Mismatched Identitie

Chapter 1 of the Lydia Lye Series

by lucathia

Part 7/7: Assus Cruent

The hooded people around me shouted proudly.

"For Lord Voldemort the Great!"

I was glad...extremely glad, that my head was facing down...because if it wasn't, they would have seen my eyes wide with shock.

I can't believe it! It's Lord Voldemort! He's the one who killed my mother!

What?

I blinked. Did I just mind speak with Snape? Damn, I didn't mean to do that.

Thump.

Thump. Thump.

My heart was pounding irregularly, pounding way too quickly. I tried to calm myself, tried to persuade myself to stop being so nervous, but my heart and my mind didn't want to obey. And for a good reason too.

In front of me stood the man who killed my mother.

Why in the world am I outside on this freezing school night kneeling in front of the man who killed my mother?

WHY? And...these Slytherins...they planned to meet this guy...they're his servants...they hate muggles...they know about those murders! The murder of my mother and all those other innocent people. Even if they weren't the ones who did the killing, they're every bit as responsible as the killer! And...and...Snape must know too. He's just as guilty.

My breathing started to quicken and the pounding of my heart threatened to deafen my ears. I almost missed the poisonous words coming out of that guy's mouth. I think he was talking about some sort of plan to take away some of the Headmaster's power. I should have been paying attention so that I could warn the Headmaster...but I was too nervous, too frightened, too angry...

He dismissed us after dividing us into pairs and assigning each pair a task. Malfoy and I, being the only two fourth years, were a pair. Our task was to find more supporters in the younger students. All through the assigning I tried not to tremble nor look up. If I had looked up, my eyes would have given my hatred away.

I thought that I could finally escape out of danger with his dismissal. I thought I could run straight to the Headmaster's office.

That wasn't the case.

I should have noticed when Snape didn't say anything more than 'what.' It was too weird for him not to have asked questions about where I was. Actually, what should I have expected? He is a Slytherin after all. He knew about this meeting. And he never told me about it. He never warned me about it. He never even hinted to me about all this.

Thump. Thump.

The pounding of my heart. Is it really because of nervousness? Or because of anger? Or...is it because of this nagging pain that I feel? This pain that seems like millions of broken wands poking into my skin? It's as if the splinters from the wand are stuck deep inside me.

What is this feeling?

B-b-betrayal.

That's what I feel. Betrayal. But why am I feeling this way? It's not like I know Snape that well...so why?

I guess being in his body made me feel that I somewhat understood him.

But I was mistaken. I really don't know him at all.

That was when I felt...no when we felt someone behind us. The security spells that were set up around us warned us. The cloaked Slytherins around me quickly turned and pointed their wands at the newcomer.

"Who's there?"

Who else...than Severus Snape in Lydia Lye's body?

One of the cloaked students cursed. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Snape glanced around with terrified eyes. He certainly got himself in deep trouble. Why...why did he come here? What did he want to do?

Malfoy answered the question. "She's that halfblood Lye. Seems that she followed herboyfriend here." He said while glaring at me.

Oh shoot.

"Well? What should we do with her? We can't let her go back. She's heard too much," pointed out one of the Slytherins.

"Besides, we don't need any tainted blood. Even if she's willing to join us," said another.

Then...one of them suggested killing Snape. Who was in my body. Snape wouldn't die...I would.

"No!" I shouted. I winced when they all turned towards me. I wanted to edge away from all those piercing gazes. Snape looked at me...but I couldn't tell what he felt. Was he angry at me for trying to save myself? Now all the attention was on me. Snape's body was also endangered now.

Malfoy was brimming with glee. He was enjoying my distress. "What do you suggest we do then?"

My mind blanked out.

"Wha..what? Why...why do we need to do anything?" I am such an idiot. What am I saying?

Malfoy must be smirking. Or rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "Idiot. She saw us. I don't care if she's your girlfriend. Our master will not be happy when he finds out about this."

"Well said. She needs to be disposed of," said the cloaked student who suggested killing Snape.

I again protested futilely. "You...you can't do that. You can't...just kill someone like that!"

"That's just the way it works. I don't remember you protesting when our master told us his plans to destroy that muggle office."

My eyes widened again. That muggle office...must have been my mother's work place. My lips trembled. Snape really did know about it. I looked towards him. He was shaking his head violently.

"I know!" said Malfoy wickedly. "I know the perfect curse."

The other cloaked students turned towards him expectantly.

"Assus Cruent." Malfoy was grinning. I know he was. "Only powerful potion brewers can cure it. Our dear friend Severus is quite a potion brewer himself, but he's not that good that he can brew that potion on the first try. We can test his skills with this curse."

They agreed that Malfoy's plan was good.

So they all stepped towards Snape, their wands ready.

And they all shouted simultaneously, "Assus Cruent!"

And then I saw Snape fall prey to the curse.

