Chapter One
Harry Potter sat on the edge of his camp bed in the topmost bedroom of the Burrow. He was rummaging through his Hogwarts trunk, cleaning it out, despite the fact that he had finished school two years ago and had cleaned it out before he went on his journey to vanquish Voldemort. He was half-listening to the ranting of Ron Weasley who was sitting on his own bed that was covered in Chudley Cannons bedding. Ron was complaining about a fight that he and Hermione Granger had had the previous day.
"Look, why don't you just apologize to Hermione?" said Harry to his friend rather exasperatedly.
"She started it," said Ron indignantly.
"So? You should know from when we were in school that if you wait for Hermione to apologize to you, you will be waiting forever. And, personally, I would like it if you two were talking to each other at my wedding in two weeks," said Harry, looking up from his trunk.
"Exactly what I said to Hermione just now," said Ginny, Ron's little sister and Harry's fiancée, as she entered Ron's room and sat down of the edge of Harry's bed.
"Well, we can't tell Ron and Hermione what to do. If our Best Man and Maid of Honor aren't talking to each other at our wedding, well, then, it will be on their consciences that they made it a tense wedding instead of a happy one," said Harry, smiling.
"Yes. I guess so," agreed Ginny, smiling back at her soon-to-be-husband.
"Fine. I'll go talk to Hermione," said Ron, scowling. He left.
"What are you doing, Harry?" asked Ginny, as Harry returned to pulling things out of his trunk.
"Cleaning."
"Why? Didn't you do this before you went after the Horcruxes?"
"Yeah. But it seems that my trunk re-filled itself while I was away."
"Here. I'll help. We can get it done quicker together. Then I can kick your ass at Quidditch," said Ginny, smiling and beginning to dig into Harry's trunk.
"Oh really?" Harry asked delicately, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah. Really."
"OK, then. Let's do this," said Harry, diving back into his trunk.
"Hey, what's this?" asked Ginny. From the trunk she had pulled a gold necklace with an hourglass on the end.
"It's a Time-Turner," Harry said, amazed, taking it from Ginny.
"But didn't we smash them all when we were at the Ministry five years ago?"
"That's what the Prophet said, but this one must have fallen into my pocket when I was chasing and hiding from the Death Eaters."
"Cool. What else do you have in here, Harry?"
"I don't know."
"Well, let's find out," said Ginny, all thoughts of Quidditch gone.
"Let's find out what?" Hermione said, coming into the room holding Ron's hand.
"I see you two worked things out," Harry said.
"Yes."
"Look what I found in Harry's trunk," Ginny said, holding up the Time-Turner.
"Harry, that's a Time-Turner!" Hermione said breathlessly.
"Yeah. I know. Thanks."
"But The Daily Prophet said that we smashed them all," Hermione said.
"I know, but apparently this one fell into my pocket when I was fighting the Death Eaters."
"Maybe. But it looks different from the one I used back in the third year. Don't you think, Harry?" Hermione asked, taking the necklace from Ginny and examining it.
"Yeah. It does look a little different."
"You should put this away, Harry," said Hermione, suddenly serious. "You don't want to accidentally turn back time." Hermione handed the Time-Turner back to her friend.
"Good point," Ginny said, handing the necklace over to Harry.
"I'll put it around my neck so it doesn't get lost and put it away safely when I've finished clearing out my trunk," Harry said, putting the device around his neck. "Let's all see what junk is in here together. Then we can play Quidditch."
"Great idea."
The four friends began to pull objects and clothes out of Harry's trunk and to pile them on the floor. As he dove in and out of his Hogwarts suitcase, the Time-Turner swung precariously back-and-forth on Harry's neck. Unnoticed by anyone, the little hourglass on the end of the gold chain turned, alternately, forward and back seven times. Harry, busy liquidating his old school things, did not notice that the room around him was rewinding and changing appearance at top speed; when, finally, he looked up to examine an old pair of socks, Harry realized that he was no longer in Ron's bedroom at the Burrow.
Looking around, Harry realized that he was on the grounds of Hogwarts in front of an old beech tree under which he, Ron, and Hermione had sat during their school days. The sun was shining, reflected in the surface of the Black Lake. Just as his situation registered in his head, Harry heard voices coming from the castle. Quickly he dragged his trunk and moved behind the beech tree. Peering out ever so slightly from his hiding place, Harry's mouth fell open as he saw the crowd of people that was entering the grounds. At the head of the group of fifth years were four people that Harry knew very well: Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and his own father, James Potter. Straggling a few feet behind the marauders was another person Harry knew but was less excited to see: Severus Snape. From behind the tree Harry saw, too, his mother, Lily Evans, walk to the edge of the Black Lake, take off her shoes and socks, and dip her feet into the water along with her laughing, talking friends. Snape absentmindedly sat down a few feet away from the marauders and began to read the piece of paper that was in his hand. As he and his friends sat down in front of the beech tree behind which Harry was hidden, James pulled out of his pocket a tiny Golden Snitch.
