Lily was deep in thought as she sat down to take a break while preparing for the History of Magic OWL.
'No, this is not Sev. He would have apologized to me. Why is he avoiding me? Is Potter right? No, he is avoiding everybody. People rarely see him anymore. Why? I don't see him with Lucius and the others. I overheard them say that he's not talking to them anymore either. What is he doing? What is going on?'
Lily frowned as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes staring at the textbook but not reading it.
'He never came to me to ask for forgiveness. The Sev I knew would have said something like that only after a sudden outburst, never on purpose. I would have forgiven him if he came back. Right....? Would I? Whatever the reason, HE KNEW it would hurt me the most, so why? Is Potter right? Even if he did apologize, or not, both times my doubt remains. His actions did not matter after he said it. I am angry. He deliberately said it to hurt me. But I remember the expression he showed right after—pain that quickly retreated into indifference. That's definitely Occlumency, but why? I would have accepted him if he had apologized sincerely enough, right?'
Lily bit her lip, wrestling with the flood of emotions.
'I was VERY, VERY angry. So would I have? I still feel the anger when I look at him. He didn't listen when I warned him about his housemates, the darkness he was getting into. But he dismissed them. Maybe he really did see me as a Mudblood. Maybe I never noticed his actual personality. Maybe he was forced into this. Or maybe I'm just clinging to a hope. But I should try, right? He always made sure everything was perfect for me. Potter thinks I'm not noticing. He thinks I don't know that he always finds me using something but shrugs it off as "fate" haah as if... and he believes I didn't notice him trying to paint Sev in a bad light. But the evidence he showed me was real. Sev is going down the dark path. Why? Have I ever wondered why he did what he did? Have I ever wondered why he was so close to my family? Why he cares for me so much? And he's only like that with me...'
Lily's thoughts paused for a moment as she recalled her interactions with Severus.
'Now that I think about it, I've never seen him be like that with anyone else. Why does he like me? Who is Sev, really? Have I ever tried to understand him? I know his family is awful, but what exactly is happening to him? Why is he the way he is? I never thought about this. He's currently living with his housemates. They interact with him most of the time. He shows enough talent to attract the Death Eaters...
Lily's mind raced, piecing things together.
'Was he manipulated? If I were him, what would I do? I'm Slytherin, a half-blood. I show enough talent to attract the Death Eaters. They obviously want me in their ranks as a tool. They would watch me for the weakness I have. What weakness do I (Sev) have?'
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A/N: So Lily here is thinking because of the absence she felt. Something that was ALWAYS in her life, no matter what, something that she always had, was taken for granted. And now because of the 'absence' and her anger not flaring up all the time because he is not showing much at all, she starts to think rationally. At least I think she will react in such a way as I imagined it as people when they see the absence without anything replacing(Potter) it, only then do they realize the true value, rather 'experience' their true value. Though this is not something plotted or planned by snape. He cannot even think properly when things come to her, what do you expect? Him to forget about her for betraying him(or his assumption of betrayal)?
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OWLs came and went. Severus moved through them effortlessly, his mind a steady, focused force. He never pushed himself to the limits—he simply met the expectations set before him, nothing more, nothing less. Attention wasn't something he sought, whether positive or negative. He couldn't afford to stand out.
The end of the school year brought with it a sense of finality. His vaults, hidden away in the deepest recesses of the Room of Requirement, had slowly filled with carefully accumulated treasures—nothing extravagant, but enough to ensure he would be ready for the path ahead.
Then came the moment of freedom. His emancipation had been granted. With a quiet breath of relief, Severus packed his things. Within hours, he found himself walking through the busy streets of Diagon Alley, his mind focused, unshakable. The Leaky Cauldron buzzed with activity, but Severus wasn't there to linger. He rented a room for the night, the weight of his purpose clear in every step.
A quick Apparition took him to a remote section of the Forbidden Forest, where he had prepared a training ground—hidden, secluded, the perfect place for continued work in isolation. Time was precious, and distractions were a luxury he could not afford.
In the stillness of the forest, Severus immersed himself in his research. He poured over ancient texts and arcane knowledge, deciphering the mysteries within. Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Rituals—all of them played a part in his understanding of magic. The deepest, darkest secrets of the wizarding world were no longer out of his reach. He pieced together the fragments of knowledge, blending them with Muggle scientific principles—particularly in chemistry—and the latest advancements in potion-making.
The results were groundbreaking. Severus's health improved remarkably, his body leaner and stronger than ever, though his disheveled appearance hid the extent of his transformation. Wandless magic became second nature to him, most spells no longer requiring the aid of a wand. But he knew that for more complex spells, especially in combat, a wand was still necessary. The new techniques he had developed required a focus that only a wand could provide.
In potions, Severus had pushed the boundaries of what was possible. He had created concoctions that healed, revitalized, and enhanced his physical abilities—pushing his magic to new heights. Some of the rituals he had performed involved sacrifices, but the cost was always borne by others, not him. With each new experiment, each new success, Severus became stronger, faster, and more powerful.
Finally, he was ready. He had pieced together the puzzle of Voldemort's Horcruxes and the mysteries surrounding them. The Chamber of Secrets held more clues—clues he had to find. The entrance was hidden, sealed by Salazar Slytherin's legacy, only accessible by a Parselmouth.
'Parslemouth was a language only capable of being done by the descendants of Salazar Slytherin, but Herpo the Foul could speak it too. So it is not some kind of blood mutation but something that can be learnt or ingrained such that it also passes down to descendants. But we have another mystery regarding this. The only living descendant of Gaunt family was the Tom Marvolo Riddle that reported Hagrid of his crime of killing a Muggle-born, which shows me a lot of things. The main is Voldemort is Tom Marvolo Riddle, a honour student who dissapeared into thin air after hogwarts. Muggle father, and Merope Gaunt as his mother. I need to find where this Riddle family used to live. It probably is one the base of operations for them.'
He needed to become a Parselmouth because many things hidden by him probably need it so that it can be obtained smoothly, and the only way to do that was through a rare, dangerous ritual he discovered as the fruit of relentless research by referencing and cross-referencing infinite books on blood magic ritual magic language magic and more, and this ritual needed Acromantula venom. He had recently learned of a nest hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest, and he knew what had to be done. It was dangerous. It was costly. But he had no other choice. The venom was one of the keys.
And so, Severus prepared himself for the next step of his journey.