January 1980 - Hogshead Pub, Hogsmeade

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"

It took until Severus's fourth painfully boring night on reconnaissance duty to finally overhear something of value he could bring back to the Dark Lord. Although at first he vehemently disagreed with the weak intelligence they received prompting his current mission - staking out Hogsmeade and Hogwarts with the end goal of bringing them one step closer to overthrowing The Order of the Phoenix -, sitting outside of the room where his former headmaster met with the loony Sybill Trelawney appeared to have its merits in the end.

And to think he almost missed it.

Having already spent the better part of an hour eavesdropping on two people he deemed unworthy of his attention, the monotony led to him to lower his guard just enough to shift out of active surveillance and into passive listening to the conversation; all the while wishing for it to end as quickly as possible. When he first heard those words said - in a distinctively altered voice - his menacingly dark eyes widened, knowing his patience had finally paid off. No, this would not get them any closer to the Order of the Phoenix, but perhaps providing information on the person prophesied to defeat the Dark Lord would earn him the honour of a better position in his ranks; something other than creeping around the shadows of dusty corners, watching for any sign of movement.

"born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…"

"What're think yo'r doing ov'r there?!"

Severus barely had time to turn to identify the gruff voice on his left-hand side when his wand flew out of his hand and into his mysterious assailant's. One mistake. He'd stepped one foot too far off the landing, seeking to get a better vantage point. Just like that, he messed up his one chance. The furious barman who'd been eyeing Severus curiously over the last four days, violently yanked the Death Eater up by his shoulder, and dragged him past the room where he caught sight of the seer in question, dressed in a mismatched tattered skirt and blouse - extremely inappropriate for an interview of this calibre - sitting across from Albus; the headmaster's blue eyes broadened as they briefly locked with Severus's. One mistake was all it took to completely shatter his mission, and now he'd be lucky if the Dark Lord didn't kill him for it in a matter of hours.

Severus fully expected to be thrown out of the pub, where he planned on disapparating to his Lord's side to relay the limited information he heard, so he felt more than a little off balance when he ended up being forcibly hurled into a suffocatingly tiny cupboard comprising a rickety wooden chair under a dangling dimly lit lantern. The obvious anti-apparition enchantment preventing him from instantly escaping - although it did not stop him from trying - made Severus more than a little curious why a shady pub in Hogsmeade needed such a level of protection. Racking his brain for any answers, he came up with only one logical explanation: somehow he discovered the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Suddenly, the humiliation of getting caught on his extremely elementary mission might end up working out in his favour, as long as he had two vital pieces of information to report at the end.

"Severus," Dumbledore's too gentle voice announced from the other side of the closed, heavy wooden door. Back in his Hogwarts days, when the elderly wizard held the highest position of power in the school, Severus never thought about how old and frail the headmaster seemed. Now, though, he knew without a doubt he'd be able to take down the other man in a muggle duel should the need arise. Unfortunately, he had the minor issue of Albus still having a wand - likely two if the barman had any sense and gave him Severus's - therefore the fight would end long before it started. "I have a proposition to offer you."

Severus scowled - an image completely wasted on the vacant space surrounding him - while he furiously paced the small cupboard. Three strides to his left… turn… three strides back… repeat, like a trapped animal ready to pounce the moment his captor opened his cage door. They wouldn't get a word of information out of him. As a possible dead man either way, his death by the great Albus Dumbledore would at least serve the purpose of showing how the precious light side was no better than the Dark Lord and his followers. When pushed into a corner, they all wanted their side to win, no matter the casualties or sacrifices standing in their way.

"I have no interest in whatever you have to say," Severus hissed back, meaning every single word. At that moment, he was so sure nothing could get him to change his mind; having no way of knowing how wrong he was.

"If you'll hear me out," Albus's voice never wavered, "I do believe you'll reconsider."

Cocky bastard.

