The moment they stepped off the staircase, McGonagall moved immediately to stand beside Lily.
"Headmaster, I've brought him."
"Thank you, Minerva," — he nodded, then looked at the "nervous" Grid with a kind smile, lowering his spectacles slightly. "Don't worry — I simply wish to ask you a few questions about the incident that occurred several days ago between yourself and Miss Evans and her friends."
"Of course, Headmaster Dumbledore. Please, go ahead."
"Very well. Tell me what happened that day, and leave nothing out."
"Yes… that day I…"
Over the next ten minutes, Grid recounted everything that had taken place between himself and Potter and his friends before the Potions examination. Throughout, he was careful to conduct himself as naturally as possible, having placed the fragment of the real Snape's personality over his own — mirroring Severus's manner of speaking and his habits with precision. This was not a moment the Archmage could afford to slip up. A mistake here could cost him his life. Defeating a Magister was still beyond him in his current state, and beyond the Headmaster, two Masters also stood in the room, which made Grid's position considerably more precarious.
"…something like that," — the mage finished, lowering his eyes as though reluctant to meet Dumbledore's gaze. The old man had listened in silence throughout, doing nothing but nod.
"I see. So you used a nonverbal Silencio — then why did Mr. Potter say he couldn't breathe at the time?"
"I… it was my first time using that spell nonverbally. I may have made an error in the casting."
"I understand. That is entirely possible. In future, do not cast spells of that nature unless you are certain they will behave as intended," — the Headmaster said sternly, and Grid gave a guilty nod. "Lily — do you have anything you'd like to ask?"
"Yes," — the girl swallowed and turned her gaze to Snape. "Do you remember what you said to me in our fourth year, that evening — the one that caused our argument?"
"I'm sorry. I don't remember," — Snape said, looking at her with indifference.
"I… I see. Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm certain — this isn't Severus. He's not like this. Someone has taken over his body."
"And perhaps you simply didn't know me very well? You say I'm not like this — then what am I like? A Dark wizard? A Death Eater? That's what you think, isn't it?!"
"Mr. Snape, please calm yourself!" — Minerva stepped in front of the startled girl, her voice sharp.
"I—!" — Slughorn placed his hands on Grid's shoulders, and the young man went still. He exhaled, composed himself, and shook his head. "I apologise for my outburst, Headmaster. Might I speak with you privately — without additional ears present?"
"Hm… very well."
After everyone had left, the mage raised his eyes to the old man's thoughtful face. Then, biting his lower lip, he lowered his collar, drew his wand, and pressed the tip to his own throat.
Within seconds, violet marks began to appear on the skin. At the sight of them the Headmaster rose grimly from behind his desk and stepped close to Grid.
"This…" — He reached out and touched the violet mark. "Don't tell me you…"
In response, Snape nodded with a sad smile.
"I tried to take my own life that day. But… it didn't work. The rope snapped."
"Why did you not come to me, or speak with Professor Slughorn? Surely you understand that taking your own life is no solution to anything?" — the old wizard said gravely, looking into Grid's eyes.
"I do understand that now. You know, when I came so close to death, I realised how much my life means to me. I decided to change completely — and it has opened my eyes to a great many things."
"I am glad to hear it, my boy."
"James, who always frightened me and made my life a misery — I stood up to him. Lily, whom I loved and who in the end betrayed me — I've decided to let her go. I decided to start over completely, by throwing myself into my studies." — He pressed the wand to his temple and extracted a small fragment of memory — slightly edited. "That is what you wished to see, isn't it?"
The Headmaster looked mildly surprised, but nodded. He produced a small glass vial and placed Snape's memory inside it.
"And now my dream is to finish Hogwarts and travel — to see the beauty of this world." — the wizard said with a wistful smile, slipping his wand back into his sleeve. "Do you think that's a worthy dream?"
"Yes — a wonderful one. I once thought of something similar myself, but… it never came to be," — the old wizard straightened Grid's collar, covering the rope mark, then walked to his desk and touched a small steel globe with a nostalgic look in his eyes.
"There is no such thing as too late to begin."
"Perhaps — though it will certainly be a very long time yet," — the old mage replied with a tired smile.
The Archmage merely shrugged.
