Hindsight

Summary: "Ten years," James whispered to his wife. "We've been dead for Ten years… how is this possible?" Ten years after the tragedy at Godric's Hollow, James and Lily come back to life and find their world turned upside down.

Chapter 22

"So the barrier wasn't Pettigrew?"

Harry shook his head. "No. It was Dobby."

"And the bludger wasn't the Slytherins?"

"Dobby again."

The quartet was sitting outside on the grass. There were students out but far enough from them that they wouldn't be heard. They didn't want to have their conversation within the castle walls, where it would be easier for someone to hide and listen to them. Despite the bright, sunny day, they all were rather solemn because of their discussion. Ron had scooted closer to Hermione, as if sitting next to her would somehow keep her safer, and Neville was gripping his wand tightly like he was prepared for an attack.

"And you think it's a snake?" Hermione asked, looking like she was mentally sorting through all the books she'd ever read.

Harry nodded. "Dobby hinted at it. And how else could you explain it? I'm the only one that can hear it, or understand it rather."

Ron poked Harry's temple with a hard nudge. "And you haven't told Dumbledore yet because?"

He looked at them warily, wondering if they would think him stupid for his reason. "I… well what if he finds out I can speak to snakes and then has me kicked out of school or thinks I'm evil, or that I'm the one that set the thing loose?"

They all groaned simultaneously.

"Harry, honestly, how many times must we tell you," Hermione sighed. "Sure, many people will take it the wrong way but people like Professor Dumbledore never would! Tell him the truth! He can help!"

"Or…"

They turned to Neville who was rather pale.

"Or maybe we should listen to your family and tell Snape."

"Nev," Ron snorted. "Snape is one of the people that will take it the wrong way. He'll probably crucify Harry. Better yet, he'll think Harry's lying and give him detention for it."

"Wait, just listen! He said he'd keep them updated, right? So if he tells them, then they can come and help kill the monster too! The more people banding together against this the better, I would expect."

"But it's Snape," Harry grumbled stubbornly. Sure, Snape wasn't so bad to him anymore, but he still picked on Hermione and Neville, which angered him greatly. "And how do they know he isn't the one that helped set the monster loose?"

Hermione and Neville rolled their eyes. "Neither of you listened to me last year when I said it couldn't be Snape," she stated crossly.

"Yeah but you believed us eventually and set him on fire," Ron laughed.

"The point," she growled out, "is that it isn't him. We can be sure of that. He saved Harry, remember? Maybe Neville's right. Harry should tell Snape so he can get word out to Miss Lily and Mr. Potter."

"I'll think about it," Harry muttered.

"Harry! You don't have time to think about it! The monster can strike again."

"Talking about the monster…" Harry pulled Sally out of his pocket and the snake looked up at him. Harry didn't notice his friends watching him with fascination as he spoke with his snake. "You little traitor. Why didn't you tell me it was a snake?"

"I did not know."

"How could you not know?"

For a snake with not much facial features, he looked pretty incredulous. "You keep me in your trunk all day. How could I hear it from there?"

Harry drooped down, feeling silly. "Right, sorry."

"What are you guys saying?" Ron asked eagerly.

"I was asking him why he didn't tell me about the snake."

Hermione glared at him. "You keep him locked up in your trunk all day, Harry. How could he possibly know-"

"I know, I know, he already chewed me out for it, Hermione."

"I'm just saying, if you took him out here once in a while, maybe he wouldn't feel so cooped up!"

Harry threw his hands up with defeat. "Yes, Hermione, let me just out myself right now to the entire student body. Harry Potter is a Parselmouth and here's his pet snake, Salazar. That'll go over well."

"That would be fun," Ron jested. "Hey our best friend's the Slytherin heir, out of our way or he'll get his snakes to eat you in his secret chamber."

"Not funny, Ron!"

"All right, mate, fine. But you need to listen to Neville and Hermione. Even if it isn't Snape or Dumbledore. Tell McGonagall for all I care, just tell someone."

