MetaFic

After the funeral of Albus Dumbledore, the magical community held its breath and waited for the worst.

For years, the majority of magical England felt the main thing that stood between them and sure doom at the hands of Lord Voldemort was Albus Dumbledore. With the passing of the great wizard, a dark cloud hung over everything and morale was low. Witches and wizards spoke in hushed whispers, moved quickly about their business, and hid fearfully behind their doors at night.

The Ministry tried to reassure the populace, but the populace had a long memory and that memory included Fudge's incompetent reign as Minister. Amelia Bones was not able to completely reassure the ordinary witch or wizard who was scared for their family.

Many, remembering his defeat of the Dark Lord as a baby, and his mostly successful encounters with Voldemort since then, called for Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, to step forward and aid them in their hour of need. But Hogwarts Interim Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, as well as Minister Bones, insisted that Harry needed to finish his education before attempting to engage Voldemort in battle.

Harry spent several days hiding in his room, wishing he had not left so many things unsaid between himself and Dumbledore. He had not always agreed with the Headmaster, but in some ways Dumbledore had been the wise old grandfather he never had. When it felt to Harry that it all might be too much, Fawkes would come and nuzzle him. Between the magical bird and Ginny, Harry finally managed to pull himself together. He grieved for his lost friend, but continued living.

At Hogwarts, things were also in a state of terrible flux. Minerva McGonagall was appointed Headmistress until such a time as the Board of Governors could make a decision on a new Headmaster or Headmistress for the school. With Dumbledore no longer alive, Professor Snape became even more difficult to deal with. Ron commented more than once that he'd drop Potions, except that he refused to give Snape the satisfaction of seeing him go. At one point Harry overheard Professor Snape and Professor Vance arguing over the D.A., until finally Professor Vance reminded him that she was the faculty sponsor of the club. When Snape threatened to have the Governor's shut down the club, Vance coolly informed him that he could certainly try, but that the D.A. would go on in one form or another no matter what he wanted, and he should keep his abnormally large nose out of the matter.

Moreover, if Snape was becoming a pain at school, it was nothing compared to his behavior at meetings of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore had left instructions leaving the running of the Order to Emmeline Vance and Arthur Weasley, neither of whom Snape cared for personally. He refused to take orders from either of them, and only imparted intelligence he considered important. He also took up protesting loudly and often about Harry's presence at the meetings, though Vance and Mr. Weasley both agreed that Harry needed to be present. More than once Snape and Lupin had come close to dueling at meetings. The Order was losing its cohesion since the death of its founder.

By the end of March, the tension had become almost unbearable. Despite the fears of many, Voldemort remained quiet. Everyone looked over their shoulders and waited for the worst.

It was in the middle of this difficult time that Harry Potter fought one his most important battles.

Harry and Ginny were cleaning and stowing the Quidditch gear after a particularly difficult practice. Headmistress McGonagall reinstated the matches shortly after Dumbledore's funeral, thinking rightfully that the students needed a distraction.

"Please tell me that's everything," Ginny said in an exhausted voice.

"Yeah, it's all properly cleaned and packed, as per our fearless Captain's orders," Harry said.

Harry had wanted to throttle said Captain when Ron ordered him and Ginny to clean and pack everything away. Ron was obviously upset that the two of them seemed off their game at practice. When Kirk had nearly decapitated Ginny with a mis-hit bludger, Harry had flown over and chewed the beater out. The fact that beforehand Harry and Ginny had been flying around in lazy circles flirting instead of paying attention to the practice had made Ron blow up on them both, hence the extra assignment of cleaning the gear.

"Good. Let's hope there's something left from dinner," the young redhead said.

Harry locked the shed and the two started for the castle. "If not, we can always go nick something from the kitchens."

"True, very true, Dobby would take care of us," Ginny agreed.

Harry started to laugh.

"Stupefy!" a voice cried from the darkness, and flash of red lit up the evening gloom. It struck Ginny in the middle of the back and she fell face-first onto the ground.

Harry turned, his wand half-raised, when the voice cried out "Expelliarmus!" and his wand flew from his hand.

"Well, well, Potter, it seems all those hours of Defense class were totally wasted," Professor Severus Snape said as he stepped from the shadows.

"Professor," Harry narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "I see you've finally shown your colors, attacking two students from behind. I wonder what the Headmistress will think."

