A question that was brought out asked why Harry is in second year, and then suddenly in seventh year two chapters ago. The answer is simple, he wasn't. He was upstairs because the seventh years (Oliver and his year) were going wild (and the other years were probably down there encouraging the racket) and he blamed this on Hermione for bringing up the exams and freaking everybody out. I'll soon be going back to fix that so you can read it more easily. I can only do one thing at a time right now though, so I have to update first.

I was trying to slow down the story a little, and keep with the pattern I have going already. It isn't really important to the plot, just a little something to show you how Harry's day was going. The problem I keep having is that when I go back and proofread, the changes sometimes don't stick. Does anyone else have this problem?

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

A Cruel Reunion

By Ancient Midnight

Chapter Six

2011/09/07

Harry watched as his professor cast spells and finally dump his memories into the potion.

"Now, Potter, we will see if the potion works. You are only here because Dumbledore wished it."

Harry was almost sure that the teacher had lost his mind, and still had no idea what he was talking about.

"I am reaching out across time and space; bringing back some specific people from the dead tonight, and you are to be quiet no matter what happens," he spoke slowly and made sure to drawl out how important this was.

Snape dreaded having to continue, to share what had been solely his for the past decade.

A glance at his watch told him that soon he would be joined by the small party that wanted to observe and monitor the process. They wouldn't be alone for very long and there was no way he could avoid telling Potter in private.

"I am bringing back a childhood friend of mine. There is no way to know how they will react to their new environment. Only certain people could be chosen to return, to everyone has the prowess to make the potion that requires them to travel to our end," Snape lied, adding that "Your father certainly didn't."

Snape glanced at the memories swirling around the potion. There was still time to add James to the potion. Severus had deliberately left him out of all the potions. Even the Prewitt brothers had been added (a condition for receiving some of the more precious ingredients).

Snape had honestly thought that it would have cost him more than it did to procure everything he needed.

Harry jumped when someone knocked on the door.

"Professor? We were told you were ready?" That sounded like Mr. Weasley.

"Severus! Open this door, I won't stand out here all night!" Another woman called out.

"Potter!" Snape snarled in his ear, "answer the door already!"

Startled, Harry jumped to his feet and rushed to let the group in. He was about a foot away when the door flew open, nearly whacking him on the shoulder.

Whipping around, Harry got enough time to catch Snape's grin before he turned away to look at his potion. Jerk.

The large group was rather loud, yelling and tripping over themselves. There were a few seventh years that Harry recognized that seemed more mature and composed than the adults they were walking with.

"Mr Potter, did Professor Snape tell you about the potion?" A seventh year prefect asked.

"Yes ma'am, it seems to be very important work," Harry told the Ravenclaw politely.

"Wish me luck?" Lily asked a final time.

Remus nodded to her, "Good luck! And stay safe. Good bye, Lily."

"I'll probably see you in a minute, but just in case, good bye!"

Lily dropped into the potion ready to see her family again. Unfortunately she was not prepared for the heat of the potion, and breathed out all her air.

The entire group held their breath as the potion began to bubble. Harry was watching Snape instead of the cauldron. The man looked more mental than any other time Harry had seen him.

His arms were thrown back, and he was smiling a mile wide in a sick looking way. His back teeth looked black from where Harry was standing. It was a truly frightening look, Harry admitted to himself.

Snape watched the depths of the cauldron, from where he could see it. the glowing ocean blue potion made it impossible to see very far. Snape wondered very briefly if he should have used a bigger cauldron.

He was watching so intently that he was able to instantly notice a shadow at the bottom of the cauldron, just out of his became clearer, and he could see the persons' long dark hair moving as they struggled.

They were supposed to come up on their own; the potion was dangerous to get on your hands. Snape wondered if anyone had ever drowned before coming completely out. Long slender nails broke the surface and grabbed the sides of the cauldron to pull themselves out.

She was magnificent, gasping for air when she came out. She threw herself over the edge of the cauldron, landing on the cushioning charm harshly.

She lay there panting for a minute, then silently cast a drying and cleaning spell on herself. Snape was beside her, helping her up in the same moment.

She let him help her stand, and to lead her out of the room without any fuss.

It was really happening too fast Harry wanted to watch more people come from the potion (Mr. Weasley had told him they were expecting a few others from his family), but he was led out of the room to join Snape and the woman. The door shut behind him, and he was left standing alone in the middle of the Professor's hallway.

He could hear Snape and the women talking in low voices, so he followed the sound. He was walking slowly and still thinking about how cool the potion was.

"Professor?" Both adults turned to look at him. Snape looked like a deer caught in a car's headlights, staring at Harry.

The woman, now that she was dry, looked familiar. She raised an eyebrow at him, and Harry caught sight of her green eyes.

"Who is-She looks like my mom," Harry looked to Professor Snape.

Lily thought she was about to drown, distantly she wondered if anyone else had drowned while traveling through the potion. All she could see around her was the blue potion and the sides of the cauldron she had jumped in.

Reaching up, Lily was finally able to reach the surface. She had planned to come out softly as the potion was dangerous in small quantities, it was even known to maim or kill a witch or wizard.

That didn't happen. Lily crashed up, spraying potion all over and slithered to the floor head first.

She had also planned to jump on and hug her husband when she saw him, instead she let him take her arm, and didn't touch him at all. Lily was just a little too shocked to do that at the moment.

"Lily I'm so glad you came," He whispered to her.

"I can't believe you're here, I missed you," Lily whispered back, walking down the familiar hall of their quarters. "How long have I been gone in this reality?"

Severus helped her sit on a foreign couch. Lily wondered where the one she bought for his school quarters went. Maybe dear Rose had destroyed it.

"Eleven years this Halloween," He said slowly.

"Oh, it has only been ten years since you died in my reality. I was told that you had refused to present our daughter to you-know-who," Lily hugged him tightly.

Severus was about to say something when they were interrupted.

Someone scuffed their shoe on the antique rug Eliene had left them, and Lily snapped up to glare at them. A Potter boy, she could recognize any of them in an instant. James was already a widow and had remarried after five years of mourning. From him, he had made a clan larger than even the Prewitts.

What he was doing here though, she didn't understand.

"Potter now is not a good time, leave through the door to the left of the one that you entered. This will count as your detention tonight," Severus told the boy. His voice was hardened and from past experience, Lily knew something had gone wrong.

The Potter boy opened his mouth, and it took Lily a few seconds to understand. She looked like his mom? She looked like Andy? or perhaps Jame's second wife, the Nott widow? As far as she could remember although one was a metamorphosis, neither ever really looked like her.

Lily looked horrified, as she turned to look at Severus.

"Where is our daughter? Where is Rose?" She was crying, because she already knew, she had made it to the wrong world.

She heard her husband dismiss the boy, and was glad that he was gone.

Review please! this will not be a Marysue, Snape is not going to suddenly be able to do anything. And neither will Lily. The potion couldn't be used against Lord Voldemort because he would be back in ten years with an army of who knows what from another dimension with all the deatheaters that have been killed, some who haven't and maybe even another Voldemort to support him.