Author's Notes

Welcome to the second part of Act II, and thanks to all the comments regarding the first part, as well as any newcomers who happened to stumble upon this work. Just as a quick warning, this second part of Act II will contain some Jily, so for those who aren't fond of the ship, be advised.

I would also like to promote the site alwayssnapedotcom (replace the "dot" with a "."), created by Heatherlly who has written such works as "Obscura Nox Anima" and "Veritas Omnia Vincit". This is a Snape-based site for all your Snapey needs.

Chapter 7: Preparations

Severus I

Sunday, 31 October 1976

"Severus," Dumbledore asked calmly, "did you open the Chamber of Secrets?"

Severus had found himself led to Dumbledore's Office by not only Dumbledore, but also Professors McGonagall and Slughorn. Currently sitting across from the Headmaster, Severus did his best not to look at the other two professors, who flanked him.

"Of course, I didn't!" Severus spat back.

"I would advise you to mind your tone, Mr. Snape," McGonagall said sternly.

"Headmaster, this has to be some sort of elaborate prank," Slughorn objected, something which surprised Severus. He wasn't used to being defended by the old professor. "There's no proof that the Chamber was opened."

"Quite right, professor," Dumbledore replied. "And I'm not sure if that's reassuring or not."

"What do you mean?" Slughorn asked.

"Well," Dumbledore answered, "considering that the entrance to the Chamber is unknown, and considering that nothing of note has happened, it's difficult to say whether or not the Chamber has been opened in the first place. For now, the only serious misdeed committed tonight is vandalism."

That was one of the things that had caught Severus off-guard; there had been no attacks. In fact, as Dumbledore had said, there was no evidence the Chamber had been opened at all. The most damage it had done, aside from vandalism, was negatively affect Severus's reputation. And yet Professor Snape knew that this wasn't a simple act of vandalism. And if the Chamber had been opened, which was near-certain, then who had done it?

"That may be the case," McGonagall said, "but if the Chamber truly has been opened, and if the legends are to be believed-"

"-then we should endeavor to find the culprit," Dumbledore finished. "Vandalism on its own isn't too serious, in the grand scheme of things. However, if we search for the culprit, announcing the severity of the act, then it may be more difficult for us. Let me say that I do not, for one moment, believe that Mr. Snape has anything to do with this."

"Headmaster, the message says-"

"I am aware of the message," Dumbledore said. "If you'll allow me to ask: does Mr. Snape have any history of vandalism or general mischief?"

"Not until recently," McGonagall replied. "There have been a few altercations between Mr. Snape and either Potter or Black."

"Which I am, of course, aware of," Dumbledore replied. "But I am also aware of the fact that Mr. Snape has a long-running rivalry with Messrs. Potter and Black. And yet, not once has Mr. Snape had any record involving vandalism."

"What are you suggesting?"

"It is my belief that someone is trying to frame Mr. Snape," Dumbledore answered. "But as of right now, we have no leads."

"Headmaster, perhaps you should call in Mr. Lupin on this matter?" McGonagall asked.

Severus was almost confused, and he had almost asked himself how Lupin was relevant to any of this. But of course, he quickly corrected himself by remembering the company the werewolf kept.

"A fine idea," Dumbledore said. "Would you kindly send for him?"

"Certainly," McGonagall answered. She turned and briskly walked out of the office, leaving Severus with Dumbledore and Slughorn.

"Now then," Slughorn said, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation, "do you have any idea who could have done such a thing?"

Severus's first instinct was to blame Potter and Black, but he knew it would be foolish. There was a chance that one of the Marauders had written the message on the wall, but absolutely no chance of any of them opening the Chamber. Maybe Pettigrew, but only if he had the diary-

The diary was here. The diary was at Hogwarts. No one alive, other than the Dark Lord, could speak Parseltongue, meaning that… Malfoy. According to Potter, Malfoy had been the one responsible for the diary coming into the school originally, meaning he had to have come into possession of it; Severus's best guess was that the Dark Lord had entrusted it to him….

"No idea," Severus half-admitted. Malfoy was most likely responsible, but there had to be more to it than that.

"Well, it couldn't have been anyone at the feast," Slughorn said, thinking out loud.

"I'm not so sure," Dumbledore replied. "On several occasions, there were students who came and went, most likely to use the loo or to leave early. It would be difficult to narrow down."

"Hmm," Slughorn nodded. "Quite right…. Well, I'll have to think about this carefully. If you don't mind-"

"Oh, not at all, professor," Dumbledore replied. "You have to prepare for your classes. Have a good night."

"Good night, headmaster." Slughorn waddled out of the office just as McGonagall walked in with Lupin.

"Ah, good evening, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore said.

"Headmaster." Lupin bowed his head slightly before looking at Severus.

"Professor, I can handle the situation from here," Dumbledore said.

"Of course. Have a good night." McGonagall left the office as Lupin sat in the chair next to Severus.

"Now, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore said, "It's no secret that Messrs. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew have been known for mischief in the past-"

"Headmaster, I swear it wasn't any of them!" Lupin quickly said. "We were all at the feast!"

"Very true," Dumbledore said. Severus caught an odd look in his eye. "I just meant that, given the contents of the message, it may seem as though they're attempting to frame Mr. Snape."

"You don't think-"

"Mr. Snape has my absolute confidence," Dumbledore replied. "He is no more the culprit than I am. And I doubt that your friends are responsible either."

"I see," Lupin said, sounding unsure. "If you don't think they did anything, then why am I here?"

"I just need to borrow your badge for one moment," Dumbledore said.

Severus watched as Lupin handed the badge over to Dumbledore, wondering what was about to happen.

Dumbledore said, "Priori Memoria. Sunday, the 31st of October 1976. Remus Lupin." Severus watched Dumbledore's eyes flicker for a moment before he handed the badge back. "I see…. Thank you for your time, Mr. Lupin. You're free to go."

Lupin gave Severus an uncertain look before standing and leaving the office. As he did, Severus turned back to Dumbledore. Finally, they could talk about what was going on.

"Sir-"

"I am aware that the diary is in the school," Dumbledore began. "And that, based on your memories, Lucius Malfoy is most likely responsible."

"What do we do from here?"

"For now, I'm afraid we can do nothing."

Severus froze. "Come again?"

"There are some problems," Dumbledore replied. "If you'll allow me to explain fully."

Severus took a deep breath to steady himself. "Very well." Leave it to Albus Dumbledore to justify negligence.

"There is the issue of the individual responsible for bringing it into the school."

"Lucius."

"No," Dumbledore said. "From what you've told me, Miss Weasley was the one to bring the diary into the school. It is my belief that Malfoy has used a proxy, much as he did before."

"But who?"

"It could be anyone," Dumbledore admitted, "but that is something for us to discern after we address the present problems. To continue with my point, someone has brought the diary into the school. Given that Voldemort is still alive, it is highly probable that he has ordered this to happen, meaning he is aware that the diary is in the school. And, as you are aware, there are those within these walls who have ties to Malfoy."

"Black and Rosier," Severus muttered. Both Regulus Black and Evan Rosier were first cousins to Narcissa, and had been close to Lucius by extension. "Among others."

"Everyone in the school will learn of the writing on the wall," Dumbledore continued, "including Messrs. Black and Rosier. And if they write back to Mr. Malfoy…."

… then the Dark Lord finds out.

"Exactly, professor," Dumbledore said. "If we make our intentions known by searching for the diary in a less-than-organic way, Voldemort will infer that we are hunting for his horcruxes, and will then go to greater lengths to protect them. And currently, we're having trouble discerning the number of horcruxes, let alone identifying them or their locations."

"Aside from the diary and the ring," Severus said. "Surely, you must have some idea?"

"Admittedly, I do," Dumbledore replied. "However, it may be best not to discuss it tonight. You've had a rather tumultuous day as it is, and I think it best that you have a well-rested mind."

"About that…." Severus knew it was time. He'd been putting it off since the start of term, but if the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, then Lily was in danger. And the sickening dread building up inside him made him realize he had to confide in Dumbledore to determine the best course of action. "Sir, I've been having… nightmares."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed, ever so subtly. "Regarding?"

"My… Professor Snape's memories," Severus explained. "Almost every night, I've been having the same dream…. I don't know if I can call it a dream, actually."

"What do these dreams contain?" Dumbledore asked.

"Everything," Severus answered. "When I'm asleep, I'm… reliving Professor Snape's entire life. From birth to death."

Dumbledore didn't answer immediately; he sat there with his hands folded before him. "How vivid are they?"

"It's every single second," Severus said. "And it's exactly the same every time. I've been Occluding since term started to keep myself focused. And… I need to show you something." Severus rolled up his sleeve and exposed the Dark Mark to Dumbledore.

