Hello! So, I was thinking; we all know that the Marauders had made Severus' life miserable. What if, during one of their little 'pranks' things were taken a little too far? Kind of like the butterfly effect, if you will. This little bug bit me hard and I just had to write it down. Depending on the response to this, it will be a multi-chaptered fic, if anyone is interested in reading it, that is.
This will be my first multi-chapter fic for Harry Potter, so bare with me, okay? And constructive criticism is always welcome, so anything you say to make this a better for story for readers is always open to me.
Also, this is un-beta'd. Any mistakes are my own, and any one willing to beta this would be amazing.
Disclaimer: I do not own in any way shape or form, Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K Rowling.
Minerva McGonagall knew she was forgetting something. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and blew out a frustrated breath as she wracked her mind, trying to figure out what it was she was missing. She was going to be late for the faculty meeting, and she desperately hated to be late.
She quickly went through a checklist in her mind, when her eyes lit upon the folder on her desk, and she sighed in relief and grabbed it, thanking Merlin. If she hadn't brought it with her she'd have to re-cross the castle when she finally remembered it, then she'd be even more late.
Pushing the flat of her hand against her head to smooth down any stray hairs, she stepped out of her office with ten minutes to spare, relaxing a bit knowing that she wouldn't be late.
-.-
In another part of the castle, fourth year Severus Snape was early for breakfast. He was hoping that if he were to wake up earlier he could avoid Potter and Black and their pranks. He was on his last set of clean robes since the house elves were currently doing laundry, and he couldn't afford to get caught by them before classes began.
Lugging his satchel over his shoulder, and climbing the staircase towards the Transfiguration corridor, he paused for a moment when he wondered if he had even packed his Charms essay. It wasn't due until Thursday, but he and Lily were going to study in the library and there was something regarding the cooling and freezing charms that he didn't really understand, and he was planning to ask her to look it over for him.
After searching through his bag, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, thankful he wouldn't have to go back to the dorms to find it. He finished climbing the stairs and was at the very top when he heard voices coming in his direction from the opposite end. He paled when he heard Black's barking laugh, and glanced around anxiously for a place to hide until they passed.
"Oi, Snivellus! Look, Jamie, we found us a snake." Severus straightened his spine and met Black's sneer with one of his own.
"Honestly, Black," he drawled, though he was shaking inside, because even though it's been four years, he was nervous with the four on one scenario, and he knew he was trapped at the moment. "Is that the best you can come up with? Although, with what little brain capacity you retain, I suppose it's a blessing that you can even form somewhat coherent sentences."
Potter snorted, and twirled his wand around his fingers, and Severus' stomach tightened when he realized he couldn't draw his own without being hexed three ways from Sunday. "Would you listen to him," Potter mocked, lifting his eyebrows, "'Although with what little brain capacity you retain,'" he rolled his eyes. "Bloody greasy nerd."
Black had growled at the insults and the haughty tone Severus had used, but was now smirking at Potter and an anxious looking Lupin and Pettigrew. "I think we should teach Snivelly some manners, don't you James? Respect his betters and all that." Black raised an eyebrow and lifted his wand. Severus felt his palms being to sweat and glanced around the empty corridor, then the door to the Transfiguration classroom, hoping against hope that McGonagall wasn't as punctual as usual and was running late and could hear the voices.
But she didn't come out, and Severus made a desperate grab for his wand as he saw Potter and Black raise their own.
-.-
Now, if only McGonagall had taken a couple minutes longer to realize what she was missing, she would have heard the voices coming from outside her corridor. If she didn't realize what she was missing, she would've happened across the scene of her four Gryffindor's blocking Snape's way, and two wands drawn against him. She could've given them detention, sent them on their way, and even though she would've been late to the faculty meeting, all four boys would be at breakfast and not causing any trouble.
Or, if only Snape had forgotten his Charms essay in the dorms, he could've turned around and completely missed the four boys heading in his direction. Maybe he would've been a bit later to breakfast than he had hoped, but he wouldn't have been tormented that morning.
Or if he hadn't paused for those couple of moments to check, and continued on instead, he would still have come across the four boys, but Professor Flitwick—who was running late, as usual—would've prevented any situations from occurring.
