In front of the Mirror
His gaze still trailed after her running figure. What had he done!? He asked himself, horrified. But instead of mentally scolding himself, he smiled widely and punched the air several times. Happiness welled from his chest and filled him. He removed his robe and began circling it above him, doing a sort of macho dance. He didn't notice someone approaching.
"Mr. Potter! What are you doing?" Professor Mcgonnagal sternly inquired.
He stopped dancing and slowly turned and faced her. Instead of bowing his head in shame, he smiled like the Cheshire Cat, much to the teacher's confusion. "Nothing, Professor. Absolutely nothing." He replied and skipped away from Mcgonnagal who shook her head before even she could say something.
Lily locked herself in a girl's bathroom. It was deserted. She let herself fall against the door. What was she thinking in responding to his kiss? Her face burnt but not in shame but in a sudden shyness. Slowly, almost dreading, she walked to a mirror. A strong blush tainted her cheeks and her lips looked.fuller and she looked softer. There was also a light in her emerald eyes she couldn't explain. Did that one kiss affect her like that? She shook her head. No, no. It just wasn't possible. He was probably playing with her since she was sure she wasn't at all that strikingly attractive. Maybe she was pretty in an old, simple, bedimpled sort of way. Drop dead gorgeous? NO WAY! She splashed water on her face and patted it dry. She was still the same old Lily. Shy, sometimes rebellious and acid-tongued but plain. She looked at her long hair. She was proud of it ,being rich and lustrous and very long. Maybe she'd maintain it that way. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and cautiously made her way to the dormitory. But what she believed that that afternoon, she died just a little.
"Padfoot!" James gleefully put one arm around Sirius' neck as they met in the Great Hall for dinner.
Weary from a whole day of washing the dishes, he muttered sullenly "What?"
James still kept on smiling. "There's no need to be so grumpy, old friend!"
Sirius faced James and made a horribly fake smile, baring his teeth in a menacing way. "All right. I'm smiling now. What's the reason for being so goddamn happy?"
"Why! Prof. Sinclair gave us fifty points so we're redeemed!"
"You're hiding something from me. Spit it, Prongs."
James pouted dramatically. "Are you doubting good ol' Jamesy of hiding something from his best buddy? Come on. I'll tell you a joke."
"What?"
"Why does the world spin?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm so impossibly handsome!" he beamed once more.
Sirius raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth. "Ha. Ha. Ha. My ribs are cracking, my stomach is hurting and tears flow from my eyes in mirth. I laugh so hard I fell out of my seat and died." He sardonically retorted but a smile was tugging at his mouth. Not satisfied, James pulled his cheeks upward.
"Smile and the whole world smiles with you." James said.
"Oh for god's sake James! Cut it out." He snapped irritably and slapping James's hands of his face but despite his will, a smile lifted one side of his mouth.
"Told you you'd smile." James concluded and began to dig in his dinner. Sirius could only wonder what happened to him that he was suddenly awfully happy. "All right. You're suddenly so awfully happy. What happened? You and I know well that you don't care a shit if someone gives or takes points from us."
He pouted theatrically again and imitated a girlish voice. "Aww. You hurt my sensitive feelings, you thick--hided beast you."
Sirius rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I give up. You're hopeless, Prongs."
"Speaking of, why don't we give old Moony a nice long visit." James suddenly quipped.
The other stared at him in an unbelieving way. "What?"
"We'll visit Moony. Don't you want to come? Peter can't however. " he repeated.
Sirius gave an exasperated sigh. "You know what, James. You're becoming as unpredictable as a pregnant woman! I wonder what comes in your mind next. I thought you were set in being cold towards Moony."
"Weelll.let's say I've changed my mind." He grinned slyly.
Sirius rolled his eyes once more. "Oh boy."
Bleary eyed still, James woke up feeling like hell. His head kept throbbing like mad, caused by the lack of sleep he got since the last days. And in that day he was deadly irritable to anything. Sirius already warned him that he was going too much since he had hexed at least five people that day. To hell with detention. Intensified by the heat, his head hurt horribly and he kept rubbing it all the while.
"Oy, James. What's the matter?" Sirius asked him since he noticed the frequent head rubbing and the frown that was always on his brow that day.
