Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own anything.
Snape's POV
I remember the instructions very well. The instructions that were entrusted to me and no other. At the time I was young, naïve, and leading a double life. Yes, I had become a Death Eater of my own free will. Yes I was the one that came to the Dark Lord and not the other way around. But I knew he had the most power, and power was exactly the thing I had been looking for in my youth.
I remember back in Hogwarts. I was the outcast, chosen by the four most popular boys in the school to be their target. It was unavoidable, and I'll be the first to admit it. James Potter and Sirius Black were the worst. They never missed an opportunity to make my life hell. That good kid, Remus Lupin, always made sure they never went overboard (until fifth year that was).
I was almost glad when the Dark Lord told me of his plans to kill the Potters. Their loyal childhood friend Peter Pettigrew (known to most as Wormtail) informed them of the Potters hiding place. Unfortunately by that time, I was working as a spy.
When the meeting was over, I went straight away to the Order's headquarters and told them all of the Dark Lord's plans. Dumbledore wasted no time in sending James and Lily into hiding along with their son Harry, little more than a year old.
I despised the boy. He was always the center of attention to everyone around me, be it the good guys or the bad. It had cost every ounce of self control not to just take the boy to the Dark Lord so he could kill him straight away and leave the Potters grieving for the rest of their lives.
It would've been all too easy.
But I didn't. And it was too bad I hadn't, for the Dark Lord had gone to Godric's Hollow that very night and killed James and Lily. The Death Eaters, myself included, were sitting around in the Malfoy Manor, waiting in anticipation for their master to arrive.
He never did.
I knew something was up because I sensed Dumbledore set up an emergency meeting. I managed to slip out of the room and went to the headquarters where I saw four very important people missing. Everyone had tears in their eyes, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Dumbledore looking the worst.
Dumbledore looked up as soon as I walked into the room, and he put on a forced smile, probably for my benefit. "Severus, sit down. I'm afraid we have good news and bad news," he said, standing up and wiping his eyes.
He paced around the table and stared at the floor, at a loss for what to tell us. Finally, after ten minutes or so of silence, he began.
"Frank and Alice Longbottom are at St. Mungo's. They have been severely tortured by what I have come to know as the Cruciatus Curse. But that's not all…" Dumbledore trailed off and I saw, for the first time in my life, a sobbing and uncontrollable Dumbledore.
Everyone looked down. Was I the only person who didn't know what happened? I was about to ask what happened to James and Lily when Dumbledore looked up.
"James and Lily are…d-dead," he managed to get out, and that brought new cries of sorrow and mourning to the table.
"And what of the boy, Albus?" I asked. This was a joke. It had to be. I knew the Dark Lord would be coming for the Potters, but how did they die? Hadn't they enough sense to get out the house when they knew they were being attacked?
"Ah Severus. That matter brings up the good news. You're efforts of being a spy are not in vain. It seems young Harry Potter survived the killing curse. It rebounded on Lord Voldemort. He is gone," Dumbledore said, finally giving us all a sincere smile.
I couldn't help but crack a grin. At these words the Order had jumped up and started hugging one another. All I could do was wonder.
How could a baby boy survive the Dark Lord? It was impossible. It hadn't rebounded on James and Lily. It hadn't rebounded on any witch or wizard I had ever known who had been killed by him. And yet a one-year-old boy was the one to be his downfall?
"But Albus, that is impossible," I said, breaking down all the fun.
"Ah, but it isn't Severus. In time everyone in this room will understand. But for now, we celebrate. The reasons of defeat do not matter now. You are all dismissed. Go and join the celebrations out there. What to do with Harry Potter I am entrusting to others," Dumbledore said, and we all left, except for Sirius of course.
I returned to my home in Hogwarts. It wasn't any different there either, however. All the teachers had put up decorations, and there was a marvelous feast. In the very center of the room was the highest banner yet, and banner in red and gold with HARRY POTTER right in the center with a lion roaming in between letters.
"Severus, have you heard the news? You-Know-Who is gone!" Flitwick exclaimed happily from the table.
I nodded to him to show I had heard. "Oh Severus, won't you join the feast?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked, standing up and beckoning me forward.
"Maybe later," I said and retreated to the dungeons where my living quarters were. I made sure I was alone and then went to my dimly lit bathroom and rolled up the sleeve of my right arm. Yes, the Dark Mark was still there, as if waiting for itself to burn again. So the Dark Lord wasn't dead. He was still out there, waiting to gain power again.
The next day I was informed of Dumbledore's actions to put Harry Potter in a place where he would be safe. It disgusted me to think that he had been placed with Muggles. It disgusted me almost as much as the fact that there were still Muggle-borns at the school.
"He will be safe there Severus. That is my final word on the subject," was the only thing that Dumbledore told me when I confronted him about it.
Safe? No child would be safe in a house with Petunia Dursley, even I knew that. After all the things Lily had said about her older sister, how could he even consider placing him there? And what I had heard about her blob of a husband and pig of a son, matters would only get worse for the boy.
No doubt he would grow up to be just like his father. Arrogant and think he was above the rules. It was exactly that arrogance that got him killed. Too bad he had to drag Lily down with him.
It wasn't long after that that Lucius Malfoy's wife Narcissa gave birth to their first son, Draco. Lucius gave me the honor of being his Godfather. Things had changed so quickly, that it seemed everyone had forgotten about the Dark Lord, and that he had ever existed.
It seemed the world was at peace once more. But it wouldn't. In just five years time, my world would change. In just five years time, everyone would see the error of their ways. I just happened to be in the middle of it all.
A/N: Hope you all liked it so far! Reviews are appreciated! Just the prologue so far!