2

Chapter Two: A Change at Hogwarts.

After the defeat of Voldemort, Hogwarts had tended to their wounded and had rebuilt the school walls to the Great Hall and any other area that had been affected. They had buried their dead respectfully and said their goodbyes, but Harry would not let so many people die for him.

Having seen the brutal assault on Professor Snape, something in Harry couldn't leave the man there, cold and alone. He knew Snape had never liked him, and he had never liked Snape in return, but something in his heart told him that he couldn't stand by and watch as he died so gruesomely.

In Hermione's bag, there had been Essence of Dittany and they'd tried to hold off the bleeding. Of course, after the attack on Arthur Weasley, they all knew that Snape's chances were slim, and that the Dittany wouldn't do much at all—as Nagini's fangs prevented the wounds from healing. However, they had dragged his body back to Hogwarts' hospital wing and begged for him to be saved.

There was a reason Snape had given him his tears, and he had to know why. Snape wasn't known for giving him anything, and certainly not begging for something from him. He knew very well that there was some kind of meaning behind such a desperate act.

Although there were many wounded and dead, and the hospital wing was full, he'd urged Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey to see to Snape's wounds. Madam Pomfrey had said they were grim, and had almost refused to treat such an evil man. After finding out Snape had killed Dumbledore, McGonnagall was even resilient. But he urged them, telling them there was something that didn't add up, and so they believed him. They trusted him.

Of course, Harry didn't see the man until the Battle of Hogwarts had been won, and whilst he duelled with Voldemort, the truth came out about Snape after he'd seen his memories in the Pensieve.

He didn't know what to think or feel after he'd seen what Snape had done for him this whole time. A man he thought hated him had been protecting him more than anyone. More than even Dumbledore! It was hard to believe, but the memories didn't lie. He knew when they had been tampered with from when he'd seen Professor Slughorn's and Tom Riddle's about the Horcruxes.

It came to a shock in his first year here at Hogwarts, when he thought Snape was the person trying to get the stone and kill him, but it turns out Snape was one of the people who had been trying to protect it, and had actually set up the obstacle to get through. He'd saved him from Professor Quirrell when he'd cursed his broomstick as well. Why would he save? He had been blinded by the man's cruel nature and hatred for himself.

Looking back on it, he actually felt rather guilty. But it wasn't like Snape helped his cause. He made it clear that he didn't like him, and that he didn't want to befriend him. Not to mention how much he enjoyed taking House points from them all the time and giving them all detention.

Snape made himself out to be the bad guy. Not telling anyone what he and Dumbledore had planned all this time? Always being so snappy with him whenever he could be. He understood that Dumbledore kept many secrets (as frustrating as it was), but something like having a guardian might have helped him along the way! He'd always felt so alone. He had Ron and Hermione most times, but even they couldn't understand him sometimes.

He thought he had no one when Dumbledore died. He couldn't stand the thought of so many others dying for him! He was tired of all the blood on his hands.

He had thought Professor Snape was a coward. That he'd run back to Voldemort. The night on the tower when he'd killed Dumbledore? His whole world shattered. He'd come to finally try and see what Dumbledore saw in the Potions master, and then he had to watch as he killed him!

Finding out the truth was something different, though. Finding out how much his father had picked on Snape as a child was bad enough. It made him feel awful. Snape never spoke about it, and neither did he after the incident in the dungeons. He didn't even tell Ron and Hermione. Not with the way Snape had reacted over it. He still remembered the jar of cockroaches flying towards him in the dungeons like it was yesterday.

But finding out he'd done so much to protect him? That he'd loved his mother? That felt odd. It was hard to come to terms with, but it made a lot of sense. He'd looked up to his father, and always hated how Professor Snape had spoken nastily about him, but now he knew why.

The professor was asleep in the bed chamber. It had been a week and a half since the attack at Hogwarts. School was going to be up and running in a while he figured, but the news and celebrations were still carrying on, as well as the mourning for the lost ones. Most teachers were cancelling the rest of this year and were going to retake the years in September, like when they usually started. Mainly they were gathering the students to see who was still here and who wasn't, and who was willing to come back.

Voldemort was finally dead, though. Gone! Defeated! And the man before him, bandages around his throat and chest beneath those dark pyjamas, had not deserved to die in that battle.

Voldemort had suspected that the wand belonged to Snape, but it hadn't. Snape hadn't disarmed Dumbledore that night on the Astronomy Tower. Draco Malfoy had. After learning that, it only made him realise that Snape's death would be even more unfair. He told Madam Pomfrey to do her best on his healing, and once the truth had come out, she did so.

