Opportunities

Severus Snape frowned and sniffed the air, smelling the faint odour left over from the potion he’d been making earlier. Selling general health potions was beneath him but it paid the bills while he waited and set the scene for convincing two others to come back in time with him. He had two people in mind and the first, while he was sure that she would agree after a lot of deliberating and vows on his magic, hadn’t been approached yet. He knew she would take time to convince even though neither of them trusted or liked him.

He had been hoping he could track down Jacob easily, a troubled idiot who had been a couple years behind him in Hogwarts and whose last known whereabouts were in Japan. Which was where Severus currently was and was thoroughly fed up and pissed off. 

At Hogwarts Jacob had been obsessed with the cursed vaults, it seemed that his obsession with hidden historical myths hadn’t quite abated. 

Jacob had been nothing if not thorough in hiding his tracks, which after everything he had been through made sense. While it was his fascination with the cursed vaults that had made him an ideal fall guy, the actual culprit had been caught and imprisoned in Azkaban a few years ago.

Severus hoped the knowledge would entice Jacob to not only hear him out but agree to his plan. 

‘Why are you looking for me?’ A voice cut through the dark. A voice that he recognised and had been searching for.

‘Surely you heard that Patricia Rakepick was caught in 1990 and sent to Azkaban?’ Severus said in the most drollest voice he could manage.

‘Surely you heard the Dark Lord broke out most of the inmates at the beginning of the year?’ Jacob replied, amusement colouring his voice. ‘I would have thought his most favoured spy to be better informed.’

Severus refrained from rolling his eyes but felt his nostrils flare as his anger almost got the better of him. He’d gotten lax in his years at Hogwarts believing the Dark Lord to be, if not dead, then finally out of his life. His return had made his already short temper even shorter. For years he had not had to do anything he truly didn’t want to, he had once dreamed of inventing potions but the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore had put paid to that via the brand on his arm and the declaration of him being a spy. It was why he had agreed to take the teaching job at Hogwarts, it was either that or leave the country as no one wanted new unknown potions from a known and proven liar. Once a spy, always a spy. 

‘But she was not one of them. And since when do I not have a plan?’ Severus asked, arching his eyebrows. He knew how to cast tracking charms without his target ever knowing. Although Jacob had been on the run for a long time and Severus had no idea what he had learnt or picked up along the way.

Jacob snorted. ‘Not interested.’

He disapparated before Severus could stop him and he sneered at the empty space where moments before the man he had hoped to convince to travel back in time with him stood. Luckily the tracking charm had taken and he apparated wondering how many jumps he would have to take before Jacob stopped, his guess was seven.

Nine jumps later he congratulated a surprised Jacob but was unsurprised to find that Jacob had him at wand point and at disadvantage.

‘I know a way to go back in time and change everything.’ Seveus attempted to be truthful for one of the few times in his life.

Jacob arched an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘As far back as we like, as long we’re alive.’

‘You - you’re serious?’

Severus nodded. ‘We keep our memories so we can change what has already happened.’

‘What’s the catch?’

‘The spell requires three people.’

Jacob stared at him a moment before shaking his head. ‘Not interested.’

Severus blinked at him, shocked. He had pegged Jacob as a sure thing, his life had been ruined at Hogwarts, why would he not want to go back and change it?

‘We can go back to our first year of Hogwarts, change everything.’

‘Why would I want to do that?’ Jacob asked, a smile on his lips. ‘Has my life been perfect? No, but what's the point of living if you don’t make mistakes?’

‘You could save a lot of heartache.’

Jacob laughed. ‘Severus Snape, talking about heartache. What happened to you?’

Severus narrowed his eyes.

‘Good luck Severus, but I have no desire to go back and live another life.’ Jacob said. ‘I’m fine with this one.’

He apparated again but this time Severus didn’t follow. Not just because Jacob had shaken his tracken charm but because it was pointless, He’d gotten his answer. Jacob would not be joining him in the past. 

At least he had a back up.

He pursed his lips and apparated, he really hadn’t wanted to bring this imbecile with him but at least he wouldn’t have to put up with him for long. He looked around himself in disdain, not at all surprised at his run down surroundings. And it seemed that this traitor had never expected to not be trusted. Once a traitor, always a traitor. Although tracking him was just common sense and Severus was no idiot.

Now he just had to wait for his prey to turn up. He disillusioned himself and set in to wait, knowing it would take a long time, hours at the least, days at the most.

