Harry Potter & The Last Memories ...Year Seven

The moon clung to the chin of night like a colossal eye surveying the land. That evening, tucked behind tall trees, many flickering lights shined through a tangle of branches. Upon closer observation, it became obvious these lights reflected through the windows of a huge manor. The long driveway, which ambled towards its front entrance, appeared grey by the moon's hoary rays. The drive opened into a circular turnabout with a large spilling three-tiered fountain in the centre, surrounded by flowers of varying types. Their pungent scent hung heavy in the cool night air.

Upon the weighty oak-door of this grand home, inlayed in silver and glistening in the moon's beams, was a snake. If truth were told, this particular one represented Slytherin House, this being the Malfoys' home.

Appearing from nothing, a tall thin, sallow-skinned man stood by the front door, his long lank hair hanging in black curtains, framing his thin face and excessively large nose. He rang the doorbell, which chimed a dreary unidentifiable tune. Ever so slowly, the heavy door creaked open, and the tall man stepped inside. He followed an old poorly postured man, with long greying hair. His attire consisted of a lengthy maroon waistcoat and black trousers. It was clear this man was a butler. The tall, thin man followed the butler to a candlelit library with books lining its every wall. On the far end of this large room sat a mahogany desk and two mahogany carved medieval-chairs. A wizened figure of a man, with long blond hair tied back with a black velvet ribbon sat by the desk. His large blue eyes stared intensely towards the taller man, who stopped in the doorway, as the butler approached his desk.

'Severus Snape, to see you sir,' said the butler.

'Ah, Severus, come in. Have a seat my dear friend,' said Lucius Malfoy.

'Narcissa tells me you've been back from Azkaban for a day,' said Severus Snape, in his usual silky low tone, relaxing into an armchair.

'Yes, just a day. I know how it has made me look. Your expression says it all, Severus.'

'Nothing a potion can't cure.' His ebon eyes swept over Lucius from his seat.

'I want to congratulate you, Severus, for a job well done. Your extermination of Dumbledore was magnificent,' crowed Lucius.

Snape sipped his Ruby Port, which the butler had just given both of them. Snape's eyes stared; empty, as he merely listened.

'Tell me - how did you get back into Hogwarts and have the manhunt stopped?'

A slight curl from the corner of Snape's lips surfaced, his trademark of a subtle smile.

'That was elementary. I told Slughorn that some little weasel used a Polyjuice Potion to impersonate me. I told him, I was in my office knocked out and knew nothing about the attack,' said Snape in his slow deep tone, staring directly at Lucius.

'Brilliant, yet so simple,' said Lucius, smiling wickedly.

'So why didn't the word of your,' he coughed in humour continuing, 'innocence get out sooner?'

'That's simple. Slughorn failed to report it to the Ministry of Magic in time. I was forced to hide,' said Severus, taking another sip of Ruby Port as he sat solemn faced.

'The fool only just told them. The delay was, more than likely, caused because he was drunk. You know how he is.'

'Yes, I do.' Smiled Lucius, chuckling to himself.

'I'll bet the Dark Lord holds you closer than ever before.'

'Who's to say,' said Snape, unreadable.

'Well, surely you've reported everything.'

'Yes, I have. He is pleased with my work,' said Snape, stone-faced and no celebrated look of conquest, nothing.

'He's working on the 'Next Step' as he calls it. He must have told you. Oh, wait, perhaps not. Unless you've spoken to him since your release.'

'Not yet,' replied Lucius, eager to hear what Severus would say next.

'This is why I came to see you tonight, Lucius. He's planning war very soon.' Snape drank the last of his Ruby Port, setting his glass on the desk.

'Yes, war. Finally, finally.' Lucius's eyes glittered with the thought, like a child who first sees his Christmas presents under the tree.

Snape leaned forward in his chair to emphasize his next words; his cold dark tunnels were still unreadable.

