Chapter 3: Rearrangement of Information

Remus sought out Lily the next morning in the Common Room. He did so alone, partly because he thought she might be more relaxed without James and Sirius, and partly because he knew he'd be more relaxed without them.

He'd managed to keep his temper until they were in the dorms and behind privacy spells. That was all that could be said for it. Any other time he might have been shocked at the tongue-lashing he'd given the other three, and terrified of losing their friendship. But not last night. Not after he discovered that they'd used his Lycanthropy as part of a trick on Severus. Not after he'd realized just how much damage they'd done to someone who was, apparently, enduring far too much already.

He'd ripped into them. First, a tirade directed at Sirius, regarding his opinions of the prank he'd pulled the year before, as well as a detailed and graphic account of what first transformations were like, what any transformation felt like, and what would have happened to him if Severus had been hurt or killed. He would have been lucky to be expelled, and if Dumbledore had only been sacked as Headmaster, it would have been a light sentence for both.

Then he'd treated all three of them to the sharp side of his tongue for the abuse they'd heaped on Severus. Pranking was one thing, but deliberate harm and humiliation, especially unprovoked, was another. He'd laid it out in terms so stark and brutal that Peter had actively fled to the far side of the room, and James and Sirius hadn't wanted to eat dinner afterward. After he'd finally run out of words, he'd made it clear that beyond House interactions, their efforts to redress their wrongs towards Severus, and homework, they were not on speaking terms, and he'd let them know when he felt inclined to forgive them. He also told them that if they couldn't make a sincere effort to make amends to the boy they'd wronged, then they could consider their friendship severed, for good, because he'd rather be alone again than be a part of such cruelty.

He hadn't spared himself in that lashing either. He'd not really attacked Severus, but he hadn't stopped Sirius and James, and he had protected them a few times when Severus might have gained the upper hand. And now, he was bitterly ashamed of himself.

He was, however, equally determined not to wallow in it. Even if the other Marauders failed, he would make amends to Severus Snape.

He was in luck. Lily was up early, and she was alone, sitting at a table and apparently reviewing her material to prepare for the next day's classes. Remus approached, then cleared his throat, waiting until she looked up at him. "Good morning Lily."

"Good morning Remus." She studied him a moment, frowning. "Are you okay? You look tired. Prefect duties keep you up?"

"Something like that. And no, I'm not doing well." He sighed. "Can I...join you? I was actually hoping you could help me with something."

"Sure." Lily gestured to the open chair. "What is it?"

Remus considered, then decided to be blunt. He was too tired, too angry and too heartsick to be otherwise. "It's about Severus. I...found out something yesterday about him and I realized that...I may have done him a grave wrong. Not just me...all the Marauders. Because of that, I am...attempting to gather more information to properly re-evaluate what I know of him. I know you had a falling out last year, but I thought I understood that you were friends before Hogwarts, and I was hoping you could enlighten me on a few things." He raised a hand before she could speak. "I promise that I will not use this information to hurt him, nor will I allow James and Sirius to do so. I'm willing to swear a Wand Oath to that effect."

Lily considered, then shook her head. "I'll trust your word. If it were that toerag Potter, I wouldn't, but you've seemed decent enough." She bit her lip. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything you can tell me, about what he was like before. Anything you know about his home life, his habits, anything."

Lily nodded, frowning into the fire. Then she began to speak, so softly that Remus had to lean forward to hear her. "We met when we were eight, at the park in the neighborhood. The park was sort of the dividing point between the 'good' side of town and the 'bad' side of town. You know, poor versus not..." She gestured vaguely.

"I know what you mean." He nodded to encourage her to go on.

"My family...we came from the nice side. We were middle-income, lived comfortably. Severus…he came from the other side. I never saw his house, exactly, but I know he lived in the worst part of the neighborhood, where everything was falling apart, and most people wouldn't look each other in the eye, and crime was high. Where he lives...it's the sort of place a parent wouldn't let their kid go after dark. At least, not a normal parent."

Remus nodded again. "And his parents...they weren't..."

