kbinnz - Harry's New Home

"I mean, 'Darth Vader' is a really good name for a bad guy. Or even 'Skeletor' or тАУ"

"Enough, Potter. I doubt the Dark Lord would be troubled by your disapproval."

"Well, I mean, was that his real name, or was he just trying to sound all wicked and tough?" Harry pressed. "There was this girl in my school an' her real name was Janice, but when she was nine she decided she wanted to be called 'Angelique' an' she refused to answer if you used her real name. Is that what he did? You know, the bad wizard? Just came up with a new name?"

Snape couldn't believe that, with all of the revelations that had swirled about the boy's head that morning, the brat was focusing on the Dark Lord's choice of title. "He was born 'Tom Marvolo Riddle'. He assumed the title тАУ" he tapped the parchment " тАУ in an effort to distance Himself from His less than ideal parentage."

"Did he have a rotten childhood then?" Harry asked. "In school they said that a lot of criminals had bad childhoods and that's why they behave that way. Or they're not really criminals; they're actually crazy but they aren't getting the medication they need. Was that his problem?"

Again, Snape was forced to fight back unmanly giggles at the innocent question. The idea that the Dark Lord's activity could be attributed to a lack of тАУ what did the Muggles call it? тАУ 'mood altering medication' was quite appealing. Perhaps if they had laced Voldemort's pumpkin juice with a few potions, he would have been happy to work in the Ministry alongside Arthur Weasley? "No," he managed to say, quite firmly. "The Dark Lord was not the innocent victim of mental illness nor can any childhood, no matter how appalling, excuse his actions. He was an evil person who wished to rule the world by destroying all dissent and terrorizing the populace into following his dictates. He embraced a hateful and inaccurate philosophy that implied that certain people were better than others due to their bloodlines. He despised Muggles and anyone with ties to them."

"If he was such a bad guy, why would anybody join him?"

Snape nearly flinched. The questions were beginning to get uncomfortably close to home. "He was an extremely powerful wizard. That in itself is attractive to many тАУ the idea of being associated with someone whose magical strength is so great. Many find power intoxicating, particularly those who have traditionally been in positions of weakness." Harry frowned, but nodded. "Others, while not attracted to his strength, nevertheless feared to oppose him because of it. Some embraced his philosophy as it enabled them to feel superior to others, even or perhaps especially when they were significantly less impressive and accomplished than those whom they damned as lesser creatures. And many тАУ perhaps most тАУ wizards and witches were content to ignore the whole thing and let others fight the battle for them."

"Like my mum and dad fought him?" Harry asked quietly.

Snape felt a heaviness settle in his chest. "Yes."

"They were fighting him, an' he tried to kill them because some witch said something about a baby an' he thought it was me?"

"Yes. It was prophesied that a child would be born who could defeat him. The Dark Lord sought to find and destroy the baby. You were identified as a potential candidate and your parents took you into hiding. They were eventually betrayed and the Dark Lord found you."

Harry's eyes were bright with tears. "An' he killed them and tried to kill me an' I killed him an' got this scar," he finished. "Hermione showed me a book about it."

Snape hated what he had to say next, but he knew in the long run it was better to make the boy aware of what he would have to face. "It is not clear that you killed the Dark Lord, Potter," he said as dispassionately as he could. "You clearly vanquished Him, but it is possible that He is merelyтАж missing."

Harry's eyes were wide. "You mean he could come back?"

"It is possible. Some of His followers still believe that He will, and they remain loyal to Him."

"But the book said the war was over!"

"Books say many things which are inaccurate."

"Don't tell that to Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. Then a shadow passed over his face. "So there are people out there who still support him? They probably don't like me."

"That is correct. It is also why it is important for you to study hard to be able to protect yourself тАУ and others whom you care about," he added swiftly, realizing that Harry's sense of self-preservation was underdeveloped.

"So that's why those boys went after me?"

Snape nodded. "They held you responsible for their families' misfortunes, ignoring the fact that their families brought the events upon themselves through their actions."

"Are there other kids here at school who won't like me 'cause of what happened with Volauvent?" Harry was so concerned with his question, he didn't realize he was still using the wrong name.

Snape decided to ignore it as well. If Harry made that mistake in public, it would likely be mistaken for Gryffindor bravado, and that might not be a bad thing. If the Dark Lord did come back, finding out He was being called a flaky pastry might so infuriate Him that He would miss with His first few Unforgivables. "There are those at Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world who will despise you for those events, just as there are many more who will unjustifiably laud you for the same." At Harry's blank look, he rephrased things. "Some people will like you for it, and some will hate you for it."

"But that's just stupid! I don't even remember it, not really! I'm just Harry тАУ why can't people just see me and not this scar?" Harry pushed back his fringe angrily.

"Many people are foolish sheep who cannot be troubled to think for themselves."

"But you do! You don't just see the scar! You see me," Harry said. "Why can't others?"

Snape colored. It hadn't been the scar that had blinded him to the boy at first; it had been Harry's resemblance to James. Was he in fact any better than those who either fawned all over the brat or wished him dead, all on the basis of that lightning-shaped scar?

"As I say, Mr Potter, the majority of people are too stupid or lazy to draw their own conclusions. This is what makes people like Ms Skeeter so powerful and allows idiots like Cornelius Fudge to be elected Minister. You need to be aware of this and be careful not to begin believing the nonsense that others spout."

Harry played absently with his crisps for a few minutes. Finally he looked up and asked, "Pr'fessor, why'd that lady reporter call you a Death Eater?"

Snape swallowed hard, forcing his expression to remain unchanged. "A Death Eater," he began, "is a follower of the Dark Lord."

Harry's head came up fast, eyes huge. "Of Voldethingie! But you're not тАУ"

"I was."

To his surprise, Harry neither recoiled nor ran screaming from the room. Instead, the boy stared intensely at him, as if trying to read his soul. "But the Headmaster said you were a spy," he said finally. "I heard him."

"I was." Snape took a sip of water. "I joined the Dark Lord when I was very young and very foolish. When I came to realize the enormity of my mistake, I went to the Headmaster and asked him for help. With his assistance, I became a spy in the hopes of helping to hasten the Dark Lord's downfall."

"So you don't still support Voldevent?" Harry pressed cautiously.

"No, though many still believe I do, as you observed from Ms Skeeter's questions."

Harry huffed. "Well, she's just stupid."

Snape coolly raised an eyebrow, though the boy's declaration had caused a warm feeling to blossom in his chest.

"Well, she is," Harry insisted. "And so is anyone who believes her. It's just as dumb as all those people who think they know me 'cause of my scar. They just think they know you because of what that reporter says."