem of her t-shirt nervously between her fingers. "I think maybe it\'s time I told you what actually happened..."



Harry looked at her warily. He didn\'t want to hear anything bad about Snape.



"Well, you know after Vol - Voldemort was defeated? We - we went to speak to Dumbledore\'s picture?"



Harry nodded, face slightly irritated. He knew all of this.



She went on, still not quite meeting his eyes. "Harry, I had to do something. I couldn\'t just leave him there, all alone. Especially after what you said in Dumbledore\'s offfice. I mean...well...it wasn\'t right, Harry. He shouldn\'t have died like that. He deserved better. So... so... I went back... to the Shrieking Shack. And... and he wasn\'t dead after all. Not quite."



"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused, "what do you mean you went back?"



Her eyes filled with tears. "Harry," she whispered, "I\'ve lied to you all these years. I kept a time turner. The only one in existence, since we ruined the rest of them 5th year. I ...I used it to go back, to just after Voldemort left and...and you and I took Snape\'s memories. I w-watched us leave, and then I went to him. In...in Dumbledore\'s office...when you pointed out his portrait w-wasn\'t there. I...D-Dumbledore didn\'t tell you the truth, Harry, a-about why Snape\'s portrait wasn\'t there."



Harry frowned at her and said sharply, "What are you talking about? What do you mean Dumbledore didn\'t tell me the truth?!"



"It...it dawned on me, there, when you asked about his portrait," she said nervously, "and when...when Dumbledore sort of n-nodded to me...I knew I was right, so, so...I used the time turner and went back, and wh-when I got there...h-he...he was bleeding and his body was still, but...I found a pulse, and...he...well, he opened his eyes a little..." She faltered as Harry\'s green eyes bored into her, wide with disbelief.



She took a deep breath. "He\'s not dead."



Harry stared at her. What the hell was she on about? Hermione often said things he didn\'t get, but this was in a whole new league. Alive? Snape was ALIVE? She had kept that fact a secret from him? He had grieved for a man he had never really known, a man who was his last link to his mother, and Hermione had kept him a SECRET?



He felt fury swell within him.



How many MORE people would make decisions without asking him? How many MORE times was he going to be the helpless pawn on someone else\'s chessboard? What the fuck was WRONG with everyone?



No more. This. was. the. line. He was through being a pawn. A symbol. A sacrifice.



"I\'ve been conscious for two weeks, Hermione," he ground out through clenched teeth, "two bloody weeks! Grieving and agonising over a man I thought was dead! A man I owe everything to! A man I thought I\'d never be able to thank enough..."



"H-Harry...," Hermione stuttered, "I..."



"You KNEW how I felt!" Harry exploded, "I thought he was dead, and now you\'re telling me he\'s ALIVE and you kept this a SECRET from me?! When the hell were you going to tell me, Hermione?! Were you EVER??"



"Harry, please," she whimpered tearfully.



"Where is he?" he ground out, furious.



"Harry, I don\'t think you.."



"WHERE IS HE?!" he screamed.



Madam Pomfrey hurried over to the bed. She had been standing a discreet distance away, giving Harry the illusion of privacy. He gritted his teeth as yet again his needs were ignored.



Now dear," she said soothingly, "Let\'s try and stay calm."



"Fuck that." Harry snapped. "Hermione, I\'ll ask you once more before I start hexing. WHERE. IS. SEVERUS. SNAPE?"



Hermione sobbed. "I can\'t tell you. I promised him I\'d keep it quiet until he was well enough."



She looked genuinely distressed, and opened her mouth as if trying to speak. "Harry, I\'m sorry. I CAN\'T."



Harry flung the covers of his bed back, throwing a venomous glare at Pomfrey when she tutted and tried to put them back in place. "Take me there." he ordered.



"Harry, I..."



"Take me there. NOW."