"For the record, this horrendous deathtrap would have been avoided, if you hadn't decided to become trigger happy, Dark Shadow!" Severus's drawl resonated around the forest. Of course, it wasn't his actual, melted chocolate voice, since a particularly tricky spell was in charge of masking or better said changing his vocal cords.

He sounded like his father after three packs of cigarettes.

"Live a little, Idiot Savant! Besides, do these dollies really look menacing?" Bellatrix Lestrange inquired, looking back towards the approaching aurors. Curses, jinxes, and unforgivables flew left and right, from both parts of the war. Bella's crazy laughter was the only constant, and Sev felt like hitting his head with his hand, they were bound to recognize that laughter one of these days.

"They might after you're done using them in your voodoo experiments," Severus warned, reminding himself of Bella's unfortunate first kill, and how he was tortured slowly with needles for information "They might just snap, one day."

"It's funnier that way," Dark Shadow sing-songed, after skipping a few steps and using a head removing curse on two inattentive aurors.

"Fine. Don't take my advice. Be a mindless brute. It's not like they have proven themselves apt for taking vengeance," Severus said while ducking a disemboweling curse.

"Don't worry, bookworm. Teacher is here to help you survive. Maybe one day you might make a half-decent death eater. Although I doubt it," Bella stated, after watching Severus hesitate to hex a nearby target.

"What are you waiting for, Christmas?" she asked ticked off.

"Alas, you have found my secret affection towards candy canes. I simply cannot function without them…" Severus said while smirking and using Expelliarmus on a too proud target. He had many targets these days. The aurors, targets. The Order of the phoenix, targets. The postman, target just because he brought his personal letters already opened.

"Die death eater scum!" an enraged auror shouted. He seemed steady on his feet, too steady, time to solve that.

"Tarantallegra!" Severus shouted while Bella screamed, "You have potential!" Said auror's legs started spasming uncontrollably, almost as if he were dancing.

"Two versus ten. Bad odds," Bellatrix mused, tsking.

"For them!" Severus shouted while they acted together. But just before getting into the fight, their dark marks started burning. They shared a look, before they got hold of an emergency portkey, shaped like a snake, and shouted "Secret hideout!", vanishing into thin air.

They run fast towards the meeting point, stopping in order to kneel simultaneously at their Dark Lord's feet.

"Report," Voldemort ordered in a grave voice.

"It was wonderful, my Lord. I killed ten bloodtraitors!"Bellatrix said grinning madly.

Severus snorted, "Are you sure you are not counting just the one ten times?"

"At least I did actual harm tonight, beginner!"

"Bitch!"

"Half-mud!"

"Bee with an itch!"

"You-you…!"

"Biiiiiiiiitch!" Severus sing-songed.

"Enough! Quit acting childish, Bella. I expected that from Severus given his age. But you are older, and should know better," Voldemort said amused.

"Yes, my Lord", Bellatrix said half-heartedly.

"And you, Severus...I was under the impression I had not recruited a ten-year-old. Prove me right."

"Yes, my Lord," Severus responded, ashamed of being told off in public.

"Were there any order members out there?" Voldemort inquired.

"No, my Lord. Just regular aurors...Why?" Severus asked.

"Hmmm. My friends, and Goyle," the Dark Lord said, throwing a withering glance to the glutinous death eater who was eating during his speech (he'll have to Crucio him later), my sources tell me they must have been after an important time-traveling relic."

Everyone, except Voldemort, was shocked.

"Your mission," he continued "is to follow the instructions of our spy, Rookwood, and get there before them," Voldemort hissed.

'Easier said than done,' Severus thought.

After dispersing and after throwing a goodbye glare to Bellatrix, Severus was intercepted by his fiercest defender and one of his only remaining friends, Lucius Malfoy.

"How are you, little snake?" Lucius asked.

"Thinking of changing my name and running away from your sister-in-law, Luc. Her insanity might be catching."

"Now that's simply not true, old friend. Do I look insane?" Lucius asked, after making a pose.

"You! You're positively mad, Luc!" Severus exclaimed.

"Now that's unwarranted," Lucius said while putting his hands on Severus's shoulders in a brotherly gesture.

"Mad for power!" Severus said while smiling "You'd sell your own mother if you could."

"Let's not act like she had been very motherly," Lucius argued while leading Severus towards Malfoy Manor.

