Severus watched the huge gargoyle guarding the headmaster’s office move aside as soon as he said the password, revealing a circular moving staircase. He entered the office and frowned when he found Potter instead of the headmaster.

“Potter” he called out to the back of the boy’s head.

“Potter” he called again when the boy didn’t acknowledge him.

He huffed in annoyance and stalked towards the boy and slapped his hand on the desk in front of the boy.

Potter startled, craning his neck around to look at him. “Pr Professor.”

“Where is headmaster Dumbledore?” he questioned.

“I don’t know, he wasn’t here when I got here” said Potter, his gaze flicking back to the desk.

“What are you doing here?” Severus questioned.

“huh, ah I uh” was all the answer he got.

“What are you doing here, Potter?” he repeated raising his voice slightly.

“I am um waiting for Dumbledore” Potter said distractedly, glancing at Severus briefly before turning his gaze back to the desk.

Severus tried to peer over the boy’s head to catch a glimpse of whatever that had caught his attention. But he couldn’t hope to succeed in the task with the way Potter was hunched over the desk.

Severus walked across the desk to the left of Potter. From there he could see a snow globe along with all the other silver instruments that Dumbledore had scattered around his desk.

Potter was staring at the snow globe with his head bent, mouth slightly open and chin nearly touching the desk.

Severus frowned trying to figure out what Potter found so interesting about, what appeared to be an ordinary snow globe. It was a Christmas snow globe with a Christmas tree inside it. The Christmas tree was surrounded by snow. The tree was decorated with colourful ornaments.

Potter was giving it far more attention than it deserved. He watched as Potter lowered his head, his chin touching the desk. His hands creeping near the globe from both sides to grab it.

“Harry!” He whirled around, hearing Headmaster Dumbledore’s voice.

Dumbledore was nearly running down the stairs which Severus assumed, led to his quarters. “Harry, get away from that globe.” He said brandishing his wand towards the boy.

Severus pulled his own wand out, hearing the urgency in Dumbledore’s voice.

Potter didn’t give any sign that he had heard the headmaster. He stayed in the same position, seemingly not even noticing what was going on around him.

“Headmaster, what is the matter?” Severus questioned, looking away from Potter and towards where Dumbledore was approaching the boy.

He turned back to Potter, hearing him gasp in surprise. Potter was standing with the globe in his hand, facing towards them. Severus could see his dilated eyes behind the round glasses perched on his nose.

“Potter” he called out, cautiously creeping closer to the boy.

Severus saw the globe glowing in Potter’s hand. He could see Potter’s hand turning red around the globe.

Alarmed, he reached his free hand towards the boy and grabbed his shoulder.

He saw the globe glowing brighter and engulfing both of them in its light. He hissed when he felt a sharp tug on the back of his neck. The world turned blurry around them.

He staggered, barely able to stop himself from falling face first into the snow and taking Potter along with him.

He took his hand off the boy and looked at the tree in front of him. It looked at least three feet taller than him. It was brightly decorated with colourful ornaments with a golden star perched on top off it. It was covered with snow, which he could see falling on him as well, from the sky. They were standing on what seemed to be a snow covered, endless land.

“We are inside the snow globe!” Potter cried in amazement behind him.

Harry resisted the urge to take a step back when Snape whirled around and glared at him, his nostrils flaring and wand slightly raised at Harry.

“What did you do, Potter?” Snape hissed, fingers clenching around the wand.

“I didn’t do anything!” Harry insisted.

“You mean to tell me that we somehow ended up inside your snow globe and you had nothing to do with it?”

“That wasn’t mine! It was in Dumbledore’s office when I got there.”

“Why would Headmaster Dumbledore have a cursed object lying around in his office?” Snape asked.

“How would I know that? And how do you know it was cursed?” Harry replied, knowing very well that the globe was most likely cursed. He could clearly feel the dark energy around him.

Snape took a deep breath, loosened his grip on the wand and looked at Potter.

“Potter, tell me everything that happened since you walked into Headmaster’s office.” Snape said, much more calmer than before.

“Um ok. I got a letter from Dumbl- er Professor Dumbledore after breakfast, it said that he wanted me to come to his office.” He said taking out the letter from his robes and waving it a little in front of Snape.

Snape took the letter from him and flicked his eyes over it briefly and then returned it to Harry. “I received one as well.”

“When I got there he wasn’t there so I sat at his desk and the globe was right in front of me. I looked at it and then I couldn’t take my eyes off it.Then you came in and I couldn’t concentrate on what you were saying. It was like your voice was coming from far away. Then I had a really strong urge to hold the globe. But when I grabbed it, it started to glow and my hands started to burn and then we were here.” He concluded, showing his palms.

Snape came closer to take a look at his hands. The skin on his palms was inflamed like he had held them over an open flame.

Harry looked down at his outstretched hands while Snape raised his wand towards it. But then he looked up when Snape hesitated, lowering his wand to his side. Harry raised his eyebrows at him questioningly.

“I don’t think it is wise to use magic to treat your hands while we are in such an… unfamiliar environment. It could interfere with the dark magic that was used to trap people in here.” Snape said, almost apologetically.

Harry blinked at the man, lowering his hands. “Oh, that’s alright, it doesn’t even hurt that bad.”

Snape looked at Harry and then at his hands sceptically. Then he moved away from Harry and walked cautiously towards the brightly lit Christmas tree.

“We need to find a way to get out of here..” Snape cut himself short and raised his wand.

Suddenly, they were inside what looked like a dining room. There was a dinning table where there was the Christmas tree a second ago. There was water all over the table, some of it was dripping down on the floor. A jug was lying on the table.

“Get out of my way.” Shouted a man, trying to push past the woman in front of him.

“No, please darling don’t be like that, you know he didn’t mean it. He is just a child!” pleaded the woman, cupping the man’s face with her delicate hands.

The man showed her out of the way, not looking back where she had fallen on the floor away from the dining table.

Harry made his way towards the man when he heard a shriek from where the man was crouched by the table.

“Stop.” Harry shouted at the man. The man ignored him and proceeded to pull a small boy from under the table. The boy pumped his legs in the air trying to get away from the man.

Harry rushed to the man and tried to grab the boy. But felt his hands go right through the both of them.

“What?” he gasped.

“No, daddy no.” the dark haired boy cried.

The boy was now sitting on the ground, desperately clawing at the man’s hands to get him to let go.

The man just pushed the boy down, so he was lying down. He held the boy down with his left hand on the boy’s chest. Then he raised his other hand and slapped the small boy across the face twice.

Then the man left the room leaving the boy crying and gasping on the floor. The whole left side of his face was already turning red from the smacks.

Harry watched all this helplessly, rooted to his spot, unable to move. He gasped for breath clutching at his chest, mimicking the boy on the floor.

The dining room flickered and the Christmas tree was back in front of him.

Heart still beating too fast, he went around the tree to look for Snape, who he had forgotten was even there.

Snape was still standing in front of the tree, his whole body stiff and face drained of all colour.

“What was that? I couldn’t help the boy, m my my hand went right through him. Did you see that?” he asked, pointing his finger at the tree.

“Of course I saw that, Potter.” Snape snapped at him.

“I was just wondering, sir, since you didn’t even try to help that kid. What were you doing anyway, enjoying the view?” he said harshly, growing angry at the man.

“There was no point in doing anything, there was no way either one of us could have been able to save.. that boy.” Replied Snape just as harshly.

“You don’t know that!”
“Well, since you tried, what did you achieve?”

“At least I tried! How could you just..”

“Potter, there was nothing I could do, it was just a memory.” Snape interrupted.

“ A memory? How is that.. like in a pensive. But- but that’s not possible. I could smell the food on the table and I could feel the air blowing from the window, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did, but it was just a memory.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because, it was my memory!” Snape shouted.

Harry didn’t know what to say to that. How was he supposed to react after finding out that Snape, the scariest professor in Hogwarts, was once a vulnerable little boy, was mistreated by his own father as a child?

Sure Uncle Vernon had cuffed him on the head a couple times, Aunt Petunia had tried to hit him with a frying pan a few times but he was too fast for her. But they had never hit him, not like that anyway, no matter how much they hated him. Only Dudley and his cronies had ever hit him when he was a kid, but most of the time he was too fast for them to catch.

