Title: Futures
Fandom: Harry Potter
Length: 2,400 + Words Approximately
Rating: PG 13 + (some violence)
Setting: Far, far into the future, a wizarding archaeologist comes across a very special find.
Warnings: Major Spoilers for H.P book 6! (The Half-Blood Prince), some angst & violence, this was written before Book 7's release
Disclaimer: J. is the creator and true owner of the characters of Hogwarts and the wizarding world. No infringement of copyright is intended. I'm just messing around with them for my own amusement - and making no money whatsoever from it.
Author's Note: Another ficlet first posted (in a very unedited form) to the "Snape's POV, Post-HBP" thread on the Mugglenet forums – the product of insomnia and dogs barking at 3 am. The time-frame may seem a bit extreme, but I thought I'd make allowances for that since the time-frames in the wizarding world tend to be a lot larger than for us Muggles – Hogwarts has been around for more than a thousand years, and Ollivander's even more than that, after all.
FUTURES
A chariot, delicately wrought of bright silver, touched it's wheels to the grass of the clearing, and then it stopped. Out from it stepped a portly, middle-aged wizard dressed in pearl-grey robes. Rummaging through his pockets for a few moments, he produced three sickles with which to pay the sphinx (who was waiting patiently on the end of her harness - a single astral ribbon resembling a floating, ethereal length of ribbon). As she carefully bit each coin to assure herself that it was genuine, she murmured a riddle to him. "Delver and scratcher, of the past/Opener of graves, deep in the earth – what will stay whole, until the last/but can be finished, by mere rebirth?" Even though he had already paid his fare, Professor Samos Tiresius was well aware that he would be wise to answer the riddle. Fortunately for him, the forensic archaeologist had flown with this sphinx before, and knew this one to be one of her favourites.
"A ghost", he answered simply.
The sphinx smiled, and said "You may find out soon why I keep asking you this one ... O scholar of ancient and forgotten graves". And then she spread her wings and flew away, taking her chariot with her.
Samos shook his head in amusement, then with a flick of his wand levitated his field kit. There was a promising site further into the forest that he wanted to investigate, and he didn't want to waste too much time. He had had been booked to give an important lecture, at a convention at the Mare Imbrium Institute of History in seventeen hours time. The chariot would take at least twenty minutes to pick him up from the apparation-blocked zone he was working in (funny how long those ancient wards could last, holding out even after the castle they had probably been designed to protect was gone for centuries).
Scanning with his wand, he quickly found the site-marker that he'd left from his last visit - a seemingly ordinary pebble that glowed emerald green in response to his seeking spell. Samos smiled at his luck. If he was correct, then underneath that tangle of blackberry thorns lay the final resting place of a long-dead warrior, one who fell in a very ancient battle. A battle that was still considered - in serious academic circles - to be legend more than fact. If he was able to verify his find for what he thought it was … then though he would probably become quite famous for what he found, he would also (at long last) be able to think of the legend that was one of his life's inspirations – knowing finally that It was true. True for certain.
As he busied himself clearing the site with his wand, Samos was for the moment unaware that he was not alone. Not that it mattered to the ghost who watched him - He had made up his own mind weeks ago, thinking it better he allow the living wizard to see the bare bones of what he wanted him to see, before stepping in. He too knew about the legend – and there were some parts of it that for him needed to be fixed. He had waited long enough – more than many ghosts had to endure - to get a chance to do so. Soon, finally … I can clear my name he thought, as he watched the archaeologist at work. He was reasonably willing to endure the wait an extra few hours or so, for that.
The wait turned out to be much shorter than he anticipated. Within forty minutes of digging, Samos had found the body he was seeking. "Amazing", he breathed. "After so long ... even after twelve thousand years, bones so well preserved ..." Sweet Heavens! Have I been waiting for that long? thought the ghost, in shock.
