Disclaimer-I don't own Harry Potter.
The Penseives
He was in Hogwarts so many years ago. He figured that this must be the end of his aunt's 7th year, according to Dumbledore's account earlier. That made it 1980, since she had been born in 1962.
Someone passed right through him. He shivered as the memory went through his body. It, of course, felt nothing. It was only a shadow of time gone by.
He stared after it. The girl had long, dark brown hair swishing back and forth as she walked.
"Petty!" someone called from behind her.
Harry felt another memory go through him. It was another girl, this time with brown hair shining with natural red highlights.
"Stop calling me "Petty", "Lils"," the other girl said, and as she turned around Harry recognized her as none other than a young Petunia Evans.
"Lils" stopped in front of her.
"How's my Hufflepuff sister?" Lily Evans asked, grinning and hugging Petunia. "How'd you like that exam?"
"So easy it was laughable," Petunia said. "You?"
"Same here. I finished early. And of course, Mr. Potter did, too, so he spent the rest of the period staring at me. I love him, but he is so creepy, Petunia!"
Petunia laughed. Harry had never heard her laugh before. It was soft and loving, as Petunia slung her arm around Lily's shoulder. "Sorry to hear that, sis."
"I am famished, sister dear. I've got some Chocolate Frogs in my dorm. Care to join me? It'll be just you and me. I feel like it being just us girls, but the others are off with their significant others, or in Marlene and Amelia's case, studying."
"Nah, I've got somewhere to be."
"Meeting Mystery Man again?" Lily asked coyly. "You have to tell me who he is one of these days, Petty."
"Not unless you stop calling me Petty, and then maybe."
Lily made a face, then said, "See ya," and took off down a hallway.
Harry felt something under his feet move. The room was spinning. Suddenly, he was zoomed across the hallway, out a secret door, out into the courtyard, and behind Hagrid's hut.
He saw his young aunt from earlier. She was sitting on the grass, holding up a small bottle of what looked like soda pop.
"Cheers," he heard a male voice said, and looked to see a boy. He squinted, and then his mouth dropped open in recognition.
It was Severus Snape.
But not the Snape he knew. He was young, his face unlined, his black hair clean and well-brushed, and his eyes...they didn't have that look of utter hatred or annoyance in them. Today, they were sparkling and directed straight at Petunia.
It was an odd thing, for Severus Snape and Petunia Dursely to be 17, almost 18, sitting on the grass behind Hagrid's hut, having what looked like to be a picnic, with a Harry from 24 years later watching without them knowing.
"2 years," Petunia said, smiling. "I feel like I have a hanger in my mouth."
"I'll fix that for you, Pet."
"Oh, really? How?"
"Like this."
Both of them leaned in for a kiss, and Harry found himself suddenly awkward, though knowing perfectly well they couldn't see him. Almost like he was intruding on something sacred.
He tried to imagine the Snape he knew like this, and found it impossible.
"I guess years do some things to people," Harry said to himself. They, of course, did not hear them.
Petunia gave Severus another quick kiss, then drank out of her can. "So, you came up with this all by yourself?"
"Yeah."
She grinned at him. "So you are at least somewhat romantic. I thought some of those potions had affected your brains."
He made a mock sour face at her, and snorted. "Thanks, Pet."
"No problem, Severus."
She gave him another quick peck, and suddenly the ground was spinning again under Harry's feet. He was shot forward again, but this time, hours passed instead of minutes. The sun was slowly fading from view, and the moon took its place.
He stopped short as a terrified shriek and yelling voices filled his ears. He ran towards them, rounding a corner to stop short at what he saw.
What looked like a version of Crabbe was practically pinning Snape to the wall, his wand pointed at his throat. Another person, a version of Goyle, was holding Petunia, her arms pinned against her side.
Two other people stood inbetween them, a woman and a man. Harry's eyes widened. The man was Lucius Malfoy. The woman was Narcissa Black.
Narcissa muttered something and her wand sparked. Petunia shrieked again. She was covered with red marks, and multiple streams of blood was slipping down her forehead.
"That's what you get, Mudblood, for deciding to get involved with Snape," Narcissa said. "Just say the words, and I swear I'll let you go. Just say you give up on him, and you can skip off to your dorm."
"No!" she screamed.
"Oh, really, then? Well then, dearest one, do the honors, please?"
Lucius smiled, waved her wand, and Petunia screamed.
"Now, don't you have something to say, Severus?" Lucius Malfoy asked pointedly.
Severus stole a quick glance in Petunia's direction, and then he smirked.
"I must admit, this was a good plan, wasn't it?"
Even the future Death Eaters looked surprised at that.
"Couldn't have worked out better. It's amazing how stupid a Mudblood can get, isn't it? Well, she's a Hufflepuff, so we'll have to excuse her for that."
