Inside the wand shop of Knockturn Alley, the owner was having a mug of rum while perusing through the Daily Prophet from over a month ago. He often smirked when he read the news about the raven-haired, lanky boy who had ousted Albus Dumbledore and a werewolf within the same day.
He knew the boy was something special from the moment he saw the basilisk horn as one of the items he had picked up for his illegal wands. The horn was acquired through a black market and had been in his shop for many, many years; he was already considering giving it to some potioneer in exchange for money.
Sighing, he folded the newspaper and looked outside; it was almost midnight. No one would dare to bother him at this hour and he was ready to lock the door when a soft tap entered his ears. Frowning, he turned to the windows and saw a barn owl hovering with a parchment around its foot.
The old wandmaker let the bird in and fed it with some owl treats before untying the letter from the owl's foot, his eyebrows rose in curiosity as he read the message which was in a spiky yet elegant, almost feminine handwriting:
Send in the yew wand.
Morris Maddock was having a dilemma.
His family had just received the pureblood title, and by the time he was to enter Hogwarts he was determined to make his name a part of the wizarding world's history. He was very happy to be put in Slytherin where other ambitious students were placed.
When the headmaster first introduced the stand-in Prefect, he never thought he end up being devout to the older boy. Severus Snape certainly didn't have the looks or the important status which was highly regarded among the Snakes, but his aura and demeanor had said otherwise.
Morris admired the sixth-year student, who tried his best in making sure everyone was satisfied in whatever he did. He was fully supportive in the idea of the werewolf to be thrown out of school, but the honorary Prefect's decision for allowing him to stay was something entirely unexpected. He wondered if he could be forgiving to others like Prefect Snape did.
Winter was approaching and Morris never fared well in the harsh cold winds of Scotland, always having to fully bundle himself in warming charms and pads. When he entered the Hospital Wing for a Pepper-Up Potion, he certainly didn't expect to see the stand-in Prefect whose face was bruised badly and torso covered in bandages was in one of the beds.
Morris stopped in his tracks, eyes widened in utmost disbelief. Who had attacked the boy? Hadn't he been regarded as the hero of the school? Was there someone out for revenge for what he did? He had the suspicion that the werewolf and his friends were involved, but still…
As soon as they made eye contact, they froze. Blue eyes met black, both students not daring to say anything.
"Here, Mr. Snape," Madam Pomfrey broke the silence and handed a light blue potion to the older boy.
The onyx eyes flickered in uncertainty for a second before turning to the medi-witch. "Thank you." With a half-hearted glare toward Morris, Severus Snape pulled down the curtains harshly to close off his bed from view.
Morris could see how Madam Pomfrey's face was distraught by the action before she shook her head. "Hello dear," she greeted him with a weak smile, "what do you need?"
He walked out of the Hospital Wing as soon as he got his potion. He knew he should tell the other Prefects about what happened, but the glare he received had made him cower in slight fright, already knowing the silent threat.
After all, Slytherins have always been good in keeping secrets.
For once, the four Marauders were scared for their lives, with each of the boys having their own thoughts about the incident.
All of them agreed that the spell James had used onto the unfortunate raven was very grisly to say the least. Just what exactly was Severus Snape thinking in order to create it? Or rather, they hadn't taken the warning the Slytherin boy had written seriously. But they were so curious for their own good; after all, wasn't he their enemy too? For them to acknowledge the existence of such a dangerous weapon was ultimately a win-win situation for them, all thanks to Lily Evans.
Perhaps Snape really was an evil Dark wizard, a feeling they all shared ever since both James and Sirius had set their eyes on him during their first trip to Hogwarts.
Remus had assumed they would just give Snape a lesson for humiliating them, that the stand-in Prefect's actions had caused his parents to be ashamed of him. The Hufflepuffs were nice alright, and they were very sympathetic of his infliction, but he wasn't familiar with them. As for the spell, he had an inkling it was created as self-defense, especially after the awful 'prank' Sirius had set up for the boy last year.
Meanwhile, Peter was already reconsidering his choice of friends. Just how strong Snape was, that he could break out from the three Body-Bind Jinxes? And the shockwave he felt had brought dreadful shivers out of him. He had a feeling that the Slytherin boy was more powerful than he looked.
They ultimately decided to watch from afar for any signs of Snape plotting his revenge. Even the slightest sight of the letter 'S' in the Marauders' Map had sent them running to the opposite direction, not daring to cross path with him.
But Snape didn't make his move. Indeed, for all the time they scanned the Map, Snape had only been in his classes, one of the Potions classrooms, the library and the Slytherin dungeons. During meal times, the boy was busy into reading any of the Potions, Ancient Runes and Defense against the Dark Arts books.
They gave him a week to retaliate, yet Snape never did anything. Perhaps he hadn't cared for the raven at all? Slytherins do make up being good actors after all.
No matter, when he ever made the first move, they would be ready for him.
Lily Evans was feeling guilty of many things.
When Severus Snape called her 'Mudblood', she refused his apology but then she regretted it; knowing well he hadn't meant what he said. She was ashamed that she hadn't dragged him away from James Potter and his friends on that day.
She also wanted to tell him she was sorry for not returning his book as soon as they finished the Potions O.W.Ls though that was simply because she was curious of his ever brilliant mind. He had always been the better one between both of them after all. True, she had invited Remus and Peter to read the book along but she certainly hadn't expected James and Sirius were sneaking around too.