Once more Dumbledore was silent, simply staring down at Severus's arm for a moment before looking Severus in the eye. He wasn't sure what the old man was thinking, and yet he could feel something gleaming the surface of his own mind. "Do you know the cause of this?" Dumbledore finally asked.

We believe it is related to our gestaltation.

Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Now, regarding your dreams…."

"They're the reason I need potions," Severus explained. "But I need a stronger dose. It seems I'm developing a tolerance."

"That's rather unfortunate," Dumbledore said quietly. "I'll have a word with Madam Pomfrey on that matter. For now, perhaps you should get some sleep."

Severus nodded. "I will." He stood and left Dumbledore, heading down the staircase and past the gargoyle.

The walk to Severus room was one of the longest walks he'd ever had, no doubt in part due to the realization that, at any given moment, a fucking basilisk could come around the corner. But the fact of the matter was that, unlike the original events of the Hallowe'en of '92, there was no victim. Mrs. Norris hadn't yet been taken in by Filch, and the caretaker currently had no pets to speak of, so there was no petrified cat waiting to be found beside the message.

What do you make of this?

With the absence of a first victim, the students won't take this threat seriously. Perhaps the younger ones might, but as most have no knowledge of the Chamber of Secrets, their fear would remain irrational.

So….

Currently, your peers will believe at least one of three things: you opened the Chamber of Secrets, you want the attention, or you are being framed.

What do you think is the most likely one?

If I was forced to guess, I would say the second option.

Severus found his way into his room and sat down at his desk. "It's safe to say that we need to prepare."

If that wasn't obvious enough, yes.

"Well… might as well start with a plan to kill the basilisk."

Severus took out a blank sheet of parchment and stared at the page, drawing what he could from the professor's own knowledge on the monster. After remaining still for an indeterminate amount of time, Severus dipped the quill in the inkwell and began writing out the series of events that had happened in the '92 and '93. He listed the names of the victims: Mrs. Norris, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Sir Nicholas, Hermione Granger, and Penelope Clearwater. Ginevra Weasley was the intended seventh victim, whose death would have restored the Dark Lord's body….

This didn't make sense. The Dark Lord hadn't yet been destroyed, which meant that his goal wasn't to return to life. If that wasn't the case, then why was the Chamber opened? Severus made a note of that, to bring this concern to Dumbledore at a later time.

Severus returned to going over the victims and considering the nature of their petrification. Granger and Clearwater were obvious; they'd seen the basilisk through a hand mirror and thus avoided direct eye contact. Sir Nicholas was already dead and couldn't die again. Which left Mrs. Norris and the two boys. Interestingly enough, Finch-Fletchley had been found with Sir Nicholas, but it didn't explain his case. As for the cat and Creevey, Severus had nothing to go on. All he gained from this information was a way to mitigate as much death as he could… but that could only work if students took the threat seriously in the first place, let alone knew that it was a basilisk that lived in the Chamber, and this was assuming they believed the Chamber existed.

Severus set the marked parchment aside and took another. Staring at the blank sheet, he began thinking of what he could do to prevent it from hurting Lily. The thought of Lily and the basilisk set him on-edge, and he took a moment to calm his mind; he couldn't plan properly if he was distracted. Occluding, the unease in his stomach settled, and, with mental clarity, he recorded his plan.

Remus I

Remus wasn't sure what to make of the writing on the wall. Obviously, the 'Heir' was the Heir of Slytherin, which happened to be Snape, but Snape didn't seem the type to do something like this. If anything, a past James or Sirius would be the most likely culprits, but Remus was confident it wasn't either one of them. Maybe the other Slytherins had done it, but for what purpose? These were questions that he wished James and Sirius could consider, instead of coming to their conclusion.

"Where would he even get the paint?" Peter asked. "I didn't even know Hogwarts had paint."

"It looked like some sort of charm," Sirius said. "But I don't think that's really the element to focus on."

"He wasn't at the feast," James said, staring at the Map. "Right now, he's in his room. What does he even do?"

"Mostly reading or writing," Peter answered. "Occasionally talking to himself."

"But the fact remains that we didn't have our eyes on him tonight," James said.

"We might need to broaden our scope," Remus said, drawing attention to himself. "Anyone who left the Great Hall could have done it."

"You really don't think it was Snivellus?" Sirius asked.

"Is he the type to implicate himself?" Remus asked. He didn't like the fact that Sirius was slipping back into his old habits, but considering the circumstances, he couldn't blame him.

"Maybe he wants the attention," Peter suggested.

"In any case," Remus said, trying to end the conversation before it could get any closer to mischief, "this is a job for the Prefects to take care of. Not the Marauders."

"You'll keep us in the know, right?" James asked. Leave it to James to get himself involved in adventure.

"If it doesn't make my job harder," Remus answered noncommittally. "Why do we even care? It's just a message."

"Not if it's true," Sirius said solemnly. "If the Chamber of Secrets really has been opened…."

"Do you know anything about it?" James asked.

Sirius sat up on his bed, gesturing everyone to come closer. Among the four, he was the most knowledgeable about Slytherin and the Dark Arts, mostly on account of his upbringing, and he had been the one to teach the four of them how to fight against whatever any Slytherin could throw at them. This was the reason that Remus wasn't too surprised when Sirius asked, "How much do any of you know about Salazar Slytherin?"

Regulus I

Regulus found himself lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't bothered changing out of his school robes, let alone shower and prepare for bed. At the start of the year, he thought he had a firm understanding of what would happen, as well as whomever he needed to keep his eyes on; Snape had not only not been an exception, he had been the priority. And yet, he found himself unnerved, staring up at the ceiling like a Confunded fool, processing what had occurred earlier in the evening.

The Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

At first, Regulus wanted to brush it off as a practical joke to implicate Snape, but the more he thought about it, the less that made sense. The existence of the Chamber wasn't exactly common knowledge; only someone well-versed in Hogwarts history and Slytherin would be aware of the legend involving the founder. His first suspicion had been Sirius, but he quickly brushed that aside; the reference was too obscure to incite the right sort of panic in the student populace, and Sirius preferred humiliation and mockery over terror in the first place. Well, if it wasn't Sirius, who else could it be?

The other Slytherins had seemed just as surprised as anyone else. When Rosier had explained the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, the boys in Regulus's year and older came to the conclusion that it must be true, and that Snape had been the one to write it. And while Regulus verbally agreed with them, feigning a shared enthusiasm of the prospect, it didn't make sense; what bothered Regulus wasn't how little sense it made, but rather how unpredictable Snape was, assuming he was the culprit.

If Snape had truly done this, and if he was this unpredictable, then Regulus had absolutely no idea what to expect next. And this terrified him. Lucius had started doubting Snape's allegiance as this term had progressed, basing this doubt on Snape's recent choices; if Lucius Malfoy doubted one of his own prospects, and said prospect ended up opening the Chamber of Secrets….

Regulus closed his eyes and tried to clear his head. He had limited skill with Occlumency, something which he had studied over the summer, but it proved to help settle his nerves enough to think clearly. It did no good to worry about this, and he could be using his time and energy on finding a way to deal with the possibility of a monster roaming the castle. What this monster was, Regulus was unsure, but he suspected it was something the founder could control: a serpent. And, if it was a serpent, then Slytherin would choose something formidable, a creature with a long life (presumably) and a certain degree of lethality. And if that was the case….

Regulus was beginning to hope this was an elaborate prank.

Severus II

Monday, 1 November 1976

The following POV contains content, close to verbatim, from HBP Chapter 10, "The House of Gaunt"

The day began with Regulus checking on Severus. While the conversation had been short, Severus could tell that the younger Prefect was uneasy, most likely due to the writing on the wall regarding the Chamber of Secrets. Something about Regulus's unease made Severus feel uneasy himself, and since he had left, he had started going over the implications of… whatever it was he had sensed.

He knows about the Chamber of Secrets.

So it seems.

And yet….

What is it?

He doesn't seem like he's involved.

Lucius possessed the diary, which was then brought into Hogwarts. If not through Regulus, then who?

I don't know. All I know is that all of this feels wrong. Whether or not he brought the diary to the school, I don't think he knows who opened the Chamber.

You believe he doesn't know what the diary can do?

I'm guessing, but yes. And this is assuming he's the one who brought it to begin with. For all we know, it might've been Rosier.

This is something to consider at a later time. For now, let us eat and prepare for the day.

Severus ate his breakfast of groaty pudding, prepared by Snarky, before doing his morning calisthenics and taking a quick shower. Noting that some of his stress had subsided, he got dressed and proceeded to Defense.

