Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Serenity, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick and any name you don't recognize and isn't from the HP universe) are entirely my own.
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"Ronald!" Hermione hissed, as she lightly smacked the red headed boy on the shoulder.
"What!?" Ron exclaimed, as he rubbed his shoulder. "Bloody hell 'Mione! I can't help it. Last thing I suspected was for someone to look like Snape sitting with you!"
"That's enough Ron!" Hermione hissed again, before looking apologetically at Septimus. "Sorry about him. He often forgets to think before he speaks."
"Hey!" Ron shouted, as Hermione causally conjured three more seats for the boys.
"So Septimus," Neville started as he sat. "Luna tells me that you're here to harvest Aconite."
"Yeah, we are."
"Brilliant!" Neville smiled, as Harry waved Aberforth over for three more Butterbeers. "There are several large patches of them in the Forbidden Forest. Never actually harvested them myself, but I've helped Sprout out quite a bit with the cleaning of their roots and flowers."
"We're going to be doing that too, but Slughorn said he'd show us in the lab," Septimus stated, as he took a swig of his Butterbeer.
"Yeah," Ron snorted. "Good luck with that."
"What?"
"What Ron means is, that Slughorn tends to wander with his thoughts," Hermione explained as she settled into Ron's side. "Don't let him get going on one of his stories from the past, or you'll never get the plant harvested properly in time, before its' potency is gone bad."
"Hey Harry," Ginny started, nudging her boyfriend with her elbow. "Septimus is a seeker too."
"Are you?" Harry piped up for the first time. "What broom do you have?"
"A Firebolt II."
"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening into dinner plates. "How'd ya get one of those? They've only made two hundred of them throughout the world! Even Harry doesn't have one, and he's the bloody 'Chosen One.' OWWW! HEY!"
"Chosen One?" Septimus asked, playing dumb. He could only assumed that Ron had just been kicked by Hermione or Ginny, or even possibly bother, as he watched the red-haired boy's hands disappear beneath the table to rub his shins.
"Please don't mind him," Ginny smiled as she turned back to Harry. "Septimus said he brought it with him, and that I can take a turn on it when we get back to Hogwarts!"
"That's great Gin," Harry said, smiling softly back at his girlfriend.
"Anyone can ride it if they like," Septimus said quietly. "It doesn't bother me in the least."
"Just be careful," Ginny smirked. "If Ron gets a hold of it, you might not get it back!"
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"She's really good," Septimus commented, as he and Harry took a seat in the stands. Ron had borrowed Harry's broom and was soaring, not very gracefully, across the pitch after his sister. Hermione had headed off to the library to study for her NEWTS after they arrived back onto the Hogwarts' grounds, while Luna and Neville headed off towards the lake.
"Yeah, she is," Harry replied; his green eyes watching Ginny's every move. "I am sorry about earlier."
"It's fine..."
"No, it's not," Harry interrupted him, before sighing heavily. "When I first saw you I thought for sure that I was seeing Professor Snape again, only younger. And I thought for a minute that I finally had the chance to thank him and apologize for all the years that I was a pain in the arse to him..."
"And then you realized it was just someone who looks like him," Septimus smiled slightly as he leaned back in his seat.
"Yeah," Harry sighed again.
"I just wish someone would tell me more about this Professor Snape," Septimus stated. "All Slughorn keeps telling me is that he was a Potion Master and a good duelist. And everyone else just tells me that he died during the battle. But nothing else!"
"To tell you the truth Septimus, I don't think anyone really knew him fully," Harry shrugged. "Except maybe Professor Dumbledore."
"Slughorn said that she died too, right?" Septimus asked, as he kept his face and eyes on Ginny.
"Yeah, she did," Harry said, as he leaned back too. The two watched the brother and sister in silence for some time. Septimus was still mentally pinching himself, not fully believing that he was sitting with Harry Potter. His parents didn't talk much about their double life, except for what they had showed him last year, and a part of him itched to know more.
"What were they like as professors?" Septimus asked quietly, his eyes finally looking towards the other boy. He somehow felt that Harry had been bottling a lot up since his parents' so-called deaths, and that he had never discussed how he felt...not even with his friends.
"I guess the nicest word I can come up with is strict," Harry muttered, as he took his eyes off of his friends and looked down at his lap. "They weren't the kindest or the most fairest professors we ever had...except for Umbridge."
