Harry stood before a heart-wrenching scene. Severus Snape, the man for whom he had harbored a secret love since he learned he was the Half-Blood Prince, who had captivated his heart and brightened his days with his sarcastic remarks, spidery handwriting, and unmatched intellect, lay on the ground, fatally wounded by Nagini's venomous bite. A torrent of emotions overwhelmed him: sadness, pain, and a profound regret for not intervening earlier.
Tears ran down Harry's cheeks as he helplessly watched the situation. Hermione was silently crying beside him while Ron hugged her with one arm. After what felt like hours to Harry, his friend tugged at his hoodie sleeve, calling out to him and saying something, but Harry couldn't hear her, so consumed was he by grief, staring into the empty, lifeless eyes of his love. He knew he couldn't stand idly by and let this happen. With determination, he turned and ran back to Hogwarts, hoping to find a solution to save Severus.
He ignored his friends' shouts, he ignored Voldemort's venomous voice; his ears were ringing, and the deafening noise of his own rapid heartbeat and breathing drowned out everything else.
He ran blindly through the corridors of Hogwarts, up staircases, nearly stumbling down a hallway strewn with debris, but he finally reached his destination: the Room of Requirement. Upon opening the door, Harry was met with a desolate sight. The room was almost completely destroyed, with burns, soot, and black stains everywhere, but Harry didn't stop. He plunged into the chaos and darkness, feeling the overwhelming weight of his loss on his shoulders. He cried, he screamed, and he desperately searched for something that could help him change the course of events.
And then, amidst the rubble, he found what appeared to be an ancient, faded, and larger-than-normal Time-Turner. Without hesitation, he took it and activated it, hoping to go back in time and prevent the tragedy he had just witnessed. The Time-Turner began to spin, taking Harry on a journey through time and space, in the hope of finding a way to save Severus and correct his past mistakes.
However, the time machine's journey did not turn out as Harry expected. As the Time-Turner began to spin, Harry felt his body being pulled backwards at a dizzying speed. The world around him became blurry and distorted, and when it finally stopped, he found himself in a completely different place.
When the dizziness from time travel subsided, Harry realized he was in Spinner's End, as the neighborhood's name came to his mind, he didn't even know himself how he knew it.
Looking around, he noticed he was in an industrial area, Cokeworth, his mind provided, he was on a narrow street lined with terraced houses of red brick, many of which were in a state of disrepair and showed signs of neglect.
There was no one on the street, and only the sound of a factory and the faint murmur of a river could be heard. There was hardly any light, and there was a lot of fog; it seemed to be before dawn. Harry felt disoriented, unsure of what time it was or why he was in Spinner's End. He tried not to dwell too much on how he knew where he was.
Harry continued to look around, most of the houses had small front gardens that appeared neglected and bordered by rusted iron fences. The atmosphere on the street was gloomy and melancholic, with a sense of abandonment and desolation.
He walked without knowing why until the end of the street, where there was a narrow and gloomy house that stood out for its neglected and unwelcoming appearance. The house had only one window at the front, which was protected by iron bars, and the front door was painted in a dark, worn-out color. Severus's house, his mind provided. Something told him that his beloved was not there.
Harry decided to keep walking along a narrow and neglected dirt path, which only led to a small forest. He made his way through the trail, pushing branches and bushes, something inside him told him to keep going, to keep walking. The same feeling told him to leave the path at a small curve, he ventured among the trees and finally saw what he was looking for.
But nothing prepared him for what he found, even though his whole being screamed that it was him, his beloved, Harry could not believe it, because in front of him was not the tall and slim man, with his slender figure and dignified and authoritative posture. The man with jet-black hair that falls in long greasy strands over his pale and angular face was not there. He did not see the dark and piercing eyes, with an intense gaze that had been intimidating to him for a long time, and that he could now only imagine as passionate, lonely, and sad. His face was normally framed by lines of tension and concern, with a serious and concentrated expression. His aquiline and sharp nose that gave him a distinctive and almost avian appearance. His thin mouth that was almost always in a firm line.
There was no trace of his voluminous black robes that Harry had begun to like so much, which gave him an air of mystery, authority, and elegance.
No, there was none of that in front of him. In front of him was a child with an androgynous appearance, small, thin, and battered. He didn't seem to be more than 7 years old and was sitting on the root of a tree, with bony knees tucked up to his chest.
The child was crying, covering his face with small, pale hands, dressed in a woman's blouse that was clearly meant for someone much older than the child. The blouse, which at some point might have been white, was now yellowed, with traces of dirt, grass, and small stains of both dry and fresh blood.
