Author's Note: Sorry that it has been a long time that I've updated this. I was busy with real life and my other fics.

The months passed. I continued my work as a spy in the Death Eaters, brewing potions for the Dark Lord, taking part in two missions, and passing on what information I could gather to either Tobias or Maria, who then passed it on to the rest of the Order of the Phoenix. My name was never mentioned at all, not even to Professor Dumbledore, since Maria had a vision of the Dark Lord assigning someone to spy on the Order for him. As the vision had only shown someone in a mask, she had no idea who the spy in the Order could be, and to be on the safe side decided to keep my name out of it.

The two missions I had to take part in turned out to not be as awful as it could been, for Mr. Petrov had taught me some strong illusion and protection spells that only the Roma knew. I silently cast them on the ones I had to target, and the end result was that they looked battered and close to death when in reality they were in perfect health, just Stunned. After everyone had left, Maria and Tobias took over and with Professor Dumbledore, arranged for those people to flee the country or go into hiding.

One day in January, Maria informed me that Lily Evans and James Potter, who had joined the Order shortly after graduation, were engaged and would be married in a couple of months. "I'm really sorry about this, Severus." She patted me on the shoulder and added, "If Tobias had fallen in love with someone else and married them, I would probably feel the exact way you are feeling now. And I would hope that I had the strength to want my beloved to be happy and let him go."

Once in my bedroom, I conjured up some items and smashed them into pieces before Vanishing the mess and collapsed on my bed, crying. I knew that I had lost Lily when I called her a 'Mudblood' one day in anger and she had refused to forgive me, but knowing that she was to marry my school rival and enemy James Potter removed any chance I had of winning her back.

Tobias knocked on my door an hour later, and came in. "Severus, I know the news about Lily and James is upsetting, but you would have found out regardless and Maria felt it was best if someone who cares for you was the one who told you." I didn't say anything and he continued, "The best thing you can do is wish Lily well and let her be happy. It will be difficult, I'm sure, but removing James from the equation won't make her return to you."

"You're right, Toby," I admitted, though my heart was breaking.

He patted me on my arm and said, "As you know, Maria is going to have our first child in four months. Would you like to be godfather?"

I shook my head emphatically. "It's enough that I'm Ivan's godfather. I don't think I have it in me to be godfather to another child, especially since Maria and Mrs. Petrov have Seen that it will be a girl. I'm not really good with kids, but I can at least relate somewhat to a boy."

"All right then," said Tobias. "I guess I'll ask Ana and Stephan to be godparents, or my friend Daniel and Maria's friend Hestia."

On May 21st, Tobias and Maria had their daughter, whom they named Cara Jessamyn. Ana and Stephan were named as godparents. When Maria's maternity leave ended, she hired a young woman named Fiona McGilray, who happened to be a Squib and was of mixed Scottish and Irish descent, to be a nanny and future tutor for Cara.

In the first week of February of the following year, the Dark Lord summoned me for a special mission. "I would like you, Severus, to apply for a teaching position at Hogwarts. The Defense Against Dark Arts position is open, and there have been rumors that Slughorn is planning on retiring soon, so the Potions position will soon be available as well."

"As you wish, my Lord," I said, bowing deeply, hiding my confusion at this order.

"If you should secure a teaching position, then you will be in a position to spy on the old fool Dumbledore and gather information for me," the Dark Lord continued. "What is most important however, is that you set up an appointment for the interview at the Hog's Head, on February 10th. I have heard that Dumbledore is going to interview a woman named Sibyll Trelawney for the open Divination post on that date. The woman is the great-great-granddaughter of the Seer Cassandra Trelawney, and is said to have inherited the Sight as well. You will listen in on her interview to see if that is the case, and report to me exactly what happens."

"I will do as you require, my Lord," I replied, bowing again and kissing the hem of his robes. He dismissed me and I quickly Apparated to Diagon Alley. Once at Petrov's Potions, I sent a letter to Professor Dumbledore, explaining that I would like to apply for a teaching post at Hogwarts and if we could discuss this on February 10th. To keep Dumbledore from wondering why I chose that specific date, I added that Sunday was my day off at the potions shop.

