His Greatest Wish, by AndromedaMarine

The Key

Sev and Lily watched the Sorting of the new first years. He saw with interest as Regulus Black was placed into Slytherin, who immediately made a beeline for his cousin Narcissa at the Slytherin table. When Sev glanced over at Sirius across from them the elder Black's face was set, a little hard in the jaw as his own eyes trailed his younger brother.

Sev heard Sirius mutter under his breath: "Pureblood git." Remus, sitting next to him, was startled by this uttering and glanced over from where he was looking at the High Table. He followed Siri's line of sight and saw Regulus as well.

Remus chose not to say anything and instead paid his attention back to the huddle of first years at the end of the Great Hall.

Not able to stop himself out of curiosity, Sev let his eyes flicker to the Headmaster. It didn't surprise him that Albus stared right back at him, but this time he was ready for the intrusion: the walls were in place, the ornate block keeping Albus from seeing those memories again if he had indeed seen them the first time. He held the gaze for only a few moments before turning his head to answer a question Lily had asked.

He knew Albus hadn't taken his eyes off him because he could feel the distinctive shiver that accompanied it. The Sorting ended and the feast began, but like before, it was over sooner than expected. Dumbledore stood to make his announcements.

"I regret to inform you that last month Professor Hardgrave was involved in one of the many attacks across Britain this past summer, assisting the Aurors in their fight against Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters." The mention of You-Know-Who sparked tittering throughout the hall. "Professor Hardgrave was killed in the attack in Shirebroke. However, Professor Reginald Hydrus has kindly obliged to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts for this year."

If there was one thing Sev could be happy about, it was that the next day happened to be Saturday, and they wouldn't start classes until Monday. He stifled a yawn. "Merlin, I'm glad we're off the hook for another two days," he bit out through the yawn.

Alice copied him and covered her mouth, and soon the entire Circle of Seven had yawned. Lily poked Sev. "We should go visit Hagrid tomorrow, catch up on summer."

"That's a good idea," he mumbled through another yawn.

Dumbledore dismissed them but for an instant caught Sev's gaze again. Somehow, Sev knew that this wouldn't wait through the weekend. The next morning at breakfast Artemis swooped down with a small cream envelope clamped in his beak. Sev fed the black owl some of his sausage and watched as Artemis flew off before slitting the envelope with his breakfast knife. Frank caught his eye.

"Your mum write you already?" he asked with amusement in his eyes.

Sev shook his head. "No," he said as he pulled out the small bit of parchment. "It's from Dumbledore."

Lily immediately looked at the note but thankfully Dumbledore had been cryptic enough that only Sev would understand it.

Mr. Prince,

Please come to my office this evening at seven.

I would like to discuss placing you in classes more fitting to your abilities.

Professor Dumbledore

P.S. I like Cockroach Clusters.

"What does he mean, he likes cockroach clusters?" Lily asked. "I don't like cockroaches to begin with, but in a cluster? Ick. It sounds like someone's twisted idea of candy."

At this, Sev, Remus, Sirius, Frank, Alice, and Peter all started to laugh. Lily looked around at the Circle, a confused expression on her face.

"Lil," Sev managed to say, "Cockroach Clusters are a candy. They're sold in Honeydukes, in Hogsmeade."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Well, when we're finally allowed to go to Hogsmeade next year remind me I never want to buy any."

Sev chuckled and returned his attention to the note in his hands. "It's probably the password to get into his office," he said softly so Lily could hear him. "I've heard Dumbledore has a penchant for having candy-themed passwords. But I don't know what he wants." Liar. She can see through you.

"Odd penchant."

Odd indeed. Sev looked up from the Gryffindor table and over at the Slytherin table he saw Narcissa and Regulus in an argument. Sev got Sirius's attention. "Hey, Sirius, what d'you reckon your brother and cousin are fighting about?"

Sirius yawned and glared at the same time. "Probably about who gets to behead the next House Elf."