He couldn’t even wrap his mind around the fact that Snape used to be a child, that he had a father and a mother. He couldn’t imagine any of his teachers being children.

Harry quietly made his way towards the Christmas tree, where Snape was looking for… he had no idea what, maybe something, anything that could help them get out of the snow globe.

Snape was moving the gift boxes, that were by the Christmas tree, out of his way. There was nothing under them. Harry wondered what was inside them?

Harry yelped, jumping back when he saw Aunt Marge’s bulldog, Ripper, leap through him. His hand reflexively went to his chest, as if that could stop his heart from beating out of his chest and yelped again when he felt pain flare through his palm.

He looked at where Ripper was bounding after his younger self. This time Harry didn’t do anything to prevent what he knew was about to happen. There was nothing he could do, like Snape had said a few minutes ago.

He just watched helplessly as young Harry ran around the Dursley’s backyard as fast as his little legs could carry, to get away from Ripper. He stopped at the fence, tears welled up in his eyes as he couldn’t find anywhere to go. Ripper kept coming at him, his loud bark seeming to resonate.

Harry closed his eyes briefly in defeat as he saw the small boy climbing the fence. The boy jumped over the fence when Ripper was seconds away from biting the boy’s leg.

The view shifted and suddenly Harry and Snape were looking at the other side of the fence, where Little Harry was curled on the ground, sobbing in pain. His right hand was at an awkward angle.

Suddenly the Christmas tree was back, the lights blinking brightly, snow still falling. Harry frowned, why did the memory stop? Why didn’t it show what happened next, if the purpose of the cursed snow globe was to show their worst memories and make them miserable?

Harry remembered what had happened after that, Mr. Ainsworth from next door had come running towards Harry after seeing him fall off the fence. He had called Aunt Petunia and offered to take Harry to a hospital, in his car. Aunt Petunia had agreed and left Dudley with Aunt Marge so she could come with them.

She had held Harry in her arms while Harry had cried all the way to the hospital. Accepting the comfort she had offered.

But when they had arrived home from the hospital, she had sent Harry to his cupboard without looking at him twice. He had just assumed that she had sent him away so that he could get some rest. Not understanding until years later that she had just been pretending to care about her nephew in front of Mr. Ainsworth.

He felt his heart twinge at the thought. He had been so pathetic, so naïve, thinking that she loved him despite the way she treated him.

Why wasn’t that included in the memory they just saw? Not that he wasn’t glad that Snape couldn’t witness that painful moment.

“Mr. Potter?” Snape said.

Harry’s eyes snapped open, he hadn’t realised that he had closed them. Snape was looking at him, his face carefully blank.

“Yes, sir?”

“Was that a real memory?”

“Um.. yeah it was. That was Aunt Marge’s dog, Ripper. Though she is not my Aunt. She is Dudley’s aunt.”

“I see.” He said eyebrows pulled together in thought, already looking away from Harry.

“How are your hands?” Snape asked.

“Huh, it’s fine. I mean that was years ago, it’s healed by now.” Harry replied, looking dumbly at the man.

Snape glared at him sharply.

“Of course, it’s healed, you dunderhead. I was talking about the burn on your hands.”

Harry flushed, his face burning in embarrassment. He just showed the man his hands, palms up.

“We need to get out of here before they get infected.” Snape said.

“How do we do that?” Harry asked.

Suddenly they were in another memory and Harry was looking at another younger version of Snape.

Severus scoffed, watching his nine year old self knock on the door, not yet tall enough to reach the switch that activated the electrical doorbell. If this was the cursed object trying to make him miserable, it had chosen the wrong memory. Severus had overcome the heart break caused by that particular memory almost within an hour it had taken place, years ago. In fact, it had turned out to be one of the best moment of his life.

The door opened and a thirteen year old girl stepped out closing the door behind her quietly.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“Lily invited me.” the boy said.

“Well, she doesn’t want you here anymore, so leave and stop ruining Christmas for my family.”

“Lily invited me, she said I could spend Christmas with her family, I even got a gift for her.” Young Severus said, lifting the carefully wrapped box for emphasis.

“You are not invited anymore. Lily asked me to tell you to leave, she said she doesn’t want to be your friend anymore and that she doesn’t want to talk to you or see you ever again.” Petunia said smugly.

“Shut up! You are lying, Lily would never say that… you..you.. are a liar.” The boy practically screamed at her.

The girls face turned red in anger. She glared at him. “How dare you, take that back.” She said pointing a finger in his face.

Severus tried to push past the girl. “Get out of my way, Tuney.” He snarled, knowing how much the girl hated that nickname.

Petunia pushed him back a step with both hands on his shoulders. She ripped the gift box out of his hand and threw it down the porch steps.

“Go away, we don’t want you here. Lily doesn’t want to talk to a freak like you. Look at you, you can’t even dress properly. Always wearing those stupid, dirty clothes. She is too good for you. She told our parents, how you said that she was magic and will go to a magical school. They want you to stop trying to turn her into a freak like you.” She shrieked in young Severus’s face, lips curled in disgust, nose wrinkling like she could smell something foul on the boy.

Severus felt his face flare up in embarrassment, he felt like his heart was breaking in million little pieces. What was happening? Why was he feeling like this? Why was the girl’s words affecting him like this? He knew the girl was lying, Lily had told him herself. This memory wasn’t supposed to affect him. To his further embarrassment, he felt tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to occlude his mind, but found that he was unable to, just like when he tried during the first memory, it was taking too much effort to keep his emotions in check. He hasn’t had trouble with that, since he mastered Occlumency years ago.

He watched as his younger self screwed up his face with the effort to not cry in front of the girl. The boy picked up the gift box and ran away.

The memory ended, the wretched Christmas tree was once again in front of them. Severus once again tried to Occlude his mind and was surprised when he succeeded unlike the previous time.

He let his mind drift to another memory, where Lily had found him at the park they frequented as children. She had looked at him with her angry little face, her hands balled in fists besides her, demanding why he hadn’t come to her home, to celebrate Christmas. I thought we were friends, she had said with a hurt look on her face. Severus had been so confused, she was the one who didn’t want to be his friend. He had told her that. She had been surprised. He told her everything that Petunia had said to him. Looking at his tattered shoes and his ankles peeking out from his too short pants, face burning with embarrassment. She had balked at him, asking him how he could believe such nonsense. Telling him that Severus was her best friend and always will be, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

Severus felt his lips twitching, trying to smile of its own accord, thinking about his only friend. He had fallen in love with the redhead, that night in that dilapidated park. Then why had he felt so awful, even though he knew that Petunia was lying?

Severus frowned, he had been gripped by terror witnessing the first memory, but that wasn’t unusual. He still couldn’t stop the fear that passed through him thinking about his father, even after all this year.

But he had felt the same fear when that dog had bounded after little Potter. It had been disturbing to watch a large Pit bull running after a small child. The dog had looked huge in comparison to the little boy. But he had just chalked it up to empathy for the little boy, perhaps there was more to it.

Suddenly alert, he turned towards Potter, the boy was staring at the tree, seemingly frozen in shock. He didn’t have time for this.

“Potter!” he called out, raising his voice.

The boy immediately looked at him with red rimmed eyes. He absently wondered if his own eyes looked the same.

“What did you- ” the boy cut him off.

“What was that? She was my Aunt Petunia wasn’t she?” Potter demanded, his finger pointing in the general direction of the tree.

Severus cursed under his breath, he had forgotten that Potter was also Lilly’s child.

“Potter, we don’t have time for this.” Severus said firmly, trying to compel the boy to understand the urgency he felt.

“You knew my mum didn’t you? Of course you knew her, if you knew my father than you had to know my mother. They were both in same year. You always say how my father was so rotten. But you never say anything bad about my mum. She was your friend!” Potter exclaimed, looking at Severus with wide eyes.

“That’s none of your business, Potter.” Severus snapped, that was something private, that he didn’t want to share with Potter.

“Wait, but Aunt Petunia said that you told mum that she was a witch, and you told her about Hogwarts. You knew her before you even went to Hogwarts. You knew my mum even before my dad. What were you even doing there? My mum was a Muggle Born. She lived in Muggle world. Then how did you meet her? Are you a Muggle born too?” Potter continued, ignoring Severus.

