The Return of Sirius Black Part Four

The Return of Sirius Black Part Five

Sirius felt like a fool. He never should've told Harry about Snape and Lily. What Snape and Lily? There was never a Snape and Lily. Still, he should've kept his mouth shut - or at least locked the door. He could do nothing about it now. He struggled against his mum's curtains and then went to dinner.

The figure in the Invisibility Cloak went too, though no one saw him.

Supper was uneventful. Afterwards, the kids went upstairs while the Order of the Phoenix meeting was held.

Minerva McGonagall began it. She had assumed command after Albus Dumbledore died in June. That was one of their subjects for discussion. There were no leads on Severus Snape's whereabouts. No Auror had been able to catch a glimpse of him. "But we're still waiting for a report from Alastor," Minerva said. "Does anyone have anything to say?" Sirius, still feeling the fool, started to raise his hand.

-

Ron and Hermione were taking advantage of Extendable Ears while Harry tried to sleep. Every once in a while the two of them would tell Harry what was going on, but he wouldn't take out his Extendable Ear. He had promised Sirius that he wouldn't listen in, and he intended to keep that promise. But that didn't mean that Hermione and Ron couldn't tell him anything.

-

"So that's all, I guess," Sirius ended lamely. He told the whole Order (except Alastor; he was still M.I.A.) what he had told Harry. It was a common theory among the group that Snape had in fact loved Lily, so this wasn't news to anyone.

Just as Hagrid was starting a detailed account on a message that he received from Charlie Weasley (which - among other, more important things - included notes and pictures of the large and healthy Norbert), Alastor burst in. He offered no explanation for his apparent lateness. His magical eye swerved about the room, resting on the invisible figure. As soon as he saw him, Mad-Eye ran over and pulled the cloak off of him. It was Severus Snape.

-

"Oh my Merlin!" Hermione yelled.

"Bloody . . ." Ron said.

"What?" Harry asked. "What?"

"Well, we can't be sure," Hermione started.

"I mean, we can't see anything . . ." Ron said.

"WHAT????" Harry screamed.

"Snape is downstairs in the Order meeting," his best friends answered him in unison.

Harry jumped up out of bed and ran down the stairs, wand in hand. Hermione and Ron followed him.

-

Sirius had drawn his own wand as the figure was unveiled. So had the other twenty or so Order of the Phoenix members that were seated there. Snape did not draw his. He threw it on the table.

"What are you doing in my house?" Sirius growled. The Order all stood as one, all of them staring at Snape.

"I am here to clear my name," Snape said simply.

"How do you expect do to that?" Hagrid said. "You're a murderer. There's no way for a murderer to prove that he's not a murderer."

Sirius ignored that comment. There were many ways; he himself had been able to prove the common theories wrong. "Show me," he said.

Severus held out a document. It was a letter, written and signed by Albus Dumbledore. It was dated the week before he died. Sirius read it aloud.

My dear beloved Order members,

If you are reading this, then you undoubtly have your wands aimed at Severus's heart. He killed me, that much is true. But, what you don't know is why. I asked him too. If Draco Malfoy did not kill me (which I don't think he could've), then I asked Severus to do it. This would secure him for the use as a spy for the Order. Surely Voldemort would give him access to his private plans if he had managed to kill one of the two wizards that openly stood in his way. He does not know how many of you there are, so I say two. Please, my dear friends, believe Severus. He is our only hope to the inside of Voldemort's twisted mind.

To those of you who were closest to me:

Harry - do not lose hope. You are a good person and your parents would be proud. I'm sure they will be when I tell them of everything you have done to help us and everyone else.

Hermione - you truly are the brightest witch of your age. Possibly of all time. Keep your friends close to you my dear, closer than your books.

Ron - you are delightful and bright. Don't be afraid to show that once in a while. In your heart lies the bravery of Godric Gryffindor himself.

Minerva - what I would say here is the same that I said to you in September of 1981. Remember that.

Hagrid - you are the most wonderful person I've ever had the pleasure of employing. Keep your heart full of the simple and pure love it possesses.

Remus and Sirius - yes, you Sirius. The two of you (together with James and Peter) have caused the most havoc in all of Hogwarts history. Be proud of that. Take care of Harry.

Your dearly departed friend,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brain Dumbledore

Sirius choked back tears. So Albus had known that he was alive after all.