Severus was always welcome at his friend's house and he considered Lucius and Narcissa his brother and sister.

They opened the door, Narcissa waited for them a small but sincere smile on her porcelain face.

"Cici!" Severus shouted.

"Little snake!" Narcissa replied while they embraced each other.

"Come. The house-elves made cookies."

While they were all chewing on gingerbread cookies, Lucius began to speak "How about Reginald?"

"Merlin, no! Lucius!" Narcissa shouted while hitting him with a pillow.

"Are you still looking out for baby names even though there is no baby yet?" Sev asked fondly.

"That we are, old friend. How about...Severus?"

"Lucius!" Severus yelled, taking the previously thrown pillow and throwing it again at Lucius's head.

"Ow! You should be flattered, Severus!"

"The poor kid will wonder all his life if you hate him. It's the worst name of the century..." Snape began complaining.

"I like your name," a new guest interrupted, none other than Regulus Black. He had used the floo powder in order to travel to his older cousin's manor.

"You like everything, Reggie," Severus countered him.

"That's not true," Regulus said.

"How about trolls?" Lucius asked.

"They're underappreciated," Regulus said.

"Mermaids?" Narcissa questioned.

"Are nice once you get over the 'singing sailors to their death' thing" Reg stated.

"House-elves?" Severus asked knowingly.

"People should strive to be more like them. But that doesn't prove anything."

"Course not," Severus said then invited Reggie to take a place on the sofa and eat cookies with them. Regulus was sixteen, and not a death eater yet, however, he shared the same views towards muggles and muggleborns as Lucius Malfoy. His tolerance only went so far.

After eating, Regulus asked, "Sev you know how Newts are coming up and..."

"Say no more, Reggie. I'll help you prepare," Severus offered, hoping he won't die tomorrow in his new mission. Regulus's potion grade depended on his survival. He was stellar at anything else but couldn't make a Pepper-up potion to save his life.

"Love you!" Regulus said while hugging the person who had taken Sirius's place in his heart.

Yes, Regulus was like a brother to one Severus Tobias Snape.

They were all waiting on the 'magnanimous' Dark Lord, but, just like schoolchildren left unsupervised, they started petty squabbles.

"Rookie, do you have any pertinent information, or should I curse your family jewels ?" Bellatrix asked with a malefic grin on her face, curls flowing wildly in all directions. At times like this, when Bella made a spectacle of herself and threatened fellow allies, Severus desired to just say 'pass, I don't want to interact with the gorgon woman,' but he was always dragged into the conversation.

"Don't play with fire, Bellatrix. Remember who could so easily forget to warn you of an attack. My intelligence is the only thing that keeps you alive, ungrateful wench," Augustus Rookwood whispered dangerously.

"Oh please, you bring info so rarely, even Snape would be a better spy than you are," Bella mocked. Sev knew it was the end of the world when Bellatrix complimented him. And if he was snail level, in the eyes of Bellatrix, a mere novice fortunate enough not to drop his wand in fright at the sight of Aurors, then Rookwood must be even lower on the food chain.

"Don't drag me into this," Severus muttered. Rookwood fixes his eyes on Severus who holds his gaze, unblinkingly. Then Auggie smiled and grunted, "Want to know some secrets, Severus?"

"They won't be secrets anymore if you tell them to me," Sev answered, conscientious of the fact that mad fury Bella was behind him, seething jealously at Rookwood's gesture of camaraderie. Or better said the loss of his senses, seeing as the information was only for the delicate ears of the Dark Lord himself, who then chose how much to reveal and on whom to bestow such honor.

"Wise boy." Rookwood said before grimacing and saying "If you shall ever find yourself in my shoes, Severus, remember, dead men tell no tales and there is only need of one snitch to spread the word to an entire generation."

'Dead men tell no tells. Was he threatening me? After all, he wanted to become a snitch and spread the word but two seconds ago...' young Severus thought.

"If I shall ever find myself in your shoes, Augustus, I'll buy a matching robe to boot. Is that dragon hide?" Severus asked, changing the subject. Ever the vain person, Rookwood nodded and began talking about his endless fortune and unmatched dragon hide collection. He reminded Severus of Lucius sometimes. The only plus to that agonizing speech was that Bella seemed particularly miffed with it too.