“Potter, I am your Professor, my private life is none of your business.”

“None of my business, that was my mum, I deserve to know about her.” Potter said.

“Watch your mouth, Potter I don’t owe you anything.” He said glaring down at the boy, daring him to say anything else on the matter.

Severus kept his eyes trained in front of him in the direction of the Christmas tree. He could feel Potter glaring at the side of his face from where the boy was standing next to him. He ignored the boy. Potter had refused to answer any of his question after Severus’s own refusal to talk about the latest memory.

He cast a quick glance at Potter’s wristwatch. If he was correct, the next memory was about to unfold in front of them in about a minute. He had studied the patterns in the memories, it alternated between Potter’s and his own memories, with approximately six to seven minutes between each memory. The memories seem to be taking place in chronological order, but he wasn’t sure about that yet.

There was a sudden rise in temperature, it went from cold to hot. Severus felt the sunlight hit his exposed skin which was cool a minute ago, he shivered due to the sudden change. He glanced at Potter and saw him scratching at the burn on his palm absentmindedly while looking around searching for something. Severus sighed in frustration, they needed to get the burns looked at.

He felt an overwhelming fear seize him. He watched as a group of boys around seven or eight years old came running, two of them were blonde while the other one, the shortest one of them was dark haired. The dark haired boy was obviously Potter, he had his round glasses perched on his nose, unlike in the previous memory where he didn’t have the glasses on. Potter was running as both the boys chased him.

Potter was panting with exertion but he kept going, the blonde boys on the other hand were starting to slow down behind him. Severus felt his heart lurch in fear when Potter hit a dead-end. Potter turned around with a terrified look on his face, when he realised that he was backed in a corner and the other boys were blocking his only escape route.

The boys that were chasing him smirked at the boy.
“What are you going to do now, Potter? You have nowhere to run now.” The blonde with shorter hair asked with a smug grin on his pudgy face.

“Leave me alone Dudley or I will tell aunt Petunia that.. that you-” Potter stuttered but was cut off by the pudgy boy.

“What are you going to tell Potter? Mum doesn’t care if I hurt you Potter. She doesn’t care about you.” The boy cackled.

“Shut up!” Potter shouted, with tears in his eyes.

Severus stiffened when the boy whom Potter had addressed as Dudley leapt at Potter. The other blonde followed after him. Potter quickly darted to his left, getting on his knees and squeezed through a small hole in the wall behind him. Severus assumed that the hole didn’t lead anywhere since Potter didn’t make any move to get away. He just sat there curled in a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. But with the way he was sitting only half of his body was visible.

“Really, Potter you are just going to sit there like a wimp?” Dudley asked, with a snort.

“Get out, freak.” The other boy shouted.

“Yeah, Potter get out, you don’t want to go home late do you, you haven’t even completed your chores, mum and dad are going to be so mad. You don’t want to make them mad do you?”

Severus frowned, why would Dudley’s parents be mad at Potter. Unless, he was Potter’s cousin, but the boy didn’t look anything like Petunia, She was thin as a twig, with a rather horsey face and long neck. Dudley on the other hand was rather large in size. The only resemblance he had to Petunia was the blond hair.

Severus watched in horror as the boys started throwing rocks at Potter. He could hear as Potter whimpered from where he was trapped in the hole.

Potter crawled out of the hole after the boys had left saying something about getting bored of Harry hunting. Severus was gripped with sadness and longing. Potter had small red bruises on his forearms and knees. There was also a small crack on his glasses.

Severus felt the snow falling on him, and he knew they were back in front of the garish tree.

As soon as the memory ended, Snape made his way to the other side of the globe, ignoring Harry. Harry on the other hand couldn’t find the energy to move. He knew he was being pathetic, letting something that happened years ago affect him like this. It wasn’t even his worst memory. But watching Dudley taunting his eight year old self and knowing that his cousin was right, he felt like he was all alone in the world. He remembered what it had felt like all those years ago, wishing that his aunt and uncle cared about him, longing for parents that he couldn’t even remember.

He frowned at Snape, the man was walking past the tree, he kept walking and then suddenly stopped, bringing his hand up and touching free air, pushing on it like it was an invisible wall. Harry looked around him, he couldn’t see any wall or any indication that there was an end to the globe they were in, besides the snow covered ground they were standing on. It was like watching an endless road, but instead of asphalt or concrete it was covered in snow. Harry looked up at the sky, it looked like a normal winter sky. Wasn’t the snow globe supposed to be round? Harry thought, maybe it was like Earth. Earth was round but it didn’t look round from the inside. Harry’s frown deepened, but Earth didn’t look round because it was huge, wasn’t it? Harry didn’t know much about planets. But if he was right, than this wasn’t possible, because, the snow globe was small, he had lifted it in his hands, maybe they had shrunk. If that was the case would they be still small if they managed to get out?

'If they managed to get out'…IF, because there wasn’t a guarantee that they would get out. They had to find a way to get out, but he would have to talk to Snape for that. But, they had both refused to answer each others question after the memory about his aunt Petunia. Harry knew he was being childish by not talking to Snape, but Snape was being a git. All Harry wanted was to-

“Snape, Severus.” Professor McGonagall said.

Harry looked up to where Snape was still on the other side of the globe, now he was standing next to the stool where the Sorting hat was placed.

He watched as Eleven year old Snape sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head. The hat slid down on his head covering his eyes. Snape adjusted the hat so that his forehead was visible, but his eyes were still hiding behind dark locks of hair.

Harry glanced at the adult Snape, he was staring blankly at his own younger self. It was unnerving to watch the dour man towering over……well himself. Older Snape’s face was expressionless, while younger Snape looked hopeful and excited.

“Slytherin!” the hat shouted after whispering quietly in Snape’s ear. Harry had expected the hat to sort Snape into Slytherin as soon as it touched Snape’s head, like it had done with Malfoy.

Harry watched Snape and was surprised to see that the younger boy looked horrified. Then Harry felt hopelessness engulf him. He felt like something bad had happened and that he would never be able to fix it, like nothing would ever be okay again.

He watched as the boy made his way towards the Slytherin table where all the students were clapping excitedly. Snape hesitantly looked at the Gryffindor table and Harry gasped. There at the table was his mother turning towards his father in annoyance. He couldn’t take his eyes off from them. He was hit by sudden desperation and hopefulness at the same time as he watched them. The last time he had seen them was when they had somehow emerged from Voldermort’s wand in the cemetery, the cemetery where Cedric- no he couldn’t, he didn't want to think about that.

Harry knew that it was just Snape’s memory, that his parents were just about to disappear, but Harry wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready to let them go. He felt so desperate just like he had felt when he first saw his parents in the Mirror of Erised. He felt his whole body shaking, thrumming with magic so strong that he couldn’t control it. The memory seemed to be fading slowly, unlike all the other times when the memories had gone abruptly. Like something was holding on to the memory. He clenched his hands in fists ignoring the pain flaring through his palms. He needed his parents, but the boy and girl in front of him were just children. His mind drifted to the memory of his parents in the Mirror of Eirised. The magic inside him felt stronger. He felt a wave of hope washing over him, warming his whole body, and for a split second he saw the Mirror of Erised in front of him, his parents looking at him through the glass, holding on to a younger Harry. They looked just like they had when he first saw them in the Mirror. Then just like that, they were gone and the wretched Christmas tree was in front of him. The snow falling on him felt a lot more colder than before.

“What was that?” Snape said, walking towards Harry from across the globe. He stared at Harry in astonishment, stopping in front of Harry.

“I..I don’t know, I just..” Harry trailed off, looking up at the man.

“Did you see what happened?” Snape asked, schooling his features.

“Yes sir, mum and dad they were…” he again trailed off pointing around with trembling hands.

Snape nodded, he looked uncomfortable. “You somehow managed to control your memory or rather..my memory.” Snape said, frowning slightly. “You changed the memory so you could see the memory that you wanted to see.”

Harry nodded at the man, he had just wanted to see his parents.

“But changing the memory, it did something.” Snape said thoughtfully.

“What do you mean, Sir?”

“A…light appeared, in that direction.” Snape said, nodding towards the tree.

“A light? But I didn’t see anything!”

“Yes, Potter, you weren’t paying attention.” Snape said softly, his eyes flicked on Harry’s face.

