The Real Memory

The house was dark and silent as Harry made his way to his room. It was all he could do to not break into a jog. His nerves were on edge.

Tomorrow was Sunday.

The big day.

The chance for him to end it all.

And that thought terrified him.

He wanted to end the world changing, but he wasn't sure what would happen to him if he did.

Would he suddenly wake up back in the Forbidden Forest? Or would be lying on the church floor? Or even on a bombed out street? Would he still be here – in this world? What would happen?

He didn't know.

And the not knowing was what terrified time.

He knew he could handle any of those possibilities, he just wished he knew what the most likely possibility was.

Harry turned another corner and almost crashed right into Snape.

"Oh, sorry, sir," Harry said as politely as possible.

Snape grabbed onto Harry's shoulders and looked him over, from head to toe. He seemed to be weighing his words.

Harry's heart stopped in his throat. He'd never seen this Snape look at him like this before. Did he know something?

"Going somewhere, Potter?" Snape's voice was high and cold, a sneer engrained in it.

"Just going to bed, sir."

"That can wait, come with me."

Snape moved past Harry and began striding down the hall towards his office. Harry watched his stepfather for a moment before realizing that his only choice was to follow.

It would be a bad idea to kick off the revolution too early.

Snape led Harry down a couple hallways and into a small, serviceable office that Harry had never been in before.

This was Snape's personal office; he held the only key to it.

Snape locked the door behind Harry and proceeded to take a seat behind the desk. Harry continued to stand by the door, unmoving. What did Snape want? Did he somehow know about the revolution? Were, even now, guards on the way to arrest him?

"Well, Potter, are you going to take a seat?"

"Oh, um, sure." Harry took a seat in the straight-backed chair across the desk from Snape.

The two men observed each other for a few minutes as the silence slowly became thick enough to slice. Harry was determined not to be the first to speak. It had been Snape who had wanted to have this talk, so it would be Snape that was going to talk first.

After an indeterminable amount of time Snape's eyebrow rose. "Apparently that technique doesn't work on you anymore. Funny, you used to cave after only a minute."

"I'm not the same little boy I was back then."

"I know."

The two of them calmly observed each other for another few seconds.

"Well, Harry, I wanted to discuss what happened last night."

"Last night?" Harry's insides clenched in fear as he forced a confused frown onto his face. Did Snape know about the meeting in the "playroom"?

"Yes, last night." Snape chuckled, "No need to look confused, Potter. I know about your little rebellion."

Harry crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, "What rebellion?"

"Why, the one you're planning to throw."

"Oh? And when am I supposed to be throwing this rebellion?"

"Well, from what you said last night it sounds like it's going to be in the next couple of months. But, something tells me that you plan to move much earlier than that. Perhaps tomorrow?"

"You honestly think I could plan and throw a rebellion in two days? You give me too much credit, sir."

"Oh, Potter, I think my problem is the other way around – I never gave you enough credit."

Harry shrugged, "I wasn't really deserving of credit before four years ago."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Snape's gaze moved over Harry's features, as if trying to memorize them.

"Is there something else, sir? I really should be getting to bed, I have work in the morning."

"Yes, there are a couple more things. One, I want you to know that I don't plan to stop your little rebellion."

It took all of Harry's strength to not say "You won't?" Snape didn't appear to notice the shock on Harry's face, he just kept talking.

"I'll explain why in a few minutes. I do have a good reason. I want to know, if I was going to take your mother out of the country on a trip to celebrate our anniversary, when would be the best time?"

It took Harry a second to process Snape's question.

Snape wanted to take Lily away from any danger the rebellion might cause. Something inside Harry softened at this thought. It was true, no matter Snape's faults, he really did love Lily.

"I'd suggest whisking her away in the morning."

"Really?"

"Yes, the weather is supposed to be amazing in Jamaica at this time of year."

"I do believe you're right. We'll leave in the morning." Snape stood up and brushed some imaginary lint off of his shoulder. "Try not to burn the house down when we're gone."

Harry stood up, "Don't worry, sir, I won't."

"Good," Snape reached into a desk drawer and pulled out something that glinted in the artificial light of the office. He stared at it for a moment and then sighed and handed it to Harry.

Harry took it. The object was a chunky gold ring with a dark glass-like stone set into it. He stared at it for a moment and then looked up at Snape, confusion written across his face.

"Just put it on your finger when you're alone and whisper your full name to it. Goodnight, Potter."

"Goodnight, sir." Harry said absently as he continued to stare at the ring. Dimly he heard Snape unlock the door and leave.

Was the ring some sort of device to kill him?

Would it make him traceable?

Was it some sort of recording device? So the Fuhrer could spy on him?

Why did he have to put it on alone?

These questions kept running through his mind as he made his way up to his bedroom and let Jones help him get ready for bed. Once he was alone and in bed he slipped the ring on his finger and whispered "Harry James Potter."

Slowly, the stone began to glow. After a minute miniature Snape was projected off the ring. It did nothing for a moment and Harry marveled at how precise and intricate it was. Then it began to talk.

"Harry Potter, I want to start this off with an apology. An apology I was never able to utter in front of you. I'm sorry for the hell I put you through all these years, despite the fact that it was necessary. Since you're listening to this I can assume that you let me know when the rebellion is and I'm currently making plans to take your mother out of the country."

Harry rolled his eyes, was he that predictable to Snape?

