Several days had passed since that nocturnal encounter, and Severus Snape had not seen a trace of Alice since. He concluded, not without some doubt, that she had finally taken the time to rest. Yet, a strange apprehension lingered in the back of his mind. While it had been comforting to see his old friend wake up after so many years, he was now haunted by the fear that she would discover his dark dealings. Though his actions were justified by his mission and necessary for the cause, she would surely resent him for diving back into that world with no way out.
Sitting at his desk, the Potions Master reviewed a series of vials filled with mixtures, most of which seemed like ordinary potions. But this lazy afternoon allowed his mind to wander, and old memories resurfaced. No doubt inspired by his recent worries, one particular memory came to the forefront.
As a teenager, Severus had been a troubled youth, not plagued by the usual adolescent concerns like love, appearance, or studies, but by two very real names: James Potter and Sirius Black. On that day, they had decided to try out a new spell they had found in a joke magazine. The two young wizards, accompanied by Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, found Severus in one of the courtyards of the castle.
“Snivellus... or was it Servilius?” Sirius began with a mocking smile.
“Do you hear, Servilus? It's been so long since we last saw you, we almost forgot your name!” James added with a smirk.
Severus, seated on a bench, kept his eyes fixed on his book, refusing to acknowledge their presence.
“You thought we were going to leave you alone after what you said to Evans?” Sirius continued.
James, in his usual arrogant tone, chimed in: “Lily was very disappointed, you know? But I think she finally understood what a piece of garbage you are. Better late than never, right?”
The cruel remarks bounced off Severus, who remained still, his gaze unwavering.
“Lily wasn’t too happy about us bothering you, so we gave you a bit of a break... But word has it you’re still hanging around those... Death Eaters,” James said, his voice taking on a more serious edge.
“Not very nice of you,” James continued. “We gave you a chance to become a better person... And what do you do? You dive headfirst into the dark side.”
“We need to remind you who they work for, these Death Eaters?” Sirius chimed in, a malicious grin spreading across his face. “Maybe Snivellus needs a little justice…”
Without hesitation, Sirius drew his wand and pointed it at Severus.
“You can still apologize, Se-ve-rus…” James said in a mockingly solemn voice. “Justice always gives criminals a chance to plead guilty.”
Severus, until now silent, spoke at last in a cold, measured tone.
“I have no need to explain myself to you, Potter.”
James burst out laughing.
“What do you mean, no need? When I leave Hogwarts, I’m going to be an Auror. Might as well practice on scum like you. Murderers, racists, and disgusting people like you end up in prison…”
Severus stood up, intending to head back into the castle, but Sirius cast a spell that tied his shoelaces together, causing him to trip and fall.
“Don’t run away, Severus... You wouldn’t want us to add evading justice to your crimes, would you?”
James now pointed his wand at Severus, who lay on the ground, but before he could cast his spell, a beam of light shot across the courtyard, knocking both James and Sirius to their knees. Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin looked on in shock. From the shadows of an alcove, Alice McGarden appeared, stepping forward with fierce determination.
“McGarden...” Sirius growled, forcing a smirk, “Always here to defend your precious Death Eater friend?”
“Shut up, Black,” Alice replied, her tone sharp and cutting.
Stung by her words, Sirius tried to retaliate with a nasty spell, but Alice was faster, disarming him with a swift Expelliarmus. Her wand still pointed at them, she moved closer, her features now clear to both James and Sirius.
Severus would remember for the rest of his life the look on Black’s face when he met Alice’s gaze. A shiver ran through his body. Of course, like everyone else, he had noticed the changes in the girl recently, but he hadn’t expected the once timid and unsure gaze to transform into something so cold and inquisitive.
"Okay... okay, Alice, we were just trying to help Severus... You know, show him the right path. We didn’t mean him any harm," James Potter began, attempting to de-escalate.
"Don’t dirty the noble profession of an Auror with your filthy mouth, Potter."
"What do you know about being an Auror, McGarden? From where you come from, I’m not even sure—" Before he could finish his sentence, his mouth suddenly started foaming uncontrollably.
"I said, shut it, Black."
"Alice, stop that!" Remus interjected, trying to intervene.
Alice shot Remus a piercing look before casting the same foaming spell on James. She tossed their wands to the foam-covered boys and walked away, passing Severus without a word. However, she did cast him the same cold, inquiring glance. He knew what she thought of his associations, and while she used to scold him repeatedly, now all he got from her were those disapproving looks.
Severus couldn’t recall if Alice had been punished for that altercation. The Marauders, of course, had told their version of events to the faculty after being "de-foamed," but it seemed Alice hadn’t been severely reprimanded—or if she had, perhaps she had handled it in silence. What Severus did remember clearly, however, were the bubbles that continued to spill from the two troublemakers' mouths for a week after the spell had been lifted.
He had never forgotten the way Alice had looked at him that day. Even though he had long since stopped caring about what others thought of him, he doubted that whatever news awaited them both would bring any sense of peace. It wasn’t something that boded well, for either him or Alice.
