Summary: Lily struggles with her conscience, while Severus goes home following a family tragedy.

Reminder: This story is AU and does not follow HP canon! (See Chapter 2B for Author's Note, Acknowledgements and Disclaimer.)

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A Prince Rising

By Syl Francis

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Chapter Two

The day Severus was called into the headmaster's office, he didn't know what to expect. He had actually been keeping a low profile for the greater part of the term. He had avoided the Marauders, most of his Slytherin housemates, and even Lily...

It was therefore with mixed feelings of curiosity and trepidation that he made his way up to Professor Dumbledore's office. The prefect who had told him to report to the headmaster had given him the password "ice mice." Severus rolled his eyes as he uttered the ridiculous words. As this was not his first trip to the headmaster's office, Severus was neither surprised by the headmaster's choice of password, nor by the guardian gargoyle's sudden shift to the left. The movement, which allowed him passage, also revealed a hidden spiral staircase. The next moment, the staircase began moving up, almost like a muggle escalator.

Severus jumped onto the spiral staircase, and as he was being carried upwards, he loosened his shoulders and started to clear his mind. He began by closing his eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath. Next, he visualized the Black Lake on a quiet, summer's night. In his mind's eye, he saw himself sinking into the still, bottomless depths of the soothing, calming waters. The warm waters enveloped him in a protective cocoon of darkness—as if in his mother's womb. A feeling of quiet seeped inside his soul just as the staircase ground to a halt.

Finding his center, Severus stepped off and headed toward the headmaster's office door. As he did so, he gave his new Occlumency shields a final check. This was not a skill taught at Hogwarts. In fact, there were those who found the relatively obscure field of mind magic, if not dark, then certainly tending toward a gray area. Because of his own fascination with the Dark Arts, he had run across a mention of it in an old text he'd discovered in the Hogwarts library's Restricted Section.

Fascinated by the concept and excited over a field of magic he hadn't known about previously, he set off immediately to read as much on the topic as he could get his hands on. That was two summers ago, and since then he'd been teaching himself, making what he believed to be satisfactory progress. Of course, there was almost no way to test his success or failure without having someone else actually attempt to break through his barriers with Legilimency, the invasive mind magic that gave the wielder the ability to "read" minds.

Therefore, Severus felt any magic that allowed the wielder to shield his mind against unwanted intrusion by a skilled Legilimens, such as Lord Voldemort...and Headmaster Dumbledore...was a necessity for survival.

Letting these thoughts and any hint of his summer plans in the States sink deeply into his mental Black Lake, Severus made sure that his surface thoughts were focused on how well he was progressing on his revising for the end-of-year tests.

Unbidden, thoughts of his notes and the skeleton outline for the new potion he was planning to brew that summer—one of his own creation that he hoped would help control lycanthropy—came to the fore. The idea had come to him the night of the first full moon the summer following the incident in the Shrieking Shack. 'No, better not let Dumbledore in on my secrets,' he thought as he pushed his ideas and nascent formula into the deep recesses of his mental lake.

Nodding to himself, he knocked on the door to the headmaster's office. To Severus' surprise the headmaster himself opened the door and gently bade him enter. He was equally surprised to find his Head of House, Professor Slughorn, looking somewhat uncomfortable in the middle of the room.

'What's going on?' Severus wondered beginning to grow worried.

"Severus, my dear boy...do come in and sit down," Dumbledore said. Instead of sitting behind his massive desk, the headmaster waved Severus to a small sitting area directly in front of the large and impressive fireplace. Severus and Slughorn sat down on a medium-sized, but comfortable settee that faced the fireplace. A coffee table stood in front of the sofa, and a serving tray with an afternoon tea for three sat on the table, waiting to be served.

Taking a seat to Severus' immediate left, Dumbledore took a moment to pour for his two guests and then himself. He waved casually at the biscuits indicating they help themselves.

Severus passed on the biscuits but took a sip of his tea. In all his years as student at Hogwarts, this was the first time he had ever been invited to have tea with the headmaster.

