Vault 712:
A Harry Potter Treasury
PenPatronus
Chapter / List Four:
Ten Times Snape's Cover was Almost Blown
1) He didn't know that Voldemort was hiding under Quirrell's turban.
Even then, when he thought the Dark Lord was gone, Severus Snape was guarding his thoughts with Occulmancy.
Even then his discipline was perfect.
2) Snape saw so much of his younger self in Draco Malfoy. He was tempted to kidnap the boy and take him away from England, from magic, from Voldemort. He wanted to tell him about the choices that lay ahead. He wanted to tell Draco who he really was, whose side he was really on.
He hoped that Potter would. He hoped that when it was all over and Potter knew the truth, he would tell Draco what kind of man Snape really was.
3) "Severus…please…"
For years he only saw Lily in his dreams, but after that night on the Astronomy Tower, he only saw Dumbledore.
Albus had given him not only a second chance, but a brand new life.
But had Dumbledore damned him as well? Snape had to kill him to keep his cover, to solidify Voldemort's trust. Would he go to Hell?
No. Dumbledore was waiting for Snape when he got to Heaven. He welcomed him like a son:
"I'm so proud of you, Severus."
4) The lapse in concentration lasted mere microseconds.
If Voldemort's focus hadn't been on Dolohov, the daydream in Snape's mind of Lily thanking him for saving her son would've registered like a bomb on the Dark Lord's radar.
Everything would be lost if Voldemort found out about his love for Lily.
5) Severus Snape and Charity Burbage spent many evenings drinking tea, discussing the pros and cons of Cornelius Fudge and making fun of Flitwick's height.
Her pleas reminded him of Dumbledore's. If he saved her, it would almost be like saving Dumbledore…
Snape forced himself to watch Nagini swallow every mouthful.
6) Snape risked exposure, risked all of Albus Dumbledore's careful planning, risked his own life and Harry Potter's when he tried to save Remus Lupin that night over Privet Drive.
Snape saw that a Death Eater on a broom was in Lupin's blind spot. It was Rookwood. He raised his wand and pointed it at Remus. The tip turned green.
Snape reacted instinctively. He intended for his spell to hit Rookwood's wand. It did, but only after nipping one of the Harry Potters who was behind Lupin on the broom. Snape wondered who he had accidentally killed: Nymphadora? Granger, maybe? One of the Weasley's?
That made him remember why he couldn't risk blowing his cover for anyone, even a member of the Order.
He couldn't risk it because the innocent would continue to suffer. Innocents like George.
Innocents like Lily.
7) It took all of his restraint to resist snapping Amycus Carrow's neck when he tortured Neville Longbottom. Carrow's laughter made Severus' stomach squirm and his ears pop.
He didn't particularly like Neville, but the kid didn't deserve that.
When he was out of earshot of Neville's screams, Snape ducked into a lavatory and vomited.
8) Sometimes Snape hated Legilimancy.
The looks Minerva McGonagall gave him were almost as hateful as her thoughts.
Sometimes he would give anything just to have someone know who he really was—like Dumbledore knew.
9) Potter had been in the water for too long.
Snape began to take off his outer robes. It wasn't time for Harry to know that he was the one who put the sword of Gryffindor in the pool, but that wouldn't matter if Potter died.
He was about to run and jump into the water when the Weasley boy sprinted out of the trees.
10) How many times had the Dark Lord had his back to him? How many times could Snape have cursed him when he wasn't looking? But, no, Dumbledore said that Voldemort had to kill Potter. And, unfortunately, Voldemort had to be alive to do that.
Snape was especially tempted when Nagini and the Dark Lord were alone in the Shrieking Shack. All he had to do was raise his wand and it would all be over.
And everyone would know that he was a hero.