"She should thank me for what I'm about to do. They all should. Headmaster Dumbledore might have felt the need to indulge you for some personal reason, but he is no longer available to turn a blind eye to your arrogant ways." The Potions Master muttered a word Harry didn't recognize. Harry felt a slight tingle.

"And what exactly is it that you’re doing, sir?" Harry placed a nasty tone on the final word.

"What should have been done before the start of term. I've bound your powers, Potter. It was a simple matter to slip the potion in your drink at breakfast. All it needed was the triggering spell to make it complete."

"I see," Harry said calmly. "And I suppose the caster is the only one who can break the spell?"

"Really, Potter, your lack of knowledge never fails to amaze. Yes, only I or a wizard of immense power can remove the spell. Since Albus Dumbledore has passed away, and I doubt the Dark Lord will be in any hurry to release you, I suppose you'll have to get used to being little more than a squib." Snape smiled coldly.

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "You really think this is the answer?"

"You’re a menace, Potter. You have no respect for your elders and betters. You flaunt the rules. You've shown a careless disregard for human life. Your recklessness is a danger to us all. The sooner the magical community stops waiting for the Great Harry Potter to save them, the sooner we can get on with the dirty business of defeating Voldemort. You must be placed in check now, before we all pay for the Headmaster's misguided trust in you."

"I see," Harry said. "So you've decided to take matters into your own hands."

Snape stepped closer to him. "Yes, Potter, for the good of all, I will stop you." Snape's expression changed. "I was wrong about one thing, Potter."

"What was that, Professor?" Harry asked mildly.

"You're nothing like your father. He was as arrogant as you, but he was too incompetent to be a danger to those around him."

Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "It must be a sad life if all you can do is continue to hate a man who's been dead for over fifteen years." Harry sighed. "Are we done now, because if so, I need to revive Ginny, get some dinner, and report your actions to the Headmistress before I retire for the night."

Snape narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to Harry. "I think you fail to understand what has been done to you Potter. You'll not be doing any magic ever again. Go ahead, tried to revive your little paramour."

Harry smiled broadly. "Actually, I don't need to, she's coming around on her own."

Snape's sneer deepened. "Your appalling lack of magical knowledge continues. You cannot recover from a stunning unless a wizard casts a reviving spell–"

Ginny Weasley growled from behind the Potions Master.

Snape turned and faced the angry lioness, his eyes wide, his wand raised.

"Gin, could you be a sweetheart and inform Professor McGonagall or Vance about this little incident?"

Ginny gave a low growl.

"No, no, it's okay, I've got this under control," Harry assured her.

The tawny lioness turned and pounded toward the castle. Snape started to raise his wand.

"I wouldn't do that, Professor!" Harry said sharply. Snape turned to look at him. Harry smiled without humor. "You've already struck her with a spell once. I won't allow you to do so a second time."

"You, Potter, are in no position–"

Harry Potter reached a hand toward his wand. Without a word spoken, the wand came to him.

Snape stepped backward. His eyes widened in shock. "That's impossible," he whispered.

"No," Harry said softly. "You said it yourself. It would take a wizard of immense power to break the binding." Harry raised his wand. "Defend yourself, sir.”

Severus Snape was, for all of his disagreeable ways, a powerful wizard and expert duelist. He cast a disarming hex, two stunners and a bludgeoning spell with one breath.

Harry swatted the disarming hex away with a flick of his wand as if it were a mild annoyance. The first stunner he sidestepped, and as the second bore down on him, he seemed to visibly shimmer and shift around it. Calmly he cast Protego, sending the bludgeoning spell back to Snape, who barely deflected it. Harry stood at the ready.

"No," Snape said, backing away. "You cannot be Potter. Who are you?"

Harry's face held a calm, if stony expression. "What did you think I was doing during all those sessions with Dumbledore? Eating lemon sherbet and playing gobstones?"

Snape's eyes narrowed, "You were learning Occlumency."

Harry nodded, "Yes, among other things. Like how to duel, and how to fight. Coupled with Professor Vance's lessons on controlling my power, I've gotten quite good, don't you think Professor?"

"You arrogant little worm," Snape snarled. He cast a disrupting curse at Harry's wand, followed by a severing curse at his legs.

Harry spun away from the disrupter, then levitated over the severing curse. He smiled coolly at Snape. "Not bad, sir. Now it's my turn." Harry cast a series of hexes of escalating power.

Snape managed to block them all, but as he successfully batted the bat-bogey hex aside, he saw Potter smiling merrily at him. Severus Snape realized he was in serious trouble.

