Summary: We learn how Severus can help in this new timeline.
A/N: Thanks again for reading. Hopefully, you enjoy the interactions that happen in this chapter. ?
Chapter 3
They made their way to the Transfiguration classroom in silence. Severus looked around as they moved to the classroom. It was in the same place it had been twenty years ago, and peeking in, he saw that Professor McGonagall still taught the class. She was just ending her lesson and magically transcribed the students' homework assignment on the board.
Albus looked over at Severus. "Oh…"
He waved his wand and modernized Severus' robes, then directed Severus to enter the class. Both men stood at the back of the room, and he cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor, but could I ask the Slyterins to stay behind once you dismiss?"
Severus saw Professor McGonagall's eyes widen as she looked at Severus. She quickly masked her features and nodded at Albus.
"Of course, Headmaster. Class, we are done. If you've copied down your reading assignment, you may leave. Slytherins, please stay in your seats."
The students filed out quickly, and Dumbledore and Severus moved to the front of the classroom.
"Thank you for staying behind. I would like to introduce you to a transfer student who has been sorted into Slytherin. His name is Severus Snape. His father was a student here and has recently relocated back to London and chose to send his son here to finish his studies."
He pointed at the two men at the front table.
"Mr. Snape, may I introduce you to Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. Behind them are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Behind those two is Theodore Nott. Mr. Malfoy is the Head boy, and the other four will be your roommates. On the other side of the room, we have Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode. Behind them are Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis."
Severus looked over all the students making eye contact with each one.
"You will welcome Mr. Snape into your house and help him to acclimate into the school."
"Of course, sir," Draco Malfoy promised.
Severus refrained from narrowing his eyes. Already he could see Lucius in his son: a brown-noser extraordinaire.
"I know you all have a class to get to. If any of you are late, advise your professor that you were detained by me." He turned to Severus. "Come along, Mr. Snape. I'll show you to the Slytherin dormitory."
Severus followed Dumbledore out of the room, and they quickly made their way to the Slytherin dorms. Albus directed him to the seventh-year rooms and left him there to acclimate.
"I will see you at seven tonight in my office, Severus."
Severus nodded as he sat on the empty bed in the room. He fished in his pocket and pulled out his trunk. He set it at the foot of his bed and enlarged it. Moving to it, he opened the lid and fished out his photo of Lily and him at Platform 9¾. She leaned into him, and he had gingerly placed his arm around her.
He gazed down at it and tried to hold back the tears. Merlin, it wasn't fair. She should have had a long life. She should be alive now, being a mother to her son… whatever his name was. Hyrum? Harvey? No matter. He concentrated on his lost friend.
His breathing became heavier as he tried to control himself. He stared at Lily, feeling worse and worse as he thought of how vibrant she had been and was no longer so.
He gasped and shuddered as his emotions took over. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he grasped the photo roughly to his chest and held it to him as if his life depended on it.
I'm so sorry, he thought as he struggled to regain control of himself. I'm glad we had those few moments before I came here. I'm glad we somewhat made amends.
He struggled for a while to stop the tears from falling, knowing that he might not have much time before his roommates came back. He wasn't sure how long he'd been mourning. At long last, he controlled himself and cleared his throat. His hand lowered from his chest, and he looked at the picture one last time before he put it in the bottom of his trunk, only to be looked at when he was alone.
He lay down on his bed with his hands behind his head and thought of his current situation. He'd come to the future, but not very far. He was puzzled by that. It seemed like he'd just come to a similar situation that he'd left. What could he do to make a difference here? Perhaps this meeting with Dumbledore would shed some light on his future fate.
Reaching into his pocket, he extracted the copies of The Prophet. He spent some time reviewing them. They spanned seven years and much was about this Potter and how he was the 'chosen one.' The oldest paper described how Voldemort had been thought to be dead and how he had tried to kill Potter when he was a baby.
