Harry Potter and the Heir of Slytherin

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Chapter Twenty: Snape's Proposal

For Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the next week and a half were occupied with studying for, and then taking, O.W.L.s. Harry often wondered what had become of the little girl from the cauldron. And he was sure that Ron and Hermione wondered, too.

Occasionally, the three of them would take a break from their studies and make the trip to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to visit Hagrid. He was one of only two people whom Dumbledore had told about Voldemort's attempt at immortality, and about the infant. At first Ron and Hermione peppered Hagrid with questions about the baby's whereabouts and Dumbledore's plans. But after hearing the same answer ("Yeh'll know when Dumbledore wants yeh to know") twenty or so times, they gave up. Harry wasn't even sure that Hagrid himself knew what Dumbledore was planning.

The other person who knew about Voldemort's latest attack was Sirius. Harry met with him frequently in Dumbledore's office. They discussed Harry's studies, his friends, his imminent summer at the Dursleys' (although Harry always tried to change the subject), and Quidditch. But they didn't talk about Voldemort or his plans. Harry was weary of the topic. Plus, he got the strange feeling that Sirius felt guilty for not being able to help Harry fight the Dark Lord. Sirius never said so, but since his job was to pass intelligence between Lupin and Dumbledore, Harry got the impression that Sirius felt that he should have known what was going to happen. Harry didn't know exactly how to tell him that this was a ridiculous thought.

Soon, O.W.L.s were upon the fifth-years. Harry and Ron's easiest exam by far was Defense against the Dark Arts--though that may have been by design. As the trio exited the classroom, Professor Green winked at them. Hermione looked slightly taken aback, but said nothing.

Potions was another matter. Ron seemed to be having an easy time of it as Harry watched from across the dungeon--they were to sit as far apart as possible, on Snape's orders. But Harry was having trouble remembering when to use Jobberknoll feathers and when to use Fwooper feathers. (Which one went into a memory potion? Or was that Diricawl feathers?)

Fortunately, he guessed correctly, and passed. In fact, Harry and Ron passed all of their O.W.L.s, finishing a full two days before poor Hermione. She was just beginning to question the soundness of her decision to take thirteen O.W.L.s, although of course it was now far too late to do anything about it.

The night before her last exam--Arithmancy--she was definitely looking the worse for wear. She hardly spoke a word to anyone during dinner. She only looked up from her books to nibble at her fish disinterestedly.

"Cheer up, Hermione," Ron told her in the common room afterward. "In a few hours you'll be done, and then you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you're the smartest witch ever to cast a spell at Hogwarts." He paused thoughtfully. "Of course, it's all for nothing if you die of stress before your sixth year." He shot her a ridiculously exaggerated smile. She looked up from her textbook--Magic by Numbers by Abbacus Gryme--only long enough to cast a withering glance in his direction.

This was exactly the affirmation Ron was looking for. He gave Harry a satisfied smile. Then his eyes brightened as though something had just occurred to him.

"Well, Harry, we're done. Feel like celebrating?"

Harry frowned. "What did you have in mind?"

Ron lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'd rather fancy one of those eclairs from the House-elves." Hermione cleared her throat irritably and glanced up at him for the briefest fraction of a second. "Er--I mean, we could visit Dobby--and Winky--and see how they're getting on."

Ginny, who had been reviewing her Transfiguration notes across the table from Harry, looked puzzled. "You two won't be able to get anywhere near the kitchens, not at this hour. If you're caught, you'll get detention."

"Right," Ron said, suppressing a grin. He was doing a surprisingly good job of acting earnest. "We forgot about that. We'll just, er, go upstairs then, eh Harry?"

Harry nodded and followed Ron up the steps to their dormitory. Once they were safely inside, and had made certain they were alone, Ron turned to Harry. "That was close. I forgot Ginny didn't know about your Invisibility Cloak."

"Er--yeah," Harry mumbled as he opened his trunk and retrieved the cloak. He pulled it out, watching the silvery fall of the fabric between his fingers. "Be more careful next time, will you?"

"Alright. Let's put it on."

As Harry slipped the cloak over himself and Ron, he noticed that it wasn't as easy to cover both of them with it--Ron had always been tall, and Harry must have grown at least two inches over the past year. But cover them it did, just barely, and they had a surprisingly easy time sneaking down the stairs into the common room. They only had to wait a couple of minutes for the portrait hole to swing open. When two second-years climbed through, Harry and Ron seized their chance and stole out into the dark, nearly empty corridor. They made their way to the first floor and briskly crossed to the flight of stairs that led to the kitchens.

Harry and Ron reached the bottom of the familiar staircase, only to find themselves in an unfamiliar corridor. "Stupid moving stairs," Ron muttered. He stopped. "Wait, I think I know where we are." He grabbed Harry's arm lightly and steered him to the right. "If we follow the corridor this way," he said, rushing ahead into the darkness, "it should lead us to--"

"A dead end," Harry sighed as they approached a stone wall. To their left and their right, half-open doors led to empty classrooms, but ahead of them, the corridor just ended. "Come on," Harry said, "let's go back."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor. "Somebody's coming!" Harry whispered. He prepared to flatten himself against the stone wall in the hope that whoever it was would pass into one of the open rooms off the corridor, or turn around before he and Ron could give themselves away. But to Harry's astonishment, Ron grabbed him by the arm again and pulled him through an open doorway, and into an empty classroom.