"Nothing much. Except for the fact that two gremlins are hammering my brain to a gray pulp." He replied.
Sirius clucked his tongue. "Want to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"Nah. Cold water will do." He shrugged the suggestion off. Downing a glass of water, they hurried to Potions.
They were told to make an Invigorating potion. An unfortunately difficult one. Taking his time, James completed the brew and put some into a corked glass vial.
As he walked down the middle aisle to the teacher's table when somebody collided with him and caused him to drop his vial. He furiously looked up to his assailant: Severus Snape.
"Dear, dear Snivelly. Why did you the hell just do that?" he drawled hatefully.
"It was an accident, Potter." The other replied scathingly.
"An accident, I see. Maybe a purposeful accident? You see, of all the times you had to move in the middle aisle, you have to chose the moment on which I am going to the table to submit my vial. Ah! A surprising coincidence, don't you think?" He said this through gritted teeth.
"Perhaps Potter you should try to look at where you are going or try to grip whatever you are holding better." Snape retorted at James.
"You say that even if your own hands are so greasy. You couldn't even hold to your robes without it slipping from your grasp. You couldn't do something about it, since you are unnaturally greasy. Maybe you should attach eyes on your fat ass to see who you're bumping it." James replied coolly.
A lot of people laughed at this comment and a scarlet flush tainted his pallid cheeks. "Don't push it, Potter. I already apologized." He hissed.
But James wasn't satisfied by just shaming Snape. He held out his wand and casually waved it over Severus' cauldron full of potion. In an instant, an hour of hard work disappeared, not even leaving any drop in the cauldron.
Anger boiled over Snape and he tried to punch James but the other evaded it easily. "You're a son of a bitch, Potter!" he shouted and tried to punch him again.
James fisted his hands and shouted tauntingly: "Want a fight, greasy Snivel-freak? You could hardly even hurt a baby!"
Sirius was alarmed and restrained James from fighting back as other Slytherins held Snape back too. But both of them escaped and fought mano-a- mano on the dungeon floor.
Other students surrounded them and cheered loudly and heated shouting between two houses over whose fault was whose rose. Chaos erupted until the Professor came back and all fell silent. Everyone meekly went to their places and finished their Potions. Everybody also saw the defeated figure of Severus Snape with one eye swollen, a bleeding nose and mouth while James only cut his lip and a slight graze on his cheek, his eyeglasses broken at the bridge.
"Everyone finish their Potions and submit them to me. Ten points deducted to both houses." The Professor apathetically told them and ignored Snape's shouts about the fight. Due to his insistence, the mentor deducted five points more from them and gave him an extra assignment while a smirking James submitted another vial of the brew.
After the class, everyone filled quickly out of the dark dungeon. James slung his bag on a shoulder and strode alone behind the rest of the class.
Snape lurked behind a knight and as soon as James passed by him, he stealthily moved out and pointed his wand at James then shouted a curse.
James turned around as he heard Severus' voice in the empty corridor. He saw a flash of red light momentarily and felt someone pushing him away with such force, it sent him sprawling with the one who pushed him to the floor.
Long locks of copper hair fell on the contrasting black floor and James stirred and held the one who pushed him by the elbows, expecting to see a Slytherin.
But Lily Evans stared back at him. But her hair was now hanging to her shoulders instead of her waist.
Snape cursed at Evan's interference to save his enemy. "Move out, Evans!" he shouted.
Lily stubbornly shook her head even though the wand was pointing at her instead of James. Surprised as he was of Lily pushing him out of harm's way only to have her hair severed, hot fury coursed his blood and shouted to Lily: "Why did you do that?"
"He was about to kill you, Potter!" she yelled in answer.
"Don't fucking interfere with my fights!" he said as she shoved her back and cursed Snape. In his hurry, he didn't see the tears pool in her green eyes.
The curse hit him fortunately only at his arm. Blood seeped through the gash and a white splinter protruded through the cut . His bone. They were about to curse each other again when.
"Expelliarmus" a voice sliced sharply in their angered minds, focused in cursing one another, causing them to be distracted. Their hands felt lashed by a hot wind and the wands flew from them. "Accio wands!" the cold voice again commanded. Dread filled the both of them as their wands were caught in mid-air by a wraith-like and very pale hand.