Of course, Professor Snape had been given numerous amounts of Blood Replenishing potion. It was the only way to get the poison of Nagini's bite out of his system. He'd be in the hospital wing for another night or two after he'd wake up, or so he'd heard.

Harry also found out that in the wizarding world, it wasn't anything like the Muggle world when someone slipped unconscious. Although Snape had lost a bit of weight, he was still getting fed. Not through tubes like back home (not that he could call the Dursley's house home), but through potions. He'd asked if there was one that could just wake him up, and although there was, Pomfrey had said that he needed all the rest he could get to take in the Blood Replenishing potions.

Professor McGonagall had also been by Snape's side quite a few times. Harry figured that she felt guilty for trying to kill him back in the Great Hall a week ago. Not to mention she was shooing him away constantly, telling him that he had to eat and sleep. It wasn't like he'd been at Snape's side constantly, he just liked to check on him and see if he'd woken up. After all, he had loads of questions to ask.

Right now, everyone around him, his whole family… was gone. Besides Hermione and the Weasleys, Snape was the next best thing to his father, Sirius and Remus when they were growing up.

He knew they all didn't get along, and he couldn't blame Snape for being snappy about it. His father had embarrassed him in front of the girl he loved—his mother. Not to mention the nicknames and all the other hexes that went on between them all.

It was an early Thursday morning when Harry had come from breakfast in the Great Hall. Because classes had stopped, the students at Hogwarts were just settling back into a regular holiday season at Hogwarts until the official term would start in September. But many were staying just because it was their usual routine. Of course, rumours were still flying around the castle about everything, and Harry was getting the usual stares and cheers from everyone. At least people weren't sneering anymore, but that didn't make it any less comforting. Harry was quite tired of fame by now. He just wanted a normal life, and with Voldemort gone, he was hoping it would stay that way.

Apparently not. He was a hero now.

There were still Death Eaters out there, but he doubted any of them would come back. They were cowards. Of course, the Ministry of Magic (who was now run by Kingsley Shacklebolt) was doing everything in their path now to catch the ones that fled.

Apparently Lucius Malfoy had handed himself in, along with his wife. But they weren't going to Azkaban in exchange for information. Plus, Harry had informed the Ministry what Narcissa had done for him in lying to Voldemort about his death. She had never been a Death Eater in the first place. She never wore the Dark Mark, just associated herself with them due to her husband.

Draco, on the other hand, had returned to Hogwarts, if only to show his loyalty. There were others who still looked at him like a Death Eater, but Harry knew better. He knew better on the night of the tower when he couldn't kill Dumbledore. Draco Malfoy never had it in him.

When he saw movement from the bed he was sitting idly beside, he brushed his messy hair from his face and looked to the dark haired man who was slowly, but surely, waking up.

"Professor," he said gently, bringing those dark eyes to his attention. Snape looked, to be fairly honest, like crap. Although, he didn't expect the man to be looking his finest. He was alive and awake, and that was all that mattered.

Severus' face fell as he saw the Potter boy sitting beside his bed. Still unsure of what was actually going on, he just leant back. One minute he'd been with the Dark Lord, then attacked by his stupid pet snake, and then he'd been with Lily, feeling her soft, silky skin against his own, not to mention her lips against his. To see Harry was not what he wanted right now. No matter how comforting those eyes were to his bleeding soul.

He didn't know what to think or expect to Harry being here. He knew he'd most likely seen the Pensieve and the memories. Why else would Harry be here? And why else would he have been kept alive? Clearly others knew, and that made him feel even more uncomfortable. He didn't even want to think what others were saying about him.

"Professor Snape?" Or Headmaster? What the hell was he really supposed to call him right now? Harry didn't know, but he did lean out of his seat when he heard a soft 'what' grumble from the man's throat.

"Sorry," he mumbled, knowing he must be in quite some pain, not to mention confused. The last thing he'd seen was Nagini attacking him. He wondered if he even remembered him giving Harry his tears for the Pensieve.

"You're back in Hogwarts," he started. "Do… do you remember anything? Anything at all?" he asked, the professor still facing away from him. He was awake, though, because his eyes were across the room to the wall. Though weak, they were open.

"The snake, she bit you. But Ron, Hermione and I brought you here. We brought you back," he said almost too excitedly. It wasn't that he was excited, he was just happy to know that Snape would live. He didn't know how he felt about Snape anymore. He'd hated him with a passion, but that was before he knew just how much this man had done for him. Now… he didn't know. But he was happy to see him awake.

