Fragmented fate

Chapter 12

In previous chapter: Harry had found the horcrux but Snape interrupted him before he could do anything.

'Did you love Lily Potter?'

He had started visibly on hearing the question... obviously not expecting it. His face pale was looking nearly white.

There was no doubt that the man before him was trying his best not to answer his question but nevertheless the serum forced him.

"Yes"

"Do you still love her?", Harry prompted softly.

"Yes...", he confessed with closed eyes.

Harry stared at the hunched figure before him. It was wrong of him to pry on this personal touchy subject but it was the only way.

"Professor, I am Harry Potter.", he whispered, "But not from this world."

Snape was looking at him like he was mad.

'Maybe I am... or becoming one', he thought morosely.

Harry knew he needed to prove his claim hence he held the man's gaze and invited him to see some of his memories from the other world. When their connection broke Snape was thunderstruck.

"You.. you are... Those memories are genuine! ", Snape stammered uncharacteristically and trailed off with disbelief, "... But how?!"

Harry could understand his shock... Well... the man did just see himself die among other tragic things in Harry's memories.

"I don't know why or how this happened. Everything is different in this world. As you just saw...Tom Riddle was the Dark lord in my world. I have a proof that it is same here. Maybe Dark lord is not as dead as you are thinking."

Snape just stared at him silently. Whether he agreed with him or not was not clear.

" That's why I need the information. I need to know everything about this alternate timeline. " Harry continued.

"Tom Riddle can't be Dark lord.", Snape mumbled to himself. He shook his head slowly in doubt and continued, " But Dumbledore did ask me to spy on him."

"Did he?", Harry asked in wonder. Maybe there was not blind trust between them as he assumed earlier.

"But there was not a single evidence! All those years I have been working with Riddle... Not a single thing to suspect anything. No. I don't... "

"You could not possibly want Lily's murderer to get away just because there is no proof.", Harry cut him hastily.

Snape glared and said emphatically, " Dark lord is dead, Potter."

"Still you need to help me, will you?"

They stared at each other. Harry silently pleading him to believe. There was only a little info he could get out of unwilling man in such a short time. Veritaserum does have its limitations. Both of them were aware of this little fact.

Finally Snape spoke with tired sigh, "I don't know what is exactly happening here but I will help you."

"So tell me about this spying thing. You were follower of Dark lord, right?"

"Yes. When Albus gave me his protection he laid that spying condition. I had warned him about the attack on the Longbottom family."

"Please tell me from the beginning so that I can understand all events that laid to the end of war."

Snape remained silent for few moments, gathering his thoughts and then told him everything that had happened. Harry asked questions in between to clarify.

Harry got to know that everything was almost same to his own timeline. There was indeed childhood friendship between Snape and lily. He told him about how they had drifted apart and how he became a follower of Dark lord in search of knowledge and power. Dark lord had kept the identity of his followers secret by a complex secrecy spell. They had given code names.

'He had definitely well planned everything.', Harry mused upon hearing the lengths at which Riddle had gone to create his dark lord persona.

Snape's narrative had filled many gaps and provided new insights. As Harry was thinking about all those things when one idea struck him like obvious solution.

"Professor, I think I know how he used to hide the mark."

"Dark always used non verbal spell, Potter.", Snape reminded him.

"Yes.. please, I have to try something." Harry gestured to the man's hand.

Snape reluctantly pulled back his sleeve, a discomfort rolled over his body even though the hand he was showing was looking perfectly unblemished.

'Revelio', Harry used parseltounge.

And there it was!... The dark mark! Harry was delighted.

Severus Snape shuddered violently besides him. His face showing disbelief and body recoiling with disgust and fear.

"This is the another proof against Riddle.", Harry declared grimly.

Snape didn't argue with him this time.

There was indeed a prophecy here which had been heard and delivered to Dark lord by Snape.

'So many similarities yet everything is different... What was that thing which diverged these two worlds. " he pondered.

"...my work. Riddle was taking the interview."

