A New Future
“Severus,” said James, “I’m sorry about your book.”
It was three days after the confrontation with Voldemort. The boys were almost home. It had taken longer to reach the edge of the Forest than expected, even with the centaurs’ help. It turned out even Impervius spells were not perfect barriers against a blue dream sleeping potion prepared by Severus Snape: within an hour of the centaurs’ appearance, the boys had started feeling woozy, some increment of the blue dream potion infecting them. The Impervius masks prevented them from inhaling a dangerous amount, but they spent the rest of the night and all the next day sleeping off the effects, watched over by the centaurs, who seemed unaffected. It was maddening to lose a day like that when they were so close to the castle, James thought, but at least it boded well for Voldemort and his Death Eaters remaining asleep long enough for the Aurors to come collect them. Even if the Dark wizards woke up, they were wandless now, and there were fully a dozen centaurs posted around the hollow, watching them with their hands on their swords. James observed their expression of watchful hate before he and Severus were escorted away, the sentries’ eyes glued on the unconscious Death Eaters, and he could only hope the centaurs wouldn’t kill their prisoners before the Aurors arrived.
James and Severus spent the next day marching along the path, escorted by several centaurs, including Lomair and Andromeda. Andromeda wove two elaborate wreaths of ivy and autumn flowers and gave one to each of the boys, insisting that they wear them. “You are heroes now,” she said gravely, “and so have the right to this honor.” James and Severus could hardly refuse after that, though they both felt a bit silly with wreaths on their heads and torn, grubby school uniforms, tramping through the trees. At least they didn’t have to carry their own bags anymore: their escorts insisted on carrying the luggage, though no one suggested that James or Severus should ride on the centaurs’ backs. That would be a bridge too far, James supposed, even for heroes who had saved the Forest from the Dark Lord.
Still, it was much easier to traverse the Forest with a group of centaur warriors. The second day flew past, marked only by walking through the trees, and now the third was drawing to a close. They were near the edge of the Forest: the trees were thinning out, the gaps of sky widening between the branches. James even caught a glimpse of Hogwarts Castle through the boughs, the castle gray and brooding on its outcrop. To his surprise, James felt a pang of disappointment as well as relief at the sight. The adventure was almost over, and it would be time to face ordinary reality again soon.
That got him thinking about Severus and his book. How was Severus going to manage without The Norton Shakespeare?
“I’m sorry,” James said to Severus now.
Severus sighed, pushing his triumphal wreath back. James wouldn’t have said so, but he thought the wreath actually rather suited Severus. It made him look like a wild woodland spirit, all shadow and light and branches, something that belonged in the trees and the gloaming.
“It’s all right, James,” Severus said, not looking at the other boy. “There are plenty of other copies, after all. I just have to save up and buy a new one next summer.”
“I’ll buy you a new one,” James offered immediately, then flushed. “If—if that’s something you’d like, of course.”
Severus tossed him a look with some of his old sour humor. “As if you’d know how to buy a Muggle book, James Potter!”
“It can’t be that hard,” James said, stung. “I’ll write to Flourish and Blotts. They’ll know how to get hold of a copy.”
“Thank you, James,” said Severus after a long pause, “but I don’t know if I’ll even be at Hogwarts much longer.”
“Why wouldn’t you be?” James asked, surprised.
“Because I just knocked out a lot of my House mates’ parents with blue dream potion,” said Severus flatly. “And they’re about to all go to Azkaban. I don’t think I’ll be terribly popular in Slytherin House after this.”
“Come to Gryffindor, then,” James said. “We’ll protect you.”
Severus’s smile was thin in the growing twilight. “Thanks, James, but I think this goes beyond even that. I didn’t get all the Death Eaters. Some are still out there. And the ones I did get have powerful relatives. I rather think I’ve painted a target on my back.”
James blinked. Buoyed by the euphoria of the Dark Lord’s defeat, he hadn’t thought of this. But of course Severus was right. “I have powerful relatives too,” he said. “And there’s Dumbledore. We’ll all protect you, Severus. You deserve it.”
Severus gave him a glance but said nothing. The boys continued following after the centaurs.
The twilight lightened around them, the trees thinning out still further. The Forest, so thick and powerful, was fading away at last. James caught glimpses of the Hogwarts grounds through the trees, and felt that contradictory mixture of relief and trepidation. Home. They were almost home, with both its safeties and its uncertainties.
Then they stepped over the invisible line, under the open sky, and were out of the Forest at last. The first few stars were just peeking out. James breathed deep of the evening air, looked upon the hulk of the castle with its lighted windows, and sighed from the bottom of his soul. He turned to flash a grin at Severus. “We made it!”