"What are you--?"

"Shhhh!" Ron hissed. He almost sounded like Hermione, and Harry's suspicion that they'd been spending too much time together hardened into annoyed certainty. "We'll hide in here, it's safer. Just keep quiet until they leave."

Harry disagreed, but given the circumstances, arguing was not an option. He glanced around the room. It appeared to be empty, except for a few odd pieces of furniture--it was impossible to make out what they were in the darkness. He and Ron turned back to the crack of light streaming in from the torchlit corridor.

The footsteps grew louder. Suddenly, a split second after Ron and Harry instinctively backed away, the door swung open. Two figures in dark robes swept into the room, past Harry and Ron. Harry squinted at them: one of them, the one carrying a torch, was definitely Professor Snape.

Snape approached an irregularly shaped piece of furniture in the center of the room, stopped, and stood before it. Then he held his torch out close to its surface, looking the object up and down. His companion stooped behind him, peering over his shoulder.

"Is this it?" The voice was Professor Green's.

Cursing his bad luck, and Ron's appetite, Harry nudged his friend toward the door. Ron wouldn't budge. When Harry turned to look at him--forgetting that they were both temporarily invisible--he saw why.

When Green and Snape had entered the room, the door had closed behind them.

Now Harry and Ron couldn't possibly leave the room before the two teachers, and remain undetected. There being nothing else for it, Harry and Ron shuffled silently into a shadowed corner. Even if they hadn't been wearing the Invisibility Cloak, no one would have been able to see them in the darkness. They stood motionless, their backs flat against the stone wall, and hoped to stay unnoticed.

"You never saw it before?" Snape asked.

Green shook her head. "Never."

Snape offered her the torch. She took it and, holding it high over her head, let out a low whistle as she ran the fingers of her free hand over what Harry supposed must be some writing inscribed across the top of the object. She had to stand on her toes to reach it. Green shifted the torch left to right as she moved her fingertips over the inscription; when she reached the end, she retraced her movement, feeling the letters from right to left.

"I show not your face but your heart's desire."

Harry jerked his head to look at Ron--again, forgetting their invisibility--and felt the cloak shift as Ron did the same. They both remembered seeing that inscription, written backwards. Harry hadn't recognized it in the dark, but Green and Snape were standing before the Mirror of Erised.

Green stepped back, still holding the torch, and looked directly into the Mirror. For a second she looked stricken, but then her expression changed to one of fascination.

"Persephone," Snape said, positioning himself alongside her, as if to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that she saw in the Mirror. It was very odd indeed to hear Snape call anyone by her first name. He even sounded a little concerned--as though he were half-afraid she might not want to leave the Mirror. "What do you see?"

Her gaze did not falter. She reached out her free hand and grazed the Mirror's surface with her fingertips.

"My daughter," she said, and swallowed. "Grown. Happy. In a world where Voldemort is dead." A wistful smile crept over her face.

Then, with an abruptness that startled Harry, she turned to Snape and stepped backward, pulling him in front of the Mirror.

"Now," she said, her voice approaching playfulness but still quivering slightly, "what do you see? Remember, there's no point in lying."

For a moment, Snape looked defiantly downward and clenched his fists. Then he looked directly into the Mirror. After surveying it coolly for a few seconds, he turned back to Green.

"I see," he almost whispered, his tone icy, "the same thing as you."

She cocked her head and looked at him thoughtfully. "Hmm. That's odd," she muttered to herself.

He bristled. "Why should it be? I have as much to lose as anyone if Voldemort gains power--"

"No, no, no." She waved her free hand dismissively. "That's not what I meant. The odd thing wasn't what you said. It was the look you gave me just now. It's--it's the same one you had when you looked into the--" She spoke very slowly, turning from Snape to the Mirror.

He glowered impatiently at her from behind a mass of matted black hair. "What is your point?"

Calm, but obviously puzzled, she turned back to him. "I don't suppose I have one," she said.

Snape looked back at the Mirror. He stepped around it, assessing its size and weight. "It does not appear to be a complicated task. A Levitation Charm should be adequate."

Green hadn't moved, and her gaze was still fixed on Snape. "Right. More like a one-person job, I think. I wonder why my grandfather wanted us to take the Mirror upstairs in the first place?"

Snape stopped inspecting the Mirror and faced Green. "My understanding is that, as it has not been needed in the dungeons for four years, Professor Trelawney plans to use it in a Divination lesson. Divining the secrets of the human soul,' or some such nonsense." Now it was Snape's turn to wave dismissively. "You did not take Divination as a student, if I remember correctly. Neither did I, but I believe the study of divining future events ends in the sixth year. She must plan to use this Mirror in a lesson for seventh-years." He sounded uninterested, and his voice held a hint of impatience.

Green nodded. "Yes, of course. I know that much. I meant, I wonder why he wanted us to fetch it?" She turned around, found a bracket on the wall nearby, and set her torch in it. Then she began to run her hands over the Mirror's casing and stand. Snape remained motionless.