Lily dropped her fork. "What?"

Sirius hunched over his plate and leaned towards Lily. "Sorry, my family has an awful tradition of beheading the house elves when they get too old to carry tea trays. My Aunt Elladora started it like a hundred years ago."

The Muggleborn still had trouble grasping at the concept that Sirius's family was generally made up of a bunch of psychos, but that Siri himself had escaped that particular gene.

"It looks like whatever it was had to have been pretty big," Sev continued, still watching the two Blacks. "Their argument is getting pretty heated."

"I dunno, Sev," Sirius replied with a dark look. "Maybe dear Reggie wants to take the Dark Mark now, and darling Cissa won't let him." Bitterness and hatred laced his voice.

Remus placed a calming hand on Sirius's arm. "Simmer down, mate," Remus said with a worried expression on his face. "You only have to deal with them, what, once or twice a year at the most?"

Instead of answering the question, Siri said, "I hope you don't mind if I happen to invite myself to one of your places next summer." The dark look in Sirius's eyes said everything Sev needed to know. Regulus was on the dark path, and there was still the matter of the spy Dumbledore would eventually need inside Voldemort's ranks. Could it this time be Regulus?

I have to talk to him, at least. Maybe get him to consider seeing things from Sirius's point of view. But first this business with Dumbledore...

Sev watched as Regulus suddenly stood from the Slytherin table and threw down his napkin before storming away into the Entrance Hall. Spur of the moment, Sev said, "Hey, I'll be right back," before rising from the benches and following the path Regulus made. Sev found Regulus pacing at the bottom of the main staircase. Slowly approaching him, Sev spoke. "All right?"

Regulus's head snapped up. "Who're you?" he asked suspiciously, but before Sev could say anything Regulus noticed the gold and red of Sev's tie and cloak lining. "Oh, wait, don't tell me. You're the unifying Gryffindor playing friend here?"

Sev never knew Regulus to be this scathing and this bold as an eleven year old. Sev's tone turned cold. "For your information, Regulus, I'm Severus Prince."

The expression on Regulus's face changed instantly into one worse than before. "So you're the half-blood twat my parents said Eileen Prince had with that Muggle." Sev bridled at the insult, but forced himself to think of Lily; before he could reply, Regulus went on. "Disowned blood traitor."

Sev spoke quietly so Regulus would be forced to listen. Ice laced his voice. "Abraxus Prince did disinherit us, yes, and he realized his mistake. My mother regained the Prince Estates." he said. "But I didn't come out here to have insults thrown at me by a know-it-all first year."

"Then why did you follow me? Why do you care?"

"I saw you and Narcissa fighting. Although it wasn't hard to, you and she were making quite the scene."

Regulus's cheeks flushed. "What my cousin and I disagreed on has nothing to do with you."

"Then I suggest you keep your arguments less public than the Great Hall. I only followed to ask if you and she happened to be disagreeing about something pertaining to You-Know-Who."

"Get away from me, you filthy Gryffindor!" Regulus yelled at him before disappearing down the hallway leading to the Slytherin common room. Sev sighed, his shoulders slumping. Great job. You really did that well. Congratulations.

He went back inside and sat back down at the Gryffindor table, hunching his shoulders over his food. His eggs had gone cold.

"Why'd you do that?" Sirius asked. "He's a self-righteous, Slytherin pureblood-manic prat."

Sev lifted his eyes to meet Siri's. "I refuse to judge on principle," he stated, drawing looks from Lily, Alice, and Frank. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Remus smile to himself, since he knew Sev and the others hadn't judged him on the principle of his lycanthropy. But Remus remained silent. "Sirius, don't you think there's a chance you could make Regulus change his mind?"

Sirius snorted into his pumpkin juice. "Uh, no. The little prat always goes on and on about how Mother and Father are so proud of him for this, so proud of him for that. He's already practically inherited all my parents' books on the Dark Arts."