Class went about as well as Severus had predicted, with a majority of the students giving him dirty looks, especially Potter, Black, and McKinnon. Lupin seemed to ignore him entirely, while Pettigrew's looks were those of apprehension and nervousness. He wasn't sure how Lily would look at him, as she was still in bed, but he hoped she wouldn't think poorly of him.

After class, Severus collected his things and sorted out the notes he'd written for Lily, making his way to the Hospital Wing. As he arrived, he found Potter sitting by Lily's bed, talking to her and running his fingers through his hair to mess it up. Lily was talking back to him, almost amicably… no, she was happy to see him….

Severus felt a heat bubbling up from his chest, but he took quiet breaths to calm himself. Stepping forward, he said, "Lily."

Potter and Lily turned to Severus, and Severus immediately recognized the look on Lily's face. She had stiffened in her bed, her stare fixed with a certain level of intensity that unsettled him. Potter's face was more relaxed and smug, as though the writing on the wall was damning evidence of Severus's allegiances.

"Severus." Lily's voice was hard.

"I have your notes," Severus said quickly, holding out what he had written down.

"James offered his," Lily replied, gesturing to a small stack beside her. "He'll be helping me with my notes for Defense and Transfiguration."

"Oh." Severus's mind went blank. If he took the time to think about it, he would do or say something he would regret, and Potter would win. But even with this precaution, he could tell that Potter was already winning her over. Why was it happening sooner? Or had it happened at this time before, only Severus hadn't noticed? "I'll see you after Potions, then."

"Alright," Lily said, her words short. "I need to have a word with you this evening."

Potter's silence was infuriating to Severus. "Very well," Severus said. "Have a good day."

Severus turned and left the Hospital Wing, not allowing himself the chance to see Lily continue flirting with James fucking Potter. He was desperately hoping that this year wouldn't allow them to grow closer together, because he knew that any direct interference would only make him look worse and make Potter look better. Just like any other exchange in the past five years, when Potter and his gang would outnumber and humiliate him in front of their peers, including Lily. Lily's protests had grown increasingly weaker as their time at Hogwarts progressed, culminating in the hidden smile she'd had on her face after the Defense O.W.L.

Before Severus knew it, he found himself in his room, sitting down as another bowl of groaty pudding appeared. He ate it quickly, performed his calisthenics, and immediately left for the Headmaster's Office, stepping in front of the gargoyle and offering his custom password set up by Dumbledore.

"Asphodel."

The gargoyle moved aside, and Severus walked up the steps and entered the office. He found Dumbledore speaking with two Gryffindors from last year: Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody. Severus was almost unsure as to why they were here, but he soon remembered that they had originally been assigned, along with Rufus Scimgeour, to oversee Defense classes in sixth year, specifically regarding resisting the effects of both the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses. As it was a fairly controversial subject, which would normally result in the professor being sent to Azkaban, it made sense that Ministry supervision was needed.

"Ah, Mr. Snape!" Dumbledore looked past the two Auror trainees. "I see you're somewhat early for your lessons. You must be rather excited."

Severus nodded. "I apologize for interrupting-"

"Oh, not at all, my boy," Dumbledore said. "If you would wait for a moment. Make yourself comfortable."

Severus sat down on a nearby couch, which was set out near the entrance, as Dumbledore continued speaking with his visitors. Shacklebolt remained focused on the old man, but Moody glanced back at Severus every minute or so. Constant vigilance, indeed.

After a time, Shacklebolt and Moody said their farewells and turned to leave. Shacklebolt gave Severus a smile and nod, while Moody gave him a death-stare. It didn't matter; Severus didn't like either one of them. Shacklebolt had been Head Boy and had done fuck-all to make Lupin do his job, and Moody was Moody. Both Gryffindors, through and through.

Severus stood and approached Dumbledore as the two men left, and he waited to be seated. "Sir, I thought that, perhaps, we could go ahead and discuss… whatever it was you wanted to talk about last night?"

"Certainly," Dumbledore replied, standing up. "In fact, it might be better that you came early. This might take a while." He walked over to where the Pensieve was and gestured for Severus to follow. "I wish to show you a collection of memories relating to the horcruxes. However, for today, we will only be looking at one."

Why only one?

"I thought it would be best to use your Alchemy lessons as an excuse to view them," Dumbledore exclaimed, "but I still expect to go over the subject with you, memory or not."

"That's fair," Severus agreed. "So, what is this first memory, then?"

"It would be easier to show you before discussing its contents," Dumbledore answered, retrieving a small flask containing a silvery thread. He unstopped the flask and poured the silver into the Pensieve, and Severus watched as it swirled around and formed a mist. "Shall we?"

Severus nodded and lowered his face into the Pensieve.

Severus found himself standing in a country lane bordered by high, tangled hedgerows, beneath a summer sky as bright and blue as a forget-me-not. Some ten feet in front of him stood a short, plump man wearing enormously thick glasses that reduced his eyes to molelike specks. He was reading a wooden signpost that was sticking out of the brambles on the left-hand side of the road.

"This is Bob Ogden," Dumbledore said, appearing beside Severus. "We are currently viewing his memory."

"I assumed as much," Professor Snape replied, appearing just after.

"Professor, good to see you- ah, we must follow!"

Severus returned his attention to the man and quickly realized he was wearing the strange assortment of clothes so often chosen by inexperienced wizards trying to look like Muggles: in this case, a frock coat and spats over a striped one-piece bathing costume. He reminded Severus of his old wardrobe, of the clothes he wore whenever he went to spend time with Lily.

Severus and Dumbledore followed Ogden as the man set off at a brisk walk down the lane, passing by a wooden sign that read 'GREAT HANGLETON: 5 MILES' and 'LITTLE HANGLETON: 1 MILE'; Ogden was headed for the latter. They walked a short way with nothing to see but the hedgerows, the wide blue sky overhead and the swishing, frock-coated figure ahead. Then the lane curved to the left and fell away, sloping steeply down a hillside, so that they had a sudden, unexpected view of the whole valley laid out in front of them. There was a village, presumably Little Hangleton, nestled between two steep hills, its church and graveyard clearly visible. Across the valley, set on the opposite hillside, was a handsome manor house surrounded by a wide expanse of velvety green lawn.

Ogden had broken into a reluctant trot due to the steep downward slope. Dumbledore lengthened his stride, and Severus managed to keep pace. He watched with amazement as Professor Snape simply glided beside them, his feet completely off the ground.

"A rather splendid ability, professor," Dumbledore noted with a hint of admiration.

"A token of appreciation from the Dark Lord," Snape replied. "We can compare notes later."

Severus thought Little Hangleton must be their final destination and wondered why they had to approach it from such a distance. He soon discovered that he was mistaken in thinking that they were going to the village, however. The lane curved to the right and when they rounded the corner, it was to see the very edge of Ogden's frock coat vanishing through a gap in the hedge.

Severus followed Dumbledore and Professor Snape onto a narrow dirt track bordered by higher and wilder hedgerows than those they had left behind. The path was crooked, rocky, and potholed, sloping downhill like the last one, and it seemed to be heading for a patch of dark trees a little below them. Sure enough, the track soon opened up at the copse, and the three of them came to a halt behind Ogden, who had stopped and drawn his wand.

Despite the cloudless sky, the old trees ahead cast deep, dark, cool shadows, and Severus discerned the building half-hidden amongst the tangle of trunks. It seemed a very strange location to choose for a house, or else an odd decision to leave the trees growing nearby, blocking all light and the view of the valley below. The walls were mossy and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that the rafters were visible in places. Nettles grew all around it, their tips reaching the windows, which were tiny and thick with grime. Severus had never before thought anyone's home could out-disgust Number 13 Spinner's End, and yet here he was, staring at it. Suddenly, one of the windows was thrown open with a clatter, and a thin trickle of steam or smoke issued from it, as though somebody was cooking.

Ogden moved forward quietly and rather cautiously. As the dark shadows of the trees slid over him, he stopped again, staring at the front door, to which somebody had nailed a dead snake.

Then there was a rustle and a crack, and a man in rags dropped from the nearest tree, landing on his feet right in front of Ogden, who leapt backward so fast he stood on the tails of his frock coat and stumbled.

The man standing before them hissed something incoherent, either as a warning or a threat. He had thick hair so matted with dirt it could have been any color. Several of his teeth were missing. His eyes were small and dark and stared in opposite directions. He might have looked comical, but he did not. Ogden backed away several more paces before he spoke.

"Er- good morning. I'm from the Ministry Of Magic-"

The man hissed in response in the same manner.

"Er- I'm sorry- I don't understand you," said Ogden nervously.

"Parseltongue," Professor Snape said quietly.

"Quite right," Dumbledore replied.