“Yes,” said Severus, his voice neutral, and James remembered that this was not an unmixed welcome for the other boy. “We did.”
James slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry too much. We’ll work something out.” He turned to their escort, halted at the edge of the Forest, and bowed deeply, holding onto his victory wreath to ensure it didn’t fall off. “Thank you for all your help,” the young wizard said to the centaurs. “Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. We couldn’t have made it without your generosity and assistance.”
Severus bowed as well. “Thank you.”
Lomair bowed back, followed by the other centaurs. “Thank you, Severus Snape and James Potter,” he said, “for ridding the Forest of the taint within it, and defeating the Dark Lord. You have achieved a mighty deed.” The centaur turned to Severus. “Especially you, Severus Snape. You have saved us all.”
And the centaurs all bowed to Severus, falling to their front knees. James bowed too, dropping to one knee. He did so gladly, knowing that Lomair was right and Severus had saved them all.
“Thank you, Severus,” he said. “You’re a hero.”
Severus stared back, seemingly unable to find words. Before he could react, a new voice boomed over the grounds.
“‘Ere now!” It was Hagrid, striding toward them over the grounds, his dog at his heels, a flaming torch in his hand. “What’s goin’—?” He came to a halt, staring at the party, holding up his torch. “Lomair? That you? And…Potter? Snape?” The gamekeeper gaped. “What the bleedin’ bloody hell? Where’ve you two been? Half the Ministry’s been lookin’ for you and now you come waltzing back on campus! What the bloody hell happened to you?!”
James and Severus exchanged desperate looks. Neither had the faintest idea where to begin.
Lomair rose gracefully to his hooves. “If you will allow me to explain, Hagrid…”
The next day, James lay back in his bed in the hospital wing, utterly spent.
It had been a long, strange night. Lomair had had to repeat the story several times before the incredulous Hagrid would believe it. When it finally penetrated that no, Lomair wasn’t making this up and yes, Voldemort and a large proportion of his followers were currently lying unconscious in the Forest due to Severus’s actions, the gamekeeper had sworn vociferously and at length before thanking the centaurs for looking after the boys and asking courteously if they would mind coming to the castle to speak to Albus Dumbledore. The centaurs politely refused, which Hagrid accepted without demur. Asking that the centaurs remain near the edge of the Forest and promising to send Dumbledore down to speak to them, Hagrid had then seized James and Severus’s luggage, clapped an enormous hand on each boys’ shoulder, and marched them both toward the castle as though they were heading for detention.
“It’s a world of trouble you’ve caused,” Hagrid growled, shoving the boys stumbling up the slope. “The both of you! Disappearing like that! You’d better have a bloody good explanation to give to Dumbledore!”
“Ow!” James staggered under Hagrid’s less-than-gentle push. “Hey! We did defeat Voldemort, you know! Or Severus did.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” snarled Hagrid, shoving them both into the building through a side door. “Move!”
The boys staggered over the lintel into the small antechamber. And there, as though he had been waiting all along, was Albus Dumbledore.
The headmaster stood calm as ever, still in his daytime robes. On his shoulder perched Fawkes the phoenix, the bird’s head cocked at the boys. At the sight of the headmaster, James felt a rush of both relief and guilt. Finally, they were truly safe. And now James would have to explain himself.
“Thank you, Hagrid,” said Dumbledore, as calmly as though Hagrid had found the boys wandering campus after curfew. He surveyed James and Severus with concern. “Are you all right, boys?”
“We’re fine, sir,” said James, the words spilling in a rush. “But in the Forest, sir—”
“Later, Potter,” said Dumbledore firmly. “You and Snape are both exhausted, I’m sure, and injured. You are both certainly very dirty. Your story, thrilling though I’m sure it is, can wait. You both need to go to the hospital wing and get treatment and rest. After you’ve showered.”
A hot shower. James nearly went limp with the thought of it. At his side, Severus gave a little sigh, and he knew the Slytherin was thinking the same thing.
“Take them both to the hospital wing, Hagrid,” Dumbledore said. “Gently. Meanwhile, I’d better go talk to Lomair and his party. Fawkes tells me they’d very much like to speak with me.” The headmaster reached up to stroke his phoenix, which closed its eyes with pleasure.
