Chapter Two: Hogwarts

Severus Snape loved everything about rain. He loved the way it fed into his dreadful mood and the way the gray skies seemed to dampen the spirits of even the liveliest students. Looking out one of the enchanted dungeon windows, Snape saw lightning temporarily etch itself violently across the sky. The thunder sounded long enough after that Snape could still enjoy a nice walk without any danger.

Severus grabbed his cloak and swung it around his shoulders, the cloak billowing around evilly. A small smile formed at the corner of his mouth; he still had that frightening edge about him.

The rain quickly soaked the uncovered parts of Severus' body as he walked across the grounds. As he neared the Hogwarts gates, Severus remembered his low supply of powdered unicorn horn and decided it would be best to go into Hogsmeade and replenish his supplies. Maybe he'd even treat himself to some venom of an Inland Taipan, the most poisonous snake in the world, only to be used in the most complex potions. Too much or too little of the venom could decide whether the victim recovered fully or died a slow and very painful death. The perfect thing to threaten the show-off students like Potter.

Snape smiled as he pushed open the large gates and descended down the long path to Hogsmeade. The rain pelted his shoulder-length black hair, the water dripping off of his long hooked nose. Watching lightning streak across the sky another time, Severus listened for the thunder. Though closer, he was still okay.

He surveyed his empty surroundings. To one side of him was the Dark Forest and to the other was a large field, cut neatly for the younger children of Hogsmeade to play in. But today it was empty. Severus looked over the field and felt his heart stop. Suddenly he could not feel the rain, the thunder did not sound in his head and the only thing on Severus' mind was the crumpled shape in the middle of the field.

Severus Snape ran towards the shape, not even thinking twice. Though he was considered to be the 'Slimy Git of Hogwarts', it didn't mean that it was completely true. As he grew closer, he realized that it was the body was a woman. Long curly maroon hair covered her face and Severus quickly brushed it away to see if she was breathing. Her breath came in short and sharp intake and she appeared to be unconscious. Without thinking twice, Severus scooped up the woman and disapparated to the gates of Hogwarts.

Lightning struck followed immediately by thunder. The rain raged on unmercifully as Snape made his way up to the main doors. The woman, limp in his arms, moaned and mumbled incoherently in Severus' arms.

"Shhh, we'll be at the Headmaster's office soon." Snape whispered as he bounded up the stairs towards the tower where Albus Dumbledore's office was. Finally he arrived in front of the spiral staircase.

"Canary Cream!" he exclaimed, not having a chance to wonder about the headmaster's obsession with sweets.

"Ah, Severus, how nice of you to—who's that?" Dumbledore asked, pushing himself up from his desk and going over to the woman his Potions Master was holding.

"I don't know, I found her," Snape explained. "She was in a field near Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I see," Dumbledore looked closely at the woman and walked around her quietly, looking at her closely. "I don't think she was one of my students. Does she have any form of identification on her?"

"Didn't check," Severus stated. "I knew Poppy wasn't here so I brought her to you."

"I'll go fetch Madame Pomfrey. You get this woman situated in the Hospital Wing, and if you can, look for some way to identify us with her."

Severus nodded and walked up towards the Hospital Wing. The beds were strangely empty and rarely did Snape find himself in an empty hospital wing. Normally, he would be bringing potions for fairly ill students and many of the beds would be full. But now the school was completely empty, void of the loud, obnoxious fifth, sixth and seventh years, easily excited third and forth years and pathetic first and second years.

Laying her pale body down carefully, Severus began to search for some way to figure out who she was. Inside the cloak she was wearing was a soaked piece of parchment. Carefully he unraveled the mess of parchment. It was a resume, for the Defense Against The Dark Arts position at Hogwarts.

"It's been two weeks," He muttered to himself. "I didn't know Albus put out an ad."

Severus read through the runny-inked paper, impressed. Her name was Livi de Tomel and she had come from teaching Defense at the Beauxbatons where she had also attended school.