So he was alive? Somehow that wasn't exactly a pick-me-up to Severus Snape. But he did turn his head slowly and painfully, brows furrowed. Why would Potter and his friends even think of saving him? Hero, right? Just to have another thing on Harry's shoulders. More pride. More of a celebrity. Pathetic. He should have just let him die. At least he'd be with Lily.

He was going to open his mouth and hiss at the boy to go away, but a table suddenly slid itself in front of him, Poppy Pomfrey coming into his view.

"Severus! You're awake," the elderly witch said, walking hurriedly towards the man. Although he looked baffled, she approached his bedside. "Can't imagine you're feeling too well."

"Like-,"

"Yes, yes," the witch cut in, Snape's eyes flicking to Harry before returning to her. "You've been out for quite some time. You'll feel weak for a few more days, as you know, the Blood Replenishing potion does that. You've been given an antidote to the bite, but you should be fine now that you're awake."

She went about her duty, grabbing a few things and putting them into the table before Severus. "You should eat. It will make you feel better." There would be plenty of time to tell him what the result of the war had been.

With a flick of the witch's hand, the plate was filled with food before Professor Snape, a goblet beside it. Harry grinned a little. Even after all these years, magic never ceased to amaze him. He'd only seen Dumbledore do that before, but he figured it was simple magic by now. After all, he knew how to summon water. Plus, people in the hospital wing still needed to eat and drink.

"You're very lucky, Severus. Young Mr. Potter and his friends brought you back after the attack," she informed, the man giving another quick glance to Potter.

Snape clearly wasn't used to the company, nor being in such a situation. He seemed uneasy, so Madam Pomfrey raised her head to the young boy. "Well, off you go, Potter. You've spent enough time in the hospital wing from your own injuries. Run along," she shooed.

Harry frowned a little, but he nodded. It wasn't every day that he wanted to spend time with the Potions master. He just gave the slightest of smiles to the professor before heading out of the hall and going to the Great Hall to catch up with Ron, Hermione and Ginny—who had all decided to stay with him until they would all go back to The Burrow for the holidays.

Snape's expression was unreadable for a moment as he watched the boy walk away. How unusual for him to even be here. However, he soon turned his attention to the room as Poppy went to her other duties.

Beside him, on the bedpost, were a few things he would never expect to see. Cards. This wasn't the first time he'd been in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. He'd been here plenty of times when Sirius and James decided to hex him. Even then he rarely had a visitor. Except Lily (when they were friends).

As an adult? He'd never expected to see this. Of course, there were the few times that a dim-witted student made a potion explode, but he'd never been severely harmed enough to have to come here, and he always had reversal potions in his classroom. Then there was the time Harry first came here and he'd got his leg sliced trying to protect the Philosopher's Stone. Even that he could fix himself with his own ingredients.

There were a few cards and a few small boxes. He didn't know what to think of them. He'd never expected gifts from anyone, wasn't too fond of Christmas or his Birthday, and never expected sympathy cards from anyone. The thought actually made him feel quite sick. It was rather pathetic, and it concluded his theory. They knew the truth.

Seeing the Daily Prophet, Severus took it into his weak hands and looked at the front page, completely ignoring the cards. There were celebrations all over the page, Hogwarts clearly the centre of attention. Of course, there were names of numerous deaths, and like always, a photo of Harry Potter on the front.

His eyes rolled, scoffing mentally as he slapped it down onto the table, though wincing as pain shot up through his side. Just like his father, basking in all the glory. Life really wasn't fair. Then again, he had no desire to be in Potter's position. Cameras all over the place, fame and glory. He much preferred the silence of the dungeons and a good book.

"You know, Severus," came a soft voice, Minerva McGonagall walking into the room, "Harry Potter and his friends were the ones that saved you. You should give the boy some gratitude," she said, nodding her head in a gentle smile as she approached the younger man.

"It's good to see you've woken." It wasn't unusual to see Minerva happy, but when it came to Snape, not many held a smile. She, however, was very pleased to see him awake, and she patted him gently on the unwounded shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Surprised to see the woman so cheery (despite the war being won as he'd seen in the paper), Severus sat back in the now raised hospital bed. The last time he'd seen her, she was throwing curses at him for the kill.