"Possibly because he knew that I had been meaning to speak to you."

Green straightened instantly, almost banging her head against the side of the Mirror. "What?"

Harry wasn't sure why he noticed it; it was a small thing, really. Snape looked just as stone-faced and sour as he always did. He had taken up his usual stance: leaning forward, motionless, almost antagonistic. But his hands, clasped awkwardly before him, trembled ever so slightly. And then Harry knew that Snape was afraid.

Nevertheless, he spoke.

"Have you given any thought to what is to become of the child?"

"The question," Professor Green replied soberly, "is whether, over the past week and a half, I have thought of anything else."

Snape's eyes flickered downward for an instant; then he fixed them again on her face.

"And have you reached a conclusion?"

Green was still. Very slowly and thoughtfully, she put her hands into her pockets and began to pace.

"Obviously, the first priority is to keep her safe from Voldemort. At first I imagined giving her to someone else to raise. A family looking to adopt a child would be preferable to an orphanage. They couldn't know anything of her true history, of course. I could make up a suitable story, especially with the help of my grandfather, and convince anyone that she was an ordinary child -- insofar as any child is ordinary -- who was abandoned, or orphaned."

Snape nodded. "You decided to have her adopted, then."

She stopped pacing. "No. I couldn't. I realized that Voldemort suspects that she's alive, and he won't stop until he finds her. And when he found her, he would find them, too -- her adopted family. Allowing her to be adopted would put them all in danger, and I can't allow that to happen to innocent, well-meaning people -- or to Pandora." She turned away again, and resumed pacing.

"Pandora," he whispered to himself.

Professor Green continued. "Then, I tried to imagine who might be best able to protect her. Perhaps my grandfather, or Mrs. Figg -- but they've already had their children, and I couldn't expect them to raise another, while risking their own lives in the process."

He nodded again.

She stood still, facing him. "That leaves only one person. I must take care of her. She's half -- me -- anyway, so I suppose she's mine -- my responsibility."

Perhaps it was Professor Green's tone, or perhaps it was her expression. Perhaps it was neither of these, but something told Harry that when Professor Green said the word responsibility, she did not mean a burden. Although she would have allowed it if it had been for the best, giving Pandora up would have devastated her.

Again Snape nodded in agreement. "You have made your decision, then?"

"Yes. There is no other option. As much as I would like to think otherwise, I believe that Voldemort will come for her. So I will be there when he does."

Snape regarded her in silence for a moment, completely motionless, except for his clasped hands, which trembled more perceptibly now. Yet his expression was stony and his voice was as silky as ever as he said, "I wonder--"

She looked at him curiously. "Yes?"

"I wonder whether you have thought about all the implications."

Her expression had not changed. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Just as she had done, Snape began to pace slowly back and forth before the Mirror. "I believe that you are quite right that Voldemort will seek this child until he finds her. But has it occurred to you that she might be in danger from others, as well? There are many," he said, his voice low, "who would do anything to stop Voldemort from acquiring immortality."

"Yes, of course!" she answered. "Including us. I'm afraid I don't take your point."

Just then, Snape gave Green a look that Harry recognized -- it was the same assessing gaze Harry had seen in his second year, just after he had inadvertently spoken Parseltongue for the first time. Harry remembered how unsettling it felt to be on the receiving end of that gaze, and silently blessed his Invisibility Cloak.

"Is that true?" Snape asked quietly. "At this moment, the only way for Voldemort to become immortal is through Pandora. Think about that. Would you really do anything to keep Voldemort from gaining immortality?"

Silence. No emotion was evident on Green's face as she said, "You're talking about killing her."

"Isn't it true that doing so would, once and for all, make it impossible for Voldemort to become immortal?"

Harry's blood ran cold. He was convinced that Snape would do anything to stop Voldemort; but would he really go so far as to take the life of an innocent person -- an infant, no less?

Green paused, then resumed pacing. "You're right. Yes, the thought had occurred to me, and I spoke wrongly when I said I would do anything to keep Voldemort from becoming immortal. Pandora is innocent. We cannot sacrifice her, even to save the entire wizarding world -- and the Muggle world as well. Not unless we want to become like Voldemort ourselves." She stopped pacing and looked up at Snape.

"I was not suggesting that course of action," he answered. "But there are those on our side in the fight against Voldemort who would not share our convictions. If the truth about Pandora were ever to be discovered by someone willing to stop Voldemort at any cost, she would be very much at risk."

"Right. So we've got to protect her from both sides." Green nodded, unfazed. "I suspect that the same idea occurred to my grandfather. That was why he forbade us to tell anyone about Pandora. My family doesn't even know. We must not allow the truth to be found out. By anyone."

"Which means," Snape said, with more earnestness than Harry had ever seen him show, "not only that we must conceal the facts, but also that we must prevent even the asking of questions."

"Right. But," she frowned, "questions will be asked. There's no avoiding that."

"Yes. Especially given your family's social standing. Unmarried girls from prominent wizarding families simply do not find themselves raising children alone. You will have to make up a story about adopting an orphan. We could easily fabricate an origin for Pandora on paper, but even if the story was convincing, she would still be conspicuous."