Harry still looked uncertain. He was unsure of how they'd react to him being a Parselmouth and was scared of the consequences of telling them. How could his friends be sure that their professors would even believe him? And if they did, what would they do to him? Were Parselmouths punished for being Parselmouths? He considered telling McGonagall. That wasn't a bad choice, and she knew his parents were back as well. He supposed Dumbledore wouldn't be so bad as well. He was the he kind, old man that saved him from the Dursleys and brought him back to his parents, after all. Surely, they'd understand if he told them he could talk to snakes. They wouldn't suddenly turn on him and think him evil, would they?

But Snape hated him already. Snape already thought he was a little brat that had no morals. If he told Snape, not only would the man be bound by an agreement to tell his parents, but he also wouldn't have to worry about Snape's already view of him changing since it was already a negative one.

"I guess… I guess I'll tell Snape."

"Snape?" Ron asked dubiously. "You're sure?"

"He promised my parents, didn't he? And the way I see it, telling him I'm a Parselmouth can't possibly make him hate me more than he already does."

"So when will you tell him?"

Harry gnawed on his lip nervously. "Sometime today."

He didn't gain enough courage until it was past curfew. Dean and Seamus were sound asleep but Ron and Neville were sitting up, watching Harry pace back and forth at the foot of his bed. Sally was coiled up in Neville's lap, staring at the boy as well. All of them, Sally included, had been encouraging him all day to tell someone but his fear of revealing himself as a Parselmouth was far too strong. He was sure they'd kick him out of school, or worse, burn him on the stake for it.

"Well, I can't do it now," Harry told them after many minutes of silent debate. "He'll give me detention if I'm out of bed. I'll just go to sleep and tell him in the morning."

"Knock it off," Ron hissed, pulling Harry away from his bed. He reached into Harry's trunk and grabbed the invisibility cloak hidden there. "You're taking this, so if this evil snake comes, you won't be seen. Now go to Snape and tell him what's going on. You can't wait any longer, Harry. Someone could die."

"I know that!"

"Then go! No more holding this off."

"… Can you come with me?"

He rolled his eyes. "All you had to do was ask earlier and we would've."

Neville snickered as he crawled into bed. "I'll stay here with Sally. Be careful, you two, or Hermione will lecture you for dying."

"Not funny, Nev."

They tiptoed out of their room and down the stairs. There was no one in the common room. Having Colin in the Hospital Wing left the Gryffindors feeling less rambunctious than usual. All of Gryffindor Tower was so silent that one would think that there weren't any students within it.

"You have the map on you, Harry?"

"Fred and George borrowed it again," he whispered back with a sigh.

"What do we do if Snape isn't in his office? How will we find him? It's not like he's told us where he lives."

"I guess we can go to Dumbledore's office instead. My parents will understand. This is an emergency."

They crept passed the portrait and were thankful to find the Fat Lady sleeping, otherwise she would've shrieked and hollered about students sneaking out past curfew. The duo paused at the top of the steps to throw the invisibility cloak over themselves before hurrying away in perfect unison. As though they were sharing the same mind, they stepped forward with the same foot, turned corners together, and headed down the same corridors without missing a beat. Not that they noticed how in sync they were. They were too scared that an anaconda was hiding somewhere, waiting to eat them.

"This way," Ron told Harry, leading him through a shortcut to Snape's classroom.

"You're sure we should go down this way?" Harry asked, though he followed him nonetheless. "Less room to run."

"But it'll get us there faster."

And it did. The sight of Snape's door, for the first time in their two years at Hogwarts, was a happy sight to them. Ron stretched his arm out from under the cloak and knocked. A minute passed and no one answered. Harry knocked next. Another minute and no one. They looked at each other unsurely. What were they to do? Ron jiggled the doorknob and found it locked.

"Unlock it, maybe?"

"I guess." Harry passed his side of the cloak to Ron and took his wand out. "Alohomora."

They heard a click.

"Go on then."

"You first."

"Harry! You're the one with the information."

"But he hates you less than he hates me."

"That doesn't mean he won't be mad either way!"