The man in rags was now advancing on Ogden, knife in hand, wand in the other.

"Now, look-" Ogden began, but too late; there was a bang, and Ogden was on the ground, clutching his nose, while a nasty yellowish goo squirted from between his fingers.

"Morfin!"

An elderly man had come hurrying out of the cottage, banging the door behind him so that the dead snake swung pathetically. This man was shorter than the first, and oddly proportioned; his shoulders were very broad and his arms overlong, which, with his bright brown eyes, short scrubby hair, and wrinkled face, gave him the look of a powerful, aged monkey. He came to a halt beside the man with the knife, who was now cackling with laughter at the sight of Ogden on the ground.

"Ministry, is it?" The old man was looking down at Ogden.

"Correct!" Ogden was angrily dabbing his face. "And you, I take it, are Mr. Gaunt?"

"S'right," said Gaunt. "Got you in the face, did he?"

"Yes, he did!"

"Should've made your presence known, shouldn't you?" Gaunt sounded aggressive. "This is private property. Can't just walk in here and not expect my son to defend himself."

"Defend himself against what, man?" said Ogden, clambering back to his feet.

"Busybodies. Intruders. Muggles and filth."

Ogden pointed his wand at his own nose, which was still issuing large amounts of what looked like yellow pus, and the flow stopped at once. Mr. Gaunt spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Morfin in Parseltongue. Morfin seemed to be on the point of disagreeing, but when his father cast him a threatening look he changed his mind, lumbering away to the cottage with an odd rolling gait and slamming the front door behind him, so that the snake swung sadly again.

"It's your son I'm here to see, Mr. Gaunt," said Ogden, as he mopped the last of the pus from the front of his coat. "That was Morfin, wasn't it?"

"Ar, that was Morfin," said the old man indifferently. "Are you pure-blood?" He suddenly sounded aggressive once more.

"That's neither here nor there," said Ogden coldly.

Gaunt squinted into Ogden's face and muttered, in what was clearly supposed to be an offensive tone, "Now I come to think about it, I've seen noses like yours down in the village."

"I don't doubt it, if your son's been let loose on them," said Ogden. "Perhaps we could continue this discussion inside?"

"Inside?"

"Yes, Mr. Gaunt. I've already told you. I'm here about Morfin. We've sent an owl-"

"I've no use for owls," said Gaunt. "I don't open letters."

"Then you can hardly complain that you get no warning of visitors," said Ogden tartly. "I am here following a serious breach of Wizarding law, which occurred here in the early hours of this morning-"

"All right, all right, all right!" bellowed Gaunt. "Come in the bleeding house, then, and much good it'll do you!"

The house seemed to contain three tiny rooms. Two doors led off the main room, which served as kitchen and living room combined. Morfin was sitting in a filthy armchair, similar to the one in Severus's house, beside the smoking fire, twisting a live adder between his thick fingers and crooning softly in Parseltongue.

There was a scuffling noise in the corner beside the open window, and Severus turned and saw a girl whose ragged grey dress was the exact color of the dirty stone wall behind her. She was standing beside a steaming pot on a grimy black stove, and was fiddling around with the shelf of squalid-looking pots and pans above it. Her hair was lank and dull, and she had a plain, pale, rather heavy face. Her eyes, like her brother's, stared in opposite directions. She looked a little cleaner than the two men, but apart from her physical condition, Severus had only once seen someone as defeated-looking as her: his own mother.

"M'daughter, Merope," said Gaunt grudgingly, as Ogden looked inquiringly toward her.

"Good morning," said Ogden.

She did not answer, but with a frightened glance at her father turned her back on the room and continued shifting the pots on the shelf behind her.

"... Merope Gaunt," Professor Snape murmured.

"You know her?" Dumbledore asked.

"I heard her name when I had passed on. Her fate was undetermined, much like mine, until she was granted access into Heaven."

"Is that all?" Dumbledore asked with a hint of curiosity.

"... she's Tom Riddle's mother."

Severus's blood ran cold at the name that had pervaded his mind. He already knew this from Professor Snape's memories, but being reminded of it, coupled with what he was bearing witness to, gave him a sense of discomfort. It disturbed him that he and the Dark Lord would share something so intimate in common: an abused mother.

"Well, Mr. Gaunt," said Ogden, "to get straight to the point, we have reason to believe that your son, Morfin, performed magic in front of a Muggle late last night."

There was a deafening clang. Merope had dropped one of the pots.

Gaunt hissed in what Severus believed to be some sort of bellowing. Gaunt then said in English, "That's it, grub on the floor like some filthy Muggle, what's your wand for, you useless sack of muck?"

"Mr. Gaunt, please!" said Ogden in a shocked voice, as Merope, who had already picked up the pot, flushed blotchily scarlet, lost her grip on the pot again, drew her wand shakily from her pocket, pointed it at the pot, and muttered a hasty, inaudible spell that caused the pot to shoot across the floor away from her, hitting the opposite wall, and crack in two.

Morfin let out a mad cackle of laughter. Gaunt screamed, "Mend it, you pointless lump, mend it!"

Merope stumbled across the room, but before she had time to raise her wand, Ogden had lifted his own and said firmly, "Reparo." The pot mended itself instantly.

Gaunt looked for a moment as though he was going to shout at Ogden, but seemed to think better of it; instead, he jeered at his daughter, "Luckily the nice man from the Ministry's here, isn't it? Perhaps he'll take you off my hands, perhaps he doesn't mind dirty Squibs…."

Without looking at anybody or thanking Ogden, Merope picked up the pot and returned it, hands trembling, to its shelf. She then stood quite still, her back against the wall between the filthy window and the stove, as though she wished for nothing more than to sink into the stone and vanish.

Severus was having trouble keeping himself composed at the sight; he'd seen this very scene at home between his parents, the difference being the lack of a Bob Ogden to help clean the mess up. He was brought back to a time before Eileen had taken to the bottle, back even before Severus had met Lily, and it was a time he wished he had been sent back to; perhaps then, he would seek help for his mother, even if he had to feel the wrath of his father to protect her.

"Mr. Gaunt," Ogden began again, snapping Severus out of his head, "as I've said: the reason for my visit-"

"I heard you the first time!" snapped Gaunt. "And so what? Morfin gave a Muggle a bit of what was coming to him- what about it, then?"

"Morfin has broken Wizarding law," said Ogden sternly.

"'Morfin has broken Wizarding law'." Gaunt imitated Ogden's voice, making it pompous and singsong. Morfin cackled again. "He taught a filthy Muggle a lesson, that's illegal now, is it?"

"Yes," said Ogden. "I'm afraid it is." He pulled from an inside pocket a small scroll of parchment and unrolled it.

"What's that, then, his sentence?" said Gaunt, his voice rising angrily.

"It is a summons to the Ministry for a hearing-"

"Summons! Summons? Who do you think you are, summoning my son anywhere?"

"I'm Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad," said Ogden.

"And you think we're scum, do you?" screamed Gaunt, advancing on Ogden now, with a dirty yellow-nailed finger pointing at his chest. "Scum who'll come running when the Ministry tells 'em to? Do you know who you're talking to, you filthy little Mudblood, do you?"

"I was under the impression that I was speaking to Mr. Gaunt," said Ogden, looking wary, but standing his ground.

"That's right!" roared Gaunt, revealing to Ogden the ugly, black-stoned ring he was wearing on his middle finger, waving it before Ogden's eyes. "See this? See this? Know what it is? Know where it came from? Centuries it's been in our family, that's how far back we go, and pure-blood all the way! Know how much I've been offered for this, with the Peverell coat of arms engraved on the stone?"

"I've really no idea," said Ogden, blinking as the ring sailed within an inch of his nose, "and it's quite beside the point, Mr. Gaunt. Your son has committed-"

With a howl of rage, Gaunt ran toward his daughter. His hand flew to her throat, and he was dragging her toward Ogden by a gold chain around her neck.

"See this?" he bellowed at Ogden, shaking a heavy gold locket at him, while Merope spluttered and gasped for breath. Severus went to grab at the man's foul hand, but his own passed through the phantom limb.

"I see it, I see it!" said Ogden hastily.

"Slytherin's!" yelled Gaunt. "Salazar Slytherin's! We're his last living descendants, what do you say to that, eh?"

"Mr. Gaunt, your daughter!" said Ogden in alarm, but Gaunt had already released Merope; she staggered away from him, back to her corner, massaging her neck and gulping for air.

Severus was about to walk over to her, but a firm hand gripped him by the arm. He turned and saw Professor Snape, wearing an emotionless mask and gesturing back to Gaunt and Ogden.

