"In the silence before dawn, choices are made that change everything."
It was still dark when Severus woke up.
For the first time in years, he had truly rested. Not the kind of sleep that came from exhaustion, where you collapsed and blacked out. No, this was something softer. He felt light. No weight pressing on his chest. No headache. No dull ache in his limbs. Just... calm.
He lay there for a moment, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. The stone above was rough and grey, and the room was quiet. Not silent exactly — there was a soft hum in the air, like the castle itself was breathing. Far off, he could hear the first hoot of an owl or maybe the soft groan of shifting wood. It was the kind of quiet that made you feel like you were the only person awake in the world.
His fingers brushed the edge of the pillow. He hadn't even moved during the night.
Why now? he wondered.
He thought of the potion. The one Lily had given him long ago. He had used it last night — finally. It had still smelled like her. A faint scent, like flowers after rain. It was delicate, but real. The kind of scent that lingered in your mind more than your nose.
She'd made that potion herself. Measured every drop. Held the bottle in her own hands. When the old Severus kept it close, he hadn't just been holding onto a potion—he'd been holding onto a feeling. A memory. A girl who always came running when others sneered or spat or shoved. Who stood in front of him, red hair blazing, green eyes fierce, telling the world to back off.
In his old world, no one had ever done that.
Maybe that's why he slept peacefully as he felt safe in her smell.
But another question slipped into his mind.
Did Lily know he had trouble sleeping?
He tried to remember. Had the old Severus told her? No. Not directly. So how did she know?
He sat up slowly. The sheets rustled. The air was cool, and the stone floor beneath his bed was colder still. He rubbed his face and sighed, then reached under the bed and pulled out the trunk.
It wasn't locked. Clever.
The old Severus had known that locking something too tightly only made people curious. This way, it looked like there was nothing inside worth taking.
He opened it.
The top layer was just clothes. Old robes, faded shirts, a pair of shoes with a tear near the toe. But beneath those — wrapped carefully in cloth — were the real things. The things that mattered.
He reached in and lifted out a necklace.
It was silver. Shaped like a full moon. No gems. No glow. Just smooth metal, cool to the touch. It caught the early morning light from the window and shimmered faintly, like moonlight on water.
It had belonged to his mother, Eileen Prince. And once—just once—she had given it to him as a gift.
He remembered the moment she gave it to old Severus.
It had been months ago.
She had seen how he held onto that little potion bottle—the one from Lily. He never used it. Just kept it close, like it was something rare. Because it was. Lily had been the first person to ever give him a real gift.
His mother saw that.
And maybe, for once, it reached her. Maybe she felt guilty.
One evening, when his father wasn't home, she came into his room. No speech. No warning. She just looked at him quietly, then handed him the necklace.
She had said softly, "It protects the mind. Doesn't attack. Doesn't flash. It just... turns things away. Especially magic that tries to get inside your head. Like Legilimency. It reflects it, like the moon reflects light."
The old Severus had never worn it.
Too proud. Maybe he thought he didn't need it.
This Severus — the one who had seen a different world, a harder one — he knew better.
He slipped the necklace over his head.
It was cold at first. Then still. No spark, no warmth, no clear sign that magic had activated. It felt... like nothing.
He frowned slightly. Is it even working?
But then he noticed it—just a little. The air around him felt different. Softer. Like something invisible had wrapped gently around his head. Not tight, not heavy. Just... present.
He sat quietly for a few minutes, fingers resting on the pendant.
How had Eileen gotten something like this? It wasn't cheap. It wasn't common. But the question had no answer, not now. So he let it go.
He reached back into the trunk.
This time, he pulled out clothes. Neatly folded. A cream-colored shirt. Light brown trousers. A matching belt. Soft brown leather shoes. A simple watch with a brown strap.
He held them in his lap.
These weren't just clothes.
They were a reminder.
A gift from Lily.
She had given them to old Severus about a month ago. It was for a Hogsmeade day they had planned together. She called it a "friendship date." Not a romantic one—just something small, something warm. Something to remind them of who they used to be.
Even back then, they both knew Hogwarts was pulling them apart. Slytherin, Gryffindor, bloodlines, pressure—it all made everything harder. But Lily didn't want to lose her first best friend.
So she had made a plan. A whole day in Hogsmeade. Picked out the outfit for him. Even made sure the watch fit just right. It had been important to her. She wanted him to feel comfortable. To feel... seen.
He stared at the clothes in his hands. They felt heavier than they should. His chest tightened.
He wasn't even the same person—not really. He was a different soul from a different world. But somehow, holding these things, he could still feel the emotion the old Severus had felt when he received them. That quiet joy. That surprise. That bit of hope.
And it affected him too.
He had only seen Lily once since he came to this world. But this gift—her thoughtfulness, her care—it touched something inside him. Something that made him feel a little jealous of the Severus who had lived here before.
Because in his old world, no girl had ever cared for him like that. No one had ever picked out clothes for him. Or given him a gift. Or planned a day just for the two of them.Or thought, "He'll like this."
And now she wouldn't speak to him again.
Not after that word.
Mudblood.
He had said it. Or the old Severus had. But it didn't matter. The damage was done. The pain was real.
But this Severus wasn't giving up.
He knew the story. He knew where it all led. He hadn't read every Harry Potter book, but he had read enough.
He knew the future—Lily marrying James, never making peace with Severus, dying at Voldemort's hands. All the losses stacked up like dominoes, waiting to fall.
He gripped the shirt and trousers tightly, his fingers curling into the fabric.
"No," he whispered. "Not this time. What was the point of having a second chance if I didn't use it?" He had a second chance. He wasn't here to play out the same story.
He looked down at the Muggle clothes again. Then made a decision.
He would wear them today.
He knew Slytherins hated Muggle clothes. Some of them acted like just wearing them was a betrayal. The worst that might happen? He'd get kicked out of the dorm and have to sleep in the common room—just like Patrick Abbott, a Slytherin who liked Muggle things and didn't hate Muggle-borns.
But this new Severus didn't care.
'Let them sneer. Let them whisper', he thought. 'I am not here to fit in. I'm not here for their approval.
I'm here to take everything they never thought I could. I have bigger things to do.
Not this time... this time, I won't just rewrite the story. I'll craft a completely new one.
And I'll be the one holding the pen.'
A small, quiet smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~
And with that, the chapter ends… but before you go, a quick word from me:
Hey everyone, Nari here.
First of all—I'm really sorry for not posting a new chapter in the last few days. I won't pretend I was super busy or make excuses. Truth is… I just got lazy. Motivation is a tough battle sometimes.
So, I decided to open a Patreon—but with a little twist.
I'm not locking any chapters, and I'm not offering any extra perks. Everything will stay completely free, both here on WebNovel and over on Patreon.
I opened it for those kind readers who enjoy the story and maybe want to support and motivate me to keep going.
Because let's be honest—money is the biggest motivator for anyone. Sometimes, that little bit of support is the reason I sit down and write instead of getting lost in laziness.
I know I'm still learning. I'm a newbie at writing, and I know this story has flaws. But I want to improve. I want to grow. And I'd love for you to help me with that—through your support, opinions, and honest feedback.
If you'd like to support me, just search for:
p a t r e o n [dot] c o m / NARI_The_Storyteller
(Remove the spaces and replace [dot] with a real dot)
Thanks so much for reading. Let's continue this journey together.
—Nari