Chapter one

Harry was sitting beside Remus and Tonks, he kept brushing their hair, 'Why did you turn up, you should have thought of your son,' Harry sighed, 'You're with Sirius and dad now Remus, try not to give mum a hard time. But you never know, maybe Tonks can keep the marauders in line,' Harry heard raised voices and looked up, then he wished he didn't. Molly Weasley was glaring at him as she pointed down at Fred, George was also angry and his anger was directed at Harry, 'I didn't want them here, but I knew I'd get blamed for it,' Harry sighed again then looked down, 'I wish we had more time Remus, but it's too late now,' Harry kissed Remus on the forehead, then kissed Tonks on the forehead before pushing himself to his feet, he groaned, but tried to keep anyone from hearing. The last couple of days were catching up with him, so he slowly limped his way over to the matron.

'Do you need some healing Mr. Potter?' she asked wearily.

'Yeah, but you look as knackered as me.'

'I'll rest later, follow me into the other room,' she gave Harry a small tired smile then left the great hall and into one of the classrooms that Harry knew hadn't been used since he had been here.

'Is the hospital wing damaged?'

'No, but all the most serious are up there with two other healers. The ones in here are going to make it, they just need potions, charms and rest. So sit down and tell me what's wrong,' she pointed to a small camp bed.

Harry sat, then opened his shirt, 'It won't stop bleeding. Dumbledore never told me if my other one did, so I wasn't expecting this. But I also have a sore back, knees and feet, well, my legs hurt all over and my hips.'

'Lie back,' Poppy sighed, then started her examination, then she summoned three potions, 'The blue one you will need every day for a month, the others just now.'

'Oh great,' Harry groaned, then swallowed the potions, gagging on the blue one, 'Why is it the one I have to take most is the worst tasting?'

'Behave Mr. Potter, you might have killed him, but you are still my patient. Now you will need to stay here until tomorrow, so I suggest you make yourself comfortable.'

'Again I knew you were going to say that, but you know what Madame Pomfrey, I'm just too tired to argue with you. The thing is, I don't have anything to wear to sleep in, that's something I never bothered with when I was away. So if it's alright with you, I'll just sleep in my underwear?'

'That's fine and you have the curtains around you,' she patted Harry's shoulder then left.

Harry sighed, but stripped off his clothes, took his wands and glasses, placing them on the small table beside the bed, then climbed under the covers.

Harry heard voices, but he couldn't seem to wake properly, then he thought he was dreaming when he heard a familiar voice asking if Harry was going to be alright. Harry kept trying to wake but everything went dark again as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Harry slowly woke and again he heard quiet voices and again the same familiar voice asking how Harry was. Harry knew he must still be asleep, that voice belonged to someone that died. Before Harry could wake to find out what was going on, he slipped into darkness once more.

Harry groaned softly as he's eyes flickered, he blinked a couple of times then his eyes opened and closed quickly due to the brightness shining down on him.

'Someone turn the light out,' Harry groaned again before pulling the covers over his head.

'It's not the lights Mr. Potter, it's the sun. Now please uncover your face.'

Harry groaned again then opened his eyes before slowly pulling the covers down, 'Oh fuck.'

'Language Mr. Potter,' Poppy scolded.

'Sorry, but you were dead, I saw you die.'

'You saw me dying, but being a brilliant potions master, I always carried healing potions and anti-venom on me. I have been told you killed him, good for you Potter.'

'Um, um, thanks,' Harry's forehead furrowed, 'You're really alive, this isn't a dream?'

'Don't you mean nightmare?' Severus Snape stared down at Harry.

Harry saw the look Snape was giving him, not his usual sneer, his voice didn't hold any malice either and wondered what the hell was going on.

'Well,' Harry shrugged, 'If I was to wake with you looking down at me, yeah, I suppose I would normally think that I was having a nightmare. Sorry, I don't mean to sound disrespectful, I think I'm in shock.'

'I believe you are and I don't take any defence at what you said. I came by to ask how you are?'

'Sore, but okay,' Harry slowly pushed himself up until he was sitting but he couldn't help groaning as he did, 'Bloody sore,' Harry rotated his neck and back, 'Blimey, I feel worse than yesterday, I think it was yesterday.'

'It was early yesterday when you came in here, you slept for twenty hours straight. But as for how you are feeling Mr. Potter; that is to be expected. The potions are doing their job, but you will still feel a little tender for a day or two. Now here is the other potion,' she handed Harry a small bottle with thick blue liquid in it, and saw Harry hesitate, 'Drink it Mr. Potter or that wound you have will not heal.'

'Yeah,' Harry sighed then took the potion, gagging again, 'Why can't you make them taste good?'

'Oh you are becoming quite cheeky Mr. Potter, just because you killed him does not give you the right to tell me how to do my job.'

'Sorry Madame Pomfrey, I didn't mean anything by it, but they do taste like…' Harry shrugged, 'I won't say it.'

'Good, now you can dress and leave, but I expect you back for your potion tomorrow morning.'

'I'll be here,' Harry waited until the matron left before looking over at Snape. After seeing his memory, he wasn't sure how he felt about his old potions teacher. He knew now of course that Snape had been helping for years, all because he loved his mother. That was also something Harry would have to get used to, knowing Snape had been best friends with his mother, but he also loved her. He had no idea how to deal with that information and thought maybe he just needed time to grasp it all. Now was not the time, it was too soon to think about any of that. One thing Harry knew was he had to thank Snape; that thought made Harry grimace, thanking Snape, he bet Sirius would turn in his grave if he knew. Harry sighed and figured he'd just get it over with, but every time he tried to get the words out, they seemed to stick in his throat. Finally he took a couple of calming breaths, swallowed and was ready to face Snape and say what he needed to.