"So!" said Gaunt triumphantly, as though he had just proved a complicated point beyond all possible dispute. "Don't you go talking to us as if we're dirt on your shoes! Generations of purebloods, wizards all- more than you can say, I don't doubt!" And he spat on the floor at Ogden's feet. Morfin cackled again. Merope, huddled beside the window, her head bowed and her face hidden by her lank hair, said nothing.

Severus pulled himself out of the professor's grip as he watched Merope, but he couldn't bring himself to go to her. He felt as weak and helpless as she appeared, realizing that there was no way for him to go back and bring her out of this hellish house. He felt his mouth open to say something, but his voice caught in the back of his throat. He didn't even have the strength to raise his hand and stifle the sound.

"Mr. Gaunt," said Ogden doggedly, "I am afraid that neither your ancestors nor mine have anything to do with the matter in hand. I am here because of Morfin, Morfin and the Muggle he accosted late last night. Our information is that Morfin performed a jinx or hex on the said Muggle, causing him to erupt in highly painful hives."

Morfin giggled.

Gaunt hissed something at Morfin, and Morfin fell silent again. "And so what if he did?" Gaunt said defiantly to Ogden. "I expect you've wiped the Muggle's filthy face clean for him, and his memory to boot-"

"That's hardly the point, is it, Mr. Gaunt?" said Ogden. "This was an unprovoked attack on a defenseless-"

"Ar, I had you marked as a Muggle-lover the moment I saw you," sneered Gaunt, and he spat on the floor again.

"This discussion is getting us nowhere," said Ogden firmly. "It is clear from your son's attitude that he feels no remorse for his actions." He glanced down at his scroll of parchment again. "Morfin will attend a hearing on the fourteenth of September to answer the charges of using magic in front of a Muggle and causing harm and distress to the same Mugg-"

Ogden broke off. The jingling, clopping sounds of horses and loud, laughing voices were drifting in through the open window. Apparently the winding lane to the village passed very close to the copse where the house stood. Gaunt froze, listening, his eyes wide. Morfin hissed and turned his face toward the sounds, his expression hungry. Merope raised her head. Her face was starkly white.

"My God, what an eyesore!" rang out a girl's voice, as clearly audible through the open window as if she had stood in the room beside them. "Couldn't your father have that hovel cleared away, Tom?"

Tom?

"It's not ours," said a young man's voice. "Everything on the other side of the valley belongs to us, but that cottage belongs to an old tramp called Gaunt, and his children. The son's quite mad, you should hear some of the stories they tell in the village-"

The girl laughed. The jingling, clopping noises were growing louder and louder. Morfin made to get out of his armchair.

Gaunt hissed at Morfin warningly.

"Tom," said the girl's voice again, now so close they were clearly right beside the house, "I might be wrong- but has somebody nailed a snake to that door?"

"Good lord, you're right!" said the man's voice. "That'll be the son, I told you he's not right in the head. Don't look at it, Cecilia, darling."

The jingling and clopping sounds were now growing fainter again.

What followed was a sequence of hissing between the three Gaunts, and as their conversation continued, Severus could see the white fear building on Merope's face both before and after Gaunt advanced on her; the girl was shaking her head frantically, backing herself against the wall. Suddenly, Gaunt's hand closed around Merope's throat.

Both Severus and Ogden yelled, "No!" at the same time. Ogden raised his wand and cried, "Relashio!" Gaunt was thrown backward, away from his daughter; he tripped over a chair and fell flat on his back. With a roar of rage, Morfin leapt out of his chair and ran at Ogden, brandishing his bloody knife and firing hexes indiscriminately from his wand.

Ogden ran for his life. Dumbledore indicated that they ought to follow, and Severus and Professor Snape obeyed, Merope's screams echoing in his ears. The sound would have halted Severus in his tracks if not for Professor Snape firmly gripping his arm and pulling him along.

Ogden hurtled up the path and erupted onto the main lane, his arms over his head, where he collided with the glossy chestnut horse ridden by a very handsome, dark-haired young man. Both he and the pretty girl riding beside him on a grey horse roared with laughter at the sight of Ogden, who bounced off the horse's flank and set off again, his frock coat flying, covered from head to foot in dust, running pell-mell up the lane.

"I think that will do, Severus," said Dumbledore. He took Severus by the elbow and tugged.

Severus found himself back in the office, with only Dumbledore in sight and a notable lack of Professor Snape. He glanced at the clock and realized they had been gone for approximately two hours.

"Sir," Severus asked, realizing his voice was shaky, "what happened to Merope?"

"She survived," Dumbledore said, sitting and gesturing for Severus to follow suit. "Ogden returned to the Ministry and returned with reinforcements within fifteen minutes. Morfin and his father attempted to fight, but both were overpowered-"

"Merope, sir," Severus cut in frantically. He realized one of his hands was shaking. "What happened?"

Dumbledore gave Severus a curious, soft look before saying, "When her father and brother were removed, Merope used her newfound freedom and, I believe, planned to escape her circumstances. Do you recognize the man on the horse?"

"His name was Tom," Severus answered. "I didn't hear his full name."

"Tom Riddle."

Severus felt a tiny bit of breath escape from his lips. The Dark Lord's parents had lived so close together, and yet they were separated in such a way. He had difficulty believing that anyone could fall in love with someone like Merope, although it was no fault of her own, which meant that, if anything, she was in love with him. A misshapen, neglected child living under the thumb of a tyrannical father, seeking what little light peeked through the window, eyes landing on someone more than said child could ever deserve.

"You are probably wondering how Tom and Merope fell in love," Dumbledore said. "To give an abridged version, Tom's love for Merope was spontaneous, and he soon took her away with him, away from their families. It was during this time when Merope conceived, and, about halfway through her pregnancy, Tom abruptly left and returned home."

A love potion.

"That is what I believe," Dumbledore said. "Although I'm not absolutely certain about all the details. It might be a simple matter of running out of ingredients."

"Or she thought he would stay," Severus replied, not realizing how tired he sounded. "But he didn't. He'd be mad to love her." When he had seen her for the first time, he had thought she reminded him of Eileen, but he realized that this wasn't the case. Unlike his mother, who would have been fortunate for his father to leave them, Merope had been rejected and abandoned. Severus almost wasn't sure if it was worse to live under the thumb of a tyrant or to be abandoned by the one he loved; he knew the latter had caused him the most pain in the long run, based on Professor Snape's memories… except for the summer….

"Do you recognize the ring?" Dumbledore asked, clearly moving the conversation along.

It is the same ring you attempted to wear, which cursed you.

"As I had thought," Dumbledore replied. "Do you know where I found said ring?"

Little Hangleton, but I don't know where exactly.

"I found it once; I can find it again." Dumbledore folded his hands together. "And what of the locket?"

Severus looked up and into Dumbledore's eyes. "... do you think it's a horcrux?"

"It's possible," Dumbledore answered. "There is another memory to support this theory, but that is for another time. I feel that today has been a bit exhausting, don't you?"

Severus nodded weakly.

"Now then," Dumbledore said, "Let us look into the element of earth…."

Lily I

Lily was starting to feel significantly better than she had the day before. Being visited by Marlene and Mary had brought her spirits up, and she was both proud of and concerned with Marlene's new duties as Prefect… during Lily's absence, of course. But she was confident, or as confident as she could be, in Remus's ability to show her how to perform her duties.

James had surprised her earlier in the day by bringing her notes for Defense, and he even agreed to do the same for Transfiguration. She had a feeling he was only doing it to improve his standing with her, but the fact remained that he hadn't fallen back into his bad habits since the start of term, not to mention the fact that he'd done it without asking for anything in return, which was refreshing. She almost couldn't believe this was the same boy who'd offered to leave Severus alone if she went out with him….

Lily stopped herself from remembering that day. Both James and Severus were working hard to improve their behavior, and that had to count for something. Although unlike James, Severus was very visibly struggling to remain cordial. He'd been behaving erratically ever since term started, and Lily wasn't sure what to expect from him. And with the writing on the wall… she wasn't sure what to make of him.

At first, Lily had assumed it was James or Sirius who had written the message, but both of them denied it, and Remus had supported their story. But what was telling was Peter's reaction; he looked more confused than nervous, which meant that James and Sirius were innocent or Peter wasn't involved… if the latter was true, then the reaction wouldn't mean anything. But James hadn't acted out yet, and something like this was too obvious. Maybe Severus was trying to frame them by doing something they would do and making it look like he had done it; that sounded like something a Slytherin would do.

But Severus wouldn't.

Just as the thought entered Lily's head, she heard footsteps echoing down the hall, followed by Severus's arrival. Lily stiffened in her bed at the sight of him, but just as quickly relaxed. "Hey," Lily said calmly. "How was class?"