I ran towards him, catching him as he fell.

Thump.

How I wish that...that sound was the sound of my heart pounding and not the sound of Snape falling.

Snape was under the Assus Cruent curse. The curse that Professor Ursula mentioned before. The curse that could only be cured with the Cruentas potion. I...I can't brew a potion that complicated. And I only have a few hours. Where can I get all the ingredients? I should ask Professor Katme to help...but...the other Slytherins swore that if I told anyone else they'd dispose of me as well. Besides...I don't even know if I could trust him.

I also don't know how they're going to explain away Snape's being cursed, but that wasn't my largest concern at the moment.

My eyes welled up as I set up the cauldron and the measuring utilities. I carefully laid out the ingredients and other equipment. Malfoy had so kindly given me a secret room to work in. I then raided Snape's stuff and found most of the ingredients. The rest I could easily obtain by stealing it from Professor Katme's stash...but there was one ingredient that I knew I couldn't find. That's when the tears of frustration started to fall.

Werewolf fur.

Where would I get THAT?

I looked at Snape. His eyebrows were scrunched up, his hands clenched. He was covered with sweat and his hair was plastered to his face. My body looked like it was in a hard struggle. I winced. Don't give up!

Then hurry and brew that potion!

I blinked. He...he talked to me! I'm trying! What else do you think I'm doing?

No answer. The link between us was too weak. He's slipping away...my body is dying...

I need to find werewolf fur! But where can I find it? Who can I ask for help? Malfoy and the others didn't seem to be watching my every move. They were so sure that I wouldn't blab about what happened. That meant that I could try to ask for help. But from whom?

Remus. He's the only one who can help. Him and his friends. The only ones I can trust. I better make sure that Malfoy and the others don't see me.

I snuck out of the room, the room that Malfoy knew I was in. I ran away from the room, towards the Ravenclaw common room. When I ran past the Ravenclaw dormitories, I paused. What was I doing? It's not like I even know where the Gryffindors are! Just when I was deep in despair, I heard muffled voices.

"Keep your voice down Sirius."

That was James' voice! The situation may not be that bad.

I rounded the corner, hoping to see them...but I didn't see anyone. Not James, not Sirius. But I couldn't have been hearing things. I know I heard their voices.

Tears welled out of my eyes.

"Please, oh please. Someone help me. Help me please!" My lips wobbled as my voice trembled.

No one answered me. I wasn't expecting an answer anyway. I was just so hopeless.

"Please, anyone! Someone just help! I need some werewolf fur!"

"What?" A silvery cloak slid off the figures of four boys. An invisibility cloak. I should have known...

James groaned. "Sirius, you've blown our cover."

"I don't care. Say that again you scum! Werewolf fur huh?"

Sirius was furious with me but I had no idea why. My eyes landed on Remus. He was pale, more pale than ever. The color seemed to have drained out of him. I noticed all that but I had no time to ponder about it. I just went straight to him.

"Please Remus. Help me find some werewolf fur!"

He looked at me with wide eyes. He was trembling too.

"Why?" His voice was so quiet.

"Because..." I was panting heavily. "Lydia's dying."

I don't know how or where he got it, but Remus was actually able to give me some werewolf fur. The four Gryffindors were relieved and shocked at the same time. I don't know why they were relieved. I told them that Lydia was dying...and they're actually relieved? Being shocked I can understand...but relieved?

Anyway, if possible, Remus became even more pale as he listened to me talk about brewing the Cruentas potion to counter the Assus Cruent. I know that they remember Professor Ursula's lesson. They know about the deadliness of the curse. And they know how hard the potion is to brew.

James frowned. "How did that happen?"

Sirius scowled. "It must be because of you, you Slytherin scum!"

"I'm not denying that it wasn't my fault. Anyway, there's no time to explain. Her life is in danger right now!" I took the fur from Remus and nodded my thanks. They moved to follow me but I quickly blocked their way.

"No."

"Why not?" argued Sirius.

"If they see any of you near the room, they will not hesitate to kill Lydia. They're watching the room. They know that I won't tell on them right now because Lydia's in their hands. Please, let me go alone."

I didn't bother to explain about Snape's situation with me. Explaining the whole body-switching would have taken way too much time.

When I got back to the room, I quickly started cutting the ingredients. I measured everything as carefully as I could with my shaking hands. It was then that I noticed that I forgot to get the ingredients from Professor Katme's stash. There wasn't anymore time.

I looked at Snape. His breathing slowed down. It couldn't be...I looked closer.

And shied away from the withering skin.

He's dying.

There's no way I can finish this potion in time.

I...

I can't let him die. That would be unfair.

Shaking my head, I pulled out my wand.

There's only one other solution.

"Liquidis!" I shouted while pointing my wand at Snape.

And then I blacked out.

