Snape found himself among the Death Eaters, fully aware there was no escaping the situation. To conceal his identity, especially in case Lily was nearby, he pulled up his hood and donned his mask.
The group was raiding a stronghold believed to be a new base for Dumbledore's forces. An uneasy feeling crept into Snape's chest.
"Dumbledore's team?" he thought. "It must be the Order of the Phoenix."
His anxiety spiked as he realized something terrible—if this was indeed an Order of the Phoenix stronghold, Lily might be there. The thought sent a chill through him.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the ground. The house they were targeting erupted in flames, and people scattered in all directions as the battle began. Cries filled the air:
"It's a trap! There's an ambush!"
"Don't be afraid!" someone yelled. "The master is here!"
In the distance, Snape caught sight of a younger Dumbledore locked in fierce combat with Voldemort. Their duel sent waves of magical energy rippling through the battlefield.
A loud shout pulled Snape's attention back to the chaos around him. "Get out of here!" a voice roared nearby.
Turning, Snape's eyes landed on someone he instantly recognized—James Potter.
"Potter!" Snape hissed through gritted teeth, his hatred bubbling to the surface.
James, noticing the masked Death Eater, wasted no time and attacked. Snape quickly retaliated with a sharp, fast curse. Years of battle experience had honed Snape's skills, and though this version of James was younger and perhaps more agile, Snape had grown stronger. Within moments, James found himself on the defensive, struggling to keep up.
Snape's eyes gleamed with cruelty. His loathing for James was deep-rooted, stretching back to their school days. This was his chance to finally rid himself of the man he despised. He raised his wand, a deadly curse ready at his lips.
James faltered, leaving an opening.
"Avada Kedavra!" Snape shouted, green light shooting toward James.
James froze, his face drained of color. There was no time to dodge. But just as the curse was about to strike, a figure rushed between them, blocking the spell.
A familiar fragrance—lilies—filled the air.
Snape's heart stopped as the realization hit him.
The curse had hit Lily.
Her long red hair flew through the air as she collapsed between him and James, her body crumpling to the ground. Snape stood there, staring in disbelief at her fading green eyes.
"No... No! This isn't real!" Snape screamed, tearing off his mask and hood. He rushed to her side, his heart shattered.
"It was you! Snape, you bastard! You killed her!" James yelled, his voice filled with rage and anguish.
The words barely registered. Snape was paralyzed by grief, unable to process what had just happened. Before he could react, a blast of magic hit him square in the chest. Pain exploded through his body, and everything went black.
---
Snape didn't know how long he had been unconscious when he opened his eyes again. The bright sunlight greeted him once more. Dazed and confused, he looked around.
"What... what happened?" he muttered, his mind still foggy with the remnants of the nightmare.
"Severus, don't wait for me. You should eat. Don't you have something to do later?"
The voice, the words—it was all too familiar. Snape turned his head to see Lily once again stepping out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of food.
"Is this... is this real?" Snape thought, a wave of bewilderment washing over him. Had time somehow reset? But before he could say anything, everything around him blurred once more.
"Ah!" Snape jolted awake again, this time greeted by the cold darkness of his basement office. The bright, warm world of Spinner's End had vanished. Reality, harsh and bleak, came rushing back.
"I... am I back?" he whispered to himself, his heart heavy with a deep, agonizing sorrow. The pain, the bitterness of losing Lily—again—overwhelmed him.
"Why... why am I back?" he cried out in desperation. "I... I still had a chance! I could have changed everything!"
A voice from the corner startled him. "You've tried many times, but you always fail, don't you?"
Snape turned quickly to see Blake sitting in a chair, holding the glass bottle of the strange potion that had brought him into the dream world.
"You..." Snape began, fury building within him. "It was that potion! What did you make me drink? What was that?!"
Blake set the bottle down. "It's called the Potion of Drunken Dreams. It has only one effect—those who drink it will dream of their deepest desires coming true."
Snape's mind raced as he recalled the events in the dream. Everything he had wished for had come to pass—a world where he never called Lily a "Mudblood," where she never severed their friendship.
Blake continued, "The thing you regret most is calling Lily that word, isn't it?"
Snape's lips pressed into a thin line, his face pale. He remained silent, his thoughts spinning.
"So, what you desire most is for none of that to have happened. You wanted a chance to fix it all, to stop Lily from breaking off with you. And that's exactly what you dreamed of."
Snape's anger flared. "How do you know all of this?"
Blake shrugged casually. "It's not my fault, Professor Snape. A small dose of that potion is all anyone needs, but you... you drank an entire bottle. I had to check your mind, and, well... I saw all your dreams."
Snape glared at him, fury barely contained. He was too weak to raise his wand, but if he had the strength, he would have blasted Blake into pieces.
Blake, unfazed by Snape's rage, continued, "Under normal circumstances, you would've woken up after the first death in the dream. But because you took so much, the dream reset itself. You became trapped in a loop of reincarnation, desperately trying to change Lily's fate."
He paused, studying Snape's reaction. "But no matter how many times you tried, she still died, didn't she?"
Snape clenched his fists, his voice trembling with frustration. "I can still change it! There has to be a way!"
Blake shook his head. "I've seen everything, Severus. And no matter what you do, the outcome remains the same."
Snape, filled with anguish, demanded, "What do you know? What gives you the right to say that?"
Blake stood up slowly, his voice calm. "I have many friends, and I've seen more than you think. So let me ask you one thing, Severus."
Snape glared at him. "What?"
Blake's eyes met Snape's as he asked softly, "Do you... really love Lily?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and unanswerable.
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