By Alarun
Chapter 4 - A Fronte Praecipitium A Tergo Lupi
A young man stood in the center of a brilliant circle of glowing silver. His face was contorted with half agony, half rapture; his eyes squeezed shut as if in pain, his hands balled into fists at his side. His head was thrown back, and his long black hair blew gently out of his pale face.
He was wearing a thick, black robe that seemed to be waving in the gentle breeze, revealing black pants and a white shirt.
Wizards were standing around the circle that contained him, chanting rhythmically in Latin. The power surrounding them was so palpable it was almost visible; a muggle would have been able to sense it in the air.
Albus Dumbledore was one of those wizards. The others looked as venerable as the Headmaster, though all of them were scowling in deep concentration. A determined, hawk-like gaze of concentration emanated from Albus, who looked like a stranger from the lack of the usual twinkle in his blue eyes.
The young man's lean body elongated and twisted under the power of the wizards. His nose became hooked, what seemed a permanent scowl placed itself on his face. His hair became stringy and greasy, and lengthened a few inches, giving it a slight curl. The red and gold Gryffindor emblem on his chest turned into a green and silver serpent.
He cried out in pain, clutching at his left forearm, and fell to the ground, unconscious.
"All right…what in the hell was that?!" Sirius Black yelled into the silence, still staring at Snape's supine form lying on the ground.
The sixteen-year-old Snape shrugged, his face drained of color.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were silent.
Albus Dumbledore knelt next to the still figure, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Severus?" The Headmaster inquired quietly.
A groan came from the dark clad form, followed by a shudder, then; "P-professor? D-did it work?"
"Yes, Severus. Your past was successfully Obliviated, and replaced with one of your specifications. It can be undone, if you feel you can't live like this---"
"No!" Snape interrupted forcefully. "He killed my parents because he found out they were in the Order of the Phoenix! I need to help in his downfall, even if it is by living an act for the rest of my life."
The six figures standing in the pensieve stood in shocked silence, none willing to break it.
* * *
"I am loyal to you, My Lord. I always have been." Severus Snape knelt at the feet of the Dark Lord.
"Ah, yes." Voldemort smiled and stood up. "Loyal Death Eater to the end, isn't that right, Severus? Prove it to me. Crucio!"
As Severus Snape fell to the ground in choking agony, five of the visitors were pushed out of the pensieve.
Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley stepped back from the pewter bowl. Harry Potter remained transfixed, his body frozen but his green eyes darting around as if in an REM state. They decided to leave him be, since he wasn't forced out of the pensieve, it could only be a memory meant to be seen by the Boy Who Lived.
"Heh." Severus, the color starting to pull back into his face, looked around nervously. "I guess we really do remember two different pasts."
Sirius Black began to speak, but Remus Lupin quickly cut him off. "Severus, tell us what you remember."
Snape paused for a moment, looking at Harry. "I was born on the nineteenth of November, 1966. Sirius," he nodded in Black's direction, "and I are twins. We were raised by Vincent and Ellimere Rhymes, our foster parents from the age of 10. They have three daughters, Bella, Ila, and Anna Rhymes. Our parents were …as you heard in the pensieve …murdered by Voldemort because they were in the Order of the Phoenix. Is there anything else?"
"What is the last year you remember?" Remus Lupin asked.
"1982."
"Padfoot, does this ring any bells?" The werewolf turned to face Sirius as Snape jumped in surprise.
"I remember our animagus forms." Snape looked at them, shaken by Lupin calling Sirius Padfoot. "I was a gyrfalcon …Sharptongue."
Sirius's mouth dropped open.
* * *
"Wormtail! Tend me, you fool!" A pale face and slit pupils glared around the abandoned cabin, looking for Peter Pettigrew.
"I am h-here, M-my Lord." Wormtail fell to his knees in front of Voldemort, touching his forehead obediently to the ground in front of him. Voldemort pushed him back with a burst of energy, leaning back in his winged chair.
"No! Summon the Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, and tell him that he must determine the situation at that damned school! I cannot feel the magic of Dumbledore anymore. He is either dead or incapacitated. Then you must find a scrying glass, and attempt to See it. It would be possible without that Headmaster maintaining the wards. Do you understand these simple instructions?"
"Ye-es, M-my Lord." Peter hesitated, quivering.
"Well, my fool? What keeps you from doing as I order?" Voldemort pulled out his wand.
"N-nothing, M-my Lord." Peter wasn't sure if he was supposed to bow again, so he just apparated from his knees.
A Fronte Praecipitium A Tergo Lupi –Latin, a precipice in front, wolves behind (between a rock and a hard place). Thank you http://members.ozemail.com.au/~enigman/latin.html, an awesome site chock full of popular Latin phrases.