"Where'd you get that?" Sirius asked.
"Nicked it," said James casually.
Harry saw his father allow the Snitch to fly about a foot away and seize it at the last moment. And suddenly Harry knew exactly in what year he had landed and what was about to occur.
Harry sat back behind the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes. I should have listened to Hermione and put the Time-Turner away. Harry put his hand up to neck to discover that he was no longer wearing the Time-Turner. Harry panicked. Where did the Time-Turner go? I can't believe that I am going to witness this for a third time, Harry thought to himself. There is no way that I can get out of here and try and find Dumbledore to help me get back to my time without being seen.
"Put that away, will you?" Harry heard Sirius say, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement." Peering out from behind the tree again Harry saw James smile.
"If it bothers you," James said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.
"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."
"You might," said Lupin darkly from behind the book he was reading. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me….Here." He held out his book. Harry had to move behind the tree quickly to remain undetected by Lupin.
Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish. I know it all." From behind the tree Harry smiled to himself at the air of coolness that his godfather emitted.
"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…."
Sirius's head turned. He had become very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit. Still in hiding, Harry, too, became very still with anticipation and regret at having to see for a third time his father torment Snape in front of Lily. But I know why Snape said what he said now. It wasn't out of spite or hatred. It was embarrassment, Harry thought to himself, as, suddenly, he had every inkling to watch what was going on between the Marauders and Snape.
"Excellent," Sirius said softly. "Snivellus."
As Snape moved out from the shadows of the tree under which he had been sitting and set off across the grass to go back to the castle, Sirius and James stood up. Harry poked his head out from behind the beech tree and could see perfectly what was going on, while still remaining hidden behind Wormtail and the tree.
"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.
Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter. Harry, still hidden, was torn between laughter and disapproval.
"Impedimenta!" Sirius said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.
Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Harry knew whose attention it was that James wanted: Lily Evans. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view. Harry, who was paying attention to James, Sirius, and Snape, pulled his eyes away from the three on the grass long enough to notice that Peter was moving. He quickly sat back on his haunches to avoid being brushed against as Wormtail moved closer to James and Sirius.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."
Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.
"You – wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You – wait…." Well, Snape certainly got his revenge, Harry thought while still watching the action between his father, godfather, and Snape.
"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened. Harry thought that he distinctly heard some spells that he knew from sixth year that Snape himself had created.
"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him –
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around; so did Harry, despite the fact that he knew who had spoken the words. James's free hand jumped to his hair again.
It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes.
Harry's mother…
"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature. Harry smiled at the way his father's demeanor and personality had changed in an instant with Lily. It was funny, really, how James tried so hard to impress Lily Evans. Maybe if Dad had been himself sooner and not tried to be even cooler than he was, Mum would have gone out with him sooner.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…."
Many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and neither did Lily. From behind the tree, Harry's brows furrowed at James's answer.
"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on… go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled. Harry's eyes followed the crawling Snape, though he still listened to his parents arguing.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily. Harry's head jerked back to his parents as his mother snapped at his father. A smile spread across Harry's face at his mother's attitude toward his father. He still wondered how they ever ended up married.
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape. "OY!"
But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants. Harry smiled, despite feeling sorry for Snape at having his own spells used against him.
Many people in the small crowd watching cheered. Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.
Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"
"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily. Harry smiled to himself at the looks on James's and Sirius's faces as Lily threatened to curse them.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse off him, then!"
James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse.
"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus –"
Behind the beech tree Harry's body tensed, waiting for what he knew would be the greatest mistake of Snape's life. Harry had no desire to hear it again, but he had no choice. He could not go anywhere.
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Lily blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is…."
"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." Harry secretly applauded his mother from his hiding place. His heart swelled with pride as she told off his father. Someone should have said those words to Malfoy when we were in school.
She turned on her heel and hurried away.
"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, EVANS!"
But she didn't look back.
"What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius. Harry smiled at his godfather's bluntness.
"Right," said James, who looked furious now, "right –"
There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside down in the air.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
Harry half-expected the fully grown Snape to be beside him before realizing that he wasn't in the Pensieve and that the adult Snape had died nearly two years ago. Harry looked up at another flash of light and the teenage Snape's pants were lying on the ground, ten feet away from where he sat completely red in the face. Despite the fact that he had hated Snape for so many years, knowing that Snape had died to protect him and knowing what it felt like to be humiliated in front of a group of people Harry felt angry towards his father for the torment that he was putting Snape through just because he could not get Lily Evans to go out on a date with him.
"OY! McGonagall's coming!" said Sirius, pointing at the doors leading out of the castle.
James quickly muttered the spell that would return Snape's pants to him and hurriedly sat down with Sirius and Wormtail next to Lupin in front of the beech tree. Snape gathered his things and ran into the castle as McGonagall entered the grounds.