'I'm supposed to recruit Hogwarts students under the nose of the new Headmistress McGonagall. Voldemort wanted to be headmaster years ago, as you know. He came back when Dumbledore was the new headmaster. Dumbledore turned him down, which increased Voldemort's hatred for him; he always stood in his way. I'm sure you already know that, Lucius.'

Lucius seemed only to hear the part about the new headmistress; it was lucky he was sitting down at the time. If not, he would have fallen over.

'Do you mean to say, that old bat is still there?' screeched Lucius.

'She is. This is why I needed a plan. I have her convinced it was all a mistake. I know she's gifted in many ways, thus she'd be the one Dumbledore wanted to take his position,' said Snape, smoothly.

'I still must be careful. In a way, my position hasn't changed. I'm under similar orders from the Dark Lord to stay put. I'm to start active recruiting when the school year commences.'

Darkness passed over Lucius, deepening his cold grey eyes.

'Will you?' he asked, his eyes narrowed tinged with a hint of doubt.

Snape became tense and stiffened his body in his chair.

'You doubt me?' he asked through tightening lips and monotone darkened depths.

'I don't know.' Lucius stared at his close friend. They had known each other many years; however, Lucius felt something unsettling about Severus. He assessed his every expression and needed more convincing.

'I've heard tell of you being able to kill Potter on the castle grounds.' Lucius's eyes turned to slits of venom.

'Ah, so has Bellatrix implanted doubt in you too? Her doubt in me was unfounded. Lucius, do you really think my loyalty to the Dark Lord is false?' Severus's manner seemed calculating; he wasn't pleased with Lucius's suspicions.

Lucius stood supporting himself by his hands on the desk, his words hissed in anger.

'THEN -WHY- DIDN'T - YOU - FINISH - HIM?'

Severus remained seated, his lips a thin line and his eyes glittered darkly.

'As I've said before, the Dark Lord has plans for him. The boy is his to deal with and not mine.' Severus looked unflinchingly. He never broke his menacing gaze from Lucius.

'You always say that. It's far too simple. Only you claim to have had dialogue with him and shared certain plans. How do I know you're not lying?'

Severus's expression changed to a well of anger.

'How dare you say I'm lying!' His voice boomed across the room; it resonated off the walls as a loud low bell.

'I would have been destroyed long before now if I was. As I told Bellatrix, if he hasn't shared what he's told me with you, I'm not at liberty to tell you anything.' Severus sneered, his thin lips spreading into a tight line of satisfaction.

'Didn't I eliminate Dumbledore? Didn't I take the Unbreakable Vow?'

Lucius sat back into his chair muttering something under his breath that sounded like: 'Sometimes breakable.'

'What did you say?' asked Severus, firmly.

'You are a master of Occlumency - among other talents, Potions come to mind. You could easily be the smoothest liar ever.' Lucius sat there with all the warmth of an ice cube in his harsh words.

Severus said nothing. His sallow face glowed under the candlelight.

'Yes, I could be. I could also be telling the truth. Look around you. I protected Draco. I did his job when he found he couldn't.' He paused; his behaviour proved he really wanted Lucius to believe him. 'I disposed of Dumbledore, allowing for Voldemort's Next Step. You know this could never be achieved if he would have remained.'

Lucius sat listening and contemplating his words.

'I came here as a close friend; to make sure you understood the plan soon to be implemented. Isn't it clear I'm not under Dumbledore's orders? How could I be acting for him, he's dead.' Severus's eyes glittered wildly and his words commanded a concrete tone.

He stared straight at Lucius Malfoy, with no regret readable in his eyes.

'So, Lucius. You can believe me, or choose to turn your back on me.' Severus paused. 'The choice is yours.'

Lucius looked through Severus, as an arrow cuts through its target. This moment of crisp silence went on for what felt like a century. Severus's expression never deviated. Lucius stared as if trying to read his mind. He never mastered this feat, and he figured his abilities to be futile against someone like Severus. Lucius closed his eyes and then cracked a slight smile.

'Very well. I suppose you're telling the truth,' he said with much hesitation.