Every part of the child's skin that was visible was covered in bruises and scrapes. His long, black hair was tangled, dirty, and dull.
He was definitely not the man Harry remembered and loved, but he knew it was him. The Time-Turner had gone back too far, it seemed, in addition to taking him to a completely different place.
Unconsciously, Harry reached a hand to his neck, where the strange artifact still hung. It seemed to make some noise, because the child removed his hands from his face and looked up.
Black eyes, deep and tired, slightly swollen and red, met Harry's green ones. The bespectacled one could read distrust, curiosity, and fear in those dark tunnels. And in an instant he knew, despite his doubts, this little child was Severus, he was the love of his life. And this child needed help.
Harry raised his hands slowly and approached the child cautiously, and in a calm tone, he spoke to him.
- Hi, my name is Harry. I can heal your wounds in an instant. Would you let me?
The child continued to look at him suspiciously for a while, but there was still curiosity in those eyes. In the end, after a few minutes of intense staring, Severus muttered his response.
- My name is Severus... if you can heal me in an instant... Does that mean you also have magic? - he asked insecurely, with a slight tremor in his voice when saying the word "magic."
Harry recognized the fear in the child's tone and moved a little closer to kneel in front of him.
- Severus is a nice name, keep calm. Like you, I can also do magic. But those wounds look painful. Would you let me heal you?
Severus studied Harry's face a little longer, traces of fear and distrust still present, but it was clear that curiosity had won the battle. Without saying anything else, Severus gave a slight nod and extended his small arm, pulling back the sleeve of his blouse a little.
Harry immediately understood the small gesture of trust and raised his wand. Clearly, he intoned the first of many spells.
- Tergeo
Immediately, the blood and dirt from the wounds on Severus's small hand and arm disappeared. Still aiming his wand, Harry said his next spell.
- Episkey
And the wounds began to heal and close on their own, the scrapes left no mark, and the bruises quickly changed color until they disappeared completely.
Without saying a word, Severus was amazed as he looked at his arm. Harry's spell was so strong that even small scars that had been on that arm disappeared. The child moved his arm experimentally and let out a relieved sigh. When he finally raised his gaze, there was no longer fear in it, some distrust still lingered, but wonder and adoration shone even more brightly.
- How did you do that?! Could you teach me? Wow... it doesn't hurt at all anymore. You're amazing, sir!
- Please, don't call me sir, it makes me feel old. Just Harry is fine. I'm 17. How old are you? And of course, I can teach you, as soon as you have your wand. It's a promise.
- Harry... - Severus murmured, as if testing the name - I'm 8, turning 9 soon. Are you sure you can promise me that? Will you still be around when I have my wand? - he asked suspiciously.
- You're older than I thought... - Harry murmured.
- Harry?
- Ah, yes, of course. I'll stay with you as long as you want, I promise.
- Hmm... alright, I'll keep you for now.
Harry couldn't help but laugh at that comment. Still laughing, he pointed to the other arm of the child.
- Alright, you little rascal, give me your other arm so I can keep healing you.
And so, they continued for a while. When the arms were clean and healed, Harry moved on to the legs, and finally to the face.
Once he finished, he looked at the little boy. Harry could see several traces of the man he had fallen in love with in the future, but at the same time, he couldn't be more different. His skin was still pale, but it didn't have that sickly tone that characterized the man. His hair reached down past his shoulders and didn't have the greasy appearance. But the most different thing was his face. While the man was serious, almost expressionless, the child clearly reflected his emotions in his eyes and smiled. He smiled! Harry never thought he would see Severus smile, but his younger version was easier to make smile. He still hadn't been able to make him laugh, and it was clear that the child was trying to keep his face as expressionless as possible, but there was emotion in him, and Harry felt blessed.
Severus seemed to decide that Harry was trustworthy and started telling him about his mother, the magic books he had been able to read, the potions his mother had taught him to make in the small attic when his father wasn't around. The child asked Harry about Hogwarts, the classes, and the curious facts his mother had been able to tell him.
They spent a long time just talking. Harry didn't know how much time had passed, but the sun was already high in the sky, and the fog had disappeared. What made them stop was the sound of Severus's stomach.
The poor child blushed deeply and looked down, as if expecting to be mocked or hit. None of that happened, instead, Harry's stomach also growled. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Harry with a clear, loud laugh, and Severus with a slightly more reserved giggle.
- There's an apple tree in the park just ahead. - Severus said somewhat hesitantly - Unless you'd prefer something else, the bakery should be open by now.