He learned that Remus Lupin had taught Defense for a year and that Sirius Black–originally thought to have killed the Potters–had actually been innocent. Now he was dead from a battle with Death Eaters. Pettigrew–the true traitor–still lived and was a true Death Eater. He studied all the papers and learned much of the history he'd missed because of his leap.
Folding the newspapers back up, he put them in the bottom of his trunk and returned to his bed to mull over everything he'd learned. It seemed he had been right to be wary about becoming a Death Eater. The things they did were not really appealing to him. The group wasn't just trying to be powerful. They were dead set on killing anyone who disagreed with them. They were heinous, attacking innocent people, even Muggles. It seemed they enjoyed creating mayhem wherever they went. It was a life he couldn't see himself living. He may have wanted power, but at what cost? Plundering and killing were not what he wanted for himself. He was glad to have given up his desire to join Voldemort and move into the future.
He was deep in thought when the door opened and his four roommates entered. Severus sat up and swung his legs onto the floor. Blaise Zabini was the first one to enter followed by Theodore Knott. He couldn't remember the other two's names. Finally, Draco Malfoy stepped through the door with a snide smile on his face.
"Severus, right?" one of the two he didn't remember said with a snicker.
He nodded.
"So, tell us about yourself," Malfoy broke in.
Severus shrugged. He repeated the story Dumbledore had come up with.
"What do you know of the Dark Lord?"
Severus shrugged. "I don't know a lot, but I have heard some things. It sounds like he's trying to start a revolution of some sort."
"He's our future," Malfoy advised. "You'd best figure out where you fit in his world."
"Draco, lighten up," Blaise said. "He'll have a chance to learn about everything. It's his first day."
Malfoy glared at Severus before nodding. "True," he said.
"Crabbe and Goyle can fill you in on everything," he said as he pointed at the two whose names Severus had forgotten. "Right now it's time for dinner, and I'm starving. Let's head up to the Great Hall and get some food."
Severus rose and followed his Housemates out of the room. They made their way to the Hall and sat together. Before the food appeared, Dumbledore stood and introduced Severus to the rest of the students. He motioned for Severus to stand up. Severus scowled but did so. He refused to look at anyone and stared at the far wall before quickly sitting down again.
The food appeared, and everyone dug in. People around him made small talk with him, asking him where he'd attended school before. He advised he was privately taught, which spurred more questions of how that went. Before he knew it, the dinner hour was over and it was almost time to meet with Dumbledore.
Goyle turned to him. "We can talk about the Dark Lord after this."
"Sorry, Dumbledore needs to meet with me… he had some last tests for me to take for placement in classes," Severus explained.
"Right. Tomorrow, then, after dinner."
"That will work," Severus agreed.
He turned and left the Great Hall, making his way up to the Headmaster's office.
"Puking Pustules," he said to the Gargoyle who moved aside accordingly. Severus ascended up to Dumbledore's office and entered. Dumbledore looked up and smiled.
"Severus, take a seat. Everyone else should be here soon."
Severus made his way to the four chairs set up in front of Dumbledore's desk and sat in the one on the far right. He'd just settled when three students came through the door. Severus turned and noted one of them was almost a dead ringer for James Potter. The other two were a ginger man and a curly-haired woman. He recognized them all from the newspapers he'd read earlier in the afternoon.
He had a great desire to sneer about being in the same room with a Potter, but he decided to see how all of this would play out before he made his feelings known.
"Come in, come in," Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand.
They moved up to the desk and surrounded Severus. As they gathered, Dumbledore continued. "Let me make the introductions. As I announced at dinner, this is Severus Snape."
He pointed at Severus. "Severus, this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley."
Weasley extended his hand. "Ron will do," he remarked.
Severus looked up at him warily but saw no duplicity in his face, so he tentatively shook Weasley's hand. Potter extended a hand as well. Severus scowled at him and did not offer his hand in friendship. The Granger girl nodded her head at him.
"Hello, Severus. It's nice to meet you," she said.
He gave a clipped nod as he watched a puzzled Potter take the seat next to him. Granger sat in between with Weasley at the end.
