This was not how Snape wanted to spend his Saturday morning. Get him a dream to shatter or a bubble to pop, and fine. He'd do it. No questions asked. Hell, he'd even consider not failing Longbottom this year for a change if he could get out of doing this. But no. Snape was not a lucky man. And his assignment this time?
He had to kidnap Potter.
Typically he would warn Dumbledore and by the time they got there to see the Order gathered around, the mission was long called off and the boy was none the wiser. Snape wanted to laugh. He almost did, but it was more of a scoff. He had never met a boy as naive and spoiled rotten than Mr. Harry Potter, Savior of The Wizarding World. All that fame, and to think, it was his mother all along. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' Severus thought, and then stopped, because Lily Potter and hell were his two least favorite thoughts that showed up in his head almost daily. Right now he had to focus on his mission, because Malfoy and Pettigrew were there too, and this time, there would be no help.
At least not from the side he was rooting for.
The three death eaters kept a long stride up to the door, which the potions professor promptly reducioed with enough force that it was no larger than a speck of dust. Wormtail, no doubt, stepped on it with his meaty leg. Really. While he was not fond of the Marauders, Snape had to admit that Peter's nickname was just as wide as he was, and the word 'rat', just as short.
The brat's uncle, Snape saw as Vernon came around the corner, was even fatter. Mr. Dursely, it seemed, was on his way to inventing a new shade of purple. This rather interested Severus who, while not as learned in the field of anatomy as he was in DADA, thought that to be impossible. 'It was more of a very dark red trying to blend into green, but caught in the middle,' He recalled later.
"Lucius," Snape said. "Handle the cretin." And before he could argue, Snape was already addressing Wormtail, who was already looking terrified. "The man has a family somewhere, Peter." He spat the name out like he would his father's. "Make yourself useful and find them. Unless," He paused. "You like being worthless?"
"I-I-" Peter stammered, but before he could collect his thoughts, there was a crash from upstairs.
Harry.
Snape strode up the stairs, taking two at a time. The brat was always making things difficult. He addressed his cohorts without looking over his shoulder, talking more to himself than to them.
"As for me, I unfortunately have the displeasure of handling the...child."
He had no idea this mission would alter his life's storyline for years to come.
He had no clue at all.