"Slughorn wasn't pleased," Severus muttered, sitting down, his eyes unfocused. "Not that you'd done anything wrong, just that your condition has him a bit upset."

"Oh," Lily replied, unsure of how to respond.

"I have your notes," Severus continued, setting a few sheets of parchment on her bedside. "And you wanted to say something to me."

Lily didn't waste time with her question. "Did you write that message on the wall?"

"Of course, I didn't!" Severus answered, his voice hard. He looked her in the eye and asked, "Do you think I did?"

"W- no!" Lily half-lied. "I just don't know what to make of it."

Severus's eyes bored into her, as though he didn't believe her. "Why did you ask?"

"Oh, come on!" Lily said defensively. "'Enemies of the Heir, beware'? There aren't many Heirs at Hogwarts, are there?"

"But you still suspected me," Severus said. This wasn't a question.

Lily sheepishly nodded.

There was a pause, complete silence, and Lily had a chance to properly look at Severus. His sweaty face was pale and gaunt, and dark circles were forming under his bloodshot eyes again; for some reason, his eyelids looked puffy.

"Severus," Lily asked carefully, "have you been crying?"

Severus's eyes darted up once more and hardened. "No," he said with clear restraint.

Lily hated that. It was one of the things that had strained their relationship. Severus wasn't open with her. "Your eyes look-"

"Nothing's wrong," Severus said dismissively. "I just had a bad night's sleep."

"Have you seen Madam Pomfrey?" Lily went along with the lie.

"I have a prescription," Severus replied. "I'll have to strengthen it later on."

"We should be getting a letter from Mum and Dad on Saturday," Lily said, changing the subject.

Severus nodded before saying, "Hopefully, you'll be well enough by then."

"I hope so," Lily said, faking a smile. "The first Quidditch match starts then. Gryffindor vs. Slytherin."

"Hmm." Severus's eyes dulled once more.

"Alright," Lily said, tired of this back and forth. "What is it?"

"Nothing-"

"This isn't nothing; you're in a mood."

"Is this what you want to talk about?" Severus's voice was hardening by the second. Something flickered in his eye, and he softened. "Sorry."

Lily didn't respond immediately. Severus was clearly unwell, but he wouldn't tell her the cause. "Is this because of the writing?"

Severus shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Fine." Lily was done. If he wouldn't talk about it, then she wouldn't either. "Thank you for the notes."

Severus nodded once more. Instead of standing up and leaving, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

Lily hadn't expected that. "No, I was just waiting for dinner."

"... do you mind if we eat together?"

Lily opened her mouth, but no sound came out. If he knew that-

"Alright, Lily?"

Lily watched Severus stiffen in his seat at the sound of James's voice before looking at James, the spectacled boy carrying a tray with two bowls of chicken soup.

"I'm fine," Lily replied. She turned to Severus and said, "Sorry, James asked if-"

Without a word, Severus stood and left, keeping ample distance from James as he left the Hospital Wing. Lily was about to call after him, but James spoke first.

"There's extra chicken in both," James said, setting the bowl down before sitting beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lily said quietly. "I just don't know what's wrong with Severus."

"You mean, aside from what he wrote on the wall?"

"It wasn't him. He wouldn't do that."

"True," James said, a spoonful of soup already in his mouth. "He's not really the type, is he?"

This really wasn't the same James as last term, was it? "Exactly," Lily said warily. "I think someone framed him."

"Who?"

Lily didn't answer immediately, which prompted a look from James.

"Lily, I didn't do it," James said, sounding offended.

"I didn't say you did," Lily replied. "And it wasn't Sirius either?"

"Of course not!" James exclaimed. "He'd never joke about the Chamber of Secrets!"

That was something Lily was curious about. "What's the Chamber of Secrets, anyway?"

Severus III

It had taken too much self-control to leave the Hospital Wing without lashing out at Lily or Potter. Severus slammed the door behind him, sinking into his chair and leaning back to push away the thoughts of seventh-year. He once again felt trapped, unable to stop history from repeating itself, which was only made worse by how much faster things were progressing. Between schoolwork, sleepless nights, horcruxes and a basilisk, he had no strength left to deal with Potter's attempts at seducing Lily. It was times like these where he wished he was as awful as Potter, if he was willing to attack people he didn't like in public; at the same time, he knew it would only pay off if he had been Sorted into Gryffindor. Either way, in a conflict between himself and Potter, he would lose whether he won or lost.

Stand.

Severus sat up in his chair, collecting his thoughts. I don't have anything else to do today.

You do now. Stand.

Severus reluctantly stood, pushing his chair in. Now what?

Take out your wand and go to the training dummy.

Severus wasn't sure what to make of this, but he obliged.

Would I be correct in assuming you're currently Occluding my duelling knowledge?

More than that, but probably.

Go into a fighting stance.

Severus obeyed, pointing his wand at the target, his off-hand open and held close to his body.

Pathetic. No wonder you couldn't fight Potter and Black at once. Do you know any footwork?

And here I thought you knew me so well.

Point your wand-foot directly at your opponent, and your off-foot at a 90-degree angle.

Severus did as instructed.

Widen your stance.

Severus moved his feet apart, and he turned his head to look in the full-body mirror next to his wardrobe. His stance reminded him of a Muggle fencer.

Your footwork is in the orthodox stance, meaning your wand-foot is in front. Reverse it.

What?

Invert. Your stance.

Severus did as he was told, this time having his off-foot point forward and his wand-foot point out at 90-degrees.

This is the inverse stance. These two stances are the foundation of duelling. Return to orthodox.

Severus obeyed, allowing his wand-hand and off-hand to go back to where they were.

Your current form is the Badger's Paw. Your wand is trained on your target, and your palm is tucked in and facing toward your chest and stomach. It is the most basic and rudimentary of the forms, as well as the most natural for children to learn. However, its simplicity is both a benefit and drawback; while it is simple to learn, it is also simple to fight against. Turn your palm to face your opponent.

Severus obeyed.

The Lion's Paw. Unlike Badger's Paw, Lion's Paw was developed to be used in conjunction with wandless magic, making it more complex in execution. Rest your off-hand on your off-hip.

Severus obeyed, and he was reminded of Professor Snape's memory of Professor Lockhart, the latter having taken this very stance during the duelling club.

The Eagle's Wing. With duelling competitions being formalised, the use of Lion's Paw was forbidden, and so precautions were made to avoid cheating, such as tying a duelist's off-hand to their hip. Eagle's Wing was born from this and became the standard form for competitive duelling. Raise your off-hand above your head.

Severus obeyed, this time reminded of Lily's son having started his duel with Draco during that same club meeting.

The Serpent's Fang. An alternative to Eagle's Wing, but providing more fluidity when balancing. Invert Serpent's Fang.

Severus obeyed once more, raising his wand-hand above his head and extending his off-hand forward.

Off-hand palm should be facing the floor.

Severus corrected himself. This wasn't just another form; this was the professor's form.

The Dragon's Breath. A more complicated variant of Serpent's Fang, it was developed to overcome noted shortcomings of orthodox stances.

How? I look like a ponce.

Fine. Take the orthodox stance and point your wand directly at your target.

Severus did so, extending his wand-hand out and training on the target before him.

What do you see?

The target.

Do you see anything below where you're aiming?

No, my hand's in the way.

Return to Dragon's Breath.

Severus complied, and he noticed that his hand had previously been blocking out a portion just below his target.

Dragon's Breath provides a slight advantage in terms of view. In addition, because the wand-hand is back and above the head, it becomes more difficult to disarm the practitioner. Step as far away from the target as possible, and then strike the target's center of mass; you can choose any form you wish.

Severus did as he was told and shot a mild hex at the target, hitting it close to center.

Now, aim for the head.

Severus obeyed, and while his aim should have been accurate, he missed. I don't understand.

Because you're firing at an angle, your coordination is slightly off. By substituting the head with one's wand hand, you can see how difficult it would be to disarm them properly, as opposed to aiming center of mass like an amateur for a less-effective result; in addition, due to the location of the wand, it is slightly more difficult to see the movements, not to mention the direction a spell may go. Assume Dragon's Breath.

Severus nodded and went into the form.

Palm facing your opponent.

Severus obeyed.

The Manticore. Like the Lion's Paw, it is used in conjunction with wandless magic. However, there is also another benefit to it.

That being?

Dragon's Breath is a mid- to long-range duelling form, as its casting speed will always be slightly more delayed due to the position of the wand. Therefore, when facing a mid- to close-range opponent, the practitioner may be at a disadvantage. However, Manticore's use of wandless magic makes it effective at rapid-response to a close-range opponent, and the forward-facing palm makes it suited for lunging at or pinning the opponent, potentially disarming them. Does any of this make sense to you?

