Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**A Bright and Bold New Future**

**All characters and places and everything recognizable in this story are owned by J.K. Rowling. I just play a little with her world and hope that you like it.**

**This will be covering the years after the Battle of Hogwarts. I read a lot of stories about Harry's future and I just wanted to add my own, with my own ideas and things that I wanted to get covered. It will, however, not be entirely canon, since I'd like Harry to keep the Elder Wand and I want Severus Snape alive. Plus, there will be some more surprises coming. Forget the final epilogue, it will not play any role in my future for Harry.**

**I would very much appreciate reviews and comments about this story. It's the first time I attempt writing on and I hope that you like it. If I am off on the accuracy of dates and such, then please, drop me a line so that I can fix this.**

**I want to thank my Beta Snapegirlkmf, she does a marvelous job with it and gives me plenty of ideas that I can work with. Please read her work, it is wonderful to read and very enjoyable.**

Chapter 1

Right after Tom fell down dead, Harry sprinted out of the Great Hall. Hermione and Ron looked at each other and split seconds later they tore after him. After a few moments they reached the front doors. They stood on top of the stairs and looked over the grounds, searching for any sign of Harry. They saw him in the distance, not running anymore, but striding purposefully towards the Whomping Willow. Ron and Hermione tore after him at top speed, shouting at him when they were within earshot. Harry turned and stopped when he saw who had called. They reached him and cast questioning glances at him. He sighed.

"I need to check on Professor Snape. Maybe there is still a chance for him!"

"It's been hours ago that we've been in the tunnel. Nagini's poison is very strong, I don't believe he could have thwarted that." Hermione said.

Harry smiled. "When I knelt down to listen to what he said, I pushed a bezoar into his hand. I hope he was conscious enough to realize it."

Hermione and Ron looked at him in wonder.

"Why do you want him to be saved? He killed Dumbledore! He was in part responsible for your parent's deaths! He put you through hell while in Hogwarts! Why, Harry, why?" Ron had talked himself into a frenzy. Now he stood there in front of Harry, his breast heaving.

"Ron, leave Harry alone, he knows, what he's doing!" Hermione admonished him.

Harry threw her a grateful look and took off again, the other two right behind him. They reached the Whomping Willow and Harry took out the Elder Wand. He only had to give one tiny flick and the Whomping Willow stopped thrashing. The door to the tunnel opened and Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered. They hurried along and found Snape's body in the same position where they had left him. Harry rushed towards the body and knelt down besides the man. He put his ear onto his breast and listened intently. Hermione and Ron stood silently and watched. After what felt like hours to them, but were actually only a few seconds, Harry's head came up and he smiled.

"He's still breathing. He is unconscious, but I think he will make it."

He stood up and conjured up a litter. He turned towards Professor Snape and gave a flick of his wand. Professor Snape rose up into the air and floated over to the litter, where he was put down gently. Harry gave another flick with his wand and the litter moved towards the exit.

Hermione looked at him in wonder.

"How are you doing it?" she asked.

"What?" He answered back.

"Harry, you never could conjure something up, let alone move things around. How are you doing it?"

Harry shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "But that's not important right now. We need to get him to Madam Pomfrey."

The three of them followed the floating litter back onto the grounds and towards the school. They walked in silence, each lost in thought.

Harry's mind was actually spinning. He was glad, that Voldemort was gone, it felt unreal, that there would be no more fighting, but he was sad, that the triumph had come at such high costs. Remus and Tonks were dead; he now had none left that had known his parents intimately. And then the death of Fred, this must be terrible for the Weasley family. He knew there would be casualties in the war, but he had hoped that all the people he loved and cared about would be spared, but that was not to be. He knew also that he needed to speak with the portrait of Professor Dumbledore in the headmaster's office. But right now he needed to see Professor Snape safe in the competent hands of Madam Pomfrey. After all that he had seen in the Pensieve, that man did not deserve to die. He had risked everything and more to thwart Voldemort and to be a big factor in the downfall of the Dark Lord. He owed it to him. Strangely, all animosities towards his old Potions Professor were gone, replaced by a newfound respect towards this man, who had loved his mom so deeply that he had constantly put his own life at risk. Harry resolved to talk to the man, as soon as he was better, and come to an understanding with him. He didn't want the old grudges drive a wedge between him and Severus. He knew that he would need any friend he could make, because there would not be much peace in the months to come. Everybody would want to steal some of his time and he wanted to have people he could count on, and strangely enough, he wanted Severus to be one of those people.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other as they followed Harry and the litter up to the castle. They had no idea what Harry was doing and why he wanted to save Professor Snape, but he must have his reasons. They had learned to trust him without question in the last months of the Horcrux hunt. He had been intuitively right about most of the things and had in the last stages of the war not made one single mistake. Add to that the ease with which he now performed magic, it was a little frightening to see. It almost seemed as if something in him was cut loose with the death of Voldemort and he was his own self for the first time in his life. They were anxious as to what the future had in store for them. This new Harry would be interesting to live with and to get to know. They took each other by their hands and felt the love and compassion flow through them. It was good to know that the other one was there and that they would finally have peace.

They reached the stairs leading up to the front doors and Harry halted. He turned towards Ron and Hermione. He looked at them and a silent understanding passed between the three of them. Then they proceeded. Up the stairs into the entrance hall and through the doors into the Great Hall. When they entered, the people that were in there looked up and fell dead silent. They recognized the man lying on the litter and had mixed feelings about him. Of course, they had heard all that Harry had said in his duel with Voldemort. But to actually see the man, who, until this point, they had thought, was Voldemort's right hand, was a totally different matter. Fortunately the Weasleys were preoccupied with their own sorrow, even though Ginny looked up and locked eyes with Harry. Harry gave her a tiny nod and a look, hoping that she would understand that they would talk later. She looked at him long and hard and then nodded her understanding.