"Umbridge?"
"Toad of a woman," Harry smirked. "Wore lots of pink and frilly robes. So much that you could have almost vomited, especially when you had to be in her office."
"Sounds horrible!" Septimus laughed lightly.
"Yeah she was," Harry grinned slightly, but if faded quickly. "You know what? Follow me."
"What?"
"Just trust me," Harry stated, as he stood quickly and made his way to the stairs. "Come on." Not knowing quite what was going on, Septimus followed him down the twisting steps and out across the lawn.
The sun had began its' descent, casting towering shadows across the green grass. A breeze blew gently over the lake as they neared it, and a tentacle was seen emerging from the waters. Harry walked swiftly ahead of Septimus; leading him straight for the shore, before veering left towards a large willow tree.
Harry disappeared within the willow's branches, and Septimus hesitated to join him. He wasn't sure where Harry had been leading him, but a little voice inside of him told him that he should continue on. He ducked inside of the willows limbs, only to find Harry was not there.
"Harry?" Septimus shouted, a bit worried about what was going on.
"Over here!" Harry said, as his head appeared through the branches opposite of him. Septimus swiftly made his way over to him, and ducked out the other side. There before the two sat several rows of gravestones; most gleaming white, but two were very different from the others.
A large white tomb sat upon the shoreline and beside it, to its' right, a black granite stone, that was glistening in the setting sun. Harry gestured Septimus forward, allowing a better view of the inscriptions.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Septimus read off of the white tomb. "February 22, 1881 to June 30, 1997."
"He was my Headmaster from the time I arrived at school until the end of my sixth year," Harry explained. "He was a brilliant wizard...bit strange at times, but brilliant none the less."
"Dumbledore...," Septimus murmured, before turning back towards Harry. "Is he any relation to that bartender we had earlier?"
"That was his brother actually," Harry said. "Aberforth. He's also Katherine Dumbledore's father." He continued as he turned towards the black granite grave. Septimus' eyes followed him, before gazing down at the same stone that held two large medals on either side.
Septimus felt his stomach drop as he read the inscription...
'Severus T. Snape
January 9, 1960 - May 2, 1998
Katherine A. Snape nee Dumbledore
March 15, 1960 - May 2, 1998
Baby Snape
May 2, 1998
Abiding Love Never Dies'
Septimus did all he could not to drop to his knees in front of Harry. Before him stood his parents' fake grave, and he has hit with the realization of how close he truly came to losing them last year. He could feel tears welding up in his eyes, and he hung his head forward slightly, so his black hair would curtain his face.
"They may have been strict," Harry started, inhaling deeply. "But they didn't deserve this fate. I think they were the bravest people I have ever known."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Septimus asked quietly, as he blinked back the tears.
"I really don't know," Harry stated, shrugging slightly. "I've only just met you, but for some odd reason I feel like I know you. This last year has been hard on all of us, especially Ron and Ginny. But today, Ginny's seemed different...I don't know what it is, but I think you had something to do with it."
"All we've done is talked about Quidditch," Septimus frowned, finally looking back up at Harry.
"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head. "Maybe it's because you aren't associated with the war...because you represent an outside world that doesn't pressure us with questions about Voldemort and the like."
"You really don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to Harry," Septimus replied.
"I know, but," Harry sighed heavily as he moved to sit down on the nearby bench. "But I have to tell someone."
"Why not Hermione or Ginny?" Septimus questioned, as he followed Harry's movements and sat with him. "Or even Ron?"
"I don't know," Harry muttered. "I guess because a part of me doesn't want them to know, but I feel as though I have to tell someone what I've seen. Someone who didn't know them at all; someone whose life it wouldn't apply to."
"But..."
"Please," Harry breathed. "I just need to tell someone." Septimus didn't know what to do, but he wanted Harry's trust more than anything.
"Go on then," Septimus whispered, turning all his attention on the black stone before them.
"I was...we were with Professor Snape when he died," Harry began, staring off out over the lake. "Voldemort's snake, Nagini, had ripped his neck apart and left him to died in the Shrieking Shack. Mistress Dumbledore was there as well. She...she held him as he died.
