Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. I am merely borrowing J.K Rowling's brilliant characters and backdrop.
Two
Minerva McGonagall had been having a fairly good day until Harry Potter had rammed into her and ruined it. That morning Umbridge hadn't paid them a visit in the teacher's lounge, which made the day significantly better already. Then while her students had been taking their midterms she had been able to catch up on grading, for lunch they had her favorite, shepherd's pie, and later during the staff meeting she and Severus had managed to thoroughly humiliate Umbridge. As a cherry on top Minerva had planned to bring a bottle of ale down to Severus's chambers and pry her younger colleague away from his work for a short while. Of course that plan had been dashed when Potter came frantically barreling down the hallway. Now instead of loosening her colleague up over a bottle of liquor Minerva was peering down at the student version of Severus Snape. The boy honestly appeared too small to even be a first year, but given the date the child had riddled off to her and the fact that he knew who she was put Severus as a rising second year. She supposed Severus always had been small for his age, at least until his fourth year when he had experienced an enormous growth spurt that by the end of his fifth year had him towering over students who had once leered down at him.
"Professor what year is it?"
The sound of Severus's voice wrenched Minerva from her thoughts.
"1995," she answered.
The boy paled slightly and for a moment Minerva could have sworn she had seen fear in the boy's obsidian eyes, but then it was gone leaving her uncertain if it had truly even been there.
"So I was thirty-five before," Severus confirmed.
Minerva nodded uncertain of how to broach the topic of the lad's past. She supposed Albus would take care of it.
Suddenly there was a thud from the direction Severus had been standing. Whirling around Minerva found Severus collapsed on the floor. She dropped to her knees beside the child. The boy hadn't looked particularly well to begin with, but as he lay on the cold cement floor he gradually looked worse and worse. Bruises, abrasions, and scars that had not previously been there appeared and his skin had grown a sickly ivory. He must have been using a glamor Minerva realized.
"Severus," she whispered worriedly. Receiving no response Minerva pressed two fingers to the lad's ice cold neck checking for a pulse breathing out a sigh of relief upon finding one. Gently scooping the boy up in her arms Minerva started for the hospital wing any reservations she had previously about forcing Severus to be checked over gone. As she hurried through the halls she was surprised to find how light the child was. She doubted he would tip the scale at fifty pounds sopping wet.
"Poppy," Minerva called desperately upon arriving at the hospital wing.
"Minerva is everything alright?" Poppy asked her voice trailing off as her gaze fell on the bundle of ebony robes clutched tightly to Minerva's chest.
"Wh-what h-hap-ppened M-Minerva?" Poppy stuttered.
"Severus has been deaged," Minerva replied, carefully laying their now very young college on one the cots.
"How?"
"Haven't the faintest idea. Potter was the one who told me. He was rushing about searching for Albus when he barreled into me. Evidently he had detention with Severus and since the man had not appeared for some time the foolish boy thought he would investigate and happened to stumble across a deaged Severus. Potter then brought me down to the dungeons with him. By the time I got there Severus was already up on his feet. He doesn't remember anything Poppy. Well at least not anything past July 24th 1972. Anyhow after Potter left Severus collapsed and I brought him up here."
"I will perform a full medical examination on him, something I probably should have done when he was a student," Poppy sighed regretfully.
"We cannot undo the past Poppy," Minerva reminded her friend gently.
"But we can change the future," Poppy replied.
Minerva waited anxiously for Poppy to finish her diagnosis her fears growing as Poppy grew more and more tight lipped.
"How bad is it?" Minerva demanded unable to keep quiet any longer.
Unable to speak Poppy handed Minerva a piece of parchment, two feet long, a silent tear sliding down her check as she did so.
HPHPHP
What a strange dream Severus thought as he groggily awoke. For some reason he had been at Hogwarts and had apparently been an adult who was then deaged. Furthermore Professor McGonagall had been calling him by his first name. Potter had also been there, but different. It had been a very odd dream indeed.
Severus rolled over on the bed and was surprised to find that agonizing pain did not flare up in his arm or ribs. Wait, a bed? He had passed out on the grimy floors of Spinner's End after a nasty beating from his drunk father. Severus hesitantly opened his eyes the sight that greeted confirming his suspicion that he was not at Spinner's End. The room he was in was a familiar one. It was the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Severus had found himself here on many accounts sporting injuries courtesy of the marauders.
It had not been a dream Severus realized, but reality. Panic suddenly clenched him as it dawned on him that Professor McGonagall had seen him collapse. Given his professor's earlier promise and his current location in the hospital wing Severus could deduce that Madame Pomfrey had performed a medical scan on him, which meant they knew. They knew that he was weak. And Potter had seen. Well, not James Potter, but his spawn who was likely just as arrogant, conceited, and cruel as his father. The older boy had found him huddled in a cupboard, gawked at him a moment, and then ran off. While Potter was gone Severus had been able to collect himself; shrinking his robes and placing a glamor on to hide the worst of his injuries before anyone else saw him so vulnerable.
"Severus sweetheart you're awake, thank merlin," the medi-witch cried rushing towards him. Severus recoiled before the woman reached his bedside and thankfully she took the hint and took a step back. The healer looked almost precisely as Severus recalled only aged a couple of decades.
"Severus how do you feel?" Professor McGonagall questioned peering down at him concernedly.
He gave a small shrug still attempting to grow accustomed to having his professor refer to him as Severus instead of Mr. Snape.