At dinnertime, I explained what the Dark Lord had wanted of me. "I didn't realize that Voldemort would take much stock in prophecies and such," said Mrs. Petrov. "Maybe you should tell him the prophecy that Ana made, that someone will cause his downfall, but years later, he will return to power, and the person that defeated him the first time will have the potential to defeat him once and for all. On second thought, you shouldn't, since Voldemort isn't going to like the idea of his defeat and is the type to shoot the messenger. And once he was done punishing you, he'd go after Ana."

I couldn't help but shudder a little at the idea. Stephan, however, said, "I don't think Professor Dumbledore will be greatly impressed by Sibyll Trelawney, nor will Voldemort get anything of use from her. She was in Ravenclaw with me, but five years above me. She made much of her famous great-great-grandmother and liked to predict doom and gloom of almost everyone that crossed her path."

"From what I saw of her," Maria added, "she seemed to have a small amount of the Sight, but most of the time she was just a fraud. Unless her shred of talent somehow manifests during her interview with Dumbledore, I doubt she'll get the position."

"And as I gather she can't just summon her Sight on command, it's most likely not going to happen," said Stephan. "Your report to Voldemort will no doubt say that the reports of Sibyll Trelawney inheriting her great-grandmother's Gifts were greatly exaggerated and Professor Dumbledore was not interested in hiring her."

I nodded in agreement. "The Dark Lord probably won't like that, but there's nothing I can do about it."

The following day, I received a reply from Professor Dumbledore, who agreed to meet me on the evening of February 10th for an interview regarding a teaching position at Hogwarts. On Sunday afternoon, which was rather cold and wet, I Apparated to Hogsmeade and booked a room at the Hog's Head. Following that, I browsed through the shops, looking for a present to give to Mrs. Petrov for her upcoming birthday, plus a present for my godson, and keeping an eye out for Professor Dumbledore. I had bought a box of chocolates that Mrs. Petrov liked from Honeydukes, a crystal potions stirrer, and a stationery set, plus a stuffed dragon for Ivan, and was heading back to my room at the Hog's Head when I saw Professor Dumbledore walking up the street.

"Severus Snape!" he exclaimed once he was close enough to speak to me without shouting. "I see that you decided to do some shopping before our interview."

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," I said respectfully. "Yes, I figured since I was in Hogsmeade, I might as well get some gifts for my current employer, Mrs. Petrov. Her birthday is coming up."

"That's wonderful. Anyway, I am interviewing someone else today as well, for the open Divination post. I was planning to conduct hers first, and then move on to yours. Is that fine with you, Mr. Snape?"

"It is," I replied. The two of us walked to the Hog's Head together. The bartender, who was apparently Professor Dumbledore's brother (for they greeted each other as 'Aberforth' and 'Albus'), told him where Sibyll Trelawney's room was. I listened closely and after dropping off my packages in my room, made my way to Ms. Trelawney's room to listen in on the interview as ordered. There was no charms on the door or room to repel eavesdroppers, and neither Professor Dumbledore or Ms. Trelawney bothered to keep their voices low, so it was quite easy for me to hear everything.

As Stephan had said was going to happen, Sibyll Trelawney showed no sign of having inherited her ancestor's Gifts. She certainly put on a good act, but I could see that it was an act, and so did Professor Dumbledore, for he kindly and politely told her that she wasn't suited for the post of Divination teacher. I then heard him get up, apparently to leave, and I hastily made to leave as well. Before I could do more than take a step away, I heard a harsh, hoarse voice, similar to the voice that I had once heard from Ana three months ago, when she made a prophecy about unrest between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. I immediately stopped and pressed my ear back against the door.

"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES...BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES...AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT...AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES...THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN -"

At that point, someone grabbed me and snapped, "What do you think you're doing?", so I never heard the rest of the sentence, though I assumed it was just Sibyll Trelawney repeating what she said earlier about the person being 'born as the seventh month dies'. I turned my head to see the bartender, Aberforth, glaring angrily at me. He flung open the door and Professor Dumbledore turned to survey the scene. Behind him was Professor Trelawney, no longer under the trance of prophecy.