"All right," Dumbledore began. "What we are about to discuss must stay in this room. No one may know anything about what is said here tonight."
He eyed all four students as they nodded. With a wave of his wand, the door to his office closed and a light surrounded the door, warding it from anyone entering or hearing what was said in the meeting. Albus sat back and folded his arms.
"As I told you, Severus, Harry survived because of the protection of his mother, and he was a target because of a prophecy given about him. What we didn't discuss was the prophecy itself."
Severus sat straighter, ready for whatever Dumbledore was about to divulge. The other three straightened as well. Dumbledore looked at all of them.
"These three have already heard the prophecy several times, but you, Severus, have not. Would any of you like to tell Severus what the prophecy said?"
Granger raised her hand.
"Go ahead, Miss Granger."
"The prophecy was uttered by Professor Sybill Trelawney in an interview for her position here at the school as Divination professor. Unbeknownst to Professor Dumbledore or her, there was a Death Eater spy listening just outside the door. He heard the prophecy and escaped just as Aberforth–the barkeep–discovered him hovering by the door with an extendable ear. He immediately told Voldemort. The prophecy uttered was this:
"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 as the seventh month dies... joined in adulthood by the one thrown through time, together, they will prevail over darkness."
Dumbledore looked at Harry. "Severus Snape has traveled through time to be here. He was a student of Hogwarts and disappeared in 1977 only to appear here this morning."
Harry's head twisted so he was looking at Severus. "He's the one thrown through time."
"Yes," Dumbledore replied softly.
Severus' eyes grew wide. "Now, wait a minute. Prophecies are utter nonsense. This is… this is ridiculous."
"No, Severus, it makes sense," Hermione said as she mulled it over. "We've wondered who the other person would be to fulfill the prophecy, and here you are," she pursed her lips. "I know Divination seems to be bollocks, but Voldemort believes this prophecy, and because of that, Harry's parents were killed. The prophecy states that Harry will vanquish Voldemort… and that you will be by his side to do it."
Severus stood in frustration. "But… I can't do this!" He waved his hands around as he glared at Dumbledore. "I don't even know anything about this time! How am I supposed to beat a man three times my age?"
"Severus… please… sit," Albus asked.
He huffed but did as Dumbledore asked.
"First of all," Dumbledore began, "we are not yet to the point that we are ready to fight Tom."
"Who's Tom?" Severus asked sharply.
"Ah, I forgot you didn't know. Voldemort's real name is Tom Riddle. He was a student here at Hogwarts a long time ago."
"I see."
"You will have time to learn about our time, Severus… and to get to know these three so you can work together."
Severus grit his teeth. "You expect me to work with a Potter? I'll have to watch my back constantly."
"Wait a minute, what's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, you don't even know Harry," Ron complained.
Severus rose furiously from his seat and went up to Ron.
"I may not know Harry," he ground out, "but I knew his father, and if he's anything like that man, I'll be watching my back for the rest of my life!"
Harry stood. "My father was a great man!"
"Your father was a swine!" Severus cried as he moved up to Harry, their noses almost touching.
"Gentlemen!" Dumbledore demanded. "Be still!"
Severus and Harry relaxed and took a step back from one another.
"Harry, Severus has good reason to not trust you, but Severus, I assure you that Harry Potter is nothing like his father."
"I'll believe that when I see it," Severus sneered as he moved back to his seat and settled back into it.
"Gentlemen," Albus continued. "The prophecy says nothing about you being friends, but it sounds like if you combine your forces, you will defeat Tom. Do you think the two of you can do that?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't really know what is going on with you, Severus, but I can put aside any animosity to work with you."
Severus glowered at Potter. "I suppose I can do the same."
"Good," Dumbledore acknowledged. "Let's adjourn for tonight. We'll meet again soon to go over what's going on with Tom."
The four students stood in unison and left the Headmaster's office.
"Severus," Harry called out to him, as he had preceded them out the door and was descending the stairs quickly.
