Chapter 1

So what if a select few of my colleagues know that I care;
If they can see through the mask I had to wear.

But that's not the point, Draco… Draco has a mission of that I am certain; but what? What is that mission? To kill the headmaster, possibly I wouldn't put it past the dark lord to use Draco's failure as punishment for Lucius's failure at the ministry. Ah yes, the ministry. It all comes down to that bloody fiasco involving a pathetic glass ball and a teenager. Why not kidnap Trelawney or Dumbledore himself? How silly I answer my own questions all the time: that would mean somehow getting into Hogwarts; and facing me. Me, the spy; the traitor.

"Severus?" I look up, the usual staff meeting greets me. It announces any changes in the teacher line up; not that my name would have moved from dungeon to fourth floor, sixth door on the right hand side. No, I couldn't have finally got my dream job. Could I? "Have you been listening to a word I said?"

"Sir?" I place my copy of the daily prophet on a coffee table. The glittering of amusement changed to annoyance.

"I'll take that as a no then," the annoyance was gone as soon as it arrived and was once again replaced by his usual amusement. "Minerva," McGonagall's gaze met with the headmasters as he nodded towards me. "Could you kindly tell Professor Snape the bad news."

"Bad news?"

"Severus, you're still in the dungeons."

"That's not bad," I knew that I was beginning to sulk and I knew that Minerva knew this.

"True; but er the new defence against dark arts is someone you're not going to like," my eyes must have been narrowing.

"Who?"

"Your brother," I tried to let the chair swallow me; but it wouldn't.

"Which one?" only Dumbledore knew about my twin brothers.

"Erm the one who went to Durmstrang," I wouldn't let her finish since they both went to Durmstrang, and I told her as much. "Fine the one who didn't join you-know-who," she snapped at me.

"Tobias?" I slid off my chair onto the floor as I stared intently into the fire. I glared at the headmaster as he cleared his throat, "You're hiring Tobias Snape. And I thought you were mad for giving me a job."

"You ungrateful swine, Severus!" the tattered boot that was placed beside the mantle was replaced with a flash of light as Tobias' voice echoed through my brain; he hadn't changed. Despite the Snape twins being three years older than me, we all looked remarkably similar; the main differences were grey instead of black eyes, dark brown hair again instead of black and no damaged teeth. Unlike Septimus, Tobias was probably the most sensible of the three Snape siblings. Septimus died a death eater – against the auror's of Europe – no one in Britain knew him. Tobias stayed neutral and taught the good side of dark magic at Durmstrang. Most knew what happened to me.

"I'm not being ungrateful, Tobias." I stared at him for a moment, his harsh face was identical to fathers.

"Yes you are,"

"Am not,"

"Are to," neither of us removed our eye contact until the headmaster interfered.

"Gentlemen please." Albus had his hands in the air as a sign of apology. "Both of you have your own skills. Severus Britain's youngest Potions Master in nearly four centuries. Tobias you dear child are one of the few members of the supposedly dark families to give the light its best fighters."

"Yes Dumbledore; because we don't follow the lights rules. Do we, Severus?" he glared at me for back up. I stared at him.

"Have you ever read the Daily Prophet, brother?"

"No why?" I summoned the framed article of the most infamous light warriors on the opinion of my new fame – the event at the ministry; basically I didn't know that the Ministry of Magic had muggle CCTV. I gave it to him and watched as his mouth fell open. "You; but he thought it was Septimus."

"He always forgot that there was more than one SS in his ranks, but Septimus was of higher rank and couldn't keep a secret. Besides do you still love her brother?" I grinned demonically at him as he paled and tripped into a chair. I could see his brain thinking of a comeback.

"Yes brother; but what of your love? Did she forgive you before her death?" this time I paled, I knew if I answered that I would have to clarify for the sake of the flawed image. Instead I simply left the room, back to my dungeons; this year was going to be hell.