The Midnight Meeting
Once he was sure that everyone was asleep, Harry silently dressed and snuck out of the dorm. In the empty common room, he tapped his wand on the top of his head. Cold trickles ran down his body as the spell did its trick, and Harry became seemingly invisible. He hurried through the Portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady’s demands to know who was sneaking out at this hour, and rushed down to the dungeons. He knocked firmly on the door of Snape’s Office. The door swung open and Snape ushered him. Harry removed the Disillusionment Charm as Snape reactivated his wards and added the silencing charm from the Prince’s book.
Snape frowned at Harry. “I thought I told you to use your cloak.”
“I don’t have it.” Harry explained. “Dumbledore gave it…well, gives it to me for Christmas this year.”
“Of course he does.” Snape muttered darkly. He sat down in the chair behind his desk, and nodded for Harry to sit across from him. When they were seated, he continued, “Now then, Potter, what did you do?”
“How is this my fault?” Harry asked. “What happened after you died?
“Fine.” Snape conceded. “Perhaps you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Harry nodded. “Thank you. What do you think happened?”
“After I…gave you my memories, I was suddenly at last month’s Staff Meeting. I wondered whether it,” he gestured vaguely, “had all been a daydream or some kind of premonition, but Hogwarts still recognizes me as a Headmaster…I can still apparate from inside the castle.”
Harry told Snape about the forest, his subsequent death, and the meeting with Dumbledore in a world-between-worlds. He explained how he boarded the train to move on, but instead awoke in his childhood bedroom.
They were both silent for a while processing the events that the other had experienced.
“It seems that we both came to be back in this time on the second of August. It is not for me, but is that a significant date for you, Potter?” Snape asked.
Harry thought for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t think so. Can’t think of anything important that happened that day.”
“Is there anyone else here with us?”
Harry sighed. “After class today, I made some subtle references. No one reacted. I think it’s just the two of us. Did you board a train as well, sir?”
Snape paused. “No. I jumped off a swing set.” He quietly confessed, obviously knowing Harry would understand the significance.
“So, we both died on May 2, 1998, accepted our deaths, but woke up on August 2, 1991.” Harry summarized, eager to move past the slight awkwardness of Snape’s confession. “Now what? We do it again? Spend the next seven years waiting for Voldemort to kill us?”
Snape shook his head. “Perhaps we take fate into our own hands. Imagine what we could do with the knowledge we have now. The things we could change.”
“But, I thought it was dangerous to meddle with time. Hermione said – ”
“Miss Granger was likely speaking about travel using time turners.” Snape interrupted. “We don’t have to contend with our past or future selves – we would have encountered them already.”
“Oh.” Harry said. “Okay. How do we do this – change our fate?”
“We lay all our cards on the table.” He said. “There are things that Albus told me, that he kept from you; and there are surely things he shared with you that he deemed unwise to share with me. What were you doing this past year…in 1998?”
“We were searching for Voldemort’s horcruxes. He made seven of them.”
"Seven." Snape breathed. “You and Nagini…”
“The diary, Ravenclaw’s diadem, Hufflepuff’s cup, Slytherin’s locket, and his grandfather’s ring.” Harry finished.
“That’s why Albus used the sword on the ring.” Snape realized. “But why could the sword destroy a horcrux?”
“I used it, um, next year in the Chamber of Secrets, against a Basilisk.” Harry explained.
Snape’s eyes widened briefly as he understood. “It’s goblin-made. Of course.”
“Last month, I started writing down everything I could remember about the horcruxes in a notebook. And anything else I thought it would be important to remember. Would you want to read it?” he asked.
“A written record is dangerous. Is it somewhere safe?”
Harry nodded. “It’s right here.” He said, removing it from his robes. “I keep it locked in my trunk in the dormitory. No one knows about it, so no one has any reason to steal it.”
“That may be so, but we should find a safer location. Where no one can come upon it by accident.”
Harry smiled wryly as an idea came to him. “Say, professor, would the Chamber of Secrets be a good spot for it?”
Snape rolled his eyes, but nodded. “There is, however, the matter of the Basilisk.”