Harry scratched his head irritably. With great trepidation, he opened the door and entered the room, Ron right behind him. The classroom was empty but light was seeping out from underneath Snape's office door in the back. "Professor Snape?" Harry called but once again they received no answer. "Wait here, Ron."

"You got it, mate."

He went to the door and found it ajar. Harry peeked in and saw Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore inside. Unsure of whether or not he should bother them, he hesitated for the quickest second. He was just about to knock and interrupt them when Snape slammed his hand down on his desk agitatedly.

"Severus, really. Calm yourself. He isn't asking the world of you."

"I am not complaining about doing this for Potter." Potter? Were they talking about him or his dad? "I'm just saying I don't know what he expects from me. His son and I, if you couldn't tell, are not exactly buddies. If you would just convince him differently-"

"His trust in me is faltering, Severus, but he does in someway trust you. We have to use that to our advantage if we want to convince him that we care for the boy's safety. Be kind to him. Show Harry you actually care-"

"I don't." The response was flat and disdainful.

Harry stepped back. How could his father possibly think it was smart to go to Snape for help?

"You do, Severus, if not for James then for Lily. Try as you may, I know you see more of his mother in him than his father."

"… None of this matters. All I wanted was for you to talk to Potter. Tell him to find someone the boy actually trusts to turn to. He's wasting my time by asking me to take care of his brat."

"Severus, this is hardly about the life debt or your hatred of James, is it? This is about your guilt."

Harry leaned forward, ignoring Ron who was quietly asking him what was going on.

"Oh for God's sake, Albus!"

"Do you deny it?"

"This isn't about that!"

"Instead of lashing out at them, why don't you own up for what you did by helping them? Do what James needs of you? Has running from your problems ever helped you before?"

"That's enough!"

"I know it's hard to look upon their faces… to look at Lily and Harry, even James, and know that-"

"That it was all my fault?! That I was the one who heard the prophecy and told the Dark Lord? That he targeted them-her- all because of me?! You know how much I-"

A loud, strangled gasp escaped from Harry and the two Professors turned to the door. Harry stumbled backwards into Snape's desk. For a moment they just stared at each other, horrified and unable to do move. Dumbledore was the first to snap out of his shock. Snape was quick to follow him. Harry watched them hurry his way, begging for him to listen before making any conclusions, but he scrambled back to Ron as fast as he could. The redhead watched his friend, confused and startled. The fear on his Harry's face had his heart beating faster.

"What is it?! What's going on?"

"Run, Ron! Run!"

Dumbledore was only a few inches away. "Harry, wait! Let us explain!"

"Where are we going?!" Ron shouted as they sprinted out of the classroom. "Harry, what's hap-"

"Just run!"

The snake was the last thing on his mind now.

There was a peaceful lull hovering over Potter Terrace that deeply contrasted how everyone was feeling. Lily had books scattered across the coffee table. When Dumbledore had told her about the petrified boy and the Chamber of Secrets, Remus and she had gone to work immediately. James and Sirius, who were constantly flooing out to bookshops and libraries for them, were now dead asleep on the couch and loveseat respectively. It was better that they were unconscious. The anxiety and worry plaguing them all were beginning to make everyone irritable. Even James and Sirius were getting easily annoyed with each other. Lily and Remus were only lucky that they were too busy reading to argue with each other like the others were.

"More coffee, Lil?"

"I'm all right, Remus," she muttered cautiously from where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching her tone to make sure she didn't sound irate. "Found anything?"

"Maybe something, maybe nothing."

She nodded distractedly.

"Is James okay? I know he's been waiting on word from Snape."

Lily sighed. "Maybe it's a good sign that we haven't heard anything from him. Means Harry hasn't had anything to worry about."

"Or maybe Harry just doesn't want to talk to Severus."

"I can only hope the boy will listen to us. Merlin only knows if he went to Dumbledore instead. We'd never find out until the boy was neck deep in danger already."

"You don't think Dumbledore will keep his promise to keep us informed?"

She glanced up at her friend. "I don't know, Rem... I want to believe him."