Lily's voice: "He's only eleven."

Sirius turned to face Lily. "And we're only twelve, but at least I know that any inkling of joining You-Know-Who is a bad inkling."

"Siri's right," Remus said. "It's unlikely Regulus would change."

"Unlikely, not impossible," Sev clarified. "But I didn't mean for this to become an argument."

"Let's go down to Hagrid's," Alice said with a firm voice, diffusing the tension. "He told me over summer that Professor Eros got some Salamanders for his Care of Magical Creatures class and I want to see them."

So the Circle of Seven went down to Hagrid's, saw the Salamanders, and stayed for tea, but once again Sev couldn't focus. And once again Lily noticed his distraction.

Because of his appointment with Dumbledore he opted for a late dinner, eating around six so he could have an hour to prepare himself for an interrogation after a whole day of worrying.

"All he wants to do is place you in upper classes, right?" Frank asked as Peter watched the exchange at dinner. "That shouldn't be too bad. You're smarter than all of us put together!"

Sev looked sharply at the future Auror. "I'm not smarter," he said lamely, not able to come up with a better explanation. "It's just—oh, never mind."

The Circle laughed and patted him on the back as he got up to trek up to the fourth floor, where Dumbledore's office was.

Approaching the stone gargoyle sent a familiar feeling through him; he knew this doorway well, he had passed through it so many times he could do it in his sleep, sixteen years of spying for the man who resided at the top of the moving spiral staircase. "Cockroach cluster," he said, and the gargoyle leapt aside. Ascending to the wooden door, he felt his heart pound a little faster, this was it, this was it. To tell...or not to tell.

He knocked.

Dumbledore himself opened it, and upon seeing the young second year, stepped aside and gestured. "Ah, Mr. Prince—come in."

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, deciding to play the traditional game with Albus. "About classes?"

"I do admit I have more to discuss with you than your classes for this year, Severus." Dumbledore gazed at Sev. He pointed over at the table. "Do you know what this is?"

"No," Sev lied, taking a glance at the Pensieve.

"It is a Pensieve. It allows one to put his or her thoughts into an environment to view them objectively, to see details that were missed before, or to look at them over and over again. A useful tool, especially when your mind becomes too crowded, like mine."

"Sounds like something handy," Sev quipped, avoiding eye contact again.

"I have several questions I would like to ask of you, but first, if you would oblige an old man in one thing?" Dumbledore took a phial from his cabinet which contained a swirling silver substance. He tapped the Elder wand to the cork and it flew out. Dumbledore dumped the contents into the Pensieve, and gestured for Sev to dive in. "I want you to view a specific memory of mine—and once you see it I think you will know why."

Sev stared at Dumbledore for a moment, suspecting what it was, before putting his face over the bowl and being pulled down into the fog of Albus Dumbledore's memory.

The scene shifted to the Departure Feast, the morning they'd left Hogwarts in June. Sev stood right beside Dumbledore and looked down at himself at the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Lily Evans, before he actually saw his own memories flashing in quick succession—as seen through Dumbledore's eyes. So he did see it, Sev thought in slight panic. The memory ended with Sev and Lily leaving the Great Hall.

A moment later, he emerged back into the Headmaster's office.

"Do you understand why I have a few questions for you, Mr. Prince?"

Sev nodded slowly, his mind working at an insane speed to figure out what to do next. His plans of evasion were shot.

"The first, and most obvious question, is what happened? I do have my suspicions but I would very much like to hear it from you."

"No," Sev answered after a beat of silence. "Tell me what you think happened."

Dumbledore was obviously taken aback by the brash behavior of Severus Prince. His piercing blue eyes tried to penetrate Sev's mind but the elaborate shield was already up, parrying every attempt in a manner that did not raise suspicion. Albus's voice filled with a seriousness Sev hadn't heard since his years as a spy. "I don't know what happened, Severus. What I do know is that when I saw those memories of yours, they were not altered."

