29th January 1996
It seemed that the news in the newspapers had delighted almost all the students and teachers, but none were as delighted as the Golden Trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Defence Against the Dark Arts was temporarily cancelled, so they had more free time. Harry used the extra time to practice Quidditch (he was back in his old position; all the rules Umbridge had set were lifted), and Harry felt the best he could be on his broomstick again.
"Come in," Snape ordered when there was a knock at the door.
Harry walked inside. Today was another day of Occlumency with Snape.
"Are you ready, Potter?" he said, drawing his wand. "Prepare one, two, three, Legilimens."
Memories flooded Harry's mind. He tried to fight back, but he couldn't.
There was another knock at the door. Snape and Harry quickly put away their wands.
A Slytherin student walked in. He looked scared. "Professor," he said. "The werewolf is here. The headmaster ordered me to bring you to the Great Hall." At this point, he trembled slightly. "There's Sirius Black too. Please go quickly."
"Thank you," Snape said.
He walked away without saying anything and left Harry alone.
Harry looked at the pensieve containing Snape's memories. What memories was Snape trying so hard to hide? Curiosity overwhelmed Harry. He didn't think that the memories that one tried to hide were not pleasant memories.
He watched the young Snape take his O.W.L.S. exam in Defence Against the Dark Arts. He saw his father and godfather bullying Snape, out of boredom. He saw Remus sitting there doing nothing. He saw the Hogwarts students laughing at Snape's fate. Harry didn't think hanging someone upside down with their underwear on was funny. And when his father threatened to take off Snape's underwear, he became even more terrified. James couldn't be this heartless, right? Harry didn't dare to watch anymore. He closed his eyes tightly. He heard the sound of ripping cloth, the roaring laughter, and the soft sobbing. And he was lying face down on the floor of Snape's office again. He looked up and saw Snape standing there, towering over him.
"Did you enjoy it, Potter?" he asked coldly. "Your father's show."
Harry shook his head. Snape pulled him to his feet. He shook Harry hard.
"You've got something to talk to Black about, haven't you?" he kept talking. "Go ahead and have a good laugh."
"No," Harry said. He was shocked to see Snape's eyes red. They weren't just red from anger. They seemed to be something more, and they were burning. He passed out before he could think.
February 2, 1996
"How could you do this, Snape?" There was a commotion. Harry tried to open his eyes. He was in the infirmary again. He sat up.
In the infirmary were Snape, Dumbledore, Remus, and Sirius. Dumbledore looked lost in a trance. Sirius looked furious.
"How could you do this to Harry?" Sirius kept yelling. "He's been out for three days and he's not waking up."
"I'm awake," Harry said quietly. Everyone immediately turned to him.
"How are you?" Sirius ran over, Remus followed, and Dumbledore and Snape stood where they were.
"Your scar," Remus said, pointing to his forehead. "I can't see it. Brush your bangs out."
Harry did as he said. His father's best friend stared at his forehead. They looked at each other, then back at his forehead, and Sirius shouted, "Dumbledore, come here quickly. Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Harry reached out and touched his forehead where the scar should have been, but it was smooth as the rest of it.
Dumbledore reached out and touched Harry's forehead, grinning widely. "That's great. You don't have Voldemort's memorial anymore. Your connection to him has been cut off. I don't know why."
Snape stepped forward. "I might have something to do with it. Maybe my… uhm, my spell that I set off must have…"
"It's a blessing this time, Severus, that Harry's okay." "You need to learn to control your temper," Dumbledore said reproachfully. "Come to my office; I need to talk to you."
As soon as Severus sat down in the chair opposite Dumbledore, the old man fired a question at him.
"What are you hiding, Severus? How could you make Harry's scar disappear? I can't even do it, and I don't think any human could."
Snape shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't ready to tell Dumbledore. The old man might give jobs to werewolves and half-giants, but snakes were another matter. He had to play it cool.
"What do you think of snakes?" Snape asked, looking relaxed even as his heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "They are swift and cunning," he replied.
"Have you considered keeping a snake as a pet?"
"No," Dumbledore replied firmly. "They are unreliable, Severus. They can bite us at any moment."
Snape tried to keep his face neutral before speaking in what he thought was the calmest voice possible. "I am a snake. Does that mean you won't keep me anymore?"
But Dumbledore took it another way. "I know you're in Slytherin, but I told you we sorted too soon. You're not a full snake, Severus. You can love and feel remorse, which Voldemort can't, and if anyone can be called a snake, it is him."
Snape sat still, not answering. What could he say? Dumbledore had clearly stated that snakes could not be trusted.
"Snakes are associated with the dark arts, Severus. The creature that has terrorised the students is a snake. I do not trust anyone who associates with snakes or tries to practice spells related to them. You can't tame a snake. They should be kept as far away from humans as possible. I do not harm snakes, but I would not consider keeping one close to me," Dumbledore continued.
"But Potter speaks Parseltongue," Snape said indignantly. "And you treat him like an angel."
"Harry can speak that language because there is something of Voldemort in his body, connected to the scars that are now gone. Harry is whole again, free of all dark arts. Thanks to Merlin."
"Do you really think snakes are dark arts?" Severus asked again.
"Of course. And if a snake comes to Hogwarts, I will immediately remove it. I will not let it harm the students," Dumbledore said confidently.
"More dangerous than werewolves?" Severus asked.
"Definitely more dangerous. We might find a kind-hearted werewolf like Remus, and just by drinking the potion, he can control himself in wolf form. Normally, he is a good man, but snakes can hurt us at any moment and cannot be trusted," Dumbledore said. "Speaking of Remus, you must make the potion for him and do your best. Do you understand?"
Snape nodded as if trying to shake off a fly.
"And don't go looking for trouble with Sirius and Remus. Let go of your grudges from your school days. I don't see it as a big deal."
"Yes," the potions master replied through gritted teeth. Dumbledore could say it. Let go of your grudges from the past. It was a small matter. Dumbledore had not been bullied like him. This old man had never been hung upside down in front of almost the entire school, and even less had his underwear taken off in front of a large crowd. Severus remembered that day well. James Potter had taken off his underwear, and the crowd had laughed and cheered as if they were watching some kind of comedy. He was so embarrassed that he cried, but Potter had enjoyed it even more, calling him Snivellus. Using his wand, to spun him around so that everyone could see clearly. Nothing could be more embarrassing than that. And that was just one of the many times the Marauders had bullied him. Mostly, Potter and Black led the way, with Petrigrew cheering them on, and Lupin ignoring what was happening. The Marauders bullied him and their excuse for it was he ws a fan of the Dark Arts and associating with Death Eaters. But they neverbullied the other Slytherins, even though they used more Dark Arts than him. Roy Avery, the nephew n of Cyrus Potter's late wife, and Mulciber had used Dark Arts on Mary MacDonald. Severus had only watched. If Lupin's actions were not wrong, how could his action be wrong? Of course they bullied him because he had noone. If they had attacked the other Slytherins, who were purebloods and nobles, it would have been hard to get away with it. But if they had done it to him, a half-blood whose father was a Muggle and whose mother had been disowned, there would have been no trouble for them.
Snape stood up. He said goodbye to Dumbledore. He could not stand to see the old man's face anymore. He felt the same pain he had felt when Lily had refused to accept his apology, but that time it had been his fault. He had chosen the dark arts. It had been his choice, and Lily had refused to accept it. But now, the man he thought was even more like a father to him than Tobias was rejecting who he had been born to be.