Chapter Text
Severus Snape lay unconscious in the Shrieking Shack near death. For many days, people celebrated the demise of the Dark Lord and mourned people who were lost in the war. No one cared for him. Especially not after what Harry Potter had said.
Eileen Prince was putting potions and bandages in a bag with an extension charm as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley entered the library.
“May I help you, Madam Prince?” asked Harry as the potion vial he picked up was snatched out of his hand.
“No, you may not, Mister Potter. You’ve done quite enough,” said Madam Prince bitterly as she wiped her tears away.
Harry looked at the older witch utterly confused. “What do you mean, Madam Prince?”
She whirled around at him. “What I mean, boy, is that you have just sentenced my son to death without knowing all the facts. Because of you, and your hatefulness towards him…I may never see him again. But what is one more death to you? You may have loved Dumbledore, but he manipulated my son into becoming a secret spy for the Order and ordered him to tell no one.”
Hermione looked shocked and disbelieving and sighed heavily as she looked at her two friends. “Harry, are you really so dense as to not see what you’ve done?”
“What’s the problem, Hermione? He’s a Greasy Git and Death Eater! He deserves what he gets!” spat Ron as Hermione slapped him.
“The problem, Ronald, is that when Harry accused Severus of murdering Albus Dumbledore with evil intent, he was automatically believed because he was the Chosen One, whereas anyone else wouldn’t have been. Snape didn’t do it of his own free will, Harry,” said Hermione as a solitary tear fell down her cheek.
“What do you mean, Hermione? I know what I saw,” said Harry, afraid that he could be wrong.
“Because he was under…” said Hermione as Madam Prince interrupted her.
“I know you know what this is, Hermione, though I would bet a lot of galleons they didn’t pay attention in class like you did. The only reason you boys have the marks you do, is because one or both of you used the Imperius curse on Hermione to force her to do your homework for you. Don’t worry, Severus and I removed it.”
Both boys’ color drained immediately upon being found out.
Hermione’s eyes went wide as she slapped both of them in anger. “So, it is true! Severus and Eileen were right. You never were my friends. I never want to see you again after this!”
“Since when did you call the greasy git Severus, Hermione? Don’t tell me you fancy him!” said Ronald, enraged that he was going to lose his plaything. Unlike Harry, he used the Imperius curse to make her do things then obliviate her memory of that.
“The only git’s I see are you and Harry, Ronald. Why would you care anyway?” asked Hermione, baffled as to why he would even care unless…he used the Imperius curse for more than just homework.
“You bloody son of a bitch!” Hermione punched him so hard that it broke his nose.
Ronald Weasley was vertically ignored after he got up painfully as blood poured down his face.
“You want to become an auror someday, don’t you, Mister Potter?” asked Madam Prince as he nodded. “Well, the truth always has two sides. You must listen to both and not rely solely on other’s opinions, what do you know if anything, about an Unbreakable Vow?”
“I think Ron said Fred and George tried to do one on him when he was younger, I don’t know what would happen because they didn’t succeed in doing it.”
“It’s a danger to both parties involved! Should either party break the Vow, it is instant death. They must do what the other wants even if they don’t agree with them. Now go, Mister Potter. Before I…before I…” said Madam Prince was overcome with sobs overtook her body which shook her body.
Hermione took the potion from her hand.
“Maybe I could tell them that I was wrong,” said Harry, wanting to fix what he’d done so carelessly.
Once Madam Prince composed herself, she smiled sadly at Harry. “No, Mister Potter, they would think someone used a curse on you. Both of you…just go. Before I say something, I regret.” The boys nodded and left though Hermione remained to help her only friend.
"Let’s get these to Severus, my dear,” said Madam Prince as she grabbed her wand while Hermione carried the bag.
Lighting a torch, Eileen and Hermione went into a secret tunnel known by few except Severus, Remus, and the two of them. It led to the Shriking Shack. When they got there their noses were filled with the strong smell of blood.
Eileen put the torch in the holder beside the secret tunnel entrance. They walked hurriedly to where they saw Severus slumped over in a corner. “Get out the Skele-Gro, Hermione,” said Eileen as she knelt down to her son and pointed her wand at him. “Brackium Emendo!” Eileen whispered a silent prayer that he would survive.
Eileen and Hermione winced as the bones realigned themselves with a loud sickening crack. Hermione cast a healing spell on the many gashes as they knitted themselves together, leaving unmarred skin in their places.
HGSSHGSSHGSS
While the two witches administered antivenom potions and blood replenisher…Severus slowly awoke in a different place.
An old cottage, he thought as he looked around.
Hearing him groaning, Sirius walked over to his bedside. “It’s good to see you’re awake, Severus. You’re in the beyond in James and Lily’s cottage. I need to go get them and tell them you’re awake,” explained Sirius.
As he started to leave Severus grabbed his wrist.
“I need to speak with you privately before you do, Sirius,” said Severus, his voice raspy from disuse.
Sirius nodded and helped him drink some water.
“Thank you.”
Sirius back down and waited for the Potions Master to speak.