Minerva remained silent. At length she said, "Is there a way to prove that this isn't a forgery?"

Mad-Eye grabbed the paper from Sirius and examined it with both of his eyes. "It's real," he said.

"Then shall we vote on it?" Minerva said. "All in favor of pardoning Severus and reinstating him in the Order, say 'Aye'." There was a chorus of ayes.

"All those who oppose?" she added.

"WE OPPOSE!" Harry shouted. He, Ron, and Hermione ran down the stairs. They started for Severus with their wands raised high. Hagrid managed to grab Ron and Hermione. Sirius tried to get Harry, but the Boy-Who-Lived slipped between his fingers.

"STUPEFY!!!!" Harry screamed.

But the spell did not hit Severus. Sirius had jumped in front of it at the last possible second. He fell to the floor.

Harry dropped his wand. He fell to his knees as several people rushed to Sirius. He couldn't move. I cursed him. I cursed Sirius. He's dead. I'm going to go to Azkaban and Sirius is dead and it's all my fault. I killed him. I killed Sirius. Someone was talking to him. It was Snape. Harry didn't want to listen to him. He didn't want to hear what he had to say. As soon as Snape's attention was on Sirius, Harry grabbed his wand and Apparated out of the room.

He was in Sirius's room. Not at all where he wanted to be. But no one would look for him there. He sat on the bed. "I killed him. I killed Sirius." He said it over and over. He held his face in his hands and cried and cried.

"You didn't kill me," a voice said.

It was Sirius. Harry looked up at him. "You're dead," he whispered. "I cursed you. We cursed you. You're dead. You have to be." He paused. "It wasn't meant for you. You should know that, even if you are my imagination. It was meant for Snape."

"Harry, you have every right to hate Snape. I hate him too." Sirius sat on the bed. Harry could smell the heat of his spell on Sirius's chest. It had burned his robes. "We have to work with him. He is on our side."

"You're dead. How can you be sure of anything?" Harry whispered.

"Because of the note. It is Albus's handwriting."

Harry said nothing.

"But you didn't have to go and try to curse him Harry."

Tears welled again in Harry's eyes.

"Do you want them to lock you up in Azkaban?"

"No."

"They are looking for any excuse to do that. Lucky for you, the Ministry has no way of accessing what goes on in this house. The perks of being a Black I suppose."

Sirius smiled. Harry didn't. "I'm so sorry . . ." Harry said. "I didn't mean to . . . I was just so angry . . . then you jumped . . ."

"Don't apologize to me. If that curse had hit Severus . . . I don't really know what would have happened. He wouldn't have died, that's almost certain, but something bad would've happened. It's lucky that it hit me."

"You're not dead?"

"No. That spell wouldn't have killed anyone."

Harry hugged Sirius gently. The godfather winced, but he didn't let that on to Harry.

"Go downstairs. Apologize. Don't mention your mum."

Harry nodded and left the room.

Sirius shut the door. He took off the shirt of his robes and looked at his chest. It was all red and raw . . . .

He was laughing at her.

He should go to St. Mungo's . . . .

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

That would be the smart thing. But he had been hit with this spell before . . .

The second jet of light hit him squarely in the chest.

. . . and he had lived through that. Sort of.

He could hear Harry apologizing to Snape. Snape's response was muted, but it appeared that he had forgiven Harry. Sirius shrugged. He heard footsteps and voices coming up the stairs. Someone knocked on his door. It was Severus.

"What do you want?" he said when he flung the door open.

Severus whistled. "That's going to leave a mark."

Sirius scowled and put his shirt back on. "What . . . do . . . you . . . WANT?"

"The boy apologized."

"Good."

"I heard what you told him. Your little theory."

"Do we have to do this now?" Sirius growled. "I would like to go to sleep."

"Fine. We'll do it tomorrow."

"Can't. Going to the Alley to meet Remus."

"Yeah, I heard that too. That's not till 7:00 PM, or have you lost the ability to tell time?"

Sirius ignored that. "I have to get some things too. So do Harry and the kids. Apparently, they weren't able to get much when they went this morning."

"Fine. But we will have this talk."

"Yes we will. But until that time, you can sleep in the drawing room. You know where it is, don't you?"

"Yes. Thank you." The thank you was an after thought. Whether or not Severus actually meant it was beyond him.

"Goodnight then," Sirius said and slammed the door in Severus Snape's face.