Riddle Me This

Chapter 51

Catherine's POV

We went to the Great Hall, as my father was at least merciful enough to allow us to dispose of our dead. When Harry, Hermione, Ron and I entered, most of the bodies were there. I took a deep breath as I took my wand out and flicked it, creating sheets for the bodies, each a color for the house they were in. Some people thanked me, while others glared. A few even cursed me verbally. I just bowed my head and stepped out of the room. McGonagall found me in the hall.

"Smith?" She said gently. I looked up to her from my spot on the floor. "You are not your father's child, you are welcome in the Great Hall." I shook my head.

"No... I... I need to go dispose of... Papa." I burst into tears again, and McGonagall kneeled next to me, pulling me into her arms. "He killed him. He killed him because the Elder Wand wasn't loyal to him. So he killed my Papa." McGonagall held me tighter.

"Come. I'll help you." She said gently, before standing up with me and coming with me to the boat house. Seeing him lie there again was almost too much, but McGonagall helped me bring his body back to the castle. People stared as we came in with him. Some had the nerve to spit on him, and it took Hermione and Neville to keep me from hexing them to death.

We laid Papa far from the others, were I could cry over him openly. I moved my wand over him, healing his body. Once I was done I smiled softly.

"There Papa. Good as new." I grabbed his hand, dead cold, and began to talk to him. "Remember when I was five, and I almost blew up your potions lab because I was messing with your ingredients and was trying to brew a potion that would turn mature mandrakes purple?" I giggled softly. "Or third year when I made the perfect shrinking solution, but accidently spilled it on Crabbe's book and it took you three weeks to not only clean up the mess, but get Crabbe's book back to normal size without the use of Engorgio?" I smiled softly. "Grandma told me that my first word was Papa, and it was when I was in your lap. You were so surprised she said, and that she had never seen you so happy and confused in her entire life." I turned to him. "Or when I was in my 'I wanna marry this person' stage when I was six. You promised to walk me down the aisle, and that you'd make sure that whoever was taking my hand would know that if they ever hurt me, you'd be after them. That though you weren't proud to have been a Death Eater once, that you would use that to your advantage, and make sure they knew that I was to be treasured, because no one would find a girl as sweet or troublesome as me." I squeezed his hand. "Who's supposed to now?!" I ignored the eyes that turned to me. "Who's supposed to walk me down the aisle? To tell me I'm an idiot but you can't choose my husband for me? To give me advice at three in the morning when my daughter won't go to bed, or make sure my son knows that being a Hufflepuff is fine as long as he's not taken advantage of for being so kind hearted? To tell me everything's going to be alright when my nightmares become too strong? To be blunt and tell me that I'm too nice? Who's going to be there when I need a father?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Hermione. I automatically clung to her and sobbed.

"Cat." She said softly. "Harry will kill him. Harry will avenge Snape for you."

"And I'll turn in every single Death Eater that turned up today. To bring justice to the lives lost today." I said. Hermione nodded and we stood. "Go to Ron, Hermione. He needs you." I said as I looked over to the Weasley family that was still mourning the loss of Fred.

"Cat-" I shook my head.

"Go to him." She nodded slowly before heading over to Ron. I looked back to Severus and pulled my wand out again. With a wave, I made a silver sheet to lay on him, and once it had settled, I sat back down.

I stayed there until the next day came, and when I noticed everyone moving, I followed them outside, moving to the front to see the Death Eaters, and Hagrid off to the side, holding Harry.