The dagger-like stare of Professor Sinclair held them. "Snape! Potter! Evans! To my office!" she imperiously commanded and they followed her grudgingly to a room near the dungeons. Not going fast enough, she held James and Severus by their shoulders and pushed them inside the room. Both of them missed her fleeting pained expression as she did this.
The room was unexpectedly cold. The furniture and walls bare of any decoration. The bookshelves stacked high with many unlabeled books. The sound of the heavy door being closed then locked gave a feeling of finality.
Sinclair faced the three of them. "Snape and Potter, you two ought to be ashamed of yourselves for acting rashly out of the outburst in feelings over a petty fight over some spilled Potion!" she lashed out. Looking at their surprised faces, she continued: "Do you think I did not know what you did in the Dungeons? So despicable and demeaning on your parts. Let us look at your wands at what you did. Priori Incantem!" she muttered and ghostly wisps of ripping sounds resounded.
She looked at them venomously, wands still at hand. "Both of you used the same curse with a capability of mutilating a body with great force. Do you know what this means? That you Snape should have been without an arm now and either of you Potter and Evans would have been decapitated."
"Miss Evans, you have been extremely brave to push Mr. Potter, twenty points to you but since it is Mr. Potter started the fight in your Potions class, I'll deduct the same twenty points from you and ten points on him. Don't look so smug, Mr. Snape. Twenty points off you too. You are unharmed Miss Evans except for the loss of your hair so you may go now." She quickly dismissed Lily and then turned to Snape too. "You have a nasty cut, Mr. Snape." Then she tapped the wound with her wand and bandages quickly wrapped around his arm. "You may go to the Hospital Wing." She said.
As soon as Snape left, she spoke: "You, Mr. Potter, are the most fortunate since you have neither scratch nor bruise from the fight. It was exceptionally lucky of you that Miss Evans saved your head just in time. Both of your House Heads will be informed of your actions, so expect detentions." She paused and her weary eyes bored deeply in him. She spoke again but now in a more sad voice. "I am very, very disappointed in you, Potter. You made me think you are capable of thinking before acting. But what did you do? You let your heart rule over your head. Due to your impertinence, you could've caused Evans' death. Do you want that to happen, Potter?" she asked him.
Shamefacedly, he replied: "No, Professor."
"No. You said no and I take your word for it. You might be wondering why I am reproaching only you instead of including Snape. It is because I have hope in you. Snape has something which will lead him to darker ways later in his life. You could still learn from this. Now, look up and stand in front of that mirror, sir." She commanded him.
He walked slowly towards the full-length mirror. There was nothing special about it. He could still see his same old self. He felt an icy hand taking hold of his shoulder.
"Now, some students have been complaining that you have the habit of cursing the people who annoy you and just for the fun of it. Now, you see yourself standing on the mirror. You always bully other people you know weaker than you. Don't you have a conscience. I must admit your head is very inflated, given the fact that you pride yourself in you accomplishments. What if you put yourself into their shoes? Have you ever wondered what they feel each time you take advantage of their weakness? Of course not. Now, what do you see?"
"I see myself and you holding my shoulder." He replied matter-of-factly.
"Really? Look again." She advised.
He did look at the reflection and slowly his whole body changed gradually until he was Severus Snape. What the heck! He touched his hair. It wasn't the usual light and standing but long, limp and oily. Even his nose was longer. He was Snape! He thought frantically. That cant be! It was like his nightmare on the Shrieking Shack.
"Oh yes. Of course. It's like MY nightmare." Said Sinclair.
Or was it Sinclair?
She had hazel eyes and jet-black hair and the hair that stood in all directions and the eyeglasses. She's was a he? She was him! She was James Potter.
"No, this can't be real!" Snape, rather James, shouted.
"Oh? But it feels and looks very real to me." Sinclair turned James replied. "Face me, Snivelly." He taunted.
"I'm not Snivelly! And I'm especially not Snape. I'm James Potter"
"Why are you so sure of that, Snivel-freak?" the other taunted and in a blink turned into a handsome stag. Then into a boy again. "See, I'm the real thing."