The three of them walked in dead silence up to the front of the hall where Professor McGonagall was standing. She had a frown on her face and her lips were pressed into a thin line.

"Mr. Potter, what is this?" she demanded.

Harry looked her square in the eye and answered.

"This man needs immediate medical care. I would like to have Madam Pomfrey look at him at once."

Professor McGonagall returned his look. Then the lines around her mouth softened and she smiled a sad smile.

"That is very noble of you, Harry. I will send her to you straight away."

She strode away and a few moments later, Madam Pomfrey came hurrying through the aisles between the benches. She looked at Severus once and paled.

"Follow me, Mr. Potter." She led the way back towards the entrance hall. Hermione and Ron followed silently. Next to the Grand Staircase there was an antechamber that was fairly intact. Only a few of the windows were smashed and just a little bit of rubble lay on the floor. It had a fireplace and Madam Pomfrey had a roaring fire going within seconds. She conjured up a bed and fresh linen and they gently placed Severus on the bed. Then she turned towards the three teenagers.

"He will be in good hands with me. Don't worry and go and take care of your families." she said gently.

"Please, Professor," Harry said. "Don't judge him for his previous deeds. There's a lot more than the eye can see."

Madam Pomfrey looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"I know, Harry. I did hear what you said to Voldemort. That surprised us all. I will take good care of him. It was lucky that he thought of the bezoar, otherwise it would have been too late for him."

Harry thanked her and turned around. Hermione and Ron followed suit. The three of them went out of the chamber and stopped in the entrance hall. They surveyed the mess that had been made during the fight. Surprisingly, there was not that much rubble and so much destruction as they would have thought, given the intensity of the fight. Harry looked up towards one of the windows. He definitely knew that they had been smashed by all the curses and other things that had been flying around. But to his astonishment, one of the windows looked like new and the one next to it was slowly repairing itself. _So the castle uses its own magic to repair itself. That is good! This definitely means that there will be peace in the future. I could use some peace and quiet. _Harry thought. He touched Hermione on the arm and pointed towards the window. She nodded.

"I know," she whispered. "It's amazing. I think the castle really is something special. With the rate this is going it will only be weeks, and the castle will be good as new." She smiled tiredly and turned towards Ron, who was already half-way towards the Great Hall and his family. Harry called them back.

"I need to go up to Dumbledore's office. There are some things that I need to take care of, and I would like you two to be a part of it." Anxiously, he looked at them and waited. He didn't know if they wanted to be with him at all. He would not be surprised if they would be mad at him because of the way he deceived them. He shuddered to think of Ginny, and how he would have to explain his actions to her. Hopefully she would talk to him at all after all this. It hurt him more powerfully than he would have thought, because he knew that she had every right to be mad at him. But Hermione and Ron just turned around and came up to him.

"Harry, mate, we would follow you anywhere. After what you have done, there is no question that you are the born leader." Ron said with conviction and trust in his voice.

Harry smiled and nodded. They picked their way up the stairs and towards the gargoyle that secured the entrance to the Headmaster's office. On their way to the office they came by the place where there had been that horrible incident with Fred, which helped Percy to finally see reason and fight for the light. As they went past the rubble where they knew Fred's body must lie, they heard a feeble sound. They stopped in their tracks and turned towards the pile of stones and wood. There was someone under all that stone who was still living. As one they sprinted towards the place and started levitating all the broken pieces away from the place where they had heard the sound. Slowly a body appeared, a body with a red head. It was stirring feebly and a hand moved slightly. Ron gasped.

"Fred!" He looked incredulously at Harry and Hermione and doubled his efforts in freeing his brother.

Harry was in a daze. He really had thought that Fred was dead. The horrible scene played in front of his inner eye again. How the curse struck the outer wall of the castle and how Fred was thrown through the air against the opposite wall. How his lifeless body had slid down to the floor and how Percy had started wailing and fighting with curses streaming from his wand left and right. He was convinced, then, that Fred was dead. It had been another motivation for him to finish Voldemort once and for all. To see Fred lying there, alive, was more than he would have dreamed possible.

"Ron," he said. "Go, fetch your parents. They need to know."

Ron didn't even look at him but dashed away. Moments later Harry and Hermione could hear footsteps coming their way. Arthur and Molly Weasley raced around the corner, hotly pursued by Ron. They sprinted up the corridor and dropped by Harry and Hermione on the floor. Molly gasped and tears gathered in her eyes.

"Fred, my little Freddy boy," she whispered and gently lifted his head into her lap. She cradled him and tears flew freely down her cheeks. "We thought we had lost you."

Fred stirred a little and opened one eye. "Oi, Mum," he croaked. "It hurts!" She didn't let go of him and stroked his hair gently. "Shh," she said. "Don't talk, everything will be alright."

With effort Fred turned his head and spied Harry. "Did you finish that old Voldy-Pooh?" he asked with a strained voice. "Oh Fred, don't talk like that." Molly admonished him. Harry smiled and nodded. There was a shimmer of the old Fred shining through. "We thought, we lost you, man", he said.