Finally, Lucius arrived, and ten seconds later, the Dark Lord.

"Cutting it a little bit close, Luc," Severus whispered.

"It was Narcissa," he said ambiguously and left it at that. Snape knew that Cici disliked Lucius being in danger, and while prejudiced, was not like Bellatrix, who thought mutilating muggle-borns was a fun, recreating activity. She wanted to be treated like a pampered queen, a mixture of a kind and hateful monarch. Well at least, unlike Bella, he could not resemble her with The Queen of hearts from the Alice in Wonderland movie he used to watch with Lily...No, don't go there.

"My Death Eaters, it is time you know the plan..." Voldemort told them. It was quite simple, Rookwood would feed them some false information about an attack that Voldemort was supposedly preparing, and thus, they would split their already small forces. The location of the time relic was somewhere in a hidden cave, in Russia.

They would arrive via portkey, given to them by a russian death eater, who had ingeniously disguised himself as a muggle so as to not attract attention and had traveled to London the muggle way. All of that was for making sure the portkey had a pre-arranged destination and that Ivan, the death eater bloke, could act as a sort of guide. It didn't hurt that he was a curse-breaker.

It was mentioned that he will arrive soon, very soon.

The meeting ended, he was 'kidnapped' by Lucius to his house yet again, until Ivan arrived.

"Say, old friend, what do you think this Ivan bloke is like?" Lucius asked while smirking childishly.

"Russian, male, probably irritated that we're talking behind his back," Severus pointed out the obvious, oppressed by boredom. He didn't care how Ivan looked, he just wanted to know when the next mission is!

"Well of course he's male Severus, honestly," Lucius said while sipping elegantly on Earl Grey, and robbing his wife of yet more cookies.

"I heard he was old, very old," Lucius declared, as though it was a defect while munching on a gummy cookie.

"You're old, but I'm not pointing fingers," Severus stated, making Lucius Malfoy frown.

"You are a goldmine of jokes Severus," Luc answered while rolling his eyes.

"Thank you!" Sev exclaimed, smiling brilliantly.

"Since we are going somewhere cold you will need dragon hide clothes," Lucius mentioned.

"No, Luc, no more charity!" Severus said, refusing. Ever since his first year at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy had taken to buying him books and clothes he couldn't afford while Narcissa, the shrewd woman, would try to put some meat on his bones, so to speak. He wasn't completely irresponsible, he ate by himself sometimes! When he remembered...

"It's not charity, it's a gift," Lucius said, waving him off.

"Why can't you, gift me a, a stone instead?" Severus asked nervously.

"The philosopher's stone is awfully hard to find, Severus," Lucius answered, eyes glittering.

"No, just a regular stone from outside!" Sev complained.

"Hmm..." Lucius pretend-pondered.

"No," he finally said after two whole minutes of agonizing 'pondering'.

Seeing as Lucius was ignoring his wishes and will most likely spend a small fortune on him, because for Lucius money grew in trees, Severus groaned "Lucius, stop! It's so embarrassing to depend on someone for these things. You make me want to disappear."

"Does that mean you desire an invisibility cloak?" Lucius asked playfully.

"Lucie, no," Severus said drily.

"Alright, alright. No invisibility cloak...but you will get some dragon hide."

Such was his luck that Severus was chosen for the mission, along with Lucius, Bellatrix, and the old, russian death eater. Ivan was positively ancient yet he walked with a spring in his step which reminded Severus of baby goats. Russia was, as expected, cold and to his eternal consternation, they did not portkey immediately to the cave. But to a nice peninsula called Kamchatka. Ivan's explanation was, apparently, that "the journey is half the fun." That warranted suspicion is Severus's books. He looked Lucius in the eye, and made the hand sign they developed which meant "traitor, untrustworthy". But Luc just shook his head and muttered "mission." And that was that, apparently.

All the way to the blasted cave, the guide kept offering them little tidbits about the Peninsula. Like, the rich fauna and flora, or the subarctic climate with cool summers and unusually long, cold winters. Which explained why Severus was feeling like a snowman, being winter currently. He was suddenly very grateful to Lucius for buying him dragon hide clothes, because, if he was cold now, he shuddered to think how much colder he would be without them.