Sev fought down the rising panic. "What does that tell you?" he asked carefully, not breaking the eye contact.

"It tells me, Severus, that you did indeed kill me, that you did indeed die. But how can this be? You and I are still very much alive! I have spent the entirety of summer pondering what this could mean, and I admit that some of my theories have been influenced by an old man's vivid imagination."

Fawkes let out a low, musical note from his perch behind Dumbledore's chair.

"Such as?" He was avoiding the situation expertly, but he knew it couldn't last long.

"Such as the possibility of incredible magic planting those memories, incredible magic performed perhaps by Lord Voldemort, in an attempt to insert a spy into Hogwarts. Such as a young Gryffindor boy with powerful Slytherin connections under dark influences, or, the simplest explanation of all—that you did kill me and die."

Sev did not speak for a full minute. He didn't break the contact either, still parrying the attacks and still studying those wizened eyes. The minute ended. "What if you're right?" he asked suddenly.

Dumbledore blinked. "How do you mean?"

"What if you're right?" Sev repeated. "Right that I did kill you and then die myself?"

"My dear boy, are you telling me that is the truth?"

"You said yourself that the memories weren't altered, sir."

Albus Dumbledore sunk back in his chair, eyes never leaving Severus's, his face full of surprise and awe for the young boy seated before him.

Suddenly Sev surged to his feet, flicked the wand from his holster and held the tip to his temple. He closed his eyes and pulled the memories out, before setting them in the Pensieve. He gestured at it. "If you will, sir, I think I should join you for a bit of explanation."

Sev could not mistake the glint of excitement that shot through Dumbledore's aqua eyes, but he couldn't stop now. A second year had just pulled memories from his mind without instruction or warning. That was magic beyond seventh year level. As the headmaster rose to his feet Sev realized now that he could tell Dumbledore about Malfoy, Lestrange, Rosier and Wilkes and Avery and Mulciber—he could tell him everything he knew about Horcruxes and Voldemort and Death Eaters, even the Deathly Hallows. This man was the door to destroying Tom Riddle, and Sev was the key.

Albus reached the edge of the Pensieve. "One question before we start, Severus, and I hope it is easy for you to answer."

Sev tipped his head, doubting it would be easy at all.

"How old are you?"

At this, Sev actually laughed. "My body, sir, is twelve."

"Do you mean to say your mind is not twelve as well? That would hardly surprise me, considering your talent and power in the classroom, but I am genuinely curious to know your mental age."

"Counting this last year, Albus, I'm thirty eight." And before the Headmaster could answer him, Sev dived back into the Pensieve to relive the horrible memories of a childhood filled with mistakes and his worst error in judgment: Mudblood.

Dumbledore landed next to him in the Great Hall, watching as the Sorting progressed past the 'R' last names into 'S.'

"Snape, Severus!" McGonagall called, and the thin, pale boy scrambled up to the stool.

The Hat was silent for a moment. "Slytherin!" it called out, and Sev turned to watch the expression on Albus's face.

"This is what I had expected when you were Sorted last year," Albus commented evenly. His eyes were clouded, though, showing some of his own emotion. "I am very familiar with your bloodline, Severus. No Prince in history has been made a Gryffindor."

"I broke the tradition on purpose," Sev replied as he watched the memory melt away into one of him defending Avery and Mulciber to Lily. The look in Lily's eyes made Sev turn his body away from the memory—it was too much to see the expression of disgust on her face for what he was doing—who he was defending. The scene skipped to fourth year and he and Lily were arguing about what Mulciber did to Mary Macdonald.

"That was nothing," Sev heard himself say. "It was a laugh, that's all—"

Lily glared at the memory-Sev. "It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny—"

"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" demanded the memory.

"What's Potter got to do with anything?"

"They sneak out at night. There's something weird about that Lupin..."