"As for Lily's question — we quarrelled again that day over Avery and Mulciber." — the mage lowered his head with an embarrassed air, under the Headmaster's thoughtful gaze. "I know they are not good people, but… I had no other friends. Very few in Slytherin were willing to befriend a half-blood like me — I think you understand why. And Lily told me to stop speaking to them entirely — to give up the only people who considered me a friend. That isn't fair! She had friends to spend time with. Was I simply supposed to be alone?!"
"Severus, my boy — Lily was only worried about you. She wanted you to have good people around you."
"Headmaster, you may be right. But I consider what she did deeply hypocritical, and I have no intention of having any sort of relationship with her any longer. I would ask that we put this subject to rest."
Five minutes later Grid left the office. Without so much as a glance at Lily, who was hovering behind Minerva and watching him with wary eyes, he walked up to Slughorn.
"Professor, the Headmaster asked that you go in to see him, and that Professor McGonagall escort Miss Evans back to the Gryffindor wing."
"Are you all right?" — Horace looked at him with concern.
"Yes. I spoke with the Headmaster and explained everything."
"Then good. Good night, Mr. Snape."
"Good night, Professor."
Finally back in his room, Grid immediately shed Severus's persona.
A Magister… that truly was a surprise. And that old man is merely one of the most powerful wizards in the country — which implies there are others like him. — He smiled to himself, dropping onto the bed and closing his eyes. And there are many countries as well, which means there is a very real chance that several more Magisters exist in the world. Why did I spend so little time learning spells that don't demand enormous reserves of magic? — The weakest spells Grid knew required at least peak Master reserves, and his core currently sat at the entry level of that rank. After returning to Hogwarts I must obtain the Basilisk's blood and heart, and during the holidays acquire the same from a Dragon and a Phoenix. Though remembering the size of the Basilisk here and Dumbledore's Phoenix, I doubt I'll advance straight to Archmage — Magister at best, early to mid stage, and even that will depend heavily on the quality of the ingredients. And this war between wizards… I have no desire to be part of it, though I'm already connected to Lucius.
Snape had known relatively little about the war itself — which was growing more intense by the day — or at least only a surface-level understanding of it. But for Grid, with his vast life experience, it required little effort to read the situation clearly, and what he read was deeply unstable.
The fact alone that information about the Dark Lord gathering followers was circulating openly among Slytherin students spoke volumes. And the cause of the war itself inspired nothing in Grid but contempt. World domination, at least, was a goal he could understand — unpleasant, but coherent. But the extermination of all non-purebloods was a staggering stupidity. And even if he were to join the Dark wizards himself, his death was virtually guaranteed — for the category of the impure included not only Muggles and Muggle-borns, but half-bloods as well, which was precisely what Snape was.
His mother, Eileen Prince, had been a witch from the pureblood Prince family. His father, Tobias Snape, a Muggle.
Grid, if he were honest, found Eileen's choice mildly puzzling. It was rare for the daughter of an aristocratic family to run off with a common man. He had therefore immediately suspected something was not quite right — perhaps a Love Potion, or something of that nature. It was hardly new to him to witness members of a noble family turning on one another over the position of head of house or some coveted privilege. He had once taken on mercenary work in such a matter himself, and with his own eyes had watched a son drive a dagger into his father's heart.
And so Grid intended to look into the matter. If his suspicions proved correct, he would find whoever was responsible and avenge Severus's mother — repaying, in some measure, his debt for the second life he had been given.
After turning his plans over for a while, Snape produced five more cubes, transfigured them into needles, and went to sleep.
The following day, immediately after breakfast and unwilling to waste time, Grid headed for the library. But the moment he crossed the threshold, his attention was drawn immediately to a red-haired girl sitting at the very table where he usually worked. Oddly enough, however, it was not she who caught his eye — it was the book she was reading. The moment Snape saw the title, a brief summary of its contents surfaced in his mind.
Patronus… now that is interesting. Nothing like this existed in my world. — The mage's eyes lit up at once — he had finally found something he didn't already know. I'm already eager to study this spell. But for now I need to finish with Salazar's words, and this can wait for the holidays. — Making a mental note, he turned away from the witch, summoned the books he had been studying the day before, and immediately resumed deciphering the inscription.
At that same moment, the girl began watching him without looking away.
The Headmaster may have said it's Sev — but I'm certain it isn't. Someone has taken over his body. And I'm going to prove it. — Lily thought, her eyes set with quiet resolve.