"...And still complete" the archaeologist continued to ramble to himself, waving his wand over one apparently ordinary-looking patch of soil. "And that was his wand ...oh ..." Samos was momentarily speechless. The revealing spells were telling him that not only had he found the body, and found traces of the wand - he had also found evidence from the traces that the wand's components exactly matched those of who he suspected it to be. The figure from the legend, which many had believed to be the cowardly villain of the tale. "Oh ... " he just breathed, looking in awe at what the wand was telling him. The ghost decided it was time to come closer, and introduce himself.
"Busy afternoon, professor?" Samos looked up, to see the ghost of a tall, severe-faced man clad in black, ancient-styled robes that seemed to billow about him. He had a largish hook nose, and black shoulder-length hair. "It seems so, good stranger". Samos was well accustomed to dealing with ghosts in his field of work. "Indeed" replied the ghost, "and may I enquire about why you find this grave so especially interesting?" "You haven't heard of the legend of the Great Battle?" Asked Samos. "I have" replied the ghost, "I often overheard the story during my hauntings"
"Well then..." Samos continued enthusiastically, "you would also know about the part of the legend where the evil and cowardly traitor Severonus Snake .." "Severus" the ghost corrected him, "and the last name was Snape". "Hmmm, ok – Severus Snape then," Samos continued, "He had betrayed Harry Potter, and tried to prevent him from destroying his master - Lord Voldemorius" his head was bent over the jumble of dirt and bone impressions that he was cleaning with his wand, and failed to notice a muscle in the ghost's cheek jumping at the rest of the description ..."And Potter fought back. A friend was able to kill Snake ..I mean Snape, just in time. Some of the stories even said that Snape was hoping to kill Voldemorius afterwards, so he could take his throne"
"I can see a few points of accuracy in the last part of your story" the ghost said, thinking out loud. "It is possible that the wizard known as Snape did want the Dark Lord dead – for rather more personal reasons".
"You seem pretty knowledgeable on this" Samos replied. The ghost appeared to shrug, "I have my sources. Part of the benefits of being a ghost, maybe - you do get to know those who are in the know". "I might be interested to have a chat with you - and your sources, later on then" replied Samos. "That could be arranged," said the ghost, almost grinning. "Well, I need to get back to work" Samos said, "I have a schedule to keep". "Mind if I watch from a distance?" asked the ghost. "I don't see what harm it could do?" replied Samos.
And so the ghost looked on while the wizard worked, listening with interest at the observations he made. "He certainly wasn't buried very well" Samos said, mostly to himself - "Must have been a fairly strong magic to keep his bones from completely dissolving after all this time. And I can see that his nose had been broken just before death, which also matches in with at least five of the oldest traditional versions of the story".
The ghost absentmindedly rubbed the sides of his nose at the archaeologist's words, remembering the young man's fist hitting his face. It felt to him as if it had all happened only one year ago, not twelve thousand. And if he was to be completely honest with himself, watching his body dumped (without ceremony) into that shallow grave out in the woods had been an equally painful thing - in its own way, to endure. Not to matter ... soon, finally ... his part of the record would be set straight.
Samos muttered over the various traumas and indignities that the bones revealed. Finally, the ghost could wait no longer. "Tell, me", he said - "do you have any theories as to why you think these bones have managed to stay together so well, after all this time and in this soil?" That was when the archaeologist showed himself to be of a much sharper (and more ghost-wise) mind, than the ghost had originally judged, "Severonus Snake ... " he said, raising his wand at the ghost "SeverUSSnaPe" corrected the ghost of Snape, "whatever", Samos replied - "I hope you have not come here to try out any of your old treacheries on me, because if you do ..."
Snape waved his ghostly hand dismissively, though he forgot to control the urge to bare his teeth. "I have no interest in indulging in such things, wizard", he snapped. "Even if it does happen to be my own body that you are poking around in". He continued, "And to answer the first question that I proposed to you - yes, it was my own magic that enabled my remains to persist for so long". "An unintentional result, I admit". Snape went on, "A few protective wards which failed to keep me alive when I needed them - yet continued to preserve my corpse when that need became no more". Snape's ghostly eyes bored into those of the living wizard's. "And yet, in the end, they has turned out to be of use. They have made it possible for someone - You – to come to me".