“I need to return to the living, Sirius. My mother and Hermione need me. I promised Hermione that I would make it through the war. When I killed Albus Dumbledore he was dying. I was under an Unbreakable Vow to him. I’m sure you’ve heard of them?” Severus explained as Sirius nodded. “I did not willingly join the Death Eaters, Sirius. I only did it because Albus promised to protect my mother from my git of a father. I was a secret spy for the Order of the Phoenix.”
"Why wouldn’t Albus let you tell someone, Severus?” asked Sirius as Severus rubbed his eyes wearily.
“Because the idiot wanted his damned greater good plan to work. Though if you asked me, it would’ve anyway. I would have given anything to tell Lily or Minerva McGonagall but since I was under an Unbreakable Vow, I couldn’t unless I wanted a much shorter lifespan. Do me a favor?”
“Depends on what it is,” said Sirius as he took a sip of water from his silver flask.
"It depends on a lot, mutt," said Severus as he sighed heavily. "I am to be enslaved to Salazar only knows and my memory taken from me...."
“If I find myself not remembering my past and enslaved, please come and befriend me. Knowing Kingsley, who hates me, he will do something horrible. If I should not remember Hermione, perhaps you could encourage me to be with her?”
“I think that could be arranged, should what you think happens. James owes me a life debt anyway. I will go tell them you’re awake,” said Sirius.
Severus nodded as he left the room.
Sirius walked into the kitchen quietly enjoying the show. James had Lily thrust against the counter, his trousers open just as Lily noticed Sirius in the doorway and turned red as a tomato.
“Enjoy the show, Sirius?” asked James as he buttoned his trousers.
“Sirius! I thought you knew better!” Lily cried as she walked up to him, while straightening her green and gold dress. She was clearly furious with having her tryst interrupted.
“I do, Lills. I only came because Severus is awake…and he doesn’t plan to stay.”
They looked at him curiously but said nothing as they followed him to the guest room.
“Hello, Sniv…” was all James of that horrid nickname before Lily elbowed him hard in the ribs. Lily whispered harshly in his ear.
“Hello Severus," James corrected.
“I’ve missed you, Severus!” said Lily as she hugged him, smiling sadly.
"I’ve missed you as well, Lily. I would’ve apologized to you for calling you that foul name years ago, but someone forced me never to see you. All because of his hatred and jealousy of me and misunderstanding of the Slytherin house…”
“I did not do such a thing!” said James, angry that his safely kept secret was coming to light.
“You didn’t? So, I imagined you confronting me the next day, beating me to a bloody pulp and telling me never to see Lily again or I’d regret it?”
Lily looked stunned by what she heard. She looked from Severus to James seething with anger.
“So let me get this straight,” said Lily as she paced back and forth.
James was lucky that she didn’t have her wand right now.
“You hurt Severus when he wanted to come and apologize for what he called me? You beat him up for his trouble and tell me for years that he wasn’t a good friend. And I was foolish enough to believe you!” Lily struck James so hard that all three men winced.
James knew that he deserved it. And he would definitely not be getting to have his way with her in the foreseeable future.
Lily moved over to Severus and helped him drink the Dreamless Sleep potion seeing how tired and weak he was.
“Thank you, Lily. When I wake, may I speak with you privately?”
“Of course. If you’re able. I don’t want you to strain yourself too much,” said Lily as she covered him up as Severus fell asleep.
She couldn’t help but notice that his Dark Mark had faded away to nothing but a faded scar. They quietly left the room and went to the living room.
“What did he tell you, Padfoot?” asked James as he sat down on the sofa while the others sat on the loveseat.
“Severus said he didn’t join the Death Eaters, Prongs. He wanted to tell someone, anyone that he was secretly part of the Order of the Phoenix, but Dumbledore put him under an Unbreakable Vow.”
“I don’t think that’s everything,” commented Lily as she sipped on her tea.
"No, it’s not, Lills. Dumbledore ordered Severus to kill him because he was dying. He only joined the Death Eaters because Dumbledore promised to keep his mother safe. He wants to go back, though the veil, Lills.”
Lily looked stunned by that and knew that was nearly impossible to do. Unless someone owed you a life debt, you could never go back to the realm of the living.
“Why would he want to do that? Guess I won’t find out until Severus wakes up,” said Lily. Their conversation lasted into the night as everyone dragged themselves to bed except for James who was taking the sofa for a while as punishment for what Lily had found out.
Days passed slowly both in the living realm and behind the veil. “Ooh. What transfer truck did I apparate in front of?” asked Severus his voice raspy from disuse. Lily giggled as she helped him drink some water.
“What do you find so amusing, Lily? Thank you for the water,” said Severus as he couldn’t help but smile.
“Sorry. I was just imagining you Apparating in front of a transfer truck and trying to Disapparate again as fast as you could!” said Lily as she giggled.
“Yes, that would indeed be quite the funny picture,” said Severus as he chuckled softly with amusement.
His tone soon became serious and forlorn.
