Chapter 4

Harry stood at the doors to the Great Hall for a moment. This wasn't going to be easy, but he knew that doing the right thing seldom was. How many times over the years had he been persecuted for doing what he knew was the right thing? More times than he could count.

He finally opened the doors to the Great Hall and found that the celebratory feast was finally winding down. Several students were at the doors when he entered.

“What are you doing withhim, Harry? He's a murderer!” one of the students shouted.

At that, every conversation in the room stopped, and all eyes turned towards the back of the room. Harry ignored the stares and the whispers as he made his way towards the front of the Great Hall. He could feel every eye upon him as he finally came to a stop at the front of the room.

“Many lives have been lost,” Harry said, looking out across the room. “We have honoured them, and mourned for them, and we keep their memories safe in our hearts. We will speak of them with love and with only fond memories. They are heroes in our hearts and minds.”

He paused as he heard quiet sniffles and an occasional blowing of a nose.

“But there is one person who died in this war who was looked upon with contempt and with hatred. He died a lonely death, and he was left alone in the Shrieking Shack. No one went back to get his body to give him honour. He was no one's hero. Yet, his task was the hardest of anyone's.”

Looking at the student who had first spoken to him when he'd entered the Great Hall, he said, “You call Professor Snape a murderer. I call him a hero. He left for me some memories, so that I could know what truly happened.”

He looked at Professor McGonagall, who was watching him closely with a grim look upon her face.

“Professor Dumbledore was dying a painful death. He asked Professor Snape to kill him because he knew that Draco Malfoy would not be able to carry out his mission.” Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, where he saw Draco looking very uncomfortable. Before turning his head, he saw Narcissa nod at him in thanks.

At this he saw Professor McGonagall dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief.

“Professor Dumbledore trusted him when no one else would, and I, for one, will honour his memory.”

Just then he could hear shuffling of feet, and Ron and Hermione came forward to stand beside him. Hermione transfigured a chair into a table, and Harry laid his body upon it. The silence that followed was deafening.

* * *

Harry stood between the two tombs. The funeral had ended just a few hours before, and it was nearly time for him to leave Hogwarts for the last time. Going over to the black tomb, which stood in stark contrast to the white one beside it, he traced his fingers over the lettering which Professor McGonagall herself had requested.

Severus Snape

Hero

“Thank you, Harry Potter.”

Harry looked around, but didn't see anything. He wondered if he had imagined what he heard. Just then, he saw a doe walking across the lawn. She stopped and looked at him and then bounded off into the woods.

“You're welcome, Professor Snape.”