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Chapter One

June, 1976:

Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL

Severus Snape had a stringy,pallid look about him,like a plant kept in the dark. His oily hair was flopping on to the table on which his OWL exam papers lay,his broken nose barely half an inch from the surface of his parchment as he scribbled. He had written at least two feet more than his closest neighbours,and yet his handwriting was minuscule and cramped. He finished writing, straightened up and started double checking his papers, a proud smile on his face: he was sure he had done all right.

'Quills down, please!' squeaked tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms master. 'Please remain seated while I collect your parchment!Accio!'

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's hands knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students got off their chairs and lifted him back on to his feet.

'Thank you,' panted Professor Flitwick. 'You are free to go'.

Severus got up and moved towards the doors of the Entrance hall, still absorbed in his own exam paper. Round shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, and his oily hair was jumping about his face.

Severus was separated from a group of four boys known as the 'Marauders' by a gang of chattering girls. The marauders made of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew strode off down towards the lake Severus, still poring over his paper with no fixed idea of where he was going followed them. The boys stopped in the shade of a tree while Severus settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of bushes. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, where the laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water, throwing cookies at the Giant Squid who resided in the lake and laughing as they watched him swallow them.

By the tree, Remus the sandy-haired Marauder pulled out a book and was reading. Black, who was dark-haired and extremely handsome was just staring around at the students milling over the grass looking bored and haughty. Potter, the Gryffindor Quidditch team star player and Chaser was playing with a snitch he had nicked. He allowed it to fly away from him, almost escaping but always grabbed it at the last second. Pettigrew was watching him with his mouth open. Every time Potter made a particularly difficult catch, he gasped and applauded.

'I'm bored', said Black

'This will liven you up,Padfoot',said Potter. He put the snitch back in his robes. 'Look who it is…'

'Excellent', said Sirius.'Snivellus the Greasy. So, what's the plan?'

'I think we should try to disarm him at the same time. That way we may have an edge over him. I don't fancy facing him alone.'

'Great idea.'

Severus was on his feet again, and was stowing his OWL paper in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, his wand in his hand,Potter,Black and Pettigrew stood up. Lupin remained sitting still staring down at his book.

'All right,Snivellus?' said James loudly.

As Severus dropped his back and turned to face them,Pettigrew,Potter and Black all yelled 'Expelliarmus!'Severus was lifted off the ground and thrown several feet away from where be was originally standing .As he made to stand up,Sirius pointed his wand at him and said 'Impedimenta!' and Severus keeled over rigid as a board.

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them looking apprehensive,others entertained.

Severus lay panting in the ground as Potter,Black and Pettigrew advanced on him,wand raised,Potter glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went.

'How'd the exam go,Snivelly?' said Potter

'I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment,' said Black.'They won't be able to read a thing because they'll be grease marks all over it. Several people laughed at this remark.

'Cowards,'Severus panted,staring up at them with an expression of pure loathing.'Filthy,disgusting cowards. Attacking three on one without even a proper warning.'

Potter pointed his wands at Severus' mouth and said 'Scourgify!'

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Severus' mouth at once; the froth was making him gag,choking him –

'Leave him ALONE!'

Potter,Black and Pettigrew looked round. Potter's free hand immediately went to his hair.

It was Severus' best friend,Lily Evans. She had thick dark red hair and green eyes.

'All right,Evans?' said Potter,his tone suddenly becoming mature and pleasant.

'Leave him alone,' she repeated,looking at the three boys with an expression of disgust and dislike.'What's he done to you?!

'Well,'said Potter,'It's more the fact that he exists.

Many of the surrounding students laughed,but Lupin, still intent and Lily didn't.

'But,'continued Potter,'we will leave him alone if you go out with me and never lay a wand on him again.'

'I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last person on earth, which you are not'

'Bad luck Prongs!' said Black briskly and turned back to Severus. 'OI!'

But too late;Severus had directed his wand at Potter;there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of Potter's face splattering his robes with blood. He whirled around: a second flash of light later,Severus was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny legs and a pair of worn underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Black, Potter and Pettigrew roared with laughter.

Lily, who smiled for a brief moment, said 'Let him down.'

'Certainly,' said Potter, jerking his wand upwards. Severus fell to the ground and before he could get up, Black pointed his wand at him and said 'Petrificus Totalus.'