Without warning, the door to the cupboard slowly creaked open. Whether as a sign of a truce or his pure negligence - Severus assumed the latter - Dumbledore did not have his wand brandished. However, Severus did not dare consider him to be unarmed. After all, a wizard as powerful as Dumbledore had many other means of doing magic outside of his physical wand, the easiest of which would be to summon it from its hidden whereabouts.

"Might I ask what you heard back there?" The headmaster urged, cautiously approaching Severus on the other side of the tiny room.

"You may ask," the Death Eater sneered, "it does not mean I'll tell you."

Albus's eyebrows rose in his understanding. "Then I am to assume we are both in agreement of the power this message might have should it fall into the wrong hands."

Severus remained silent, learning early on in his pathetic life how speaking less often left one's opponent feeling vulnerable; how the need to break the stifling silence could become so strong they'd say almost anything to get out of it. Although he didn't expect the great, untouchable Dumbledore to fall into this category, he had nothing to lose by trying.

"You cannot take this to Tom, Severus," the Gryffindor chose the words of his warning carefully. "I'm afraid in doing so you will put others in grave danger."

"And that concerns me, how?" Severus narrowed his eyes at the man standing tall and proud across from him. This time it was Severus's turn to break the deafening silence. "From where I stand, more roads lead to my certain death than not and this may be the one bargaining chip I have to prevent it… and that's assuming you don't have me killed first to stop me. So enlighten me, why should I care about some future child's life? If anything, I'll be saving him or her from a much more painful demise."

Albus's eyes inappropriately twinkled when Severus finished his small tirade. "I will not have you killed," the leader of the Order calmly stated. "There has been enough bloodshed as of late, don't you agree?"

"So you'll release me, knowing I'll go straight to the Dark Lord's side to inform him of my discovery? Didn't you say-"

"If you wish to trade the life of another to save yourself, by all means, be my guest," Dumbledore interrupted him, contradicting himself and making Severus's blood boil. To emphasize his point, the old wizard stepped aside and pushed the door further open to release Severus from his makeshift prison.

"This is absolutely absurd," Severus muttered under his breath. Not caring if he injured the older man in the process, he aggressively shoved his way past the elderly wizard on his way to the door, "A complete waste of my time-"

"Lily Evans is pregnant," Albus casually mentioned when the Death Eater had barely crossed the threshold of the door. Inevitably, as he surely intended, Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Or Lily Potter, I should say. You didn't know?"

Of course, he knows I didn't know!

Hastily swinging his black robes around him, Severus faced the headmaster, holding his head high, refusing to show how much that sentence terrified him.

"And if I remember correctly, she's due in July," Albus drew out his words, undoubtedly enjoying every single one of them. "James notified me of the exciting news after the last raid he fought in. It left him severely injured… and, much to her displeasure, I pulled her off of all missions for the Order until after the baby is born."

"It doesn't matter." The lie tingled like poison on his lips. The Potters had faced off against the Dark Lord frequently and learning of the news of their upcoming spawn, with the prophecy he'd just heard, did not go unnoticed.

Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and paced the same track Severus had previously. "I guess you might try to convince your master to spare Lily Potter's life. Dare I say, though, Tom is not the most rational of people, but as his loyal follower, I'm sure he'll have a much more… reasonable… reaction to your request. There is another option if you're willing to listen. One which will not leave you at the mercy of a selfish wizard for either your life or Lily's."

Albus waved his hand over the rickety chair, wandlessly and nonverbally repairing it. Regrettably, the options before him were bleak, leaving Severus to conclude it wouldn't hurt to hear the old man out. At worst, the exchange would delay him by only a half an hour, perhaps leading him to more intel on the Order - albeit not likely anything revolutionary - and at best, he may be able to save both himself and Lily; someone he actively tried to forget, to no avail. Not allowing himself time to change his mind, Severus sat down in the now stronger chair to listen to what the Order of the Phoenix could offer to him in exchange for Lily's life.