"It looked dead serious all those hours ago." Fred chuckled, but then he winced slightly. "Oh, this still hurts. But Harry, it would take more than a few bricks and curses to take care of me, don't you think? What with all the stuff George and I tested; it was way more dangerous than this. And, by the way, I don't think that I could let you court Ginny without at least a few pranks from George and myself, don't you?" His head sank back into Molly's lap and he closed his eyes. Molly shot a sharp glance towards Harry and Harry winced. He knew that he would have to talk with Molly and Arthur later about Ginny. Plus, he knew that he would definitely have to talk with Ginny.

Arthur and Ron lifted Fred gently up and carried him down towards the Great Hall. They would not use magic. They wanted to feel their son and brother, because they still couldn't really believe that he was alive. When they arrived in the Great Hall, they picked their way towards the rest of the Weasleys. Ginny, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill, who sat together with Fleur, nursing a sore arm, but otherwise unharmed, looked up. All of them were unharmed and that was a wonder for Harry. His favorite family was fine and that was what mattered. Their gaze fell upon Arthur and Ron, carrying Fred in the middle. They fell quiet, and then Ginny jumped up with a strangled cry and rushed forward. Seconds later the rest of them had joined her and they were crowded around Fred. Molly too had vacated her spot besides Harry and he and Hermione stood a little to the side to let the family celebrate their own little wonder. After a few minutes, however, Ron untangled himself from his family and went over to Harry and Hermione.

"Shall we?" he asked. Harry just nodded and the three set off again. But Harry was halted by a small hand that stole into his. He looked to the side and there was Ginny, looking up at him and smiling through her tears.

"Can I come with you?" she pleaded.

He looked at her for a second and then decided. "Yes, of course, I don't want to keep anymore secrets from you."

"You better not," she admonished him. "And we will have a talk later." Now she looked at him sternly.

Harry nodded and gulped. "I know," he said. "But I think you will understand, once we've been in Dumbledore's office."

She looked at him sharply, then nodded once and set off.

The four of them walked up to the office. The gargoyle had been blasted off his hinges and the entrance was free, even though they could already see the castle repairing itself again. There was a new gargoyle forming already on the hinges and it would not be long and it would be standing there in its old glory.

They entered the office and walked straight up towards the desk. Dumbledore's portrait hung behind it. All the portraits were awake and when the four of them entered, they all broke into a thunderous applause, even Phineas Nigellus clapped politely.

Dumbledore didn't clap, but he looked at them proudly over his half-moon spectacles. Harry could detect a certain wetness in his eyes.

When the applause had died away, he spoke. He talked for the better part of two hours without interference from either the portrait or Hermione, Ron and Ginny. He recounted the events that led up to the final defeat of Voldemort. Everything from the moment Severus had given him his memories to the point where Voldemort had flown through the air and died by his own killing curse rebounding on him. He was hoarse when he finished and Ginny conjured up a glass of water for him silently. He drank and then he placed the Elder Wand on the table. He looked at Dumbledore.

"I would like to keep this wand, if that is all right with you. I know how dangerous it is, but I also know that we will need its strength in the following years. There are still Death Eaters roaming free and we need to bring them all to justice."

Dumbledore nodded. "If there is one who truly deserves this wand, it is you."

Harry accepted this. He turned to Hermione. "Can I have my old wand, please?" She looked at him and started rummaging in her bag. Finally, she found the two pieces and gave them to Harry. He put them on the table and took the Elder wand. He tapped both pieces once and a bright light engulfed both pieces. When the light faded, his old wand was there, whole and looking as new. He smiled and took it. Now he felt whole again, his old wand, his old companion through all his trials was back again. He pocketed both wands and turned towards Dumbledore once more.

"You will probably be pleased to know, Professor, that Severus Snape is not dead. We managed to get him to Madam Pomfrey and he will heal completely." Dumbledore looked relieved. "He deserves to live," he said. "Severus had a very hard life and I hope that he will now finally have the chance to truly live again."

"I will personally make sure of that," Harry vowed. Then he turned toward Ginny, Hermione and Ron.

"Could you three wait outside for a bit? I would like to talk to Professor Dumbledore alone."

Hermione, always the quickest on the uptake, shot him a sharp glance, but shooed the other two out of the room. They left, but not without Ginny looking back over her shoulder and giving Harry a look that clearly said: _Don't you keep any secrets from me!_ Harry sent her a reassuring glance and turned back to Dumbledore. He saw that the other portraits had curious looks on their faces and Professor Dumbledore looked at him a little apprehensively. Harry cast silencing wards around the office so that the three outside would not hear anything.

"What do you want, Harry, my boy?" he asked.

"Well, I want to talk to you about Severus. And about me. Do you think that there could have been a way that all this, what happened in the last few weeks, could have been avoided?"

Dumbledore wanted to speak, but Harry cut him off.

"No, let me speak! I don't think it was necessary for me to stay all the time at my relatives. And I definitely think that you could have been a little more forceful with them regarding their treatment of me. I can't believe that Severus never told you, how hateful Petunia really was towards my mom. He knew her, and she hated him too. She hated everything about magic; from the moment that you told her that there would not be a chance for her to be a part of Hogwarts. There must have been a better way to deal with that!"

Harry heaved. He was surprised that he felt so mad at the old man suddenly, but on the other hand he felt relieved to get all the frustration and anger out of his system. After all, it was only the portrait and not the real man. That was another thing. Dumbledore looked at him silently, his twinkles all gone.