Severus nodded.

I will be drilling you in each form after dinner and essays.

Why not before now?

Because I hadn't expected the Dark Lord to act this soon. With the Chamber having been opened, we can be sure that there is more to come.

Severus couldn't argue with the professor's logic. This term had proven to be tumultuous enough as it was, and he was foolish to think it would get any easier. Preparation would occupy his free time, but it was time well-spent.

Mary I

Wednesday, 3 November 1976

Mary was happy to see Lily out of the Hospital Wing that morning, smiling and waving her over as she walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. Marlene moved over a bit for Lily to sit down.

"How do you feel?" Marlene asked.

"Loads better," Lily answered.

"Much better, I bet," Marlene said suggestively. "I heard James ate with you."

"He did," Lily replied, smiling. "It was actually rather sweet."

A mischievous grin spread over Marlene's face, and Mary hid her own smile at Lily's sudden embarrassment.

"Not like that," Lily objected. "Don't you dare-"

"When's the wedding?" Marlene asked.

"... give me back my badge," Lily muttered, digging into the bowl of eggs and slapping them onto her plate.

Marlene, still grinning, took the badge off and handed it to Lily, who fastened it to herself. "We could always do double-dates," Marlene suggested.

"We. Are Not. Dating." Lily emphasized each part of her sentence. "He has to do a lot more than this for me to go on a date with him."

"A bit harsh," Marlene said. "I mean, he stopped hexing people, didn't he?"

"Yes," Lily admitted, her voice wavering.

"And he's a lot more humble," Marlene continued.

"True…." Lily was starting to sound unsure. "But I can't."

"Why not?"

"I…."

"... this is about Snape, isn't it?" Marlene's question sounded more like an answer.

"He doesn't like James," Lily said.

"If he's in the way-" Marlene stopped mid-sentence. "Look, James is putting in the effort to change. And Snape isn't."

"That's not true," Mary interjected, drawing looks from Lily and Marlene. She suddenly felt smaller. "He's really not that bad, is he?"

"Do you still believe that after what he wrote on Sunday?" Marlene asked.

"It wasn't him," Lily retorted. "That's not something Severus would do. James doesn't think it was him, either."

"... oh." Marlene went quiet for a moment, and Mary could somewhat tell she was trying to think of something to say. "Speaking of which, I wonder where the boys are?"

"Aside from Remus, they're practicing charms," Lily answered. "I stopped by the common room before I came here."

"Where's Remus?" Mary asked.

"Morning rounds," Marlene answered. "Siri's brother got out of visiting Snape in the morning, so Remus had to do it instead."

"How is he?"

"Remus?"

"Snape." Mary didn't like the look Marlene was giving her, but she wasn't about to back down.

"Tired," Lily answered for Marlene. "He has a lot of classes this year."

"From what I've heard," Marlene added, less than enthusiastically, "there isn't a class he hasn't been spotted in."

Mary saw Lily shoot an odd look at Marlene. "What are you talking about?"

"Name a class this year, and I'll see if anyone's spotted him there or not."

"Okay… Arithmancy."

"... okay, I don't actually know anyone taking that," Marlene admitted. "Try another one."

"Astronomy…." Lily trailed off. "Wait, the boys mentioned he was there. History of Magic?"

"... okay… well…." Marlene was starting to lose momentum. "Okay, maybe that's two classes I can't confirm."

"List the classes he's taking," Mary suggested.

"Right, well I've seen him in Charms, Defense, Muggle Studies, Herbology, Transfiguration-"

"Potions, obviously," Lily interjected.

"He's in Muggle Studies?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, he helped me with an assignment…. Anyway… Remus and Lily see him in Ancient Runes."

"And Sirius has him in Care for Magical Creatures," Lily said.

"And pretty much all the girls taking Divination talk about him," Marlene added.

"And of course, there's Alchemy," Mary finished. "Which means…." She counted off the classes on her fingers…. "... that's eleven."

The three girls sat there in silence before Marlene said anything. "... what the hell?"

Mary noticed the shock on Lily's face; the older girl had her mouth slightly open. "Marley," Lily finally said, "if that's really his schedule, then there's no possible way he could've done it. Oh my God…."

"W-well," Marlene stuttered, "maybe-"

"They're advanced classes!" Lily interrupted. "That's two hours per class, and he has eleven- wait…."

"What?" Mary asked.

"He loves Arithmancy," Lily explained. "Oh my God, he might be taking twelve…."

"... better than thirteen," Mary said sheepishly. "He wouldn't take History of Magic, would he?"

"... I need to go," Lily said quickly, standing from the bench and leaving her breakfast uneaten. As she left, Mary heard her speak to Potter before hurrying off.

"Is something wrong with Lily?" Potter asked as he sat down. Black and Pettigrew sat beside him.

"We just figured something out," Marlene answered, "and it's a bit… much."

"What?" Black asked.

"Well, after taking everything into account… we've realized Snape's taking eleven, maybe twelve, advanced classes."

There was a short pause before Black said, "No."

"Yes," Marlene said forcefully. "That is not normal."

"Blimey," Potter remarked. "Couldn't have been him, then."

"That greasy git probably has time over the weekend," Black said.

"Why do you do that?"

All eyes were on Mary.

"Do what?" Black asked.

"Why do you make fun of Snape all the time?"

"... sorry, slip of the tongue," Black said, although he clearly didn't look too apologetic.

"But you still do it," Mary said. She couldn't believe they were still like this. "Even when Lily asked you to stop-"

"Look, it's taking time to adjust to," Potter said quickly. "To be honest, I'm still not used to it. But you're right; Lily asked us to stop, and we promised we would."

Mary hoped Potter was telling the truth. Snape shouldn't have to put up with this if he was putting in the hard work of making amends with Lily, and part of Mary hoped that the Slytherin boy didn't give up because of it.

"To be honest," Marlene said, "I'm having the same problem as Sirius. But we are trying, Mary."

"Alright," Mary replied. She couldn't distrust Marlene on something like this, even though she knew how much she disliked Snape. But the older girl wouldn't lie to her about this. She stood up and said, "I need to finish something for History."

"Really? You've barely eaten." There was a note of concern in Marlene's voice.

"I'm not hungry," Mary said, leaving the others at the table as she left the Great Hall.

Lily II

"Alright, Lily?"

"Not now," Lily said hurriedly to James as she left the Great Hall.

This was absolutely ridiculous! Severus was supposedly recovering from some mystery illness, and now he was taking eleven, maybe twelve, potentially thirteen advanced classes? How the hell were they supposed to have that conversation he'd been going on about if he was that busy? It was as if he was trying to fill up his schedule as much as humanly possible, just so he could avoid talking with her!

Before Lily even knew it, she was in front of Severus's door, knocking loudly. The door swung open, revealing the Slytherin boy. His hair was still wet from his morning shower, and he was holding a bowl of groaty pudding.

"Morning," Severus said groggily.

"Are you taking History of Magic?"

Severus furrowed his brow, which then relaxed for some reason. "... yes."

"And Arithmancy?"

"Well, obviously-"

"Are you telling me you're taking thirteen classes?!" Lily's voice had risen before she even knew it.

"... I don't think History and Arithmancy adds up to thirteen-"

"Marley and I counted the number of classes the other students have seen you in. We confirmed all but two: Arithmancy and History of Magic."

Severus stared at Lily with a familiar look of shock on his face. His eyes flickering for a moment, his surprise transformed into an infuriating indifference as he said, "I'm surprised it took you two months to notice."

"I-" Lily paused. Severus wasn't wrong; it was actually ridiculous she hadn't thought about it sooner. "That's not the point! The point is that you didn't tell me you were this busy."

"I said I was busy," Severus replied. "I was fairly open about that. If I told you the exact number of classes, you would've thought I'd done it on purpose to avoid speaking with you as much as humanly possible."

Lily's mouth opened, but her voice remained inside. He was right again…. "I thought you were supposed to be in recovery."

"I was," Severus explained. "I lost a bit of dexterity during the summer, and taking this many classes forced me into a quick recovery. Dumbledore signed some waivers."

Lily crossed her arms, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "But the fact of the matter is that you filled up your schedule. We've barely had time to talk about anything-"

"- and I've barely had any opportunity to spend time with my housemates," Severus cut in. "I have an excuse to stay away from the other Slytherins in my free time, which I thought you would approve of."

"You're so busy with all your schoolwork, but you have time to play Gobstones with Mary?"

"Barely, yes. If I didn't know any better, I would think you disapprove of the thought of me having more than one friend."

"... you're friends?"

Severus was quiet for a moment. "Would we have your permission?"