Harry couldn't help but notice how nervous Severus became when suggesting going to the bakery. It wasn't hard to figure out why. It was clear that the poor child didn't have any money on him, and from what little he had talked about his family life, Harry immediately knew that Severus's family was struggling financially.
- I'm craving apples, lead the way, Sev.
- Sev?
- Well... I thought it was a nice way to shorten your name, but if you don't like it...
- Sev is fine... nobody had ever given me a... nice nickname before. - Severus said, blushing slightly.
Harry smiled tenderly and gestured for Severus to lead the way. They walked for a few minutes among the trees until they came to another path, one that was much cleaner and well-kept. At the end of the trees, they could see more light, and on the edge of the little forest, there were several apple trees. Harry used magic to get the best apples, which were on the highest branches, and they sat behind some bushes to eat. As Harry reached for his third apple and Severus struggled to finish his second, they heard girls' laughter. They looked at each other and decided to spy from behind the bushes.
On the other side, there was a big tree in the middle of a slightly neglected park, and from the branches of that tree, there was a swing.
There were two girls on that side, one of them was tall and slender, a bit lanky, with blonde hair tied up in a tight bun, and she had a furrowed brow. The other couldn't be more of an opposite, swinging fast and recklessly on the swing, she had reddish, loose hair that moved wildly with the wind and the speed at which she swung, she laughed almost hysterically and moved higher and higher.
Harry almost had a heart attack, in front of him was his mother, and just like Severus, she was now a child. He didn't pay much attention to his aunt's presence there, so absorbed was he in watching his mother have fun.
It wasn't until he heard a muffled groan beside him that he decided to look at Severus. It was like getting a punch in the stomach, he had never seen his beloved with a look like that, not even in his wildest dreams.
Severus was slightly flushed, with his mouth slightly open and a look of genuine admiration and surprise in his eyes, but there was something there, in his eyes, that Harry couldn't help but see. Perhaps it was too early to put a name to it, but Harry was sure. Severus Snape was in love with his mother, Lily Evans.
An inexplicable pain stole Harry's breath away, and he stood still, staring at the love of his life, while he heard his own heart break in his ears. He knew well that if he did nothing, Lily would end up with James, and Severus would probably be miserable, if he went by the memory in the Pensieve about James and Severus, the former was a torment to the latter.
Harry tried to imagine how Severus would feel if the person he loved ended up marrying the man who humiliated him so much, he couldn't help the sympathetic gesture this thought caused. No, he couldn't let that happen. Harry's eyes widened when that last thought crossed his mind. Did he really want to change the future by helping the love of his life try to get his own mother to go out with him? Just thinking about it gave him a headache, and what would happen to him? Would he simply... disappear? Could he do it?
His senses returned to him when he heard a cry of joy and a soft, breathless laugh. He looked back through the bushes and was surprised to see his mother slowly floating down from a rather high position, before he could do anything, Severus stood up and walked towards the girls.
- You're a witch! - the little boy exclaimed breathlessly.
- Who are you?! And how dare you call my sister a witch?! - Petunia shrieked.
- That's not a very nice thing to say - Lily commented, frowning.
Before things could escalate, Harry decided to act, he stood up and gestured to calm the girls, saying calmly.
- Calm down, he didn't mean to insult you - pointing to Lily he continued - you just used magic, that's why he called you a witch, we can do magic too, we're wizards.
- Magic doesn't exist! Freaks! - Petunia shouted louder - let's go, Lily!
- Wait Petunia, is it true? Magic exists? the strange things I can do are magic?
- It's true! look! - said Severus, still breathless.
The black-haired one grabbed one of the apples from the ground and made it float towards Lily. She giggled and floated the apple around.
Harry smiled, took out his wand, and drew the apple towards his outstretched hand.
- What's that stick you used? - the red-haired girl asked curiously.
- It's my wand, when you grow up a little more, you'll be able to buy a wand and do more complicated magic.
- Wow - both girls said.
Lily looked back at her sister with a smile.
- I thought you didn't think magic was real - Lily said with a mischievous smile.
- Oh, shh! they just proved it, didn't they?
Lily chuckled lightly at Petunia's comment. Harry looked at his aunt with a bit of distrust, and Severus... Well, he only had eyes for Lily.
- Do you think... Do you think I could do magic too? - the blonde girl asked uncertainty.
Harry felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him, everything made sense now, his aunt didn't hate magic, she was jealous. Harry couldn't believe his epiphany.
Just as Severus was about to answer, most likely with a negative, Harry decided to intervene.