"Maybe, if you would have handled things differently, you would still be alive! You acted for the greater good, yes, I know that, but in some crucial moments you acted stupid. I'm not sorry to say that, it needed to be said. I am glad that Severus won't be on your conscience too. He deserves the life I will make sure to give him. He had such a hard life, and you made it even harder by having him spy on Voldemort and placing his life constantly in danger. Plus, you blackmailed him with his love for my mom, whom he still holds dear in his heart. That is almost unforgiveable, if not for the fact that I know that you didn't know better. I know that I hated his guts for all the mean things he did to me while in this school. But I am not sure, if he really got the chance to know me, that things would have been different. Did you know that the hat wanted to place me in Slytherin first? Yeah? Well, maybe that would have been better for me then, because I believe Severus would have been better at recognizing how hard life was at the Dursleys. And you are responsible for that too."

Harry stopped. He had run out of breath. The portraits on the walls were looking at him in astonishment. Never had a student talked in such a way with a Headmaster, much less with the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts had ever known. Dumbledore looked down at his hands and then lifted his head.

"You have every right to be mad at me, Harry. I deserve that. I wish I could still be with you, but you must believe me that at that time, when I did all that you accuse me of, I thought it would be for the greater good. Yes, I know," he went on quickly, for Harry had a very angry look on his face, "I know, that you hate that phrase. And I know, you are thinking of Grindelwald. That was one of my biggest mistakes in my life. It cost me the life of my beloved sister. I can never forgive myself for that. And you are right, I should have done something about the Dursleys way sooner. They did not treat you right. No child should have been treated that way. I was wrong to do that to you."

He paused for a moment, because his voice choked. Harry looked up and saw tears trickling down his cheeks and into his beard.

"I was so occupied with the search for the Horcruxes, leading the Order of the Phoenix and taking care of Hogwarts, that I thought you were alright. You seemed alright, whenever I met you. You had your friends, and I was glad about that. I had hoped that Severus could get over his animosity towards your father and that his love for you mother was stronger than that, but I was wrong. I was also wrong in not putting a stronger effort in having you two work on your problems together. It would have been better, if you would have known about Severus' double role as a spy. I see that now, but I didn't see it then. I was afraid that Voldemort could see too much in your brain, that Severus' double role would have been discovered. That would have been devastating. As I said before, you have every right to be angry with me, but I beg you, please try to understand. I didn't want to make you miserable. I had hoped to be there all the way for you, but my own stupidity prevented that. I hope that I can be there for you in the future. I can't do much as a portrait, but I still can give advice, if you want to listen to me at all after all this."

His voice trailed off after this talk. Harry was quiet. This was the most that he had heard Dumbledore talk at all and he was astonished. He was still mad at him for all the things he screwed up, but he did understand some of the wizard's motives. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you for saying this. I am sorry, that I snapped at you this way, but it needed to be said."

Dumbledore nodded. "You are right, Harry, it needed to be said. And thank you for forgiving me, I appreciate this more than you will ever know!" Again, tears trickled down his cheeks. Harry waved his gratitude away.

"It's ok. We can be glad that we have so few casualties at all. The cost could have been much higher. Even though it is too late for Remus and Tonks, did you know that?"

Dumbledore looked grave and very sorry. "I am devastated by their loss. And their son, Teddy, what will become of him?"

"I am his godfather," Harry responded. "I will take care of him. And he has his grandmother, who will be there for him. He will be in good hands, I will make sure of that."

"I'm sure you will, Harry." Dumbledore looked relieved.

Harry went up the desk and placed himself on it. He looked Dumbledore straight in the eye.

"I will plead with the Minister for Severus' innocence. And I want to help him getting his post as Headmaster back. That's the least I can do for him."

Dumbledore looked at him, smiling, and the twinkle had returned in his eyes. "That would be much appreciated, Harry. This would mean a lot for Severus, even though he would not let it show. But he needs a home and Hogwarts had been his home for the last seventeen years. Can I do anything to help you achieve that goal?"

Harry started to shake his head, but then he stopped.

"Well, is there anymore evidence of his true allegiance, besides the memories he gave me?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment, but then his face brightened.

"Yes, there is. Open the topmost drawer in that closet over there." He pointed towards the far end of the office. There stood an old closet with a lot of drawers. Harry went over there and opened the drawer. "There should be two little vials of memories in there." Harry felt around and finally came across the two vials. He pulled them out of the drawer. Dumbledore clapped his hands excitedly. "Yes, they are still there. I had them checked in the Ministry for the correctness and their truthfulness. The Ministry has to acknowledge the truths they contain. These should verify Severus' status of being on our side all along." He thought for a moment. Then he said, "There should also be a little role of parchment." Harry searched until right in the farthest corner of the drawer his hand reached a little scroll. He took it and pulled it out of the drawer. He held it up for Dumbledore to see. "Do you mean this?" he asked. Dumbledore nodded. "That should contain a magically verified statement by Kingsley Shacklebolt himself, that Severus indeed was a double spy and that he all along acted for the Light." Harry nodded lightly and then put the vials and the scroll into his cloak.

"Thank you, Headmaster," said Harry, a little nicer than before. "I hope you are right. Now, I need to take leave of you. There is plenty to do still and I really need to check on Severus."

Dumbledore nodded and Harry turned around and walked out of the door, cancelling the silencing wards as he did so.