"Severus, what are you saying?" Petunia whispered.
"I mean, dearest Petunia, that I have been playing you for the sap. Our whole thing has been leading up to tonight, when I would "accidentally" lure you into a trap. Bloody brilliant, not even these guys knew it. I've been playing you all for fools and I must say, I'm quite enjoying this."
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to do." He roughly pushed the older Crabbe away. "Pray, continue."
He disappeared into a corridor.
"Come back! Severus! SEVERUS!"
"Well, that was odd," Lucius said. "But that's Severus for you. Well, shall we continue?"
"Gladly, darling," Narcissa said, squeezing her future-husband's arm. "On the count of three." They raised their wands. "One…"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Lucius swore under his breath as a different figure ran out. Her hair was deep brown and pulled into a tight knot. Minerva McGonagall was barely recognizable at the age of 39, but her voice was not different. It still had the note of authority and dignity it'd always had.
And she was backed by Lily.
"Petunia!" Lily ran around McGonagall and shoved Narcissa roughly aside. She knelt by her shivering sister and flung her arms around her. "What did you do to her?"
"Lily, he betrayed me, he turned his back on me, he led me here!" Petunia whimpered.
"Who? Who did, Petunia? I swear, I will kill him!"
"No threats, Miss Evans," McGonagall said. "Andromeda, take them to the hospital wing. You three, we're going up to the Headmaster's office, and if you're lucky, straight home and not to a court room."
"Petunia, Petunia honey, tell me, who led you here? Who sent you to get yourself killed?" Lily demanded.
"Miss Evans, don't badger your sister, just take her upstairs!" McGonagall practically squawked.
"Yes, Professor," Lily said bitterly, getting Petunia's arm around her shoulder and then hoisting her up.
The ground started to spin again, but before he was shot away something caught his eye. A shadow of someone in the hallway.
Was it Snape? Why was he there? He had left; they'd seen him leave.
But it looked so much like him…
Before he could figure it out, he was shot along again. The sun rose and set twice, leading to two days after the accident.
"Petunia, Madam Pomfrey says that you can go back to your dorm today," Lily said, sitting on a hospital bed where a convalescent Petunia lay.
"I'm not going back to my dorm," Petunia said.
Lily looked slightly taken aback. "Well, then, I'll try and see if they can move you into my dorm. We'll be going home soon enough; it won't matter much."
"No, Lily, you don't understand. I wrote to mum and dad. They're bringing me back home now. I'm not returning to the magical world.."
Lily's mouth dropped open. "But…but Petunia, you can't! Why are you leaving?"
"I can't stay here any more. Not after what happened."
"Petunia, Lucius and Narcissa, they're suspended for the rest of the year and they'll be lucky if they can buy their way out of Azkaban! You don't have to worry about them!"
"That's not why I'm leaving!" Petunia yelled. "You don't understand!"
"Well, I would if you'd tell me!"
"Just forget it! Just leave me alone!" Her eyes snapped with indescribable fury. "I hate you!"
"Petunia, come on, honey, just go back to your dorm, Amelia will look after you—" Lily said desperately.
"No! Stay away from me! I never want to see you again!"
"Petunia!"
"GO AWAY!"
Lily stared at her sister in silence as Petunia lay, fuming.
"Very well then," she said coolly. "If you change your mind, just come to my dorm. If you don't, I'll see you in a few days when I come home."
She turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Petunia buried her face in her hands and cried.
The room began to spin again, and suddenly Harry felt as if a hand was pulling him. He sped upwards until his head emerged from the Penseive, followed by the rest of his body. He landed on the floor, too shocked by the memories to brace himself to land on his feet.
He picked himself up and looked around the room. Petunia face was buried in her hands, and she shuddered as she breathed in and out deeply.
"Harry, those were flashes from your aunt's 7th year," Dumbledore explained quietly. "I suppose you understand everything that happened, then?"
"No, not…quite," Harry said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Snape had left the room when Lucius and Narcissa were attacking her, but just before I left the memory I saw him in the hallway leading out from the room. He looked like he was…watching."
"Probably was. Watching to see me suffer," Petunia said angrily. "I can't believe I allowed myself to trust him—"
"Petunia, don't upset yourself, that's not why you showed Harry this," Dumbledore interrupted quietly. "And even if he was, he's on our side now."
"Why DID you show me this?" Harry asked, looking straight at his aunt.
Petunia began to wring her hands. She was still looking at her lap. "You saw, Harry, how close your mother and I were, and you know firsthand that changed. I wanted you to understand why…because I owe you that. I was never strong, like Lily was."
"If that hadn't left…or if that never happened, but you still had to take me in, do you think that we would've…gotten along better?"