Dread filled him. What was happening? She knew of his secret! But how!?
"You're defenseless. I have your wand, Snape. See? And I'm going to jinx you. What do you want to be? A frog? Perhaps a worm. Preferably a slimeball, being true to your nature. No! Being a freak is better! How would you like to have a tail? Or perhaps you want to have eyes on your ass so you can see what's behind you? The latter seems better. Jinx in the count of three! One-two-thr-"
"No!" he felt himself scream and made a wild grab for his wand arm. And he opened his eyes.
He was still standing in front of the mirror. Still had that crazy untamable hair, hazel eyes and eyeglasses. He was still James Potter. And Professor Sinclair, standing behind him, hand still on his shoulder, was still herself. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Now, do you know what it feels to be one of your victims, James Potter? Think twice again before doing some hex or curse on a person. Or else." she trailed.
He glance at the mirror and saw once more that he was Snape. Then he shook his head and everything was ordinary.
"But I don't think it is enough to convince you, Potter. You're dismissed ." she sent him away and led him outside her office.
Shaking, the door shut behind him. It was a relief to be himself again. A new fear settled in him as well as some kind of respect to his professor. It was as if she was capable of mind-reading. How did she do that illusion, he wondered. But his wondering was stopped short as a figure blocked his way.
"Evans." He said to her coolly, flashing a smile at her.
Instead of rushing to him to hug him or smile back at the least, she stared coldly at him.
"Why? What's the matter?" he asked her worriedly.
She took a step forward. "I saved your life Potter when I pushed you a while ago. But you did not realize that. You even pushed me and swore at me instead of thanking me. You said 'Don't fucking interfere with my fights'. If I hadn't interfered with that fight of yours, there would not have been another fight. I thank you for saving my life once. And now, we're even. All debts have been repaid. I owe you nothing and I don't want to speak to you ever again." She told him angrily, voice freezing cold, and stared daggers straight into his amber eyes, now startled, then past him, her arm brushing his slightly.
There was one word to describe exactly what he felt when he watched Lily Evans walk haughtily away from him.
Devastated.
His gaze still trailed after her running figure. What had he done!? He asked himself, horrified. But instead of mentally scolding himself, he smiled widely and punched the air several times. Happiness welled from his chest and filled him. He removed his robe and began circling it above him, doing a sort of macho dance. He didn't notice someone approaching.
"Mr. Potter! What are you doing?" Professor Mcgonnagal sternly inquired.
He stopped dancing and slowly turned and faced her. Instead of bowing his head in shame, he smiled like the Cheshire Cat, much to the teacher's confusion. "Nothing, Professor. Absolutely nothing." He replied and skipped away from Mcgonnagal who shook her head before even she could say something.
Lily locked herself in a girl's bathroom. It was deserted. She let herself fall against the door. What was she thinking in responding to his kiss? Her face burnt but not in shame but in a sudden shyness. Slowly, almost dreading, she walked to a mirror. A strong blush tainted her cheeks and her lips looked.fuller and she looked softer. There was also a light in her emerald eyes she couldn't explain. Did that one kiss affect her like that? She shook her head. No, no. It just wasn't possible. He was probably playing with her since she was sure she wasn't at all that strikingly attractive. Maybe she was pretty in an old, simple, bedimpled sort of way. Drop dead gorgeous? NO WAY! She splashed water on her face and patted it dry. She was still the same old Lily. Shy, sometimes rebellious and acid-tongued but plain. She looked at her long hair. She was proud of it ,being rich and lustrous and very long. Maybe she'd maintain it that way. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and cautiously made her way to the dormitory. But what she believed that that afternoon, she died just a little.
"Padfoot!" James gleefully put one arm around Sirius' neck as they met in the Great Hall for dinner.
Weary from a whole day of washing the dishes, he muttered sullenly "What?"
James still kept on smiling. "There's no need to be so grumpy, old friend!"
Sirius faced James and made a horribly fake smile, baring his teeth in a menacing way. "All right. I'm smiling now. What's the reason for being so goddamn happy?"
"Why! Prof. Sinclair gave us fifty points so we're redeemed!"
"You're hiding something from me. Spit it, Prongs."