The sound of footsteps startled Severus and he looked up as three people walked into the room. Severus nodded in greeting to the school matron and then nodded again in greeting to the Headmaster. His eyes then traveled to the third person and he sneered something awful.

"Just what in the name of magic is he doing here?" Snape hissed.

"It's a full moon tomorrow night, Severus. Poppy would like to keep him close by this summer so he is staying in one of the guest quarters up near Gryffindor Tower."

Remus remained silent and took a seat at the far end of the wing, not making eye contact with anyone in the room.

"So, Severus, do we know who she is?" Dumbledore asked looking at the woman.

She was tall and had curves in all the right places with very long maroon hair and a pale complexion. Her robes were of a soft lavender shade and she wore a pair of heeled black boots. She opened her eyes carefully. They were of the softest blue color, shaded by thick black lashes. Snape had never seen eyes of such a unique shade of blue.

"Livi de Tomel." Snape looked down at the woman as she squinted and attempted the put her hand to her head. "Livi de Tomel? Ms. de Tomel?"

Livi moaned and immediately Madame Pomfrey was pushing Snape and Dumbledore away and clucking about Livi.

"Ms. de Tomel, can you hear me?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she mixed two potions.

"Who's Ms. de Tomel?" she asked, but it just came out a low moan.

** ** **

Frantic, Livi tried to remember everything, anything, she searched her mind as hard as she could but it was empty. Blank. A white empty room.

A white room with a shaken man with pale blue eyes and long black hair. A white room filled with people surprised, silent, joking, and even crying, a short, auburn haired woman greeting every single one of them warmly.

Livi remembered, and it hurt. Lightning reflecting in red snake eyes as a green jet of light flew towards the red head. The same woman smiling with a man for a picture, her sharp green eyes and his golden ones glowing with happiness with a bunch of people posing together; many would not live to see the first fall of Voldemort, herself included. But why was she here then?

Then it hit her. Sirius. It was his fault that she was back. Why did he have to be such a jerk? Livi felt tears burn in her eyes. She wouldn't get to see Lily and James anymore. She wouldn't know what was going to happen next. She would have to live in a world of pain and feeling. More memories flashed through her mind. A man with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, slipping on a white gold promise ring onto the small finger of the same redhead from before, but Dorcas Meadowes was no more. She was now Livi de Tomel and she would go on. Livi would make the best of the situation. A wizard with snake like features and red eyes stared down at her from inside her mind, laughing loudly.

Livi shut her eyes, hoping the memories would go away.

 "Livi?"

"I'm Livi." Livi whispered, as if trying to make it fact.

"Yes," the nurse began slowly, "you're Livi de Tomel."

Madame Pomfrey, oh how I used to spend so much time in here. You used to chastise me for getting involved with the Marauders. Livi remembered.

'They're just trouble, Dorcas, trouble. Don't go meddling with those boys, you hear me?' The old woman's voice sounded in her head.

"Are you okay dear? You were just lying in a field when Severus found you. In the rain no less!" Madame Pomfrey asked; her already lined face imprinted with concern.

"I'm fine."

If you consider being spit back on Earth from Heaven in the body of someone else fine, then sure, I'm just bloody wonderful!

"Drink this, I'll check on you in an hour." The school matron stated as a small vial containing a purple potion appeared on her nightstand.

Livi winced but nodded politely and watched the nurse walk over to another bed where a man had been resting. She began clucking away and reprimanding him for this and that. Livi positioned herself to get a better view, but Pomfrey had already pulled the curtain around the man and gone off.

"Ms. de Tomel," a man with a long hooked nose, cold black eyes and pale skin began.

SNAPE?! No it can't be. Gods this is so hard.

"I am Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master here at Hogwarts. I'm the one who found you."

I'll be damned…He certainly looks…different…Like his father…

"Thank you for rescuing me, Professor." Livi mumbled. "I'm sorry if it was any inconvenience."

