Marauders in Time

Snape's Worst Memory

Harry POV

I couldn't believe what had happened. Dumbledore gone and on the run, and so was Hagrid. Now Umbridge Headmaster. And the Ministry still won't see the truth I have been telling this whole time. I can't believe what's happening with the world!

Worst of all was that I still had Occlumency lessons with Snape. Oh how I dreaded them. Ron sides with me thankfully; he knows what it's like to be constantly bullied by Snape. But Hermione wants to side with Snape? Saying I needed the lessons? I had not even told Daniel and his friends. What would they think of me if I told them I needed lessons to help me close my mind? I was really starting to like them. That Daniel was really starting to grow on me as well.

Entering Snape's office, I noticed he was nowhere to be found. Where was he? There was something by the side of his office that I never noticed was there before. It was something that looked like a Pensieve.

It was a Pensieve!

As I got closer, I remembered the last time I had entered one. I had realised the truth about Igor Karkaroff being a Death Eater. What would I figure out this time...

Soon enough, I was being plunged deep into Snape's thoughts, into a real life simulation of somewhere in his recent memory. It looked like the Great Hall, and the way the students were seated told me it was an examination. Sure enough, as I looked at the front, I noticed the board said "CHARMS OWL EXAMINATION". I looked around and realised sat right next to me was a young Severus Snape, his hair still shoulder-length and he had a face of deep concentration as he scribbled into his paper.

I knew that if he was here, then sure was my dad. I looked around for a glimpse of a boy with messy hair and round glasses; someone that looked like me. But I couldn't find any from where I stood. And soon enough, the examination had ended.

Snape handed in his paper and walked out with the rest, heading towards the garden and sitting on his own underneath a very tall tree. Being in his memory, I couldn't stray too far from him. But from where I stood as I looked around, I recognised 4 people sitting close by.

Dad.

"All right Snivellus?" I heard him call out as he stood up to face him.

Snape's reflexes were lightning quick, like he had been expecting it. But James was too quick. He disarmed Snape with a flick of his wand.

"Impedimenta!"

Snape was thrown backwards and landed hard on his back. I could see a crowd forming as they gathered to watch the ongoing commotion. Sirius has stood next to James and he was laughing like a maniac.

Wait...

Sirius looked awfully similar to someone I knew. Someone in the same grade as me. But that's not possible. His name is Reuben. How could he be an exact duplicate of Sirius? No it must be a coincidence. But then I recognised Remus and Peter backing up James and I started to get really confused. They looked very similar to Tom and Sam in my year. But how can they? When they are 20 years later than my father. Something doesn't add up...

"I was watching him in the exam," Sirius barked. "His nose was so close to the paper, there'll be grease marks all over it."

The whole crowd laughed. James and Sirius clearly loved the attention. That was until...

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

I turned, knowing who had yelled straight away. I was looking at my mother. She was beautiful. James was clearly fond of her as he smoothed out his hair. Reminds me of how Daniel does it so often. Hang on...

My dad looked an awful lot like Daniel. Or Daniel looked a lot like him. Of course the hair was different. Dan's was naturally blonde like Malfoy's. And his glasses were squared. Unlike my dad who had black hair and round glasses. But their facial features looked so similar from a distance. I needed to get a closer look to be able to find a distinction. It just couldn't be...

"What's he ever done to you?" Lily asked, pissed off at James.

James shrugged, "It's more of the fact that he exists..."

James lifted Snape by the ankles with his wand, dangling him 10 feet up in the air. I laughed. I remember Sirius did that during our DA lessons. It's a shame that was dismantled because of Umbridge.

Hey! Maybe that's where Reuben learnt it from. It would explain the resemblance. Maybe Sirius had a son that he never told me about. But surely he would have told me by now...

"PUT HIM DOWN NOW!"

Lily was fuming. It made me wonder how James had managed to get Lily to marry him. She clearly hated him. And he was too stubborn to realise it.

"You're lucky Evans is here to save you Snivellus," James taunted. "Otherwise-"

"I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her!"

That rung around the whole crowd like a deafening blow. The silence was painful. James and Sirius was shocked, to say the least. Lily blinked many times before saying coolly, "Fine. I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

She turned and walked away.

Hang on...

I must be seeing things. My mother looked so similar to Ruby Haddrill in my grade. It cannot be a coincidence. All five of them in my grade and they were all new this year. So why did they all have a similar look to people in my past? Something was wrong. Something was very wrong...

I barely had time to think about what was going on because in an instant, James had lifted Snape back up in the air by his ankles. What happened next, I had no idea. Because I was soon hurtled back into reality from a strong arm to my shoulder. And looking up in the real world, I noticed a very angry Snape glaring at me.

"Having fun?" He asked with the greatest tone of sarcasm.

If I thought he was scary after 5 years of teaching me, it was nothing to what I thought now. My God he was staring daggers at me. He was beyond furious. His grip on my shoulder was so painful it felt numb.

I stuttered, "I-I..."

"GET OUT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU IN MY OFFICE EVER AGAIN!"

Without a doubt, I bolted out the door. I had so many questions. Why did my father hate Snape so much? How did he manage to marry my mother? What did Snape do about it after 7 years of torment. And most importantly, why did 5 of the newest students in my year look and act so much like the 5 people I witnessed in the Pensieve?