"In his last moments, he gave me his memories, and I'm the only one who has ever seen them. Mistress Dumbledore gave me hers as well, but it wasn't until hours after the war that she died too," Harry groaned, rubbing his face with both hands. "Maybe I should start at the beginning."
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It was nearing nine at night, before Harry finished. The Boy-Who-Lived seemed to be breathing a lot easier as they made their way to the castle, like a very large weight had been lifted from his chest. But for Septimus, he felt as though that weight had been dropped on him. While he knew most of the details of his parents' lives, some of the facts that Harry had told him had stunned him quite a bit.
The hardest one being that he still had a grandfather who was alive. He wanted to talk with the wizard; he wanted to know if his grandfather had found remorse about pushing his only daughter away. He wanted to know if he would welcome her with open arms now, if he knew that she was really alive.
"There you are!" a voiced shouted from the main door to the school's entrance. "We've been so worried." Hermione stepped forward, followed by Ginny, who was still carrying Septimus' broom.
"Where have you two been?" Ginny asked worriedly. "You've missed dinner."
"Sorry," Harry apologized. "I was just showing Septimus more of the school's grounds. Where's Ron?"
"He left after dinner," Ginny smirked. "I think I wore him out a bit. And you're lucky Septimus, Ron wanted to try and smuggle this out with him." She continued as she handed Septimus' his Firebolt II.
"By the way, your professor's looking for you," Hermione stated. "Something about getting an early start tomorrow."
"Oh right," Septimus murmured, clutching his broom close. "The Aconite."
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, frowning slightly.
"Umm, yeah I'm fine," Septimus said in a hurried breathe, before making his leave. "I'll...I'll see you both tomorrow. Goodnight. Harry, it was nice meeting you."
"Umm, yeah same here..." Harry's voiced died off, as the three watched Septimus disappear into the castle.
"What's wrong with him?" Ginny asked, turning back towards Harry.
"I really don't know," Harry said, shrugging slightly.
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Septimus was out of breath by the time he reached his room on the third floor. Zach was already passed out in his bed, snoring heavily and dead to the world. Moving as quietly as he could, Septimus sat heavily down onto his bed; the air leaving raggedly from his lungs. The tears were building up in his eyes again, making them burn as he urged them not to fall.
A sudden knock at the door startled him, causing him to jump to his feet. Glancing over at his sleeping classmate, Septimus slipped silently to the door, opening it to reveal his own potion's professor.
"Thank Merlin you're back! I was beginning to get..." But Prescott paused at the sight of Septimus' strained face. "Dear Merlin, what happened?"
But Septimus found himself unable to speak, as the tears finally broke free of their confinement; spilling down his considerably pale cheeks.
"Come on," Prescott said softly, as he lead Septimus to his own rooms. After ushering him in, the elder wizard sat the boy in a chair, before kneeling in front of him.
"Septimus, what happened?"
"I..." Septimus struggled to begin, but a dry sob overpowered him.
"Did something happen while you were in Hogsmeade today?" Prescott pressed on; a he lightly steadied Septimus by the shoulders. "Did someone recognize you?"
"No, it's not that," the boy croaked, quietly. "I...I talked with Harry."
"Harry?"
"Harry Potter."
"You...you met the Harry Potter?" Prescott asked with wide eyes. Septimus nodded shortly, as he forcibly tried to wipe the unshed tears from his eyes. "Is that why you're upset?"
"No, he...he took me to..." But Septimus had to stop again, and closed his eyes shut tightly.
"Where? Where did he take you Septimus?"
"To...to my parents' fake graves," Septimus rushed out. "There's a black granite stone down near the lake with their names and dates carved into it...along with a baby on it, whom I only could assume is Serenity.
"He, Harry, told me about how the students viewed them," Septimus continued softly. "How strict and nasty they were..."
"You and I both know that that is not how they truly are Septimus," Prescott said gently. "You and I both know that it had been an act in order for them survive the war. Yes, they can be strict at times, but sometimes adults have to be."
"But that's not what's bothering me," Septimus sniffed quietly.
"Then what is?"
"It's just...now I know how close I really came to never seeing mom again, and never even knowing dad," Septimus whispered, as he hung his head and curtained his face with his black hair. "And I found out that my grandfather is still alive."
"Your grandfather?"
