The Mistake
By JalendaviLady
Timeline: Beginning a few days before Halloween 1981.
Summary: One single mistake can change history forever. The change does not have to be for the worse, however...
Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, and assorted others
Pairings: James/Lily (story is not pairing-focused)
Warning: Deathly Hallows spoilers, including things that will be revealed in the Part 2 movie.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 2: October 30, 1981 - 3 pm
October 30, 1981, at three in the afternoon according to the church bells in Godric's Hollow.
James was busy chasing Harry around the house - the birthday broom from Sirius still had the almost-toddler enthralled nearly three months later - and Lily was busy trying to ignore the noise.
Jennyanydots was curled up beside her on the chair arm, purring. Lily'd gotten the tabby cat as a tiny kitten when she passed her OWLs. Her parents had wanted to congratulate her.
(Her parents had known she didn't have a best friend anymore.)
She was trying to read an article in a potions journal about yet another potioneer claiming to have recreated the anti-transformational potion for werewolves that had been discovered and then completely lost to Wizarding science over a millennia ago.
She hoped for Remus' sake that they'd gotten the formula right this time.
Said werewolf picked exactly that moment to stick his head through the living room fireplace. "Lily, can Dumbledore borrow you for a couple of hours?"
James walked back into the room, Harry in his arms and finally off of the broom. "What is it, Moony?"
"I don't actually know, but something needs doing at Hogwarts, and from the way he was talking, it's Lily who can do it if anyone can. He wouldn't tell me any more."
She put the journal down on the table and stood up, despite a protest from Jenny. "Mind helping James with Harry while I'm gone?"
Remus brightened. "Sure I'll help."
He was always delighted whenever Lily reminded him that she, unlike most Wizarding mothers, did not consider him the slightest threat to her child outside the few days surrounding the full moon.
It was nearly the new moon. No risk from him unless he was the spy, and even if he were, James was still going to be here the entire time. Low risk, compared to some decisions they had made.
So why not help Dumbledore?
A short while later, she found herself stepping through a temporary Floo connection into Dumbledore's office.
It was a Friday, and so most of the students who weren't in a classroom were outside sprawled on the slope down to the Quidditch pitch. She could hear and see them through the office window.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts," Albus told her, eyes twinkling as he sat behind his desk.
They had not seen each other in weeks.
But then the twinkle faded. "I need your help, and I fear only your help will work."
She was a bit surprised. She had been near the top in all of her classes, of course, and received top marks on most of her NEWTs, but she had never been at the top, except perhaps maybe in Charms. Sirius was the Transfiguration master, James had been the best in Defense, Remus had a (relatively secret) flair for History - and all the bits of ancient magic and magical artifact knowledge that had come with being one of the few in their class to listen to Professor Binns - and well, with so many years of experience before he'd gotten to Hogwarts how in the wide world was she supposed to have ever caught up to Severus in Potions, even with he and his mother tutoring her for four whole summers and five winter holidays?
That had to be it. Potions. Dumbledore needed something examined or brewed that he couldn't risk Severus Snape knowing about.
(That he couldn't risk Voldemort knowing about.)
"That rumor I've never been able to squash, that the Order has a spy within Voldemort's ranks?"
She nodded. "I've heard it."
(Everyone had heard it.)
"It was true until last night."
She sat down as her legs gave out.
What that person had been risking... It was almost beyond imagination.
She chilled. What information had Dumbledore had to risk? What might be screamed out in the throes of a Cruciatus Curse even now as they talked?
"He made it back to Hogwarts. Alive."
She sagged with relief for whoever it was.
There were rumors, terrifying rumors, about what happened to those who tried to leave the Death Eaters.
(There was also the more-terrifying rumor that the first rumor was wrong, and the reports were of what happened to those who stayed.)
"He managed to tell me his cover was broken before he collapsed, nothing more."
"'Collapsed'?"
Dumbledore's eyes were sad. "I do not know precisely what happened to him last night. Likely the Cruciatus Curse, and certainly more than once. From what I can gather he traveled from London to Hogsmeade on the Knight Bus after his escape. Wandless."
Wandless.
Lily had spent enough time in Defense class - and enough time around James and Sirius - to know all that implied.
No Summoning anything that could be of aid. No counters to the lingering effects of that particular Unforgiveable - and those counters were only truly effective within an hour or two after being cruciated. No sending messages requesting aid.
Not even casting the basic anti-nausea and anti-bruising spells most wizards and witches relied on when using the Knight Bus.
Whoever it was, he'd been through hell last night.
"How can I help?"
"He hasn't woken up since he came through the Floo last night. Since we don't know what potions may have been forced on him as part of his ordeal..."
"... there's only so much you can do for him without risking an interaction. Especially since every single student sitting the Defense OWL knows the basic first-aid for the Cruciatus Curse, but not that counters for the first-aid exists. Given the right potion, even chocolate..."
Dumbledore nodded grimly. "Exactly, Lily."
"Why me?"
"Because you see people for who they really are and for who they have the potential for being. That is something most in the Order cannot begin to claim."
He put a Disillusionment Charm on her - she could have done it nearly as well, but when Albus Dumbledore offered to manage your personal security, you did not turn him down without very good reason - for the walk to the Hospital Wing, but it was unecessary.
The halls of Hogwarts were empty.
It was the day before Halloween and a Friday. None of the students were near the Hospital Wing, and the professors were no doubt keeping an eye on the students or preparing for the feast to come tomorrow.
Dumbledore dropped the charm as they entered the long wing. He led Lily past the two rows of very empty beds, into Madame Pomfrey's office - the witch nodded her grim greetings as they passed in front of her desk - and into a second room Lily had never known was there.
Of course. There would have to be a place they could put injured professors where they wouldn't be disturbed by students, wouldn't there? Or a student who had been attacked with apparent intent to kill, if there was no clue who the assailant was?
It made sense this room was here, windowless and defensible.
It made sense they would bring an unconscious now-ex spy here after hours on the Knight Bus and who knew what before it.
(Students shouldn't know what someone looked like after multiple Cruciatus Curses and no first-aid or other treatment.)
There were fewer beds here, the light from floating globes - Lily thought they looked like the same sort St. Mungo's used for illumination - glinting off the frames, which seemed stronger than those outside. The mattresses seemed thicker too.
Long-term care then, as well, Lily figured.
Only one of the beds was currently occupied.
Pale skin showed above the white sheet, and the spy's black hair was tousled all over the place - obviously in the moments of making sure he was stable and then getting him settled in the bed, no one had thought to even finger-comb it down.
It wasn't until she caught herself thinking, He's going to hate that, that she realized she knew him.
Albus put his hand on her shoulder as her eyes misted up.
Cruciated multiple times. Hours on the Knight Bus. No wand. No help.
Oh, Sev...
The castle clock tolled the hour.
4 pm, October 30, 1981.