Author's Notes:
Okay. When I started this baby I had a dream. It was a small dream. Update the fanfiction every week or so. However, once again, I popped off of the face of the fanfiction planet for two months or so. I didn't even look back at this fic. Hell, I was plannng on making a new account, moving my favorite fanfics there, and starting anew. Again. However, I didn't. And this fanfiction is the reason why. I longed to finish it so very much, and while I don't have the same spark for it I did two months ago, I want to see it through until the end. Plus, I have other fanfiction ideas. And I love this account too much. So, Here we go.
The long awaited chapter for YBT. Enjoy.

PS. Short chapter is short. Forgive me. It's only three pages. Next time, I promise at least eight. And if I don't update soon, throw rocks at me.

Today's Opportunities Erase Yesterday's Failures

~Gene Brown

1998

"My head hurts..." James mumbled, rolling over on his side and running his hands through his hair. His eyes were closed, and surprisingly his glasses were still intact, despite feeling like he had been dropped from the Astronomy Tower. His back hurt, his head was pounding, and he could hear blood rushing in his ears. He regretted opening his mouth to talk, because the action had caused a horrible smokey after-taste to rise up his throat and coat his taste buds.

"Your bloody head? My bloody head." Sirius answered, his voice hoarse. He gave a sudden cough, pushing himself on his hands and knees.

"James?" Lily whispered from where she was sprawled against the cold stones. "What happened?" She slid her feet against the floor, her muscles aching and her head spinning. She opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. It looked the same, but different. The room was still hazy with smoke.

"James?" Harry, who had stood still near his father and watched as the group awoke, repeated outloud. "James Potter?"

"Who else would bloody try to kill us all?" Severus, who was pressed up against the door frame and still had his eyes closed, spoke up. "They should just expel them and be done with it- the whole lot of them."

Harry turned to Professor Snape, who had his coal black gaze fixed on the younger version of himself. His jaw was working up and down but no works were coming out. Harry had seen Snape shocked before, many times when Dumbledore had announced that despite breaking hundreds of rules Harry would be staying. This time was different. This time, it was almost a fear. He watched as Snape's eyes moved over to Lily, whose red hair had fallen over her doll like face. Her green eyes were visible, and there was no doubt that it was Lily Evans.

"Shut up, Snivellus. No one cares what you think." Sirius spoke again, moving to sit on his knees.

Upon hearing his old childhood nickname coming back to haunt him, adult Severus seemed to find his words at last.

"Everyone out- Except for Potter, Weasley, Granger, Longbottom, and Malfoy." Professor Snape bellowed, his eyebrows knitting in anger. "Everyone else, to the Hospital Wing. I don't have time to evaluate who inhaled what and who swallowed whose potion. Go. Now."

As the students filed out of class, coughing and wheezing, Professor Snape turned to Harry. "You lot stay put. I'm contacting the Headmaster."

"Potter what?" It wasn't Harry, but James who spoke as Professor Snape billowed out of the room to get Albus. Harry ignored it, however, because he was fixated on his father. He hadn't seen his father so vividly since looking in the Mirror in his first year. His dad, his mom, they were right there in front of him. Although, it was quite a few years before they were going to have Harry, they were still his mom and dad. He couldn't help but feel like Merlin was giving him some sort of second chance at getting to know them.

Before he could say anything, he heard Sirius pipe up. "Oy, James, I think Moony's knocked out."

Sirius was awake and standing over his sandy haired classmate. Remus was laying in the most uncomfortable position, and had yet to speak up or make any indication he was conscious. At Sirius's proclamation, James began to push himself up on his feet.

"Give me a minute, I'm-" James stopped. At his full height, he was eye to eye with his future son. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Holy Bats and Banshees. Padfoot. Padfoot."

"What's wrong, Prongsy? Hair turn green-" Sirius spun and stopped as suddenly as James had. "Woah. You could bloody be twins."

"Twins?" Remus spoke up at last, coughing as a rather large cloud of smoke exited his lungs.

"He lives!" Sirius turned again, suddenly, and dropped by Remus. "You scared me Moony!" He sounded so relieved, wrapping his arms around his good friend and pulling him into a hug. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron had joined Harry. Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, his fingers shaking.

"Harry.." Hermione whispered, James' eyes still fixated on him. "Do you think it's really.." but her voice faded. She was wavering with uneasiness, her eyes watching young Snape stand and move to a corner, eyeing them warily. Sirius and Remus were helping each other up, dusting each other off. Lily stood but wasn't paying them any attention and instead was assessing herself for injuries.

"Who the hell are-" James started, but the door slamming open made him jump.

"Aha! Why yes, this is quite the predicament." Albus stepped into the classroom first, followed by adult Snape with robes billowing.

James squinted his eyes at Headmaster Dumbledore, his mind registering that the man looked so much older than he remembered. His eyes were still twinkling, though. And who was that behind Dumbledore? Long greasy hair, hooked nose. The man was probably Snivellus' father. They sure looked related. He turned back to look at Severus, who looked just as surprised as James did. Perhaps Severus hadn't seen his father in years, and this was some sort of family reunion.

"Who is this?" James said, pointing at Harry.

"I'm-" Harry started to say, but Hermione covered his mouth with her head.

"Is it safe to tell him, Headmaster?" She questioned, her eyes turning to Dumbledore. "I mean, will it change things? The past, today, if..if he were to know?"

"Know what, excatly?" James pushed on, stepping closer to Harry. They were about the same height, and James stood close enough that their noses were touching. He reached up and brushed Harry's hair aside, gazing at the famous scar then looking at Harry's eyes.

"It's so freaky." James continued. "You could be me, almost."

"I think, Miss Granger, that it is safe to tell Mr. Potter exactly what it going on here. In fact, I will do so myself. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus..Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville. Professor Snape.." Dumbledore turned to the adult Severus now. "Please escort our guests to my office. I would like a moment to examine the cauldron that caused this."

Professor Snape nodded, turning his glare on the young students in the room. "You heard the Headmaster. March, all of you. Out."

"Professor Snape?" Severus sputtered, his eyes widening. "Professor..Snape?"

"I didn't know your daddy was a Professor, Snivellus." Sirius chimed, narrowing his eyes at child Severus. "No wonder you're still at this school when nobody likes you..."

Sirius couldn't continue. Professor Snape reached out and grabbed the collar of his robes, shoving him out the door. "Five points from Gryffindor for being an ignorant little twit..." Severus's voice faded.

Finally, Dumbledore was left alone with the cauldron. He stepped up the the table and gathered his robes around him. Peering into the cauldron, he tried to figure out what could have caused such a break in time. Of course, he would question Severus later. Both the adult and the young Snape could have some idea of what was going on here. He dipped his finger into the mixture and brought it to his nose, sniffing. It had a burning smell to it, and warmed his whole hand even though the glob remained on the edge of his index. It felt practically radioactive.

"Hmn." He mused out loud, wipping his finger on his robes. Wizards were no strangers to time travel. There were devices made and charmed for just that sort of thing. He had even let Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger use such a device in their third year. He could not recall a potion causing such a thing to happen, but there were no impossibilities.

That is, except for the fact that- Judging by the smell and feel of the potion, and adding to the fact that it was a reaction that had not happened before, it might be impossible to reverse it.

A cliffhanger, eh? To motivate the author to update more often, hit the review button!