"Abeforth Dumbledore," Septimus said looking up abruptly. Unshed tears glistened in his midnight eyes, ones that shone with a touch of hurt and a touch of anger. "Mom's dad. He's alive, and I met him briefly in Hogsmeade this afternoon. I think he thought I was dad, 'cause he gave me a funny look...but then again, a lot of people have been looking at me that way here."
"Listen Septimus," Prescott sighed heavily. "We only have three more days here. I know it's been a long couple of days, but you need to pull through it. I wouldn't have chosen you, or argued with your parents if I didn't think that you were strong enough to handle it.
"As for your grandfather," Prescott continued. "I'm sure your mom had her reasons for not telling you that he was still alive."
"But all those years, watching other kids with their grandparents..."
"I know it must have hurt," Prescott quieted his student quickly. "But like I said, your parents were living in dangerous times and they have their reasons for not telling you. Alright?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright," Prescott sighed, as he got up for his crouched position. "Why don't you try and get some sleep. We have an early start in the morning." Ushering Septimus from the chair, the boy bid a quiet 'goodnight' to his professor, before returning to his own room.
Zach still snored heavily from his bed, as Septimus leaned against the door. The large picture window stood openly before him, showing off the darkened mountains and forest, but the moon shone brightly over the lake.
Septimus sighed deeply. It was definitely going to be a long three days.
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"Look lively now!" Slughorn bellowed as they trudged along a small dirt path that wound between tall, gnarled trees. "The Forbidden Forest is no place to dilly-dally in." The group of five had left the castle before anyone else had even stirred that morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise in the east.
Hagrid strode ahead of them, leading the professors and students into the dark forest. His large boar hound, Fang, bounded along beside the half-giant, whimpering every so often when a small noise had broken through the silence. The professors walked a few feet behind him, with Slughorn animatedly talking to Prescott about the Centaurs that lived here. Zach and Septimus brought up the rear, with Zach's eyes and ears on alert with every little sound.
"Ah!" Zach whimpered loudly, as a twig nearby snapped suddenly near the group.
"Don't be a wuss," Septimus groaned, shaking his head. "It was probably a deer or something."
"So Horace, where exactly is the Aconite located?" Prescott asked; his head turned in the direction of his students.
"Oh, just a little ways more," Slughorn stated with a chuckle. "Isn't that right Hagrid!"
"O' course professor," Hagrid shouted back to them. "They be near the old Acroman'ula colony."
"The what?" Zach squeaked, his eyes widening even further.
"Acromantulas," Slughorn replied. "But not to worry! We are pretty sure they were all cleared off during the battle."
"Pretty sure?" Zach yelped.
"Don't tell me you're scared of spiders too?" Septimus snorted, rolling his eyes.
"These are not just any little spiders Mr. Prince," Slughorn exclaimed. "The mature ones grow to be the size of carthorses! And their venom is very valuable! 100 Galleons a pint I tell you! 100 Galleons a pint!"
"I think I'm going to be sick," Zach whispered hoarsely.
"Aah, her' we are!" Hagrid exclaimed, as the group in a fairly large clearing. It was fairly dark there, with only tiny bits of sunlight peaking through the tree tops. But there surrounding the open space, were thousands of beautiful blue flowers.
"Alright boys! Gloves on!" Slughorn called, as both he and Prescott slipped on their own dragon-hide gloves. "And remember, grasp them firmly at the base of the plant and pull carefully. We'll be processing both the flowers and the roots when we get back to the castle."
Septimus slowly slipped on his gloves and watched as the others moved to their own corners and began working. With basket in hand, he made his way towards a small patch of Aconite plants and began harvesting. But after only an hour into their collecting, a tiny beam of light stuck something that caught his eye.
Looking around him for a moment to make sure no one was watching him, Septimus quietly snuck back into the tree line and back into the darkness of the forest. He hesitated, but when a light caught the object for a second time, Septimus made for it.
For there, with the brown, fallen needles of the pines, sat a beautifully polished square stone. Carefully, he plucked it from its' bedding and turned it over in his hand. Gently he brushed away the small amount of dirt that had collected on it, but stopped suddenly when he heard a voice close behind him.
"Looks so much like his father," a soft, woman's voice echoed behind him.
"Oh yes, but I believe I still see some of Katherine's physique in that long body of his," another woman's voice rang out.
Septimus spun around in quickly, and found himself face to face with the two women. The only problem was, that he could see right through them.