Harry brought his hands near his face. He blushed, his face was wet with tears. He quickly wiped his face on his sleeves.

Snape cleared his throat. Harry looked at him.

“Um, What does that mean, Sir? The light I mean?” He asked.

“I am not sure, but perhaps we could get out of this globe if we found a way to control our memories, the way you did.”

“I don’t know, how I did that.” Harry said, frustrated. He wanted to stay in the globe so he could see his parents through Snape’s memory. But at the same time he didn’t want to revisit his own memories, and if he was honest, he didn’t want to witness Snape as a young boy getting hurt, his face crumbling with pain, both physically and emotionally.

“We will figure it out.” Snape said, softly.

“Mr. Potter, if I am correct the next memory is going to be yours.” Severus said.

“You mean because the last memory was yours?” Severus nodded at the boy. It was approximately four minutes since the previous memory, they had about two to three minutes before the next one.

“But, it could be yours, I mean, I changed your memory, so, we saw my memory at the end.” Potter said.

“That is possible.” He replied. “Potter, what else did you notice other than the pattern in the memories?”

“Um, they all were bad memories.” Potter replied.

“Anything else?”

“They weren't like in a pensive, I could feel the sun on my skin, and wind and I could smell the food like I told you.” Severus gave a short nod, he had noticed that too. “It was like we weren't just watching the memories, we were actually living the memory. I… I could also feel.. stuff.”

“Stuff…” Severus repeated. “I take it you mean… emotions. What did you find unusual about them? Like you said they are bad memories, your bad memories, it is reasonable that you would feel negative emotions, isn't it?” he prodded.

“Yeah, to my memories not yours ,even if some of them were about my mum.” Potter replied, his voice getting quieter at the end, like the boy was uncertain if he should mention his mother.

“I think, I was feeling whatever emotion younger me, or younger you, were feeling in the memories.”

Severus nodded. “Your assumption is correct, Mr. Potter. I felt that too.” He motioned towards the boy's wristwatch. “Potter, it’s about to start again. I want you to try to change the memory again.”

“But I don't know how, I tol-

“Yes, Potter, I know, that is why I said try. Focus on whichever memory you-

“Hermione, move!” eleven year old Potter shouted at the girl.

Severus looked around, they were inside the girl's bathroom on the third floor. He pulled his wand out of reflex as soon as he saw a 12 feet tall troll walking towards MS. Granger.

He watched as Granger started crawling under the bathroom stalls just as the troll crushed the stalls with a huge wooden club. Pieces of wood and metal pipes falling on the girl. Granger whimpered in fear.

He watched incredulously as Potter and Ronald Weasley started throwing broken pipes at the giant troll.

His heart leapt as he heard Weasley yell at the troll. “Hey, pea-brain.” The troll turned towards the boys.

Using the distraction, Granger crawled out from under the stalls to hide under the wash basins.

The troll turned back to Granger and slammed the club on the wash basins, narrowly missing the girl. Granger covered her head as broken Porcelain fell on her. Water sprinkled from the broken taps.

“Help!” the girl shouted.

Potter ran towards the troll, wand in his hand, and grabbed the wooden club just as the troll was about to hit the girl, the troll lifted the wooden club, lifting potter along with it. Potter’s hands slipped from the club and he landed on the trolls shoulder.

The troll twisted his head back and forth, in an effort to dislodge the boy from his shoulder. But Potter held on and somehow managed to stick his wand up the trolls nose.

The troll finally managed to dislodge the boy and then he held Potter by his leg so that potter was hanging upside down.

Severus could feel Potter's fear, his own heart hammering in his chest as the troll swung the huge club at the boy. But Potter just pushed through it and kept dodging.

“Do something!” Potter shouted, when the troll readied himself again to hit the boy with the club.

“What!?” Weasley shouted, flicking his eyes around the room.

“Anything!” potter answered back. “Hurry up!”

Weasley pulled his wand out and Granger guided him through the levitating charm.

“Wingardium Leviosa.” Weasley shouted with a flick of his wand.

The club started to levitate, it rose above the trolls head and than dropped on his head.

“Cool.” The redhead exclaimed with a small quirk of his lips.

The troll let go of Potter, who scrambled away as the troll staggered around and then fell down on the floor.

Severus took a shaky breath, then put his wand away, they were back in present. He turned towards Potter. “What.. was that, Potter?”

Potter just whizzed, trying to calm his racing heart. Severus could empathize.

“You and Mr. Weasley recklessly went after a troll to rescue your friend, instead of informing an adult like you should have, and you couldn't think of more effective spell then a levitating charm to defend yourself? Professor McGonagall was right it’s shear dumb luck that you three survived that.” He said incredulously.

“We were in first year, the only other spell we knew was Lumos.” Potter replied with a shrug.

Severus glared at the boy. “That is exactly why you should have informed a teacher, instead of going on your own.”

“We didn't have time to find someone!” Potter retorted.

Severus just glared at him harder. Potter wisely kept his mouth shut. “Did you try to change the memory?”

“Yes, but I couldn't.” Potter answered.

Severus nodded, he hadn't expected it to work on the first try. He himself hadn't been able to think about anything other than the giant troll trying to kill three first years.

“Just keep trying, Mr. Potter.” He replied.

“What's happening?” Harry gasped.

“Isn’t it obvious, Potter, he is having a nightmare.” Snape snapped, wiping the beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, with an handkerchief.

“HE?” Harry questioned, the heat in the room was making him feel irritated. “You meant you, right?”

“Focus, Potter.” Snape said.

Harry took a shuddering breath in an effort to get a grip on the flood of emotions he was feeling, that weren't even his own. He glanced at Snape, he was doing the same thing. Harry watched as his chest heaved with each breath. He seemed to be having as much luck as Harry was.

Harry looked at younger Snape, the boy was lying on the bed, his face pressed in a pillow, hands clutching at the sheets under him. He was mumbling in his sleep. The globe wasn't showing what the boy was dreaming about, but it couldn't be anything good, if the fear and despair that he could feel was anything to go by.

Harry took another deep breath. Okay, focus. All he had to do was think about the Mirror of Erised.

Okay, think… think , it was dark that day…

Just like Snape’s room, that he was seeing for the first time. He couldn't believe that he was in the dour man's childhood bedroom. Harry looked at the boy on the bed, his face was flushed, there were beads of sweat on his forehead. The room felt stuffy, he wished he could open the window.

The boy turned so that he was lying on his back instead of his stomach. The boy was getting frantic, kicking his legs, his mumbles turning into quiet sobs.

Harry jerked his head away from the boy. Okay, Mirror of Erised. He had to think about his parents. Harry cursed under his breath when his mind kept drifting back to the boy on the bed. How had he done it the first time? It wasn't working!

From the bed young Snape made a keening sound. Harry's eyes followed the source of the sound without any conscious thought. Damn it! What was the boy dreaming about?!

Focus Harry! Don't let it get to you! He scolded himself. But all he could think about was the absolute terror he was feeling. His chest heaved, legs wobbled, and hands trembled on their own accord.

He closed his eyes, if he couldn’t see the boy, he wouldn't be distracted. He tried to recall the expression on his parents face. They were looking back at him through the mirror. Their hands gripping his shoulder.

He opened his eyes, it wasn't working. He wasn't feeling the warmth in his chest, he wasn't filed with hope like he had been the last time for a split second.

What was different about last time, when he had changed the memory?

The boy's whimpers were filling the small room. Harry looked at him. Then he glanced at Snape, the man's eyes were flickering between the bed and the door. His right hand was somewhere in the folds of his robes. Harry frowned, why was Snape looking for his wand? The boy was just having a nightmare. Not that Snape could help the boy if he was being attacked or something.

He startled when he heard a ear splitting scream from the bed. The boy was now sitting up, sheets pooled around his waist. He was covering his mouth with both hands. Despite the heat in the small, poorly ventilated bedroom, Harry felt a chill run through his body, like he could sense the danger that was coming towards him.. for him… no…. for the boy.

That's when he heard the staggering footsteps. The door burst open. Harry couldn't help the small yelp that left his mouth, which was soon echoed by the boy. He heard the ruffling of sheets as the boy tried to scramble away from the long haired man.