Dumbledore strode off into the night, presumably to find the centaur party, and Hagrid marched the boys up to the hospital wing. It was strange being back indoors after so long in the Forest: every shadow fell oddly, every noise echoed wrongly. It was only made worse by the fact that dinner was over and everyone was in their dorms. The castle felt huge and cold and empty without its usual bustle. Both boys fell into a sort of stupor, going where they were pushed, and it was a surprise to find themselves suddenly in the hospital wing.
There Hagrid handed them over to a blinking, sleepy-eyed Madam Pomfrey, who took one look at the boys and whipped out her wand, murmuring diagnostic spells. When she was satisfied they were in no immediate pain and had no broken bones, she marched them both to the hospital wing showers. There she shoved soap, shampoo and pajamas and clean underwear into their arms and ordered them to wash in hot water at least three times, adding that she was sending their disgusting uniforms straight to the incinerator. James and Severus made her promise not to burn their victory wreaths, but otherwise did as they were told. James, for his part, had no urge to disobey. His hot shower felt amazing.
The clean pajamas felt amazing too. He and Severus shuffled out of the showers, scrubbed and clean and blinking owlishly at each other. Madam Pomfrey hustled them to the hospital beds she’d prepared, which each had a plate of hot food steaming on the sliding tray. James felt his mouth water at the sight, and Severus’s stomach gurgled audibly.
The boys ate their meals in bed, both moaning blissfully at the taste of hot, cooked food. Then they both lay back and instantly lost consciousness.
Now it was morning. They’d eaten breakfast—another blissful banquet of hot, hot food—and Madam Pomfrey had examined them both more closely. She’d tsked when she discerned that they both still had minute amounts of blue dream in their systems, and given them a foul-tasting potion to flush it out. This had necessitated spending an embarrassing amount of time in the hospital wing bathrooms, but at last the potion had done its work and both boys were back in bed.
“Potter, you’re healthy enough now, apart from exhaustion and hunger,” said Pomfrey briskly. “But I’ll want you in the hospital wing for the rest of the day and tonight, to keep you under observation.” Her gaze shifted to Severus and her frown deepened. “But you, Snape…you have injuries I do not like. Bruises on your back. Faded but severe. Where did you get them?”
Severus’s face went white. He tried to look away, but James caught his eye. James gave a grim, level nod. Go on. You promised.
Pomfrey looked back and forth between them. “Would you like me to cast a privacy ward, Snape?”
“No.” Severus swallowed. “James already knows.” He took a deep breath. “Madam Pomfrey, I have to tell you something…”
Pomfrey listened, face tight and grim, while Severus told her all about his situation at home. Then, with a clipped order to remain in bed, she went to fetch Slughorn, McGonagall and Dumbledore.
Severus lay back, white-faced, the moment she departed. “Did I do right?” he whispered, staring at the ceiling.
“Yes,” said James firmly. “It’s always right to ask for help when you’re in danger, Severus.”
“My father could get in trouble,” Severus said. “My mother too.”
James wondered when his own parents would arrive. Probably not long now. Fleamont and Euphemia must have been bombarding Dumbledore with owls ever since James disappeared, and they’d want to know the instant he’d been found. “Then they should have done better by you,” James said. “You deserve better, Severus, like I said. You deserve a better life.”
“Will it be better?” Severus’s black gaze caught his own. “What will happen to me now?”
“I don’t know,” said James, not wanting to lie. “But I’ll help you if I can, Severus. I promise.”
Severus stared at him for a long, long moment, and James wondered if the other boy believed him. But at last Severus nodded.
Pomfrey returned with Dumbledore, Slughorn and McGonagall in tow, along with two others. James sat up straight in bed. “Mum! Dad!”
“James!” Fleamont and Euphemia both descended on him, hugging and kissing and exclaiming.
“Ack—stop it, Mum!” James tried to fight off Euphemia’s smooches. “I’m fine!”
“Fine? You were lost in the Forbidden Forest for a week!” Euphemia exclaimed. “What happened to get you in there?”
“And what’s all this we’ve heard about the Dark Lord?” Fleamont demanded. He went white at a sudden, horrible thought. “Did—did the Dark Lord abduct you or something, son?”
“No.” James took a deep breath. “It—it was my fault we ended up out there.” He glanced at Dumbledore, McGonagall and Slughorn, all the teachers listening intently. “When we were on the train, I cast this spell…”
The adults all listened, dead silent, as James recounted the tale. He left nothing out, not even the part about him and the other Marauders bullying Severus, though his face burned with shame and he stared at the bedcovers while telling it. Fleamont and Euphemia both let out muffled exclamations at James’s description of facing the acromantula, and cries of horror at the boys’ capture by Voldemort. But Dumbledore and the teachers said not a word, listening hard as James spoke.
