Severus stood on the platform at King's Cross waiting to get on the Hogwarts Express. He knew he had to keep his wits about him in order to continue his deception of the wider community at Hogwarts. By the end of last year, the other Slytherins were completely certain they knew his loyalties and had stopped caring about his oddities. They certainly thought he had made the best choice in no longer being friends with Lily. The fact that he had called her a Mudblood made it all the easier to convince them. Severus didn't have to read minds to know this; they were very blatant about saying what they thought in the common room.

He shook his head, he needed to think ahead to his next move, not revisit those that had already happened. Sadly, both power players in the wizarding world had a serious streak of self-righteous insanity. Dumbledore might call himself of the "light" but he was very flawed. Anything or anyone that didn't fit into his scheme for the "greater good" was ignored or discarded. Severus had been placed into his sights by the Marauders, but really, he could never redeem himself in the man's eyes.

Considering his last five years, he figured that the Marauders would give him something on the old man, because although the headmaster liked to ignore the fact, once a person passed at least two OWLs they were considered to be accountable for their actions. Many of the sixth years would not be seventeen until much later in the year, but if anyone pressed it, they could be charged for their actions. Maybe not in court, but by the families, by the old rules. Dumbledore did what he could to protect the purebloods, because he felt that the Muggleborn were too ignorant of tradition to know what to do if they were challenged or charged.

Severus shook his head. The old man could easily fix that by providing culture or law or even an adequate history class. He must like being the benevolent despot. He shrugged. There was nothing he could do on a greater scheme. Not at his age. But he could amass information.

He stepped onto the train as soon as he could, walking past Lily with his nose in the air. She reached out to him as he went by, and he jerked his arm away, just as they had planned, dropping a new notebook on the ground so they could communicate. They had stayed in touch a bit over the summer, nothing like their old friendship, but more calculation and planning. After much thought, he had decided that what no one in the magical world knew couldn't hurt him. Voldemort and his pureblood maniacs had no idea how a telephone worked. Or the Royal Mail for that matter.

Remus Lupin leaned down and picked up the notebook and other books that Lily had dropped in her reaction to Severus's snub. He handed them back to Lily, although his nostrils flared when he smelled the notebook. "Lils, I don't th––"

"Shhh," she commanded. "I know. But it's mine, OK? I'm not a good planner. He is."

Remus couldn't hide the hurt in his eyes. He knew Lily could be calculating, but he never realized how much until he had been thrown over for James. "I hope you know what you are doing, Lils. He's not a good person."

Lily just looked at him, the disdain in her green eyes confusing him. "You and James and Sirius, you all think you know good from evil. I don't think you do. But I will deal with whatever I have to so I can have a good life, Remus. Even the three of you."

"Four, Lils. Don't forget Peter," Remus scolded.

"Bah, that little hanger-on? He's not worth remembering," she said, walking off with her nose in the air.

Remus turned to the blonde boy who had come up behind Lily. "She didn't mean it, Pete, really."

"She didn't say anything wrong, Remus. I'm not really worth remembering," Peter said sadly.

Severus smiled to himself from his hiding place. Anything that upset the Marauders was good in his book. He might be working for the good of the wizarding world, but he was still sixteen. He had written Caterina to inform her that he was planning to stay in touch with Lily, but on his own terms. She had agreed that anything that would help him keep his life in balance was good. The letter had pleased him so much that he had called Lily the very afternoon he received it. The year is off to a good start. I do have to start planning what to do to discredit Dumbledore. Well, I know there is no way to discredit him. But I do want to have something on him.

In her compartment, Lily opened the notebook up and wrote quickly. "Sev, somehow Remus noticed our exchange. But he won't say anything, I promise."

Shortly afterward, she received her reply. "That is interesting. Do you know how? Did he cast a spell?"

Lily thought for a bit. "No, Sev. It was more like he sniffed the air." She figured that would be enough of a clue. She knew Remus was a werewolf, he wouldn't sleep with her without telling her, but Severus didn't.

Sniffed the air? Severus sat to think about the tidbit of information Lily gave him. Dumbledore wouldn't, would he?

He pulled out his book on magical creatures, cracked it open to a chapter near the middle and began to read.

"Oh, bugger me sideways. There is no way the old man is that insane, is there?"

"What did you say, Sev?'

"Nothing, Reg. I just started reading ahead in my Defense text. It seems a bit weak, you know?" Severus answered, thinking quickly.

"All right. I just thought you might be referring to Dumbledore. Because if there is any old man that is insane, it is that one. He thinks he can court Sirius. He's lucky my parents are angry at my brother, or he'd be in court faster than he could draw that wand of his," Reg said.

Severus cocked his head, thoughts swirling. "What do you mean, Reg? Why court?"

"You can't undermine a family's path for their heir. What Dumbledore is doing is illegal and immoral. My parents may be darker than he likes, but neither one is anybody's lapdog," he replied.