Snape was surprised to be alive. He had expected to die from the curse. There was almost no way that Lye could have brewed the potion correctly, nor was there a way she could have gotten the last ingredient, werewolf fur. But...he was alive...so...

He groaned and carefully pushed himself up. He was holding Lye's wand. Wait, he was in his own body! Snape looked around. The cauldron was filled with ingredients. He walked closer, noticing that those were the ingredients for the potion. His eyes widened when he saw some werewolf fur. How did Lye acquire the fur? He also noticed something else.

There were a lot of missing ingredients.

Which meant that Lye wasn't able to brew the potion.

Which also meant...

He looked towards the body of the girl lying on the ground.

Lye used the Liquidis spell on her body.

He didn't know how he returned to his own body, but Lye said before that if one of them died, their consciousness would flee the dead body and return to their own, thus pushing the other person's consciousness out.

That meant...that Lye was as good as dead. She was still breathing...but she would never wake up.

Snape clenched his hands, feeling chilled to the bones. It was his fault. And there wasn't anything he could do. And now he was in trouble too, with the Slytherins, the Gryffindors, the Ravenclaws, and the school. And, ironically, he didn't care at all about that.

He just glanced at Lye...Lydia Lye...

And then he continued with her unfinished potion, just because there wasn't anything else he could do.

(The end! Not quite...)

I'm sorry, Lydia.

You should be, you stupid Slytherin.

Snape's eyes widened. Lye?

Yes it's me. Who else could it be?

How...where...are you still alive?

Snape looked towards Lye's body. She was still unconscious.

I managed to use Liquidis in time to save my body from withering...but it seems that I'm very much unconscious right now.

But you're talking to me!

Yeah, but...

But? Snape's hope that Lye could be saved started to diminish again.

But I'm sort of separated from my body right now, you know...

Then where are you?

No answer.

Snape gulped.

Uh...

Snape started to sweat.

I'm still in yours.

Snape fainted.

The End

A/N: Yep, that's finally the end of the fic. I finally wrote this last part. I had part of it written before my hard drive got erased, and after that, I just gave up. This part is pretty long, but I still couldn't fit in a lot of things because I didn't want it to be any longer. Anyway, I had six sequels planned for this fic, yes six, you heard me right. But, I'm not going to write them anymore, since this fic is sort of dead. I just wrote this part just to finish this fic. If I were to write all the planned sequels, it would probably take me a lifetime, considering how long it took me to write this fic. Besides, now that the fifth book is out, a lot of info in this fic is wrong. I haven't finished reading the book yet.

Well, did you understand the ending? Lydia's body is unconscious, but she's not in her own body. She's still in Snape's. And Snape is in his own body too. That means that both of them are sharing the same body, but only Snape is in control. Lydia can speak to him in his mind and that's about it.

These were the planned fics: (a short summary of what would have happened in each)

#1 Mismatched Identities: Snape and Lydia switch bodies. Lydia stumbles upon a gathering when she is in Snape's body. When Snape watches the meeting while in Lydia's body, he is cursed. Lydia uses a spell to save her own body from dying. Snape is saved, but Lydia can't return to her own body because of the Liquidis spell. She sort of stays in Snape's mind.

#2 Snape looks for a way to return Lydia to her own body. The Gryffindors, Slytherins, and Ravenclaws corner Snape to question him. All of a sudden he is the most hated and most distrusted student of the school. The staff do not make it any easier as they continuously question him about Lydia.

#3 Lydia discovers that she can control Snape's body when he falls asleep. By doing so, she has ventured out during night time. On one of these night time strolls, Sirius tells Lydia about Remus hiding beneath the Whomping Willow...Lydia does not hesitate to find out more about Remus...

#4 After Snape's graduation, he is forced to join the "Dark Side" against his will. Under the persistent persuasion of Lydia, Snape goes to Dumbledore and offers himself as a spy.

#5 Dumbledore gives Snape the job of Potions Master at Hogwarts. Even after Voldemort's defeat, Snape remains at Hogwarts, yet still hasn't found a way to return Lydia to her own body. As the years pass, the Boy Who Lived comes to Hogwarts, reminding Snape of his youth.

#6 Lydia has no hope of returning to her own body. Just as the years seem to pass by quickly, Lydia suddenly sees Remus again. He has taken the position for DADA. Lydia is determined to explain everything to him this time.

#7 Hermione discovers a diary...none other than Lydia's. In it Lydia has written about all that happened, from her Ravenclaw years to the present. Shocked that someone could actually be stuck without a body, Hermione sets out to find a cure...and she just might succeed...

Well...that's it for this fic...

This part is dedicated to AnGeLiC dEvIl for reviewing and reading this fic. I know I only had one part left...but I just never got around to writing it. So thanks to AnGeLiC dEvIl for reviewing and asking for me to update. Since I had the time these past few days, I managed to finish writing what I've started even though it's been a year since I've worked on this fic.