The tension slowly lifted once again after an hour or so. The underlying feeling of suspicion never left Lucius and Snape knew this. Eventually they exchanged pleasantries. Severus and Lucius caught up on the news since his incarceration in Azkaban Prison. After Severus happily made another glass of Ruby Port disappear, he felt he should go. He stood up to leave and his eyes fell upon a lovely vase. It stood on a white ionic pedestal by a small window in the far end of the library. An unusual item, indeed.

'I see you've noticed my new piece, Severus.'

'Yes, I have. I see you still collect Egyptian artefacts,' said Severus, mesmerized as he walked to the vase for a closer look.

'I do. This one has a very deep history as you're soon to find.' Lucius chuckled, as he watched Severus completely taken.

'This isn't Egyptian, as I first thought. This has the mark of Slytherin,' he said, running his fingers over the smooth ceramic surface.

'Bravo, Severus.' Lucius clapped in his appreciation for fine relics and understanding their origins. 'In fact--'

'It belonged to Salazar Slytherin,' Severus chimed in, cutting off Lucius.

'Well, I'm impressed, Severus. Daddy taught you well.'

'How did you find this?' asked Severus, his focus remained on the object.

'Remember the chamber beneath Hogwarts, where the Basilisk was?'

Severus nodded yes, and he listened carefully.

'I went down there shortly after they cleared the beast's body away. I went into the cave it lived in. This vase is all that resided there. I can't help but wonder why it was put there.'

Severus assessed it carefully, leaning in closer as if he found something significant. His expression changed to shock for a few seconds and then back into an unreadable stare.

'It seems the creature served several purposes, and one of them could have been guarding this vase,' said Severus, in his slow bottomless voice.

'Tell me, why are you suddenly displaying this now? All of that business, with the Basilisk, happened three years ago.'

'Because Dobby hid it from me. He came back here after that Potter freed him, and hid my prize. Narcissa only found it a week before my release.'

Severus looked amused with a subtle smile barely curling the ends of his thin lips.

' Indeed, a very regal find,' said Severus. The ding-dong sound of a large grandfather clock in the hall broke Severus's attention from the vase.

'It's two am I must be going, Lucius.'

'So fast, and just when you found my little prize.'

'Yes, I'm to meet the Dark Lord in a few hours and give him his potion.'

'Why can't his little lap dog Gains brew it for him?'

'He trusts nobody with this task but me. This potion takes three hours to brew. It must be taken exactly three minutes once it's prepared. So you see, I will be up all night.'

'Of course then you must go. Tell me more about the next step when you can,' said Lucius.

'I will.'

With that Severus Apparated back to his home in Spinner's End, but not before his eyes fixed upon the unusual vase one last time.

~~*~~

Rain battered the Weasleys' small living room window vigorously. Countless bouncing drops of water glistened in pale moonlight, creating a small stream beneath the window; flowing down to the garden under the gate.

'Heavens, it's raining so hard I fear we'll need a raft.' Mrs. Weasley chuckled, watching the relentless rain from her chair. 'Ah, well. Look at the brown leaves of all of my flowers.' She glanced harshly at Ron, who was supposed to water them regularly. 'I guess they are enjoying this evening, Ron.'

Ron did not take his nose away from the Daily Prophet. He was searching for clues from the past, after exhausting Harry's visual from the memory of Snape's mother. She was pleading with Voldemort to stay with her because of her pregnancy. The three couldn't find any more answers.

'How on earth are we ever going to find a Horcrux like this?' whined Ron.

'Hang on, Ron, there could be almost anything buried in these old Daily Prophets. Some of these date back over seventy years,' said Hermione, only looking up to speak. She appeared intensely interested in the vast well of knowledge from the past, which all of these papers gave to her. Every now and again she would squeal with surprise and say, 'Oh, look - there's Dumbledore on the day he became headmaster.' On the other hand, she'd say,' Look at Filch being classified a Squib. The first to hold down any job at Hogwarts, in fact.'