"Sorry", Harry spoke loudly, thinking he had misheard the statement.

"Tom Riddle was taking her interview.", Snape repeated impatiently.

"Potter, what's wrong?"

'He knew! He had known the whole prophecy! and if the order had got warning... means he had informed it to Dumbledore too. Did he deliberately misinform... No Snape was witnesses. He did hear whole thing this time. Dumbledore... '

"Potter, are you even listening to me?!", Snape's harsh voice brought his whirling thoughts to present.

"Sorry,... I got distracted. Ah.. Please continue.", he spoke sheepishly.

" I very much doubt your other story of you being an Auror, seeing how you are behaving, Mr. Potter", Snape sneered at him.

"It is certainly a lot to take in. I was thinking.", Harry defended half heartily.

'If only you knew how many others would have agreed with you ', Harry thought cynically. His selection as an Auror without passing his NEWT had been a sore point to some of his seniors and fellow trainees.

'Maybe that's why I did die on the first day of..', Harry suppressed the thought ruthlessly. Now was not the time to become nostalgic.

Snape just sighed at his reply and continued his tell.

Apparently that was the time when the attacks on the Potter family had started. Even though it looked like James Potter got killed on the field. He was a specific target given to kill at sight.

Snape didn't know the reasons behind attacks. As far as prophecy went, the Longbottam family was the only one in Dark Lord's mind.

Snape had feared for Lily's life and requested the lord to spare her life. His request had got rejected on the spot.

But then Lily went into hiding and Snape had hoped she would survive.

His hope didn't last long. Dark lord killed her and Snape became devastated. He switched the side and informed Dumbledore about Dark lord's plan to attack on the Longbottom family.

Snape was then given a role of spy.

When Harry asked about Sirius and Pettigrew, Snape had very basic information. But Remus Lupin was different thing. His name generated hatred.

"I bet he is the one who would have given information on Lily's whereabouts to Dark lord. Bloody werewolf!", he spat angrily.

'Why do you think that?', Harry wanted to ask but instead he asked, "Do you still think that Dark lord was creature?"

"I don't know. He was a hideous, inhuman but a powerful being... Enigmatic and dangerous..." Snape answered with faraway look, " a genius... No one knows what he was. Even if we agree that Tom is behind this, it is impossible that he and that mysterious being were actually a same person."

Harry opened his mouth to say H word and closed it promptly.

'No need to spill all the secrets.'

"OK. Yes. It seems impossible.", Harry agreed just to close the topic. "What was happened with the Longbottom family?"

"They were fools! Stupid enough to trust the incompetent Aurors and their wards. They gravely underestimated his powers despite my warning." There was a strange gleam in his eyes when he said that.

'It is a reverence', Harry thought nauseatingly.

There was a difference between this Snape and the man who had died for love in his world. This man had never endured agony and self hatred as it had been by his counterpart.

'You are lucky in that aspect ', Harry wanted to say, remembering the dying man's face staring into his own eyes.

Bellatrix had accompanied Dark lord that day. She killed the Aurors while he attacked the family. Aurors had managed to arrest injured Bellatrix that day. She got Dementer's kiss because public outrage was so strong that there was no other punishment which would have satisfied them.

Harry thought it was more to do with destroying the evidence than anything else. Tom with his connection would have managed it easily.

"So what are you doing in Tom Riddle's room?"

"Gathering the evidence." Harry's answer was brief.

There was a silence as both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

"I think you know what I have to do.", Harry spoke after deliberation.

Snape's eyes widened and after a moment nodded in resignation.

"Obliviate"

Severus Snape had forgotten this incident permanently.

On that same night something else had happened. Someone had the same plan as Harry but unlike him, this fellow didn't encounter any trouble doing his work.

He had accomplished his mission successfully. Today was perfect day to start his plan when both Tom and Dumbledore were absent from the castle.

It was almost absurdly simple.

"You have lost your touch Tom."

He laughed loudly, imagining Tom's reaction when he would see his welcome gift.

R & R