Lily's eyes widened. "You think I'd disapprove?"

"That's not what I meant," Severus said, quickly backtracking.

"Well what did-" Lily turned at the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor, only to find Mary walking up. The younger girl's pace slowed a bit.

"Oh, you're still here," Mary said.

"MacDonald?" Severus looked down the corridor. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to say hi."

Lily glanced at Severus, whose brow furrowed in confusion. "... hello."

"... right," Mary continued, "um-"

"I can leave, if you want," Lily said.

"N-no," Mary said, "You don't have to-"

"It's fine," Lily interrupted. "We were done with our conversation." She turned and left Mary outside of Severus's room, thinking about what Severus could be implying.

Severus had been right about how Lily would've reacted to this information, and the fact that he didn't say anything must've meant that he cared more about what she thought of him than his ability to reconcile. No, that didn't sound the way she thought it would. Severus didn't want her to think he didn't care; that was a better way of putting it. And clearly, he was putting in more effort behind the scenes than she'd given him credit for; the fact of the matter was that he had little to no free time, which made it less tempting for him to spend time with the other Slytherins. But that wasn't the main thing that bothered her.

"Would we have your permission?"

Severus had asked that question as though he was expecting her to disapprove, as if she had any power over him. Was that really how he thought of her? He never acted like that was the case before; in fact, he seemed to act as though he could do whatever he wanted in fifth year, especially when it came to spending time with….

Lily slowed her pace to a crawl. Severus was different, and she was hoping it was for the better. But for some reason, there was something about him, something she'd been noticing more and more, that was unsettling. Something was pulling at the pit of her stomach at certain things he said, at certain things he did, at certain looks he gave. It felt familiar, like the old Sev, but these things didn't have their original innocence.

Before, Sev was scared of making a mess of things, and Lily knew she'd been a bit of a mess to deal with in the first place; but they were both children, and a lot of it came from new experiences. But now, now that they were almost in their majority, those same little details that appeared in Severus had a different sort of fear; there was none of that innocence left.

Lily felt uneasy as she entered her dorm room and sat down at the desk. She wanted to write to Tom about what she was feeling, but she didn't know how to word it to him. And thinking about it, she realized she'd never been in this sort of situation before. All of this was too confusing, and her confusion was made greater when she found herself opening the black book and dipping her quill in ink.

Hey, Tom.

Morning. Charms today, yes?

Yeah, I don't have too much time right now.

Is something wrong?

I don't know how to write it down.

Is there a short version?

Lily?

I'll tell you later.

I understand. Have a good day.

You too.

Severus IV

"N-no," MacDonald said, "You don't have to-"

"It's fine," Lily interrupted. "We were done with our conversation." She turned and left MacDonald outside of Severus's room.

Severus and MacDonald stood awkwardly for a moment as Lily walked away, and Severus was processing the fact that MacDonald had come all this way to say 'hello'.

"Snape," MacDonald said, "are the boys still bothering you?"

Severus was a bit surprised by MacDonald's question. "Why do you ask?"

"At breakfast, one of them called you a greasy git."

"Black."

MacDonald nodded. "They're not bullying you, are they?"

"It wasn't bullying," Severus answered defensively. He hated that word.

"What else would it be?" MacDonald asked. Severus could tell she didn't like his answer. "It's bullying-"

"It's not bullying." The words came out more aggressively than Severus had intended, which was made clear by MacDonald's surprise and step backward. He stilled himself, Occluding those feelings, and said, "Sorry."

"... did they stop… doing what they're doing?"

"No."

MacDonald's shock turned to a mild anger. "Why didn't you say-"

"You think I haven't?" Severus asked. "No one believes me or takes my side, MacDonald. There's no proof. And even if there was…."

"... what is it?"

Severus knew that if he made any more accusations, even with verifiable proof, Lily would probably take Potter's side. Just as she'd done around fourth year and on. He had all but forgotten that, prior to Professor Snape's return to the past, Lily hadn't cared about him at all. For all he knew, she not only sided with Potter, but also enjoyed what Potter was doing to him. What Potter was doing to someone she'd once called 'friend'. "Nothing," Severus replied.

"No, you're not getting away with that."

Severus furrowed his brow. "What?"

"You're acting like I'm not interested," MacDonald said stubbornly. "I don't care what everyone else thinks of you or if they take your side. I want to hear what you have to say."

Severus rolled his eyes and said, "It sounds like you're some sort of expert on-"

"I know what it's like to be bullied," MacDonald cut in, her voice disarmingly quiet. "And I think you do too."

Severus wasn't sure how to respond, so he remained silent.

"You helped me with Mulciber and Umbridge, whether you want to admit it or not. And it's only fair that I help you with whoever's bull- bothering you."

Severus looked down at the girl, taking a moment to process what was going on. Lily had been the same when the two of them had first arrived at Hogwarts, but it had only been a matter of time before she reached her limit. As much as Severus wanted to believe MacDonald, he knew she would be the same. "I can manage," he finally said. "But I appreciate your concern."

MacDonald gave him a small smile and said, "Gobstones later?"

"Of course," Severus returned.

"Bye, Snape." MacDonald turned and walked down the corridor, and Severus took the time to go back to his desk.

What is it?

MacDonald's my friend, isn't she?

… I believe so, yes.

Severus had been confused about MacDonald since the moment she started spending time with him, but it hadn't been until now that he realized that she wasn't being forced to do any of this. Perhaps that had been the case originally, he honestly didn't know, but it had been some time since they first started playing Gobstones. And now, she was coming to visit his room.

Was she always like this?

I don't know. After Mulciber was expelled in February, MacDonald dropped out. I don't know what happened to her after that point.

Why did she drop out?

You know of the rumors regarding Mulciber, yes?

Well… yeah. Severus froze. "You don't mean-"

MacDonald.

The red flask bubbled up, a few drops spilling out. Severus sat down, clenching his fists. He hadn't cared about MacDonald before, but to think that Mulciber could do something like this. And yet, Severus had always known Mulciber's preferences. And he felt disgusted with himself, now knowing that-

We can prevent it from happening. We have time and foreknowledge on our side.

You said we've changed the course of history.

But that doesn't mean we've prevented certain events. Mulciber is still Mulciber. But for now, we have more pressing matters.

Like?

The basilisk.

We have a plan-

And yet, we cannot kill it. We know where the entrance is, but we don't know who will be attacked first or when the attack will occur. We don't even know if we'll be as fortunate as before.

The professor was right. Through sheer dumb luck, the basilisk had only ever killed one student: Myrtle Warren. Then again, that could simply be a matter of incompetence, but Severus wasn't going to risk that theory.

The first attack, aside from Mrs. Norris, was just after the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

And that may be the case this time as well. But it isn't certain. We will need to remain vigilant this coming week.

What happens if we fail?

That can't be an option.

The professor was right. Failure wasn't an option; it never could be. There was no room for it, not when so much was at stake. Between Slughorn, Lily, MacDonald, classwork, the Chamber of Secrets, and the final stages of his recovery…. Severus needed to succeed.

Author's Notes

An overview of the wand stances and forms, as listed by Professor Severus Snape:

Stances
-Orthodox: Wand-foot forward, pointing directly at target. Off-foot back, pointing at a 90-degree angle.
-Inverse: Wand-foot back, pointing at a 90-degree angle. Off-foot forward, pointing directly at target.

Forms
-Badger's Paw (orthodox): Wand trained on target. Off-hand tucked into torso, palm facing torso. Rudimentary form.
-Lion's Paw (orthodox): Wand trained on target. Off-hand tucked into torso, palm facing target. Used in conjunction with wandless magic.
-Eagle's Wing (orthodox): Wand trained on target. Off-hand resting on off-hip. Provides static balance. Used by film adaptation of Lockhart in his duel with Snape in Lockhart's Duelling Club.
-Serpent's Fang (orthodox): Wand trained on target. Off-hand raised above head, arching arm. Provides more fluid/dynamic balance. Used by film adaptation of Harry Potter in his first duel with Draco Malfoy in Lockhart's Duelling Club.
-Dragon's Breath (inverse): Wand raised above head and trained on target, arching arm. Off-hand trained on target, palm facing the ground. Provides less-hindered range of vision and superior angle of attack; causes delays in spells reaching target due to inverse stance. Used by film adaptation of Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy during the Lockhart's Duelling Club, and by Bellatrix Lestrange when casting the Killing Curse on Sirius Black in the Department of Mysteries.
-Manticore (inverse): Wand raised above head and trained on target, arching arm. Off-hand trained on target, palm facing target. Provides cooperative use of wandless magic and superior angle of attack; causes delays in spells reaching target due to inverse stance.