"What do they think of the Dark Lord?" Severus asked in response.

"They were fine with his rhetoric, but they were very upset at the Mark. They won't tell me why, though," Reg replied.

Severus nodded, and both boys lapsed into a quiet study of their books for the remainder of the ride into Hogwarts.

Most of the year passed with nothing memorable occurring. There were the regular hallway duels, but with the notebooks, Severus was well-prepared for most of them. He knew enough not to give Lily away by winning each and every one of them, numbers against him or not, but he was satisfied by the amount of practice with defense he got against the Marauders.

Severus quietly polled the purebloods in Slytherin and Ravenclaw that he spoke to regularly, and supplemented his information with study in the library. He found that Regulus spoke true: Dumbledore was skirting the laws with his influence over the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff heirs. He sent the information on to Master Fabrizie, along with a list of names of the heirs being unduly influenced by the powerful old man.

Good work, Severus. You certainly have done your homework. This is good basic work. We do need something more concrete, but you have done well, my apprentice. Keep it up. ––F.

He was pleased by the response, but agreed with the note that he had to find something more concrete.

Severus was in the library when the notebook glowed. He opened it, quickly reading Lily's note.

"Sev, Sirius and Peter are planning something for you. You might want to walk to the Great Hall now, they are near the suits of armor. Remember, tonight is the full moon. Hugs, Lily."

He nodded. He had tracked Lupin's "illnesses" and realized they coincided with the full moons pretty quickly. It also explained Lily's 'real human' comment two years ago. Severus originally thought she meant someone with honest feelings, since Lupin always seemed so muted. He shook his head to rid himself of the wayward thought. He documented everything and got it ready to send to his master. He just needed something else to prove his case.

Severus made himself walk heavily, muttering to himself about getting back at the Marauders, making enough noise for Sirius and Peter to clumsily hide themselves in an alcove as he walked by, letting him slip behind one of the suits of armor, jostling one of them.

"We'll all meet at the Shrieking Shack at sundown. No one will notice us, and Remus can get out through the tunnel," said Sirius.

"Don't forget to push the knot at the base of the Whomping Willow," replied Peter.

"Shhh, you don't want anyone else to hear our secrets, Wormy." Sirius walked out of the alcove nonchalantly, twirling a quill in his fingers.

Peter scurried after his friend, pleased with his part in the prank.

"Lily, please be certain to send Potter out as soon as you can get away with it. I know I can't be hurt, but I would rather not give away any secrets. Sev."

Lily read her notebook and nodded. She was happy that James had not been involved in the original plot, because she agreed with Severus that it wasn't a prank, it was attempted murder.

She got her chance shortly after dinner, while she was sitting in front of the fire in the common room doing her homework. Sirius and Peter walked in, talking and laughing loudly.

"Oh, I can't wait to see ol' Snivvy's face when he sees Moony!" Sirius laughed while he was talking.

"What did you do, Siri?" asked James.

"Nothing much," said Peter, snickering. "We just sent Snivellus out to meet Moony."

Lily rose from her seat and walked over to the boys, grabbing James by the arm. "Are you insane?" Her voice rose sharply. "He will die! He's a person, a student! If you don't care about him, what do you think will happen to Remy if he's found to have killed someone?"

James looked at her, horrified. Then he bolted out of the common room.

"Why'd you do that, Lils? You are ruining our fun!" Sirius whined.

"Murder isn't fun, Sirius. You are no better than the rest of your family if you think that!" Lily hissed at him.

"Moony wouldn't hurt anyone," said Peter.

"Remus wouldn't hurt anyone, you idiots. Moony doesn't think like Remus!" Lily's nose went in the air and she flounced up the stairs to her room.

Severus was hoping Lily had managed to send Potter out to help him before he had to change into his animagus form. It was supposed to be a secret, but he certainly would not allow the were to kill him. Just as he was about to change, he heard a voice.

"Snape, come back! You don't want to go there!"

"Why, Potter, you don't want me to learn your secrets?" Severus was far more relaxed now that one of the idiots was out there to rescue him.

"Snape, please come back!" Potter sounded frantic.

The door behind Severus started to splinter. Just as it broke, Potter changed into a large stag and caught the werewolf in its antlers.

Severus ran back toward the castle, just as Dumbledore and McGonagall came out to repair the door and put Remus back into his cell for the night.

Later in Dumbledore's office, Severus wasn't the least bit surprised that he was asked to keep quiet for Remus's sake, his safety and security not taken into account at all.

Fabrizie was not happy at all, not because of Remus (if the boy was able to be kept away from the others safely, it didn't bother him), but because of Dumbledore's duplicity.

The parents and other students should have been aware, and Sirius tried for attempted murder.

But Severus had done his job, and done it well. Fabrizie told him that he would be trained over parts of next year, so that his cover could be kept with as little blood shed as possible. Severus was young enough to find the whole thing exciting.