"He didn't talk about them much. But even when I first met him, he was wearing an over-sized patched shirt that was horribly old looking...after a while he wore coats, even in the worst part of summer, to hide his shirts so my sister wouldn't make fun of him." Lily grimaced. "I know he was poor, so poor his stuff was falling to rags, most times. And his parents...he told me once they fought a lot, and he mentioned once that his dad 'drank away the money'. There were rumors about fights, domestic violence, though I never heard that either of them were taken in by the police."

"So...he had a rough childhood?" Lupin had guessed as much, but he needed to be sure.

"I think so. I know he was always wary of touch. And he had a horrible temper, he hated being insulted, and he'd lash out at anyone he thought was trying to hurt or embarrass him. One time, my sister was eavesdropping on us, and when we caught her she said something rude to him. He dropped a tree branch on her. It was accidental magic, but I was mad at him for a while for hurting her. Even though he apologized."

Lily bit her lip. "He was...he was so smart. He was the first person to tell me about magic, and Hogwarts. About the magical world. He told me all about Diagon Alley, and the Houses. All about magical creatures and laws and spells and Potions. And the first time we went to get our supplies, he was so helpful. He used to tell me that blood didn't matter at all..." She trailed off, and Remus saw tears glinting in her eyes. Then she swiped at them. "I guess he's changed his mind."

"I don't think he has." Remus reached out and took her hand. This was something he could do, maybe a way he could start making amends. "Lily, I think...what Severus said to you last year...wasn't how he feels. Not really."

"But he hangs around with all those...those students who want to join the Dark Lord after school. Why shouldn't he mean it?" Lily scowled.

"That's part of what I found out. Lily...he lives in Slytherin House. What do you think the consequences might be, if he didn't conform a certain amount? Especially since..." Remus took a deep breath and forced himself to admit the painful conclusion he'd come to the night before. "...since we, the Marauders, made sure he has no one outside his House to turn to? And if he's no one at home?"

Lily's eyes widened. Remus took that as an encouraging sign. "I...we discovered yesterday...I think Severus has been in more trouble than even you realize, for a very long time. And the Marauders have been adding to it."

"What happened? Why would you care now?" It was heartening to hear the concern in her voice, in spite of her estrangement with Severus, even if she was glaring at him.

Remus sighed. He considered not telling her, but he had a sneaking suspicion they'd need Lily's help to reach Severus. If it was even still possible. "We encountered Severus on the grounds yesterday evening. Sirius started goading him, and we all expected him to snap back, try to hex us or something. But he...he didn't. He started screaming at us about how he didn't want what happened to him, how he had no choice, and then he collapsed. I'm a Prefect, so I checked him for injuries when he collapsed, and he..." He took a deep breath, then blew it out. "He was badly hurt, Lily. And from what he said before he collapsed, it's far from the first time."

He paused, then decided to make a clean break of it. "There's another thing. I didn't know this until yesterday, but Sirius...last year, before the O.W.L. incident, Sirius nearly got him killed. He goaded Snape into entering the den of a very dangerous creature, and Snape barely escaped uninjured. And Sirius...due to extenuating circumstances, Sirius was not punished nearly as much as he should have been, and James, who helped him escape when he realized Sirius had gone too far, was rewarded, while Severus was most likely bound to silence." Remus clasped his hands in front of him, feeling shame and renewed, sullen anger flare inside him. "I...I was ill, so I didn't know about the incident. But in light of it...what happened after the Defense O.W.L might well have pushed Severus past the breaking point. Especially since I can tell you that Sirius and James attacked him that day without provocation. I don't think...knowing what I do, I don't think that Severus was in his right mind that day, or entirely responsible for his actions."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"Because I am a fool, and a coward who was afraid of losing his friends, and I let it guide my actions more than it ought to have." He didn't hide his own self-recrimination from her. "I should have stopped it, if only because I was a Prefect, and I didn't."

He saw Lily swallow. "Severus...he came to the dorms, to apologize, that night. He actually threatened to sleep in front of Gryffindor Tower until I talked to him. But I...I didn't think he was sincere. I thought he was just saying it..."

Remus winced. "I can't know how things went between you, but...I suspect he was sincere, but unable to find his way out of the tangle that trapped him. And if even half of what I suspect is true, then it is possible that he has no way out, at the moment."