'Um, I wanted to say thanks, you know, for the memories. You gave me more than you needed.'

'I did, and surely you know why I did that. At the time I did think I was going to die, even if I had those potions, I was weak, so I was not sure I was going to have the strength to take them.'

'So if you thought you would survive, you wouldn't have given them to me?'

'Very shrewd Potter, no, I would not have, only the one you needed to see, and maybe one other. The one showing you that I was trying to help you.'

Harry sighed but nodded, 'Yeah, but do you know I wasn't going to watch it,' Harry shrugged.

'Understandable, but I didn't have enough strength left to tell you. It was the only way to pass on that piece of information. So can you tell me what happened after you left me?'

Harry nodded, 'Well, I went up to speak with Dumbledore's portrait, he wasn't there, all the portraits were empty, probably trying to see what was going on down in the school. I was frustrated, angry and desperate, so I figured you must have given them to me for a reason, so I decided to look at them. When I came out,' Harry lowered his head, 'I hate admitting this, but I was scared, then angry because he never told me. It made sense though, everything made sense after hearing that.'

'I think if anyone was told they had to die they would be scared.'

Harry nodded, then slowly looked up, 'So I went to face him, let him kill me, now that shocked me, I lived. Do you know if Dumbledore knew I would and he just didn't tell you?'

'I don't know, he never mentioned it. When I saw your chest, I realised what you must have done and why it is the same as your head.'

'Horcruxes, not the killing curse like everyone thought, um, but I would like that kept between us, I haven't told anyone and I don't want anyone to know.'

'I will not repeat it Potter. There is something I wish to ask you though, and I know this is going to shock you, but I need a favour from you.'

'Okay,' Harry said slowly.

'Draco, they took him away with his parents, he does not deserve Azkaban, but I doubt they will listen to me. The minister and Minerva know the truth about me, Albus filled them in, but they would not take my word that Draco was forced, he never wanted to do any of that.'

'I know,' Harry sighed, 'You can stay, but I want to get dressed,' Harry threw the blankets off then he pulled his jeans and shirt on before his socks and shoes, then put his glasses on, stuck his wands in his pocket, then sat down again, 'He helped me, when we were captured. I'm not sure if he meant to, but I think he did. There was this look in his eyes that told me he was scared and wanted out but didn't know how. So do you want me to talk to Kingsley?'

'Yes, as I understand it, he is a friend of yours, so he should listen to you.'

'Do you know where he is?'

'Here, until the ministry is cleaned out, he is using Hogwarts as his office. Minerva has given him one of the unused classrooms.'

'I'll go speak with him, but I would like to eat first. I don't remember the last time I ate.'

'You should eat then, do you require help?'

'No, I'm just a bit stiff and sore,' Harry picked up his bag then slowly stood up, but ended up sitting down again, 'Worse than I thought.'

'Then let me assist you. The house elves are sending food up whenever someone sits down at one of the house tables,' Severus waited then saw Harry nod, so he slipped his arm around him and gently lifted him to his feet, 'So he tortured you?'

'Yeah, you know what he was like, probably more than most. He wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.'

'No, he would not, so let's take it slow.'

Severus and Harry walked slowly out of the room and back into the great hall and over to the Gryffindor table.

'It looks worse than I remember.'

'Yes, the castle has sustained a lot of damage. It will take a long time to repair.'

'Yeah,' Harry sighed, 'Thanks and I'll talk to Kingsley as soon as I eat.'

'If you will permit me, I would like to go with you?'

'Um, sure, if you want.'

'Then I'll leave you to eat,' Severus nodded sharply then turned and left the great hall.

'Why were you talking to Snape?' Neville asked as he sat down.

'He was really on our side Neville, there's a lot I can't go into, but he really was helping. It was Snape that gave me the last bit of information I needed that let me kill Voldemort. Hey, what have they done with him anyway?' Harry dished up some food, then poured himself a glass of juice and a cup of tea.

'The minister had some people take him away, I'm not sure who they were, but they seemed friendly. You know minister Shacklebolt, what's he like?'

'He's a good bloke Neville; he will do what's right. I met him a few years ago; he was in the order of the phoenix and an auror.'

'Well, he seems okay. Anyway I thought you would have went with the Weasley's, I didn't know you were still here.'

'I was in the room over there; Madame Pomfrey made me stay after she gave me her shitty tasting potions.'

'I had a few of those, not as many as you have over the years. But are you heading out to see Ron?'

'No, when I was sitting with Remus and Tonks, Mrs. Weasley didn't look happy with me. I think she's blaming me for Fred dying, George looked angry as well. But it's not like I asked them to turn up, if you remember I told you to stop contacting people.'

'Don't worry about it Harry, I'm sure it's just grief at the moment. But can you believe it, he's dead, so are most of them.'

'Not really, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and all this is a dream and his still here. Anyway, what are you doing here or haven't you left?'

'I left for a while, decided to come back to help.'

'I might do the same, but I have to work on where I'm going to live. I suppose I could go back to Grimmauld place for a while, not looking forward to that.'

'Grimmauld place?' Neville asked looking confused.

'Oh sorry, it's a house my godfather left me when he died, but his family was into the dark arts, so the house is really dreary and dark. He hated it, so do I, but I do own it. My godfather let Dumbledore and the order of the phoenix use it, so we cleaned it out a bit while we were there, but it's still a shitty place, but it will do for now,' Harry sighed and wondered if he's parents vault held enough to get a house or even a flat, that way he wouldn't have to stay at Grimmauld place for long. But first, he needed to work out something with the goblins, again, not something he was looking forward too.