They waste even more time while the old man goes to a shop and buys something to eat, even asking if they want something too. While that would have seen like a nice gesture, they were on a time schedule, the aurors could get the temporal relic before them if they dawdled. He should have eaten before or stored some food somewhere, and frankly, he was lucky Severus was holding Bellatrix back, otherwise, Ivan would have met his maker.

"You horrible, dirty, two-faced...hurry up! Or I shall report your blunders to the Dark Lord!" Bella bellowed.

"Calm down, Bella. Please don't kill our only tour guide," Severus said in a long-suffering voice, trying to make her see sense and not wanting the eccentric man to be killed either, traitor or not.

"And lower your voice. What if there are aurors around?" Lucius warned, scowling at everything and everyone.

For a second, Bellatrix almost seemed enchanted with the idea of being discovered, no doubt as she was waiting like a predator for new prey, particularly the young greenhorn aurors.

Finally, after more threats, courtesy of Bella, they arrived at a mirific ice cave. It was breathtaking, a crimson red being reflected on the walls. 'The roof of the walls must be very thin, for the sun to penetrate it' Sev thought.

They walked inside the cave, not even bothering to cast Lumos. One step, two steps, a hundred steps until Ivan clapped and suddenly Lumos Maxima almost blinded them. The three death eaters cast Nox and to their surprise, they found over twelve aurors, wards pointed at them. Ivan was nowhere in sight. He must have been a spy...

Severus threw Lucius an "I told you so" look, but Lucius merely raised an eyebrow. Bellatrix began laughing maniacally and this was the sign that the party was about to begin.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted, then flipped over the aurors, trying to put distance between them and take them down one at a time. Lucius started using nasty curses like "Incarcerous!" all the while ducking expertly the curses, almost like he was dancing.

All the while Severus wondered how the hell they have not been AK'd yet and if Cici will make them cookies for managing to stay alive for that long. It was what she usually did, when her husband, sister, and Severus proved to have better self-preservation instincts them a toddler. But then again, she would most likely be mad that they did not attempt to make an exit and run like hell.

'We can't all be civilians, Cici,' he thought grimly while using "Obscuro!" at some of the closest targets. Make no mistake the aurors were holding their own. One of them managed to cut Bellatrix on the arm with Diffindo, quite badly, from what Severus could tell. And now three of them were tag-teaming against Lucius. The auror that had previously been Crucioed got up, with nerves of steel and tried to Crucio Severus. Good thing he managed to roll out of the way at the last second, wishing with all his heart that Protego could defend against unforgivables, yet knowing it couldn't.

He heard a dismal shout. It was Lucius. The aurors were using Crucio on him. With an animalistic yell, Severus ran towards his friend, casting Stupefy on the person hurting his dearest friend, his brother in all but blood.

"Bellatrix, ignoring the pain caused by the severing charm, Diffindo, ran towards them and tried to Avada Kedavra the second auror.

"Luc, are you okay? Are you okay, Luc?" Severus whispered while casting Protego around them, knowing that Bella would protect them.

Lucius nodded slowly, tears in his eyes before the sneer returned and he spat "Blood traitors!" Seeing as Lucius was more like himself, he used Finite Incantatem on the shield.

Severus thought that enough was enough so he began concentrating, even though it hurt, on good memories. Like the time he and Lily were young and had sleepovers where they would talk about anything and everything. When Lily's parents welcomed him with open arms and even called him son, when his own mother hugged him, shielding him from his father's wrath. He tried to anchor himself to the loving, peaceful times and not so peaceful times, when he had put blue hair dye in Petunia's shampoo. Merlin, the reaction!

And after some more thinking he had it, the memory, the happy memory. Not afraid of the possibility of being eaten alive by maggots, and thinking only of Luc's safety he cast "Expecto Patronum!"

A beautiful, silver doe appeared, and both sides of the conflict, light and dark were staring incredulously at him.

"My Lord, we need backup. Now!" he shouted, sending the doe away. But just after he had finished uttering the words someone shouted "Expelliarmus" at him, and his attention being concentrated on the doe, he did not notice the disarming charm which knocked him off his feet.

He landed painfully on his back, trying with all his might to get back up when, he noticed it, the time relic. It was beautiful, and it resembled a time-turner, with an hourglass in the middle. His joy of finding it was cut short however when he realized that he had landed on it, and caused a small breakage. It was beginning to move on its own and magical energy was running around it.