Severus was about to say something when Albus Dumbledore put a piece of parchment down and spoke.

"None at all, for you see, if you are still feeling up to it, I'd like you to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts."

Livi was unsure of what to say. She opened her mouth a few times to speak but she couldn't find the words to say,

"You've had quite a day, Ms. de Tomel, please think about it though, your resume is quite good and I'd love to add you to my staff." Dumbledore explained. "Now I must discuss some matters with the headmaster from the Potens Maga Institute in Rome."

"Thank you, Professor." Livi mumbled, not wanting to meet his eyes.

Dumbldore nodded to her and swept from the room, his purple robes with silver stars and moons trailing regally after him. Livi could feel Snape's eyes on her body, inspecting her. Livi had yet to look in a mirror and see what she looked like, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever want to. She was almost certain she was not in the same body she had been sixteen years ago. Livi sighed and met Snape's eyes.

"Can I help you, professor?" Livi snapped.

Snape seemed to jump at the tone and began sneering at the woman in the bed.

There's the Snape I knew! No wait, know. Think Auror training; you have to make the best of each situation. I'm pretty sure Moody didn't mean getting reincarnated though!

"No, Ms. de Tomel. I suggest you take the potion Poppy Pomfrey gave you. It will make you feel much better. Though you seem to be getting healthier as we speak," Snape finished up, his icy tones causing Livi wince. This was definitely her Snape.

"I will take it professor, and hopefully it will make me well enough to talk to the headmaster about my new job."

"You don't know that Dumbledore will give it to you."

"Don't I?" Livi asked snidely; glad to see the slimy git leave the room without further conversation.

Smiling to herself, Livi drink the purple potion. It was very sour and burned the tip of her tongue. She had never had such a potion before, even in her training days when they had learned every healing potion available. This was amazing. The effects quickly took place and she renewed; all energy restored.

Livi was about to push herself from the bed when Pomfrey came rushing over.

"Ms. de Tomel!" she shouted shrilly, pushing Livi down. "You shouldn't try to get up yet."

"I feel perfectly fine." Livi explained. "I need to talk with the headmaster."

Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "Don't us all, now stay put while I go and get some more potions."

"Look," Livi began, "I'm perfectly fine. You don't need to treat me like a little kid. I'm perfectly able of taking care of myself."

Madame Pomfrey glared at her for a second then sighed. "Do you know your way to Dumbledore's office?"

"I can find it." Livi stated simply.

"If you feel dizzy or anything out of the ordinary, you get your self right back over here without stopping to smell the flowers." Pomfrey commanded, wagging her finger in Livi's face.

Livi nodded and made her way out of the hospital wing with the purpose to show Snape up. That evil man had always been rude to her since she met him when she was eight at a Ministry ball.

A small girl with long strawberry blonde hair sat in the corner of the large room, her pale green gown flailed out about her in a perfect circle. She wasn't the only child at the ball, there were a few children wondering around, clinging onto mummy and daddy's arm. But the little girl would rather sit in the corner, humming to herself and watching the younger couples dance happily, laughing and stealing the occasional kiss than walk around with her grandfather. Her little sister was most likely off with Bella Black, but why her sister would hang out with the snotty girl was beyond her.

"Why can't you do anything right?" a voice snapped somewhere close by.

The little girl looked up to see a tall, hook-nosed man slap a boy about her age. Surprisingly he didn't even flinch. The boy just let the man, the girl suspected it was his father, hit him. She watched the man stalk away and see the boy attempt to sink into the shadows. But the little girl wasn't going to let him. She quickly pushed herself up from the ground and ran after him.

"Wait! Come back!" she shouted, pushing her way through William Weasley and his son, Arthur.

Soon Arthur was following the girl, beckoning her to stop. He was easily four years older than the girl but his father was good friends with the girl's grandfather and they saw each other more than occasionally.

"Dorcas," he began, "why are you running and who are you shouting after?" he called as the girl picked up speed.