- Yes!, I mean, yes you can, not the same kind of magic, but you can, um... - Harry racked his brain trying to remember something Hermione had said about it - You can do runes! and arithmancy!... I think... - he added a little lower.
- Yes, if you're a squib, you can do protections with hand-carved runes, you can also use arithmancy, study astronomy, and even perform some simple potions. Of course, if you're a squib.
Petunia frowned and wrinkled her nose.
- You keep saying that word, Squib, what does it mean?
- It's when you have magical ancestry but can't use magic itself, my mom told me.
Severus explained with a confident voice, Harry could see how that voice could become the deep voice of a teacher that commanded respect.
- How do I know if I'm a Squib?
- You could go to the magical bank and take a heritage test.
Severus seemed to know much more about the magical world than Harry's 7 years in that world had taught him. Maybe Hermione knows too. Harry thought.
- Magical bank? Where is that? - both girls asked.
- It's in Diagon Alley, London.
- Dad could take us...
They all sat down on the grass to talk more about the magical world, to Harry's surprise, Severus knew much more about all aspects than he did himself. They talked a bit about magical culture, quite a bit about Hogwarts, and at Petunia's request, about all the subjects she could learn. Of course, Severus had to tell her that she couldn't attend Hogwarts but encouraged her by saying that there were many books in Diagon Alley that she could buy to study on her own. Petunia was a bit discouraged but understood that at least she could do some magic, she just had to "pass the test" as she put it.
They continued talking until the sky took on a reddish hue, which was when Petunia decided that it was already too late to be outside and they hadn't had lunch, and no, apples didn't count as lunch.
They decided to meet again the next day in the same park to continue talking, and both girls left.
Harry accompanied a now disheartened Severus home, bid him goodbye, and decided to apparate to a nearby alley to the Leaky Cauldron, where he rented a room, surprised to see the now slightly younger Tom, ordered something to eat, and after eating went straight to bed.
But Harry couldn't sleep. He had influenced Severus's encounter with Lily, especially regarding his aunt, he couldn't know it, but most likely something in the future had changed too. That made him nervous, but... but if it improved everything for the better?
Could he change things? Maybe destroy the horcruxes? Stop Voldemort earlier? Avoid his parents' death? Maybe... maybe help Severus have his love reciprocated? could he bear it? and what would happen to him?
Those and more questions swirled in his mind, preventing him from sleeping, the ifs and maybes driving him crazy. In the end, after tossing and turning in bed, he managed to fall asleep as the dawn was breaking.
Harry slept through the morning and part of the afternoon, while he slept, the children met again in the park, Lily sitting on the swing, Petunia sitting beside her, and Severus walking around.
- Isn't your friend coming? - Petunia asked.
- I don't know... he said he'd be here, but maybe he has things to do... he's of legal age after all...
- Is he 18? he looks a bit younger - Lily asked.
- No, Harry is 17, the legal age in the magical world is 17.
- That's stupid - commented Petunia.
- I'm not quite sure why it's like that, but I'm not lying... right... did you tell your parents... how did it go?... - Severus nervously asked.
- Right! They want to meet you! and your mom! to guide us to Diagon Alley. Dad said he doesn't know which part of London that is, but he goes to London very rarely, so, well...
- Oh... I could go with you... I'm not sure if mom will be able to...
Something in Lily's tone told him that she had gotten along quite well with her parents and he couldn't help but feel jealous, his own father...
- If it's okay with you, we could go later, dad has the day off!
- Yes, of course, I don't mind.
- Shouldn't you ask your parents? - Petunia asked, a bit concerned.
- No!, I mean no, don't worry, I don't need to tell them...
- Are you sure? you're only 7 after all...
- I'm 8! turning 9 soon!
- Really? you're so little...
- Don't tease him, Petunia..., but you are quite short...
Severus couldn't help but frown and blush. They continued talking a bit more, until it was lunchtime and the girls invited Severus to eat at their house.
The Evans' house was in a nicer part of Cokeworth, the houses were cleaner and had larger gardens, the fences were wooden and most of the houses were painted in cheerful colors. Lily and Petunia's house was yellow, had two stories, several large windows, and a big front garden full of flowers.
The Evanses were kind to Severus but bombarded him with questions, as his clothes were not in better condition than the day before and when he rolled up the sleeves of his blouse, bruises in the shape of fingers could be seen on his thin, pale arms. They didn't directly ask him about it, but it was clear they were trying to fish for information if he was treated well at home. But Severus noticed and skillfully changed the subject or distracted them with his magical knowledge.
The five of them went together to London in Mr. Evans' car and followed Severus' instructions, who had asked his mother for the address and had spent the rest of the afternoon of the previous day checking maps of London.