**Authors note: Thank you for reading. I love reviews, so please do tell me what you think of the story so far.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Again, all things recognizable belong to J.K. Rowling and not to me. I just play with it. Please R&R, it will be very much appreciated. Thank you.**

**I am sorry that this took so long, but there were some things I needed to take care of, but now it is finished (and the chapter too, I might add).**

**I forgot to mention this in my last chapter, but I will try to update every week, for sure every other week. **

**Also, again, thanks to my Beta Snapegirlkmf. Read her works, she is a great author.**

Chapter Two

Severus floated through a dark space. He was vaguely aware of voices murmuring around his consciousness. Very slowly he opened his eyes and looked around. He found himself in a small room. Opposite of the bed he lay in was a fireplace. The room was warm and cozy due to the fire going in the fireplace. On a chair besides the bed he saw a figure curled up, sleeping. First, his focus was a little blurred, but then it became sharper and he gasped. It was Harry Potter. What on earth was Potter doing beside his bed? And, furthermore, why wasn't he dead? He remembered being bitten by Nagini and then the short conversation with Potter, how he looked into his eyes and how he gave up his memories. It was impossible that he would be alive. Was this heaven? Was he going to be punished for all his failures in his former spy/death eater life by being together for all eternity with Harry Potter, the boy who was mediocre at best? Sure, he had to admit grudgingly, the boy had been very resourceful in the end. But it apparently had not been enough, if they had both landed in the afterlife. But what was he doing in a bed and Potter on a chair beside him? And what was Madam Pomfrey doing here? Severus didn't understand.

In the meantime, Madam Pomfrey had been alerted to her patient being awake by the monitoring charm she had set up earlier. She briskly came into the room and addressed Severus.

"Well, well, Severus, you were extremely lucky that you thought of that Bezoar, the remnants of which we found in your stomach."

Wait, Bezoar, what was that, Severus was thinking. _I am not dead? _And then everything came back to him. Now he remembered, how Potter had pushed something small and wrinkly into his hand right when they had locked eyes. And he remembered that he had swallowed the small thing without hesitation, after which he had passed out.

He turned his head. "How long have I been here?" he inquired.

"Two days", Madam Pomfrey replied. She got out her wand and scanned him thoroughly.

"You were lucky, that Mr. Potter thought of bringing you in so fast. Even with the Bezoar, your body was dehydrated and very weak. We fixed you up and now you are as good as new, maybe a little tired, but that is normal, it should go away soon."

As soon as Poppy had said that he was as good as new, Severus had gotten out of bed. Poppy pushed him gently back into the covers. "No, no, my dear friend," she said resolutely. "You have to stay here at least another night. You are not _that _well." Severus tried to resist, but he found that he was too weak to fight her hard grip. He gave up and with a sigh leaned back into his pillow. His gaze went over to where Harry was sleeping.

"What is Potter doing here?" he growled. It would be a shame having Potter seeing him weak like this.

"Oh, he has been here for two nights in a row now. I couldn't get him to sleep in a normal bed. He wanted to be here when you woke up." Poppy answered and bustled over to Harry.

"Wait, Poppy, what did you say? I have been asleep for two days?"

Poppy turned around. She shook her head. "No, actually, three and a half days. Harry left, when he had brought you in, and then returned the day before yesterday. He was very adamant that you were given the best treatment possible. He even defended you. There were plenty of people from the Ministry who wanted to get rid of you. He stood up to all of them and did things with his wand I have never even seen Albus do. I think you mean a lot to him, Severus. Please be reasonable, when he talks with you"

Severus was shocked. Never had Poppy, in all his life, talked so much and so emotionally, about anything. Then he turned towards Harry and watched him. He looked peaceful in his sleep. His hair was a little damp from sweat and at some point during his sleep he must have brushed it from his forehead, because he could see the scar. Severus blinked and looked closer. The scar was fading, but there was something else appearing. What was it? He couldn't identify it, but that wasn't important anymore. He had recognized something else. The room was cracking with magic. And he realized that Harry was the source of it. He could not remember ever feeling Potter's magic so strongly. In fact, not even the Dark Lord's magic had felt that strong. What was happening? And why, why was Harry in this room? Why was he in this room and not on his way to Azkaban? Severus' head swam with questions and he wanted answers really bad. But he didn't want to wake up Harry. For some unknown reason he was reluctant to talk to the boy. He knew that he had seen the memories, but what would he think of him now? It seemed that Harry had believed him, because he had done exactly as Dumbledore had foreseen it, but that didn't mean that the boy didn't despise him for all the things he had done. _Well, _Severus thought acidly, _I can't even forgive me for the things I have done, so how in the world can he? _Severus gulped and closed his eyes. He really didn't look forward to talking with Harry.

Severus had his eyes still closed, so he couldn't see that in the meantime Harry had woken up. Harry stretched and then sat up. He moved his neck a few times. It was sore and he cursed his inability to trust Poppy and go find a real bed. But then he saw Severus and recognized immediately that the man was awake. Yes, his eyes were closed, but he saw him breathing unevenly. If he would be sleeping, the breathing would have been deeper and more regular.

Harry cleared his throat. Severus opened his eyes and looked over at him.

"Good morning, Professor," Harry said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Severus looked at him with a long glare, remarkably similar to the one he always had on in the classroom.

"And why would that be your concern, Mr. Potter?" he asked sourly. Harry just smiled.

"Well," he said genially, "why can't I be concerned about the well being of one of the heroes of the Second Wizard War?"

Severus thought he didn't hear right.

"Hero? Second Wizard War? Are you crazy? What evil scheme have you thought up now?" Severus scowled at Harry. Harry still smiled serenely. It was infuriating.

"What are you grinning about, Mr. Potter? I don't think this situation qualifies as funny!" Severus was fuming by now.

Harry chuckled quietly. "Professor, I just want to thank you for your efforts in this war. I underestimated you and I am sorry for thinking of you as a coward. I am truly grateful for seeing your memories. They helped me to understand you and your motives a lot better. I understand now why I was a pain for you and I promise to do a lot better next school year."