It had shocked him at first, and he didn't want to have to fight her back. There was a reason he flew away and only blocked her spells. Minerva McGonagall was an old friend. She had been there when he was sorted into Slytherin, was loyal to Dumbledore and Hogwarts, and had vouched for him on numerous occasions. She hadn't once thought bad of him until Potter had let out the fact he'd been the one to kill Dumbledore.

Did she know the truth? Did she know why he'd killed Dumbledore? That he was sick? That he was dying anyway? That killing Dumbledore made his loyalties obvious to the Dark Lord? Then again, why else would she be here?

He didn't want to kill Albus, but he was loyal to Dumbledore. He'd given him a second chance. He owed his life to that man! And so without question, he took the order he knew he had to perform. He would have done anything for that man. Anything at all. Having killed him had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

"What do you expect?" he finally said, hissing a little at the pain in his throat when he spoke. He was curious, though, to what had happened in the time he'd been bitten to now. Everything seemed… different. But yet the same. He was the enemy of many, and yet here he was—alive. Why? Why would Potter even want to save his life? Maybe there was more of his mother than his father in the boy after all.

He was tired, though. And to be honest, he didn't want to think about all of this. His mind just wanted it all gone. Why couldn't he have just died?

McGonagall gave a tight lipped smirk, walking over to the small box of goodies. "Confused, puzzled, befuddled, out of place?" she suggested just a few, the man's eyes narrowing towards her.

She gave a short laugh. "Why I never thought I'd see the day that Severus Snape was making friends," she noted, picking up one of the cards and reading it with an amused facial. Clearly, it wasn't amusing Snape, though.

"We won, Severus!" she almost shouted too excitedly. It startled Snape, and she gathered herself, brushing her green robes down and clearing her throat. "Voldemort… he's gone! Potter did it, Severus! He saved us!"

So he read. Severus looked down at his left arm. It was sore and tingling beneath the black sleeve, but not because he was being summoned or that the Dark Lord was alive. It more felt like it was an old wound playing up.

"I hadn't noticed," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, even if weak. That meant the blasted snake that bit him was dead and gone, and he felt a pang of satisfaction at that. Not to mention the fact that he was no longer a spy, no longer a slave to Voldemort.

He exhaled slowly, looking back at the elderly woman. "And what of the school?" he asked, folding his arms against his sore body as he leant back into the pillows. Merlin knew he'd turned the place upside down. But he'd taken the roll of Headmaster so the Currow's wouldn't completely wreck up the joint. It seemed to work, even if he knew students were performing Unforgivable curses. He doubted that was his position now. As soon as he fled, he'd left his post. Hogwarts surely chose a new Headmaster in his absence.

He hated that he had to stand by and could do nothing. Showing any kind of sympathy would have given him away. Would have shown weakness. Weakness like when he'd told the Dark Lord to spare Lily's life. He just couldn't allow it, even if he didn't enjoy knowing how much torture the students were receiving. How they could forgive him and let him live? He had no idea. Nor did he expect any kind of forgiveness for his actions.

"Safe and protected from any further threat, although I doubt anymore trouble—beside the odd student getting detention—will happen," she explained, her hands going together. "All the students helped put Hogwarts back together, and some outsiders as well. Despite the memorial it's become, it's also quite the destination to be," she mused.

Ever since the battle had been won, many more witches and wizards wanted to come and see where The-Boy-Who-Lived had finally defeated Voldemort once and for all. Of course, still only selected students made it to Hogwarts, but that didn't mean other schools weren't coming to see the grounds and complimenting it.

Her facial features softened a little, and she placed a hand to the bed. "Severus… if any of us had any idea what your true intentions were…" she started, the dark eyes meeting her own green ones. She sighed, nodding her head a little and knowing he didn't want to talk about it. "I do apologise for calling you a coward and attacking you, but you did your duty so well… How were we to know? We could have killed an innocent man. One that saved us just as much as Potter had."

She now understood why he hadn't fought back, though. Why he'd fled the castle in hopes of escape. She had been too angry to realise the look of utter shock on his face when she'd put herself before Harry Potter. To her, she had killed the most powerful wizard in the world. It all made sense now, though. After hearing Harry explain everything, and, of course, after seeing the Pensieve for herself.

"You weren't," the man murmured, ignoring the fact that she had said he'd saved them just as much. "I had no intentions of making it out alive." As much as the snake bite was a surprise, Snape had no intentions of living through this war. If not from someone protecting Hogwarts, than from Voldemort himself later down the track.

