Harry Potter and the War of Souls

Chapter 11

Snape's Other Memories

He didn't show anyone the note, nor did he make any inquiries as to who might have left it there. He hoped it was somebody's sick idea of a joke, designed to make him think Voldemort was contacting him personally. In fact, he wanted it to be a joke, because the alternative was not a pleasant idea to dwell upon. As it turned out, there was no point in asking about it anyway, for when he went back to look at it again after breakfast, the parchment had disappeared.

His Saturday only got worse when he saw a notice for Quidditch tryouts posted around the Gryffindor common room. He saw an opening for Seeker and thought with some regret that in any other circumstances, another year of Quidditch would have been his favorite way to end his final year at Hogwarts. But his eyes nearly popped from their sockets when he saw the signature at the bottom: Ginny Weasley, Quidditch Captain.

He looked around the room to congratulate her but she was nowhere in sight. Funny, but as he thought of it, he realized he'd hardly seen her in the past week. Was she just busy or was she making an effort to avoid him?

Nor did he see her for much of the rest of the month. When they did pass each other in the halls, she smiled politely but made no effort to engage him in conversation. And he noticed with increasing regularity that she ate her meals in the company of Seamus, who was sitting far too close to her for Harry's taste.

Turn away, he told himself. That was your decision, not hers. So he forced himself to stop thinking of her. He didn't think about her when he caught sight of flowing red hair out in the hallway and got hit by a dancing jinx in DADA class. He didn't think about her when his History of Magic essay came back with a "Nobody named Ginny ever fought in the Goblin Rebellion!" And he didn't think about her when his cauldron boiled over in Potions class while he was eavesdropping on Seamus talking to Dean about his past evening with Ginny.

"Harry!" Slughorn scolded. "Since school started, I haven't seen anywhere near the art in your potions. Where has your mind been?" He paused in a knowing way and added, "Ah, perhaps you do have other things on your mind. Carry on!"

Harry went up to Slughorn after class and asked, "Professor, do you know how I might get some gillyweed?"

"Gillyweed? Whatever would you want that for?"

"I fancy a long swim," Harry said. "A long, deep swim."

Slughorn paused. "Are you sure it's nothing more than that?"

"Quite sure, Professor."

"Well, I seem to recall some of it in Professor Snape's old storeroom. I'd imagine it's still there."

Harry's eyes widened. "Professor Snape's storeroom is still here?"

"Yes, all his things are. He hasn't come back to collect them or sent a forwarding address. But then, that's hardly a surprise." Slughorn chuckled lightly until he realized Harry wasn't in the mood for humor and ended with a cough.

"His office is still here?"

"I'm sure the Headmistress will have Filch pack it up soon, but it was such a busy summer for her, it must have slipped her mind."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Professor. I've got to go now." He waved his hand as Slughorn called after him a reminder to come for tea soon.

He had DADA class next, and though he would have rather gone directly to Snape's office, there were too many students around now anyway. He would come tonight.

As distracted as he had been by the prospect of getting into Snape's office, however, Bill's class quickly caught his attention.

"We're going to work on dueling skills for awhile," Bill said. "It's one thing to duel when we're in the classroom setting, facing off with each other fair and square. It's another to be taken by surprise, and still another to face off when you're feeling the heat of emotion. Therefore, I propose a dueling contest that will take place over the next month." He waved his wand and a parchment appeared on the desks in front of each student, then he began walking down the aisle. "In each parchment, you will find the name of another student in this class. I challenge you to attempt a curse - a friendly, harmless curse - upon that student. Moreover, I challenge you to do so at the worst possible time for them. Catch them as they sleep, as they fight with a friend, or-" he said with a tap on Ron's desk, "-as he's offering his girl a goodnight kiss."

The entire class laughed and Ron's face turned an unusual shade of red. Harry couldn't see what Hermione was doing in front of him, but she didn't seem to be laughing either.

"Open your parchments now. I should warn you that since the Slytherin House has had a reduction in its numbers, there will be some Gryffindors matched against each other. It's good fun though, so don't take anything that will happen too seriously. Now, under no circumstances should you reveal the name of your target classmate to anyone. In one month's time, I expect to hear glowing reports of successful defenses from each of you. To increase your motivation, the house with the more successful blocks will earn themselves one hundred points."

The class erupted with murmurs of anticipation and excitement. Harry even had to admit the idea sounded fun. He opened his parchment and read, "Seamus Finnigan." He wasn't sure who Ron got, but he sighed and crumpled his parchment.

"Have you all read them?" Bill asked. "Alright then, Evanesco," and the parchments disappeared.