"So...Severus, how do you think you will do on your end-of-year finals?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

Severus stared at him blankly. Dumbledore had just asked him a question on the very topic that he had decided to leave as his surface thoughts.

'Did he just legilimize me?'

The next moment, Severus realized that he had neither the time to feel offended, nor the luxury of allowing the slightest hint of his Occlumency to escape. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Excuse me, Headmaster?"

"Albus, I'm sure the young man will receive all Outstandings again," Slughorn said, "just as he did on his O.W.L.s—eh, Mr. Snape?"

Before Severus could respond, Dumbledore answered. "Of course...we could expect no less from Mr. Snape, now could we? If I didn't say it before, my boy...I—that is we—" He indicated himself and Slughorn. "—were very proud of your O.W.L. scores."

"Indeed, Mr. Snape...especially your potions score! The highest O.W.L. score in over 150 years...and it was achieved by one of my own students." The smile that Slughorn turned on Severus didn't reach his eyes. "Yes...quite proud."

At his words, it seemed as if the air had been let out of their conversation; it just petered out, like a slowly deflated balloon. It was funny because just a few weeks ago he would have felt a glow of pride over being recognized by both the Headmaster and his Head of House. But now, their words echoed with the uncomfortable emptiness of insincerity.

Severus looked curiously from one of his professors to the other. They each sported similar looks of unease on their faces. Finally, he turned a questioning look toward Dumbledore.

"Headmaster?" he asked. "What is it, sir? Why was I called to your office?"

Severus didn't know what was going on, but Dumbledore's serious countenance immediately put the young Slytherin on the defensive. Unable to take more than a single sip from his tea, Severus carefully placed his cup on its matching saucer, which he held in his other hand, and just as gingerly laid both down on the table. His movements deliberate, Severus felt himself beginning to break out in a cold sweat.

He didn't think he was in trouble. Otherwise, the headmaster would not have offered him tea and biscuits. 'So, what's going on?' He couldn't help wondering.

"Yes, Mr. Snape...to the business at hand." Dumbledore spoke softly with a touch of sadness. "My dear boy, there is no easy way of saying this, so I must say it straight out...Sometime last night between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., your father and mother were involved in Muggle vehicle accident. Your father was driving and he lost control. The motorcar skidded off the road, rolled over an embankment, and burst into flames on impact. There were no survivors..."

Apparently, his father had been drinking heavily that night, and despite witness statements that several of his friends had offered to drive them home, Tobias had insisted on driving. Both Tobias and Eileen Snape were killed instantly.

"...So, you see, dear boy, at least they didn't suffer..."

Dumbledore delivered the tragic news in a remarkably gentle voice, his tone surprisingly echoed by Professor Slughorn. Nevertheless, the words that were spoken with such kindness and understanding were nothing more than a Sectumsempra to Severus' heart. Dumbledore assured him that he would be allowed to go home immediately, of course.

"Take what time you need, Mr. Snape. There is no need to rush back. Just be back in time for the final exams the last week of the month—if you can. If you cannot make it back in time, then we can make arrangements for you to sit your exams sometime during August before the start of term..."

Severus nodded automatically. Truth be told, he didn't know what else they said; the rest of the meeting remained a blank to him, and eventually, Dumbledore excused him back to his dormitory.

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The walk back to the Slytherin dormitory afterward was somewhat hazy. Severus couldn't quite wrap his mind around the news that Dumbledore had given him. His brain understood the words, but their meaning was a jumble. Try as he might, he was unable to fully grasp what the headmaster had imparted. He found himself at the top of the Astronomy Tower, not really knowing how he had ended up there.

He stood on the battlements, gazing out upon the serene grounds. He caught sight of a waterfowl diving into the Black Lake, only to emerge with a fish wriggling inside the bird's beak. A single giant tentacle rose lazily out of the water, announcing the location of the giant squid. The single tentacle was soon followed by a few more. Severus caught sight of the squid's giant eye, which was glaring balefully at the waterfowl flying above it.

'I guess the bird disturbed the squid's sleep,' Severus thought to himself, a brief smile lightening his usually serious features.

