Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me. I won't even claim the plot.

Alright, alright! I know I always forget to update! For those of you who were with the old version-either one- thanks for staying. For you new readers, welcome aboard. This story has been redone because I was unhappy with the way a lot had gone, and made major changes, such as changing it from Snape's direct POV to an indirect POV. If it sounds familiar, that's because it is. And without further ado, chapter one!

The Potion Master's Redemption

Chapter One

I Begin Again

Excerpt from the Journal of
Severus Tobias Snape

I am no coward.
I, Severus Snape, am no coward.
I was a spy for both Lord Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore for more than twenty years. Therefore, I am most certainly not a coward.
And yet…I've stayed away from that place for seventeen years. Seventeen years, and I have not set foot within in five miles of it.
Is that cowardly?
It was for their good. They didn't need me. They didn't need me around. No-one knew whose they were. It was best that I stayed away. My reputation would only cause pain to them. To the whole world. Minerva protested, of course. Offered me the position of Deputy Headmaster and Potion's Master, as well as other things. But I refused. I couldn't do it.
But why am I doing it now, I wonder? Is it because of some childish fantasy?
The letter from the Headmistress sits directly in front of me right now. I haven't touched it since I read it. I'm tempted to accept. But should I? Will I cause them pain? Am I being a coward, not accepting? Or am I just being a complete fool, accepting?
I don't understand. And I hate not understanding something.

The tall figure held the edges of his cloak tightly between his fingers as he looked up at the looming structure.

Hogwarts.

Severus Snape had not seen the school in seventeen years, since the death of the Dark Lord, and would rather have kept it that way. But a debt owed to the school had called him back, and back he would stay. He paused for a minute more before making his way swiftly to the gates, where he lifted a pale hand and knocked firmly on the great wooden doors.

An answering knock came from within and a burly voice called, "State yer name and business!"

"It is Severus Snape, come to see Headmistress McGonagall about the Potions position," Severus answered smoothly, stepping back from the gate.

There was a rattle of locks, and out poked the burly form of Hagrid. The half-giant looked around for a moment before looking down to notice the visitor. His black eyes crinkled into a friendly smile and he exclaimed with warmth, "Welcome back, Professor!" He stepped to the side, a crossbow in hand, and gestured for Severus to enter. The man did so, and Hagrid slammed the door behind me. "Ye can take the floo if you likes, Professor," he said pointing to a fireplace with a hand the size of a bin lid.

"I'd rather walk, Hagrid," Severus said, pacing past him into the hall before a response could be made.

It was, of course, a school day, with children rushing all around to their classes. Snape had made it nearly to the base of the stairs before someone called his name. "Professor Snape!"

He stopped slightly, closing his eyes in frustration for a moment. When he opened them again, there was a familiar figure in dark blue teacher's robes standing before him. "Longbottom," he greeted his former student coolly. "Whatever are you doing here?"

Neville Longbottom raised an eyebrow, sweeping a hand across his hair. "I'm an ornament, sir," he said sarcastically. He lifted a hand, gesturing around the hall. "I'm the Herbology teacher."

Severus raised a slender eyebrow in barely-masked surprise.. "Really?"

Longbottom smirked, twirling his wand between his fingers. "You sound surprised."

"I didn't know you possessed any talent in that particular subject," Snape responded in a bored tone.

If anything Longbottom's smirk deepened, and he opened his mouth to answer, but something about a pair of fourth year Gryffindors that pushed past caught his attention, and he said instead, "See you, Professor!" He moved quickly after the students, calling in a stern tone, "McCauley! Swift! No Fanged Frisbees allowed!"

Severus smirked and swept up the stairs to his meeting.

"Severus!" the happy cry of Minerva McGonagall greeted her former colleague as he opened the door and stepped into the room. Minerva, Snape noted, hadn't changed much over the years. She had the same sharp profile, imposing gray hair that was now streaked with white, and her usual stern black robes. Her grey eyes seemed weary, and she had new lines on her face. Of course, that was unsurprising, seeing as she was Headmistress.

Severus dipped his head. "Hello, Minerva."