Green put a hand to her head and sighed. She looked, and sounded, weary. "That's not ideal," she said. "But I don't suppose we have an alternative."

All of a sudden, an alarming expression of terror crossed Snape's face. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the look was gone.

"Perhaps," Snape nearly whispered, "we do."

Before she could respond, he reached into a pocket and drew out a small black box. His eyes darted around the room as though inspecting it for prying eyes as he handed the box to Professor Green. Frowning, she pulled off the lid. Harry couldn't see the contents clearly, but something small caught the torchlight and glimmered.

Green gasped, stared at the shiny thing for a moment, then looked up at Snape questioningly.

Harry's stomach lurched. At that moment, he would have happily traded his Firebolt for the ability to Apparate out of that room and avoid hearing the rest of Snape and Green's conversation. Ron, presumably just realizing what was happening, moved with a start, accidentally elbowing Harry in the ribs. Snape spoke.

"We have been seeing each other for the past eight months."

Green blinked, dazed. "We have? In the corridors, you mean."

He continued: "We decided to elope quietly and avoid the nuisance and public spectacle of a large wedding. You have always wanted a child, so we decided to adopt one shortly after we were married. A girl." Snape paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you see? It makes a much more convincing story, and leaves Pandora much less conspicuous to the wizarding world."

Realization began to dawn on Professor Green. She blinked, clearly struggling for words, then lamely replied, "Oh." She looked down at the ring. "But -- where did you get this?"

"From your father. When I went to him and told him my -- intentions -- he insisted that I take it. It was your mother's, of course."

The scene was entirely unbearable; Harry couldn't watch any more. The very idea of anyone marrying Snape -- Snape! -- was too awful. And yet, at the same time, Harry felt strangely sorry for him. When Green said no (as she inevitably would) Snape would have to act as though it didn't matter. And although Harry believed the purpose of Snape's proposal was to protect Pandora, the rejection would still be ugly. Harry looked off into the darkness and fidgeted uncomfortably. No sound came from either of the teachers for several minutes.

"You," she finally began again, a bit shakily, "went to my father? And he gave you -- this ring."

"Yes."

"And -- and you're asking me to marry you?"

"Yes. I believe it's the safest way." If Snape had been capable of stuttering, he certainly would have done so now.

Then, unbelievably, Professor Green laughed. "You've given this a great deal of thought, haven't you? And the sheer presumptuousness -- it's incredible! You actually went to my father," she said incredulously. Then she shook her head and looked at him soberly. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't."

Snape drew himself up, bracing against her arguments. "Be assured that if it were not for Pandora, I would not ask. I do not expect you to feel --"

Kill me now Ron whispered into Harry's ear. Harry stifled a startled laugh and elbowed Ron in an attempt to force him back into silence.

"What?" Green interrupted. "No, it's not that. It's --" She took a deep breath. "Listen, this will be very dangerous, for her and for me. I've already told you that I'm certain Voldemort will come for her. It's my job to keep her safe." Then, with a sudden ferocity, she added, "I won't ask you to risk your own life to protect us, especially after all you've done."

"Persephone," Snape said, placing his long-fingered hands on both her shoulders and regarding her squarely. "Allow me to speak plainly. Pandora's position is precarious, to say the least, and your decision regarding my -- proposal -- could be the difference between her life and her death. Besides, you forget," he said, dropping his hands. "I am a Death Eater who has betrayed Voldemort, and now I've slipped through his fingers not once, but twice. He will be looking for me, too. Regardless of my relationship to you, or to Pandora, I am a marked man."

There was silence for a moment. Then she said simply, "I had forgotten that."

"I have nothing to gain and everything to lose if Voldemort regains power. I can help you protect Pandora. If you let me."

Green's eyes darted down at the ring in her left hand. She set it loosely on her index finger and made it circle idly round and round, reflecting beams of torchlight onto the walls and into the dusty corners. From Harry's viewpoint, it looked like an ordinary Muggle diamond ring. The stone did not appear to be particularly large, but the torchlight played upon it very prettily.

"It was my mother's. But then he told you that, didn't he?" she said absently as she stared at the ring. "I think my father always meant to give it to me. But Demetrius had his own family ring, so Dad never had the opportunity." She looked up from the ring and surveyed Snape, who watched her warily. There was an intensity to her gaze that made Harry half wonder whether she might actually be considering accepting Snape's proposal. In a very low voice, she said: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It is the best way to keep her safe."

"But the cost to yourself--"

"There is no cost," he answered, in a manner quite unlike Snape: he was almost smiling, Harry could hear it in his voice. Before tonight, Harry would have thought Snape incapable of so much as sneezing without sarcasm or malice.

Green eyed him dubiously. "Except your life."

He nodded in concession. "Yes. Such as it is."

Snape did not elaborate, and for several minutes Green did not respond. In the corner he shared with Ron, Harry was beginning to feel sore and cramped. Just as he began to wonder whether Green would ever answer, she did.

"Alright then. I will marry you."