'As interesting as you find this to be, Hermione, I really don't think you'll discover anything that'll point you to a Horcrux,' snapped Ron.

'Well, I don't know. Remember we are trying to find clues,' said Hermione.

'You underlined that,' said Ron in a harsh tone.

'Yes, I know. Anything could honestly be a clue. Voldemort would have used something we would least expect. As Harry said, Dumbledore told him how Voldemort thinks. It would be something regal. It would be something that held great importance to him. Voldemort thought he was the highest and most deserving of anything grand. I will start there. What I'm looking for is any news article, which puts him around something he would cherish. Something he is holding, or we know he liked when he attended Hogwarts.'

'Hermione's right, Ron,' said Harry, cutting in. 'Dumbledore found it very important to show me his past. He wanted to make me understand the way Voldemort thinks, and what would hold a lot of importance in his life. He wanted to acquaint me with his family, ideas and different items he held dear. Remember his family ring I told you both about? Voldemort used it as a Horcrux. Dumbledore found it, as I told you before; when he destroyed it, the

ring damaged his hand.'

Hermione gasped, staring at a paper on her lap.

'Look at the names under the picture of this newly married couple,' said Hermione.

'Congratulations go out to newlyweds Mr. & Mrs. Tobias and Eileen Snape. Mrs. Snape, previously Eileen Prince, is a former alumnus of Hogwarts, her husband; Tobias is a Muggle with no wizarding ties. We wish them much luck, most of all her for marrying a Muggle.'

Harry looked up with eyes so wide you would think he saw a monster ready to devour him.

'This is the same woman from the memory; she's Snape's mother, she has to be,' said Harry as he looked at Hermione and Ron's faces.

'Bloody hell, Harry,' said Ron, shaking his head and looking down in disgust.

'What, Ron?'

'Look at her closely, Harry. What do you see?' asked Ron.

'She's pregnant,' blurted out Hermione. 'That memory you saw must have been during this time.' Hermione took a swift breath in shock and then the inevitable happened.

'The year confirms it,' said Harry slowly, his voice trailing off into nothingness.

'That's it then. Now we know. The baby really was born after all, and the baby is Snape. He's really Voldemort's son,' said Hermione, holding her hand in front of her mouth as if she'd be sick. Ron, Harry and Hermione only stared at each other. They didn't know what to say and what all of this could mean. Although, they knew they must fit the pieces together.

'Snape is Voldemort's son!' Mrs. Weasley chimed, dropping her tea with a crash.

'Are you completely sure? I mean this is something I never even assumed and you know me. I must tell Arthur, Harry. This could mean more than we think. He may understand the connection. Oh, oh, I must tell him now.'

In a frenzy of emotion, Molly Weasley ran upstairs, presumably to contact her husband Arthur through Floo Network. They had a nice fireplace in their bedroom. This is where she'd have many personal talks with him when at work. This allowed Harry, Ron and Hermione, along with new arrival Ginny to talk.

'Hi, Ginny,' said Hermione. She quickly glanced over to Ron and Harry, expressing in her eyes to say nothing around Ginny. Harry nodded.

'What are you guys doing? What's up with all the old Daily Prophets?' asked Ginny.

'Just looking for clues to help Harry find the missing Horcruxes, is all,' said Hermione.

Ginny already knew Harry planned to find Voldemort, however, she didn't know that the three were not going to let her help. Harry felt a lot for Ginny and didn't want another friend to complicate things. He'd solved many situations with Ron and Hermione in the past, and worried they would get hurt, maybe even killed; he didn't want to make things worse by adding Ginny to the mix.

'Well, let me know what you find. I'm going to write to Bill, and see if he's feeling any better.'

Ginny headed into the kitchen to grab something to eat, and then to her room so she could write her letter.

Harry whispered, for he did not want Ginny to hear him.

'We have to learn more about Snape. I have to find his parents and see where that takes us,' said Harry.

'But, Harry,' said Ron, looking a bit frightened.

'What if he's there, and he tries to kill you? It is summer, and he could be visiting them.'