Severus shook his head. What was this impertinent young man thinking? He would not be going back to Hogwarts next year. He would probably be lucky to avoid Azkaban or, worse, the Dementors' Kiss. After all he had done, in the eyes of the Wizarding World, he should be happy if it's only Azkaban for him and nothing worse. But then he looked at Harry again and saw him standing there with a scroll in one hand and two little glass vials in the other.

"Professor, do you know, what these are?" he asked, smiling.

Severus shook his head. "Never seen those." he gruffly responded.

"Well, I got them from Professor Dumbledore. He showed me where he had hidden them. These are documents testifying of your innocence and your true allegiance."

Severus thought that his heart would stop. He could not believe that anybody would ever be convinced of his innocence. He had, after all, done terrible things, even if it was "for the greater good", as Dumbledore always said.

When he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, something that normally never happened. "How can you be so sure?"

Harry looked at him. "Well, after I got them from Dumbledore I went to the Ministry and talked with the new Minister for Magic. Do you know who that is?" Snape shook his head. "It's Kingsley Shacklebolt. According to Dumbledore, he knew of your role as a double spy. He confirmed everything that was in the memories," Harry lifted up the vials, "and, what is more important, what was contained in this scroll." Harry lifted up the scroll, so Severus could fully see it. "In this, Dumbledore confirmed your role as spy. Also, under the strictest terms of confidence and together with the strongest wizarding oath there is, he told Kingsley about it and had him sign the document. It appears, after all, that the old man knew what he was doing. He was planning this all along and was convinced that Voldemort would be defeated." Harry sighed. Then he went on. "Kingsley confirmed everything and he also watched the memories that you had given me." Severus flinched. "Don't worry, he will not give details of the contents to anyone. He promised me that. But these actions have resulted in your name being cleared fully, so you can return to teach at Hogwarts next year."

Harry looked at Severus and waited. Severus didn't know what to say. He could not believe that Potter would go to such length to have him cleared. He didn't understand.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked in a low voice.

"You probably remember very well, that I was not very fond of you. You never knew, but on that fateful night of Professor Dumbledore's death, I met Professor Trelawny." And Harry recounted quickly the meeting with the Divination Professor right before taking off with Dumbledore. After he had finished that tale, he added, "At first I was so angry, because I was convinced that you were a Death Eater and spying for Lord Voldemort. I was so full of hate that I couldn't think straight. I do not know, however, why Professor Dumbledore didn't tell me why he trusted you so much. It would have made everything a lot easier. Now I understand a lot better, what you had to go through for the last seventeen years since my parents died. I know you will never come to terms with my father and all the things he and his friends did to you. But I know that you loved my mother," Harry suddenly had to blink rapidly, "and I just hope that you could see me as me and not as being a little replica of my dad. You see, I was bullied all my life by my cousin Dudley and his gang. I never approved of bullying, nor will I ever approve of it. I am convinced that if you knew of what the Dursleys did to me, you would have reacted differently. I just hope that you can give me another chance, as I am ready to give you a new chance." Harry got up and came closer to the bed. He stretched out his hand and waited. Severus watched him thoughtfully. He hesitated, but then took the hand.

"Harry, I have to apologize to you too. I knew what the Dursleys did to you. I had seen it during the Occlumency lessons. I have to admit that my hate for your father was so strong that I did not care what had been done to you. I would like to ask you if we could start afresh. I don't want to forget the past, as I am sure you won't either, but maybe we can try to accept each other and help each other" Harry knew that this was hard for Severus to say. Severus continued. "Thank you for doing this for me, Harry. Am I right to assume that you will be coming back to Hogwarts to finish your education?" Harry beamed at him and nodded. "Well, what about Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, will they be coming back too?"

Harry nodded again and said, "All three of us feel that there is a lot that still needs to be learned. It would not be right to start working without the proper education. I don't want to live on my fame. This would not be the proper thing to do. I think my mom would do the same thing, what do you think?" Severus looked at him and then smiled for the first time. It was rare that Severus smiled and Harry thought that this suited him. He would have to make sure to have the Professor smiling a lot more in the future. Harry then recounted the events leading up to the death of Voldemort. Severus was amazed at the coolness and professionalism Harry was displaying. _He matured a great deal over these past couple of months, _he thought. When Harry had finished there was a moment of silence between the two. Then Harry cleared his throat.

"Well," he said, "now back to business. I have talked with Professor McGonagall and the board of governors. Together with Kingsley we could convince them to accept your reinstatement as Headmaster. Would that be alright with you?"

Now Severus scowled at him. "Why do you think that I would be interested in having such a demanding job back?"

Harry just smiled at him and said, "You are perfect for the job. Professor McGonagall is too old, she says so herself and rather prefers her old appointment as deputy headmistress. And there really is no one else that could follow Professor Dumbledore. As for Potions, Professor Slughorn has agreed to stay on for a couple of more years until we have found a suitable successor for him. However, you could pick out a few students you want to take on as apprentices, if you'd like. I know, how much you like your subject." He waited for a response from Severus. Severus was deep in thought. On the one hand he was outraged that this boy had just pretty much pressed this job on him without his consent and it seemed as if he had no choice but to accept it. On the other hand, he was really looking forward to going back to being Headmaster. He had loved the feeling of being connected with the castle. He would love to have time on his hand over the summer holidays to really explore the school and all its secrets. It had always been like home for him, after his parents had died, and even before that it had been a haven for him, since his parents were so preoccupied with themselves that they had had no time to deal with him. So he had been neglected and he had to look after himself since he had been seven years old.