James pouted dramatically. "Are you doubting good ol' Jamesy of hiding something from his best buddy? Come on. I'll tell you a joke."
"What?"
"Why does the world spin?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm so impossibly handsome!" he beamed once more.
Sirius raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth. "Ha. Ha. Ha. My ribs are cracking, my stomach is hurting and tears flow from my eyes in mirth. I laugh so hard I fell out of my seat and died." He sardonically retorted but a smile was tugging at his mouth. Not satisfied, James pulled his cheeks upward.
"Smile and the whole world smiles with you." James said.
"Oh for god's sake James! Cut it out." He snapped irritably and slapping James's hands of his face but despite his will, a smile lifted one side of his mouth.
"Told you you'd smile." James concluded and began to dig in his dinner. Sirius could only wonder what happened to him that he was suddenly awfully happy. "All right. You're suddenly so awfully happy. What happened? You and I know well that you don't care a shit if someone gives or takes points from us."
He pouted theatrically again and imitated a girlish voice. "Aww. You hurt my sensitive feelings, you thick--hided beast you."
Sirius rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I give up. You're hopeless, Prongs."
"Speaking of, why don't we give old Moony a nice long visit." James suddenly quipped.
The other stared at him in an unbelieving way. "What?"
"We'll visit Moony. Don't you want to come? Peter can't however. " he repeated.
Sirius gave an exasperated sigh. "You know what, James. You're becoming as unpredictable as a pregnant woman! I wonder what comes in your mind next. I thought you were set in being cold towards Moony."
"Weelll.let's say I've changed my mind." He grinned slyly.
Sirius rolled his eyes once more. "Oh boy."
Bleary eyed still, James woke up feeling like hell. His head kept throbbing like mad, caused by the lack of sleep he got since the last days. And in that day he was deadly irritable to anything. Sirius already warned him that he was going too much since he had hexed at least five people that day. To hell with detention. Intensified by the heat, his head hurt horribly and he kept rubbing it all the while.
"Oy, James. What's the matter?" Sirius asked him since he noticed the frequent head rubbing and the frown that was always on his brow that day.
"Nothing much. Except for the fact that two gremlins are hammering my brain to a gray pulp." He replied.
Sirius clucked his tongue. "Want to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"Nah. Cold water will do." He shrugged the suggestion off. Downing a glass of water, they hurried to Potions.
They were told to make an Invigorating potion. An unfortunately difficult one. Taking his time, James completed the brew and put some into a corked glass vial.
As he walked down the middle aisle to the teacher's table when somebody collided with him and caused him to drop his vial. He furiously looked up to his assailant: Severus Snape.
"Dear, dear Snivelly. Why did you the hell just do that?" he drawled hatefully.
"It was an accident, Potter." The other replied scathingly.
"An accident, I see. Maybe a purposeful accident? You see, of all the times you had to move in the middle aisle, you have to chose the moment on which I am going to the table to submit my vial. Ah! A surprising coincidence, don't you think?" He said this through gritted teeth.
"Perhaps Potter you should try to look at where you are going or try to grip whatever you are holding better." Snape retorted at James.
"You say that even if your own hands are so greasy. You couldn't even hold to your robes without it slipping from your grasp. You couldn't do something about it, since you are unnaturally greasy. Maybe you should attach eyes on your fat ass to see who you're bumping it." James replied coolly.
A lot of people laughed at this comment and a scarlet flush tainted his pallid cheeks. "Don't push it, Potter. I already apologized." He hissed.
But James wasn't satisfied by just shaming Snape. He held out his wand and casually waved it over Severus' cauldron full of potion. In an instant, an hour of hard work disappeared, not even leaving any drop in the cauldron.
Anger boiled over Snape and he tried to punch James but the other evaded it easily. "You're a son of a bitch, Potter!" he shouted and tried to punch him again.
James fisted his hands and shouted tauntingly: "Want a fight, greasy Snivel-freak? You could hardly even hurt a baby!"
Sirius was alarmed and restrained James from fighting back as other Slytherins held Snape back too. But both of them escaped and fought mano-a- mano on the dungeon floor.