'Ron, do you pay attention? I hardly think he'd be visiting his parents. He's been involved with Death Eaters. We know his adopted father is a Muggle. Harry saw a memory of his childhood, and it did not look pleasant from what he described. I hardly think he'd be paying them a visit.' Hermione paused in thought. 'Then again, we have to be careful.'

Ron looked down in his usual fashion after receiving a Hermione word throttling.

'I'm looking in the Wizards' Registry for him,' said Hermione in her know- it-all manner. 'If they are not trying to hide they will be listed.'

'What's a Wizards' Registry, Hermione?' asked Harry. He'd never heard of such a thing.

'It's a kind of address directory listing of all wizards. It even has their floo coordinates,' said Hermione, feeling quite pleased with herself.

'Ron, your mother has one, or I think I remember her mentioning one.'

'Yes, it's on that shelf over there in the corner. That one by the radio.'

Hermione walked over to the little shelf. Sure enough there it was. Hermione picked up a big blue book with fancy golden lettering, which read, 'The Wizards' Registry.' Hermione began to thumb through the S's.

'Let's see ... Smoot, Snake - here it is - Snape.' She looked up with a smile.

'There's only three listed. If they aren't hiding from anything, we might have them.'

'What if they've moved, Hermione? This could be an old address at best,' said Harry.

'That's the thing about it. The Wizards' Registry only has one printing. It automatically updates its pages whenever a witch or wizarding family moves. So, once in here you are for life. A Muggle, like Snape's father, probably has no idea he's in this or even knows about it.' She paused. 'Harry, you didn't even know.'

Harry smiled at Hermione's brilliance, and felt thankful she knew so much. This had to be one of the few times he felt grateful for all of the books she'd devour.

'Look, it says here the dates they moved to their homes. This Snape has a little scull over it. We'll scratch that one out,' said Hermione.

'Why?' asked Ron.

'This Snape address is abandoned. That means they are hiding, or they might have turned dark, and they could even have become Death Eaters. I would look to that address being a starting place. However, this one is probably it. It's the only 'T' Snape listed; the date they moved to this address is the same in the Daily Profit. That's the year Snape's parents were married. This feels like a good starting place,' said Hermione.

'37 Onyx lane by Little Ramble,' read Harry aloud, looking puzzled.

'I have no idea where that is.'

'I do,' said Ron, turning pale.

'That's not far from here. Little Ramble is the creek that runs over by our orchard. There are only a few houses along that creek. It must be one of them. To think I have probably seen them and my dad's probably talked to them; you know how he is. He is always trying to meet Muggles. Snape's dad is a Muggle. I wonder if my father has talked to him. To think we are neighbours.' He looked down feeling sick.

'To think of Snape as a neighbour feels like having a monster down the lane,' said Harry.

'At least they must be quiet. You didn't know until now,' said Hermione.

'It's not Snape anyway, Ron. It's only his parents. If you ask me, I feel sorry for them. They must feel they need to hide after raising a son like him,' spat Harry, hating every fibre of Snape.

'So, tomorrow after breakfast lets go over there and try to talk to them,' said Harry.

Ron and Hermione agreed, even though the plan felt scary and the least favourite idea yet. They hoped they wouldn't find Snape visiting after all, and they really hoped the weather would be better. Maybe they could get a little Quidditch practice in after they came back. Up they went to bed. Hermione shared a room with Ginny, and Harry shared with Ron. Oh, but Harry hardly slept all night. He kept running terrible images through his mind of what could be awaiting them at Snape's parents home. He wondered how Snape's father would behave. He worried he might try to hurt them. Would Snape's mother kill them with a dark spell being a witch? Harry pondered many questions before sleep pulled him under its ebon cloud.