The man leapt at the boy. For someone who smelled like a brewery he sure could move fast. He pressed a hand on the boy's mouth, pushing him against the headboard.

“What are you doing? You will wake your mother!” the man whispered harshly, pushing the boy harder.

After a while he removed his hands off the boy and went around the bed towards a cupboard. He rummaged through the cupboard, pulling the cupboard's content out and throwing them on the floor. Then he moved towards the dresser by the bed. Harry watched as the man opened and closed the drawers loudly, throwing things on the ground, he didn't seem worried about waking his wife anymore.

“Where is it?” he shouted in frustration, turning around to the boy.

“What… I…. I..” the boy stammered, unable to string words together, while his father continued to destroy his room.

His father ran his fingers through his own hair and pulled at it in agitation. Then suddenly he staggered towards the bed, and got on his knees and peered under the bed. He reached his hand under the bed and pulled out a piggy bank. He turned around without getting up and smashed the piggy bank on the floor, covering the floor with broken ceramic and pennies. He collected the pennies off the ground and staggered out the door, without looking back at his son who was pressed against the headboard with fear.

Harry cast a look around the small bedroom, the cupboard doors were open, one of the drawer from the dressing table was lying on the floor along with clothes, books, broken piggy bank, quills, pieces of paper and parchments. Even the boy's wand was thrown on the ground like a useless piece of wood.

Then suddenly it was over and they were back in present.

“It's still not working.” Potter said.

Severus turned to him, he was expecting Potter to mention the last memory but he hasn't so far. He gave the boy a curt nod. “Which memory were you using?, Mr. Potter.”

“The same one. It worked the first time.” Potter said with a shrug.

“Perhaps, you should use a stronger memory.” He suggested. “Potter, you can cast a Patronus charm, correct?”

“Yeah, Remus taught me, before you got him kicked out of Hogwarts.” Potter replied, snidely.

Severus stamped the urge to tell the brat-who-lived, why exactly a werewolf shouldn't have been permitted to step a foot inside Hogwarts in the first place. It wouldn’t be wise to argue with the boy, when he had finally started to co-operate. He could give the boy a piece of his mind once they were out of the blasted snow globe.

“Which memory do you use for Patronus charm?” he asked instead.

“The one in which Hagrid told me that I am a Wizard.” Potter replied hesitantly.

Severus frowned. “Hagrid told you? You didn't know you were a Wizard?”

“I didn't know until Hagrid told me when he came to give me my acceptance letter.” Potter replied.

“You mean you didn’t know about it until you turned eleven? Petunia didn’t mention anything about your magical lineage prior to that?” Severus asked, incredulously.

“No.” Potter replied. “ She didn’t want anyone to know that her nephew was a freak.” Severus barely managed to hold back a flinch at the last word which seemed like an echo of his own father's. “She doesn’t like Wizards.” Potter explained. “Guess you knew about that before I did” he said, referring to one of Severus's memories.

Severus snorted, of course he did. Petunia had often called him a freak. She hadn't held back about her opinion on magic, going as far as bad mouthing her own magically gifted sister…. And now Lily's son. He wondered if she would have mellowed out a bit if her own son would have turned out to be a muggleborn Wizard.

“Alright Mr. Potter, use that memory, if it’s strong enough to conjure a Patronus then it should work.” Severus said looking away from Potter and towards the Christmas tree.

“It isn't.” Potter announced. “ Strong enough, I mean, ….Happy enough.” He hesitated, then, “Not anymore.” He added quietly.

“If you can conjure up the memory then it doesn't matter. We will feel the same emotions as you did in that moment.” He replied without looking at the boy. Severus had a few good memories which had gradually turned sour. He knew what exactly Potter meant by 'Not anymore'.

The snow covered ground disappeared from under their feet. Severus barely managed to hold back a yelp, beside him Potter couldn't. Severus looked down and gulped, they were floating fifty feet above the ground.

“Whoa!” Potter exclaimed next to him. He was looking around excitedly. Severus wasn’t excited in the least, he despised flying with a broom, he despised it more without a broom.

“Potter, stop gawking and do what you are supposed to do.” He said through gritted teeth. He wondered what would happen if he tried to walk in the sky, would he plummet to the ground fifty feet below him.

They were surrounded by Gryffindor and Slytherin quidditch team. He looked around and found every eye in the stands trained their way. He saw his own self in the stands watching the quidditch match, Professor Quirrell was sitting right behind him. Severus looked away from him when he heard a swish-swash sound. Right in front of him an eleven year old Harry Potter's broom gave a sudden lurch and Severus's stomach lurched along with it.

Potter's broom was jerking around violently. He held on to the broom with both hands. It started zigzagging through the air. Severus looked down towards the stands, everyone was cheering loudly. No one noticed what was going on with Potter. Severus looked towards the stands where he was sitting that day, he saw his own face marred with a frown trying to figure out, what was wrong with Potter’s broom. Behind him Quirrell was muttering under his breath. Severus looked away from him and towards Potter.

Potter's broom was taking him backwards and then suddenly it rolled forward and unseated Potter until he was suspended in the air with only his right hand holding onto the broom. The crowd gasped, finally realizing what was going on.

That's when the memory started to flicker, he jerked his head around to look at Potter, he was looking straight in front of him, his brows furrowed in concentration. It was working! The weather changed from sunny to gloomy. The shack they were inside was small and miserable looking , Severus was just glad to be standing on a solid ground. The memory that Potter had conjured didn’t look as clear as the previous one, it was unfocused, fuzzy around the edges.

He could see Potter and Hagrid in the middle of the room and a young boy covering by the window. There were two people, probably Petunia and her husband, standing by a staircase. Hagrid was saying something, Severus could see his mouth forming words but he couldn't hear him.

All the previous memories had felt real but this one didn't, it was like watching television with the volume at lowest setting, but not completely silent. The emotions coming off Potter were dull, if Severus didn't know better he would have thought the eleven year old was using Occlumency to conceal his emotions. He walked towards the fireplace and held his hand over the fire, it should have been hotter. The memory was weaker but it wasn't flickering in an out of existence like last time.

Severus looked around for the light, it was by the staircase, it was brighter than last time. This time he could make out it’s pale blue colour, the thin stream of light was weaving around the members present in the room and making its way towards Severus and Potter, the real Potter. Then the light started to fade along with the memory as the snow globe overpowered it.

Severus and Potter cursed in unison. Potter was looking at his younger self dangling in the air with the broom as his only support which was violently swinging him back and forth. While Severus was looking down at his feet which were again fifty feet above the ground.

After a while, the broom stopped moving, Potter hoisted himself up on the broom. The crowd went back to clapping and cheering, like an eleven boy hadn't come close to being splattered all over the ground a second ago.

Harry plopped down on the ground with a groan. His legs were getting tired from standing for hours. He pressed his aching palms in the snow, the cold felt soothing on the burned flesh.

“This could work, Potter.” Snape said.

Harry looked up at him. The man looked more frightening from Harry's position down on the ground, he thought about standing up so he wouldn't feel so small next to the man but quickly discarded the idea, he was too tired for that.

“Yeah, maybe, but it’s taking too long and we don't know how much time we have. What happens when we don’t have any memories left? Does it start all over again? or.. or.. I don’t know.. maybe we die or maybe we don't even get to the end, just die of starvation or something?.” Harry said pulling at his hair in frustration.

“Starvation could take days, Potter. Hypothermia is more plausible at this point.” Snape replied.

“Hypothermia… well that's good. Starvation sounds too boring anyway.” Harry said sarcastically.

He quickly got to his feet when the next memory started to play.

“No” he breathed, when he realized that they were standing in a graveyard.

“No, no n…no, it’s too so… what…” he backed away, desperately trying to get away from what he knew was about to happen. He felt an intense pain in his chest like he was having a heart attack. His throat was closing up, windpipe burning with each breath.

“Potter?.” Snape questioned next to him.

The skies were getting darker. Harry hadn't even noticed that the sun was shining in the sky until it was gone. Pettigrew was walking towards them between the graves, carrying a bundle of robes, which Harry now knew was Voldemort. He watched helplessly as Cedric and his younger self lowered their wands, not realising that they were in danger. Harry wished he wasn’t so stupid back then, wished he hadn't lowered his guard down around the man that had helped kill his parents. Who later killed Cedric.