Petunia finally looked at him. Her eyes were shining with tears. "Do you know, Harry, I think we would have."
"See, Hermione, I've been telling you for years, Snape's evil and always has been," Ron said.
It was the next day. By the time Harry had returned, all of them were asleep. Even Hermione, who had waited up for him in the Common Room, was asleep on the sofa. He'd had to carry her up to the girl's dorm and have the anti-boy charm removed by Lavender so he could put her to bed.
And now, the Golden Trio was standing in the hallway, discussing Petunia's memories.
"Oh, for God's sake, Ron. Did you not listen to all that Harry said? He said Snape was in the hallway after he left! Why would Snape stick around to get caught if he HAD set her up?"
"Don't ask me to think like he does."
"Yeah, it's too much to ask you to just think, isn't it?"
"That, Hermione Granger, was very rude," Luna cut in, glaring at the older girl. She had just arrived in time to hear Hermione's insult.
"Oh, quit your bickering, all of you," Harry said, and Ron, Hermione and Luna fell silent. "Look, I'm going to confront him about it."
"He'll poison you," Ron said automatically.
"I don't care. I've been waiting for years to nail him on something and this is it."
"Harry, do you want me to go with you?" Hermione asked.
"Nah, I better do this alone."
"At least let me wait outside for you," she said, insisting.
"Yeah, if Snape kills you, you'll need a witness," Ron said.
Luna snickered, very loudly. Ron stared at her.
"All right."
Hermione stared at the giant clock on the wall, the clock that never needed resetting. "We can make it before the stairs change if we go now."
"Hermione. You've actually timed the changing in the stairs?" Ron aked incredulously.
"You've just noticed?" Hermione smiled. "See ya, Ron. Harry, if you're ready?"
"Yeah."
The two disappeared down a hallway.
"She doesn't seem to respect you too much," Luna said.
"Who, Hermione? She's always been condescending."
"Is it her way of expressing affection?" Luna asked, her tone changing slightly.
"I guess." Ron snorted. "'Cept she should be talking Harry down, now that they're dating."
"Did you two ever date?"
"What's with the 3rd degree?" he shot at her.
"I'm just curious."
"I'll say."
"So, did you ever date her?"
"No, okay?!"
Luna seemed just slightly taken aback. "Did you want to?"
"It's none of your business," he snarled. "Why do you have to be so creepy, anyway? Why must you always stick your nose in other people's business? Why can't you just at least act normal for once, Looney?!"
He stopped immediately when he saw her eyes glaze over, shining. He recognized this look. This was the one 6-year-old Ginny had had whenever Fred had pulled her pigtails and said she had worms growing out from her head. But Luna's face seemed to portray hurt a thousand times worse.
"Listen, I'm sorry, I went too far, I'm just in a bad mood—"
"No, you made yourself perfectly clear, Ronald Rupert Weasley!" she yelled. With one swift flick of her arm, she pushed him aside and ran away, pushing inbetween two Slytherin girls who were on their way to their dorm. They laughed as she ran.
Ron was left standing there, gaping after Luna.
"Mr. Potter, this is not a school day, so to what do I owe this intrusion upon my only time away from student-induced headaches?"
"I want to talk about my aunt."
Snape stared fixedly at Harry. "What makes you want to talk about her, Potter?"
"I saw her Penseive. I know you two were together, and as much as it makes me want to hurl to admit it, you seemed quite happy with her."
"Oh? You do realize, Potter, that was 24 years ago?"
"I'm relatively good in math, so I figured that out," Harry shot back. "I'm also pretty keen on observations…no comments from the Peanut Gallery. What were you doing in that hallway?"
"What are you talking about?"
"When Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black were torturing my aunt, you said you had led her there on purpose just to get a good laugh at them all. And then you walked out. McGonagall walked in almost two seconds later. And when we were leaving that particular memory, I saw you standing in the hallway. What were you doing there, huh?"
Snape looked…It was difficult to place what his expression was. It seemed almost…torn.
"That, as I have pointed out, was 24 years ago and has nothing to do with what's going on now."
"Uh-huh. So, it's just like Ron said. You're evil and you always were! You have quite the time of it toying with people's emotions, don't you? Do you know that what you did to her not only make her leave magic, but cut all ties with her sister, too? Do you know what kind of man she married just to get away from magic? But, of course, it's not like you care! I suppose she was just another mudblood waste of oxygen to you—"
Snape's hand shot out and grabbed Harry around his upper neck, fingers digging into his skin. Snape's eyes were glittering with a fury Harry had never seen before. This went beyond loathing. It was pure hate.
"Don't you ever…say that about us again," he hissed.
His free hand reached under his desk. He produced a blue bowl, misting like boiling water. It was his own Penseive.
"So you want to know, Potter, what happened?" He swirled the bowl slightly. "Let's not waste time, then."