Satisfied, Albus conjured another chair, squeezing it into the area across from him, and randomly asked, "Did I mention Horace is retiring at the end of the year? I suspect with a little persuasion he'd consider taking his leave prematurely."

Looking back on that night, the details behind Albus's plan weren't entirely crystal clear and for years after their meeting Severus questioned if a Confundus Charm had been used to get him to agree to go along with it. In the end, he walked away that night with two life-changing positions: Hogwarts' newest, and youngest, Potions Master and a double agent for The Order of the Phoenix.

April 1983 - Snape Quarters, Hogwarts Dungeons

Reign of Terror Comes to an End:

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Successfully Apprehended!

Aurors Moody, Longbottom, Potter, and Black to receive the Order of Merlin: First Class for Their Heroic Mission!

Seven Marked Death Eaters Already Sent to Azkaban - Many More Still at Large!

Trials to Begin Immediately!

Severus wasn't present on the night of the Dark Lord's successful capture. That had been the plan all along as a means to keep him out of Azkaban in exchange for his assistance over the past three years. Still, sitting tucked away in the relative safety of his quarters at Hogwarts, the spy had little faith in the Aurors to actually keep their side of the deal and he fully expected to hear them knocking on his door at any moment, ready to arrest him. He didn't read over any of the details of the mission or the plethora of arrogant quotes James Potter provided regarding his "heroic" role in the apprehension. Severus didn't care about any of that, nor did he care about his lack of mention in any of the published articles; he preferred it that way. He'd been a silent partner on the team, one of the select few who worked deep behind enemy lines to orchestrate the mission, and he didn't need the recognition for it.

Leave the press conferences to the likes of Potter, Severus thought while he watched the soon to be decorated auror stand at a podium to make yet another speech to the Wizarding World celebrating their newfound freedom.

"I see you've read the good news," Lucius's silky voice came from the floo to Severus's left.

Lifting the paper in confirmation, the professor grumbled, "Every single word of this trash."

Regardless of Severus's persistence in asking, Lucius never revealed to him how or why he ended up on the side of the light; despite the revelation almost costing Severus his own position as a spy a year into his subterfuge. The younger Slytherin suspected his reasoning had a lot to do with Draco - since the uncharacteristic shift occurred not too long after the Malfoy heir's birth - but Lucius held the official reason close to his chest. So close, in fact, Severus figured a Fidelius Charm had to be involved, with Narcissa most likely acting as the Secret Keeper. Nonetheless, whatever reason the aristocratic man had to switch alliances, it solidified an acquaintanceship between the two wizards, one which grew into an unexpected friendship over the last year while they feverishly worked side-by-side in making strategic progress for the aurors to finally put an end to their former Master once and for all.

June 1983 - Spinner's End

Severus sat at his half-broken kitchen table reading the latest news dropped off by owl less than an hour ago, wishing the press coverage regarding the Dark Lord and his followers would soon come to an end.

Death Eater Back in Court- Auror's Family Threatened!

The return to the Wizengamot yesterday ended with a startling revelation made by Igor Karkaroff. In an attempted plea to lower his sentence handed down at his own trial back in April - life in Azkaban for his support of You-Know-Who - Karkaroff offered the identities of other, supposedly missing Death Eaters. Unfortunately, sources in the courtroom stated those he named were of no interest to the Wizengamot and Department of Magical Law Enforcement but in a fit of rage, as he was escorted from the courtroom, he singled out Auror Potter from the crowd stating: "You better watch your back, Potter… you and your precious heir…"

When asked to comment on the undeniable threat, Auror Potter exuded an air of confidence in his reply, "The safety of myself and my family is always at the top of my mind during any mission, which is why we need to see these scumbags rot in Azkaban… As for Karkaroff? Trust me, they can't get anywhere near me or my family… they'll think twice the next time they try to intimidate me…"

July 1983 - Albus Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts Castle

"We need your help, Severus," Albus sadly welcomed the former spy when he entered the office through the floo.