The boy who had been slapped obviously realized he was being chased and ran faster.

"A boy!" Dorcas called back as she exited the ball room and lifted her dress up as they ran onto the damp grass around the large building.

When Arthur had caught up with Dorcas, she had slowed down as was staring at a still figure at about broomstick's length. In the pale light she could see he had long dark hair, but his back was to them and they couldn't see his face.

"Are you okay?" Dorcas asked the boy softly.

"Fine." The boy snapped.

"Hey," Arthur began spinning the boy around. "There's no need to get rude!"

Arthur surveyed the boy in the moonlight.

"A Snape," he hissed. "Should've known."

He pushed the Snape on the ground.

"Art!" Dorcas screamed, rushing down to the Snape. "Are you okay?" she asked him again.

The Snape just pushed Dorcas away and ran off. Dorcas began to run after him but Arthur put a hand on her shoulder.

"Death Eaters," he whispered as they walked back to the building. "All of 'em. Dad says that Mr. Snape is a pretty vicious man, I don't think you want to get on the bad side of a Snape, even if that was just his son."

"It's too late," Dorcas mumbled sadly, "I already am."

Livi shook her head slightly, recovering from the memory; absently putting her hand to her face as if she had been slapped. Blinking a few times she made her way towards the office, only to realize she didn't have the password.

"Blast!" she exclaimed, looking at the still gargoyle. "Okay," she muttered. "er…Fizzing Whizbies!"

The gargoyle remained still.

"Um, Cocoa Canons?"

No movement.

"Cockroach Cluster?"

Nothing.

Dammit, move!

"Okay, how about… Sour Slime Snakes!"

"They took those off the market fourteen years ago, Ms. de Tomel." A cold voice drawled from behind her.

Aw, those were good. Kinda resemble you, don't they, Snivellus? She thought sarcastically.

"Thank you for giving me a lesson on current and incurrent candies, professor." Livi hissed.

Snape nodded coldly. "And just what are you trying to do by the way?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Snape smirked. "Canary Cream." The gargoyle bowed to Snape and stepped aside, revealing the staircase up to Dumbledore's office.

"What is a canary cream?" Livi asked.

"Don't ask." Snape sighed and led her up the staircase. He knocked on a large wooden door three times and Dumbledore beckoned them in.

There were two people Livi did not recognize in the room. A short, portly man with thick salt and pepper hair stood next to a girl with long black her down to her waist. The man greeted them in a loud, thick voice and shook both Livi and Snape's hands.

"Pugnox Amici, headmaster of Pontens Maga Institute." The large man stated behind a short and neatly groomed beard.

"Livi de Tomel." Livi greeted softly, curious as to whom the girl was.

"We'll let you know about our answer, Albus." Pugnox stated before grabbing the girl's hand and pulling out a small golden ball from his pocket that looked almost like a snitch without wings. He muttered a spell and they were gone.

"Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore offered, holding out a dish of the yellow candy. Livi wondered if they were the same ones that had been there when she had last visited him in his office in 1978. That thought in mind she quickly refused.

"I have my answer, Professor." Livi explained; glad to feel Snape stiffen behind her.

"I'm glad, Ms. de Tomel, and what may your answer be?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses.

"If I am welcome, I'd like to apply for the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore exclaimed then became very serious. "I warn you, Ms. de Tomel, security at Hogwarts is going to tighten up a great deal with Voldemort back. If I have any suspicion or if any student comes to me with suspicion as to where your loyalties lie, I will not hesitate to remove you from my staff. As you may well know, we have not had the best luck with Defense Against the Dark Arts professors."

Livi nodded solemnly. "I assure you that you can trust me."

"Livi, as I have offered to all of my staff, you are welcome to join the Order of the Phoenix. There will be many tests to make sure that you are truly loyal to the Light. We will have an initiation meeting next week. Do you accept the offer?"