Viciously, he tugged Harry headfirst into the Penseive.
He was back in the hallway, watching as Petunia was tortured. Her shrieks seemed even louder and more terrified than before.
"SEVERUS!"
Snape brushed past and went down a hallway, Harry tailing him.
He stopped suddenly, and Harry almost fell through him.
Snape took out his wand, pointed to himself and muttered, "Rapidan."
He took off like a bullet. Harry started to run after him, but before he could he was already in another part of the memory.
"Professor, you were right, your sisters and Malfoy are already starting," he said, to the younger McGonagall.
"Good work, Severus," McGonagall said.
"Just remember that you can NOT tell anyone. Not ever. Take it to your grave."
"Of course.
She was gone in an instant, and Snape sprinted after her, too.
And Harry was yanked along to another memory.
"Severus."
"Lucius," Snape answered on the same vein.
"Quite an interesting joke you pulled last night. My trunks are packed already. I'm leaving today."
"McGonagall must've been pretty thorough with her report," Snape answered.
Lucius snapped out his wand. "Listen, you filthy git, I know you had something to do with us getting caught. I saw how you and that mudblood carried on together. Telling me you were posing the entire time is insulting my intelligence. I don't like being insulted, Severus."
"I suppose you'd like being incarcerated worse, so I suggest you put that away."
"Are you being smart with me? If I catch you with that mudblood again I will personally see you both into Hell. I'm quite good with Unforgivables, Severus. Perhaps I'll torture her, before I make her kill you, and then herself. Would you like that, Severus?"
"You don't have the guts or the power, Lucius."
"Oh? Forces are gathering, Severus. Wizards for the purification of our race. Narcissa and I are joining as soon as we leave this school, expulsion or otherwise."
"And you are telling me this…why?"
"You're pretty good at the Dark Arts, Severus. We could use someone like you on our side."
Snape sneered. "You're wasting your time."
"Oh, I don't think so. I could always go right up to the hospital wing and finish the job on Miss Petunia Evans."
Snape's face flashed…was it fear?…and then glared.
"I'll make it simple. Join us or I'll kill her. Think it over, Severus. Don't bother lying to me about it; I can see right through you."
Snape's face turned right back into the look it always held for Harry, but this hate seemed even deeper. Harry, even knowing full well that they couldn't see him, felt immensely scared.
"Fine," he hissed out. "Now get out."
Lucius smiled and nasty, condescending grin. "Glad to."
He bowed lightly, and then swept out of the room.
Harry felt the room spin again, and suddenly he was being swept backwards. He was being pulled back out of the Penseive.
He emerged from the Penseive with Snape's hand still around his neck, until Snape tossed him like a rag doll onto the floor.
The two stared at each other for a long time, each trying to read the other's face. Harry was trying to put together the two Snapes: the almost 18-year-old pure-blood Slytherin who had sincerely loved a Muggle-born Hufflepuff, and the 42-year-old who had toyed with him for the past 6 years.
"That "personal risk" that Professor Dumbledore was talking about when you rejoined our side," Harry finally managed to say. "Was that…my aunt's life?"
"Since you are so "keen on observations", Potter, I imagine you'll come to your own conclusion." He began to shuffle some papers on his desk.
Harry picked himself up. "How can you just sit there with my aunt right here in the castle? I've seen the two of you in her Penseive; you two were lovesick idiots!"
"I reiterate, Potter, that was 24 years ago. She has married and had a child, and I have a career. We have not spoken to each other since our 7th year. I regret showing you my memories, Potter, if you can't grasp that realization."
"Why did you show me that?" Harry immediately shot.
His face hardened. "Get out."
"No."
"I said, "Get out"," Snape hissed, standing up menacingly. "Now."
Harry glared at Snape for a long time, and he returned the expression.
"Fine, then," Harry finally said. "But I think you owe my aunt an explanation. And if you don't tell her, I will."
He turned his back on Snape. Before his teacher could say anything, Harry took out his wand, pointed it to himself, and muttered, "Rapidan."
He managed to stop himself outside the door, where Hermione had been waiting nervously. She was just removing her hand from where it had been pulling her hair.
"Harry! Are you all right? What did he say?"
"I'll tell you as soon as we find Ron. It saves the hassle of telling it twice."
He suddenly grabbed up her hand with both of his.
"Harry?"
"Hermione, you know I love you, right?" he asked.
"Harry, you know I know. Why do you ask?"
"I'll explain later. But it's good to know that you understand." He kissed her.
"Harry James Potter, you are a strange one," Hermione said, eyes smiling. "Well, I'm absolutely dying to find out what happened, so please, let's go find Ron."
Harry smiled at her, the muttered the Speed charm and grabbed her wrist before they took off together.
