Future Assistance

Severus Snape
31st August, 1996, 18:09

It was quite a dull sunset, I thought to myself, leaning against a giant oak tree and gazing out over the lake. There were no flashy glittering gold lights, no bruised clouds; just the gradual shifting of light to dark.

Hmm, did I feel in the mood to make a metaphor?

No, not really.

I was rather offended by the lack of a decent sunset, actually. In my mind, there should have been something more monumental to mark the last night before this place of peace was invaded by those infuriating little pests that dared to call themselves people.

It seemed just like yesterday when I had watched them head off from Hogsmeade station. And now I was gearing myself up to �welcome� the little idiots back. They would no doubt be infinitely worse than they had been at the end of the year, too, since they�d have had time to regroup and think up more insidious plots. Lovely.

Well, as they said, tempus fugit.

Not that this summer had been a walk in the park � you�d have to have a very sick and sadistic mind to enjoy being a Death Eater. More than once I had staggered into the hospital wing, half dead and wanting to throw up everything I�d ever eaten. And, in some ways, it was worse on the days when I wasn�t hurt. Then, it was almost guaranteed that muggles would die.

�Severus,� came a voice to the left of me. I started slightly; even these days, I still couldn�t notice the Headmaster�s approach.

�Albus,� I replied.

We stood together, looking out over the lake.

�A new year is once again upon us,� Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.

�Indeed,� I said darkly.

�Hogwarts will be glad to have bright, happy faces in its halls once again.�

�If only I felt the same way.�

�Hmmm.�

There was a comfortable silence, and then, �I�m sure Harry will be glad to get back to sch��

�If you don�t mind, Headmaster, I would appreciate it if you didn�t talk of Potter in my presence.�

Albus looked slightly exasperated. �Really, Severus; you need to get over this grudge you seem to have with Harry Potter.�

�The boy is an insolent brat, Headmaster,� I hissed. �He continuously disregards rules that are there for his safety. He rude and obnoxious, and doesn�t bother to try at anything. He is a reckless, impulse-driven Gryffindor.�

�Nevertheless, he is the best chance we have against Voldemort.� Dumbledore said firmly. I shivered � whether at the Dark Lord�s name or the thought of only Potter standing against him I didn�t know. Most likely a mixture of both.

We watched as a few stars slowly appeared, the moon not yet up. I supressed a yawn; the past few sleepless nights were starting to get to me. Albus patted my shoulder fatherly. �Get some rest, Severus,� he said. He gave a smile that I would call mischievous, if he were not the wisest and most respected wizard in Britain. �I daresay you�re going to need it.�

Much later, I would wonder if Albus had some knowledge of what was going to happen. I would not put it past the old coot, near-omniscient as he was.

For the coming year would be crazy, filled with mystery, action, angst, humor, love, surprise, muggles who weren't exactly oblivious to the wizarding world, and even � Merlin forbid � time travel. All against the backdrop of a war growing ever closer.

I should have started praying. I would definitely need prayers by the end of it all.