~~*~~

A sunny morning, proved to be a lot better than the previous night with all of the torrents of rain pelting the land. Harry arose to the twittering of birds, and the fresh, crisp air of a summer morning. The sun peeked over the shed roof in the garden. Harry smiled knowing; at least the weather was on his side. Already the pans and dishes clanged in the kitchen signifying Mrs. Weasley had breakfast well under way. By the time Harry was ready to greet the day, Ron and Hermione were downstairs seated at the kitchen table. Each knew the plan. After Mrs. Weasley left for Diagon Alley, they would go to the house of Snape, a mission that scared all of them.

'Where's Ginny?' asked Harry as they got ready to leave for Snape's parents.

'She went with mother,' said Ron, smiling big.

'Good that's a stroke of luck,' said Harry.

'I hope so,' replied Hermione. 'Remember, if something should happen, nobody will know where we went.' She looked down glum.

'I know and don't remind me. Let's just get on with it,' said Ron; Harry smiled.

The three left the house and went through the garden gate, over a small fence and across the all too familiar orchard. Memories poured forth from the many practice games of Quidditch they had played there. The trio smiled, recalling how they would always stay low in case a Muggle spied them. Many birch and fir trees encompassed this orchard. The only houses visible, other than the Weasleys' home, resided upon the creek bank, better known as the Little Ramble.

'We're getting close, I can hear the creek,' said Ron, swallowing hard.

The three stopped and stood on the edge of the bank, staring at the houses on the other side.

'This is it. We have to cross this creek. It is shallow. I'll go first,' said Ron, leaping across the rambling creek waters to the muddy bank on the other side. Soon all of them were over and facing a row of little white houses.

'Pick the creepiest one and you'll probably be looking at Snape's childhood home,' chided Harry with a scowl.

'We have an address, Harry,' said Hermione. 'It looks like there's a frontage road, which connects all of these houses. I want to read that sign over there on the corner.' Said Hermione.

They walked off the slightly steep muddy grass tangled creek-bank. Their aim being, a sidewalk, which followed the frontage road, weaving as lazily along the creek path as the creek itself.

'Well, this is an easy task. This is Onyx Lane. In fact it's the only lane here,' said Hermione. 'They are obviously not trying to hide something.' She sighed. 'This means it may not be as dangerous as we may have thought.'

'I hope you're right, Hermione,' said Harry.

'Oh, she usually is,' said Ron, turning red.

They walked along the lane, reading the addresses as they went. Upon a grassy hill, sporting many marigolds and pansies that bordered the well-manicured emerald lawn, stood the home they sought.

'37 Onyx Lane,' read Hermione aloud.

'This can't be it. There's nothing dark and dirty around. It looks like a happy family lives here,' said Harry, looking about to see if they missed a dilapidated junked home, which had to be Snape's parents in his mind.

'No, Harry, this is it,' said Hermione, as she walked up the stone stairs to the front door.

'Go on then, ring the door bell,' said Ron, feeling hesitant.

'I will,' said Hermione, turning to ring the doorbell. Yet, before she knew it the door swung open and standing before them was a tall chubby man with greying red hair. He wore an old blue velvet robe with golden ties.

'Who are you three?' he said gruffly, looking down with his narrowing green eyes.

'Are you Mr. Tobias Snape sir?' asked Hermione in a quivering timid voice.

'Yes, I am if it's any of your business,' he spat.

It was clear where Snape learned his foul disposition.

'If you pick my flowers, well I'll call the police on all of you.' His nostrils flaired with anger.

'No sir,' said Harry.

'We're here about your son.'

The tall man developed a glint of anger mixed with hatred quite intense. It seemed he wanted to strangle Harry for the mere mention of him.

'What do you want to know about that little nothing? On the other hand, perhaps you 're coming to tell me he's dead,' he said with a smile.

Hermione felt sad that any father could be so cruel. She thought quickly, and before she could say anything more Harry cut in.

'we need to know more about him. He's killed somebody, somebody dear to all of us.'

Tobias Snape listened with a slight smile.

'We need any knowledge you have to put him away in Azkaban Prison,' Harry blurted out.

'Might he be killed if put into prison young man?' asked Tobias.

'Yes, anything horrible that you can imagine will happen there. It's a terrible place, and your worse nightmare could never come close to what it's like,' said Harry.

