As Harry Potter left the shrieking shack, Snape smiled to himself, grimly. He had always been a good Occlumens, and those fake memories would pull the wool nicely over Potter's eyes. The boy had always been an emotional fool; much too trusting. He held far too much belief in perfect stories. But life wasn't fair.
He thought back to what had really happened. How he, Snape, had decided that talking to a mudblood was beneath him. How he had pushed aside his desire and joined the Dark Lord. How Lily had married James Potter in a pathetic attempt to fill him with jealousy, and soon regretted it when Snape set the Dark Lord on their case. And, finally, how the Dark Lord had ordered him to fake love for her to explain his "changing sides" to Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore believes that love is the greatest power of all," the Dark Lord had said. "Now, we use that against him."
Snape wiped the dragon blood off his chest. The Dark Lord had instructed him to wait there until Potter had seen the memories.
"Once Potter sees those memories, he will seek me out." The Dark Lord had hissed, "And then I may destroy him, and the Elder Wand shall truly be mine."
He waited for hours until, finally, he heard the shrieks of joy. He left the Shrieking Shack and walked up to Hogwarts, carefully. He peered through the windows of the Great Hall, and, to his horror, Potter was alive. And the Dark Lord was dead.
And then the beginnings of a plan formed in his mind. He, Snape, would finally put his Occlumency and potion-making to good use. He would finally be the hero.
He waited for a chance to speak to Potter alone. Eventually, that chance came, as Potter walked through the grounds alone, muttering to himself. The green light hit him in the chest as Snape strode over. He began to tear the hair from Potter's head; one hair per potion was all he needed. In fact, he could slice the hairs into tiny pieces. A full head of hair would last him a long time.
He pulled out a flask of bubbling mud-like liquid, and added a single hair. As he slowly transformed into his enemy, he smiled. He had what he had always wanted; James' good looks and popularity, the love of a beautiful red-haired girl, who looked so much like Lily, but this time was pure-blood, and whenever he looked at his reflection Lily's eyes stared back at him. And now? Now he was the hero. Things were looking up for Snape.