'Take the curse off him, 'said Lily fiercely bringing out her wand. Potter eyed it warily.

'Don't make me hex you,' said Potter.

'Take the jinx off him then'

'Certainly'. Potter pointed his wand at Severus and muttered the counter-jinx.

'There you go,' he said as Severus struggled to his feet. 'You are lucky Evans was here,Sniv-'

'I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her!'

Lily blinked

'Fine,' she said cooly. 'I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash my pants if I were you,Snivellus.'

'Apologise to Evans!' Potter roared at Severus.

'I don't want you to make him apologise to me,' Lily shouted, rounding on Potter. 'You're an arrogant, lazy,conceited,self-centred,bulling,lazy toerag. You make me SICK.'

She turned on her heel and hurried away.

Potter turned back to face Severus; a look of triumph on his face, there was another flash of light and Severus was once again hanging upside-down in the air.

'Who wants to see me take off Snively's pants? 'The crowd roared,egging him on.

From where he was hanging,Severus saw red. He decided that this has gone on long enough. He thought Accio Wand with all his might and clicked his fingers. His wand flew into his outstretched hand. With a satisfied grin, he thought Liberacorpus and the jinx wore off him. He fell to the ground and quickly got up.

Potter, Black and Pettigrew simultaneously raised their wands and yelled 'Petrificus Totalus!'Severus' shield charm was so strong that they were all knocked off balance. Before they could regain it,Severus slashed the air with his wand. There was a loud BANG and they all crumpled to the ground unconscious. He sent another hex towards Lupin. He smirked as he saw it reach its target. Still smirking, he non-verbally summoned his bag, left the scene and walked towards the castle, leaving a very stunned crowd behind.

As he reached the castle, he went straight to his dorm and lay down on his bed contemplating on the day's events. He thought about Lily. He decided it was best if he apologized to her after everyone had retired to their common rooms. He brought out his transfiguration notes and started reading. Two boys loudly came into the ,tall and dark-haired was called Austin Avery. The other,blond and stocky was Michael Mulciber. Both of them were intending to join the Death eaters once they finished school.

'Hey Snape,' called Mulciber

'What?'

'Heard you put that filthy mudblood in her place. Good one. That's the sort of behavior the Dark Lord wants.'

'The Dark Lord can go to hell and don't use that word to refer to Lily again!'

Avery chimed in 'Oh,are you turning your back on us now?'

'I never said I was going to join Voldemort.'

'Fine then, but when He takes over, be sure that you're going to pay for your treachery,filthy half blood.'

Severus ignored him and kept on reading for a few hours. Once it was dark enough, he shut the book close and set off for the Gryffindor common room. On reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, he ran into Mary McDonald

'What do you want?' she said

'Tell Lily that I want to speak with her.'

'She doesn't want to speak to a scumbag such as yourself'

'I'm going to stay here till she comes out, even if it means sleeping out here.'

'Fine then, I'll tell her. You'll see. She doesn't want to speak with you.'

She climbed into the hole. A few minutes later, Lily appeared wearing a dressing gown. She stopped in front of the portrait, her arms folded.

'Lily!' said Severus breathlessly

'That's Evans to you'

'I'm sorry'

'I'm not interested'

'I'm sorry'

'Save your breath'

'I didn't mean to call you mudblood. It just-'

'Slipped out? It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. You and your friends are all aiming to join You-Know-Who. I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way and I've chosen mine.'

Severus struggled on the verge of speech and with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole. She went straight to her dorm room and collapsed on her bed.

'How did it go?' asked Mary

'I told him that we were done as friends.'

'Good on you.'

Alice Prewett,another of Lily's dorm mates didn't say anything but listened to the conversation.

Severus, meanwhile was still standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. After what felt like a million years, he turned and returned to his dorm collapsing on his bed without even bothering to undress.

Severus woke up to his alarm ringing. He quickly turned it off and went to the bathroom. He showered under hot under and washed his hair. He came out, straightened his robes and left for the Great Hall for breakfast. After breakfast, the fifth years stayed for their Transfiguration theory exam.

He had no problem answering any of the theory questions and in the evening at the practical exam, he had no problem vanishing the whole of his mouse and transfiguring his hedgehog to a pincushion. After the exam, he went straight to his dorm and lay down. The day had been very taxing.

As he lay down, he thought of Lily. He decided he would try to get her to forgive him once more before they left for the summer holidays.

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