Three days later he watched as the rat slowly and cautiously sniffed the air before moving further out into the open. The traps he’d set weren’t all magical and were now so old it would be virtually impossible for the animagus to smell him on them.

Severus watched as the rat sniffed at and evaded the muggle traps, he wasn’t as much of an idiot as he had thought. It was hard to tell if Pettigrew was deliberately avoiding the magical traps or was just lucky and just as he was about to move and stun him, Pettigrew walked right into the magical blizzard in a bottle disguised as a large water pipe. He smiled as the bottle lid snapped shut with a barely heard dull thud and he scooped it up, holding it up to see a dark speck caught up in the silent snow storm.

He pocketed the bottle and with a few quick slashes of his wand, dismantled the other traps and strode away to apparate down the street. It wouldn’t do to leave a trail after his hard work. Although now the hard work was about to begin, he had to convince Madam Augusta Longbottom to go back in time with him. 

Or rather them.

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‘If you believe me to be incognisant of the fact that you have been following me, Severus Snape, than you are a bigger fool than those dunderheads you profess to teach.’

Severus winced at the sharply spoken words but he wasn’t cowed. After the Dark Lord, Madam Augusta Longbottom was more like a chained Rottweiler, key word there being chained.

He’d been trying to find the best place to approach her that wouldn’t draw any notice, however she still had the war wards raised at Longbottom Manor so he’d been forced to stalk her through Diagonal Alley and had been debating. He hadn’t wanted to approach her just yet when she had found a semi secluded seat in a tea shop and forced his hand.

‘I have a…private matter that I wish to discuss with you that would… change our… circumstances for the better.’ Severus said haltingly.

‘And why would I be interested?’ Augusta asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked utterly uninterested.

‘It would be of benefit to your son and daughter-in-law.’ 

Madam Longbottom stilled, a slight tremor appearing in her hand. ‘I have no wish to be alone with you.’

Snape inclined his head. ‘Would a vow put your mind at rest?’

She narrowed her eyes at him before summing quill and parchment from her handbag. She quickly wrote something out and handed it to him.

It was a vow promising not to harm or lie to her for the duration of the day.

He nodded and extended his hand. ‘That would be acceptable.’

She pulled her wand, disillusioning them both, and erecting a privacy ward before grasping his hand and they performed the vow.

Once the vow settled, Madam Longbottom sipped at her tea then nodded at him. ‘Proceed.’

‘I have recently been made aware of a… ritual, that would send three minds back in time.’

‘Time turners do too.’

‘Time turners send your body back up to twenty fours hours in time.’

Madam Longbottom blinked. ‘And the ritual?’

‘Any point in time that the bodies belonging to the three minds are alive.’

‘The catch?’

‘All three need to go to the same point in time.’

‘And the third?’

‘Not a problem.’ He said.

Madam Longbottom nodded and took another sip of her tea. ‘Why?’

‘Why do I want to do this or why am I asking you to go with me?’

She glared at him.

Severus inclined his head mulling his thoughts over but he had vowed to tell her the truth and his mouth opened before he decided. ‘I wish to save my friendship with Lily, never become a death eater or spy and keep the Potter’s alive and turn whoever I can away from the Dark Lord’s cause.’

Madam Longbottom stood and with a quick wand motion, took down the privacy ward and disillusion charm. ‘I will be in touch with my decision.’

He inclined his head, letting out a breath as walked away. She could have been a lot harsher in her questions and kept him for much longer. He was surprised that she hadn’t done so.

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It had been three weeks and two days since his conversation with Madam Longbottom and he hadn’t seen or heard anything from her. He had been certain she would agree but then, he’d also thought Jacob would agree as well. At least she hadn’t shot him straight down but the waiting was interminable. He had everything he needed for the ritual except for the third person and while the potion was time consuming, it was pointless making it until he had Madam Longbottom’s agreement.

He had everything planned out, they’d travel back to September first 1971, his and Lily’s first day of Hogwarts, he’d beg the hat to put him anywhere but Slytherin, last time begging for Gryffindor to follow his best friend hadn’t worked, but maybe begging for anywhere but Slytherin might, at least then it would be easy to avoid the pure blood traps in Slytherin. But even if he did end up back in Slytherin, at least he knew the people to avoid.

He walked up to his house, he had been unable to settle seeing that September first had come and gone and he wasn’t there. It was strangely discombobulating. He’d decided popping out to the local muggle delicatessen would help his wandering thoughts , perusing the different selections of cheeses and meats seemed to settle him when he needed to keep his mind occupied, similar to the way brewing potions did.