Just as they were entering the Leaky Cauldron, Harry was hurrying down the stairs towards the door. But he stopped when he saw the Evans family plus Severus.
- Harry!
- Hi Sev, sorry for not coming earlier, what are you doing here? and who are you?
The Evanses introduced themselves, they had already heard about the young man. Harry was fascinated seeing his grandparents, he had never met them and had never seen photos of them, but his gaze quickly landed on Severus.
- How are you, Sev? - glancing at the Evanses, he added - any scrapes or bruises?
- Just a small bruise... - the boy added, blushing.
- Let me see... ah... Episkey - Harry intoned, moving his wand over the ugly bruise that Severus showed him on his arm.
No one mentioned the bruise and now the six of them followed Harry to the small backyard, where, with his wand, the bespectacled one made a pattern and opened the way to Diagon Alley. Everyone, including Harry, exclaimed in amazement at the magical street.
They walked towards the bank where all the Evanses took a Heritage Test, Harry took one too, curious about what might come out, being a time traveler, and so that he wouldn't feel out of place, Harry paid for a test for Severus too. Once again Harry thanked Hermione for suggesting he go to his vault accompanied by Mrs. Weasley before the wedding and for the bottomless purse where he put all the money from his vault.
Surprisingly, both Mr. and Mrs. Evans and Petunia were Squibs, apparently at least one of the girls' grandparents was a first or second-generation wizard or witch, but wizards all the same. Both of Mrs. Evans' parents had recently passed away but had left her a vault in Gringotts for any descendant of theirs who had magic, and Mr. Evans had been raised in an orphanage and later adopted, they gave him the data of his father who was a wizard and still alive, but Mr. Evans was in no hurry to contact his progenitor.
Severus learned that his maternal grandparents were still alive and apparently had declared him their heir, when his uncle died in a flu accident two years ago, of course, with the stipulation that they would only accept him if he had magic, if not, the inheritance would pass to his descendants.
The most surprising results were Harry's. According to his test, he was still the heir of the Potters for being older than his own father but he could also claim in second degree the Slytherin title.
Harry decided not to pay much attention to it and led everyone to the bookshop. In the end, they had a great day, they walked through all the stores and Harry bought Severus everything his eyes lingered on for more than 5 seconds, including clothes, both muggle and robes, many potion ingredients, a bunch of books, potion utensils, and an ice cream.
Both girls were not left behind, armed with the knowledge of having inherited magical money, which was not insignificant, they bought almost everything they wanted, but especially books, in addition to ice creams for everyone.
The days went by, the children and Harry continued to meet under the big tree with the swing to talk about magic and what they had read. Harry rented a small apartment in the area where he kept all Severus' new things, including a small potion laboratory. Harry also continued to heal Severus' wounds and bruises. Many times he tried to bring up the subject of abuse but without much success. He was not alone in this, the Evanses also tried to inquire.
In the end, after almost a year, Severus finally confessed. The Evanses immediately went to the authorities and Tobias Snape was arrested in a bar while he was drunk. Eileen, Severus' mother, didn't know how to feel, she said she still loved her husband despite all the abuse and lack of money, so Mrs. Evans took care of always visiting her and teaching her to sew and embroider so she could work as a seamstress in the local shop.
Things improved for the Snape family, but Severus continued to go to Harry's whenever he got even slightly hurt. Harry's heart warmed every time this happened, Severus still had some of his things and his potion laboratory at Harry's house and always went to visit him at least once a week, despite still meeting in the park almost every afternoon.
Harry didn't know what to do or think, on the one hand his love for Severus only grew, but he could see that the same was happening for the boy towards Lily. Harry had already decided that he would change things from the past, but he wasn't sure if specifically that aspect should change, for the moment he had decided to just observe.
Sooner than later, the Hogwarts letters arrived. Harry knew he had to act soon, if he let Severus again be in Slytherin it was much more likely that James and his friends would bully him again, but could he change something so fundamental? Severus Snape would still be the same even if he didn't end up in Slytherin?
Harry looked up from his Quidditch magazine to see Severus working on a third-year potion, the boy had changed, he started to change when his father was locked up, but he changed more when he met his grandparents. Fortunately, they were not blood supremacists, apparently they had distanced themselves from them mainly because Tobias had asked them for a huge amount of money to support Eileen and she refused to see her mistake of marrying a man like him, when, according to the Prince's, they had realized how bad of a man he could be. They only disinherited Eileen as a last resort so that she would see things clearly when no more money arrived, but she became more stubborn and cast protections over her house so that no mail from her parents would reach her as a challenge.