The next moment the appearance of the four Marauders and Lily down by the lake broke his peaceful interlude. As Severus watched, Potter held his hand out to Lily who after a moment's hesitation took it in her own. Severus felt a pain deep in his chest, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He closed his eyes for what he thought was only a moment; however, seeing the growing shadows and the absence of the Marauders and Lily, Severus realized it was much later...

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Severus went home and found himself making funeral arrangements for his parents. He had never felt so alone in all his life. His parents may not have been the world's best, but they were his and now they were gone. He reflected on his mother, a pureblood witch born into an old wizarding family that traced its line back to Merlin—hence, the name "Prince."

Severus had secretly researched his family's genealogy in his first year at Hogwarts because his mother spoke very little about the life she had left behind. He had wanted to learn something of his background hoping to find some affirmation that he belonged somewhere. To his shock, he discovered that if the wizarding world could claim a royal line, then the Prince name certainly befitted the position. However, because Eileen Prince had refused the marriage her father had arranged, and instead, married a lowborn Muggle, she was summarily disowned.

Severus had studied the genealogy chart, carefully tracing his ancestry to his grandfather, Augustus Prince. As his finger continued down the page to his mother's name, his chest clenched suddenly in anger on his mother's behalf. He saw the family line bypass Eileen Snape (nee: Prince) and connect to Cornelius Prince. There were no further entries.

Severus had sadly closed the genealogy text and never looked at it again. As far as the Prince family was concerned, Severus Tobias Snape did not exist.

Unfortunately, the deaths of his mother and father had left Severus virtually penniless. He didn't even have enough funds to pay for their funerals. Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Evans stepped in and helped him with the funeral arrangements as well as the cost.

Severus spent the next few days in a fog, going through his parents' things—their belongings, paperwork, and correspondence. The day of the funeral had dawned bright and cool; it was a typical English day in May. Sadly, there were few mourners to mark the passage of Eileen and Tobias Snape. Besides Severus, the Evans family—Violet, Henry, and Petunia—were represented, as well as Jonathon Wiggenweld.

None of his Hogwarts teachers made an appearance, not even his Head of House, nor did Severus expect them to. That none of his classmates from Slytherin House or any other House for that matter were present went without saying. He was touched, however, by a sympathy card he received signed by Kingsley Shacklebolt, Regulus Black, Amelia Bones, and Edmund Avery.

The sole absence that really cut into Severus' heart was that of Lily. Mrs. Evans said that Lily had written a letter explaining that the school wouldn't excuse her for the funeral because the Snapes were not blood relatives. The fact that she didn't even bother to send him a personal note of condolence hurt more than anything his father, the Marauders, or life in general had ever dealt him.

Severus had held out hope before the funeral that there might be a chance they could still reconcile, but this was the straw that finally the broke the back of what was once their friendship. As he watched his parents' coffins being lowered into the ground, Severus felt the tears at last begin to fall. That day he cried for his parents, his lost childhood, and his lost friend.

Mrs. Evans approached Severus and carefully pulled him into her arms. "I am so sorry, Sev. Your mother was a good woman and she loved you so much. Remember that. If you don't remember anything else about her, then always remember how much she loved you."

Unable to speak, Severus nodded. As she continued to hold him to her, he finally returned the hug and put his head on her shoulder, his own shoulders shaking from grief. Before long, he felt another pair of strong arms encircle both him and Mrs. Evans. Mr. Evans held them in a group hug until Severus' silent sobs eased, and he was able to take control of his emotions once more.

"Severus, Violet and I are only a few doors down from you," Mr. Evans said sadly. "You will always be welcome in our home. No matter what."

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate all you did for my parents and me. I promise...one day I will pay you back for—"

"Severus Snape!" Violet interrupted with a shake of her head. "You stop that kind of talk. We've known you since you were this high!" As she spoke, she indicated a height that barely came to her waist. "Besides, you're practically a part of the family. Henry and I won't hear any more of that nonsense."

Taking his arm gently, but firmly Mrs. Evans spoke softly as she began leading him away from the gravesite. "Now, you're coming home with us for dinner." At Severus' look of protest, Violet continued in a teasing coaxing voice. "There's a three-layer, Petunia-deluxe, double chocolate cake waiting for us in the kitchen. Now...not another word."