I stammered something about having come the wrong way up the stairs, but apparently none of them believe this.

"Albus, this young man was listening in on your interview," the bartender said angrily. "Shall I eject him?"

"No, I need to speak to him," Professor Dumbledore said. "I had arranged to interview him today for a teaching post at Hogwarts. Just direct him to his room and I will be with him shortly. Now, Ms. Trelawney, I have changed my mind. I think, after all, that I shall offer you the post of Divination teacher."

The bartender hauled me away, so I never heard what Ms. Trelawney's reply was, though I assumed she accepted. Once I was in my room, I quickly scribbled a note to Professor Dumbledore, saying that I had changed my mind about the teaching post and did not need the interview with him after all. The last thing I needed was for him to question me about what I had been doing. I then gathered up the packages I had bought and Disapparated out of the Hog's Head.

Back at my room in Petrov's Potions, I thought over what to do. It certainly looked like that Sibyll Trelawney wasn't quite the charlatan she appeared to be, and had made a genuine prophecy, one like the one Ana had made about the Dark Lord's downfall, but more specific. Ana's had only said that someone would have the potential to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all, but it didn't have any clues as to who that person would be. Ms. Trelawney's explicitly said that he would be born at the end of July, to parents that had defied the Dark Lord three times, and would be marked as the Dark Lord's equal. I didn't really want to tell the Dark Lord of the prophecy, but if I told him that Ms. Trelawney had come across as a charlatan during the interview, that wouldn't do any good either. He would eventually find out that she had been hired, and then question why that was so when she was a fraud.

Finally I made up my mind that I would only tell the Dark Lord the first part, that a child born at the end of July to parents that had thrice defied him would have the power to defeat him. I would use the excuse of being caught eavesdropping by the bartender to explain why couldn't tell him the rest of the prophecy. He would be angry at that, but hopefully the first part of the prophecy would hold his interest enough that he wouldn't punish me too badly.

I donned my robes and mask of a Death Eater, carefully schooled my expression and thoughts, and Apparated to the Dark Lord's side, for he had wanted me to report as soon as possible. I quickly explained everything that had occurred, and told him the first part of the prophecy. As I expected, he was angry that I had been caught and hadn't heard the complete prophecy. As punishment, I was put under the Cruciatus Curse. Pain coursed through my body and I collapsed to the ground, my limbs thrashing. I bit my lip, hard, to keep from crying out.

When it ended, the Dark Lord snapped, "You can get up, Severus. At least you didn't completely fail me. You still gathered something of use. I shall think over the fragment of prophecy you were able to overhear." He clumsily entered my mind to ascertain that I had told him everything, and I managed to bring up my mind shields and firmly thought of only overhearing the first part of the prophecy before being caught. He withdrew from my mind and dismissed me.

I returned to the potions shop, where Mrs. Petrov took one look at me and immediately sent me to bed, with a tray of supper and some doses of healing potions. When I was done eating, I explained to her everything that happened. I had just finished telling her about the prophecy and how I had only told the Dark Lord the first portion of it when I gasped. "Ana! She's pregnant, and she said that she was due at the end of July or the beginning of August! She, Stephan, and their unborn child will be in danger from the Dark Lord!"

"Calm down, Severus," said Mrs. Petrov. "First of all, neither Ana or Stephan are actively fighting against Voldemort, and they certainly haven't faced him once, much less three times. Also, I used my Sight a few days ago to determine when she'll be due exactly, and she'll be giving birth on August third. Now, those couples in the Order that are due to give birth at the end of July are more likely to be the ones in danger, but as Professor Dumbledore heard the prophecy, he can arrange for their protection. You just get some rest and you can discuss this with Maria and Tobias tomorrow, all right?"

I nodded and after going to the bathroom and brushing my teeth, laid down in bed. Despite my worry, I managed to fall asleep.