It was Severus who decided one day to send a letter, from Harry's apartment, to his grandparents asking why they had made him their heir if they had never sent any letters, when they learned about the protections and re-entered the Snape family's life.
Mr. Prince was a potions master and was a Ravenclaw, while Mrs. Prince was a duelist and had been a Slytherin, that's when Severus changed more, he was more confident and expressed his opinion more often, his manners improved, not to mention the amount of knowledge he now possessed, he could easily give Hermione a run for her money, and he hadn't even started Hogwarts yet!
Harry decided it was a good time to talk about which house Severus would like to be in, every time the topic came up with the other girls, the boy always said that any house was fine, obviously imitating Lily's answer, he had also let his hair grow longer because Lily liked to play with it and he washed it more often, but that wasn't important now.
Harry wanted to know his opinion on the houses, without Lily in the middle, so he asked as soon as he saw him bottling his potion.
- Have you thought about which house you want to be in?
- Any house is fine...
- Sev...
- What? Seriously, any house is fine.
- But do you have a preference? I told you that you could tell the Sorting Hat which one you want to go to.
- Mmm... my mom was in Slytherin, but grandpa says that Ravenclaw's common room has its own library... and grandma says it's better if I don't go to Slytherin because I'm half-blood...
- But what do you think?
- I'm not sure, either one I guess, don't look at me like that, I really don't know, but if I really have to choose it would probably be Slytherin, I want to prove to my grandma that I can handle people in the common room, being a half-blood.
- But would you be okay? Comfortable? Happy?
- Of course I would! I can handle myself, Harry, don't worry about me.
- If you say so, but think about it, especially where you would be happiest.
- Alright... Harry...
Before he could continue, the doorbell rang, it was Petunia, who came straight from her classes to learn potions with Severus. Lily was also coming but she was in a club after classes so she arrived a little later.
The conversation ended there and Harry never knew what Severus wanted to tell him that day. Soon it was the day to go shopping in Diagon Alley, in addition to wands, Petunia and Severus each bought a cat and Lily a white owl, which almost made Harry cry, as he remembered Hedwig. There were no mishaps and they had dinner together at the Evans' house.
On the first of September, Eileen couldn't leave her job, so Harry and the Princes accompanied Severus to the station, along with the Evans and Petunia they said goodbye to the children.
Harry decided to start one of the biggest changes he was going to make and set out to hunt Horcruxes, meanwhile Severus and Lily sat in an empty compartment. Soon, a couple of boys arrived asking if they could sit, one was quite tall and bore a striking resemblance to Harry but he had hazel eyes and the other was short and chubby, with dirty blond hair and a timid attitude.
They introduced themselves as James Potter, Severus thought it was quite a coincidence that Harry had the same last name, and Peter Pettigrew, before they could say anything else, the compartment door opened again and two more boys appeared, one, the one who opened the door, had black wavy hair just before his shoulders and gray eyes, and the other had light brown hair and strangely golden eyes, but what stood out most was a fairly large scar on his face.
They introduced themselves as Sirius Black, Potter immediately looked disgusted, and Remus Lupin, who seemed a bit shy. Conversation soon started and it was clear that Severus, Lily, and Remus knew much more about the curriculum than everyone else. So, to prevent, according to Potter, the conversation from becoming boring, they decided to talk about which house each one wanted to be in. Lily repeated that any house was fine for her, but this time she added that she could be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, James immediately shouted that Gryffindor was the best house and that of course he would be in it, Pettigrew said he would like to be in Gryffindor like his mother but knew he was too cowardly to achieve it, Remus said he was torn between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
When it was Sirius' turn, Potter said that all Blacks went to Slytherin, but Sirius said he would be the first to be a Gryffindor, immediately tension was felt between Potter and Black, until Potter nodded decisively and told him that if he achieved it, they could be friends.
Lily interrupted Severus, asking why it was wrong to go to Slytherin, and between Potter and Black, they explained that in that house only evil wizards and witches came out, that they were all blood supremacists, and that everyone there practiced dark arts.
Severus couldn't help but frown, he was about to say that he wanted to go to Slytherin regardless of what they thought of him, when he looked at Lily's face closely, she seemed scared. Right then, he remembered Harry's words, would he be happy? Thinking of Lily, he decided to say that he wanted to go to Ravenclaw like his grandfather.
The conversation seemed to relax from there and soon everyone was laughing and eating sweets. Not for the first time, Severus was glad that he was no longer as poor as before and that he now had the support of his grandparents and Harry.
