The morning sun filtered weakly through the high windows of the Great Hall, but it brought no warmth. Hogwarts felt different now. Uneasy. Whispers of Sirius Black's presence had leaked among the students, though no one could explain how they knew. It was in the air—like the scent of rain before a storm.
Snape sat at the staff table, silent as ever, though his gaze swept over the room with razor precision. His tea cooled untouched as he observed Harry and his companions huddled together. Ron looked pale, Hermione anxious, Harry defiant—and Draco Malfoy, though seated at the Slytherin table, was staring at Potter with quiet scrutiny.
The boy is reckless enough without dragging Malfoy into it, Snape thought darkly. Yet Draco's glances had grown… frequent. Too frequent.
Minerva leaned closer. "Another restless night, Severus?"
"I don't sleep well when murderers prowl my corridors," Snape replied, his voice silk over steel.
Her lips thinned. "Albus insists the Dementors are doing their job."
Snape didn't answer. He trusted Dementors about as much as he trusted prophecy—both had a way of twisting fate rather than protecting it.
---
Later – Snape's Office
Snape's private sanctuary smelled of parchment and bitter potions. He stood over his desk, reviewing old records—fragments of his first life he'd committed to memory. The map of Hogwarts' secret passages was spread open, every line etched into his mind.
He traced the route Sirius had taken last night.
"Fool," Snape muttered. "The same path again."
There was no doubt now: Sirius was pushing toward Gryffindor Tower. But he'd vanished from the Marauder's Map just before reaching it, and Snape didn't believe in coincidences.
A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
Draco Malfoy slipped inside, closing the door behind him. His expression was tight, wary, but determined.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
Snape regarded him coolly. "Indeed. Sit."
Draco obeyed, his posture rigid.
Snape folded his hands. "You've been spending a great deal of time watching Potter lately."
Draco blinked. "I—what?"
"Do not insult my intelligence, Mr. Malfoy. I see everything."
Color rose in Draco's cheeks, though he quickly masked it with a scoff. "I'm just… curious, that's all. He's behaving strangely. Sneaking around, muttering with Granger and Weasley. You said yourself Black is after him—someone should keep an eye on him."
Snape studied him in silence. There it was—the faintest thread of sincerity beneath Draco's sharpness. He had seen it before, in Lily, once upon a time: a spark of loyalty buried where it didn't belong.
"Very well," Snape said finally. "You will keep watch. But you will report to me directly. No reckless heroics."
Draco hesitated, then nodded. "Understood."
As Draco stood to leave, Snape added quietly, "And Draco… be cautious. Potter attracts danger. Always has."
Draco paused, then smirked faintly. "Good thing I'm better at avoiding it than he is."
When he was gone, Snape let out a slow breath. The threads were tangling faster now—Harry's temper, Draco's divided loyalty, Sirius's shadow in the halls.
He pressed his palm to the desk, steadying himself. He had returned for a reason: to change things. To save them.
And this time, he would not fail.
---
Elsewhere – The Gryffindor Common Room
Harry sat hunched in an armchair by the fire, the Marauder's Map spread across his lap. Sirius Black's name had appeared again—briefly, fleetingly—in the lower levels before vanishing once more.
"Harry," Hermione said softly, sitting beside him. "Snape's watching you closer than ever. If you keep sneaking around—"
"I'm not stopping," Harry muttered. His jaw was set, his hands tight on the map.
Ron groaned from the couch. "You're mental. If Black doesn't get you, Snape will."
Harry's gaze flicked to the parchment again. This time, he wasn't just thinking of Sirius Black. He was thinking of Snape—his cryptic warnings, his uncharacteristic restraint. Something was different.
He remembered the way Snape had looked at him last night: not with loathing, but something else. Something guarded.
For the first time, Harry wondered if Snape knew more about Sirius than anyone else realized.
And if that was true… then Snape might be the key to everything.