Severus Snape sat -quietly turning over what he'd been told in his head- for several minutes. He was startled when a knock sounded on his office door. It was Draco.
"You sent for me, sir?"
"Yes, come in, Draco. Take a seat. I have something for you." He used his wand to close his office door and set up a few privacy wards. "You are still having problems with the attack?"
Draco drooped and looking at his lap he said, "Yes, sir."
"Draco, the shame of what happened is not on you, indeed it belongs to Lockhart and to myself and the other faculty for not protecting you."
"But- I'm the one he… he-"
"I know. But you are not at fault. Be quiet a moment. I have helped you keep this secret, have I not? I have brewed potions for you, yes?"
Draco nodded, unsure of where this was going.
"In the magical world among magicals rape is unheard of, we have no means by which we can counsel those who are raped or almost raped. This is not the case in the muggle world. I have in between my duties here at school sought out muggle rape counselors and made an effort to learn what they know. I have done this because your father would never consent to send you to a muggle therapist. I will ask that you read these books, Draco. Do the exercises in them, and I will come and talk to you we can discuss these books or anything else when I come each week. This must stay between us, Draco. If your father knew of it, he would surely forbid it. I believe if you and I do this then you may get better. You do wish to get better?"
"Yes, I do and I understand." Draco took the books. He found himself wondering if this was what Harry had meant. He had a great respect for the other boy. His father would be furious to hear him say it, but he did. Harry kept his word: he had not told anyone, he had not mocked Draco for his nightmares, he had not insulted Draco or his family unless provoked, he even had followed through and burned Draco's belongings when they were left on his side of the room. Potter took care of his friends, he worked hard for the things he got and expected neither praise or adulation. He was a good person. He would act for the benefit of others even if it gained him nothing as long as the cost was worth it in his mind. His biggest fault that Draco could see was he had a temper. He was slow to trust and even slower to forgive.
Draco found it odd that he did want Harry's forgiveness, for his actions first year. It had taken a long time but Draco had come to understand that he had overreacted to Potter's words. He had even come to see that he had partly deserved it and that the timing of that confrontation was positively Slytherin, despite the other boy's Gryffindorkish traits. Given all of those things Draco honestly wanted to be counted as one of Harry's friends. He knew however, after what was said first year that his father would forbid it, and that his father wasn't above using the children of his fellow Death Eaters to spy on his son's activities.
....
Albus Dumbledore was surprised when Severus Snape made an appointment to see him. He had just returned from a rather unpleasant meeting between the Unspeakable known as Croaker, himself, Amelia Bones in her capacity of head of DMLE, Arthur Weasley, and the Minister.
The Unspeakable had just informed them that Tom Marvolo Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort was still in one sense alive in that he had made horcruxes and therefore could be resurrected by means of dark ritual, or through the means of possession as had apparently been attempted by whomever had given little Ginny Weasley the diary. The Unspeakable had said their testing showed that the diary's soul fragment was large and that they had tested to see if he had made others. They had traced at least two others as being in London before necessity forced them into destroying the diary. Which would account for the increasing madness characteristic of his last rise to power. The others would need to be hunted down and destroyed ASAP or they might be facing a return of Lord Voldemort. If he had made three then it was highly probable that he had tried to make seven there by splitting his soul into eight - the symbol of infinity turned perpendicular.-parts The diary had been destroyed by means of fiendfyre and the drain on Ginny Weasley had been stopped before she died.
Fudge had been appalled and had tried to deny that it was possible.
The Unspeakable Croaker put a stop to that rather quickly, "As little as any of us want this to be true, denial will not help. Minister, you need to act in ways to support the DMLE so they can get stronger through training and through adding aurors rather that cutting their funding, and enable them to work with my department to track down these things and destroy them. We won't have to deal with a returned Dark Lord, or if we do we'll be better off than if you wait until he's back. If you do this, I will be content to maintain the fiction that you're a competent minister. However, if you bury your head in the sand like the ostrich you are so fond of being and continue to take bribes from those of questionable ties, I will publish my findings and be sure to point my finger towards you as the source of the coverup. I wonder how long it would take to generate a vote of no confidence?"
Fudge had all but peed his pants, and Amelia's budget had been doubled.
Albus had returned to his office, annoyed that the information about Tom's survival technique was now known by so many. It might make things awkward. He had to work on getting into the proper genial mindset before Severus got to his office.
"Yes, Severus, what is it?"
"You know the plan we made to brick over the girls' bathroom?"
"Yes."
"Well, it might not be necessary."
Albus' attention snapped to the Head of Slythern House. "And why not?"
"First, I need you to give me a wizard's oath not to tell anyone this information, not without first getting Mr. Potter's permission."
"Is that truly necessary, Severus?"
"He required that same oath of me, Headmaster."
"Very well. I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, swear on my magic not to share the information given to me without the express permission of Harry James Potter."
Severus looked around and noticed several of the paintings in Albus' office taking a large interest in their conversation so he cast a quick muffliato just to be sure.
"Harry Potter came and confessed to me that he is a parselmouth."