Ron uttered a very slight gasp. Instantly Harry clapped one hand over Ron's mouth and the other over his own. Snape held Green's gaze for a moment, then looked down and nodded once.

"You will want to send an owl to your father at once. I can manage the Mirror alone."

"Yes, I'm sure you can." Harry was sure the smile in her voice was directed at Dumbledore for appointing the two of them to a task that was clearly manageable by one. She turned toward the doorway. Harry nudged Ron; if they timed it right, they might be able to slip out of the room behind her. Ron took the hint, and together they crept up next to the door.

She placed her hand on the doorknob, and froze. She turned to look at Snape who, wand drawn, was preparing to charm the Mirror.

"Severus."

He turned toward her. She inspected the ring one more time, then slipped it onto her finger and said, "Thank you." She pulled the door open wide, to Harry and Ron's immense relief. As silently as possible, they scurried out of the room behind her. They heard the door close as they turned down the corridor and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.

***

"You're going to be related to Snape?" Harry couldn't help snickering at Ron, just a little.

For his part, Ron looked mortified. "Only by marriage! I don't even think it counts." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you do, don't tell Fred and George."

Harry and Ron reached the Gryffindor table to find that they were among the first students to arrive for the Leaving Feast. Their last day at Hogwarts had come quickly for them, but not quickly enough for Hermione, who had not finished O.W.L.s until that very afternoon. She'd been so busy that Ron and Harry hadn't had the opportunity to tell her about their run-in with Snape and Green. When they had finally returned to the common room the night it had happened, everyone had been asleep.

"Tell them what?" Hermione asked as she took her seat next to Ron. But she didn't give him the chance to respond. "Oh, I can't wait to eat! I was so worried about O.W.L.s, I had no appetite at all while I was studying. Did I tell you how glad I am to be finished?"

"Only fifty-two times." Ron snorted.

"Is that all?" she asked with mock innocence. "Well then, I'll say it again: I'm finished with O.W.L.s!" She closed her eyes rapturously and turned her face upward toward the ceiling of the Great Hall, which was fading into darkness, just beginning to reveal a multitude of twinkling stars. "And I never have to take another one as long as I live!"

"No," George interjected, taking a seat across from her and next to Harry. "But you do have N.E.W.T.s in a couple of years. You'll probably want to start brushing up now."

"Don't get her started," Ron pleaded.

"I guess Ravenclaw's got it locked up," Fred chimed in, nodding in the direction of the huge hourglasses that kept track of the houses' points. Harry had almost forgotten about the house cup, although the royal blue and bronze banners adorning the walls should have made that impossible. Despite Gryffindor's dramatic come-from-behind victory for the Quidditch Cup, Ravenclaw had quietly amassed more overall points than any other house. Two tables away, Cho Chang smiled excitedly. She caught Harry's eye for a brief second and waved; he waved back. It's nice to see someone else win the cup for once, he thought contentedly.

"I dunno," George mused. "Harry, would you care to follow me to the dungeons for a few minutes? I'm sure we could get you attacked by a Death Eater, or bitten by a Basilisk or something. Then it would be Gryffindor all the way!"

"Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed. "Do you think we could have the whole affair neatly wrapped up by the end of dinner? I don't want to miss dessert." Harry laughed.

"You, miss dessert? That'd be a first, wouldn't it?" Angelina quipped. George snickered.

The Gryffindors were in excellent moods. As it had been over a decade since Ravenclaw had won the house cup, no one really begrudged them the victory -- no one, at least, who wasn't in Slytherin.

As he scanned the Slytherins' faces -- exhibiting emotions ranging from quiet disappointment, to abject sorrow, to outrage -- Harry noticed Draco Malfoy sitting, as always, between his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. None of them spoke, and Malfoy looked positively miserable. He sat with his arms crossed and eyed the blue and bronze hangings balefully. Harry was certain that Malfoy had known something about Voldemort's plan to become immortal; in all likelihood, Lucius Malfoy had even helped. But how much had Draco known? And did he now know about Pandora? If so, might Voldemort try to use Draco's position as a student at Hogwarts to get to her?

Harry's reverie was interrupted by Professor Dumbledore, who stood up at the head of the staff table and loudly cleared his throat. The room quieted.

"When we began this school year," Dumbledore said, "none of us knew exactly what to expect, and as a result, many of us expected the worst. Now we are nearly one year older and, hopefully, one year wiser. I am quite happy to announce that this Leaving Feast has found me with no bad news whatsoever to share with you. In fact, I have the privilege of relating two pieces of news which should make us all positively cheerful.

"First, the house standings. In fourth place, with five hundred fifty-nine points, is Hufflepuff House." Dumbledore applauded, and the rest of the Hall followed suit. The Hufflepuffs cheered, though they looked slightly sheepish at their poor showing. "In third place, with five hundred ninety-two points, Slytherin House." The Gryffindors smiled broadly, pleased to have edged Slytherin down to third place. Snape looked uninterested in this piece of information, and clapped as mechanically as the rest of the students and teachers.

"In second place, with six hundred fourteen points, Gryffindor House." An excited roar broke out from the Gryffindor table. George whistled shrilly enough to deafen everyone sitting with a ten-foot radius, earning him a scowl from Angelina.

