Turning Time (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Snape's Worst Memory, pt. 2

Harry watched the memories appear behind his lids. He concentrated and found he could direct the flow of information. 

It began on the night his parents died. James gave up his life, Lily was hit by Voldemort’s curse, and Harry lived. 

Severus pulled out of Harry’s mind, eyes wide. “What’s going on? How did you do that? Why…” 

“You saw Voldemort kill Lily.” 

Severus shook his head. “No, that’s impossible—”

“Just watch.”

Severus dove in this time. Harry was left on a doorstep, grew up with the Dursleys, found out he was a wizard, and stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. Harry showed his scar to Ron, he was sorted into Gryffindor. He hated his professor, Severus Snape, from the very beginning. In his first year, Harry thought Severus was after the Philosopher’s Stone. Quirrell, whom Severus suspected, was found guilty. In his fourth year, Harry suspected that his name had been entered in the Goblet of Fire by Severus, an assumption that was later disproved. In his fifth year, despite Severus’ help on numerous occasions, Harry continued to loathe him. In his sixth year, Harry was suspicious of Severus’ involvement with Draco and assumed he was solely responsible for the death of Dumbledore. 

Through the years, Harry saw the return of Voldemort, was called “The Boy Who Lived” and “The Chosen One,” he was ignored and suspected. He watched his friends die in the time leading up to the final battle. 

Harry couldn’t hold back the other connections to Severus. Snippets of conversation flew by, too fast for the settings to develop, leaving just fragments of voices. “Or he might have been sacked! I mean, everyone hates him.” “Snape knew more curses when he arrived at Hogwarts than half the kids in seventh year.” “Kill me then, kill me like you killed him, you coward!” “I should have shown the book to Dumbledore. All that time he was showing me how Voldemort was evil even when he was at school, and I had proof Snape was, too.” “No! You’ll do no more murder at Hogwarts!” 

The barrage of voices dissolved to show Severus, dying, saying, “Look…at…me…”, then giving his memories to Harry. Harry dipped his face into the Pensieve. Severus took the O.W.L.s and call Lily a Mudblood. The relationship between he and Lily changed. 

Severus saw his older self go to Dumbledore and beg for help, saying he relayed the prophecy about the one who would face Voldemort: “He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down—kill them all—” “If she means so much to you, surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?” The scene shifted. Dumbledore responded to a distant, echoing question. “She and James put their faith in the wrong person, rather like you, Severus. Weren’t you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?…Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evan’s eyes, I am sure?” The following events accelerated to the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, when Harry revealed to everyone that Severus had been a double agent, all for love: “Severus Snape wasn’t yours. Snape was Dumbledore’s. Dumbledore’s from the moment you starting hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can’t understand…he loved her for nearly all of his life.” 

The scene faded. Ginny said to an older, sadder Harry, “I know how you can change this.” She gave Harry the Time-Turner, kissed him, and watched him vanish. Harry was shown changing his appearance, meeting Severus, introducing himself as Jacob Walker.

Severus gasped and left Harry’s mind. His face was red, and tears leaked down his face. Harry could tell the pain was now much more real. Harry realized at once that he’d made a mistake.