"Okay," he said. "I will accept." He was silent for another moment and then added, "I would like to see you, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Weasley in my office the week before term starts. Would that be acceptable for you?" Harry nodded then started to leave. He had reached the door and was about to step outside, when Severus thought of something. "Harry, wait." Harry turned around. "Can you tell me what became of the Malfoys?" Harry closed the door again and came back. "Currently they are under house arrest. Their manor is being searched for any remnants of dark artifacts left by Voldemort and all their assets are frozen in until they had their trial."

"So, there will be a trial for them? Any chance that they might come out of it alive?" Severus asked.

Harry shrugged with his shoulders. "I am not sure. In the end they didn't fight with the rest of the Death Eaters against us, but after all the things, Lucius did …" He trailed off. "Narcissa helped me in defeating Voldemort, did you know that?"

Severus was surprised. "How?" he asked.

"Well, she didn't tell Voldemort that I really was alive, but that I was dead. This enabled me to really have him defeated. So I need to be grateful for that, because she saved my life there in the forest."

"Did you tell Kingsley about this?" Severus asked.

Harry shook his head. "I thought I would tell this to the Wizengamut, when they hold the trial. And I would like you to be there as well. You know the Malfoys a lot better than I do and you probably have even more reasons for having their name cleared. I would like to give them a second chance too. I think that Lucius really learned his lesson this time and I believe that Draco will not follow any other Dark wizard. He should also return to Hogwarts to finish his schooling." Harry stopped speaking and thought for a moment. Then he said, "I think, we will need to do a lot of convincing, together with Kingsley. It will not be easy, but maybe I can use my fame as a kind of blackmail with the Wizengamut. There has to be one good thing coming from being famous, don't you think?"

Severus laughed inwardly at the slyness that Harry showed. _He would have been great in Slytherin_, he thought.

"Let me know, Harry, when the trial is scheduled and I will be there to back you up."

"Thank you, Professor."

After Harry had left Severus, he went down to the Great Hall. He had told Ginny that he would come and talk with her, when he was done talking with Severus. Now was the time to see, if she would take him back, after everything he had done. She must be really mad with him. He could definitely understand if she would not want to have anything to do with him anymore. He sighed and he got slower and slower the closer he came to the Great Hall. But he told himself, that there was no way around talking with her, so he steeled himself and walked in.

Ginny sat with her parents at one of the long house tables. The other members of her family were scattered throughout the Great Hall. Fred was lying on a provisory bed and George was sitting next to him, talking animatedly. No doubt about their joke job that they wanted to expand upon. Harry couldn't see Bill and Fleur, they probably had Apparated back to Shell Cottage. There still was Mr. Ollivander to take care of. He hadn't fully recovered from the ordeal in the Malfoy dungeons. Charlie was at the broad side talking with Hagrid, who was throwing bits of food through a huge hole in the wall into Grawp's mouth. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen, but Harry was sure that they were talking future someplace private. Harry took a deep breath and walked over to Ginny and her parents. When he came closer, Ginny looked up and saw him. She leaned over to her mother and whispered something to her. Molly looked up, saw Harry, smiled and tucked on Arthur's arm, clearly indicating that they should leave. Arthur saw Harry and stood up immediately. He came over to Harry.

"I haven't thanked you properly for saving Fred. I am truly amazed that my family has made it through this war alive and whole. I would not have thought it possible." He hugged Harry hard, and when he let go, Harry saw tears in his eyes. "I just did, what I had to do." Harry said quietly. Arthur looked at him with moist eyes. "You have my blessing, Harry. I consider you family anyways, so talk with Ginny. She needs to know." Harry nodded and walked over to Ginny, who just said goodbye to her mother. Molly gave him a quick, but heartfelt hug and left together with her husband.

Harry sat down on the other side of the table, so that Ginny was opposite him. He didn't speak, but neither did she. They just looked at each other for a long time. For an outsider it must have looked like they were conversing silently, but they were just enjoying the sight of the other one. Harry was so happy that she was unscathed and that Bellatrix didn't get her with that curse. Ginny was relieved that Harry wasn't dead anyhow and that he defeated Voldemort. She hoped that now they could live in peace and start building their lives together. Harry wanted so much to tell her how he was feeling, but somehow he didn't know how to word things. It felt awkward to voice those feeling that he had harbored for so long. Finally he cleared his throat.

"Ginny, I …," and his voice left him.

Ginny smiled. "Harry, you don't have to say anything. I understand. I was mad at first, I have to admit that, but now I understand. Could you figure things out with Professor Snape?" Harry stared at Ginny, amazed. He couldn't believe that she really understood. Any other girl would be very angry with him. He had expected her to be angry, to yell at him, to not speak with him. He had not anticipated her understanding. He felt his emotions overflowing again. "Thank you for understanding, Gin," he said with a shaky voice. "I fully understand, if you don't want to have anything to do with me. I behaved like an …," but he didn't get to finish the sentence because she had leaned over the table and kissed him fully on the mouth. He responded and grinned inwardly. This felt so good. How he had missed having her close, holding her in his arms and feeling her heartbeat. It made him love her even more and he resolved right then and there to be the best husband he could ever be for Ginny, for now he had no doubt that they would stay together forever. This was all he ever wanted from life: Being together with Ginny, starting a family with her and being a part of the Weasley family. This was his crowning moment of the Battle. Not the time with his parents, Remus and Sirius in the forest, not the talk with Dumbledore on the way to the afterlife, not the death of Lord Voldemort. No, this was his moment, and he would cherish it forever.