"And with six hundred and thirty-eight points, it is my pleasure to award the house cup to Ravenclaw!"

Nearly everyone in the Great Hall stood, applauded, and cheered, but none as loudly as the Ravenclaws themselves. They laughed, hugged one another -- Harry even saw two of the girls crying. Cho Chang was being patted on the back, thanked, and congratulated by every Ravenclaw who could get near her. It was her performance in the Quidditch match against Gryffindor that had brought her house within range of winning the cup, and her housemates hadn't forgotten it.

Once the cheers and congratulations died down, the students and teachers moved to take their seats again.

"Excuse me," Dumbledore said politely, stopping them all in mid-movement. "But I said that I have two announcements to make tonight."

Harry stared at Dumbledore. And then he knew.

"I have no doubts that all members of our Hogwarts staff think very highly of their colleagues. But two of our number have decided to formalize those sentiments. Please join me in offering heartiest congratulations to our dear Professors Severus Snape and Persephone Green, on the occasion of their marriage."

Never in all the time he had attended Hogwarts had Harry seen the Hall so full, yet so quiet. The dropping of a pin would have been an intolerable racket compared to this. Every student froze, gaping wordlessly at Dumbledore and waiting for the punchline. Hermione frowned, wrinkling her nose oddly. Even Fred and George were speechless.

It was Neville who finally broke the silence with a plaintive, whispered, "Oh no." Professor Green blushed, and Snape nervously fingered the cuffs of his robes.

"Yes, I am afraid it is true, Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore responded matter-of-factly. "Though I must say, I do not take quite as dim a view of the circumstances as you. Now, if you would all be so kind, please raise your glasses in a toast. To Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape!"

Harry wouldn't have thought it possible if he hadn't seen it, but Dumbledore's toast alarmed the students even more than the initial news. Every single pupil raised his or her eyebrows and looked around in helpless shock. Even the teachers were nonplused: Professor McGonagall appeared paler than usual, and Professor Sinistra looked slightly ill. Only Hagrid grinned and raised his glass.

Harry and Ron exchanged a knowing glance. Ron lifted his cup of pumpkin juice, and Harry did the same. Together with Hagrid they shouted, "Hear, hear!" and drank. Eventually the rest of the students realized what they were supposed to be doing, mumbled something similar, drank, and sat down.

It wasn't until the food appeared that the buzz started.

"Is it some kind of joke?"

"Marry him? She must be mad!"

"Maybe he slipped her a Love Potion, or something."

"But she's an Auror! She'd know better."

"Imagine being married to Snape!"

No one seemed capable of comprehending the news except Neville, who looked completely heartbroken. "Cheer up," Ron said as he put an arm around the forlorn boy. "Maybe she'll have a good influence on him. Don't you reckon that's why he was nice to us at the beginning of the year?" Neville nodded, still speechless but looking slightly less stricken. He turned away and tentatively began to eat his dinner.

The food itself was superb: there were roast beef, herbed potatoes, chicken pie, an interesting puff pastry filled with cheese, all kinds of green vegetables, and an assortment of desserts (Harry and Ron opted for the trifle). Hermione ate quietly. She seemed to be turning something over in her mind.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked her as they all stood to return to their dormitories.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. It all makes sense. It was a very clever idea, actually. I would have suggested it, if I'd thought of it myself."

When they reached the stairs, the three of them lagged behind the other Gryffindors so as not to be overheard. "You mean you know why they got married?" Harry asked.

"Of course, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. Then she quietly recounted Pandora's situation -- in vague terms and without names -- and articulated the exact argument Snape had made to Professor Green in the dungeons.

Harry was genuinely impressed at her insight. "Wow, Hermione."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, staring at her in admiration. "I think you must be right."

"Of course I am," Hermione answered matter-of-factly. "But we can't tell anyone, of course. Remember that: not a soul. Not even your parents, Ron. Or Ginny, Harry."

"I know," Harry and Ron said simultaneously. Ron rolled his eyes. "Honestly Hermione, do you really think we're that thick?"

She smiled. "I don't believe you really want me to answer that." Suddenly her face contorted in a cavernous yawn. "Come on. It's been a long day."

***

The next morning, Harry dressed, checked that he had packed everything properly, then set off down the corridor alone to find Sirius. As he approached the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, it suddenly jumped aside revealing, to Harry's surprise, Dumbledore himself.

"Ah, hello Harry!" Dumbledore smiled merrily as he patted Harry on the back. "All packed and ready to go?"

"Yes, sir. I was just coming to say goodbye to -- er, to Snuffles."

"Of course! But he's not in my office this morning, I'm afraid. You'll find him with Professor Green." Curious, Harry thanked Dumbledore, wished him a good summer, then set off in the direction of Green's office.

As he neared the office door, raised voices told him that Sirius was indeed inside.

"Why? Why him?"

There was a pause, then Professor Green's voice said, "who else?"

"Persephone, you know I'd do it. I could look out for both of you --"

"Of course you could! But Sirius, you're a fugitive. The whole point of this marriage is that it's public! I can't very well tell the world I'm married to you, can I? I can't even tell anyone that I know you without putting your life in danger."

