Quote from JaySM on March 4, 2024, 12:40 am

“Look at me.”

Green.

Eyes so vibrant and still full of life that Severus felt the will to live spark inside of him like a living ember.

He had to tell Potter. Had to urge him to see the importance of looking at those memories.

But it was too late.

Time slipped like sand through the cracks in between fingers as his vision tunnelled. His strength drained and the grip he held on Potter’s cloak fell as darkness swallowed his vision entirely.

Darkness.

Was this the afterlife?

There was no pain in his neck from Nagini’s bite. The constant burning of the dark mark was gone.

He still felt the will to live still flickering inside of him. Perhaps that’s the reason why he was still cognizant.

Severus tried to sputter it out and meld into the darkness, forget everything he once was and surrender himself fully to death but no matter how much he tried, his senses began to heighten instead.

He could hear a distant clackety sound over the hum of white noise.

He could feel a cool hard surface on the side of head causing an unpleasant vibration on his gnashed teeth.

There was a lingering smell he honed in on of warm metal and grease.

Severus sluggishly fought to ignore it all and seep further into the darkness, but his mind stayed transfixed on the orange shadows crossing his vision.

A high pitch squeal sounded and Severus felt his body sway forward and in reflex, his arms stretched out to catch himself from falling and his eyes snapped open in surprise. He gasped, his heart beating frantically against his chest as his eyes rapidly searched his surroundings of its own accord.

For several seconds. All Severus could notice were corners. There were corners all around him.

They felt too close. It was stifling.

Another high pitch squeal and Severus rocked forward catching himself on the wall unaware of when he had stood up.

He heard three loud thuds from his right and a flash of cold dread shot down his spine as he felt his soul nearly leave his body in surprise.

“Wake up! We’ve arrived at King’s Cross!”

The repetitive thuds began again but further away as they relayed their message.

Severus took a moment to calm his breathing and wet his windpipe before scanning his surroundings once more.

He was in a train compartment.

Quote from Naaga on March 4, 2024, 1:48 am

"Daydreaming, Severus!" said Bruce, amused.

Astonished, Severus saw himself surrounded by his former friends. Bruce Mulciber, Damien Avery, Evan Rosier, and Evelyn Wilkes were his comrades from his younger days.

"I need to know where I am," thought Severus.

"I am contemplating ways to kill time; after all, we have a lot of time available now," said Severus sarcastically.

Damien, finding his voice, said, "I certainly won't be missing Dumbledore's welcome speeches, that barmy old coot."

Everyone started laughing. Severus realized it was his graduation trip back to King's Cross.

"Good recall! 10 points to Slytherin!" Severus heard a voice inside his head. He turned his head but found no source for that voice.

"I'm inside your head, Shithead," a silky voice whispered, as if amused by Severus' attempts.

"Who are you?" thought Severus.

"You can call me Aider, for I'm here to aid and advise you," said the voice.

"Why am I back? Is this reality or a dream?" thought Severus.

"One man's dream can be another's reality," Aider said, puzzling him. "Anyway, you are back because viewers were unsatisfied by the end of your story. Your job is to find a better ending for yourself, a quest for which I'm here for your advice."

"How am I doing that?" asked Severus.

"By becoming a player in the great game. In your last life, you were a piece moving on the board of a great game between the players, Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore. This time, you must become a player yourself so as to realize a better future and save people who got lost or died.

"And by the way, I've removed the Prince curse from your bloodline as a reward; feel free to thank me," said Aider.

"What is the Prince curse?" asked Severus.

"The curse of obsessive love: people of the Prince bloodline imprint a person, and they fall for them, loving them to the point of obsession. Your mother's love for your abusive father and your love for Lily Evans fall into this category. They neither fall for other people nor can move on from that life. I've removed it so you can find your own path and choose the person you fall for," explained Aider.

"Rejoice, Severus, for now your task is to recruit your old Slytherin mates for your cause. I wish you luck, Severus, and now I'm taking my leave," said Aider.

Quote from Salvyus on March 4, 2024, 7:41 am

“I’m telling you he's dreaming!”

Severus blinked. They were on the platform, their luggage piled on the ground and threatening to topple over. A hand was waving mere inches from his face, trying – and failing – to catch his attention. He brushed it aside.

“There he is,” laughed Evan, slapping him on the back. “Good to see you again, we thought we'd lost you for a moment there, mate!”

“Can’t have that, can we? Got our freedom to celebrate!”