Dumbledore cut across the memory. "I take it then you are privy to Remus Lupin's secret?" Albus asked quietly.

"Yes. In fact I know of a potion that will help in his transformations, if you allow me to make it for him."

Dumbledore tipped his head in permission. "What did you mean by referencing James? His friends are the Prewett twins and the Diggory brothers in Hufflepuff."

"In these memories, James became friends with Remus, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. They styled themselves the Marauders, and after fifth year they accompanied Remus to the Whomping Willow for his transformations. They became Animagi after learning Remus's secret."

"Impressive magic for young wizards, although I suppose their feats are nothing in comparison to what you can do, at least so it would seem. So young a body."

It turned into the argument about Sirius Black's werewolf trick on Sev and Sev could only glare at this representation of Sirius. The Sirius he knew now was not like this, was not malicious, was not under the influence of James Potter.

"He's ill," said Lily. "They say he's ill—"

Dumbledore watched with rapt attention even as Sev tried to block out the voices. And then the scene morphed again...it became his worst memory. Sev felt tears pool in his eyes as he watched James Potter use Levicorpus on the memory-Sev, taunting him, humiliating him, and then...Mudblood.

Sev saw Dumbledore's expression change. Softly, he said, "It was wrong of you."

Like I don't know that, Sev thought to himself. "It was my greatest mistake."

If Albus Dumbledore saw anything strange about this coming from who seemed to be a twelve year old, he didn't show it. Sev knew Albus to be capable of great understanding even if it was also his greatest weakness. To this man, love was an Achilles Heel. To Sev, love was what gave him his second chance.

The other memories came and went, going from his graduation to his taking the Dark Mark, to the night of overhearing the prophecy, to his becoming a spy. And then he was reliving Harry's years, Harry's time at Hogwarts, Harry's battle...and this was the information Albus Dumbledore needed to bring down the darkest wizard in all of history. The Horcruxes were all there, in Sev's memory, Sev's mind...because Albus himself had explained it before to him.

The circumstances leading up to Albus's death formed around the Headmaster and second-year. The Gaunt ring, the Sword of Gryffindor, the curse... the plot with Malfoy.

"I killed you because you asked me to," Severus said quietly to Dumbledore. He watched himself point his wand at the pleading old man and say the unforgivable words. The flash of green reflected off the Headmaster as Dumbledore watched his older self tumble off the Astronomy Tower. "It was key to keep the Elder wand from Voldemort."

Dumbledore glanced at Sev. "Horcruxes...Hallows..." he muttered, watching again as the scene shifted to the final battle of Hogwarts, to Sev in the Shrieking Shack about to be killed by Nagini. Sev unconsciously reached up and rubbed his neck where the fangs had pierced him so long ago, draining his life and his memories. Sev felt the tears again as he watched himself clutch at the robes of Harry Potter, pleading for Harry to look at him...

Memories of the interim began. The fleeting existence in heaven, hell, purgatory? He didn't know if it had lasted a second, a day, or a hundred years, because it had passed so quickly, but he could remember watching Harry live his life to the end.

The last memories faded, and they returned to Dumbledore's office. For several minutes, Albus simply studied Sev.

"This is too much to comprehend in one night."

"You have another six years before I graduate," Sev replied softly. "With any luck and planning, you could destroy Voldemort before my schooling is over."

"From what you have just shown me, Severus, it is my understanding that you do not need schooling."

Anger flashed through Sev's eyes, anger that Albus did not miss. "The reason I am here," he said evenly, "is to correct my greatest mistake. That future you saw was because I chose evil over good, because I lost Lily to the one person I couldn't stand to lose her to."

"James Potter."

Sev nodded, swallowing. Was this really the right decision? "James Potter." It was the first time he'd said James's name out loud since his return. "I didn't come back to not repeat school. I came back so I can have a future, a real future. Not one ended by Voldemort at age thirty seven." He made to scoop the memories back up, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to keep those memories for the time being, so I might use them for your knowledge regarding Lord Voldemort."