'Well, I managed to make it into adulthood. Somehow. That's a plus,' Severus thought grimly and before his world went dark and he was swept into a time different from his own, he heard Lucius's yell "Se-Savant!"

The night air was soothing his senses, happy to have escaped the frozen hell of the subarctic climate. Severus, along with the time-turner, were suspended in the air, above a dangerous forest he began recognizing it from his Hogwarts days, the forbidden forest. He took everything in, eyes open in awe and nostalgia. He remembered going to the blasted forest with Lily once because Mary McDonald had dared Lily to break the rules and he couldn't very well let her go alone, now could he. So along he followed, dutifully, while explaining how much of a dunderheaded idea it was and trying to make her change her mind. She shook her head, smiled fondly, and said it was some kind of "Griffindor rite of passage..." To this day, he hoped that he wasn't an honorary Griffindor because of it.

He began descending, slowly, then fast like a carousel, landing expertly on his butt. He grimaced.

'Well if the death eater gig doesn't work out for me I could try acrobatics...' Sev thought mockingly before he swiftly got up and beat the dust off his clothes.

"Let's see, we get surrounded by aurors, run around the frozen cave, like headless chickens, trying to put distance between the blood traitors and to defeat the odds. Like some dunderhead trying to do all his homework at the last second," he snorted, recapping the events.

"I somehow land on the time relic," he screwed his face, looking at said broken relic which was mysteriously hanging like a necklace around his neck, "I survive, and I get the joyride of my life. Merlin! This is even more embarrassing than that time I let Reggie use me as a sort of flying pony."

Inadvertently, he started remembering the time Regulus wanted to fly without a broom and begged for hours for Severus to help him accomplish said goal. After giving up refusing in order to preserve his sanity, they began training. It turned out Regulus had aptitude for flying, but only for a short amount of time, a few seconds. He remembered the conversation.

"Don't despair, Reggie. Practice makes perfect."

"Thanks Severus. By the way I, I..."

"Yes?"

"I..."

"Spit it out! Please..."

"I kinda snuck out. Can you fly me home?" he asked in an innocent tone.

"Did you bring a broom?"

"No."

"A portkey?" Sev asked desperately.

"No..."

"You are not thinking what I'm thinking."

After a pleading look, Severus acquiesced, let him hop on his back like a squealing, baby bear, flew him home, feeling like he was burdened beyond words. After he let him get off, Severus said austerely "Severus airways are closed from now on. Get it, Reggie? No refly."

And speaking of bears, he was in a dangerous, deadly forest now. He had to tread carefully.

'No problem, after all, I am the most dangerous thing around here,' Severus thought while glancing at his dark mark and trying to reminisce about his family, hoping beyond hope that they were alright. That Voldemort returned for them, maybe he was looking out for him already. Maybe...it would be horrible to lose hope.

Suddenly, Severus heard the sound of feet stampeding around the forest, breaking sticks around, and a child's cry. He acted instinctively and ran around the danger hoping to save dunderhead who thought parading around the forbidden forest was such an illustrious idea.

It was a boy, brown-haired with grey eyes, running from a Merlin, a werewolf! Severus began seeing flashes of a time not so long ago, a whomping willow, a beastly Lupin, such a far cry from the shy, chocolate-loving little idiot and a detestable James Potter pulling him out of there.

"Help!" the boy yelled and Sev snapped back to himself. He ran to the boy, who looked wide-eyed at him, scared and hopeful. God, it was like looking into the past. The werewolf began advancing, Severus stepped up, shielding the boy from the werewolf's gaze. His hands were trembling, he was running on pure adrenaline, trying to combat the traumatic effect.

"Stupefy!" Nothing happened.

"Sectumsempra!" Not even a scratch. And the werewolf was advancing.

"Imperio!" his mind was so much like a jungle, Severus couldn't even order it to do something.

He cursed and then he remembered that werewolves were impervious to most spells and curses.

He could try to Avada Kedavra him, which might work even on werewolves, but the wolf was very near to them now, if he somehow missed, they were toast. So he did the natural thing, got hold of the kid, and without nary a warning, began flying away. The wolf was howling, enraged.

"Ahhhhhhh!" the boy in his arms shouted.

"Quit it!" Severus sighed.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"I said quit it, you little brat. We're safe."