“Of course,” said Severus, his mind somewhere else entirely. He remembered that day, more vividly now than he had in years. The same gestures, the same words. Those were the same people he’d enjoyed the company of twenty years ago, back when they had thought they'd be together forever. Before war and death had teared them apart.

Got our freedom to celebrate.

The same words had echoed in his ears then, but they held new meaning now. Before, it had been a celebration of their last days of freedom, the last moments before they'd bound themselves to the Dark Lord's servitude. Today, it was the first day Severus was free from it.

“I can confirm it's him,” said Evelyn. Her voice had always reminded him of nails scratching wood. “With so much enthusiasm it couldn't’ve been anyone else.”

“So. Where are we going?” asked Bruce.

This was some sort of a weird dream. They say life flashes before your eyes when you're on Death’s door. Perhaps this was it? In a moment he’d see himself in that same restaurant they’d gone to twenty years ago. Would order a butterbeer, then a glass of fire whiskey, then two. Would wobble down Knockturn Alley, fall asleep in a rented room, and remember nothing until it was time for him to sell his soul to Voldemort.

Except it wasn't a flash. Time was moving at its normal pace, and this dream had gotten no further than the first butterbeer.

 

Quote from Naaga on March 5, 2024, 1:30 am

"Whatcha thinking, Sev? You look sorta out of it today. Everything fine?" asked Bruce with concern.

That brought Severus back to reality, realizing that it wasn't just a dream and his friends were really back.

Severus wasn't in a good place after losing his friends in the war. While his stint as a professor at Hogwarts did bring him colleagues, only Dumbledore was someone he could remotely call his friend.

He remembered Lily, his first friend, a bright and vivacious girl who saw the best in him and was the first person to show him kindness.

Seeing Bruce reminded him of his first friend made at Hogwarts. Bruce Mulciber, the sole heir and current Lord of House Mulciber, lost his parents at the hands of a Muggle robber after they had finished watching a play at the theater. That Muggle murdered his parents right in front of him, and Bruce developed a deep hatred for Muggles and, by extension, Muggle-borns. Severus remembered Bruce losing his light gradually in the war to the extent that he became a broken shell of a madman, known for using the Imperius curse for depravity. Yet, he also remembered the kind Bruce who treated Severus like an equal, who stood for him and even rescued him during his moment of greatest humiliation, preventing his loss of dignity.

He recalled Damien Avery, a sensitive boy with a lot of expectations. Damien's parents spared no expense in reaffirming their commitment to the Dark Lord, their expectations from him, and how failure was not tolerable. While Damien survived the first war unscathed unlike others in the group, he got too settled in his mask, and he gradually drifted apart from Severus.

Evan Rosier was perhaps the most cunning among their group of friends. The Rosier family had a great affinity with the Dark Arts and boasted connections to the major pureblood houses. Vinda Rosier, Evan's grandaunt, served as one of Grindelwald's most loyal lieutenants, a role reprised by her descendant Bellatrix for Lord Voldemort. Evan always gave Severus a run for his money in the Dark Arts, and his prowess led to him injuring Alastor Moody at the legendary auror's prime.

Evelyn Wilkes was a recent addition to their group. She joined during their seventh year, after her betrothal to Evan Rosier. She wasn't that close to Severus, but her insights often helped his otherwise academically poor friends.

"There's something you all must know," said Severus resolutely.

Quote from Storyteller on March 5, 2024, 9:33 pm

What do I tell them? That I’m from—I have memories of events to come? And that all of them are on a path to destruction?

Bruce was at the top of Severus’s concerns. If his memories serve correctly, a few nights from now, Bruce was to begin his nightly escapades in exacting his revenge against Muggles. The success of his first mission bred a confidence in the young man to the point where there was no going back.

Bruce was lost to his endless crusade for vengeance.

In the original timeline, Severus’s his journey with Bruce would simply differ far too greatly after his own falling in line with the dark one to keep posted with his old colleague. His peer respect for Bruce faded, only to be broached from time-to-time when interesting newspapers regarding the appearance of a mysterious figure stalked the streets at night.

If the goal is to recruit these blockheads to whatever cause I’m now saddle with, then the first on the list would be…

“What?” Bruce asked with a raised brow. “You’re doing a lot of staring while keep us in suspense.”

Tsk. What a ridiculous predicament I’m in.

Quote from JaySM on March 5, 2024, 11:33 pm

“Tick tock.” Severus heard Aider’s amused chuckle in his mind as he stared blankly at the expectant group in front of him.