"What do you want from me, evil ghost?" Samos demanded, aiming his wand. "Nothing much" replied Snape, raising an eyebrow - "Except maybe for a chance to clear my name. A chance that, I might add, I have had to wait for far more than a reasonable length of time to get" "What reason should I have to believe you?" Demanded Samos. "For one thing, while I'm saying this, I am also very aware that you have a perfectly good wand pointed at me, with which I'm sure you could deliver your choice of hexes to bind or dissipate me. I, on the other hand, am merely an ordinary earthbound spirit. One who had been fairly well stripped of my powers from the moment I died".
"You are bluffing!" Samos answered, "Why should I do that!" spat Snape, "When all I want is to set the record straight about the truth of what I did." "The stories all agree that you were a cowardly traitor, who not only betrayed Potter's family and friends ..." Samos shot back (he saw Snape's jaw twitch again at the mention of the ancient hero's name) "... but also murdered his mentor, and tried to stop him from destroying your master - the Dark Lord Voldemorius " Samos said. "Woefully inaccurate" Snape hissed, but took a better grip on himself when Samos raised his wand.
"My mentor and confidant, Albus Dumbledore, was a dying man - whom I killed on his own request". Snape replied. "The betrayal of Potter's family was a mistake of mine, which in turn was part of a greater mistake I had made earlier - the decision to join the Dark Lord's side in the first place. It was my misplaced service that resulted in the death of someone who was dear to me. I have since regretted that every day of my life, and beyond. And I was trying to help Potter in his task, not to impede him". He said. "And as for my continued so-called 'loyalty' to the Dark Lord – let me remind you once again that he had killed someone who I had loved more than anything" Snape continued, his voice growing colder, "so I had just as fervent a wish as any to see him gone. My mistakes - in spite of my best efforts to survive - eventually led to my death. Maybe I deserved that anyway".
Snape went on, in a more resigned tone - "in the stories that followed since, I have been described as an evil traitor, and a coward. I will be making a grave liar of myself, if I said that I have never been each and all of those things in that life" he said, "but I did not die that way". "If you insist that you were so redeemed, then what proof do you have?" Samos demanded. Snape made himself smile - he hoped it didn't come across too much as a smirk. It was important right now to win the living wizard's trust. Trust ... how different things would have been that small aeon ago, had a few more people bothered to Trust him for long enough ... "But you asked me for proof, so I shall show it to you - that is, if you wish to Trust me, professor".
"What is it that you wish to show me?" asked Samos. "Just an ... ancient information storage artefact" replied Snape. "I don't know if its the practice nowadays to use them - I had found it to be both a blessing and a curse myself when I used one once" the ghost said. "I had this one prepared and hidden, just before I made my last attempt to assist Potter". His face became grim "I had hoped to survive for long enough for it to be used as evidence in my case. But sadly, my death occurred before I could direct anyone to it". He continued, "it is made of stone, so you will find that it has endured well. The hiding place fortunately is still intact. And I found out that it is easy for a ghost to tend to its contents. I think you may find what it holds to be of interest to you".
Samos pondered awhile over the word of a ghost who was - if the stories were right about him - one of the more evil wizards ever to blight the world. Trust? ... He glanced at his wand. Ok, you vile old ghost - I shall trust you. He thought suspiciously - trust you so long as my wand is in my hand and you well within my sights. Memorising a few spirit-binding charms, he looked the ghost of Severus Snape in the eyes, and simply said; "I will follow you, but try no tricks on me, ghost - or you know what you will get" "Indeed" replied Snape, "and now will you kindly put a ward on my grave, and afterwards I will take you where the proof that I promised you is kept".
"As I have told you, Severus Snape - I will trust you" Samos replied, casting three protective charms on the ghost's mortal remains. "I'm ready" he said when finished.
"Good" said Snape, satisfied. "And now, please follow me". The cave with the pensieve was only half an hour's walk away, give or take a few minutes. After gliding through the trees for a while (with the Professor of Forensic Archaeology following behind him) Snape, in spite of his wary mood, felt his ghostly features stretch into a smile ... maybe the first genuine one he'd experienced in twelve thousand and forty one years.
-End-