“I didn’t become a Death Eater because I wanted to, Lily. I was forced to by Dumbledore in exchange for my mother’s protection from my git of a father. He then forced me to make an Unbreakable Vow as he could control me. I couldn’t tell a soul because he wanted it kept secret. Harry had only seen his good fatherly act. Never his manipulative one…”
Severus sighed heavily. “I need to go back to the realm of the living, Lily.”
“Severus, I don’t know if you can. It’s nearly impossible to do if someone doesn’t owe you a life debt. I am glad to know that you would’ve apologized sooner if you could have,” said Lily trough her tears. “James will be on the sofa for a very long time!”
Severus chuckled softly with amusement as he gently caressed her cheek lovingly. “I know you never loved me the way you do him. I found someone else, Lily. You would like her. She is the brightest witch of our age. Her name is Hermione Granger, or it may be Hermione Malfoy after my trial,” said Severus as he looked uncertain.
Lily smiled sadly at the Potions Master. “I imagine that I would have liked her, Severus.” Something he said struck her as odd. "If you loved her, why would her last name change to Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy isn't going to try and take her from you, is he?"
Severus hadn't realized that he had said that. Once he thought he heard her correctly, he couldn't help it for the first time in in years, he laughed. The picture in in his head was too hilarious not to. "Forgive me for laughing, Lily. It's just that Lucius would never do something like that. Whatever Pureblood nonsense he was forced to say in school, it was all an act. He will make her a distant cousin from Paris. Because I know that Kingsley will not hesitate to enslave me with no memory except for my name."
“Perhaps you could go into her dreams and speak with her? And I know for a fact that idiot Dumbledore owes me a life debt. I expected more from Harry, Lily. He didn’t want to learn magic, so he and his idiot friend forced Hermione to do heir homework for them. They cast an Imperious curse on her!”
Lily was stunned. She had hoped that Harry wouldn’t be like James. She shook her head in dismay.
“I would like to do that, Severus. I had hoped that Harry wouldn’t be like his father…” Lily sighed heavily as she remembered what Severus went through with the Marauders.
“I’ll see if I can get Albus to come up here to speak with you when you’re better,” said Lily as Severus fell asleep once more.
He did not wake until a few days later. He looked in the Crystal pool, where you can see anything in the realm of the living. Severus saw his mother and Hermione trying to heal him in the Shrieking Shack.
Severus walked out of the guest room into the living room to find Albus Dumbledore speaking with Lily, James, and Sirius. Severus walked slowly towards the sofa, anger brimming in his obsidian eyes.
“Severus, dear boy! Glad to see you awake! How are you feeling?” asked Albus, smiling at him like he didn’t do anything wrong.
Severus grabbed the older man’s wrist not caring if he was wincing in pain. “How am I feeling, you old coot? Because of your damned ‘Greater Good,’ I will be punished by Wizengamot because you wouldn’t let me tell anyone due to the Unbreakable Vow. You forced me to become a Death Eater and you would get my mother away from my abusive father.... and I was a fool to take it! If it wasn’t for my mother—which was the only promise you kept…” said Severus as his anger at the former Headmaster only grew as he held his wrist tightly.
There was an audible crack as the former spy fractured the former Headmaster's right wrist.Severus smirked in satisfaction as Albus cradled his aching left wrist that Severus finally released as he winced in pain.
“Because of you, Harry Bloody Potter thinks that I killed you because I hated you., which is untrue. Because his words are automatically believed, no one will believe me, and Kingsley Shacklebolt will enjoy every minute of this!” said Severus as a solitary tear made its way down his cheek.
“If I am enslaved, no one in the Wizarding World will remember me. And it will be all your fault, old man! I promised my mother and Hermione that I would make it through the war. You owe me a life debt. Now, I ask that you give it willingly, or I shall take it by force! Perhaps during this time, you can reflect on your misdeeds in the guise of the Greater Good,” said Severus bitterly.
The older man sighed heavily and slumped in the chair beside the sofa.
Severus turned to Sirius. “Remember your promise, Sirius.”
“I will, Severus. Should it come to that,” said Sirius quietly nodding in understanding.
Albus looked like a defeated man older than his years.
I really put him in a bad position by having him kill me as a mercy killing? thought Albus with a horrified look on his face as he looked at the Potions Master.
Albus grasped Severus’ wand hand shakily and softly spoke. “I will give it to you willingly, Severus,” said Albus as red mist surrounded him and the Potions Master.
Once the mist cleared, Severus had disappeared. His spirit went back into his unconscious body, which his mother and lover fighting to save.
After Eileen gave Severus another vial of antivenom magically, Hermione checked his pulse on his wrist. The pulse was weak but there and that was all that mattered.
“Eileen! Severus has a pulse! We need to get him to Saint Mungo’s as quickly as possible!”
Eileen nodded in understanding. “You will have to Apparate us to Saint Mungo’s, Hermione. My magic is too weakened,” said Eileen.
She smiled sadly at her as she stood slowly on shaky legs.
"Alright. Get your wand. Can you shrink the bag and put it in my beaded bag?” asked Hermione quietly as Eileen smiled gently at her and did as asked.
“Grab Severus’ hand and mine,” said Hermione as all three of them disappeared from the Shrieking Shack.