Bruce sucked his teeth in annoyance and roughly pushed Severus out of the way with his luggage rolling behind him. “Send me an owl when you figure it out.”

As if Bruce’s actions were a cue, the rest of the group dispersed with only Damien shooting Severus an unsure look over his shoulder before raising his hand in a timid wave.

Severus stood frozen in indecision watching the backs of his peers and hollowly feeling how each of their steps widened their growing distance.

There was nothing he could do.

What could he even say? This was all too sudden.

The last thing Severus saw of his friends was Bruce’s black mop of hair and the lingering guilt he felt in his chest when it disappeared into the crowd.

There went his chance to save Bruce from his fate.

Severus let out a long forceful exhale as he raked his fingers through his hair, digging his nails into his scalp as if in punishment.

“Fuuuck,” he said through clenched teeth.

Something bumped into his shoulder from behind passing through his peripheral to meet his icy gaze.

Steely grey eyes met his, “Move, Snivellus.”

Severus’ lip curled in a sneer as he summoned his luggage in hand and took long, angry steps away from the platform. He rather not linger with Sirius Black and his ilk.

His frustrations grew with each step, his thoughts trapped on his shortcomings as he mentally berated himself.

To his surprise, he had marched his way all the way to Diagon Alley on foot and stood in front of the innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron who already had Severus’ galleons in his gnarled hand in exchange for his stay.

The innkeeper narrowed his eyes in suspicion and Severus felt his irritation prickle the back of his neck at the look. “No trouble out of you.”

Severus gnashed his teeth to hold in a retort before nodding and stomping away upstairs into his room.

The door slammed shut behind him from his unfurled magic and he dropped his school trunk in the middle of the room. He sat heavily on the bed, bending at the waist as he combed his fingers through his hair until he held it in a painful grip.

Always the villain.

Quote from Naaga on March 6, 2024, 4:12 am

"Fuck!" swore Severus.

"Why don't you tell them the truth, idiot?" asked Aider.

"Yeah, yeah, let's say I'm back from the future, and I'd find myself becoming a permanent resident of St Mungo's, thanks for such useful advice," said Severus with a sneer.

"Not the whole truth, do that," advised Aider, followed by making a plan.

"Are you sure that's gonna work?" asked Severus hesitantly.

"Well, it's a gamble, but there's never anything guaranteed. Only by taking risks can a desirable future be realized," said Aider.

Following it, Severus sent his friends an owl each, asking them to meet at Mulciber Manor.

---

Next day, inside the chamber of Lord Mulciber, Mulciber Manor

"Well, well, well, is there anything you wish to say, Severus? Having second thoughts?" asked Rosier.

"I don't have second thoughts, Evan. I don't plan to join the Dark Lord," said Severus.

Suddenly, the environment turned cold, and Severus suddenly felt like sweating.

"And I wonder why you plan to betray the cause," asked Damien.

"Because the Dark Lord has made a Horcrux," said Severus in a grave voice.

"What? No, it can't be, that's madness!" said Evan in a panicked voice.

"Of course, someone with a dark background like Rosier would know its significance."

"Can someone with a bloody sense explain in the name of Salazar what's going on?" yelled Evelyn.

Severus started explaining in his professor-like manner, "A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul... Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged."

Everyone exclaimed. Damien nervously said, "But that means the Dark Lord is invincible, and it'd be even more foolish to defy him."

Evan cut off Damien with a wave and added, "The creation of a Horcrux requires murder, for only such an evil act can destabilize the soul for splitting. The most worrying thing about a Horcrux is not the method but rather the mindset required to do so."

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but Severus interrupted. "He raises a valid point, Bruce. It occurs to me that we have danced around the most salient point of the Horcrux Ritual, which is also the reason for my revulsion at the Dark Lord."

Evan thought about that and nodded. "Alright then. The truth, Evelyn, is that we don't really know much about what we call the Horcrux Ritual. Even Magick Moste Evil didn't have much to say, and I had to handle that book with gloves just to touch it safely. But what we do know is that creating a Horcrux is esoteric magic. Like the Patronus Charm, it requires a certain mindset to properly cast. More than that, to keep a Horcrux, you have to maintain this mindset constantly for the rest of your life and even after your death."

"What mindset?" Bruce asked cautiously. He suspected he wouldn't like the answer.

"An absolute certainty that out of the entire human race, your life is the only one with any value," said Severus bluntly. Bruce's eyes widened in surprise as the implications of such a mindset became clearer.