Lily blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"He said, yesterday that he did not want to be dark. And there is...evidence that magic of some sort may have been used to force him onto the path he is currently on. Even if that were not true, I suspect that between the Marauders and the factions in his House, and with his apparent lack of resources, that circumstances have trapped him as cruelly as magic may have done." Remus ran his hand through his hair. "I realize that you were hurt and angered by his words and actions, particularly since you were acting on his behalf, but...if I am right...the Marauders owe Severus for what we have done to him. And he...he needs help."

Lily bit her lip and looked away. Then she gathered herself and turned back. "I was hurt and angry. I know he tried to contact me over the summer, but I didn't answer him. But...if you're right..."

Remus nodded. "Will you help me? Help me...do something for him, if he really is a victim?" He had no doubts on that score, but he was trying to tread softly.

"Yes. Let me know what you find out?"

"I will." Remus heard the dismissal in her voice and stood. He understood. He felt overwhelmed, trying to process what he'd learned about Severus, and how it went against what he thought he'd known. And he'd had a night to sleep on it. He couldn't begrudge Lily the chance to mull things over.

***ASiSF***

Sirius was late to breakfast, and when he arrived, he barely ate anything. Remus noticed, but didn't comment. He simply finished his breakfast and prepared to leave. He was surprised when Sirius stopped him. "I need to talk to you."

"Do you?" Remus kept his voice cool.

"I talked to Regulus." Sirius was pale, eyes dark with shock and strain. Beside Remus, James sat up intently. "I know what...what the Tenebris Inferno is."

"I see." Remus sighed. "I talked to Lily this morning as well." He'd sent off the owls to Slughorn and the Slytherin Prefects after he'd left the Common Room, and his summer work was all done, so… "Shall we meet and discuss what we've learned?"

"Sounds good." James pushed up from his plate. Peter followed more slowly, glancing at the dishes before he fell into step with them.

It wasn't hard to find a deserted classroom. A little bit of Transfiguration made it comfortable, and a few wards ensured they'd have their privacy. They could have used the dorm, of course, but there were likely to be more interruptions there. Other Gryffindors, other prefects trying to talk to Remus.

Once they were all comfortable, Remus took the floor. "So...I'll go first." He ran a hand through his hair. "I talked to Lily. She wouldn't say much, but she did tell me some interesting facts."

He ticked them off on his fingers as he spoke. "Severus is poor. As far as she knows, he always has been. According to her, she's never seen him get anything like new clothing, much less good clothing. His family comes from a bad place. She said 'a bad side of town' whatever that means. But there was a lot of violence where he lived. The Muggle Aurors apparently get called there a lot for different things. His father drinks. His parents fight. Severus has always been wary of touch, which implies, at least, that he's not familiar with kindness. He's always had a temper, made worse when people insult or threaten him. And, perhaps most interesting, were the last few things she told me."

He paused, looking around the room at his fellow Marauders. "Until he came to Hogwarts, he had told her about the pure-blood ideology, but he also said that to him, blood didn't matter. Also of note, Severus approached Lily. He told her that she was a witch. And as he apparently knows her family, he must have known she was Muggle-born. The other thing she told me was that, after the events at the lake, following the Defense O.W.L, Severus apologized. Or tried to. She turned him away, though apparently he was sincere enough that he originally intended to sleep in front of the Tower until she spoke to him. Even at the risk of being caught by us, or out after curfew."

"Huh." James frowned. "That's...pretty brave." He tapped the arm of the chair he'd transfigured. "I did some looking around, and some listening yesterday while Padfoot was in the library. Snape is...well, I overheard some Slytherins talking. He's considered smart, but...I don't know, it just didn't seem like he had many friends, even in his own House." He paused. "I was thinking some too...and..." He swallowed hard. "You're right. We have been...well, we did sort of drive him to the Snakes didn't we? I mean, he wanted to be in Slytherin when we met on the train, but..."

"But we sent him to the Junior Death Eaters." Sirius broke in, his face pale. The black-haired boy shoved himself out of his chair with an abrupt movement, scowling at the wall. "I talked to Regulus. They're already celebrating the day they get him. Reg told me..." He bit off the words, his eyes going to the far wall. "Reg's last words were 'when Snape comes to the Dark Lord, we'll toast your names as the cause, and rejoice in the weapon you handed him.' That's what Regulus said about him."