Severus knew the purpose of Albus's summons. Like everyone else in the wizarding world, he'd been following the news surrounding the missing toddler since last week and more than understood the seriousness of the situation smeared across the papers that morning. He didn't offer his help by filling in the awkward silence; mainly because he did not want to get involved in the personal matters of James Potter. Five days ago, their two-year-old son, Harry, went missing from their home in Godric's Hollow. According to the papers, the Potters idiotically left Sirius Black, the child's godfather, responsible for watching the brat while James and Lily attended the wedding of Lily's childhood muggle friend, someone Severus hardly remembered from their Cokeworth days. To Severus's chagrin, they found Black innocent early in the investigation, but not a word came out about the boy since his disappearance. No ransom. No demands. Nothing.

As if to bring Severus up to speed, Albus handed him a copy of the Daily Prophet. The moving picture on the front cover showed James and Lily seated at a large table speaking to a group of people - reporters, he speculated - in front of them. Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, and the Longbottoms stood directly behind the grieving couple with the rest of the auror department filling in to their right and left, offering their personal and professional support for one of their own. Severus ignored all of them and clenched his jaw tight, trying to keep his face steeled against the foreign emotion riding in his chest caused by seeing Lily crying over her lost child.

"Perhaps if Potter hadn't acted so arrogantly and shown a little humility for once in his life, rather than taunting a group of very dangerous wizards, he would have been able to protect his family." Severus tossed the paper onto the headmaster's desk, sending a stack of parchment to the floor. "It seems somehow your Golden Gryffindor learned from an early age that he is invulnerable. I cannot imagine who nurtured those erroneous ideals."

"Do you honestly believe now is an appropriate time to hold on to such a grudge?" asked Albus wistfully. "There is a child-"

"I do not care about their child," the younger professor hollered, his finger pointing so irately at the paper on the desk, he almost tore a hole straight through it. "Let this be a lesson to Potter that he's not infallible!"

Disappointment radiated off the other wizard. Against all odds, in the last three years, Albus became more to Severus than merely his employer. Somewhere along the way, the man went from the headmaster he hated in his youth to his employer he tolerated, and now approached the mentor he valued. Nothing else would explain why Severus did not promptly hand in his resignation when his life as a double agent ceased and his cover as a professor under Albus's nose was no longer needed.

"It's her son, Severus," Albus pleaded. "And they have nothing to go on… why he was taken, where he is, if he's even alive… so if you have anything to offer, I know Lily would appreciate your help."

"There's nothing I can do, Albus," Severus justified as much to himself as to the wizard sitting at the desk in front of him. Running his hand down his face, he continued, "They practically burned me in all the trials! No one will talk to me, not to mention I'm as good as dead if I begin to ask around about the whereabouts of the Potter kid. What do you want me to do?"

"The right thing, Severus," Albus softly answered. "Do the right thing."

A week later - ironically, the day before the Potter boy's third birthday - Severus ended up back in Albus's office victoriously holding the one piece of the puzzle they needed to rescue him. Twelve days the child had been missing and in a matter of hours, or however long it took to notify the aurors and put them in place, his nightmare would, hopefully, be over.

"He's alive," Severus announced, storming into the all too familiar office, "but how long that will last and his overall condition, I can only guess. He's being held in a warehouse in West Yorkshire, of all places."

"And the intel? Is it sound?" Albus's suspiciously questioning irritated Severus's last nerve. After all this time working for the headmaster, putting himself in danger while the rest of the Order waited for his valuable information, he now doubted his report? "There's no chance of us running into a trap?"

