Because You Love Me

61. Dead or Alive

 Harry woke up the next morning with a bad headache. Ron was already up and sitting on his bed, his knees pulled into his chest. It was obvious that he had been crying. HIs eyes were red and puffy.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry told him. It had made about the thousandth time that he had said it now. Ron had been up when he got in last night and he had made it a point to beg for Ron's forgiveness.

"Harry, seriously, if you say that one more time I'm going to curse you with my wand," Ron growled. "It wasn't your fault. I talked to Fred and George last night. They feel the same way. It's Percy who might be the only one who has a problem with you and his opinion really doesn't matter. Fred told me he went ballistic when Mum and Dad told him what happened, that he said he always knew you were trouble. He told him to shove off before he decked him. I went to see them after you'd gone to sleep. Mum and Dad didn't really say much about it. Mum was crying too hard to say anything and Dad was just silent. But I'm sure they won't blame you either, Harry." He paused and took a deep breath. He wanted to change the subject. "Can you believe this is our last day here?"

Harry sat there for a moment and let his words sink in. So Ron, Fred, and George didn't blame him, but the rest of his family was not accounted for. For now, he could live with that. "Not really. The year has flown by, but I am looking forward to seeing my mother again. And Hermione."

"Snape surprised me by being down there in the chamber with us. Just showing up like that, he must really care about you, Harry."

"He does," Harry confirmed. "He treats me like a son, especially since Mum was petrified."

Ron smiled. "That's good. It seems like you've gained your family back. Part of it anyway."

He grinned. "Yeah. I guess I have."

Ron got down off the bed. He as already fully dressed, Harry noticed. "Get ready," he suggested, "and we'll go for a walk before the feast."

Harry continued to grin. "I'd like that." It would give him a chance to tell Ron everything without prying eyes and ears.

Ten minutes later, he and Ron were walking out of the castle chatting casually about the night before. Harry told Ron everything that had gone down in the Chamber of Secrets, including Voldemort's return. He answered any questions his friend had about Ginny too, and before they knew it, they were down at the Black Lake. They liked to go down there sometimes to get away and just hang out.

"It's beautiful down here," Ron commented. "Especially with the sun out."

"You're right," Harry agreed. "It is." He looked down at his feet. He frowned as something black caught his eyes. It was laying in the grass, half hidden by the tall blades. He bent down to see what it was and immediately picked it up.

"What is it, Harry?"

Harry's mouth went dry. "It's a wand." He held it up for Ron to see. "And not just any wand, Ron. It's Snape's."

Ron studied it for a moment. "What would Snape's wand be doing all the way out here without him?"

"I don't know," Harry said, his stomach filling with dread. "Let's look around. See what we can see. Maybe something out here will give us the answer to that question."

Harry and Ron searched the banks of the Black Lake for a long time, but they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It wasn't until they went through a thicket of bushes and trees and came out on the other side that Ron pointed to the edge of the bank there in front of them. There was a black heap of clothing half in grass, half in the water.