"We-we are. We are! How are you flying without a broom? Do all wizards fly without a broom? I'm Michael Morgan. You just saved my life! Do you wanna be friends?" the boy asked question after question, after question.

Severus refrained from answering until they got out of the forest. He put the boy down slowly, the young eleven-year-old was looking at Severus pleadingly.

"What?" Sev asked wearingly.

"Can we fly again?" the child asked while beaming.

"You-you, you must be a Griffindor!" Severus groaned satisfied with Michael's chipper "Yep. How'd you guess?"

"Insanity runs rampant in that house," he drawled "Why on earth did you decide to go in the Forbidden Forest. Were you looking for your missing brain, perhaps?"

The boy looked affronted and challenged "Well what were you doing there, Mr. high and mighty?"

Sev stared at him as if he were dull and said while smirking "Saving your life. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important things to get to. "

"What sort of things?" Michael asked, curious.

Before exploding at the child with a nasty retort like "Mind your own beeswax," a feminine voice began shouting "Mr. Morgan! Mr. Morgan, where are you?"

It was Minerva McGonagall, along with Flitwick, Hagrid, and Sprout. He suddenly felt like a student again, one who had gotten into trouble. They looked old, very old. At least Dumbledore wasn't with them. In fact, he hoped he was dead, not only because he was a death eater but also because he kinda hated him for giving Black a slap on the wrist for his little "prank".

He must have time-traveled...

"Severus?" she asked in wonderment as if she was seeing a ghost.

Before he could react further, or panic further, actually, he was hugged, literally hugged by his old transfiguration teacher.

'Calm down. Maybe it's a hug attack,' he reasoned with himself.

The old woman had a sturdy grip on her and embraced him as if she were afraid he might disappear at any given moment. Severus was feeling confused and contemplated different methods of extricating himself from the awkward and impactful situation. Like playing death or speaking gibberish and pretending it was his actual native language. That way he might freak them out and convince them that he was, obviously, Severus Snape's doppelganger instead. And why on earth was she hugging him?

He had to put a stop to it before he might become, dare he say it, attached.

"Your...obvious, dastardly hug-attack won't work on me, ma'am!" he gritted out, conscientious that he was somewhat regressing to his student days by calling her "ma'am".

Who said death eaters had no manners?

"I'm afraid you will have to bear my "dastardly deeds" for a little while longer Severus," Minerva told him, smiling sadly.

"Ma'am you're crushing my ribs..." Sev told her, looking at everyone else pleadingly.

'Why must they attack me using unconventional means?' a part of him wondered while another one told him "You dunderhead, they must not consider you a threat at all!'

"I think it's time you let the lad breath for a bit, Minerva," Filius Flitwick encouraged.

"Filius is this a mirage? Do you see him too?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"Remarkably well. Unless I have to change my eyeglass prescription again," he said jokingly, while Minerva curled her lips.

This was becoming stranger and stranger. 'Maybe the wolf did get me? Maybe I'm hallucinating because of the pain...'

"Severus, yer a student!" Hagrid remarked suddenly.

"Unless my graduation was a fabricated memory caused by turbulent lifestyle, then no, I am not a student, Mr. Hagrid," Sev answered.

Snape could not comprehend how happy everyone seemed to be. He hadn't seen such glowing and surprised faces since Lucius and Narcissa's marriage. It was a jubilant day, except of course for the fact that it rained, and Bellatrix threatened Lucius with emasculation if he hurt Cici. Oh, and ring-bearer Regulus lost the ring somehow and despite being a fifth-year, forgot the Accio charm and started panicking.

"I am so glad to see you, Severus," Pomona Sprout remarked with a kind smile on her wrinkled face, making Severus take a few steps back in case his other professors decided to go insane and hug him too.

"But, what did you do? How can you still be alive?"

'I've asked myself that last question, every day' Sev thought.

"I imagine breathing has something to do with the miracle of still being alive, professor," he sneered while Minerva suppressed a cackle. She was also the first one to take a closer look at Severus and finally notice the small,l time-turner relic on his neck. The mystery started to unravel.

Their next questions were interrupted by young Michael, who could not contain himself any longer.

"You did not answer my question?"

"Which infernal question could that be?"Sev asked bored.

"You saved my life from a werewolf! Do you wanna be friends?" the exuberant eleven-year-old child inquired.

"I'd rather befriend the werewolf," Severus said sourly, yet not meaning it.

