Mistake

Type: One shot
Rating: PG
Genre: General. a little sad
Characters: James, Harry's grandson
Language: English. Not that I can speak English, just want to try...
Beta-reader: Illyria Pffyffin
Disclaimer: As usual

If you want to read this FF in Bahasa Indonesia, go here

Grandad Harry comes out of his room, taking a washbasin and a little towel. Well. This is what I’m looking for.

I step closer. Grandad Harry sees me. “What’s up, Little James?”

“Can I see him?”

Grandad Harry smile. “I’ll bathe him first, then you can come in. Allright?”

I nod. I sit in front that room, the one next to Grandad Harry’s room. Grandad Harry enters the room carrying the washbasin and little towel.

After several minutes, he opens the door. “Come in,” he whispers.

I walk in, slowly. The hush and tension in the room makes me feel as though a bomb were about to blow off there.

But no. Nothing in this room can explode.

There’s an old man in the room, older than Grandad Harry. His hair is gray and greasy. His nose is shaped like a hook. His eyes are black, gazing at nothing.

“Do you want to feed him?” Grandad Harry hands me a plate of porridge.

Slowly I take the plate from him. When Dad was ill, or when Mum had just had baby—my little sister—I enjoy feeding them. ‘Our precious nurse’ they call me.

This one is very hard to feed.

Grandad Harry shows me how to do it. Slowly, little by little, it takes a long time. And in the end there’s still a lot of porridge in the plate.

I turn to Grandad Harry.

“Grandad Harry, who is he actually?”

Grandad Harry remains quiet.

He puts down the porridge spoon. Then he places the plate on the table. He looks at me seriously.

“James, I want you to listen. And don’t make the same mistake,”

I nod, confused.

“His name is Severus Snape. He was my teacher, James,” His voice sounds strange. It’s as if … he were making a speech.

“We all, McGonagall, all the other of my teachers, every friends of mine, Arthur, Molly, everyone had made the same mistake. Only Remus and Hermione suspected how heavy the burden Severus had to shoulder as a spy,” Grandad Harry gazes intently at the frail body on the bed.

“When The War came to an end, Severus was caught, and executed. Without trials, James, without trials,” His voices trembles, weakening.

“__After Voldemort died, we found the memory of Albus Dumbledore. This memory can only be found when Voldemort died. It showed that Albus had really instructed Severus Snape to kill him. Just like in spy stories, but this one is for real.

Grandad Harry takes a deep breath. He puts his hand on my shoulder. “When we found the memory, Severus had already been Kiss-ed by a Dementor.” His voice turns bitter. “His soul had already been suck out. He had nothing in his body, no feeling, no mind, nothing…”

I listen, horrified.

“Can’t you do anything?”

“No. I looked at the books like mad along with Ron and Hermione. We tried to find famous wizards and witches who could cure the Kiss. It was useless. Nothing could bring his soul back. His soul had gone, vanished.”

“Grandad, is he the reason why you fought to eliminate the Kiss?”

Grandad Harry nods. “That’s true. Ever since I had struggle to abolish the Kiss. It took several years, but eventually it was banned, along with the withdrawal of the Dementors from their position as guards of Azkaban.”

I nod, not fully comprehending.

“You may sit here for a while,” Grandad Harry says. He leaves me alone. Err, I mean, with Severus.

So Grandad Harry had brought Severus back to his home. Grandad Harry and Grandmum Ginny have looked after him ever since. I know sometimes Dad and Mum stand in for Grandad and Grandmum taking care of Severus. For instance, when Grandad Harry has to go out of town. Not only Dad and Mum, others too, like my uncles and aunts, or the other uncles and aunts, sons and daughters of Ron and Hermione.

I come closer. I sit on the bed.

Severus’ face wears no expression. Just like doll. A doll that can eat, can breath. But has no mind, no feeling.

I take several strands of his hair that fall down to his shoulder. I tuck them behind his ear.

I kiss both of his cheeks. “You must be Grandad Harry’s most favourite teacher,” I whisper.

There are two tear drops sliding down from the corners of Severus eyes.

FIN