Summary: Taking place five years after the final battle of Hogwarts. Harry Potter has fallen, and Lord Voldemort has become the one true leader within the Wizarding World. He is now focusing on dominating the Muggle World. With Harry dead, Severus Snape has become a shell of his former self. Still with the Death Eaters, Snape is considered only second to Voldemort himself. With Snape at his most dire straits, he is given a sliver of hope of having a happy ending after all; his beloved Lily Evans has returned to him, but in a very unexpected way. This story is told from the point of view of Severus Snape.

Author's Note: This is an alternative narrative to the Harry Potter series, which obviously (said in Snape's voice) means that some facts, storylines and even characters will be changed. This story is meant only for entertainment purposes. I do not own any of the original characters created by J.K. Rowling, only my own character, Rose Avery.

Prologue

May 2, 1998

Standing in the Forbidden Forest, I can't help but feel admiration for the young man before me. I suppose after all these years, I did form some sort of caring feelings towards him. To muster the courage to face Lord Voldemort, alone, knowing that you most certainly will die, was astonishing to see. I was, dare I say, proud of Harry Potter?

I see the young man's eyes flicker to me, filled with hatred. Those eyes that would haunt me until my own dying day. Pity Potter would never know all that I have done for him, nor will he ever know that his mother was the only person I ever loved in my miserable existence. I missed Lily Evans every exhaustingly long day and agonizingly lonely night. If Potter did somehow defeat Voldemort, I would make it a point to sit down with the boy one day and explain everything.

As this thought formulated, providing me with some sort of comfort, I hear Voldemort yell out, "Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green lit up the forest and was quickly extinguished. There on the forest ground lay the body that used to house the life, spirit, intelligence, and love of Harry James Potter. Also on the ground lay what used to be Tom Marvolo Riddle. Could it be Harry had once again foiled Voldemort's killing curse?

"My Lord!" cried out Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort's loyal and most maniacal followers. I watch her as she scrambles over to check on her beloved master. My breath catches in my throat. I know what I want to think; let him be dead. I don't dare allow the words to fully articulate in my brain. If he is still alive, I do not want to risk Voldemort reading my thoughts and ruining everything that I had worked almost twenty years for.

With a sinking heart, I watch as Lord Voldemort sits up and pushes Bellatrix away. I can see the hurt on her face of his latest rejection, but she quickly recovers. I turn towards Potter and start to walk over to him. If he is somehow still alive, I will lie and tell everyone he is dead. I've been practicing my silent protection spells for such a time like this. If I know anyone, I know the Dark Lord. He will want to ensure his teenage nemesis is most certainly dead and he will perform the Cruciatus Curse on him. I will have to protect him against it, helping Potter keep up the death charade. Voldemort can't afford to take any chances now that all his Horcruxes have been destroyed. The boy must be dead.

Before I even kneel down to him, I know the Dark Lord need not worry about Potter anymore. The boy who lived is now the boy who died. Harry's face was set, like he was made of stone. No pigmentation on his skin, just a lifeless white sheet. His eyes were open and set wide. Looking into those eyes, that is when I almost break character and the need to weep is incredible. Flashes of my own beloved fill my mind. Lily, dead on the floor. Me picking her up and holding her in my arms one last time while her toddler son wails in the background. I would imagine both mine and Harry's hearts broke that day. Today, mine breaks all over again. Although I feel like I can no longer tolerate this pain, I can't tear my eyes away from Harry's eyes. I will never again see Lily; this is a certainty now. Harry's death has taken everything from me. Not only that, guilt and shame flood my body. I swore to myself, to Albus Dumbledore and of course to Lily's spirit that I would protect her son no matter what. Now here I am, on my knees in front of his fallen body. I have failed in every conceivable way possible.

"Well?" I hear Voldemort ask.

I stand up and say, "He is gone."

The immediate uproar is deafening, and I swear the trees in the forest will falter. I look around at my supposed family, the Death Eaters, and they are elated. Cheering for the death of a 17-year-old seems vile, but these are the people I aligned myself with and now it appears that I am trapped with them. The only person showing remorse is the gentle giant, Rubeus Hagrid. He lets out a gut-wrenching howl that somehow gets lots in the sea of exhilaration.

I feel a whiff of air pass along my thigh and sure enough, Voldemort is performing the torturous curse on Potter. I look down at his sad looking body as the force of the curse is moving him, jerking him violently, but Potter does not respond to the pain. Seemingly not satisfied, Voldemort hits him again. I can't take it anymore and turn my head away when he hits him with a third curse. I know when Voldemort is happy because he finally lets out a blood curdling laugh, victory clearly reflected in his tone. It sends shivers down my spine, but outwardly I do not react. I am trained to show no emotion.

Without another word, Voldemort walks passed me, and his demented family start a line behind him, following.

I look down at Harry and mouth the only words I can think of to say to the boy that I hated for so long, but somehow found a caring heart for, "I'm sorry."

I must have truly been lost in my thoughts because I did not sense it all when Hagrid came over to me and punched me in the mouth. I fall to the ground hard and cry out in pain and shock. I honestly believe he has broken my jaw. In one swoop motion, the giant wipes his eyes and picks Harry up.

I'm not sure if Hagrid is speaking to me or only to himself, but he says, "I carried him away when his parents died. My most cherished memory and most important thing I've ever done in my life. I'll carry him back now to join his parents."

This time I cannot control it. The anguish I feel is tormenting me. The tears flow out of my eyes and down my cheeks. Luckily for me, the Death Eaters are almost out of the forest and Hagrid doesn't bother to look my way.