Hi,

This is the first chapter in 2022. Happy New Year! I hope you achieved everything you hoped for in 2021 and good luck in the new year. A week has already passed by. If I learned something from this first week is that you should be careful what you wished for. Sometimes things could happen in such unexpected ways. I hope it's a blessing in disguise for me, but as I like lemonade I'm not so worried about getting some more lemons from time to time.

A butterfly over Styx

"Mr. Snape." He heard a woman call his name. He turned around only to see a short figure covered completely in black. "I think you need this." The woman presented him with a small fist covered in dark velvet gloves. She opened her hand and inside her palm, he could see the key from his house. The woman laughed as she noticed the surprise on his face. "I took the liberty to make some adjustments to your house. Try it. It should work."

He took the key hesitantly. "Come on. Try it." The woman encouraged him.

"Who are you? Did he send you?" The first thought that crossed his mind upon seeing her was that the Dark Lord had ordered her to come to his house. He had enough the last year with that coward of Peter Pettigrew spying each of his moves.

"Is it the right one?" She asked, ignoring his questions. He finally decided to try it. He turned the key twice, pressed the knob and the door opened easily. "I've put a spell on your house, locks and key included, so none could enter unless they had the key. As you've probably noticed, the house can't be destroyed. Once the door is locked you can hide safely inside."

"Why did you do that?" He asked as he couldn't understand her motives. Then she went on, trying to keep the appearances: "I have no one to run from. Does the Dark Lord…?"He intended to ask if Voldemort had demanded her to cast that spell, but the woman had guessed his thoughts before he finished.

"You already know he won't waste his energy for anyone." She answered as she entered inside. "Come in. There are too many ears in the dark. Close the door." He obeyed her orders even though he didn't know what game she was playing. "What was I saying? Oh, yeah." She remembered. "He won't do a thing for his servants. Doesn't he call you servants? No matter how loyal you are. You are just a pawn. Nothing more."

He knew she was right. Once he used to think he was special. Now, he had understood that he was valuable as long as he could provide something to the Dark Lord. "Contrary, my friend," she continued, "I came from the enemy's side. Tom Marvol Riddle's enemy."

"Dumbledore's?" He asked carried out by the emotions but soon remembered that Dumbledore was dead and he was supposed to enjoy it.

"I've never worked for Dumbledore. I couldn't agree with his methods. Although, I've always admired his calculated mind. But you respected him, didn't you? That's why you accept to follow his orders….and even kill him."

"What do you mean? I kill him because…"

"It was brilliant. The Dark Lord must be so confident of your allegiance to him. He would never question your loyalty. In fact, I bet he will give you an important position. Even allow you to rule the school." He was amazed by how many details she knew. "Don't worry. No one else suspects you. I understand you can't trust me."

"What you say is quite funny. Do you really think the Dark Lord wouldn't have known if I had betrayed him?"

"He is too overconfident to get suspicious. And he is human. Humans make mistakes."

"You're" he stopped as if to think carefully about what to say next. "You're not afraid of him!" It was a statement not a question, no matter how much surprise lay in that phrase.

"I met him long before he became this Dark Lord. I admired him. I still miss the nice conversations we used to have in front of the fire at night. He was bright. A bit too arrogant, but I wasn't the one to be looked down on either. We studied together. Played chess. Talked about books. I even forced him to accompany me to buy a book…and he managed to survive the day without killing a single person. But all those days are gone. I couldn't follow the path he'd offered me and I couldn't manage to make him give up to his either."

"I've never known he…" Severus didn't know what word to use. It seemed so strange to imagine the Dark Lord the way she described him.

"He never cared for me. I was just a trophy he liked because other wanted it, too. And a very intelligent trophy for him to want me around. But don't let him know I've told you all these things."

"Have a seat," he invited her as he finally realized he'd been carried away by her revelations and he had forgotten the etiquette.

"I don't feel like sitting down. Tonight, I met him face to face after more than half a century. He was a handsome young man the day I left the school and never returned. Today...his body is as rotten as his soul."

For a moment it was a deep silence. Severus didn't know what to say, but his mind was alert. It was a very risky move and he tried his best not to let her guess his thought.

"Could she be telling the truth?" He contemplated the possibility, but he had to admit his hopes were very feeble. "Dumbledore never spoke about her. But if she is…if she is and I refuse to believe her…if by trying to keep the cover I call the Death Eater and she isn't their spy. But what if she really is the Dark Lord spy?…"

"I don't expect you to believe me. It will be stupid. In fact, I don't advise you to believe me or anyone who might try to pass as working against Riddle. I've only wanted to meet you. The cat you brought to him…I am that cat. I noticed your distress and… I wanted to help you. I'm glad you didn't do something stupid and let your emotions decide for you, but… this won't be the first time and I fear others won't be able to escape."

"Prove you were the cat." He cried as he tightened his grip on his wand.

"If she can't turn into a cat, I will kill her." Severus decided. "The Dark Lord won't be happy, but at least she wouldn't be able to go and report to him."