***

Ginny Weasley ran into the castle in her lion form. She startled Filch to the point of him passing out, then continued her mad dash in search of either Professor McGonagall or Vance. She found both of them, along with Professor Flitwick, in the Transfiguration Classroom, discussing defending the school should Voldemort attack.

Ginny transformed in front of the startled adults. "Professors, you have to come stop them!"

"Calm down, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said. "Now, what has happened?"

"Professor Snape ambushed Harry and me. He stunned me, then tried to bind Harry's magic."

"I see. And was he successful?" McGonagall asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No, all he did was make Harry mad."

Tiny Professor Flitwick spoke up. "I suppose we should go separate them."

"Yes," Vance agreed. "After I've finished my tea perhaps.

McGonagall nodded sagely. "Sugar, Emmeline?"

"No thank you, Minerva."

Flitwick looked from one to the other. "Aren't we going to do something?"

McGonagall nodded. "Yes. We're going to let the boys have it out so that they can establish who is the dominant one. Then we will go reassemble my Potions Master."

"Oh," Flitwick said, settling back into his chair.

Professor Vance turned toward Ginny. "Would you like a cup of tea, perhaps a biscuit?"

Ginny smiled and sat down. "That would be lovely."

McGonagall turned to her red-haired protégé. "I feel I must apologize again about all the events surrounding you Animagus abilities. I should not have let your mother pressure me."

Ginny waved the Headmistress' concerns away. "I've spoken to mum, and we've come to terms with it. I wish you'd all been truthful with me, but I think I can forgive and go on."

Flitwick turned an eager face toward her. "What is it like, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny smiled at him. "Well sir, it's–"

***

Severus Snape's cloak was smoldering. His robes were torn, and he was sure he had at least two broken ribs. Occasionally blood would drip down into his eyes, fogging his vision. He sat on his knees, panting. He looked at his opponent.

Harry Potter was a bit banged up himself. Snape had caught him with a couple of interesting combinations of curses, but for the most part, he was not seriously injured. A little winded, his right ankle was twisted, and there was an annoying numbness in his left arm, but really, mostly uninjured.

"Are we quite done, Professor?" Harry asked.

Snape slashed out with his wand, and the ground in front of Harry exploded, raw earth rising into the air. Harry was flung backward several feet. He landed in a crouch, his wand still pointed at Snape. He cast the exact same spell as Snape, blasting the Potions Master backward. Snape landed with a dull thud. Harry started limping toward his still body, hoping he had not actually killed the Potions Master by accident.

What he found took Harry by surprised. Severus Snape lay curled on the ground in tears, his mental shields collapsed, his mind open and broadcasting his despair to anyone with the power to hear it.

Harry saw Snape's own childhood, lived mostly in fear of his abusive father. Harry felt the relief Snape had felt once he was accepted at Hogwarts. He watched Snape's many encounters with the Marauders. Harry was given the quiet desperation of not living up to a father's expectations, no matter how hard Snape applied himself, or how well he did in school. He gave Harry his time as a Death Eater, including the night he helped torture a Muggle child to death. It was the night he contacted his Old Headmaster, lost and confused. He took missions from Dumbledore, spying, working against the Dark Lord. He had warned Dumbledore that Harry's parents were in danger. Harry saw Snape's feelings at the fall of Voldemort, and his great fondness for the man who had given him a second chance. And on the day Harry started Hogwarts, Snape had looked at Harry, and had seen James. Snape still, to this moment, did not understand why everyone seemed to think that this boy would save them.

Finally, Snape showed Harry his final secret. Harry nodded in understanding.

"You loved her," Harry said.

"Yes. Yes I did," Snape gasped out as he sat up. "And then she married Potter, and she died."

"She died saving her child," Harry whispered.

"She needn't have. If she'd only stayed away from him."

Harry was silent for several moments, then sighed. "Professor, there's something you should know."

"What?" Snape snapped.

Harry shared the complete prophecy with Severus Snape.

Snape gasped. He looked at Harry, his eyes most wide. "The Headmaster never intimated any of this."

"I'm sure he was afraid that Voldemort might get it from you."

Snape nodded. "A wise decision. You should not have told me, Potter. The fewer people that know, the less likely the Dark Lord is to discover your secret."

Harry smiled ruefully. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to tell Tom myself."

"He'll come for you when he learns of the entire prophecy," Snape said.

"I'm counting on it," Harry told him.