"I want you to know that we won't be coming back. If the rebellion succeeds we won't be accepted by the new regime due to all of our work for the Fuhrer. If the rebellion fails than we will be held under suspicion for having left the country when we did. So, please, come say goodbye to your mother in the morning, before you leave for work."

Harry was going to be sure to do that.

"Now that that's over with, I suppose it's time for me to tell you why the hell I put you through was necessary." The little Snape took a deep breath. "When you were six years old the Fuhrer pulled me aside and asked me how I could be so nice to a little boy that was beginning to look like a carbon copy of the man whose wife I had stolen."

Now that Harry thought about it, that was a good question. Harry had looked a lot like his father since he had been about four.

"He asked this with suspicion, and so, you mother and I had a talk to discuss how to quell the Fuhrer's fears and keep you safe. We decided that the best way to do this was to make me slowly become colder to you as you grew older. This would explain why I treated you well to begin with. Your mother knew about every punishment I gave you, and it tore her apart inside. Every night she had to tell herself that it was done so that you could live."

"I want to add one more thing – I wasn't supposed to be the turncoat." The little Snape's face grew sad. "Your father was supposed to be the turncoat if the rebellion failed. He was the one with a wife and a child. Sirius and I were bachelors. The Fuhrer wouldn't believe that your father would turn on the rebellion. He knew that your father had been the true leader, not Sirius."

Wait – Harry blinked in shock – his father had been the leader?

"That night, after your father was thrown back in with us, he picked me to try and defect next. He knew that I loved your mother and would do anything to protect her and any part of her. Sirius agreed with this decision, he realized that he and Lily fought too much for her to marry him. Because that's what the survivor had to do, they had to marry Lily and protect her child."

The little Snape grew quiet for a moment, when it spoke again it's voice sounded choked – as if it was about to cry. "I-I think that's all. The other recordings on here will tell you the rest. If not, I'm sorry, I can't say any more."

The figure of Snape disappeared, but the rock continued to glow. After a moment the form of Harry's mother, Lily, appeared with a hesitant smile on her face.

"Hello, Harry. I'm sure whatever Severus is going – I mean already said has confused you some. Hopefully I can clear some of that up. I want you to know that whatever he's said has been true – I trust Severus with my life."

Funny, Harry wasn't sure if he trusted Severus with his life.

"I, of all people, know how hard it is for you to trust and believe what he said. I know I called him a bloody traitor and wanted to kill him for about a year after he pulled the turncoat stunt. It wasn't until he cornered me and made me listen to the message James left on here for me that I learned the truth. Severus went to visit them on the day before the hanging – that's when he got these recordings done. Your father's about to come on and I think his message explains why we started the rebellion; I hope it helps you make the right choices in the future. Goodbye, my son. I love you."

Lily disappeared and a moment later a man that Harry knew to be his father appeared. James looked haggard and tired in a prison uniform.

"Hello, Harry. I'm your father. I suppose you want to know why we started this rebellion. I'm sure, if you're in a rebellion right now, you have your own reasons. Our reasons were rather personal and simple – Revenge. Severus and I grew up in the slums – on the Dole. Sirius belonged to a wealthy and powerful family, but he kept running off to play with us – he had family issues."

From off the screen Harry heard someone say, "I heard that."

The little James let out a dry chuckle, "I'm sure you did. Now, when we were growing up we had another friend – Remus – who was also on the Dole."

Wait, Harry frowned, Remus Lupin?

"When we were about fifteen Remus went to get a standard immunization. Six months later he get us state-required checkup and it was found that he was HIV positive. Before any of us could say goodbye he was rushed off to a 'hospital' so he could be cured." James' face grew angry, "He never came back. The three of us ended up joining the Fuhrer's Guard. Sirius got Severus and me jobs there using his connections. After some digging we discovered why Remus never came back – he was processed."

Processed? That didn't sound good.

"Apparently there was no cure for being HIV positive. They would just send everyone that became that to a camp and then work them to death. We don't know if Remus is still at the camp or if he gained AIDS and died. And so that's why we started the rebellion – to end the oppression and gain revenge for our lost friend."

Harry watched as little James' fists clenched and unclenched.

"I-I think I'm done now Harry. I just wanted you to know the truth. I hope your reasons are as good, if not better, than ours. Oh, and I want you to trust Severus. He can be a bit of jerk sometimes, but he's got a heart of gold." James looked up, right into Harry's eyes, as if the time and distance between the two of them was gone, "Goodbye, Harry. I love you more than anything."

James disappeared and for a moment Harry thought it was over, but then Sirius appeared. He looked quite a bit like the Sirius Harry had first met in the Shrieking Shack – just ten years younger.

"Hey there, Harry. I'm sure James will have lots of important and serious stuff to say to you in a minute, but I wanted to get a word in first. Or maybe afterwards, I'm not sure how playback works on this thing. Now, listen hard." Sirius stared at Harry very seriously. "My brother, Regulus, may be a Minister already, but he isn't as loyal as he seems. I don't know what year it is for you now, but, if he still has a job I want you to contact him."

Wait, contact Regulus Black? In a weird way Harry supposed that was a good idea. After all, he had turned on Voldemort in his Magic Memories.

"He's in charge of State Security and knows lots of little ways to do useful things. He was instrumental in our plan until we got caught, but he was enough out of the loop that he was safe from the fall. Now, go save the world." Sirius grinned broadly before he too disappeared.

The stone in the ring slowly faded back to it's original color.

Harry stared at the ring, his thoughts swirling and his ears ringing as he was overloaded with information.

One thought clearly stood out from the rest though – Why in the world did Severus keep surprising him?