When they arrived at Hogwarts and a giant man called them to take the boats to the castle, he remembered what Harry had told him about Hagrid. Harry spoke of the half-giant with so much affection that Severus decided to give him a chance even though his size scared him.
Once in the castle, everyone was a bit nervous, and when the time for sorting came, they all walked a bit straighter than usual. Potter was sorted into Gryffindor, Remus too, after the hat deliberated for a while, Pettigrew was also sorted into Gryffindor surprisingly quickly, when Black was surprisingly sorted into Gryffindor everyone was stunned, but Potter stood up to applaud him, and everything returned to normal. Lily also took her time, almost becoming a hatstall, but in the end, she also ended up in Gryffindor.
When it was Severus' turn, he thought that maybe he would also end up in Gryffindor since everyone he had shared a compartment with ended up in that house. In the end, he became the first and only hatstall, but finally Harry's words resonated in his mind, where would he be happiest? and he ended up in Ravenclaw.
The common room was beautiful and bright, this year there were very few Ravenclaw students so each had their own room. As the days passed, he unintentionally became friends with Minji Jeong, a girl a year older than him who liked to play with his hair, and talk about potions and Kingsley Shacklebolt who was in his year, he was very good at transfiguration but terrible at potions, so they helped each other. Severus would never admit that he didn't do well in transfiguration class.
Potter and Black started out as a duo of heavy pranksters, causing trouble and bullying their classmates, especially the Slytherins, especially a poor half-French boy who didn't speak English well and seemed to not have much money.
Every time he thought that could be him, Severus shivered all over, but he also didn't get along with Potter, as he showed his interest in Lily in a harassing and annoying way, the only thing that stopped him from seeking a fight to defend his friend was that she was quite against anything to do with Potter.
Severus sent letters to Harry almost weekly, to his grandparents and his mother monthly. It seemed that Harry had taken to traveling, but he always seemed to have time for him, which made Severus happy. He was always afraid that Harry would disappear at any moment, just as he had appeared out of nowhere in his life, changing it for the better. So when he sent a letter worried about having discovered that Lupin was a werewolf, he decided to follow Harry's advice to decide to be friends with Remus for the boy he was and not for what he had been forced to be.
When he told Lupin his suspicions but assured him that he still wanted to be his friend, it was one of the happiest moments for both of them. They realized they had a true friend in each other. Following Harry's advice, he decided to pay more attention to Pettigrew, thus discovering that he had learned the disillusionment charm to enter the girls' Quidditch changing rooms. He immediately informed Harry and together, with Remus and Lily, they set a trap using Minji, who was a Ravenclaw chaser, as bait. Of course, she knew about the trap and decided to help them.
Pettigrew was found and subsequently expelled for inappropriate behavior and theft, as it turned out he not only spied but also stole underwear and other personal items from the girls, which he kept in his trunk.
When winter vacation arrived, Severus, Lily, and Remus decided to return home. Kingsley's parents were going on a trip so he stayed at Hogwarts, and Minji stayed to help one of her friends with charms, her best subject.
Harry was the one who picked up Severus along with the Evans, and at the station, they also met Remus's parents and promised to stay in touch. Severus spent most of his time at Harry's house making increasingly complicated potions and starting to research to create his own spells.
Harry had been able to find, dismantle, and destroy the Gaunt ring, but he had no idea where the Slytherin locket and the Hufflepuff cup could be. Nagini probably wasn't a Horcrux yet, the diary should be somewhere in Malfoy Manor, and the diadem at Hogwarts. Harry wasn't sure if it was a good idea to entrust Severus with getting the diadem, but he had few alternatives.
But none of that was what kept him up at night; no, what kept him from sleeping was that Severus was getting closer to Lily every day, and their relationship seemed stronger than ever. The worst part was that Severus himself told him that he really liked Lily. He hadn't asked for help or advice yet, but if he continued as he had been, it was very likely that he would ask for advice, and Harry really didn't know what to do when that moment came.
The holidays flew by, and soon the kids were back at Hogwarts. Harry had decided to ask Severus for help with the diadem, telling him it was something he had forgotten when he studied at the castle. Severus agreed to help without asking any questions, although when he saw the size of the Room of Requirement, he complained in a letter that he would never find it.
The end of the year arrived, and Severus finished first in his year, followed by a tie between Remus and Lily. They spent the summer holidays meeting in the park, Severus continued teaching potions to Petunia, visiting Diagon Alley with all his friends and the troublesome duo of gatecrashers. He also spent some time at his grandparents' mansion, but most of the time was spent in Harry's company.