Focused on the tedious task of grading potion essays, Severus hadn’t heard the initial knocks on his classroom door. The knocking had started off quite softly, but when no answer came, the person outside knocked again, more forcefully this time, which did nothing but irritate Severus.
"For fuck's sake..." he muttered, flicking his wand to open the door with a sharp movement.
It was a very awake Alice McGarden who stepped through the door and entered the classroom.
"So, the first years are currently studying basic care in Defense Against the Dark Arts, the second years are discovering mandrakes this week, Minerva insists that the third years should be able to transform simple inanimate objects into semi-complex ones, and the fourth years are focused on attraction and repulsion..." The young woman rattled off a wealth of information without pausing between her sentences, having taken the time to close the door and step forward.
"Are you going to give me a rundown of all the students' lessons in this school because someone cast a spell on you, or have you simply lost your mind?" he interrupted her speech.
"Well, I need to know what the students are studying so I can prepare for their questions... That’s how it’s done, isn’t it?"
He exhaled loudly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I warned Dumbledore that giving you this position was a bad idea..."
"What are you insinuating? What have I done wrong?"
"You don’t need to do anything for me to know that this isn’t for you; you’re not cut out to be a teacher, Alice."
"And what makes you say that?" she snapped, stepping closer.
"I’m not sure… Maybe your chronic impatience or your inability to stay focused for more than a few minutes... Have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, your complete disinterest in any form of theoretical coursework..."
"I… I’ve changed since the days we were students."
"Allow me to doubt that..." he insisted.
"Well, let me tell you that I will be a very good teacher! And—"
Alice stopped speaking, Severus's intervention causing her to doubt her teaching abilities. She lowered her head, her brows furrowed as she contemplated what he had said, a certain sadness covering her face.
"You should go back to rest in the comfort of your quarters," he resumed. "That’s the best you can do."
A silence settled in, and Severus, who had until now kept his head down on his work, finally glanced at Alice, who was strangely silent. He began to regret the coldness and pessimism he had instilled in her, cursing his habit of darkening everything around him.
"That’s not the best I can do."
Alice had lifted her head and was now looking him straight in the eyes, her gaze filled with fire and determination. This look shocked him; he hadn’t seen Alice with such drive in a long time. While the naive energy she had once possessed had faded, it had been replaced by a solid and bold character. A part of him relaxed; he was relieved that, despite everything that had happened, the true essence of the young woman seemed to have endured.
"I can’t know without trying," she continued. "And besides, you became a teacher yourself, so I don’t see what the difficulty is..." she added with a false condescension.
"Well, good for you…" He rolled his eyes. "The students are saved!"
"Are you kidding me, Sev? I bet I can do just as well as you, and I even think I can do better!"
"Better than me?"
"I’ve been looking at these potions since I arrived, and most of them aren’t great... Is that what you teach them?"
"Don’t confuse teaching normal students with teaching those fifth-year idiots, Alice."
"You mean the generation of... Harry Potter?"
"Yes, them."
"You must say that about all your students to absolve yourself of your poor teaching, Sev."
"Try teaching them anything, and you’ll see how it goes," he snapped.
"That’s exactly what I’m going to do! You’ll see they’ll be much better because of me!"
"I’ll believe it when I see it."
"Is that a challenge?"
He shrugged and mentally slapped himself; he recognized that tone and what it could lead to. Normally, he wouldn’t have the mental strength to endure his old friend's overflowing enthusiasm, but today, he felt she needed a goal to feel better.
"They have an exam in two weeks. I’ll give you my three worst students; if they all get good grades, I’ll admit you might be a good teacher. Otherwise, you’ll have to acknowledge that you’re not better than me."
"Two weeks… That sounds fair. Who are your three worst students?"
"Ron Weasley…" he began.
"One of Molly and Arthur’s sons… Alright."
"Neville Longbottom."
"The son of our regretted Frank and Alice… Okay."
"And finally... Harry Potter himself."
"No."
"Too bad for the challenge then… What a shame..."
"Severus, I can’t get that close to him; it’s... well, you know… complicated."
"I don’t know anything, Alice."
Alice sighed loudly and leaned against a table.
"Go rest if you’re tired, but don’t bother me while I’m working in the future."
He turned his attention back to his grading.
"Severus..."
"Alice."
"Very well."
"Good night then."
"No, I’m going to do it; I’m going to teach Weasley, Longbottom, and... Potter."
Severus looked up, somewhat surprised, and raised an eyebrow to indicate as much.
"I won’t bother you any longer... I have work waiting for me..." She turned her back to him and started walking toward the exit. "Have a good day, Sev."
"Good day, Alice."
The witch left the room, closing the door behind her, and made her way to her classroom. Along the way, she savored the warmth that had settled in her heart. The conversation she had just had with Severus, without her realizing it, resembled the kind of talks they used to have before the incident—the kind where they both spoke freely and were themselves. Alice relished the moment of tranquility that enveloped her mind, allowing herself to relax and smile.
And she wasn’t the only one experiencing this little special moment; deep in the dungeons, Severus was also wearing a faint smile.