Other students surrounded them and cheered loudly and heated shouting between two houses over whose fault was whose rose. Chaos erupted until the Professor came back and all fell silent. Everyone meekly went to their places and finished their Potions. Everybody also saw the defeated figure of Severus Snape with one eye swollen, a bleeding nose and mouth while James only cut his lip and a slight graze on his cheek, his eyeglasses broken at the bridge.
"Everyone finish their Potions and submit them to me. Ten points deducted to both houses." The Professor apathetically told them and ignored Snape's shouts about the fight. Due to his insistence, the mentor deducted five points more from them and gave him an extra assignment while a smirking James submitted another vial of the brew.
After the class, everyone filled quickly out of the dark dungeon. James slung his bag on a shoulder and strode alone behind the rest of the class.
Snape lurked behind a knight and as soon as James passed by him, he stealthily moved out and pointed his wand at James then shouted a curse.
James turned around as he heard Severus' voice in the empty corridor. He saw a flash of red light momentarily and felt someone pushing him away with such force, it sent him sprawling with the one who pushed him to the floor.
Long locks of copper hair fell on the contrasting black floor and James stirred and held the one who pushed him by the elbows, expecting to see a Slytherin.
But Lily Evans stared back at him. But her hair was now hanging to her shoulders instead of her waist.
Snape cursed at Evan's interference to save his enemy. "Move out, Evans!" he shouted.
Lily stubbornly shook her head even though the wand was pointing at her instead of James. Surprised as he was of Lily pushing him out of harm's way only to have her hair severed, hot fury coursed his blood and shouted to Lily: "Why did you do that?"
"He was about to kill you, Potter!" she yelled in answer.
"Don't fucking interfere with my fights!" he said as she shoved her back and cursed Snape. In his hurry, he didn't see the tears pool in her green eyes.
The curse hit him fortunately only at his arm. Blood seeped through the gash and a white splinter protruded through the cut . His bone. They were about to curse each other again when.
"Expelliarmus" a voice sliced sharply in their angered minds, focused in cursing one another, causing them to be distracted. Their hands felt lashed by a hot wind and the wands flew from them. "Accio wands!" the cold voice again commanded. Dread filled the both of them as their wands were caught in mid-air by a wraith-like and very pale hand.
The dagger-like stare of Professor Sinclair held them. "Snape! Potter! Evans! To my office!" she imperiously commanded and they followed her grudgingly to a room near the dungeons. Not going fast enough, she held James and Severus by their shoulders and pushed them inside the room. Both of them missed her fleeting pained expression as she did this.
The room was unexpectedly cold. The furniture and walls bare of any decoration. The bookshelves stacked high with many unlabeled books. The sound of the heavy door being closed then locked gave a feeling of finality.
Sinclair faced the three of them. "Snape and Potter, you two ought to be ashamed of yourselves for acting rashly out of the outburst in feelings over a petty fight over some spilled Potion!" she lashed out. Looking at their surprised faces, she continued: "Do you think I did not know what you did in the Dungeons? So despicable and demeaning on your parts. Let us look at your wands at what you did. Priori Incantem!" she muttered and ghostly wisps of ripping sounds resounded.
She looked at them venomously, wands still at hand. "Both of you used the same curse with a capability of mutilating a body with great force. Do you know what this means? That you Snape should have been without an arm now and either of you Potter and Evans would have been decapitated."
"Miss Evans, you have been extremely brave to push Mr. Potter, twenty points to you but since it is Mr. Potter started the fight in your Potions class, I'll deduct the same twenty points from you and ten points on him. Don't look so smug, Mr. Snape. Twenty points off you too. You are unharmed Miss Evans except for the loss of your hair so you may go now." She quickly dismissed Lily and then turned to Snape too. "You have a nasty cut, Mr. Snape." Then she tapped the wound with her wand and bandages quickly wrapped around his arm. "You may go to the Hospital Wing." She said.
As soon as Snape left, she spoke: "You, Mr. Potter, are the most fortunate since you have neither scratch nor bruise from the fight. It was exceptionally lucky of you that Miss Evans saved your head just in time. Both of your House Heads will be informed of your actions, so expect detentions." She paused and her weary eyes bored deeply in him. She spoke again but now in a more sad voice. "I am very, very disappointed in you, Potter. You made me think you are capable of thinking before acting. But what did you do? You let your heart rule over your head. Due to your impertinence, you could've caused Evans' death. Do you want that to happen, Potter?" she asked him.