He had no idea Potter would be willing to sacrifice himself in such a way. He figured he'd be just as arrogant as his father was. Then again, he was a Gryffindor, and he'd done the heroic thing. Taken his life to kill the Horcrux in himself and attack the Dark Lord. Clearly Dumbledore had kept another secret from him, or maybe he didn't know? But either way, Harry Potter had survived to kill the Dark Lord, and somehow in this time he and his friends had managed to save his life, too.

He should have been more grateful to the boy. After all this time, how many risks he had taken with his own life to protect him, Potter had finally returned the favour. He'd saved his life, even if he was ready to give it up a long time ago.

McGonagall frowned. Was life to horrible for Severus Snape that he couldn't even thank the boy that he'd lived to tell the tale of his accomplishments? It wasn't just Harry Potter that was a hero here, it was he as well! After all, Harry Potter might not have even lived this long if it weren't for Severus protecting him all this time.

Snape had clearly done terrible things. He wasn't the nicest of people, but he had still protected The-Boy-Who-Lived, and now, the young man who had defeated Voldemort. He had done his duty well in protecting Harry, and that shouldn't go unrewarded.

She wouldn't dwell on it, though, because she knew all too well what Severus was like. It was like he fed off the misery. Instead, she nudged her head towards the plate of untouched food. "Poppy will strike you if you don't start eating," she noted. "And by the way, Severus, as Headmistress of Hogwarts, I am offering you your previous commitment as Potions master here, if you are willing to take it when the term picks back up in September," she said with a curt nod.

The usually intense eyes widened in surprise. The school, the Ministry, was allowing him to teach still? After what he'd done to Hogwarts—even if he were a spy for Dumbledore? That, he was not expecting.

He leant up weakly, though, looking back to the woman. "No Headmaster?" he actually joked, receiving a small tap on the shoulder from the woman. The smallest of smirks creased the corner of his lips as she walked away and he feebly picked up the sandwich that was in front of him.

As a Slytherin, an opportunity was an opportunity.

*****

In the Great Hall, Harry sat down beside Ginny, Ron and Hermione opposite them. The girl looked at her boyfriend, giving a soft smile. After the battle of Hogwarts, and all the tabloids that were flying around, Harry and Ginny hadn't had much time together at all.

"Where have you been?" she asked, lifting her hand to brush back one of the stray pieces of hair from his face. School was just getting back to normal now, but for the heroes of Hogwarts, it probably never would be completely normal. Especially for Harry. Not after this. The second and final time at ridding the world of Voldemort.

"The hospital wing," said Harry, settling in his seat and grabbing a piece of morning cake that was on the bench before them. He'd already eaten breakfast before, but his appetite was still quite big after having suffered so much exhaustion the last few weeks.

Hermione gave a worried glance. She'd noticed Harry had been spending quite some time down in the hospital wing in hopes that Professor Snape would wake up. They knew the chances were slim, all of them, but even Madam Pomfrey's words didn't help ease Harry's conscience.

"Harry…" she started, her voice soft as she had one of the newspapers sitting in front of her.

"He's awake," Harry grinned, all three of them looking at him in astonishment. "Yeah, didn't really talk to me, but… why would he? It's Snape," he laughed.

"That's great," exclaimed Hermione, probably the only one out of the four to actually not be so bias when it came to Professor Snape. Then again, she rarely got detention from him. He'd called her some names in the past, but everyone had come to terms with that in his classes. Besides, after what he'd done for Harry—for all of them—there wasn't much resentment she could hold.

Sure, his reign at Hogwarts wasn't pleasant, and she'd heard that some of the professors (Death Eaters) had been torturing the students with the Cruciatus curse. But that was all part of the plan so Snape didn't give his position away. She couldn't exactly hold that against him. She was Muggle born, she'd seen TV shows before of what double agents had to 'ignore'.

It didn't mean she approved of it, of course she didn't. Those poor students had suffered from his blind eye. But even so, she was willing to put that behind her.

When Harry nodded, Ron looked at him, giving a shrug. "So? What's happening with him?" he asked, shoving a pastry into his mouth. "Never thought I'd actually feel sorry for the git." He almost choked on his pastry when an elbow struck him, Hermione scowling.

"It's alright, Hermione," Harry protested. He knew all too well of Ron's feelings when it came to Professor Snape. They'd all hated him. "I dunno, I suppose we'll have to wait and find out. Madam Pomfrey kicked me out. Can't imagine Snape was too happy to see me when he woke up, either." He was probably the last thing he wanted to see.