At dinner that night, everyone at the table was talking about the DADA class. "We're not all doing it yet," Hermione said. "Next month, he'll do the same with the 6^th years, then the next month with the 5^th. I imagine he'll go all the way down to the 1^st years if it's successful enough."

"So who'd you get, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Ronald! It's a secret."

"Well sure, from everyone else it is. But I figured we'd tell each other."

"Don't you dare tell me," she said. "I don't want to know who you've got anyway. I don't want them to be angry with me next week because I didn't warn them."

"Don't worry," Ron said. "You won't care if this person is angry with you."

"Enough, you two," Harry snapped. "We've got more important things to talk about. Listen, Snape's office is still here, it's still as it was before he left."

"So?" Ron asked.

"So, I'm getting in there tonight."

"Impossible. Snape put a lock on it to keep everyone out," Hermione said.

"Dobby got in there when he stole the Gillyweed from me," Harry said. "And I talked to him before dinner. He's promised to have the door unlocked and ready for me."

"Okay, but we're coming with you," Ron said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry said. "Tonight."

And so it was that four hours later, Harry wrapped his invisibility cloak around himself, Ron, and Hermione. "Crouch down," he told them. "This really isn't made for the three of us anymore." It really was silly to be walking so tightly together and crouched down as they were. Even as nervous as Harry was, he couldn't help but giggle a little with the others.

Their mood grew solemn, however, as they approached Snape's office. There was a thin layer of dust on the doorknob, but it turned and opened without a hitch, just as Dobby had promised it would.

Even after months without occupation, the place still bore every feeling of Snape's presence. There was a thick layer of ash in the fireplace and Harry thought Snape must have preferred to keep it musty in there rather than allow Filch in to clean it properly. With the door shut, however, the trio threw off the cloak and felt greater ease in moving about the office. Hermione went to the books and began muttering the titles under her breath. Ron picked up a jar of something purple and hairy that looked to Harry like a shriveled and shrunken fish head.

But Harry's attention was on the one object he had come to see. If there were answers to finding Snape and to really understanding what he had been up to on the whole of last year, it was in his pensieve.

"C'mon," he told his friends, and without giving them any warning of what he was about to do, he grabbed each of their sleeves and pulled them inside.

They landed in the Hogwarts courtyard in the bright daylight. It looked exactly as it did now, except for the differences in hairstyles of the students passing. Harry realized they had gone back several years in time.

"Look," Hermione said, touching Harry's shoulder. "Harry, that's your mother."

He turned and indeed saw her, holding her books and looking very anxious as she sat beneath a tree. She looked happy and carefree and he felt nearly frozen in place as he stared at her. But these were Snape's memories, not hers, which meant Snape had to be somewhere close by.

When Snape walked right past them, a younger version of his current loathsome self, the trio stepped back. There was a purposeful look in his eyes and his focus was entirely on Lily.

"I don't want to see this," Harry said.

But for the moment, he had no choice.

Snape sat beside Lily and raised his hand almost as if he wanted to touch hers, but she scooted away by a few inches, making space between them, and he lowered his hand.

"I'm sorry," Snape said. "When you asked me to meet you, I thought it was safe to hope for us. I thought after we graduate, we could-"

"There's never going to be anything between us, Severus." Her tone was gentle, but firm. "I love James. I will always love James."

"How could you love him? Lily, anyone but him. He's horrible-"

"He saved your life last year. Don't forget that."

Severus stood and swished his robes behind him. "No, Lily. I will never forget that. Enjoy your life."

"Any memory but here," Harry said aloud, and the scene around them almost instantly changed to a very dark room with only a single light shining in from a high window. Snape was kneeling on the floor with several hooded people around him. His forearm was bare and extended. Harry felt Him before he saw Him but still felt the air being sucked from his lungs as Voldemort walked forward.

"You are ready to receive my mark?" Voldemort asked.

"I am eager for this chance, My Lord," Snape said, his head bowed.

Voldemort pressed His fingers to Snape's arm and Snape began screaming in pain.

"I won't watch this," Hermione said and she yanked at Harry and Ron's arms. She pulled them from the room and from the memory and when they turned again, they found themselves in the doorway outside the Hog's Head.

"Do we go inside?" Ron asked.

"No." Harry knew instinctively why they were there. He pressed his ear to the door and said, "Listen, you can hear them."

"Who?" Ron asked, similarly putting his ear to the door.

"That's Professor Dumbledore and Trelawney. She's here to apply for a job."

"Move back," Hermione said. They parted as Snape walked to the door. He put his hand on the knob to open it then paused and with a smile, he leaned forward and listened. The smile on his mouth widened and Harry wished he could have found a way to curse Snape into oblivion right there.