Severus was getting better with potion instruments, but it always happened that he cut himself without realizing it, and Harry would heal him with a simple Episkey. Harry found it strange that Severus didn't heal himself, but he decided not to think too much about it.
Time passed, and Harry didn't age, but he had decided not to worry about it. What worried him was that he couldn't find any trace of the Horcruxes. It was at the end of Severus' third year that he finally found the diadem and handed it over as soon as possible.
Harry destroyed it too without any problems with the help of the Fiendfyre spell. The years went by, Severus passed his OWLs with spectacular grades, and finally, he asked Harry for advice about Lily. Harry decided to be honest and tell him that he himself hadn't had many romantic relationships, but that he recommended being himself and not asking her during exam times.
Lily said yes in their sixth year, much to Harry's and James's despair, but James had almost become uncontrollable with his bullying, so Lily didn't give him the time of day. As Gryffindor prefects were Remus and Lily, and Severus was the Ravenclaw prefect, they could always keep an eye on the Marauders' mischief.
Severus had also become friends with Regulus Black in his fifth year, so he could learn a bit more about the Black family and Claude Leroy, the poor Slytherin who was bullied the most by the troublesome duo. That's how he found out that poor Leroy had committed suicide in his dorm bathroom. Not for the first time, Severus was glad he had listened to Harry and had him in his life because thanks to him, his life had taken a 180-degree turn for the better.
Severus graduated from Hogwarts as Head Boy and as the top student in all his courses. He already had a contact with one of the world's best potion masters, thanks to Professor Slughorn and his grandfather, to study under his tutelage.
Severus completed his apprenticeship in record time, and when he was 20, he returned to England and married Lily. It was the saddest but happiest day for Harry, sad because his feelings could never be reciprocated, and because he would probably cease to exist, but happy because he had never seen Severus so dazzling, happy, relaxed, and simply in love. Seeing his mother the same way, even though they were in the middle of a war, he couldn't find happier people. Even when he remembered the pictures of his parents, Harry couldn't shake the thought that despite looking happy, there was still a trace of tension in their faces or how aged they appeared, as if they were 40 instead of 21 in those photos.
His own birth date was approaching, and Harry couldn't help but feel worried about the Horcruxes. Severus had been able to save Regulus because he had sent him a farewell letter, and with the help of an elf he had inherited from his grandparents when they died halfway through his sixth year, he managed to find him in the cave just before Kreacher left the cave. With the help of elf magic and Fiendfyre, he saved his life and earned the eternal and deep gratitude of the Black elf.
With this, he also found out what Harry had been doing and wanted to help, but Harry wouldn't let him, and they argued. In the end, as Harry's birth date approached and there was only one day left, he threw caution to the wind and, using Kreacher, who helped him on orders from Regulus, Harry infiltrated Malfoy Manor. Using his invisibility cloak, he managed to find all the remaining Horcruxes in Voldemort's own room. They were all in a display case in front of the bed with a powerful protective shield, but Harry had been studying protections all these years, so he was able to dismantle them without any problems. With Kreacher's help, he managed to leave the mansion without any issues and burned them all together on a deserted beach, almost dying in the process.
Kreacher took him to where Severus and Regulus were arguing, and they immediately stopped to try to help Harry.
Harry was in and out of consciousness, but when there was only an hour left until his birth, he managed to recover enough to tell Severus the truth and why he had done it all.
- I love you, Severus, I'm so sorry, but I love you...
- I wish I could make myself love you...
- Severus..., no..., you love Lily... it's not necessary, I understand…
- I'm sorry, Harry, you gave so much for me and I repaid you in the worst way. I wish I could love you as much as you love me, but I can't, I'm sorry. You were always special to me, but something inside me told me not to get attached to you. I always knew you would disappear one day... I'm sorry, but I could never love you. The only thing that felt real in our relationship was when you healed me... that's why I used to hurt myself on purpose so you would heal me, to feel you were real...
- All this time... all this time you knew... that's why you always looked at me as if I wasn't really there or with slight distrust... I never knew why you were so insistent that I keep my promises... now I know... I'm sorry...
- Don't apologize. Despite my doubts, you were the best thing that ever happened to me... thank you for everything...
With tears in his eyes, Severus watched as life faded from Harry's eyes and his body began to cool, but something was wrong. His body was cooling too quickly. The Time-Turner that was always around Harry's neck began to float and glow, shining brighter and brighter until its light enveloped Harry's body, and soon, Severus blinked, and there was nothing in his arms.
Why was he crying? Why did he feel an incomprehensible emptiness? And why did the Episkey spell make him want to cry?