"Do you want to tell us how you got injured?"
"I'm clumsy," Severus lied in monotone, the response automatic. He could see his professor debating whether or not to press the issue finally the defeat and disappointment in her eyes confirmed that she would not, even before she changed the subject.
"Would you like something to eat Severus?"
Severus didn't dare answer. He had been offered food and had snatched away while his tormentor sneered down at him far too many times for him to make the same mistake again even if it was Professor McGonagall.
Sighing the woman called out, "Dobby."
There was a loud crack and strange looking green creature Severus knew to be a house elf appeared.
"What can Dobby do for Professor McGonagall?" the house elf asked in a high pitched squeaky voice.
"Could you bring up a bowl of porridge?"
"Dobby would be happy to," the house elf cried happily then hesitated.
"What is it Dobby?"
"Who is the little master in the bed mistress?"
"What I am going to tell you Dobby you cannot tell anyone. This little boy is Severus Snape."
"Master Snape?"
"Yes, Dobby there was a potions accident. You cannot tell anyone."
The house elf bobbed his head up and down vigorously before disaparating with a deafening crack.
A moment later the house elf, Dobby, appeared clutching a bowl of porridge.
"Here little master Snape," the elf squeaked holding out the bowl to Severus.
Gingerly he took it still suspicious of it being a trap. Oh, how Severus longed to devour the porridge. Its aroma was causing him to salivate and he had not eaten for three days. He was so hungry, but did he dare? At last Severus decided that he did not care if it was trick and began to shovel the porridge into his mouth. After inhaling about half the bowl Severus began to grow nauseous. His stomach must have shrunken over the past four weeks since Hogwarts let out Severus speculated.
"Severus are you alright? You look a bit green," Madame Pomfrey remarked worriedly.
Severus gave a sharp nod fighting down the urge to vomit, but it was a losing battle as Severus soon found himself heaving over the side of the bed. Now not only had he collapsed in front of his professor, but vomited as well. How much more humiliating could it get? It did. She started to rub his back, which one of them it was Severus couldn't be certain as his face was buried in the pillow. As much as he wanted to Severus found he did not have the strength to pull away and as he lay curled in the fetal position he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Severus awoke to the sound of Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and new voice, who he identified as Headmaster Dumbledore's, conversing in hushed tones. Feigning sleep Severus strained to hear what the adults were saying.
"Do you mean to tell me that my spy and potions master is that nine year old boy laying on that cot?" growled Dumbledore. The ever present twinkle in the man's blue eyes absent as he glared down at his former spy.
"He's actually twelve Albus and could you please keep your voice down. He is sleeping."
"So he doesn't remember anything?"
"No, he was reverted to the mind and body of his twelve year old self," Professor McGonagall explained.
"Speaking of that, I was able to heal most of his physical injuries, but there are no spell to undo emotional damage," Madame Pomfrey interjected sounding regretful.
"I knew Severus's childhood wasn't pretty, but I never imagined it was this bad," murmured the transfiguration professor sorrowfully, "Were you aware Albus?"
"Severus was always very unforthcoming when it came to his childhood," the headmaster replied and Severus snorted derisively. Unforthcoming, how would the man know? It was not as if he had ever asked Severus about his home life. In fact Severus doubted the headmaster would care even if he did know how Severus's father treated him.
"Is there a cure and what are we going to do with Severus until then?" Professor McGonagall asked drawing Severus's attention back to the conversation.
"I was thinking he could stay at the Order headquarters. As for a remedy I will have to look into it."
"The Order headquarters, do you think that wise? Sirius Black will be there."
Black, he would not live with Black Severus thought furiously.
"There will be other Order members there. Severus will be fine. Now can I count on you to transport him there? Furthermore I think it would be good if the Weasleys, Miss Granger, and Harry stayed at Grimmauld Place over the holidays as well," Dumbledore announced that twinkle in his eyes that Severus abhorred glistening madly once again.
Severus heard footsteps.
"Where are you going Albus?" Minerva snapped sternly freezing the headmaster in his tracks.
"I have business that must be taken care of. Even more so now that my spy has been incapacitated."
"Speaking of your spy, what are we planning on telling him about his past?
"Nothing."
"Albus, Severus already knows that he formally was an adult and he will find out about his past if not from us, than someone else likely with less than desirable results."
The headmaster sighed, "Very well, tell him what you find pertinent. Also you say he's twelve?"
"Yes."
"He was quite a capable brewer even at that age was he not?"
"Yes." This time it was Madam Pomfrey who answered and very adamantly too.
"See if he can continue to brew some of the potions he previously brew for the Order then?"
With those final instructions Dumbledore left.
"How long have you been eavesdropping young man?" Madam Pomfrey demanded as soon as the door slammed shut.
Severus jumped surprised that the healer had seen through his façade.
"Not very long ma'am," Severus fibbed.
Professor McGonagall quirked an eyebrow at him clearly not buying his lie.
"It is impolite to eavesdrop on others conversation," Professor McGonagall lectured gently.
"Well excuse me for being present while the three of you had your top secret conversation, about me mind you," Severus retorted snidely.
For some reason his comment resulted in both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey laughing.
"Do you have any questions about what you heard Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked Severus once she had collected herself.
"Why don't you just start from the beginning Professor," Severus suggested doubting that he could fully grasp the events that occurred over the past two and half decades any other way.