"But marrying Snape?! What could you be thinking? You've gone mad!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It makes the most sense."

"You must be joking!"

"Please keep your voice down! Someone will hear you."

She was right. Without knocking, Harry opened the door and walked inside. Professor Green and Sirius stared at him in alarm. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "but I could hear everything from the corridor, and I wouldn't want anyone to walk by and hear Sirius --"

"Thank you, Harry," Green interrupted. "Please wait outside, and close the door behind you."

"No," Sirius interjected. "He can stay. He has a right to know what's going on."

"Fine," she answered, glancing at Harry and gesturing toward the couch near the door. He sat.

Sirius turned back toward her and said, more quietly now, "I just don't understand."

Green took a deep breath and explained Snape's idea of marrying as a way of making Pandora less noticeable to the wizarding world. As she finished, Sirius gaped incredulously.

"And you went for it?"

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose there's some cynical logic behind that question?"

"Persephone." He looked at her squarely. "Snape comes up with a plan to help save the world, which coincidentally involves him marrying into one of the most prominent wizarding families in Britain. That doesn't make you suspicious? He's a Slytherin, for crying out loud!"

"So am I!" she cried.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. He's ambitious and selfish. He only cares about acquiring power and status. He can't be trusted."

"He tried to save my life. Harry was there. He trusts Snape. Don't you, Harry?"

They both turned to face him. Despite his intense desire to be left out of their argument, Harry found that he couldn't disagree. "Er -- I suppose so."

"See?"

Sirius paused for a very long time, looking down at the rug, then into the fireplace, and finally at Professor Green. "I hope you know what you're doing."

She didn't respond for several seconds. Finally, she nodded, said, "I'll let you two say goodbye," and left, closing the door behind her.

Sirius sat on the couch next to Harry. "Sorry about that," he said. "I just think -- it seems like such a ridiculous idea."

"Hermione thought it made sense."

"Did she? Well, she's cleverer than I am. Maybe I ought to consider that." Sirius chuckled, but Harry could tell there was still something bothering him.

"Sirius, are you alright?"

He shrugged and, leaning forward, placed his elbows on his knees, looking down at the rug again. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine. I'll be fine. It's just --" he broke off, then added very quietly, "I can't imagine her being happy with him."

"Well," Harry said thoughtfully, "I don't reckon it's about being happy, is it? It's about winning the fight against Voldemort."

"Maybe that's what bothers me," Sirius mused. He looked soberly at Harry. "Look, Harry, be careful this summer. I mean it. I'll write to you as often as I can. You still have Mrs. Figg as your Secret-Keeper, but I want you to be on your guard. We thought we were being watchful before, and we still didn't see the attack coming. We've got to be even more vigilant now."

***

The entrance hall was abuzz with students. Their trunks were packed, their owls and cats were caged, and their hands clutched notices forbidding them to use magic during the summer break.

"I used to dread getting those, back when I was a youngster," Fred mused, patting his twin on the back and sniffing back a fake tear. "The memories."

"Will you miss Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"You mental?" George answered. "We can use magic all we want and there's nothing anyone can do to stop us!"

"There's a comforting thought," Angelina muttered as she made her way through the crowd.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione found Hagrid on the front steps, towering over the first-years. Out here, the sun shone brilliantly, reflecting off the stone steps and the lake, and causing them to squint. "Oi, you three!" Hagrid called. They smiled as they approached him. "I guess yeh'll be wantin' this." Hagrid reached into one of several coat pockets (Harry briefly caught a glimpse of a pocket full of birdseed, and another with what looked to be a rat's tail dangling out of it), pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper, and handed it to Hermione.

"Thanks, Hagrid!" She grinned. He winked at them. As Hermione wended her way through the growing mass of students on the steps, Harry and Ron followed.

They found Professor Green far back in the entrance hall, saying goodbye to a group of third-years. Snape was nowhere around.

"Professor," Hermione said softly after the third-years had said their goodbyes and left, "we have something for you."

Hermione pulled the little box out from behind her back, and held it toward Green, who looked curiously from Hermione, to Ron, to Harry. Harry grinned.

"We made it for you," he said. "Hagrid helped."

"What is --" She tore the paper away to reveal a small box, carved from a single piece of unicorn horn.

She lifted it up, then brought it back down, turning it over and gazing at it, dumbstruck.

"It's real, of course," Hermione said proudly. "We had the idea, and Hagrid found the horn, but he let us help carve it. Look." She pointed at a tiny figure carved into the side of the box, of a person holding a book. "That's me."

"And here's me," Ron put in, pointing to another figure, much taller than the first, holding a cauldron. "And Harry." He indicated a third figure, holding a broomstick and standing next to an enormous dragon -- Hagrid's creation.

"It's -- it's just incredible," Green whispered.

"We thought you might know someone you could give it to," Hermione said in low tones, smiling.

Green nodded, blinked back tears, and bit her lip. After a moment she said simply, "Thank you." Then, without warning, she gathered the three of them in a clumsy hug. After several seconds, she released them. "Well then, you three have a good summer. I'll see you next year."