Severus stopped and rolled his eyes.
"Can we talk about what's going on?" Harry asked.
"Potter, given that I am a Slytherin and you are… the infamous Harry Potter… we probably shouldn't be seen together. None of us should be seen together."
"You're right, of course," Harry said.
Hermione chimed in. "We can meet in the Room of Requirement when we need to speak with one another. No one will know. Harry and you can head there now to talk."
Severus stared at the three Gryffindors. "Fine," he said with a clipped tone.
Turning, he sped up the stairs outside of the Headmaster's office and headed for the room. Passing by three times, a door appeared. Severus looked back at the three who had caught up to him by then.
"Potter."
Harry turned to Hermione and Ron. "I'll see you back at the Common Room," he advised.
Hermione nodded, but Ron looked like he was about to say something.
"Ron, it's fine."
Ron shrugged and turned. "C'mon Hermione, we know when we're not wanted."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ron. Let's go."
They moved off, and Severus opened the door, letting Potter pass into the room. He did so and stopped a few steps into the room.
"Slytherin Common Room, eh?"
"You have seen it?"
"Once, in my second year. It's a long story."
Severus nodded, moved to a chair, and sat down. Harry did the same across from Severus. They stared at one another for a while in silence. Finally, Harry cleared his throat.
"I'm not sure why you hate me when we haven't spoken more than three words to one another."
Severus frowned and looked away. He mulled over the question before answering.
"I knew your father," he said finally. "He wasn't a nice man."
"That's another thing. Everyone who's said anything about my father always mentions how great he was."
Severus glared at Potter. "He may have been when he had you, but the man I knew was stuck up and a bully."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "How?"
"Potter, I really don't want…"
"Please," Harry said. "I want to know about my father. The good and the bad. And if he did things that caused you to hate him… I want to know that too."
Severus' eyes widened in surprise. Why was this son of James Potter even entertaining the thought that his father may have not been perfect? He sighed as he decided how to explain.
"All right. I first saw your father on the train to Hogwarts. I was sitting with your mother, and he came in with Sirius Black and joined us."
"You were sitting with my mum? You were friends?"
"Potter, I'm talking now." His jaw set as he glowered at the son of James Potter. "Yes, we were friends. We grew up in the same town. Potter and Black didn't like me from the start because I wanted to be in Slytherin. From that point, they had it out for me. At first, it was just a once-in-a-while thing. We'd stumble upon each other, and he and his friends would attack. Of course, I attacked right back. I am not one to be trifled with."
Harry nodded.
"A rivalry of sorts grew between us, and they were quick to attack me at odd times. After some time, it was almost as if they knew ahead of time where I was. I'd turn a corner and they'd be waiting… all four of them."
"So, wait, it was my dad, Sirius, Remus, and Pettigrew?"
"Yes," Severus sneered.
"How could they gang up on you like that?"
Severus arched a brow. "That's just the way they were. And besides, if they took me on one at a time, they'd be destroyed, and they knew it."
Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "I know why they could find you all the time," he advised.
"How?"
Reaching into his pocket, he extricated the Marauders Map.
"With this," he answered as he held it out to Severus.
Severus took the parchment. He eyed Harry for a minute before removing his wand and tapping the paper.
"Reveal your secrets," he commanded.
Severus Snape should keep his enormous nose out of other people's business, the parchment wrote.
Severus looked angrily at Harry. "What is the meaning of this?"
"What?" Harry asked in bewilderment.
Severus threw the parchment at Harry, who took it and quickly read the scrawled text.
"Oh Merlin, Severus. It's never done anything like this before. I swear!" He looked down at the parchment again. "It's a map," he explained finally.
Severus calmed slightly with Harry's words, yet still glared at the young man. "Show me."
"My dad and the other Marauders created it. You activate it by placing your wand on it and saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map appeared magically on the paper. Harry opened it up and pointed.
"You can't see the Room of Requirement, but you can see everything else. Look," he pointed at a place on the map. "Here's Hermione and Ron. Looks like they went to the library."