James sank back into his chair. "Shite."

"It's worse than that. We all know Sni...Snape has his own spells. And he's good with Potions. But those spells he used, the ones we got out of his Defense book when we stole it last year? He invented those. The same way we made the Map and became Animagi, he's inventing spells. And I think he's been inventing potions too. I've seen him changing the way he works in the lab and all..."

Remus nodded. "He does things differently than the rest of us. He has been for a while, and he's good enough that Slughorn doesn't stop him."

"The Slytherins think he's a genius at both. But what's really disturbing..." Sirius gulped. "They know about the Tenebris Inferno."

Remus froze. "What do you mean?" There was something in Sirius's face that suggested it was more than just information the Slytherins had about a spell.

"They know Snape's been the recipient of it. Every year, since at least First Year. Regulus told me Malfoy knew about it, that's why he took interest in Snape that first year."

"Whoa. Hang on a moment, Padfoot. What is this...Tenebris Inferno?"

"The Black Fire. It's a Dark Ritual. Regulus said he learned about it because Cousin Bellatrix used it to prove her loyalty to the Dark Lord last year, or over the summer. Not sure which." Sirius gulped again, his face white. "Bellatrix has always been a bit off, but Regulus said the ritual drove her right batty."

"Easy, Padfoot." James caught Sirius by the shoulders. "Easy. Start at the beginning and tell us what Regulus told you." He guided Sirius back into his chair, then crouched in front of it. "What's the ritual?"

"It takes two people. Remus was right. The recipient gets tied, or chained, to a flat surface. The caster brews a potion, apparently a horridly toxic one, and paints the ritual markings and runes onto the recipients bare skin. With potion fresh from the cauldron. Boiling hot, Reg said." Sirius swallowed hard, convulsively. He wasn't the only one. Peter actually whimpered a little.

Sirius took several deep breaths, looking faintly sick. "After the potion's set, the caster goes through a chant, and while they chant the spell, they pour blood in the recipient's mouth. Any blood, though blood of an enemy works best, apparently. When the spell is over, if it's done correctly, all the toxicity from the potion, all the Dark Magic that's been gathered, is infused into the recipient's core. It's supposed to give them power for vengeance, among other things. The side effects are supposed to be awful, according to Regulus. But the worst of it is..."

He gulped again, closing his eyes and hunching forward. "He said Snape's been the recipient. More than once. At least once a year, every time he goes home for summer hols at the least. The Slytherins, especially the older ones and the Junior Death Eaters, they have some way of knowing."

"They'd only have to see the marks on him to know that." James spoke softly.

"Yeah. But it's why they want him. He's still sane after that many rituals...Reg reckons that makes him insanely powerful. And he didn't say it, but the amount of Dark Magic that's been infused into his core, if he's undergone that many Dark Rituals…" Sirius shuddered.

"He said he carried the legacy of his mother's hatred, infused in his body." Remus repeated the words Severus had screamed at them the day before. "His mother's, and his father's."

"Regulus reckons it was his mum, did the Ritual. Said she was part of an old family that knew those sorts of spells and potions."

The pieces fell into place with a click. "So...he's poor, likely with few friends, and even fewer people who actually care for his well-being. His father is a drunkard who beats him. His mother has been systematically cursing him, or something close to it, for years. Then he comes here, in his patched robes, where he is ridiculed, taunted, humiliated and ignored. Where the only people who seem to value him are the future followers of the Dark Lord, who want him for his intelligence and the Dark Magic he has been forced to bear, and likely care little for him personally, if their lack of protection is any indication..."

"They don't want him protected." Sirius broke in. "Anger, hurt, hate...Regulus said they feed the magic of the Tenebris Inferno. The Black Fire. They want...we've been hurting him, and they've been letting it happen, because it makes the dark magic infused in his core stronger."

"Bloody hell. So they've been letting him get pranked, so they could make him a dark wizard?" James' lip curled. Then his expression crashed into one of shame. "And we were doing their dirty work for them."

"We were hurting him. They weren't pranks. We were cruel to him." Remus spoke the words softly. "We...we might have convinced ourselves it didn't matter, that it was only jokes, or it was 'just' Severus, but we have to face the truth now."