As the man drew closer Harry’s scar exploded with an intense pain. He grabbed his head with both hands. A few steps away from him another Harry, the one from the memory was knelt on the ground clutching at his own head.

“Potter!” Snape shouted. Harry looked at him, his usually stoic face looked very expressive. “Potter, think about the day you learned that you are a wizard.”

That's when he heard a cold yet breathy voice say. “Kill the spare.”

“No!” Harry shouted, rushing towards Pettigrew, even though he knew that it wasn't really happening, that he couldn’t save Cedric.

A swishing voice cut through the air. Pettigrew flicked his wand. “Avad-”

“No! STOP!” Harry shouted growing more frustrated and angry at his own helplessness. He felt a burst of magic flowing through his whole body and than being released around him. The memory started flickering, the ground shaking beneath them. He could here a distant sound of cracking glass.

“Potter! Potter, stop!” Snape shouted, coming towards Harry. But Harry ignored him, and just kept screaming at the top of his lungs. He didn’t even remember when he started screaming, but, now that he had started he couldn’t stop, he let out all of his anger through his scream and his magic. He could barely feel the tears trickling down his face. Snape's voice was growing distant, Harry couldn’t even make out the words anymore. But he felt it when Snape grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him hard enough that Harry’s teeth rattled.

“Look around Potter!” Snape said, still holding Harry’s shoulder.

Harry looked around, as much as he could with the way Snape was holding him. The graveyard was gone, they were now standing on the snow covered ground. The walls of the globe that used to be invisible now had cracks on it. He looked up, the glass beyond the sky was cracking too.

“What… I.. am I doing that?” Harry asked, feeling a little foggy.

Snape let go off him and straightened. “Yes, Potter. You are doing it. You need to stop before you break the globe.”

Harry glanced around quickly, then raised his hands and concentrated on doing whatever he was doing. Even though it was accidental magic and he didn’t know how to keep it up. “Why do I need to stop? If the globe breaks, we would be out of it!”

“Perhaps. But we don’t know that for sure. We have to be certain about it before doing anything. And anyway, you can’t keep at it. You seem to have exhausted yourself by expelling so much of your magic.” Snape said.

As if on cue Harry staggered, feeling drained. He sank down to the ground. But he wasn’t sure if it was because of using too much magic. It had been happening all summer, every time he thought about Cedric. About what happened at the graveyard. He would have this intense pain in his chest, heart thudding against his ribs and his throat would close up like his windpipe was getting narrower. At times he felt like he was having a heart attack. And then he would be drained off energy.

“Are you feeling alright, Potter?” Snape asked.

Harry looked up at him. Snape was watching him strangely. Harry frowned and then groaned internally, rubbing at his eyes. He had once again cried in front of Snape. He couldn’t wait to get out of the stupid globe.

“Why did the globe show my memory? It was your turn.” Harry asked, ignoring the man's question.

“It didn’t. It was my memory. You changed it during your… panic attack.” Snape replied.

“ Oh, I.. I didn’t realise.” Harry said.

“Since when are you having these panic attacks?” Snape asked.

Harry just shrugged. He didn’t feel like talking about it. Though it was good to know what the episodes he was having was called. At least he wasn’t having a heart attack. Thankfully, Snape changed the subject.

“Hmm, you had a headache in the dark lord's presence.”

“Yeah, I always do.” He said, shrugging again.

“I feel different.” Potter said.

Severus glanced at him sharply. “ Are you still having trouble breathing?”

“What? No, it's not because of the uh” Potter stopped, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “It’s not because of the panic attack.” He waved his hands around awkwardly then cleared his throat. “ I feel lighter, you know like…. Lighter.” Potter finished dropping his hands down.

Severus rolled his eyes. “Let me know when you have regained your ability to string a few words together. In the meanwhile try not to use anymore magic.”

“That was an accident, I didn’t mean to use magic.” Potter defended himself.

“Yes, well try not to have anymore accidents. Just a spark of energy can destroy the globe, we don’t know what that could mean for us. So control your emotions no matter what you see and just concentrate on changing the memory.” Severus replied, ignoring the boy's indignant protest.

“Yes sir.” Came Potter’s reply, Severus only had to glare at him for two seconds.

“All right, Snivellus?

Severus took a sharp breath. This memory couldn’t have come at a more worst time. Potter was definitely going to destroy the globe this time. He turned towards Potter.

“Expelliarmus!” James shouted behind him.

“Potter, listen to me, I need you to control your emotions no matter what you see. Do not give into your emotions and do not do magic.” Severus ordered, not looking at the pink soap bubbles streaming out of his younger self’s mouth.

Potter looked at him with a bewildered expression. His eyes flicking rapidly between the Severus’s memory and Severus. “Dad! What..? What? No he was not a bully! You must have attacked him first. Sirius would never encourage someone to….humiliate an innocent person and Remus he wouldn’t just stand there, they would never.”

Severus felt his anger rise as Potter insinuated that Severus was somehow to be blamed for James Potter and his mutts attacking him and humiliating him, while his fifteen year old self was hanging upside down in the air with his underpants on display.

“No Potter, your father and your godfather were bullies. Your father was the worst of them, he was arrogant, selfish, lazy. He was a spoiled brat, who only thought about his own comfort and nobody else.” Severus said sharply.

He watched as Potter's face crumpled. But Severus was surprised when Potter managed to regain control over his emotions. Though he could here the mixture of betrayal, anger and hurt in his voice when he spoke next. “Is that what you meant? You think I am a bully….like my….father?”

“No.” Severus said with conviction. He used to think that Potter was just like his father but he wasn't. He knew that now. He had seen the memory of Potter himself being bullied by his own cousin. He had ran across the room at a man who was twice his size to protect an unknown little boy from his father when they had seen the first memory. He had literally yelled at Severus when he hadn't even tried to protect the little boy from Tobias Snape. Severus had seen him run head first towards danger countless times to protect people. He hated the way the boy so recklessly endangered his own life, broke every rule, he even hated the way Lily’s eyes would look at Severus through James Potter’s face. But Severus could acknowledge that Potter would never harm another person on purpose.

“No Potter, I don't think you are a bully.” Severus said finally.

Potter looked at him with surprise. But to Severus’s relief gave him a quick nod. Though he still looked troubled he had gained control of his emotions or rather Severus’s.

Severus unclenched his fists and pushed the shame and anger down, putting on a blank expression on his face. “Bring forth your memory now, Potter.”

Potter gave him another nod and then closed his eyes in order to concentrate, while James and Lilly argued in the background.

Severus just watched as James threatened to take his pants off in the memory while Lily was walking away from them. Severus couldn't prevent the emotions he was feeling, so he focused on preventing his reactions towards the memory instead.

“It’s not working.” Potter said with frustration.

“Try harder.” He barked, perhaps he wasn’t able to control his reactions as much as he thought he could and let some of his anger slip.

“I tried! It's not working! I told you I was feeling different.”

“Potter-

“I think… I am... my mind is not connected to the globe like before.” Potter explained.

“If that was the case then you wouldn’t be feeling my emotions.” Severus said, gesturing towards where everyone was scrambling away from Severus as Professor Slughorn came towards the crowd that had gathered to watch the confrontation between James and Severus.

“I don't think I am feeling your emotions. All I felt was anger towards my father, Sirius, Remus and mum. If I was feeling your emotions surely I would be feeling more than that, right?” Potter said, just as James dropped young Severus unceremoniously and ran away, bringing the memory to an end.

“Hmm.” Severus said watching the cracks on the globe. “You must have somehow disconnected yourself from the globe during the accidental magic.”

“Yeah.” Potter glanced at the snow. “But is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It's hard to say at this point. But it means that the globe can’t control your memories, that also means that you can’t change the memories.” Severus answered, his voice a bit shaky after reliving one of his worst memory.

“Well, then you will have to change the memory and get us out of here.”

Severus sighed, he didn’t have a strong enough memory for that. Potter’s memory was, Severus had been engulfed with hope when the boy had changed the memory.

“You are angry at your mother? “Snape questioned.

“Huh?”

“You said that all you felt was anger. Towards your father and godfather. But you also said that you were angry at Lily, why?”