“Exactly. I figured it might be fitting for you to kill the snake.” Harry suggested. “After Nagini…”
Snape considered his proposal just long enough for Harry to wonder if he’d miscalculated, but Snape suddenly retrieved an ornate dagger from his desk drawer. He stood and gestured for Harry to follow suit.
“Lead the way, Potter.”
******
“Open.” Harry commanded the engraved snake on the tap. The tap glowed white and began to spin. The sinks slid aside and the one in front sank out of sight, revealing the deep pit that was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Harry held back a laugh at the look of astonishment on Snape’s face. “Have you ever been in the chamber, Professor?” he asked.
Snape shook his head. “No. Albus told us that the explosion had made it to unstable to enter, and as you had already slain the Basilisk, there was no need for the staff to venture inside.”
“In that case, let me show you the wonders of the Chamber of Secrets. Before Lockhart manages to ruin it.” Harry said before stepping forward to jump into the opening. He choked briefly as his the front of his shirt collar dug into his throat. Snape had caught him by the back of his shirt and was pulling him back into the bathroom. “What are you doing?” he demanded when he regained his footing.
Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. “How you managed to survive to your majority is beyond me. Honestly, Potter; put aside your Gryffindor recklessness for a moment and consider whether there is a better way down than plunging into the abyss.”
Harry thought that this lecture was rather unnecessary. After all, he knew that he could survive the “plunge into the abyss” as he’d already done it once before. He said as much to Snape.
The professor didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, he brandished his wand with a flourish and a circular stone staircase appeared around the edges of the wide pipe. He lowered his wand and gestured Harry ahead of him. “After you, Potter.” He said smugly.
Wands at the ready, the two walked silently down the stairs and fell into step side-by-side as they continued down the corridor. Snape paused to stare at the gigantic, curled snake skin – which was significantly greener than Harry remembered. When they came to the wall featuring the two entwined serpents, Harry took a steadying breath and turned to Snape. “The basilisk is just through there. Once we’re inside, I’ll call it to us using Parseltongue. I’d recommend blinding it before attempting anything else.” He said.
“Potter, I’m well aware of the perils of a basilisk. Open the door and call for the creature.” He said.
Though his words were confident, Snape looked rather tense. However, the past six years had taught Harry that arguing with Snape was futile, so he looked at the snakes and commanded the door to open. The halves slid apart easily and Snape immediately swooped through the entrance, his robes billowing behind him. He stood facing the large statue of Salazar Slytherin’s head, large stone snakes lining the length of the corridor.
“Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four.” Harry recited, unsure whether the exact wording Riddle’s memory had used would be necessary to summon the creature.
Slytherin’s mouth opened wide, and the Basilisk emerged from its depths. Harry quickly lowered his gaze to the ground as Snape stepped forward to fight the creature. With a swift Obscuro, Snape blinded the Basilisk which screeched in outrage – a sound rivaled only by the golden egg from the Tri-wizard Tournament. Seemingly unphased, Snape continued forward with a freezing charm to immobilize the creature and a blasting curse immediately followed by wand movements for two nonverbal spells that Harry didn’t recognize. He plucked the dagger from his belt and threw it at the basilisk. It embedded itself in the side of the creature’s face, near the jawline. With a scream, the professor slashed his wand through the air and a red line appeared on the Basilisk’s throat. It wasn’t enough. Harry staggered backward as the Basilisk slithered toward them, but Snape stood his ground and repeated the spell he’d created thrice more, before finally severing the head from the body. With an anguished hiss, the Basilisk thudded dully to the ground in pieces.
Turning to face Harry, Snape let out a huff of air in a disbelieving laugh. A triumphant smile spread across his face. “You were right, Potter.” He conceded. “Killing that snake was rather therapeutic.”
******
After Snape had retrieved his dagger and was through collecting samples of the Basilisk to experiment with in potion making, he performed a stasis charm to prevent the corpse from rotting. “If I find use for the scales or venom we may need to return. I, for one, have had more than enough of the scent of rotting flesh for this lifetime.” He explained.
They left Harry’s notebook and the chamber behind and ascended the staircase to the bathroom, sealing the doors and the entrance behind them with whispers in Parseltongue. Myrtle giggled, but whizzed away with a glare from Snape. In the corridor, Harry wearily bid his professor goodnight and tapped his wand atop his head once before hurrying back to his dormitory and collapsing, exhausted into bed.