"Of course there's a chance!" The former Death Eater tossed his hands into the air. "What do you expect? They took the child out of his room while sleeping. Then, there's no word of ransom or demands made in the entire time he's gone, and seemingly out of nowhere, I'm able to locate him almost a fortnight later after weeks of the entire wizarding world searching? If I were you, I'd tell the aurors to go in expecting an ambush and spell to kill. The intel is sound. It's the intent you need to be suspicious of."

A conflicted expression crossed the headmaster's wrinkled face, seriously contemplating the situation they found themselves in. Far from ideal, they would be running in blind and off of the word of their controversial - to most of the aurors, at least - informant. But with so few other options available, it left them little choice. Deep down in Severus's core, his instincts screamed at him that if someone didn't get off their arse and rescue Harry Potter soon, he wouldn't make it until the morning, once the child's purpose ended.

"I'll firecall Moody right now."

"Potter can't go," Severus abruptly replied to Albus, who was already kneeling down in front of the fireplace. "As part of the lead team responsible for the Dark Lord's apprehension, he'd be playing right into their hands and I guarantee you it's what they want. I can't think of another reason to kidnap his child in this manner."

"Naturally," Albus's blue eyes dulled, understanding his spy's warning, "I'll see to it they wait at home or St Mungo's."

Severus wanted to demand they stayed home until the auror's confirmed Harry's safety, but knowing James Potter, waiting it out at the wizarding hospital would be better than the alternative - storming into the warehouse set on doing the one thing he didn't do at the start: protecting his son.

Severus stood in the shadows, a disillusionment charm set firmly in place, making certain no one saw him watching over the scene in the St Mungo's waiting room. James Potter paced around the wooden table in front of a starchy, uncomfortable-looking sofa, running his hands anxiously through his raven black, messy hair, while Lily sat crumbled over on the edge of the same sofa, practically alone. Looking at his former best friend's sorrow-filled expression, Severus finally realized he had made the right decision back in the Hogshead Pub to not bring the prophecy to the Dark Lord. Even if the evil bastard had given Lily the chance to live, she wouldn't have stood aside to let the dark wizard kill her son without a fight; never thinking twice about dying to save him. No… for Severus to truly protect the woman who had been his first real friend, Severus now understood he needed to protect her child.

It took another hour for Lupin to arrive. The werewolf spent most of his time bouncing between comforting Lily and listening to James's bellowing over his obvious guilt.

For once, he's not wrong, Severus scowled to himself.

Severus hated the lot of bloody Gryffindors. Their constant need to be courageous and righteous left them no room for a little humility or the capability to know when to keep their mouths shut. In Severus's opinion, James had absolutely no one to blame but himself. Gambling with the safety of his family - one Severus would never admit to being envious of - by boasting his own reputation was the worst sort of sins… outside of selling out one's best friend.

The former Death Eater turned spy stayed out of sight for what felt like hours. With no clue when the official rescue mission began, for reasons unbeknownst to him, Severus resolved to wait it out until he could confirm their success or failure, no matter how long it took. As the news of the impending mission filtered through the DMLE and the Potters' close friends, others arrived to show their support, including Arthur and Molly Weasley, introduced to the Potters by Molly's brother, Fabian Prewett, before his death in '81. Severus recently learned the families had grown quite close over the years, as the youngest Weasley son was Harry's age. The professor had the joy of meeting the red-headed pureblooded family during his first full year of teaching when their eldest son William started at Hogwarts and could see why Lily now gravitated to Molly Weasley in her time of need.

A sudden, loud commotion tore through the corridor directly outside of the door to the waiting room, drawing the group's attention to the action about to take place. Unable to open the door without giving away his hidden position, Severus peeked through the window on top. His body filled with dread as he watched a rush of bright green healer robes surround an unknown auror - identified by his signature red robes - carrying in a small, severely bleeding body wrapped in a blanket; obviously the Potter boy. One healer conjured a levitating stretcher for the rescuer to place Harry's body on top, then the sea of bright green and deep red urgently pushed their patient through the corridor towards an emergency examination room. Technically deeming the mission a success since they recovered the boy, Severus went to tuck himself further into an alcove to wait for someone to open the door, allowing him to leave unnoticed, until another round of red and green entering the building caught his eye. This group didn't have nearly the same panicked energy as the first batch, nevertheless, they appeared equally distraught and battered. Sirius Black led the way, belligerently refusing to sit on the stretcher his assigned Healer lectured him over and instead rapidly moved from exam room to exam room in search of his rescued Godson.