"Are you going to be our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher again, then?" Ron asked hopefully.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'll be busy tending to other matters -- though I daresay your gift will help with that."

Ron's face fell. "Well, who's going to teach us?"

She shrugged. "If I knew the answer to that, my grandfather wouldn't be writing a new job posting for the Daily Prophet right now."

They said their final goodbyes and -- after another awkward hug -- followed the crowd to Hogsmeade station.

Just after the Harry, Ron, and Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express, they heard someone hiss from behind them: "Another year, another train ride. I'll be very interested to see who ends up with the boils this time."

"Hello Malfoy, you stinking slug," Ron answered without looking. Harry turned around. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle stood in the aisle behind them.

"Weasley. Granger. Potter." Malfoy said Harry's name with particular distaste. "You know, we've been waiting for a chance to repay you for those hexes last year." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly.

"Try it," Ron said, pulling out his wand.

"Ron, no," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah, Weasley, listen to your girlfriend," Malfoy said. "Everyone knows she's got more sense than you -- even if she is a filthy Mudb--"

"Draco Malfoy!" shouted a shrill voice. Very slowly, Draco turned around. Ginny was standing directly behind him.

"What do you want?" he nearly spat.

"Keep your mouth shut before it gets you into more trouble than you can handle."

Malfoy snorted. "And what do you plan to do about it?"

But Ginny didn't have a chance to answer. Before she could say a word, Ron drew his wand, pointed it at Malfoy, and shouted, "Accido!"

It was as though someone had swept Malfoy's feet right out from under him. They went one way, and the rest of his body went another, causing him to tumble to the ground and thump his head loudly against the floor. Harry stifled a giggle, but Ron laughed right out loud. Crabbe and Goyle, however, didn't see the humor. Without even thinking to draw their wands, they advanced on Ron and Harry. Harry had just decided on a defense -- a Blinding Hex -- when he heard another voice, not shrill this time, but icy with malice:

"What is going on here?"

Crabbe and Goyle froze; just beyond the massive curve of Crabbe's back, Harry could see Snape surveying the scene.

Hermione spoke first. "Sir, it wasn't Ron's fault. Malfoy was just--"

"Save it, Miss Granger," Snape said as he bent, grabbed Malfoy by the collar, and stood him up on his feet. "I would like to speak with you, with Mister Weasley, and with--" he cast a glance at Harry-- "Mister Potter."

Ginny watched sympathetically as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Snape shuffled off the train at the closest exit, with Hermione leading. "But we didn't doanything--"

"Miss Granger, I will not tell you again to hold your tongue! The topic I wish to discuss has nothing to do with Draco Malfoy and his ridiculous antics."

Hermione fell silent. Snape drew a deep breath and said stiffly, "Professor Green has told me about your -- gift. Incredibly, it appears that you have given us something that is likely to be of use. And, as the rules of etiquette require us to submit our thanks, I am prepared to offer them to you at this time." Snape didn't meet one of the three pairs of eyes trained on him as he said, "Thank you."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and glanced sidelong at Harry and Ron.

Snape's voice lowered to a near-growl. "Do not expect to receive a formal thank-you note by owl. That is all." He turned and began to walk briskly in the direction of Hogsmeade.

"Sir?" Hermione called. Already several paces away, Snape stopped and turned back toward them. Hermione grinned as she shouted, "YOU'RE WELCOME!"

***

Reentering the Muggle world was a shock. It always was, but this year Harry's head was even more full of magical knowledge -- on account of O.W.L.s, he guessed -- and it made the Muggle world seem even more colorless and mundane than usual. Even though he had tried to prepare himself, he was a little disturbed to cross through the barrier to Platform 9-3/4 and see Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia waiting on the other side.

"Harry, I'll write to you," Ron said consolingly when he saw Uncle Vernon's red-faced scowl and Aunt Petunia's frown.

"Yes, Harry," Hermione added. "Me too." She leaned over, gave him a hug, and kissed him on the cheek. "Have a nice summer."

"Right," Harry said, trying to look cheerful. "See you," he waved to Ron and Hermione as they wove through the crowd to find their parents. Resignedly, Harry approached his aunt and uncle.

"There you are." Uncle Vernon turned and began walking toward the nearest exit without bothering to help Harry with his things. "Nice little trick you pulled, eh? Getting Mrs. Figg to drop you off here so you could get to that -- place."

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that," Harry answered. He wasn't sure what story Mrs. Figg had told the Dursleys to explain how Harry had gotten from her house to Hogwarts, but he was sure she hadn't revealed that she was a witch. It was clever of her, really. Suddenly, Harry felt grateful; after all, how unlikely was it that the Dursleys would try to dump him on Mrs. Figg at some point during the summer? She might even get news from Sirius. Harry would be able to find out what was going on in the wizarding world from her -- even find out whether Voldemort surfaced ...

Unexpectedly, it occurred to Harry that a short separation from the wizarding world might not be so bad after all. If he could manage to coexist peacefully with the Dursleys for a few weeks, it might even be a nice temporary change of pace.

He followed Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia wordlessly out of the bustling station and into the quiet dusk.