"You're not… going to ask about your mother, are you?" Hermione's brows arched in both curiosity and worry when Harry shrugged his shoulders. He'd ended up telling them what he saw in the Pensive after he'd seen it himself, and he'd added in what he saw in their Occlumency classes as well.

"You know how private he is, Harry. I mean, no one even knew what he was doing all this time! You can't just ask him something so personal. Wait until he's better, maybe now that he's not under the control of Voldemort, he'll be nicer or something…"

"Hermione, there's no easy way to ask him about his past," stated Harry. "The longer I wait, the more he's likely to just never tell me. Maybe while he's under the influence of potions he'll be easier to talk to."

Ginny looked a little worried. "Why do you want to know so much?" she asked, brushing her long red hair away from her eyes. "This is Professor Snape we're talking about. I can't imagine a recount of his life would be very interesting."

Looking to his friends, Ron seemed to have the same idea as Ginny, but Hermione was silent, just looking at him. Snape was the closest thing he had to his family. Sirius was gone. Lupin was gone. His mother and father were gone. Even Dumbledore, who would have gladly sat down and told him all about their time in school.

Professor Snape was the only thing left with a connection to them. He just felt like he had to know. He'd seen into the man's memories, and there was something familiar he felt in them. Snape might be a cruel man with a bad past, but Harry shared that past in more ways than his friends could understand. He didn't want fame and glory, like everyone threw on him. He just wanted to be a normal seventeen year old boy.

He frowned. "Professor Snape might not be nice, and we've all hated him at one point, but you weren't there. You didn't see what I did," he said, his voice soft, as if he regretted all the negative things he'd seen happen. "I think I at least owe him my thanks. I think we all do. Who knows, if it weren't for him, I might not even be here—we might not even be here."

"Snape wasn't the one who destroyed all the Horcruxes, Harry," Ron almost protested.

"It was his Patronus that led me to The Sword of Gryffindor! If it weren't for Snape, we wouldn't have even been able to destroy that locket. And Neville wouldn't have been able to kill that snake." Harry's voice sounded angrier than he meant it to be, he just didn't like that his friends couldn't see what Snape had truly done for them. Sure, he knew he wasn't nice, but he had to look past that. No matter what their views of Snape were, the man had saved them and given them the weapon to kill Horcruxes. He wasn't going to just forget that.

Giving a gruff sigh, he stood back up from his seat. "I'm going to go for a walk," he said bluntly before turning.

Ginny went to stand, but Hermione put her hand out, taking her arm and shaking her head. "A lot's happened in the last few weeks, and Harry's lost a lot of friends and family, he just needs some time to get everything together," she said gently, Ginny settling back into her seat, even though seeming quite reluctant to. The red-haired girl nodded, however, and went back to eating her breakfast.

As Harry walked down the corridor, he spotted McGonagall, walking after her. "Professor—Headmistress," he corrected, the woman stopping in her tracks to turn to him. "How is Professor Snape?" he asked. "Do you think I could see him?"

McGonagall put her hands together before her quite formally. "Mr. Potter… don't take this personally, but I don't think Professor Snape is up to, or used to, having a visitor. Despite his heroic actions, which I know you are wanting to thank him for, I think he still needs time to process what has happened," she explained. "He's been awake for merely twenty minutes or so, and I'm sure he's wanting to spend time with his own thoughts."

"Are you going to sack him?" the boy asked, looking up. It seemed to shock the Headmistress, her eyes widening a little.

"Potter, I never thought I'd see the day that you would be sticking up for Professor Snape, but it just goes to show how much has been accomplished in these few weeks. If he chooses to, he will remain a professor here at Hogwarts, but he's still weak at the moment, and term does not start until September. I'm sure he will go back to Spinner's End when he is able to until he returns for classes."

"You can't let him stay here? I mean… he could always come to The Burrow. What if the other Death Eaters attack him? Shouldn't he be somewhere safe?"

"I don't think that's a very wise idea, Mr. Potter," McGonagall smirked. "I am sure Professor Snape will work something out. As for his safety, most of the rather loyal Death Eaters have already been sent to Azkaban. I assure you, Professor Snape can take care of himself. Now go on, you can talk to him later. I'm sure your friends are wondering where you are," she urged.

When Harry nodded and turned back around, she frowned, leaning a hand beneath her chin. She understood the last few weeks had been horribly stressful on Harry, but he was acting out about Snape's position quite a bit. He figured he just wanted questions answered and to see if he was alright. Still, the thought of Severus and Harry having some kind of calm conversation was almost amusing to the older woman.

Things really had changed at Hogwarts.