They broke apart and Ginny looked at him uncertainly. He jumped over the table in one huge, smooth move and hugged her tightly. "Ginevra Weasley, I love you!" She pushed him back an arm length and looked him clear in the eye. After a few seconds, a smile lightened up her face a sunrise on a glorious morning and she whispered, "I love you too, Harry!" They hugged again and for a while forgot everything that went on around them.

When they broke apart, they sat down together holding hands. Harry looked at Ginny and said, "Gin, I have some things I need to take care of. I would like you to come with me, if you like. I don't want to keep any secrets from you anymore." Ginny smiled again and said, "I would like very much to come with you. I just need to tell my parents." Harry nodded and she went and looked for them. While she was looking, Harry looked around the Great Hall. He was amazed at how quickly the castles natural magical resources had started to repair the damage that had been inflicted upon it. He had not known about this phenomenon. It was odd, but he could actually feel the flow of magic coming from the building, directing it to the places that needed repairing, molding it and focusing it. It was amazing to see and feel it. Now that he had a free moment to think about it, it occurred to him, that he felt like a blockade had been lifted from his mind. He thought back on the moments from his coming back to his senses in the clearing back in the forest until the last battle in the Great Hall and it came to him in a rush. The blockade must have been the Horcrux. Voldemort's not intended placement of one piece of his soul must have preventing him of achieving his best potential. No wonder, Snape thought he was mediocre at best. There had been two rivaling forces at work inside him and it was astonishing that he had been able to function the way he did. He shook his head and smiled to himself. The feeling of his true magic and the pure strength of it made him feel dizzy and elated. On an impulse, he took the Elder Wand and directed it, without any thought at a huge hole in the opposite wall of the Great Hall and just gave it an almost invisible flick. He didn't speak an incantation, he just willed the thing he wanted done, to be done. The results were terrifying. The hole in wall closed almost instantly and it appeared as if there never had been any damage done. Harry looked at the wand and back at the wall. Then he looked around. Professor McGonagall was marching down the aisle, looking thunderstruck.

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing and how did you do it?" she demanded of him. She sounded hysterical, and maybe a little frightened. "I don't know," Harry answered. "I just flicked my wand and wanted it to happen and it did." He was as astonished than she was. "It must be the wand and the fact that I no longer contain a piece of Voldemort's soul in my head. I feel stronger now, much stronger actually." Professor McGonagall's expression switched from frightened to thoughtful. "We'll need to examine you, Harry," she said in a softer tone. "Can you be here at the castle for the examination the week before next term?" Harry nodded. "I'll be here anyways, since Professor Snape wants to talk with Ron, Hermione and me."

"Oh, so you convinced him of taking the job?" Professor McGonagall sounded delighted.

Harry nodded. "He was reluctant at first, but then he warmed up to the idea. Actually, I would like him to do the examination, if you don't mind. I think, he would be the best suited for the job."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "That will be all right," she said. "I am expecting you, Harry, and I am expecting the best work effort of you next year," she added sternly.

Harry grinned at her and said, "I will try."

Shortly after McGonagall had left, Ginny returned. She grinned. "We can go. Mum and Dad gave me permission. They just want us to be back by tomorrow night. Will that be enough time?"

Harry nodded and pulled her towards the exit. "We need to find Ron and Hermione," he said.

"They are in the Common Room," Ginny replied. "Sleeping."

Together they left the Great Hall and went up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was smiling broadly as they came closer and opened, before they could give the password. "Mr. Potter, for you the entrance is free. And this counts for your lady friend as well," she added as an afterthought. Ginny and Harry smiled their thanks and entered. There, on the couch right in front of the fireplace, were Ron and Hermione, side by side, sound asleep. They went over to them and shook them gently awake. "I need to talk to you," Harry said softly.

Ron and Hermione got up slowly and rubbed their eyes. "Ah, I see, you finally got together," Hermione said, smiling broadly. "I knew that he would come around," she added in a loud whisper, clearly intended for Harry to hear.

Harry just laughed at that and pulled Ginny closer. "I need to take care of a few things and I'm taking Ginny with me," he told the two of them. Ron and Hermione got up immediately and were halfway to the portrait hole, when Harry stopped them. "No, I would like you to stay here, supervising things. Hermione, you need to find your parents and get them back. Ron, you need to go with Hermione, she needs all the help she can get with this search. I mean, they could be all over Australia."

Hermione stopped and turned around. "You are right, Harry. I really do need to find my parents. But I really would like to come with you. What is it, that you need to take care of?"

Harry hesitated. He didn't want them o know yet. First he wanted to share these things with Ginny and then tell Hermione and Ron and the rest of the Weasleys about it. "I would like to keep it silent a little longer, if that is all right with you now," he said to her. "I am not sure how things will turn out, so I won't say anything now. But I will tell you all about it later," he added hastily, because her brows had furrowed dangerously.

Ron hadn't said a thing. He had just studied Harry intently. Now he said, "Leave it be, Hermione, it is his right to do this on his own." Hermione looked at him, clearly about to say something to Harry, but Ron only shook his head.

To Harry's surprise, Hermione abated and smiled again. "Well, I wish you luck then," she said to Harry and Ginny. "Come on, Ron, we should find your parents. We need to plan for the trip to Australia." With that she took Ron by the hand and led him out of the Common Room.

**Please review and tell me what you think. Next up is the trip of Harry and Ginny and there hopefully will be a little action as well.**


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Harry Potter, Adventure, Friendship