And so, during summer, she made numerous attempts to reconcile with him yet her arrival was always rejected by Eileen Snape, who glared at her with the same intensity her son gave. His father, Tobias often sniffed at her appearance, telling her to get off their lawn or else. Whenever she actually met Severus, his scathing remarks that usually were directed to anyone else, had hurt her heart.
By the time she entered Hogwarts for her sixth year, she nearly lost hope, especially after he humiliated her in front of the other Gryffindors, including the first-years.
She never thought what her ex-best friend had told her about the Marauders, which she initially dismissed as pure assumptions was actually the truth. The fact that he could get so many supports from all the first-years and the Prefects from the three Houses had definitely astounded her. And he was really happy with his achievements, already seeming to forget their friendship for the last seven years.
"EVANS!" she heard someone call her name and only had the time to turn around before she found herself at the tip of Severus Snape's wand.
She had never felt so afraid of her childhood friend up until now.
His onyx eyes were staring at her in utmost loath and his voice was just the same as he whispered at her ear, "Give me one reason on why I shouldn't kill you right now."
Lily's eyes widened in utmost horror; did he really say that? Just what was going on, that warranted his pursue on her? From the corner of her eyes, she could see a crowd had gathered around her and Severus.
"You let them read my book," Severus continued in his ever soft voice that was so quiet she doubted anyone could hear him, "you let them humiliate me despite already knowing the counter-spell, and thanks to your blunder my bird's dead. Do tell, Evans; how does it feel to be a murderer?"
She looked at him in aghast and wanted to cry at that exact moment. "Please…" she begged, "I- I didn't mean it-"
"Don't bother. Your words mean nothing."
Lily could feel her heart shatter upon hearing the statement.
"If I ever see you again, I swear you will regret it." With that, the crowd parted to let Severus pass and left her with a billowing of his school robes.
How could things go wrong so badly?
Severus had never felt so much peace right now.
He was in the Prince Manor's Potions laboratory as part of his new schedule, contently stirring the liquid of his current project. His blackthorn wand was next to the cauldron, and was now his most trustworthy wand due to it had alerted him of checking Rogue's memory. Not that he would abandon his other wands; it was just that he felt much closer to it than before.
The potion he brewed was clear as water, yet was actually filled with so many ingredients that had to do with memories and mind power. He grinded some asphodel roots into a fine powder before tipping it into the cauldron, which then briefly emitted a blue glow.
While waiting for the liquid to simmer, Severus took out a black feather from his pocket and stared at it longingly. The feather was quite short, merely about the length of his hand and the soft barbs comforted him as he ran his fingers along its vane.
Sighing, he put it down and looked at another of his estranged wand. He knew very well that he was now suited for it and was sad to let it go, but insisted that it would have a better user than him.
He dropped the yew wand into the simmering potion which changed it into snow white.
Severus then used the blackthorn wand to pull out some of his memories and put them into the potion as well before frowning and stared down at his heart. Would his emotions add more potency to his brew? It certainly would worth a try. He took a breath before twisting the wand on his heart and poured his feelings into it.
Slowly, a bright strand of red and grey emerged from his chest and he dropped it into the liquid. He stirred it for seven times before finally turning the fire off.
Taking a small brush, he then dipped it into the white potion before coating the feather liberally with the liquid on both sides from the tip to the quill. By the time he was almost finished, he wondered if it would have an effect on him too.
He silently conjured a goblet and tipped the rest of the liquid into it, swirling the cup lightly. He had a feeling it would not go wrong despite it was only his first time making the potion.
With a weak smile, Severus drank it.
And everything went black.
Regulus Black didn't know what to think of Severus Snape at the moment.
Right now the older boy was deep into reading his Ancient Runes notes, but there was something… off about him. Regulus' first thought was that he began experimenting with the Dark Arts again and he of all people should have detected it right away. The Blacks were famous at it after all.
And yet, what he currently could feel was a nice sense of warmth, as if Snape had exuded a feeling of joy around him. Oh, they all had known the news of Rogue's murder but that still didn't explain why the stand-in Prefect was smiling rather wistfully.
"You alright there, Snape?" Alaric Mulciber spoke with a worried frown. He was among the raven-haired boy's closest friends along with Evan Rosier.
"…Huh?" Snape finally turned to them with glazed eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Just… a bit tired, that's all." He yawned to punctuate what he meant.
Michael Avery furrowed his brows in suspicion, "Your voice sounded… hoarse."
"Must be a crack of puberty," Snape simply said and they all snickered. They always liked his rather sarcastic remarks when it wasn't aimed at them.
William Wilkes grinned as he munched on his breakfast. "So, you're still staying at Hogwarts on Christmas, Snape?"
The boy merely blinked at the question. "Oh no, I think I'd like to see my mother on the holidays for once," he said with a smile, "besides I got something important to do."
When they got up for their class after breakfast, Regulus accidentally brushed his hand against Snape's and he quickly withdrew it in surprise, which of course caught Snape's curiosity.
"…Is something wrong, Regulus?" he asked.
The Black heir gulped. "Oh, er… it's nothing… just that your hand was cold."
Snape furrowed his brows. "It's winter, what do you expect?"
Regulus could only nod before he watched Snape leave with Rosier and Mulciber, wondering if it was just his imagination. But he couldn't be wrong, what he had felt just then was so terrible. As if he had touched something that was frozen for so long.
Like a dead body.