The pretentious fool, Severus grumbled to himself. In the Potter heir's condition, the healers wouldn't permit anyone to see him, let alone before the boy's parents. Of course, Black rarely followed the rules at Hogwarts, so why would he in any other aspect of his life? Clearly, the Marauders were in for a rude awakening as they learned to navigate in a world where life wasn't always fair and people didn't cater to their every desire.

Eventually, the healer took the irate auror into his own exam room, and the corridor quieted once again. The surrounding air thickened, tickling Severus's intuition and, rather than settling back into the shadows, he once again moved closer to the door. His patience paid off as he observed a third round of aurors arrived at the wizarding hospital, greeting the awaiting healers standing by. In this group, Severus recognised only Moody, who sullenly motioned to a set of floating bags between two battered wizards.

Casualties.

Later, he'd find out the warehouse partially collapsed from the fierce duelling between the Death Eaters and the aurors, killing five of the aurors throughout the battle. Among the "Fallen Five" - as they would later become known as - were Frank and Alice Longbottom. They, too, had a little boy the same age as the Potters and Weasleys - so close to Potter's, in fact, at one point Severus speculated if the prophecy he'd overheard might have pertained to Longbottom - and he heard somewhere that the three families had become good friends over the years… not that Severus cared.

His curiosity officially sated, Severus wrapped his black robes tightly around himself and crouched down on the floor with his back pressed against the wall for support. He knew he shouldn't be there, but as soon as Sirius Black came storming into the silence room - despite a heavy limp in his right leg and bandages covering all the places Severus had seen burnt upon the auror's arrival - he felt grateful he remained.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," Sirius broke down, although the persistent apologies coming from those around did little to ease the physical pain splattered across Lily's face. "I tried to get to him as fast as possible... did everything I could, but right when we breached the perimeter they ambushed us-"

Severus sneered, resisting the urge to audibly scoff. He'd specifically told Dumbledore to expect that very thing and, of course, he either didn't care to listen or Black chose not to heed the warning. In his mind, the deaths of those aurors - and the Potter child, should he perish from his injuries - fell directly onto their shoulders. If they so much as gave even a hint of trying to blame Severus's intel, he had very few qualms over sharing the memory of his conversation with the headmaster to the Daily Prophet. As a Slytherin, and especially when he became a double agent for two of the most powerful wizards of their time, he quickly learned the importance of protecting himself first and foremost because, at any given time, to any other person, he was fully dispensable. Therefore, Severus attentively listened as Black animatedly retold the pertinent details of the mission for any evidence of himself or Lucius being implicated in any form for the catastrophe.

"Did they find out who took him?" Potter's hoarse voice interrupted his best friend's story right as he was slowly reaching the point where the team breached the premises. "Or who was behind it all? What did they want?"

"They wanted to fucking kill us," Black shouted in their small corner of the room. "But we got a lot of 'em in custody, so it's only a matter of time before we work our way to the top. Mark my word, we'll find out who took Harry, I promise you that much. And when we do find 'im, he better hope I'm not the one in that room-"

Black's story was cut off by the arrival of a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair wearing the identifying green healer robes and a melancholy expression upon his face.

"Mr and Mrs Potter?" The man reached out to shake the couple's hands, then led them to a corner of the room for privacy. Naturally, Severus followed. "My name is Healer Silas Elmwood, the healer assigned to treat your son, Harry-"

"Can I see him?" James interjected, missing the betrayal in Lily's emerald eyes. "How is he?!"