“Because she left!” Harry replied incredulously. “I know you called her a mu- a you-know-what, which was horrible, but she shouldn’t have just left.”

“I told her that I didn’t need her help, Potter.” Snape said like Harry was the one being unreasonable.

“Yeah, you did. But she should've tried anyway. She gave up too easily. My dad was… he was… being a git… he was hurting you. If one of my friends were in your position, I would have helped them no matter how angry I was at them. You don’t give up on your friends. Would you have left if my dad was messing with her instead of you?”

Harry waited for a response but he didn’t get one. Snape just had that blank face that Harry was getting familiar with, a carefully created expression that didn’t give away what he was thinking. So they just waited in silence instead until they heard a low growl.

They were by the Whomping Willow, James was pulling on someone's leg, who at the moment had the upper half of his body in a tunnel under the branches of Whomping Willow. As Harry guessed it was Snape. Harry winced as Snape's chin scraped along the tree root as James continued to pull him out.

Harry got a sick feeling in his stomach as he realised that James was once again bullying Snape. Though this time he was alone, Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew weren't with them. James let go of Snape and tapped his wand on a knot between the branches. The branches flailed around and hit James and Snape. Harry shivered as he heard a growl, louder this time, followed by a large wolf that was straining to get out of the tunnel.

Harry realised that James wasn't bullying Snape, he was trying to save Snape from Remus. He wondered how Snape had been brave enough to jump in front of a werewolf, which also happened to be Remus, in Harry's third year to protect Hermione and him. Though he shouldn't be suprised Snape had saved him a lot of time. Though he wondered if that's because of his friendship with Lily or because James had saved Snape and Snape was just returning the favour by protecting Harry now that James was dead.

“Damn, you Potter, you broke my ankle!” Snape said.

“Broke your ankle? Saved your-“ James was saying when abruptly the scene changed and Harry got an eyeful of Lilly and Snape kissing.

“Ew ew ewwww oh my god why did you have to” he said waving his hands towards the memory. “Oh thank god.” He breathed when the memory stopped and they were back in present. Suddenly he was glad that he couldn’t feel Snape’s emotions anymore.

“Did you have to use that memory?!” Harry asked, his voice coming out a little high-pitched.

Harry squinted at Snape. His face looked a little pink. That was the first time he had seen any colour on Snape’s face. Though, Harry guessed it must be nothing compared to his own most likely bright red face. Harry thought he understood why Ron complained about his parents making out, but now he felt enlightened.

Snape put on his blank face again. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Its not working. I need a stronger memory.” Snape said, having composed himself.

“Yeah, but we don’t have much time.” Harry said eyeing the cracks on the globe. They had gotten bigger and if he strained he could hear the faint sound of cracking glass. “It could break anytime.”

Snape dragged a hand along his face. “It’s all about emotions. We need a memory that induces strong emotions.”

“Can you think of any other memory?” Harry asked, surely he had to have better memory than that. He groaned internally at what he was about to say.

“Sir?”

“Hmm?” Snape said absentmindedly.

“You don’t have to hold back.” Snape turned to look at him at that. “You know if you aren’t using a memory because of me.” He cringed but continued. “Like if it's about my mum. If it, like you said induces a strong emotion you should use it.”

Snape snorted. “Trust me, Potter. If I had a good memory I would have used it.”

Harry sighed in relief. As much as he wanted to get out of here. He didn’t want to see his mum making out with anyone. “Professor you said it was just about emotions, then maybe it doesn’t have to be a positive emotion, it just has to be strong. You could just use anger or something.”

“No, Potter that won’t work. You channelled a lot of strong emotions during your panic attack, but you only succeeded in nearly destroying the globe.”

“Oh yea…” he hadn’t thought about that.

“Hmm…”Harry looked at Snape. “I think I have a perfect memory. But that's not enough” Snape said.

"Not enough? But you just said it's a perfect mem-"

Snape removed his wand from his cloak and pointed it at Harry.


“What?” Harry asked, raising his hands out of reflex.

“Wand out, Potter. Quick.” Snape said hurriedly.

Harry removed his wand and then did as Snape told him to.

“Do you remember what to do, Mr Potter?” Severus asked.

“Of course I do. You’ve asked me that like a million times already! I can follow instructions, I am not a complete dunderhead, you know?” Potter said.

Severus ignored him. “Keep your wand ready.” Potter waved his wand around exaggeratingly at that. “Cast the spell only when I tell you to, as soon as I tell you to, not before, not after. If I don’t tell you to cast the spell then, don’t cast the spell. As soon as you cast that spell then that’s it, we don't get another chance. When your wand releases magic the globe could break. Do you understand?”

“Yessss…” Potter said.

“Yes sir.” Potter amended when Severus gave him a sharp look.

“Alright, get ready, Mr. Potter.” He saw the boy straightening his shoulders, wand clutched tightly in his hand, out of the corner of his eyes and gave him a quick nod.

Then they were plunged into a new memory.

“Let go off me.” Severus was saying in the memory, as Tobias Snape had him pinned to a wall, by a forearm across Severus’s chest.

“Why don’t you push me away, huh, boy?” Tobias asked with amusement in his voice. It was one of his father's rare moment, without slurred words and alcohol on his breath.

Young Severus gritted his teeth as he strained to dislodge his father. He put the palms of his hands on his father’s shoulder and tried to push him away, putting all his weight into it. But Tobias did not budge.

Severus tried until he was red in the face. Sweat beading on his forehead.

Tobias chuckled. “You can’t. No matter how much you try, you can’t fight me. You will always be weak without a wand. You are pathetic. You are nothing.”

Severus let his father’s insults wash over him. Let the shame, anger, the fury engulf him. This memory had come at a perfect moment. It was linked to the memory that he was trying to bring forth.

He managed to change the memory. They were in an underground tunnel. He watched as Bellatrix and his younger self were duelling while the dark lord watched.

“Furnunculus” Bellatrix cried.

Severus casted a Protego, just as he was about to hit be by the spell which would have caused him to be covered in boils. “Obscuro” shouted, but Bellatrix quickly deflected.

“Incendio.” Bellatrix cast. But Severus casted his own modified, much more powerful version of Augumenti. They kept on duelling until Severus casted Sectumsempra which he had created himself. Bellatrix screamed in agony as severe lacerations appeared all over her body, she yielded soon after that. Then Severus kneeled before the dark lord, with his head bowed.

“Well done, Severus.” Voldermort said. Then lifted his wand and pointed it at Severus’s arm and cast a wordless spell, which had Severus gritting his teeth out of pain. When Voldermort was done Severus had the Dark Mark on his arm.

Severus watched in disgust as his younger self smirked proud. But couldn’t help but feel the pure pride and hope that was flooding through him.

“Now Potter.” Severus shouted, turning around so he was facing Potter. The boy looked horrified but pulled himself together.

“Motus Sublimiorem” Potter shouted, while simultaneously drawing an infinity symbol in the air.The symbol glowed brightly and then hit Severus in the chest. Immediately he felt a flood of emotions surge through him.

“Come here, Potter.” Severus called. Potter came and stood right next to him. They both watched as a soft blue string of light drew towards them.

“Professor!”

“I know.”

There were cracks all over the globe now. It was about to break. The light drew closer, circling around Severus’s legs. It started looping around his body, leaving Potter out of the light. Quickly Severus grabbed Potter and dragged him closer through the loops of blue light. Potter screamed as soon as the light touched his body. It burned through his clothes. His skin sizzled where the light made contact with his skin. Burns started appearing all over his body, while Severus remained unscathed. Severus cursed pulling the boy closer towards his chest. He put a hand to the back of Potter’s head and pushed his face towards his own chest and waited until the light was done looping around them.

When it was done, the light burned brighter to the point where Severus had to close his eyes or risk loosing them. Potter pressed his face further into Severus’s chest. Then before he knew they were stumbling and falling in Headmaster's office.

“Severus!” Dumbledore cried. “My dear boys-“

“Headmaster!” Severus interrupted, from the floor. “Potter needs medical attention.”

“Levico-“

“No, don’t use magic on the boy until we figure out how to treat the burns.” Severus said, again interrupting Dumbledore. “Have Madame Pomfrey floo in.” he instructed before Dumbledore could suggest that they floo the boy to the hospital wing.

