The Half-Blood Princess

Chapter 60- The Lonely Prince

Sabrina was terrified that she was going to bump into Voldemort in the dark, as she made her way through the passageway.
But to her relief, she managed to pass through the tunnel unopposed.
She pushed open the trap door and climbed inside the Shrieking Shack, extinguishing the light from her wand so that she didn't alert anyone to her presence.
The sound of movement in the room next door put Sabrina on high alert, and she began to slowly edge herself towards the door connecting the rooms.
When she peered through the gap in the door, she saw three figures huddled on the floor around a much larger body that wasn't moving.

Sabrina didn't even realise that she was screaming until she ran into the room and dropped to the floor beside her brother's body.
She pushed past Harry and his friends, and took hold of Severus's bloody hand.
He was losing blood quickly, and Sabrina knew that he was beyond healing.
"Don't leave me" begged Sabrina as she removed her mask and looked into her brother's eyes.
"Forgive me" mumbled Severus.
"There's nothing to forgive... I love you Sev" replied Sabrina.

Severus turned his head and looked at Harry.
"Look at me... You have your mother's eyes" whispered Severus.
A single tear fell from Severus's eye, before his body grew still and he stopped moving.
"No!" Cried Sabrina, as tears began to stream down her face.
She threw her arms around her brother, and held his still body close to her.
"He was your brother, wasn't he" Harry said quietly.
Sabrina sniffed loudly, and withdrew her arms from Severus.
"Yes. My big brother" replied Sabrina.

"So, your name is Sabrina Snape" mumbled Harry.
"I haven't been a Snape for a long time. I've always been a Prince. And when I wasn't a Prince, I was a Black. I never wanted anything to do with our filthy Muggle father" admitted Sabrina.
Hermione flinched at Sabrina's words.
"You misunderstand me. I am not prejudice against Muggle-borns, and I do not hate Muggles, just my father. And trust me, if you had known him, you'd hate him to. Severus was the only one who would protect me from our abusive father" continued Sabrina.
"Why did you never tell us that he was your brother?" Asked Harry.
"Can you honestly blame me for hiding the truth from you. I know how you feel about Severus, so I didn't want you to distrust me, because of him" answered Sabrina.

"I'm sorry that he's gone" said Harry.
"Thanks... How did it happen?" Questioned Sabrina.
"Voldemort had his snake bite him" revealed Harry.
"That blasted reptile. At least his death was quick... Why did the dark lord want him dead?"
"It's a long story, regarding the allegiance of a certain wand that Voldemort wanted to be loyal to him"
"So the dark lord never discovered that Severus was a traitor?"
"What do you mean?"
"My brother has been secretly helping Dumbledore, ever since the dark lord targeted your mother. He played his part well, and had the whole world hating him. But despite that, he never late his loyalty waver. He was loyal to Dumbledore right until the end".

"He gave me this before he died" announced Harry, as he raised a small vial that he was holding, which contained a strange substance inside.
"Is that a Pensive memory?" Asked Sabrina curiously.
"Yes" answered Harry.
"I guess he didn't want to die without ensuring that you knew everything he did to protect you"
"He hated me"
"He did. But that didn't stop him doing everything to help you and keep you safe from harm. His love for your mother never left, even when she died. I'm sure you'll see that when you watch the memory and realise everything that he has done for you over the years".

Harry placed the vial securely in his pocket, intending to watch the memory as soon as possible.
Suddenly a cold and eery voice rang through the building, making the hairs on the back of Sabrina's neck stand up.
"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and is wasteful. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured" commanded Voldemort.

Sabrina shivered, as Voldemort sounded so close to her, almost as if he were in the room with them.
"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then the battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself. Harry Potter, I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me... One hour" continued Voldemort.

"Don't listen to him" said Ron quickly, as he looked nervously at Harry.
"It'll be alright. Let's get back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest, we'll have to think of a new plan" admitted Hermione.
Harry said nothing, and Sabrina could tell that he could still hear Voldemort's voice ringing in his ears, as she could.
"If the dark lord enters the battle, it will be a blood bath. He'll kill everyone. In the first war he very rarely went on missions. So if he fights in this battle, we will lose" Sabrina said quietly.

"Then we will have to stop him before then. We will have to destroy the final Horcrux, before the other is up" insisted Hermione.
"If the dark lord is in the forest, then so are all his death eaters. Which means you'll never be able to kill Nagini before the dark lord captures you" admitted Sabrina.
"Well, we'll have to come up with something. We can't let him win. Not when we are this close to defeating him" replied Hermione.

"We should go back to school" Harry announced, as he stood to his feet, and stepped away from Severus's body.
His friends stood up to join him, but Sabrina stayed put.
"Aren't you coming?" Asked Harry.
"No, not yet. I need a moment alone with my brother. Besides, him and me aren't exactly welcome at Hogwarts with the rest of the fighters. We are ex death eaters, afterall" admitted Sabrina.
"But it's not safe for you here"
"I know. But for now, I'm going to stay here".
Harry and the others turned to go, but Sabrina stopped them.
"Wait a minute! You don't have another container on you, do you?" She asked.

Hermione stepped forward and handed Sabrina a flask from inside her bag.
Sabrina then placed the tip of her wand to her forehead and drew out all of her memories that showed Severus in a good light.
She then placed the memories inside the flask and handed it to Harry.
"I don't know what memories my brother has given you. But in case you still aren't convinced that his heart was in the right place all along, I want you to watch some of my memories too" revealed Sabrina.
"Thank you" replied Harry, as he took the flask from her, and headed out of the shack with his friends by side, leaving Sabrina alone with her brother's body.