"I'll take you to see him in a moment, but there are some details we need to discuss first."

James became so inflamed at this answer, Severus almost cancelled his disillusionment charm to hit the pompous prat for making his wife tend to his needs rather than learning about the condition of their son. Luckily, Healer Elmwood pulled a phial of Calming Draught out of his inside pocket and directed the belligerent parent to drink it first. Now calmer, the healer continued to explain the predicament surrounding the boy who had, merely a few hours ago, officially turned three. Severus didn't pay attention to the minute details, some of which corroborated Black's account, like the sections of the ceiling collapsing onto him from the massive amount of spell damage - a move Severus suspected was intentional on the Death Eater's part - and others unique to Harry's case, such as a trip to the spell damage ward to assess what spells might have hit him, nutrient potions being given to help overcome the two weeks of malnourishment, administering Skele-Gro and nerve regeneration potion to counteract his shatter bones and suspected Cruciatus damage, and a continuous blood replenishment potion because his cuts were so severe they refused to properly close. The last potion piqued Severus's interest the most and his blood ran cold, thinking about what it might suggest.

"Really, his biggest threat right now are these wounds throughout his body," Elmwood reiterated. "They're not reacting to the typical healing spells or counter-curses and all the blood replenishment potions will be pointless if we can't get them closed."

"What do you mean they refuse to close?" Potter growled. "You're a healer, isn't that your job?! Heal them!"

"James!" Lily finally spoke up, though her voice trembled through the words.

"It's likely either an extreme variant we've yet to come across or caused by heavy dark magic," Elmwood clinically explained, "either way, we're confident the healers in Spell Damage will be able to treat them accordingly or get the right wands in here to do it. I'll be honest with you, though, time isn't on his side. With the number of wounds and other injuries his body is working to heal, it's… a lot, to say the least."

It didn't take as keen of a mind as Severus's to realize the wounds were caused by Sectumsempra; a spell of his own sadistic creation he regrettably taught to a few key Death Eaters back when he was still striving to prove his worth to the Dark Lord and earn his Mark. The way he designed it, the slice of the cut went so deep it required the strongest of healing spells to close the wound. With the Spell Damage Ward's speciality focused on powerful, obscure healing spells, Severus had little doubt they would know the effective counter curse to close the child's lacerations. No, what concerned him the most was the unique characteristic built into the curse which prohibited any trauma caused by it - specifically, body parts removed or critically damaged - from being magically repaired. And they wouldn't find the extent of the damage until the rest of him was healed.

When a wave of pure exhaustion coursed through Severus's body, he knew it was time to go home. He'd done his job, more than he should have, actually. Satisfied nothing happened during the mission to immediately damn himself or Lucius in it, Severus took the opportunity of an unrelated couple entering the room to slip out completely unnoticed.

"-think it's an inside job, 'eh?" The gruff voice of Auror Moody caused Severus to pause in the shadows directly outside of the hospital's main doors. Similar to Black, the senior auror was obviously relaying the turn of events to Barty Crouch Senior, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, likely prior to him making his way to greet the Potters to 'offer his support during this difficult time'. But the words wouldn't ease Lily's intensely rooted worry or James's immense guilt. Severus suspected nothing healed wounds as deep as those.

"Yes, yes. I've heard from the recovery team that they found Peter Pettigrew's body in the rubble about half an hour ago," Crouch replied, nervously shuffling his signature black hat around in his hands. Lowering his voice, he leaned into Moody - causing Severus to have to do the same - and murmured, "He had the Mark on his arm and as one of James's best friends, he was keyed directly into the Potter home's wards, giving him easy access that night. We'll start putting the pieces together-"

Unable to listen any longer at the risk of his growing rage lashing out at an extremely wrong time, Severus stormed off into the night wishing he could forget what he had just heard: how James Potter and his misfit friends once again completely shattered Lily's life.