Severus checked Potter’s wounds as the boy lied unconsciously on the floor.

Madame Pomfrey stepped out of the floo and transfigured Headmaster's table into a cot. Severus lifted the boy onto the cot. After asking some questions Madame Pomfrey shooed them away while she treated Potter.

“Are you alright, Severus?” the Headmaster asked.

“I am fine.” He snapped in irritation. He glanced at the heap which had been a globe that he was trapped inside a moment ago. It had broken into a lot more smaller pieces then he had imagined. The globe had practically turned into tiny crystals.

“Tell me what happened.” The Headmaster demanded. So Severus started explaining everything that had happened inside the globe, but he didn’t go into detail about their memories, just gave a vague explanation and brushed it off. They were Potter and his private memories, they already had their privacy invaded many times that day. That day, it was still the same day, they had been inside the globe for about eight to nine hours.

“Headmaster? Severus?” Madame Pomfrey called.

“How is Harry's condition now, Madame Pomfrey?” The headmaster asked.

“The burns on his palms are infected. The rest can be healed, though it would take a few days. But he is stable for now.”

“Alright, what do you need us to do?” Severus asked.

After that Madame Pomfrey had him levitate the boy to the Hospital Wing, now that it was safe to do so.

“Why did you have such a dangerous object in your office, Headmaster?” Severus asked, the next morning in Dumbledore's office.

The headmaster sighed, his wrinkled hands folded in front of him on the table. “That globe was created by a student, years ago while she was dabbling in dark magic. Minerva confiscated it when she came upon it. We couldn’t destroy it, so I had it locked in a heavily warded chest...Until now.”

“If it was locked away...securely,” Snape raised an eyebrow, Dumbledore answered the silent question with a nod. “then how did Potter get his hands on it? He said it was right here.” He tapped at the table in front of him with his index finger.

“The wards were casted years ago, they were getting weak so, I removed the globe while I was restoring the wards. Harry must have gotten here when I went to consult my old notes for the wardings. I apologise for everything you and Harry had to go through.” Dumbledore said, the regret so clear in his voice that Severus felt a pang of guilt for even thinking that the Headmaster had left the globe out there on purpose just when he was expecting Potter and Severus to visit his office. Not that Severus’s doubt was unfounded, Dumbledore had done some questionable things for greater good. But Severus believed him, Dumbledore wouldn’t lie about it.

“You thought I left it here on purpose.” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling with amusement for the first time since the previous night when Severus had stumbled out of the globe with an injured Potter.

“I thought you were meddling, as you are often known to do. I never thought that you would put our lives in danger on purpose.” Severus replied, looking in his bespectacled eyes.

“Of course, my boy, and I appreciate your faith in me.” Dumbledore said, patting Severus's hand.

Severus cleared his throat. “We never got the chance to discuss why you summoned Potter and I yesterday.”

Dumbledore sat back in his chair. “Harry’s and Voldermort's minds are connected, we don’t know to what extent. And now that he has returned, it is imperative that we do everything we can to help him shield his mind from Voldermort.”

“You want me to teach him Occlumency.” Severus concluded.

“Yes. I can’t do it myself because of my responsibilities as a headmaster as well as a member of the order and also I can't take the risk of opening my mind to him. I am aware that it could put you in grave danger since you would be returning to your duties as our spy, but it has to be done. Harry must learn to protect his mind.”

“Of course, headmaster, I understand.” Severus would be in close contact with Voldermort, he had no doubt that Voldermort was going to use Legilimency on him, but he could Occlude. Potter will have to master Occlumency, but Dumbledore cannot teach him, Dumbledore will know about every plan they come up with to defeat Voldermort. Severus on the other hand will only know his part in the plan to defeat Voldermort. If somehow Potter manages to break through Severus’s barriers he would only have limited access to the Order's plans, so even if Voldermort were to riffle through Potter’s memories he won’t gain enough information to sabotage their plans.

“So, are you willing to teach him?”

“I am.” Severus replied, and smirked at Dumbledore’s expression, it wasn’t easy to catch that man off guard.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t expecting you to agree so easily.”

“Well, Potter needs to learn Occlumency. Only you and I can teach him. You can’t, for obvious reasons. So?” Severus said casually.

“Severus, I know you will do what needs to be done, no matter how unpleasant the task, but you have fought tooth and nail, to do everything in your power so that you don’t have to spend anymore time with Harry than necessary. What changed?”

“I saw him defeat a giant troll by sticking a wand up his nose. Potter can’t always survive an encounter like that with sheer dumb luck.” Dumbledore chuckled at that.

“And Potter will also need to learn to duel.” Severus continued.

“Well, if you are willing to teach him.” Dumbledore shrugged.

“I am.” Severus said, getting up from the chair. “I have to inform Potter about it first.”

“Alright, let him know that I will drop by the Hospital Wing later to see how he is doing.”

“I will, headmaster.” He said, before leaving.

When he reached the hospital wing Potter was in bed, propped up by pillows. He sat down on a stool next to the bed.

“Good morning, Mr. Potter.” He greeted, casting a quick glance over Potter’s injuries. He had a faint burn mark on the left side of his face, it was covered by what Severus assumed was a salve for healing burns. Potter had burns on most of the left side of his body. But they were healing, it would take a week or two for them to heal completely but Potter would be fine.

“Good morning, Professor.” Potter replied.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, Madame Pomfrey said that the burns would be gone in a week or so. And she also said that she will give me a potion after I am completely healed, for scars.” Potter replied.

“Good” Severus said.

“You must be wondering why I used the memory that I did.” Severus said, after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

“No. I mean I know why. You used the memory that made you feel the strongest positive emotion.” Potter shrugged . “When I realised that I was a wizard, I felt like I finally belonged. I believed that things would be better, that I wouldn’t be just an orphan, a freak that my family hate, it gave me hope and hope can be stronger than love.” Potter stopped and then looked up at him. “That’s what you felt when you became a death eater, right?”

Potter had caught him off guard, Severus had seen the look on the boy’s during that memory. He had looked horrified. He wasn’t expecting him to be so understanding about it.

“Umm, actually” Potter hesitated, shifting a little. “I was wondering about the memory in the graveyard, what was it about?”

“It was my mother’s funeral.” Severus replied. He wondered how long Potter was waiting to ask that.

“I’m....I am sorry about that.” Potter said, sincerely.

“Sir, what happened to the globe?” Potter asked, changing the subject, Severus almost snorted at Potter’s attempt at being subtle about it.

“It was destroyed by your magic. It was infused with a lot of dark magic, when you used more magic it became unstable and then shattered.”

“Oh.” Potter looked at a chess set that was lying next to the bed on a table. His friends must have visited him.

“Did you tell your friends about the globe ?”

“Yeah, but Dumbledore had already told them about it. They don’t know about the memories though.”

“It’s Headmaster Dumbledore, Mr. Potter.”

“Yea.. sorry. Did you talk to Headmaster Dumbledore?”

“Yes. Apparently the globe was made by a student few years ago. It was locked in Headmaster’s office for a long time, he accidentally left it out a few minutes before you went to his office.”

Potter nodded. “Why did the Headmaster call us to his office anyway?”

“He wants me to teach you Occlumency.”

Potter frowned. “Occu- what does that mean.”

“It is a magical method of defending one's mind from external penetration.”

“Penetration!” Potter exclaimed. “You mean mind reading, we can do that?”

“Yes, it is called Legilimency. We can discuss that later. First you need to learn Occlumency, so that you can defend your mind from the dark lord. Your minds are linked in some way, that’s the reason why you suffer from headaches in his presence.” Severus explained.

Potter nodded. “So, will you teach me?”

“Yes, if you are willing to learn.” He held up a hand when Potter opened his mouth to say something. “But to master Occlumency, the student must trust the Legilimence and also the other way around. I will be able to see all your memories, any memory that I wish to see.” Severus let that sink, before continuing. “But before you make your decision, I want you to know something. I can’t expect you to trust me knowing that I am hiding something from you.”

Severus took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. It could change everything, he just hoped Potter wouldn’t refuse to learn Occlumency. “As you know I was a Death Eater. I joined Voldermort’s cause right after I graduated from Hogwarts. While I was serving him, I overhead a prophecy. It was about someone who would defeat Voldermort...."