"You look well, Severus," she said with a wry smile. "It's been, what, seventeen years?"

"To the day," he answered, stepping the rest of the way into the office and closing the door behind himself.

Minerva smiled widely as she made her way to her desk and sat down, motioning for him to sit across from her. Severus did so, and Minerva shuffled some papers on her desk. "You are sure you want to do this?"

"I am," Severus answered coolly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Making Potions for St. Mungo's can only hold ones interest for so long."

Minerva nodded slowly, scanning a roll of parchment before her. "Yes, I quite understand. Here," she said, passing him the scroll. "your contract. Of course, you know what to do."

Severus nodded slightly and picked up a quill, bringing it to the paper, but he paused and set it down, looking up at Minerva. "What went on after I-" he paused, suddenly, not sure how to phrase the rest of his question.

"Left?" Minerva supplied, looking up from her desk.

He nodded.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest. "Not much, really. Not that was unexpected. Harry Potter was offered a post as an Auror, but he refused, saying something about 'Is that a joke? The Ministry nearly killed me and they want me to work for them?'" She chuckled lightly and shook her head. "From that, Hogwarts gained a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as well as Neville Longbottom as the Herbology teacher and Ginny Potter as the Quidditch referee."

Severus tensed slightly and leaned forwards in his chair. "Ginny Potter?"

Minerva smiled slightly. "Yes, didn't you know? They sent you an invitation…Well, the Potters live at Hogwarts, which all four of their children attend. They adopted Teddy Lupin, who Head Boy and a member of Ravenclaw, and of their natural children, Nikolas is a fourth year Gryffindor, Alexander a third year Slytherin, and Lily a first year Ravenclaw."

"And the Weasleys?"

A calm but angry expression came over Minerva's face and she sighed loudly. "The only surviving Weasleys are George, his adopted son Andrew, and Charlie, still in Romania." "What happened?" "There is a new dark group, calling themselves 'The Dark Is Rising'," Minerva said frostily, her eyes snapping with anger. "They murdered the Weasleys when the family was gathered at the Burrow to celebrate George's adoption of Andrew. Only Charlie, George, and Andrew survived, and barely. Charlie lost a leg, George came very close to losing his head, and Andrew lost his right arm from the elbow."

"What about…" Severus breathed softly, his dark eyes intent. "What about Granger?"

A change came over the Headmistress' stern face, her features softening slightly. She leaned back into her chair again, smiling sadly. "Miss Granger…she suffered greatly. She and Ronald Weasley were very close friends indeed, and she would have been at the celebration except for some complications. After his death, she threw herself into her schooling. She graduated from Hawthorne College of Magic with honors, and came here to teach Transfiguration. She accepted the position of Deputy Headmistress, and a few months later along came Ammon and Nikomedes."

Severus sat up sharply, trying to keep his features composed in a mask of indifference. He hasn't heard of anything like this! "Who are Ammon and Nikomedes?"

Minerva smirked slightly and leaned forwards. "Ammon Granger is seventeen years old, a Gryffindor, and the Head Boy, as well as a Chaser. Nikomedes…" she trailed off slowly, painfully, withdrawing a handkerchief from within her robes and wiping at her eyes. "Nikomedes was seventeen years old. He was sorted into Slytherin right before he was taken, and-"

"Headmistress!" a voice called. The fire in the fireplace whooshed up in a great green blaze and a slender figure in blue robes tumbled into the room, grabbing the mantel to keep her balance. She lifted her head, a mass of brown curls swinging into her face as she said urgently, "Stephan McCauley was pushed off one of the-" Her doe-brown eyes had been darting urgently about the room, but now they settled on Severus, and her mouth fell shut in surprise. Shock, nervousness, and surprise chased their way across her dainty young features as Hermione Granger whispered my name. "Severus Snape?"

Severus returned the whisper, a shocked expression on his usually composed features. "Hermione Granger?"

And he remembered.

Remembered why he was still alive.

Why those emotions danced across her eyes.

Why he had not returned…

Oh! A cliffhanger...fear not, the next chapter comes in mere hours!