Severus glanced at Lily's older sister. Petunia's usual scowl had been replaced with another look, one of uncertainty. She gave him a tentative nod, and then just as quickly looked away. Feeling a bit surprised at his childhood nemesis' apparent thoughtfulness, Severus didn't protest when Violet led him by the arm to the Evans' family car, which was parked just outside the gates to the cemetery.

On the drive back, there was little conversation to dispel the gloom inside the car. Everyone seemed lost in thought. Severus' mind kept playing scenes from his childhood. Those with his father were mostly harsh and best laid to rest; the ones with his mother were a bittersweet mixture of happy and sad.

As he sat down at the dinner table, Severus realized that he wasn't really hungry; however, he hadn't eaten since breakfast the previous day and knew he had to get something in his stomach. He politely accepted a helping of everything and somehow managed to choke it down. When he saw the huge helping of chocolate cake on his dessert plate, he was afraid that the dinner he had struggled so hard to keep down was close to making a re-appearance.

He quickly excused himself from the table, making a beeline for the bathroom. There, he swallowed a stomach soother and chased it down with tap water from the sink. He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and called on his Occlumency shields for assistance. He visualized the still depths of the Black Lake, and soon felt a sense of calm wash over him.

After a few moments, he was finally ready to head back to the dining room—and Petunia's chocolate cake. He knew it would be as delicious as it looked because Petunia Evans never did anything by halves. He remembered that when he and Lily were children, Petunia who was usually left in charge by Mrs. Evans would often fix them small, but delicious snacks when he'd come over.

Despite the disdainful looks that she would give him, Petunia would usually include apple slices or some other fruit on his plate and would roll her eyes when he thanked her. He guessed that in her own way, Petunia had tried to help him back then, too.

The Evanses had done a lot for him, and he would make a concerted effort to eat what they offered him. After dinner, he again thanked Mr. and Mrs. Evans for their generosity and thoughtfulness. He even thanked Petunia for the delicious chocolate cake, startling the plain girl out of her usual sulk enough to grant him a hesitant smile. As he stepped out the door, Mrs. Evans once again hugged him and reminded him that they were there for him and that he was welcome in their home.

Severus nodded his thanks, but he knew that this was goodbye. He would never impose on the Evans family again. His ties to them had been irrevocably severed "That Day." Today, Lily's glaring absence from his parents' funeral underscored the point...

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While Severus was struggling alone back at Spinner's End, Lily was struggling with her conscience. The first day she noticed Severus missing from classes, she paid it no mind. By the third day, she started to worry. What if he had dropped out of school to join Voldemort? She had heard that sometimes You-Know-Who would take students who were still underage if he was sufficiently impressed with them.

If there was anyone at Hogwarts who was aware of Severus' untapped potential, it was Lily Evans. She'd worked side-by-side with him every year for the past six years, this year being the sole exception.

'He's a freaking genius—at Potions and just about everything else!'

Although Lily had been able to keep up with Severus, much of her exceptional performance in Potions and Transfiguration in the past had been largely due to Severus' patient coaching.

And, while Lily was naturally gifted in charms, Severus had such control of his own magic that he was able to succeed in areas in which he wasn't naturally gifted. She knew that he had scored all Outstandings in his O.W.L.s—the only student at Hogwarts to do so last year. Even she had had to settle for a couple of EEs in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes.

'I can only imagine what his N.E.W.T. scores will be like at the end of next year,' she thought to herself, her annoyance tinged with a smidgeon of jealousy. It wasn't fair that Severus could read something and then never forget it, like a computer database. The information would be sorted and collated, retrieved as needed at a later date.

'So, yeah...I can easily see that Voldemort might have his evil eye set on Severus.'

Of course, her nerves weren't helped by the obnoxious comments being spewed by some of her fellow Gryffindors—Sirius Black to be exact. While trying to study in the Gryffindor common room with James and Remus, Lily couldn't help listening to Sirius expressing his opinions about Severus' whereabouts...

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TBC in Chapter 2B