"I understand," he told her supportively. "It's just hard to when-"

The fireplace came alive and McGonagall's face appeared in the flames. Her usual serious countenance was overtaken by franticness. Both of them seized up in fear of what news she had to bring.

"Professor?"

"Lily! Dear Lord, it's Harry! He's barricaded himself and Mr. Weasley into a classroom- Albus and Severus are besides themselves- won't listen to us!"

Lily jumped up immediately, whirling around and throwing herself on her husband. "James! James!" He blinked up at her blearily and reached around for the glasses he'd discarded earlier. "James, it's Harry! Minerva said he's locked himself up in a classroom!"

"What?" he gaped, jolting up into a seating position. "Is he okay? Why's he- where the bloody hell are my glasses?!"

Remus grabbed the glasses from the floor and tossed it into James' lap. "Here! I'll explain it to Sirius, just go!"

The couple grabbed the pot off the bookshelf and took large chunks of floo powder into their hands. In their rush, they both went into the fireplace at the same time, shouted their destination and flooed away together. The amount of powder they used was so strong that Dumbledore's fireplace practically spat them out once they got through. McGonagall was waiting for them on the other side, a robe hastily thrown over and tied around her nightgown. "Come! Follow me!" she instructed and led them out of the office quickly. James was stumbling over his feet the entire way, to the point that Lily had to hold him up on one side to make sure he stayed upright. "Here, just down this hall!"

Albus and Severus were firing spell after spell at the door but it wouldn't budge.

"What's going on?" James demanded.

Severus looked up at them and backed away immediately. Albus stepped in front of the professor like he was trying to protect him. "It's Harry's magic. He must have lost control of it so it would protect him from a perceived threat."

Lily glanced between them suspiciously. "Perceived threat? What does he perceive to be a threat to him?"

Snape looked down to his feet.

"What did you do… What did you do to my son?"

"I didn't mean it, Lily," he whispered. "If I had known it was you that… If I had only known…"

James shook his head impatiently. "Listen, explanations can wait till later! My son is fearing for his life! God knows what's happening in here!" He gently brushed passed his wife and banged his fist on the door. "Harry! Let me in!"

There was silence. James' brows furrowed as he listened for any sign that Harry heard him.

"Harry! It's dad! Come on, son, let me in!"

"Dad?"

James smiled at the sound of his boy's voice. "Har?" he called soothingly. "Tell me what's wrong. We aren't mad that you locked your-"

"DAD! You need to get out of here!"

He leaned back and stared at the door in confusion. "Harry?"

A shimmer of light trailed down from the top of the door to the bottom before flying open. They all looked into the room. Ron was shaking in his spot, his wand pointed outward as he stared at Albus and Snape with unadulterated distrust. Harry was dashing towards them like a raging bull. James reeled back defensively but his son grabbed onto his hands and yanked him forward violently. They fell onto the floor hard, James half on top of Harry.

"What the hell-"

"Close the door, Ron, close the door!"

With a swish of the redhead's wand, the door slammed shut once more. James gaped at them in wonder. He pushed himself up on his knees and tried to shake both boys out of their frenzy.

"Harry! Ron, just- Just calm down! What is going on?!"

"It's Snape!" Ron answered for Harry. "He's a Death Eater and Dumbledore knows and maybe is on his side!" He turned to his friend pleadingly. "But Harry, maybe you heard wrong. Dumbledore can't possibly be-"

"He knew, Ron!" Harry shouted. "He knew! And he tried defending him and he said- he said they need to 'convince' my dad! That means they're trying to gain his trust so they can use it against him and-"

"Both of you, just calm down!" He ordered with a booming voice. "Tell me what is happening right now!"

Harry looked at his father with crazed desperation in his eyes. "Dad, you were wrong! You were wrong about Snape! He's a Death Eater!"

He was uncertain how they found out and even more uncertain about how to explain this to them. "Harry, he was a Death Eater, yes, but he switched sides and-"

"No, you don't understand! It's his fault! He's the reason Voldemort was after you and mum!"

James felt an uncomfortable swelling in his chest. "What did you just say?"