Sev tipped his head in agreement.

A few more moments of silent staring passed. "Have you told Lily?" Albus asked.

Sev gave the Headmaster a sharp look. "When I tell her it will be after we have been together long enough that I won't lose her again."

"You intend to ask for her hand," Dumbledore guessed.

"In time, yes."

"In time," Dumbledore repeated. "Curious thing, time. Dangerous, when meddled with..."

"I have not meddled with it. I have been thrown back through it. There is a difference. I once pleaded with you to use the Time Turner, but you refused. There are not two of me here."

"No, no, Severus, you misunderstand me. I acknowledge that this is not the result of a meddling with time, but rather some higher power taking a hand in your future—or, as it were, your past. No. I think that somewhere in this vast universe your previous life still exists, and it is because it exists that you remember it."

Riddles again. He's never clear, he never just goes out and says what he means. Suddenly he realized something. "It's fading," he said quietly. "My memories of that life are fading. They're beginning to slip away. Sometimes I forget that I've been a Slytherin longer than I've been a Gryffindor."

Dumbledore pursed his lips. "I think, Severus, that when the other me told you he thought we Sort too soon... You became a Gryffindor the moment you found the courage to seek help in protecting Lily. It does not surprise me that your memories of that life are fading, because essentially it is a life extinguished. You lived through it, experienced an afterlife, and were sent back in order to correct things."

"Lily knows I have been hiding things from her. She's known since I first saw her after I came back. She knew...she sensed it. I need to be able to tell her what has happened, and I won't be able to do that if my memories die."

"They will not die, not if preserved. You obviously know the magic to manipulate memories, you're skilled in Occlumency, as I have experienced over the past year whenever we made eye contact. You know what to do."

Sev didn't know why he was suddenly scared of losing the ability to tell Lily of his past life, why he was telling Dumbledore these things he hadn't even planned to tell anyone. He changed the subject. "I can help you find and destroy the Horcruxes."

"That, Mr. Prince, is a discussion for another time. Tonight, I don't doubt your friends will ask you to know what happened in here...I think it wise to tell them only this truth: that I wish to see you on a regular basis so we can form some sort of plan to bring down Lord Voldemort, but under guise of lessons."

Sev nodded and turned on his heel to leave, but Dumbledore spoke again.

"Only so I am clear: could you list the Horcruxes for me?"

Blue eyes met hazel, and this time no blocks existed. "The diary, the ring, the cup, and the diadem. The locket and his snake, Nagini, have not been made into Horcruxes yet and because Harry Potter doesn't exist here...there are only four Horcruxes. But he intends to make more."

Dumbledore tipped his head in understanding.

"The easiest to acquire, Albus, is the diadem. It is here, in Hogwarts."

Albus's eyes widened.

"When Tom Riddle came to you, to ask for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, he hid the diadem in the Room of Requirement. The Room of Hidden Things."

"My dear boy, is there anything you do not know?"

Sev smiled grimly. "I don't know how this timeline will turn out." I didn't think the butterfly effect would be this profound, this soon. But...he knows. And somehow that is a relief, as well as a curse. Now I am lying to everyone about two things. About my past...and about Dumbledore.

Albus dismissed him. "I will send you another note for our next meeting, Severus. I—I am glad you were forthcoming about this. It makes things much easier than how they were before; I do not have to guess about things...ah. I am beginning to prattle on. You may leave."

Sev took one last look at the Headmaster and descended the stone steps into the fourth floor corridor. He let out a huge sigh, and started up the staircases to inform the Circle of Seven about his impending "lessons with Dumbledore."

One thing had been made clear. With Sev's help, Albus Dumbledore could destroy the regime of Voldemort perhaps before the prophecy would even take place. And if Voldemort was dead...no prophecy would be needed. And the future Sev and Lily would be safe.