James and Sirius looked at him, both pale. Sirius looked shaken, and still sick.

He'd said it before, but it needed to be said again. Remus held his friend's eyes, and said the words he'd thought since Severus had screamed at them the day before. "We humiliated him. We assaulted, abused him. We tortured and degraded him. What we have done to him is every bit as bad as what the Dark Lord's followers do to Muggles, or people who disagree with them. We have even endangered his life. We talk about Dark Wizards, scorn their evil, but what we have done to Severus is every bit as bad, if not worse. We took a victim of an already horrible situation, and we...we may have already destroyed him beyond all saving. I only hope we haven't. If Severus falls to the Dark Lord, it will be OUR fault, our doing. And his fate afterward will be our fault as well."

Sirius broke. He scrambled out of his chair, his face white and every limb trembling. Five steps across the room and he collapsed, vomiting out what little breakfast he'd eaten. James sprang after him, catching him round the shoulders and casting Evanesco to get rid of the mess. Remus transfigured a glass and filled it with the Aguamenti Charm, then passed it to James.

Sirius stayed down for several moments. When he finally sat up, there was something in his eyes. Rage, but also passion, and compassion. The narrow jaw clenched. Then he shoved himself shakily to his feet. "I swore...I swore I'd never be like them. Like my family. Like those...those ruddy bastards." He met Remus's eyes fiercely, his own blazing. "We're going to fix this. I don't care if we have to...to kidnap Snape to Potter Manor and hold him there until the war is over."

"Somehow I don't think he'd appreciate that." Remus shook his head. "We need to find a way to help him. And a way to prove our sincerity to him. That will be the difficult part, I'm afraid."

James stood up, raking a hand through his messy hair. "Any suggestions?" The Potter heir looked uncharacteristically lost. "I don't have any idea how to handle this. It was one thing with you, Moony. You were already our friend. But Snape..."

"I know." Remus considered the matter. "I think we need help from the one person who knows Severus best. We need Lily's help."

He half expected James to object, but even Sirius kept quiet. After a moment, James spoke. "I...can I be the one to ask her? I think...she'll never go for it unless I prove that we mean it. After everything..."

"Fine. But I'll come with you." Remus nodded. "Sirius...why don't you and Peter do some thinking. Think of ways we can help out." Sirius nodded.

After that, there didn't seem to be anything left to say. James took down the wards on the door, and the four of them left to return to Gryffindor Tower. Remus just hoped Lily had had enough time to process what he'd told her before.

***ASiSF***

Miles away, an older woman raised her head sharply. Her hair was a beautiful shade of silver, but her eyes were sharp and clear as she looked over towards the horizon.

"Pere?" She was joined by a man, about her own age. His hair was long and the same shade of silver as her own. His eyes, like hers, were bright with life and energy. "Pere, dear, what is it?"

"Something has changed. Somewhere in Scotland, something has shifted the threads of destiny. Something is happening, Nicholas."

Nicholas Flamel, noted alchemist, regarded his wife with interest. "And is this a good thing, or a bad thing, my dear?"

"It is too soon to tell. But I think..." She pursed her lips, eyes far away as if she could see the events occurring beyond the horizon. "I think it might be a good thing indeed." After a moment, her eyes refocused, and she took her husband's hand gently. "I think...if this plays out well, there is at the heart of these events someone you might like to meet."

Nicholas brightened. "Someone like Albus? He is a bright young fellow. I enjoyed working with him."

"I think..." She considered. "I think this one perhaps might outshine even Albus. Indeed, he might outshine us all, if he flourishes."

"In that case, I hope he does well. I should like to meet such a remarkable young man." Nicholas smiled.

"So would I." Perenelle looked towards the horizon once more, feeling the tug as the strands of fate subtly shifted. "So would I."

Author's Note: Well, there you have it. Not that the Marauders know everything, of course. And Severus isn't going to make it easy. To say nothing of the character flaws that all of them have to overcome.

Who saw that last bit coming? I didn't at first, but these two just popped up and demanded their right to stay and join in the fun. More on the Flamels later though.

Next up...Severus wakes up, and the Marauders start working on plans to fix things.