A few hours later, when all of the students that were in the grounds retreated back into Hogwarts for dinner, Harry emerged from his hiding place behind the beech tree. He was hungry but could not go into the Great Hall, for he would be noticed and could not answer the questions as to why he looked so much like James Potter. Instead he decided to vanish his trunk ("Evanesco!") and find the one person who could help him return to his own time: Albus Dumbledore.
Harry walked briskly towards the castle as darkness and a summer chill fell over the grounds. Upon entering the castle Harry steered his feet in the direction he knew was the headmaster's office; despite the difference in years, Harry was sure that it would be in the same place. Harry was not really paying attention to where he was going; he was preparing in his mind what he would say to Dumbledore when he met with him. As he turned a corner, Harry bumped into someone. Looking up to see into whom he had walked, Harry realized that it was Snape, looking completely distraught.
"Sorry," Harry said, hoping to make a quick getaway before Snape had time to register that he looked like James.
Snape stared at Harry for a moment, taking in his appearance. Snape's black eyes lingered on Harry's green ones and a look of confusion came across his face.
"You look like James Potter, but you're not him. Who are you?" Snape asked bluntly, still staring into the green eyes that were Lily's.
Harry pondered the question for a moment, not sure whether he should reveal his true identity or not. Finally, Harry responded, "Someone who knows a lot about you. For instance, I know that you hate James Potter and that you just called Lily Evans an unforgivable name. I also know that you are in love with Lily Evans and she no longer wants to be your friend, even though you have been friends since you were ten."
"How could you possibly know that?" Snape asked, suspicious.
"Let's just say that I have been inside your head and seen your thoughts a few times."
"Really?"
"Yes. And I think that you should go to Lily and apologize. But don't just apologize. Explain why you said it. It might be the only way that she will forgive you, if you make her understand why you did it. It may not make it any less hurtful to her, but it will certainly be a reason and may help her to understand what happened."
"Why should I listen to you?" said Snape, clearly distrustful of Harry.
"Do you want Lily as your friend?"
Snape opened his mouth as if he was going to respond, but instead turned on his heels and headed in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Harry really needed to find Dumbledore and make his way back to his own time, but he had to make sure that Snape explained himself properly to Lily. Harry walked in the direction that he had walked for so many years and followed Snape to the portrait of the Fat Lady which guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Harry stopped at the end of the corridor down which he had been walking and poked his head out into the one leading to the Gryffindor common room; he could see and hear Snape and Lily perfectly.
"I'm sorry," said Snape.
"I'm not interested."
"I'm sorry!"
"Save your breath."
Lily stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.
"I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just –"
"Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. Harry hoped that Snape did not get too discouraged by Lily's voice to tell her what he needed to tell her. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"
Snape opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.
"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."
"No – listen, I didn't mean –"
"– to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?" Behind the wall, Harry tensed, hoping that Snape would take his advice to heart.
Snape struggled for a moment for words, and Lily turned around, ready to give the Fat Lady the password.
"Because I love you," Snape burst out. Lily froze where she stood, as Harry, glad that Lily knew that Snape loved her, turned around and began walking back towards Dumbledore's office. Behind him and down the corridor, Lily turned to face Snape.
"What?"
"I love you," Snape repeated.
Lily blinked and stared at Snape for a moment or two.
"That's why you never called me a Mudblood?"
"Yes, and why I did today. I was embarrassed that you saw me the way you did and between my hatred of Potter and my love for you, it just slipped out. I know it doesn't make it any better, but I had to let you know why I said it," Snape rambled at ten times the speed he spoke normally. "I really am sorry, Lily."
"You really mean everything that you just said to me?"
Looking Lily in the eyes for the first time since he revealed his secret, Snape said, "Yes."
"It hurt, Sev, you calling me a Mudblood. And I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the exact same thing if our roles had been reversed. It took a lot of courage for you to tell me what you just did, Sev. And that means a lot to me." Lily took a few steps forward to where Snape was standing, stock still, as if he had had a Freezing Charm put on him.
Lily stopped walking when she was inches from Snape's face. Despite his heart beating faster than a bird's wings, Snape stood his ground.
"I love you, too," Lily whispered and, before Snape could react to the words she had spoken, kissed him full on the mouth. Snape responded with such enthusiasm that he pulled Lily so close to him that he could feel her heart beating against him. Passionately, the kiss grew until Lily pulled away, gasping for breath.
Slowly Snape opened his eyes and saw Lily standing in front of him, a huge smile upon her face.
"Did that really happen? Or was I imagining it?" Snape whispered.
"It happened, Sev. I love you, I do. That's why you calling me a Mudblood hurt so much. But there is only one way that we can be together," said Lily seriously.
"Anything," said Snape.
"Don't join You-Know-Who. That is my only request. It's me or You-Know-Who. I'm sorry, but that is just how it has to be. You can't have it both ways."
"Done," said Snape, who pulled Lily into a kiss before she had time to think.