Parting Gift

“You lose.”

Snape scowled.

Harry pressed the tip of his wand against the man’s chest. “There’s no way I could miss.”

The angry fire in Snape’s eyes died. “Go ahead, then.” He looked away. “Death was the best I ever hoped for.”

Harry blinked. With a few words of despair, the man had stolen all triumph from Harry’s victory.

He lowered his wand. “Get up.”

“What?” Snape looked incredulous.

“You’re going to help me fix some of what you’ve broken.”

Snape arched a brow. “How do you know I’ll help you?”

Harry looked grim. “I don’t. I can only hope.”

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“You must know where he’s hidden the last Horcrux.”

“We’ve been overthis.”

“But he trusts you!”

Snape laughed bleakly. “Albus trusted me. Look where it got him. He never will.”

Harry sighed in frustration, dragging a hand through his hair.

“There’s...one possibility,” Snape offered. “Here.”

“Hogwarts? Really?”

Snape shrugged. “There’s no place like home.”

“The Chamber of Secrets...” Harry breathed. He turned away.

Snape clutched his sleeve. “Wait.” Harry glanced down, and the man recoiled, dropping his hand.

“I...should go.”

Snape looked away. “I shouldn’t have dared to hope.”

Slowly, Harry reached out. “You should always dare to hope.”

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“We won.”

Snape cupped the back of Harry’s neck. Harry groaned, and Snape gave up trying to move the boy. He was too badly hurt.

Snape looked down. His hands were bloody. Again.

He stroked Harry’s cheek. “I’ll be back.”

Harry weakly gripped his arm. “Don’t go.”

“I must get help. If I don’t go now, there will be no hope.” Snape’s rich voice trembled.

Harry’s face softened into a smile. “Hope. Right. Hope...is important.”

Snape hastened away.

It wasn’t until much later that he realized it had been the last bit of hope that Harry could give him.