'By all means come in. Anything that would permanently get rid of that little rat is fine with me.'

Hermione and Ron looked disgusted with how nasty Snape's father acted. Harry, on the other hand, hated Snape so much he was elated.
They entered the house, walking down a long hardwood hall to the family room. It was modest with a beautiful white sofa, a matching loveseat, fireplace and a giant white bearskin rug. Hermione focused upon his elegant coffee table sitting upon the giant rug. 'My parents have the same table, Ron,' she whispered, as she walked by the beautiful furnishings of Tobias Snape's home. This place looked nothing like they imagined. It became clear Snape shared nil in common with his adopted father's taste.

'Well, sit down and ask me anything, I will gladly tell you,' Tobias said with a nasty grin, giving Ron and Hermione chills except Harry.

'Sir,' said Harry. 'So Snape is your son?'

Mr. Tobias Snape sat back on the loveseat getting comfortable, facing Harry, Ron and Hermione who sat on the sofa across from him.

'NO!' he said flatly.

'I met his mother, Eileen, years ago. I fell in love with her knowing nothing of her background.'

'Background?' asked Harry.

'Yes, turns out she was a witch. A real witch; horrible thing. Just horrible.' He shook his thick greying red head as if trying to remove her memory.
Harry knew he should not tell him they were students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The three looked at each other, knowing to keep silent about it and listened to what Mr. Tobias Snape had to say.

'The boy had a dark side to him. His mother told me the truth about him, and some blasted wizard, if you can imagine, was his real father. Some guy by the name of Voldemort, or something like that. The child always locked himself in his room, the little blighter. He did that for hours mixing potions and practicing weird spells. Even turned our neighbours cats into chickens. He wasn't normal, I always told him so.' He shook his finger at the air as if Snape was there again, just a little boy standing in front of him, while he scolded him for using magic.

'He never listened to me. Imagine saying, '"I'm sorry papa"' and hugging me for doing wrong, then doing it all again the next moment he could.'

Hermione gulped hard and looked at Ron in horror. To think of Snape being so innocent, and saying he was sorry was beyond all reasoning concerning the dark hearted Snape. Harry looked down for a moment as if caught off guard.

'Yes, it was a dark day the lad received what his mother so happily called an Owl Delivery to attend Hogwarts. Some trumped up school for evil you ask me. All loons and my son was part of it, along with my wife. She encouraged it all. I hated them both for it. Nothing good would ever come from that evil little dragon. He was always odd. I always pictured him off in a corner sobbing, and he did when his mother and I would fight.'

Harry had a flash of memory from the Pensieve. He had seen an excerpt from that part of Snape's life.

'Why sir,' asked Hermione, timidly.

'Well, I'd scream at his mother. He grew very fond of her. She babied the brat and said everything would be all right. She always told him he was different and not to listen to me. She told him it was in him to be that way, and he needed training from Hogwarts to better understand and control his different side. The little coward ran to his room and sometimes cried all night. You would think he'd be a big boy, at ten years old, and come out to yell at me. However, oh no, all he knew to do is hide away and be a crybaby. I'm so disappointed in him.'

'Did you tell him that a lot?' asked Harry.

'Yes, always. How else would he ever become a strong man? I wanted him to depend on himself; not magic tricks taught at a school of idiots.'
Ron looked at Hermione with a sneer, as if he would like to punch Tobias. Harry looked on.

Then Hermione asked the ultimate question.

'Sir.' She paused thinking carefully. 'Did you ever - hit your wife?'

'Oh yes.' He threw his chest out, proud of what he had done. 'That's very necessary. How else could she learn and respect my needs? She needed to behave and teach our son respect.' Ron squeezed Hermione's hand in an effort to restrain his want to clobber this nasty man sitting before him.

'That's what the boy needed too. More beatings. I would throttle him with my strap regularly. He'd always run into the middle of our fights when not being a coward and hiding in his room.'

'You mean he tried to stop you from hitting his mother?' asked Harry, stunned by now.