“…And the centaurs led us back to campus,” James finished. “They gave us wreaths and said we were heroes. But it was Severus who was the hero, really. I didn’t do anything except get us into that mess in the first place.”
A long silence passed when James finished his tale. James felt the back of his neck go hot as his parents stared at him.
At last, Fleamont spoke. “I’m not pleased to hear how you’ve been behaving, James,” he said, tone clipped. He turned his gaze to Dumbledore. “Or that we’re only hearing about this now, Dumbledore. We will be having a serious discussion about this later. But for now…” His voice trembled. “…For now, I’m just glad you’re safe.” Fleamont turned to Severus, his soul in his eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Snape. You rose above what my son did to you, and you saved him. You showed a great and noble heart. For that, I will always be grateful. Thank you.”
“Yes.” Euphemia swept Severus a curtsy. “You saved our son. You defeated the Dark Lord. You saved us all.”
Severus looked like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin. “Uh, you’re welcome,” he murmured.
Dumbledore looked back and forth between Severus and James, a rueful light in his eyes. “I believe I have done wrong,” he murmured. He turned to Severus with a bow. “I apologize, Severus Snape, for my earlier actions. And I thank you. All the wizarding world owes you a debt for defeating Voldemort. You showed greater bravery, wit and skill than many an Auror, and you have saved us all.”
“Yes.” Slughorn also bowed. “We all owe you a tremendous debt, young Snape.”
Severus nodded, looking more uncomfortable than ever. James felt a flash of sympathy. Severus was already tired of being in the spotlight, and there was no doubt much more to come.
“Indeed, Snape.” McGonagall inclined her head. “Thank you. But we must keep our focus. We’ve contacted the Ministry concerning the situation in the Forest. The Aurors will be arriving very soon to collect the Dark Lord and his minions, and we must be there to greet them and help escort them into the Forest.”
“Indeed.” Dumbledore nodded and turned to Severus. “And before they arrive, Snape, we must discuss your future. For certain, you cannot return to Slytherin House.”
Severus drew up his knees to his chest. “I don’t think I can even stay at Hogwarts,” he said quietly.
“No!” It burst out from James, so everyone turned to stare at him. “No, it’s not fair! Why should Severus go into exile just because he did the right thing?”
“James.” Severus gave him a small smile. “James, it’s okay. Really.”
“How is it okay?” James demanded furiously. “Why should you have to leave and not me?”
“James—” Euphemia began, but she was interrupted by a new voice.
“Sev!”
Everyone turned at the unexpected voice. There in the doorway to the hospital wing stood a slender girl, her hair a bright halo of red. James felt his mouth go dry.
“E-Evans,” he choked, but Lily Evans was already running down the aisle, shoes clacking on the floor, and flinging herself onto Severus.
“Miss Evans!” Pomfrey scolded crossly, and Lily hastily pulled back.
“Sorry!” she cried. “Did I hurt you?” she asked Severus anxiously.
“Not much,” Severus stammered, and Lily flushed.
“I’m so sorry! But I’m so glad you’re okay, Sev!” She hugged him again.
“Miss Evans!” Pomfrey snapped. “We are in the middle of a most important discussion. I’m afraid you will have to leave and allow us to conclude it. You can come visit your friend later. Much later,” the nurse added darkly.
“I had to come make sure he was okay,” Lily said defiantly. “And…they’re saying the most amazing things around the school. They say you two destroyed the Dark Lord!” She goggled at James and Severus both.
James felt a swell of pride at her awestruck expression, but forced himself to say, “We didn’t destroy him, just put him under a sleeping spell. And it was all Severus, really. I didn’t do much.”
“James is selling himself short,” Severus said, sounding as reluctant as James. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“‘James?’ ‘Severus?’” Lily glanced between them, a smile tugging her lips. “When did you two start calling each other by your first names?”
“Miss Evans, that will do!” Pomfrey began hustling her out of the ward.
“Bye, Sev!” Lily called over her shoulder. “I’m so happy you’re okay!” Her gaze shifted to James. “And you too…James.”
James couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks, Evans.”
Lily grinned and waved even as Pomfrey thrust her out the door. James grinned stupidly at the shut door a moment longer. For the first time since recounting his story, he felt his spirits rise. Whatever the future held, Lily Evans would be in it. He just hoped Severus Snape would be, too.
“Well, that was interesting,” said Dumbledore pleasantly. “Now, Snape, to return to the topic of your future…”