Harry Potter: I became Snape

Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore appeared in an extraordinarily cluttered room.

The space looked like a peculiar hybrid of a magical antiques shop and a greenhouse. Delicate cabinets brimmed with enchanted artifacts, shelves groaned under the weight of gilded books, racks held celestial globes and star charts, and lush plants thrived in gleaming copper pots.

Before them, an exceptionally stout old woman fussed in front of a jewel-encrusted mirror. She wielded a large powder puff, dabbing rouge onto cheeks already as red as ripe apples.

Madam Hepzibah Smith wore an elaborate ginger wig and a garish pink robe, its layered hem fanning out around her like a melted ice-cream cake. Hokey, her house-elf, knelt at her feet, carefully slipping tight satin shoes onto the old woman's plump toes and fastening the clasps.

"Tut, tut," Snape couldn't help but mutter. "Tom's got quite the appetite, doesn't he? Looks like he's truly given up on hard work."

"How do I look?" Madam Hepzibah asked, turning her head to admire her reflection from every angle.

"Absolutely stunning, Madam," Hokey squeaked.

"Rich beyond measure, Madam," Snape said, almost in unison with the elf.

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his blunder and corrected himself. "No, I mean—rich beyond measure, my dear."

Dumbledore shot him a disapproving glance, shaking his head.

"Sir, do you know what's truly the most beautiful thing about Madam Hepzibah?" Snape turned to Dumbledore, undeterred.

"What?" Dumbledore sighed. "Can't you be quiet for a moment, Severus?"

"Right away, sir," Snape replied without missing a beat. "Her most beautiful quality is precisely that she doesn't have many days left. What a dream companion for so many young lads. Tom's vision is still too small."

The doorbell chimed melodiously, startling both the old woman and the elf.

"Quick, quick, he's here, Hokey!" Hepzibah cried, her voice brimming with barely contained excitement.

The elf scurried out of the room with a speed that belied her age. Moments later, she returned, followed by a tall young man.

Tom wore a sharp black suit, his hair slightly longer than it had been at school, making him even more striking than before. He approached Hepzibah, bending low to brush his lips lightly against her plump hand.

"I brought you flowers," Tom said softly, conjuring a bouquet of roses, their petals glistening with dew.

Snape stood to the side, watching the saccharine exchange between Tom and Madam Hepzibah with a look of utter disbelief.

"Oh, now, don't be so hasty," Hepzibah cooed, pouting playfully like a young girl. "Or I might think you're only here for my treasures!"

It took Snape a while to recover from his shock, but he eventually regained his ability to speak. "Tom's bound for great things," he said dryly. "You never should've kept him around."

Amid Hepzibah's girlish giggles, Hokey returned with two leather boxes stacked together. Hepzibah reached out with her pudgy, meatball-like hand and lifted the lid of the top box.

Inside gleamed a small golden cup with two finely crafted handles, its surface radiating a soft, golden light.

"This is…" Dumbledore murmured, his voice tinged with surprise.

Hepzibah and Tom quickly clarified his unspoken question.

"A badger," Tom said, his eyes greedily fixed on the cup's intricate engravings. "This is…"

"Helga Hufflepuff's," Hepzibah finished, leaning forward to pinch Tom's gaunt cheek, her corset creaking loudly. "Didn't I tell you I'm a distant descendant of Hufflepuff?"

Beaming, she showed Tom a golden locket she'd purchased from Borgin and Burkes. It bore a dazzling serpentine S emblem.

"Slytherin's mark…" Tom whispered, staring at the locket. His eyes glinted red, and the knuckles clutching the locket's chain turned white.

"Exactly!" Hepzibah bragged to Tom. "I paid a fortune for it. Borgin got it from some destitute woman—probably stolen, and she had no idea of its true value. I'll bet he paid her next to nothing…"

"We should go, Severus," Dumbledore said softly.

He grabbed Snape's arm, and the two passed through a dark void, reappearing in Dumbledore's office.

"It seems Tom didn't just take Slytherin's locket," Dumbledore said as he sat down, gesturing for Snape to do the same. "He also helped himself to Hufflepuff's cup."

"I think," Snape said, "we now know what two more of Tom's Horcruxes are. That leaves just one relic from Hogwarts' founders, Professor."

His gaze drifted to the glass case behind Dumbledore, where Gryffindor's sword rested quietly.

"Oh, I suspect he tried," Dumbledore said, noticing Snape's look. "Years ago, Tom applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts."

"Good thing you were already Headmaster," Snape remarked. "Just like you turned down Mulciber's pleas, you told Tom flat-out you wouldn't give him a job."

"Oh, he was furious," Dumbledore said. "He stormed off, face full of rage. Though I could once scare Tom with a burning wardrobe and force him to atone, the time for him to fear me has long passed."

"Impressive as always, sir," Snape said, standing. "I'll head back now, Professor."

"Wait, Severus," Dumbledore called, his tone measured. "I've been meaning to ask… would you consider joining the Order of the Phoenix?"

"The Order of the Phoenix?" Snape paused.

"It's a secret society," Dumbledore said earnestly. "I founded it, and it's made up of people willing to stand against Voldemort. I think you'd get along well with them."

"If you're willing, I'll bring you to our next meeting."

"Alright," Snape said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Joining the Order of the Phoenix now would make him something of a founding member, wouldn't it? Snape thought. Wouldn't that make him a senior to a whole slew of his old classmates?

————

Supporting me on Patreon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.

pat-reon .com/Dragonhair

(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Patreon normally.)