"So, you can see everyone here."
"Yes, and according to Remus, the map never lies."
"Those bastards used this against me!"
"I think they did."
They sat in silence for a bit before Severus spoke again.
"So they gave this to you?"
Harry chuckled. "Hardly. Fred and George gave it to me."
"Who are Fred and George?"
"Oh, sorry. Forgot you're new. They're Ron's older twin brothers. They're jokesters and like to play pranks on people. They used it before they gave it to me and taught me how to use it."
"So, now you use it to harass students?"
"No!" Harry protested. He took a deep breath before continuing. "No, I don't. I'm not like that. I hate stuff like that. I use it to keep an eye on people."
Severus regarded Harry for a bit before continuing. "How did you find out it was your father's?"
"Remus was a teacher here in my second year. He told me."
"How could Dumbledore have let him teach here?" Severus snapped out.
Harry got agitated. "He was an amazing teacher!"
"When he wasn't trying to eat you for lunch!" Severus shot back.
"He has a potion for that. The Wolfsbane. It lets him keep his personality when he changes. It makes him able to live a normal life."
"There's a potion for it now?"
"Yes. It keeps the mind intact so the wolf can reason as a human."
"In wolf form…"
"Well, yeah," Harry said as he shrugged, his cheeks tinged pink.
"Remarkable, but I still say he is a danger."
Harry nodded his head. "He eventually left because of an incident where he forgot his potion."
"Why that idiotic, foolish…!"
"Yeah, it was an extenuating circumstance," Harry broke in.
Severus glared at him before continuing.
"Anyway, getting back to our original conversation… James Potter was not to be trusted, therefore, I do not trust you either, Harry Potter."
"I can see why you feel that way. Thanks for telling me all that. I'm appalled at my father's actions. Maybe he never said it, but I will. I'm sorry that all happened."
Severus stared at the man who had his mother's eyes. Perhaps he had more than that, but he wasn't ready to just trust this spawn of James Potter. It would take some time.
He stood.
"I believe we have talked this topic to death. Are you ready to go?"
Harry stood. Severus began walking away, but Harry called out to him. He stopped but didn't turn around.
"I'm not like that, Severus. Give me a chance, and you'll see."
"Time will tell," Severus replied before walking out of the room.
oooOOOooo
Severus entered his dorm room and lay down on his bed. He was thankful the room was empty, he had much to think about. The prophecy that Dumbledore had told him about was… odd… to say the least. He had no doubt that he was the 'One thrown through time.' Who else could it be? How ironic.
He'd wanted to make a difference. It had been part of the spell. But the last thing he imagined was that he would be fighting the man he'd almost followed in a different time. Little did he know when he cast the spell he was going to face the Dark Lord.
He grew nervous. Voldemort was powerful, and he was inexperienced with fighting in a wartime situation. He did well with a wand and had created many spells himself, but aside from dueling in Defense class, and of course, fighting with Potter and his cretin friends, he didn't have a lot of experience.
Of course, now that he knew he would be a major factor in defeating Voldemort, he could practice.
Still, he was surprised at how the spell had worked out where to deposit him in time.
His eyebrows knit together. How was he supposed to work with the son of his worst enemy? Severus didn't believe what Potter had said about himself. Of course, it was possible, but he didn't know how the son of such a slime could turn out to be a good person. Yet, Potter had insisted he wasn't like his father once he knew what he had done.
Severus mulled that over for a while. He had to admit, James Potter would never say anything like his son had. He would be more likely to say that Severus had deserved what he got. He closed his eyes, unsure how he felt about this whole thing.
Perhaps things would be different with this Potter.
Honestly, he didn't know; neither did he know what to think about any of it. Everything had been such a surprise. The thing was, he'd used the spell correctly, so he must be in this time for a reason. He must be able to make a difference. That he had to do it with Harry Potter was disturbing, but he'd do his best to defeat the Dark Lord, even if he had to work with Potter's spawn to do it.