Finally, Snape stood upright, gave a small, wicked laugh, then walked away.

"He's going to Voldemort, isn't he?" Ron said.

"Yep," Harry answered. "He's just heard a portion of the prophecy. According to Dumbledore, Snape didn't anticipate how Voldemort would interpret the prophecy, and he may have even assumed Voldemort would go after Neville, but when he realized Voldemort intended to come after my parents, he panicked and went to Dumbledore."

"It's because he loved your mother," Hermione whispered. "He loved her and realized Voldemort was going to kill her."

"Well he wouldn't have cared two bits that Voldemort wanted to kill me or my dad."

"Except for the life debt," Hermione said. "Don't forget, Harry. Snape owed your father his life."

"A lot of good that did my dad." Harry closed his eyes and said, "I want to see that. Let me see that night!"

But they didn't go there. Almost as if they had turned to the next page of the storybook, they found themselves in Dumbledore's office. Snape was in there and either had been crying, or still was. He was bowed to the ground, almost as they had seen him with Voldemort, but in this case, Dumbledore was leaning over Snape, his arms around him in a comforting way.

"It's not too late," Dumbledore said. "We must fix this."

"No, I must fix this," Snape said. "This will be my burden to bear. Let me go. Let me warn them at least."

"The Fidelius Charm must be put into place. They could use Sirius for that, I believe."

"Voldemort would suspect Sirius to be the one. He will torture him for the information if necessary."

Dumbledore peered at Snape over his half-moon glasses. "Sirius would never betray them. He would die first."

Snape nodded. "I'll suggest it. They do know about the prophecy, I assume."

"Of course. But until you came to me, we did not know that He knew. Both the Potters and the Longbottoms have been preparing as best they could. Lily has been working on an idea she thinks may protect them. Tell her the time has come to do it. She will know what I mean."

"I will," Snape said, wiping his red eyes and rising. "I will save them if I can, Albus. I promise you that."

Harry's muscles had been gradually tightening as he watched. He hated Snape, hated him as he never thought he could hate anyone. Why couldn't Dumbledore have gone to his parents instead? He would have made them use Sirius. He would have kept them hidden.

The scenery shifted and Harry knew once again at once where - and when they were.

"This is your house, Harry," Hermione whispered. "This is that night."

Harry wanted to go inside the house and see his parents, scream at them to run even though he knew it would do no good. Then he heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned and saw Snape hurry to their door and knock, almost in a panicked way.

James answered the door and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Severus? What are you-"

"There's no time," Snape whispered. "He is coming. He is coming for your son."

"How did He find us?" James asked, pulling out his wand.

"Pettigrew revealed it to Him just now. He ordered me here to insure Pettigrew's information was correct. I bargained with Him, James. He wants the boy only. Take Lily and leave!"
"That's ridiculous. I'll never leave Harry. Now get out of here!"

Snape grabbed James' arm. "Let me take her then. I will keep her safe."

James threw Snape's hand off his arm and slammed the door in his face. Snape stood back and bowed instantly as Voldemort appeared.

Voldemort glanced at Snape. "Your skills at Occlumency have improved, Severus. But why hide your mind from me? Have you done something you should not have?"

"Not at all."

"Then go."

Snape bowed and apparated away. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were transported with him to where he reappeared. Lily was beside Harry's crib with her wand out. She was either not surprised to see Snape or else was in too much of a hurry to ask why he was here.

"Get out," Snape told her as the boom of something exploding sounded from outside.

"There's no time," Lily said. "I need James. I need James to complete this spell!"

"James is gone," Snape said. "Leave here!"

"If James can't, you'll have to do it. Put your hand on Harry's head. I need someone else to complete this spell."

Snape looked exasperated but placed his hand on Harry's head as directed.

"I can only hope this works," Lily said. She took Snape's other hand in hers, then raised her wand and began to murmur an incantation, but her words were lost in what sounded like the front door being exploded open. Lily opened her eyes briefly, then with a wave of her wand at Harry, she stopped and let go of Snape's hand.

"You need to go," she told Snape. "There's nothing you can do for us now."

With tears in his eyes, Snape nodded his head at Lily. He vanished only a second before Voldemort walked into the room.

"No!" Harry screamed. He moved toward Voldemort, but felt a tug at the back of his shirt. He hadn't realized that Ron nor Hermione were no longer beside him. The hand reached for him and before he knew it, he had been pulled from the pensieve and was tossed to the floor of Snape's office, facing the other end of Snape's wand.