'Yes, he'd stand between both of us, and beg me to stop slapping her. She needed it! She taught him spells. A lot before he entered that school. She turned him dark. She destroyed his life, and sent Severus to them. I kicked her out. The less rubbish the better.'

His eyes crossed with the fury of the memory. Tobias's hands became fists as if he was ready to punch his wife and son again.

'He started locking me out of his room. I don't know how he did it, but he locked it in a way I could never get it open. Not even if I tried to break it down.'

'A locking charm,' whispered Ron to Hermione, she nodded.

'What happened after you kicked his mother out?' asked Harry.

'The little dog went quiet. He went away to Hogwarts one year and later, about mid term, I received one of those owl things, saying Severus wouldn't be returning home. Someone named Malfoy would be keeping him from that moment on.'

Harry almost fell over. Ron and Hermione were stunned.

'This Mr. Malfoy, apparently had a son named Lucius; they became friends at Hogwarts. I was happy to be free of him. I've never seen him again. It's been, oh, about thirty years now.'

'What about his mother? Why didn't she take him?' asked Ron.

'She never knew. I told her nothing. I figured corruption begat corruption. Maybe this Malfoy was better then her. I really don't care anyway. I've been rid of that dark little monster for years now and I'm happy.'

The three felt they'd heard enough. Yet, something gnawed at Hermione.

'Sir, before we go, one last thing. Did you ever tell your son you loved him?'

'What? Are you kidding? If you tell someone you love them, when they are always acting badly, they continue. No, never. I would never encourage his darkness to continue. I would never tell him I loved him. Actually, I hated everything he was. His father, according to what I've heard, was evil and dark like him. He knew who he was and always told me, after I beat him to understanding, how he wished his real father Voldemort would take him. I always told him what a hatful nasty child he was and no parent could ever love a child that would say such a thing. Imagine telling me he wanted Voldemort to raise him.'

Hermione had no answer she only looked, as did Harry and Ron.

'Well, thank you Mr. Snape. You've been very helpful today,' said Hermione shaking his hand, as she made her way to the front door.

'I hope you can all see how desperate I was, and how evil he really was and apparently still is. Anything connected with him must be bad. He would never help anyone, nor protect them. He's pure evil mark my words. I hope you catch him and finish him off at that place you mentioned. Good riddance.'

The three stood on the front doorstep stunned, as he closed the door Hermione shut her eyes.

'Suddenly I feel sorry for Snape.' She looked down ready to cry.

'I know. I never thought I'd feel that way for him but his father's bloody awful,' said Ron.

'I know. He is even worse than the Dursleys,' added Harry, looking crestfallen.

They turned and walked over to the orchard next to the Weasleys' garden. They barely said a word to each other.

'Could Dumbledore have known about his childhood?' asked Harry, as they climbed the little fence, separating the orchard from the garden.

'I don't know. I think he knew more than you did, for that matter. I think he wanted you to know more but the timing was all wrong,' replied Hermione.

'I knew he had a bad childhood, from the memory, but I had no idea he was beaten. That must have been why he became so angry when he learned I saw something. This makes me understand why he hated to be ganged up on by my father and his friends.'

'This also explains his connection to the Malfoys,' said Hermione.

'Yes, they were raised as brothers from the age of eleven. When Snape started at Hogwarts. He thinks of Draco as a nephew. This explains so much about his protective nature concerning Draco, all of it. All but one thing.'

'What's that, Harry?' asked Ron.

'We still have nothing. No proof he did it, nor clue to another Horcrux. We have nothing,' said Harry, frustrated.

'You're wrong, Harry,' said Hermione.

'We have just confirmed who Snape really is. We now understand him a bit better, and why he sought out Voldemort. He must have become a follower to get closer to his father. He could have been looking for acceptance. The Malfoys are a direct link to Voldemort. Oh, Harry, it all fits. We know more now then we ever did,' said Hermione as they all walked back into the house. It was time for lunch, and they felt starved.