He frowned as he approached the gate to his property only to freeze in place as he felt someone in his home. The wards weren’t broken, they were still active but they should have prevented anyone other than him from entering and alerted him to whoever had approached. They should never have welcomed another into his home.

He frowned as he entered his foyer and wand drawn, cautiously made his way to his receiving room where Madam Longbottom sat, apparently waiting for him, with a steaming teapot and a full cup.

‘How did you get into my home?’ Severus asked, lowering his wand.

‘Frank didn’t learn just from the aurors.’ Madam Longbottom said and took a sip of tea eyeing him over her cup.

He sat his purchases down, allowing that that was all he was getting from her on the matter.

‘You could have chosen anyone, why me?’ She asked.

‘Frank and Alice always treated me with respect.’

‘Who is your third?’

‘Inconsequential, he will have a short life.’

Madam Longbottom raised an eyebrow in demand.

He inclined his head and summoned the blizzard bottle.

‘Who have you imprisoned in there?’

‘Peter Pettigrew.’

She looked him in the eye. “How short a life?”

“Once we return, he won't survive longer than it takes me to steal a Death Eaters wand and kill him with it.”

Augusta was silent for a long moment then she pursed her lips. ‘When do we do the ritual?’

He felt a smile tug at his lips. ‘It will take me a while to brew the potion.’

‘What’s our chance of success?’

‘I found it out from someone who had already completed it.’

She pursed her lips. ‘Best I do not know who.’

‘No, but it might help if I informed you of a few… manipulations before we return.’

‘Our return date?’

‘September first 1971.’

‘Unacceptable.’

Snape raised a disbelieving eyebrow. ‘You have a better idea?’

‘Of course.’

Severus reigned in his temper reminding himself that he needed her. ‘I’m all ears.’

‘No need to be facetious young man, just as there is no need for you to repeat your entire education. Now, when did you fall out with Lily?’

Severus didn’t want to admit it but that did sound tedious, even if he would have enjoyed being at the top of all his classes.

‘Fifth year was when our friendship was irreparably damaged.’

‘And when did you become a Death Eater?’

‘Sixth year.’

‘Then we will head back to your fifth year, now, when did this fallout occur?’

‘Spring 1976.’

‘Then we will return at Yule 1975. It will give you time to acclimate and prevent the fallout and enough time to avoid becoming a Death Eater, correct?’

‘It will be harder.’

‘But it will give you reason to have the knowledge that you do.’ She pointed out.

‘I am not that moronic to advertise my current knowledge.’

‘And I’m sure those who have already returned thought the same, how are you going to tell Lily that her, her husband and her child are in such danger?’

‘By overhearing a conversation after Albus is given the prophecy.’

Madam Longbottom stilled, her eyes drilling in him, her back stiff and straight. ‘What prophecy?’

Severus blinked, not having anticipated her ignorance of it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Sybil Trelawney gave a true prophecy to Albus Dumbledore at her job interview at the Hogs Head for divination teacher. I overheard part of it and much to my everlasting regret, delivered what I heard to the Dark Lord. It spoke of a child being born at the end of the seventh month to parents who had thrice defied him and that this child would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord.’

Madam Longbottom closed her eyes, breathing deeply as her tea cup rattled in her hand. ‘Neville and Harry.’

Severus inclined in his head. ‘Albus thought so. The Dark Lord decided it was Harry Potter.’

‘But it could have been Neville, is that why Frank and Alice were…’ she trailed off.

‘Possibly but the Dark Lord had already gone by then and he was not one for confiding in his plans.’

‘How do you know that Harry was the child in the prophecy and not Neville?’

‘I asked Albus the same question, it was years later that he decided to enlighten me that the part of the prophecy I had not heard stated that the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal.’

Madam Longbottom nodded. ‘If we had not lowered the war wards, they would never have gotten in.’

‘One thing always bothered me, why did the Potters not go to Potter Manor with its war wards, why hide out in Godric’s Hollow under just the fidelius?’ Severus asked, staring at her intently, he had his suspicions, suspicious he would never dare ask out loud for fear of the answer.

Madam Longbottom paled, it was clear she had come to the same answer he had. ‘When was the prophecy made?’

‘Summer of 1979.’

‘Why have a job interview for a prestigious school in a disreputable pub such as the Hogs Head?’

Severus stared at her, she was much more astute than he had ever realised. ‘Then we are in agreement?’

‘We are.’ She said, making eye contact, her expression grim.

It was not just a Dark Lord they would be orchestrating the defeat of.

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