A/N: Ahh, this is not a chapter that will be any sort of revelations. No, just on one part realization. I'm sorry the plot is going so slow, but this is how I want things to go. Thanks for the kind reviews, it really makes updating this much more enjoyable.

I can give you freedom from your guilt,
with a flick of my wrist onto yours.
I can give you peace of mind with a forced smile.
I can give you death with the look upon my face.

Short Stories With Tragic Endings- From Autumn to Ashes

The man waited for a response. He did not deserve one. It was not his problem, and just because he was a Death Eater does not mean that he knew all of what happened sixteen years ago. Severus replied with a sneer, "It could be one of any night, Lupin." Not that he liked to admit it, he was familiar with many occasions of this occurring.

"Yes, but you do know when Lily was kidnapped." The werewolf fired back, wanting nothing but truth filled answers. Setting the letter down, he waited.

Of course he knew, but the damned man had no right to question him of this."They beat all the woman kidnapped to a bloody mess, Lupin, none of the Death Eaters know who they are getting as reward." Severus, himself, did not care who the boy's father was. It was not his business, nor did he plan to make it his business.

Lupin asked, "Surely, the Death Eaters have some idea, Severus." He shifted, "Whom ever Harry's father is, he is starting to change to look like him, and these changes are more dramatic than the other students. He will ask questions."

"Then answer him, fool!" Severus snapped, getting up and passing through the threshold. A waste of time, Severus thought.

Returning to his office, he forced himself to work, but found it no avail, and dipped into the memories locked away in his pensive. Despite his earlier thoughts of Potter's parentage, he was the reason Lily Potter was captured.

"Severus, excellent work with the capture of Potter's Bride. This shall teach those Aurors to back down." He hissed, "You shall be rewarded tonight.. yes.." Severus watched as his younger self gave a smirk, "Thank you, my lord." The Dark Lord then hissed, "You are my most trusted of men, Severus. Do not ever waver."

Severus watched as he promised the Dark Lord eternal loyalty. Fool. He thought angrily. It was that night in particular he decided to switch sides. As much as Severus enjoyed the power, being raised in abuse taught him that abusing others was not right. This also was around the time Severus had started smoking. In a muggle raid; he had found a woman smoking, shaking in fear; enjoying her last nicotine inhale before she met a disturbing fate. Nonetheless, Severus had swiped the cigarettes curiously, and was addicted shortly after. It pulled him from his power addiction, to Dumbledore.

He watched himself go to the gloomy cells where prisoners were kept for undetermined amounts of time. Following with the most hesitation he ever felt, he saw a brutal beaten woman, blood staining her hair, as she lay on the hard bed, not a fight left in her.

He had pushed the little facts out of his mind, trying to not remember doing such dreadful things, but watching as his younger self gave a smirk and rewarded himself on the near lifeless woman, haunted him. It haunted him to be reminded he had done such horrible things to people, but more so, the startling green eyes that stared into his as he did this.

Severus pulled himself out of the memory, and reached into his drawer for a package he hadn't touched for nearly a month. Placing a white narrow 'cancer stick' between his lips, he felt a tingle on his arm. He hesitated to pick up the silver lighter.

Not tonight, any night but tonight.. Severus thought over and over. He could not handle another unexpected twist. The familiar burning sensation; one he had once enjoyed vaguely, now was a full on pain, he loathed. Severus wished as he rose, it would all end soon as he dropped the smoke and trailed off.

Harry crept under his invisible cloak towards the one-eyed witch. He knew he promised Lupin he would not make trips to Hogsmeade, but he needed the break from his homework and classes, and the worry of losing Sirius' home. Lupin promised to take Harry one last time to search for the will. This had put Harry at ease for just a little while.

Glancing at the map when he had left, he saw the only person who could cause a problem, Snape, dotted in Lupin's office. It had sprung curiosity, but Harry ignored it, and carried on to the passage to Hogsmeade. At least Hermione was in the library when he left, searching for other facts to weasel into her History of Magic essay. Catching the disadvantage, knowing she most likely would not have let him leave, Harry and Ron travelled down the stairways to the dungeons. Ron left, wishing he could go as well, but had to patrol the halls that night, and could not.

Once at the one-eyed witch, he gave the map another look, and saw Snape leaving the grounds. A Death Eater meeting, probably. Harry thought as he entered the narrow escape, hitting his head hard on the cement roofing. Damn it! Harry cursed, mentally. He had been much shorter the last time he had went through there.

While in Hogsmeade, Harry loaded his pockets of candies and little things he found amusing. Pretty much anything he could shrink to take, he did. The shopkeepers all had not even recognized him, or if they did, they did not ask questions. For this, Harry was grateful.

Harry walked the cobblestone street, and saw a new shop that caught his brilliant emerald eyes. Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, it read in amber. With a smile, knowing his winnings paid for the shop, helping the twins accomplish their dream, he stepped in.

A strange aroma of gun powder, and what smelted strangely of ammonia flooded his nose. Then, a loud bang, so loud that his ears popped. "Good one, Fred!" A goofy shout came from the back. "Oi! George! A customer!"