Upon seeing the child about to burst into tears he said quickly "Alright, alright. Friends!"

The boy started grinning, wiping away fake tears from his face. 'The little actor.' Severus thought.

"Werewolf?! You have fought a werewolf?!" Minerva shouted, and started inspecting him and Michael for injuries.

"I..." Sev said but was interrupted.

"Are you alright?" she pressed on.

"Stellar! One hundred percent. Please stop poking me," Sev responded, still amazed they were not fighting him, while Michael merely nodded.

"Well then, if you both are alright...What were you thinking, young man? In all my career as an academician, I have never seen such troublemaking student since Harry Potter!"

"Truly! I resemble the great legend?" Michael asked flattered, while Minerva growled and said "One hundred points from Griffindor and detention for the rest of your school year!"

"Awwww," Michael moaned, while Severus thought 'Harry...Potter? Oh no, he procreated! Merlin help us all!'

Then, after that show of disapproval, Minerva McGonagall took hold of Severus and Michael and guided them to the castle. The boy was smiling encouragingly at Severus while babbling about his friends at school and his parents and his favorite subjects. After being subjected to the incessant chatter for over ten minutes Severus couldn't help but draw the following conclusion 'The dunderhead must have logorrhea.'

"Enough, Mr. Morgan! Now, do you think you will be able to find your way to your common room on your own, or will you be tempted to get lost once more?" McGonagall asked.

"Alright, I'm going," Michael said a bit crestfallen, before hugging Severus briefly and saying "See you soon friend."

'Hopefully not too soon...' Severus thought.

Minerva and Severus continued walking until they reached the headmaster's office. Minerva said the password "Chocolate frog," and the door opened. As far as Severus remembered, naming passwords after sweets was a habit old Dumbledore used to do. This both cemented and destroyed his unconfirmed hypothesis that Dumbledore must be dead.

Because while it was his type of password, Dumbledore was nowhere in sight, so he could be dead, and professor McGonagall could just use that password out of tradition or sentimentality. But at the same time, he could simply be gone for a moment and the password choice strengthened that claim. Severus didn't know what to believe.

"Take a seat, Severus," Minerva told him, and despite a small part of him telling him to rebel, he thought it would be too childish and futile for such a simple, non-threatening request. So he sat, but leaned back and crossed his arms.

"So, you saved little muggleborn Michael Morgan from being turned or eaten by a werewolf Severus?"

"...yes," Severus said grudgingly as if his heroics were a shameful secret.

"Have a biscuit."

"Pardon?"

"Have a biscuit."

"I-I'm a death eater! I'm a danger to your muggle-loving, Gryffindor-approved society!"

"Of course you are, Severus. Have a biscuit," she told him in a placating tone and because he was hungry, he actually took one and bit into it. Then mentally reproached himself wondering if it was poisoned.

"I am serious! You have no idea what danger you have unleashed. Must I repeat my death-eater status?" he groaned, waving his dark mark in her face.

"Your tattoo doesn't impress me, young man," Minerva said while rolling her eyes before continuing "There is an important person I want you to meet. He will help with the werewolf situation and with your time problem. I am sure he can also house you for the duration of your stay."

"Is your friend a good samaritan? Scratch that, is your friend suicidal?" Severus asked.

"Why Severus, are you planning on murdering him in his sleep?" Minerva asked humorously.

"No, but..." Sev said, showing once again his dark mark, yet his old transfiguration professor who could be headmaster now only rolled her eyes.

He wondered why so many people thought he was as harmless as a puffskein here. It was true that he tried to weasel out of fighting sometimes, okay, most times, and that he only fought when he was attacked, but that didn't prove anything in his opinion. He was dangerous, he was powerful, he was not vulnerable anymore!

Minerva then decided to send her tabby cat Patronus with the message that was "Young man, as the muggles say, shit has hit the fan here. Come quickly."

A couple of hours later, after Minerva grilled him for more information yet he remained stubbornly tight-lipped, a knock was heard at the door.

"Enter!" Minerva said.

"Potter!" Severus screamed alarmed, confusing him for James for a second while Harry's eyes widened. He began to gently rub them a couple of times, then to check his pulse dramatically.

"Merlin, Minerva. Should have warned me. I am, much too old for this," Harry said while smiling at Severus fondly.