"Or to put that another way," Evan said, "if there is a single man, woman, or child in the entire world who you might refrain from brutally murdering in order to make a Horcrux, then you would never be able to create a Horcrux at all. Moreover, if something ever happened to cause you to feel that degree of empathy for anyone else, any of your existing Horcruxes would lose their soul-anchoring properties."

"Got it," said Bruce in a shaky voice. "A technique for achieving immortality that can only be used by murdering psychopaths. I can see why people wanted that spell suppressed."

"So you must understand why I don't want to join such a psychopathic lunatic. Make your choice, everyone, for after it, there's no going back," whispered Severus.

Quote from Salvyus on March 7, 2024, 1:00 pm

The room quietened. For a long moment that felt to Severus a decade, the silence was so thick, he could feel the slight trembling of the boy next to him – Bruce, heart pounding in his chest and threatening to burst out, his gaze darting from one face to another as though following a tennis game. Evelyn wore a similar expression, one of pure horror, and it was clear they were both waiting for someone, or something, to disprove these accusations, to deny what had been said.

Evan's face was hidden behind a mask of indifference, but he was unmoving, a soulless shell. The only indication that he was still there was the occasional blink, a shaky release of breath.

Only Damien’s lips stretched to form a sneer, and even then it was more a self-protective gesture than anything else. “And how exactly did you learn that?”

“I can't tell you,” replied Snape, because he couldn't. It had taken him months to figure it out, sleepless night after sleepless night of searching through Dumbledore's possessions, of breaking the spells that bound the most sensitive information. That Evan had heard of a horcrux, let alone knew what it was and how it was made, was certainly impressive, but a part of Severus was horrified at the prospect. Here stood an eighteen-year-old teenager, freshly out of school, who possessed the knowledge to the Darkest of magic. Severus shuddered to think what might have become of him had Moody not bested him.

“Oh, you can't tell us. This… this sounds really serious, Snape. What if you're wrong, what if you're just too scared to fight a war? Why drag us with you? This is our chance to make something out of our lives! Think about it, the world at our feet…”

You’re eighteen, and you think you have life figured out, do you, Severus thought, but didn't say it aloud. At eighteen they had been puppets on string, fighting a war that had not been theirs to fight. “Or you grovelling at the Dark Lord's feet, begging for mercy. I will fight a war, but it won't be on this side,” he said instead. The words seemed to bounce off the walls, reverberate, thinning without trailing off completely, and they remained in the air until their meaning had soaked through skin, engraving itself on what was wrapped inside.

Quote from Naaga on March 9, 2024, 3:45 am

Damien, finding his voice after a moment of silence, mockingly laughed. "Don't tell me you're going to war with the old coot's gang of chickens, because that'd be a new low, even for you."

"Though Dumbledore would be a far preferable option to the Dark Lord, I prefer going my own way," replied Severus.

Bruce calmly asked, "What do you mean, Severus?"

Severus explained, "I'm going my own way, aiming to liberate wizards from the shackle called the Statute of Secrecy. Dumbledore would prefer to maintain the status quo, and the Dark Lord would rule over ashes, rather than granting us liberation."

Evan pointed out, "They are both followed because they are strong. Can you prove whether it's worth following you?"

Severus smirked, anticipating that question. The workings of the Pureblood circle always revolved around the basal instinct of the wizarding follower nature. The roles of leader and follower are inherent in the wizarding world. Magical folks always follow the strong and desire to submit to a stronger entity.

Bruce was their group's leader, with Severus preferring to follow and Rosier preferring to rule from the shadows through proxies. Slytherin house basically functioned on this concept of leader-follower dynamics. The Dark Lord made a name for himself and made Slytherins submit through sheer strength, charisma, and later, fear. Even Gryffindors had this practice, although they preferred to call it friendship, like Potter's group of scums.

Severus eventually mastered this system during his years as a professor, making the whole Slytherin house submit to him. He made fraternity the main dogma of Slytherins and enforced discipline to reward and punish in suitable situations. The long-standing winning streak of Slytherins prior to the arrival of Potter boy was the result of those efforts.

"I challenge you all to a Submission duel, with me against you in a 4 vs. 1 scenario," Severus declared.

Evelyn interjected, "Don't you dare look down upon us. You know the consequences if you lose."

Severus smiled confidently. "I know I'd lose my life in the unlikely event of my loss, but in my victory, you will all swear your allegiance to me."

For Severus had every intention of demonstrating a sample of his full power.