They scurried forward, red headed, freckle faced, and a childish gleam in their eyes. "Harry, mate! How are you? What can we do for you?" One of the twins asked.

The other said, "You look different, Harry! Older!" The twin turned to his brother, "Think he could pull off a fake ID?"

"What were you both working on in there?" Harry asked, after they began work on a fake ID for Harry, not that he asked for one.

"Temporary-deaf fireworks." One replied. The other gave a smirk, "So, that kids will not hear their parents yellin' at 'em. We are just working out the bugs now." His brother continued the explanation, "Yeah, they are supposed to be silent. They are.. but once we yell, the firework explodes! Quite the opposite of what we want."

Ron had told Harry that his brothers had been kicked out of the house since they had dropped out of school. Molly Weasley felt if her boys were smart enough to not attend school, they were smart enough to live on their own. Not that she expected they'd truly leave, it was merely a threat to scare the twins back to school, but they did what Molly had not expected.

The twins had told him that they were living on their own just fine in a small flat in the housing section of Hogsmeade. They had invited him over the next time he was in Hogsmeade, as they knew that he could not stay long that night.

Harry had been their for what seemed hours, as they finished a perfect ID. One looked up at Harry, "Only one problem, mate."

Harry replied, "Shoot."

The red headed twin said, "Everyone knows Harry Potter, and knows that he is only sixteen. So, what we need is a new name."

Harry never thought about that. Racking his brain, he remembered once before he had called himself Neville on the Knight Bus, not that he was going to take that name once more. Any other names he had used? A new name.. a new name.. Nothing came.

"You look like Snape." The other twin who noticed the change right away said. "Let's put your last name as Snape." Harry did not object, still thinking of a first name. Any name was better than going as the famous Harry Potter. He thought.

"Damon." He decided on. Loyal friend.

"Damon Snape.. hmm.. Yes, I can see it now." They set the name in the ID, and tossed it to Harry. He gazed over it, and they smiled, "You can go anywhere with that, and I mean ANYWHERE."

After filling his pockets, and emptying his money sack, Harry decided to leave. He bid the twins goodbye, when there was a crash in the front of the window. Much like.. glass breaking.

The twins looked at each other, "Was that you?" With a shake of head, Harry turned from the backroom, and glanced out to see the front windows smashed. Dark figures..

Harry gave a look to the twins, crouching down, "Is there a backdoor to this place?"

Fred replied, "No! We got it cheaper this way!"

Harry pulled his cloak over him, as the twins scurried to hide. He knew he was out of sight, for now. He just decided to listen.

"I think the sign is broken.." A cool voice hissed, "..It does not appear that Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes is open." He recognized that voice. He had heard it only a handful of times, but he recognized it fine. Malfoy's father.

Another voice with a grunt, "Probably hiding." Harry leaned back, against the counter, and took a glance over at the Death Eaters. There were four of them, two destroying things. The other two heading towards them. Giving a glance at the twins, one hiding behind a trunk, the other hiding most likely, inside it.

"What is this?" Lucius asked, picking up a card, drawing Harry's attention back to the Death Eaters. Harry's eyes widened, his fake ID! "Damon Snape.." He turned to the other Death Eater beside him, "Didn't know Severus had a son." He muttered to himself, pocketing it.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are, Weasleys." The other Death Eater said, passing the counter Harry was leaning on. Harry's eyes widened when he saw a silver hand. He remembered back to his fourth year, where a traitorous rat lost his hand, and then it was replaced by a silver one. Wormtail! Harry reached for his wand, his anger surging through him as he was taken back to all the things that rat had done, but controlling his anger was not one of Harry's best strengths, and it caused the fireworks in the back to explode. Or at least he had thought so. Harry covered his ears.

The Death Eaters went in the back, attracted to the noise, where the Weasleys were. Harry proceeded to hear yet another bang. Harry saw a rat scurry passed, afraid of the noise, with a silver paw. Pop. Crack. He moved to snatch the rat, but the Death Eaters were coming back, with a Weasley twin. Anger for avenging his parents' deaths, and fear for his friend, put him in a difficult situation.

Harry tripped Lucius, and the red headed twin, Fred, took the opportunity to run to the door and apparate away. Lucius looked right at Harry, and moved his hand, knowing there was someone there. Harry knew to run. He would catch the rat another day, He pushed the thought aside, and jumped over the marble counter top. His invisibility cloak catch Lucius' hands, or more, his wedding band, tearing with a loud rip. This rip, caused Harry to only run faster.

He felt a curse hit him, having dodged several of them sent his way. A white hot pain seethed through him. He forced himself to keep going, he had to get away, he told himself, despite the pain.

Using his head, Harry was careful to not lead the Death Eaters to the passageway he had used. He decided on going to the Shrieking Shack instead. If they had followed, if they made it through, there was no doubt in mind they would pass the Whomping Willow in time to catch him. He threw himself into the rough house, after what seemed an eternity, and saw a dark figure who had just arrived. He had moved backwards towards the door, fearful, but a familiar snap made him stay, "Potter?!"

Harry breathed out, "Professor!" before falling to the ground from the pain.