But as they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Because McGonagall didn't take a couple minutes longer, and instead left right on time and wasn't there to happen across the boys. Snape didn't forget his charms essay, and he did pause those couple of moments to check, so Professor Flitwick didn't come across them and prevent a scuttle that morning.
And because none of these things happened, no one was around to see James Potter and Sirius Black aim two rather strong spells at Severus Snape's chest before he could reach his wand. No one was around to see Severus lose his balance as those spells hit, and tumble backwards, down the staircase he had just climbed. No one was around to hear a loud snap split the quiet corridor, and no one was around to see Severus Snape sprawl at the bottom of the staircase on the cold stone floor, and not get back up.
-.-
Professor Dumbledore closed his eyes, more tired than he could ever remember. He felt the ache deep in his bones and the tightness in his chest and the guilt in his heart. The Minister would arrive any moment, and he took a moment to glance through the doorway of the infirmary, looking at the body—shuddering a little and swallowing tightly at the word body—covered from head to toe with a white sheet, and a quietly weeping Poppy Pomfrey. There were two dark haired boys sitting side by side in chairs, shaking and bound as Minerva stood behind them looking as tired as he felt with her wand drawn against the two.
He shook his head, wondering if only he had done more. If he was harder on the four boys, if he did something in regards to their cruelty towards Severus and Slytherin house in general. If he had paid more attention to young Severus, if he had just listened and opened his eyes, rather than just assuming it was just "boys being boys."
Albus Dumbledore may have been the greatest wizard of that generation, but he was a man who made mistakes. He felt pain, and he felt grief, and he felt anger and helplessness, and staring at the body of a fourteen year old boy who he should've done more for, he certainly felt guilt consume his entire body.
His attention was diverted as he saw three figures making their way down the corridor, one in black, and two in red robes on each side. It was with a great feeling of weariness that Albus greeted the minister and the two Aurors, stepping back and letting them into the room.
-.-
All Lily Evans could think at the moment was gone, gone, gone, her best friend, Sev, was gone. All she heard was a loud rush in her ears and her own furious screams as she beat and pounded and tore at James Potter's chest as she sobbed and the Professors tried to drag her off the frightened boy who was currently waiting to be led off the ministry.
She didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that her best friend was dead because of these horrible, cruel, heartless boys, and she wanted him back and it was their entire fault. She wanted them to hurt and to be as overwhelmed as she felt and she wanted her Sev back.
She felt someone lead her away as she cried and cried and cried, and screamed at the boys. "I hate you! I hate you James Potter! I hate you I hate you I hate you!"
She didn't even register the even more pale face of Lucius Malfoy sitting next to her best friend's bed (his body, oh God, oh Merlin, his body, no no no no.) looking lost, his usually blank face filled with expressions she couldn't even fathom at the moment because oh God, Sev, no, please I'm sorry.
-.-
He wasn't close to many people. Malfoy's are supposed to have followers, never friends. But as a second year, Severus Snape intrigued him, and was the only one who had kept his interest and was intelligent enough to have a conversation with. He'd become his best friend, this small, disdainful and jaded boy. His closest confidant, and vise versa. Severus knew of his hatred for his father, and how he was tired of being used as a pawn, and didn't want to marry Narcissa Malfoy. He didn't want to follow after some Dark Lord, because Malfoy's never grovel to anyone. He didn't want to go into politics, he wanted to achieve his mastery in Rune's and make his name for himself.
Lucius learned of Severus' abusive father and weak mother, of his purely platonic love for Lily Evans—"she's more my sister than anything, really."—and how she saved him in more than one way. Lucius knew of his love for Potions and how frightened he really was, and even though he was slightly tempted by the Dark Lord's offers, he wouldn't accept because as long as lily was in his life, it wasn't even an option. He knew his deepest secrets just as Severus knew his. Lucius protected him from the crueler people in Slytherin and tried his best when it came to the Marauders.
All Lucius could think as he sat by his best friend's body and listened to Lily Evan's sob, was that he should've gone to breakfast this morning with Severus when he had asked him to.