Shamefacedly, he replied: "No, Professor."
"No. You said no and I take your word for it. You might be wondering why I am reproaching only you instead of including Snape. It is because I have hope in you. Snape has something which will lead him to darker ways later in his life. You could still learn from this. Now, look up and stand in front of that mirror, sir." She commanded him.
He walked slowly towards the full-length mirror. There was nothing special about it. He could still see his same old self. He felt an icy hand taking hold of his shoulder.
"Now, some students have been complaining that you have the habit of cursing the people who annoy you and just for the fun of it. Now, you see yourself standing on the mirror. You always bully other people you know weaker than you. Don't you have a conscience. I must admit your head is very inflated, given the fact that you pride yourself in you accomplishments. What if you put yourself into their shoes? Have you ever wondered what they feel each time you take advantage of their weakness? Of course not. Now, what do you see?"
"I see myself and you holding my shoulder." He replied matter-of-factly.
"Really? Look again." She advised.
He did look at the reflection and slowly his whole body changed gradually until he was Severus Snape. What the heck! He touched his hair. It wasn't the usual light and standing but long, limp and oily. Even his nose was longer. He was Snape! He thought frantically. That cant be! It was like his nightmare on the Shrieking Shack.
"Oh yes. Of course. It's like MY nightmare." Said Sinclair.
Or was it Sinclair?
She had hazel eyes and jet-black hair and the hair that stood in all directions and the eyeglasses. She's was a he? She was him! She was James Potter.
"No, this can't be real!" Snape, rather James, shouted.
"Oh? But it feels and looks very real to me." Sinclair turned James replied. "Face me, Snivelly." He taunted.
"I'm not Snivelly! And I'm especially not Snape. I'm James Potter"
"Why are you so sure of that, Snivel-freak?" the other taunted and in a blink turned into a handsome stag. Then into a boy again. "See, I'm the real thing."
Dread filled him. What was happening? She knew of his secret! But how!?
"You're defenseless. I have your wand, Snape. See? And I'm going to jinx you. What do you want to be? A frog? Perhaps a worm. Preferably a slimeball, being true to your nature. No! Being a freak is better! How would you like to have a tail? Or perhaps you want to have eyes on your ass so you can see what's behind you? The latter seems better. Jinx in the count of three! One-two-thr-"
"No!" he felt himself scream and made a wild grab for his wand arm. And he opened his eyes.
He was still standing in front of the mirror. Still had that crazy untamable hair, hazel eyes and eyeglasses. He was still James Potter. And Professor Sinclair, standing behind him, hand still on his shoulder, was still herself. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Now, do you know what it feels to be one of your victims, James Potter? Think twice again before doing some hex or curse on a person. Or else." she trailed.
He glance at the mirror and saw once more that he was Snape. Then he shook his head and everything was ordinary.
"But I don't think it is enough to convince you, Potter. You're dismissed ." she sent him away and led him outside her office.
Shaking, the door shut behind him. It was a relief to be himself again. A new fear settled in him as well as some kind of respect to his professor. It was as if she was capable of mind-reading. How did she do that illusion, he wondered. But his wondering was stopped short as a figure blocked his way.
"Evans." He said to her coolly, flashing a smile at her.
Instead of rushing to him to hug him or smile back at the least, she stared coldly at him.
"Why? What's the matter?" he asked her worriedly.
She took a step forward. "I saved your life Potter when I pushed you a while ago. But you did not realize that. You even pushed me and swore at me instead of thanking me. You said 'Don't fucking interfere with my fights'. If I hadn't interfered with that fight of yours, there would not have been another fight. I thank you for saving my life once. And now, we're even. All debts have been repaid. I owe you nothing and I don't want to speak to you ever again." She told him angrily, voice freezing cold, and stared daggers straight into his amber eyes, now startled, then past him, her arm brushing his slightly.
There was one word to describe exactly what he felt when he watched Lily Evans walk haughtily away from him.
Devastated.