"I do and I can assure you," Livi's pale eyes grew dark and fierce, "I want to see the fall of Voldemort more than anyone."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Severus will lead you to your class room and show you where your chambers are located."

Livi shuddered and felt Snape take a sharp intake of breath beside her as if he were going to protest but thought better of it.

"Come, professor." Snape hissed, pivoting on one foot and hurrying out of the room.

"Call me Livi, Severus. We'll be seeing each other everyday, after all."

"Joy." Snape muttered as he led Livi up the grand staircase and towards the Defense classroom. "This is your classroom. Minerva McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor house, she teaches Transfiguration down there." Snape pointed to a door at the end of the hall. He walked to a large portrait of a small girl with her arms wrapped around a large timber wolf. She smiled up at Livi and Snape.

Livi smiled back while Snape chose to ignore the girl and wolf. "The password is up to you to choose. The last password I believe was Cornelius Fudge."

Sure enough the girl nodded and the portrait swung open.

"Interesting password." Livi remarked.

"Quite. You may change it if you wish."

"I think I shall." Livi declared simply.

They stood there in an awkward silence, both looking at their feet.

"Well, I guess I should go and get settled." Livi suggested.

"Yes, of course, goodbye Ms. de—Livi."

"Goodbye Severus."

There was a hallway before the actual room. It was a large sitting room, the walls were painted a rich navy and a large black leather couch sat in front of an empty fireplace. There was a large cherry wood desk at the corner of the room, quills and parchment arranged nicely on the desk. Livi pulled off her cloak and threw it down on the couch.

She turned to go over to the desk but stopped when something shimmered in the corner of her eye. Livi turned back to the cloak and the same opalescent folder she had been given before being brought back to Earth lay between the folds of her cloak.

Carefully Livi picked it up as if it were made of glass. Inside the folder there were many pockets. In one pocket there was a long, slender black wand, the core, essence of faerie dust. It was especially good for defensive and offensive spells and quite helpful when if came to transfiguration. Changing the appearance of her wardrobe to a darker color to go with the navy and black theme, Livi realized that her wardrobe was void of clothing inside it. Quickly she went to the pocket entitled "Money".

Livi gingerly pulled out a small sack of money and a slender silver key with the number of her Gringotts vault written across it. Behind the sack and key was a piece of paper. Curious, Livi picked it up and began to read. It was her account history. She was shocked to see that she had quite a lot of money. At the bottom of the paper it listed recent transfers. All of the money from Dorcas' account had been transferred into Livi's. She'd have to go shopping soon.

Overwhelmed by the day's events, Livi laid her head on the back of her pillow and stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what Heaven had been like. Memories before the current day were already beginning to fade and Livi cried silently knowing that she very well may not see her friends for a while. This was obviously going to be harder than she thought and Remus was in the Order. This was going to be nearly impossible not to blow her cover and get sent to St. Mungos along with Gilderoy Lockhart. A small sob escaped from the block of ice in Livi's throat.

Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a pensieve. She decided. I want to remember everything.

Exhausted, Livi fell into a sleep full of Lily and James Potter telling her to be strong.

Liz: *stops and catches breath* Whew! I haven't written a chapter that long in…well ever! Isn't that sad? So, what did you think of the chapter?

Livi: Well, it was interesting. I'm mad at you, you know that, right?

Liz: Yes. I'm sorry, but it wouldn't have been interesting if I didn't bring you back.

Livi: Couldn't I have had more of a warning?

Liz: Hey! I made you hot! Be happy!

Livi: Shut it!

Liz: Excuse me? I'm the author of this fiction…I order you around…

Livi: *sighs and turns to the readers* She's evil.

Liz: Haha. Yes reviews would be nice. Seriously, I'll give whoever reviews a cookie! lol. Check out my blog for the latest cookie receivers! Next chapter full of Remus, Harry and OWL results! Not to mention Snape, Livi and some other people…

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REVIEW MY FIC AND GET A COOKIE!

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