"And you're going to trust me? Just like that?"

He was more and more certain she was testing him. Even if he couldn't see her face, Severus was sure she was smiling.

"No." He uttered simply. She made a few steps towards him. Then she stopped, challenging him to explain. "I still need to ask Dumbledore, but at least I will know it may be worth traveling such a long distance."

"I guess I'll have to go with you." She sat down, signaling him she didn't intend to run away.

"Obviously. I need to be sure. Too many lives depend on whose side you are. I can't risk being discovered."

"Why taking this risk, then?" He felt like a student on the day of the exam and she was a bloody exigent professor.

"What exactly is she trying to do?" He questioned her behavior. "It's like she's trying to make me doubt my decision. But she's too valuable…"

"I have no connection to the other side. It's difficult to inform them about the enemies' moves." He admitted.

Severus knew it was useless to pretend. His only way out was killing her, but he wished he wouldn't have to follow that path. He really wished she was on his side. She seemed bright. Annoyingly bright, but a very good ally.

"I already know all the enemy moves. That isn't why you need to keep your cover." He looked at her in surprise.

"Another spy? Do you have another spy? Viper? Does she.." He could hardly picture the shallow Viper risking her life for a cause that seemed to have nothing to do with her. Yet, for some reason, it was the first person that came to his mind.

"I do have lots of spies…and they are the best I could get because they can't be killed, they can't be seen and they all want Riddle's downfall." If she had attempted to answer his question, she only managed to get him even more confused. "You aren't alone and your efforts won't be in vain."

"You speak as if you were referring to ghosts." Severus pointed out. Not expecting her to have actually spoken about ghosts, though.

"Spirits, "she corrected him. "The spirits of those who still linger here because of Riddle. They are waiting for his death."

"Spirits? Is it really something after the death?" For the first time since Lily had died, he felt hopeful. "Is she here?" He stopped realizing that he'd said more than he'd intended to. It wasn't like him, but he had a long day and the prospect that Lily could be around, that he might see her one day made him lose his cold blood. "Why can you see them while others can't?"

She laughed. "Yes, there is something after death. Those who die without regrets will be led by the Angel of the Death and they will cross the bridge towards peace. Those whose souls are beyond repair will be claimed by the Dark Lord. The true Dark Lord. The Prince of the Devils as he calls himself. I deal with those who don't want to leave. Help them, console them. I do whatever is necessary to convince them to let regrets behind and cross the bridge. I'm not always successful, though. Some are too revengeful and miserable that can't be saved and once there is no way for saving their souls they will burn in hell. Ghosts are the souls of the wizards who refused to leave. Because their souls have magic they have some special abilities… as you probably know already."

"They can be seen, heard and they can move objects." He remembered the ghosts from the wizard school. She nodded to his remark.

"Exactly. Like the ghost at Hogwarts. But do not worry! Someone like Riddle can't become a ghost as he sold his soul to the devil and so, he would have to leave this world. Ghosts are not a danger to anyone. If they kill a human they will instantly be turned into ashes."

"Though, why are you able to see them and help them? Who are you?"

"That's a long story I won't tell you tonight. It must be too confusing for you. I am neither dead nor alive. I'm somewhere in between. Time stopped long ago for me. I just…. exist."

She was silent for a while. She had a long day, too. She hadn't intended to tell him about her, but he had wanted an explanation and she ended up revealing some of her deep secrets. "Those things have nothing to do with you, though. You will have a very important part to play, one my spirits won't be able to. For the moment, you need to get close to Viper. So close that you would be able to learn everything about her. Every detail you can. If necessary to use her as a scapegoat."

"As scapegoat? Do you mean…?"

"to make Riddle believe she is the spy infiltrated among you. If your life is in danger. Only."She enhanced the last part.

"But…"

"Whatever you do, do not get attached to her. Learn what you can from her. Allow her to make your life simpler, but do not allow her to occupy an irreplaceable spot in your heart." Amberrose warned him.

"I hardly can stand her." It was true. However, using her. It didn't feel right. It wasn't like she didn't deserve it, but he had the slightest idea how to do it. He'd fought, cursed, even harm people, but he'd always done it on the open. Getting close to someone just to save his back didn't seem like him.

"You will have to learn to enjoy her company. Do not waste your energy on hating her. I know it seems hard to believe, but she can teach you a lot of things. If only you allow her."

"But she's a monster. A vicious killer." Severus muttered.

"Yes, indeed. She'd sent enough souls to hell to raise an entire army when she got there, but you will be safe. I will help you. You just need to ask." Amberrose promised. "After all this will be over. After he will be defeated, you will never have to deal with her." She assured him." "Now, I'm going to show you a memory that will prove I'm really on your side. It's the one from my last meeting with Dumbledore. Watch it carefully. And afterward, I'll turn into the cat. It's just I can't talk while being a cat. Right, back to that memory. Are you ready?"

You must have lots of questions now. I'm glad if you do. Though, I doubt things will get clearer soon. I'm waiting for your questions/ theories/ suppositions. Everything you want to share with me.