Hogwarts 70's: The Adventures of the Marauders | Headcanon

Autumn, September 1970

They sat beneath the large tree by the river, where its long branches cast cool, green shadows. The gentle sound of the water flowing made everything feel calmer, more secluded.

Severus and Lily were sitting cross-legged, facing each other, on a carpet of fallen leaves that heralded the arrival of autumn.

"If you do magic outside of school, the Ministry can punish you," Severus explained seriously. "First, they send you a warning letter… and then" — he paused for dramatic effect — "they'll snap your wand in two."

Lily's eyes widened in surprise, her expression shifting from playful to worried in an instant.

"Oh no! I've already done magic loads of times!" she confessed hastily. "Today at school, for example, I made the fire alarm go off ten minutes early… I don't even know how I did it! I just wanted to go home!" she added, frowning and biting her lip, as if she were suddenly afraid the Ministry might come after her.

Severus smiled reassuringly.

"I'd do the same if I went to a Muggle school. But don't worry — it doesn't matter. We don't have wands yet, so they can't punish us. Besides, accidental magic's normal when you're young. The important thing is, once you turn eleven and start at Hogwarts…" — his tone dropped into something more serious — "you'll need to be careful."

Lily exhaled, visibly relieved, though her curiosity hadn't faded. She glanced around, then picked up a twig from the ground and gave it a playful swish through the air, as if it were a wand.

"You're serious, aren't you? Everything you've told me… isn't just a joke, right? Petunia says you're lying and that Hogwarts doesn't exist. But it's real, isn't it?" Lily asked, her voice a mixture of hope and uncertainty.

Petunia never objected to listening when Lily talked about Hogwarts. In fact, she'd sit wide-eyed, full of wonder — but it always ended the same way: "Just wait till you're eleven. You'll realise that boy's mad, and it's all made up."

"It's real for us. Obviously, not for her," Severus replied with conviction, shrugging. "It'll only be you and me getting a letter. I don't get why you care so much about what she says."

"She's my sister. Of course, I care what she thinks," Lily answered with a long sigh.

"You're sure?" she asked again, a bit less anxiously, but still searching for reassurance.

"Absolutely sure," Snape said, with unshakeable confidence.

"And will it come by owl?" Lily asked quietly.

"Usually, yeah," he answered. "But since your parents are Muggles, someone from the school will probably visit to explain it to them. If they only got the letter, they might think it's just a prank, don't you think?"

Lily nodded slowly, her green eyes locking with Severus's, who held her gaze as if he were trying to memorise every detail of her face. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the leaves, making her red hair glow and setting her eyes alight like emeralds.

"Sev, I've always wanted to ask you… Does it matter that I'm from a Muggle family?" This time her voice was hesitant, as if she feared the answer.

Severus hesitated. His dark eyes wandered across her pale face and the fire-like glow of her hair in the light. At last, he shook his head.

"No," he said firmly. "It doesn't matter at all."

"Oh, what a relief!" Lily sighed, her face lighting up with a wide grin. She had sometimes thought she sensed a hint of contempt in Severus's voice whenever he mentioned Muggles, but now her doubts melted away. Perhaps it had all been a misunderstanding.

"You've got loads of magic inside you," Severus declared, with the certainty of someone who had already seen it. "You'll be a great witch, I know it."

Lily lay back on the ground, the dry leaves beneath her crunching softly under her weight. The sunlight that had flickered between the branches was now hidden behind a thick layer of grey clouds. Severus watched her for a moment longer, that same familiar hunger in his gaze, and then he lay down beside her, mirroring her posture.

"How are things at home?" Lily asked softly.

"Fine," Severus replied, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Do your parents still fight?" she pressed, keeping her voice gentle.

"Of course they do. They fight all the time." Severus grabbed a handful of dry leaves and began tearing them up absent-mindedly, letting the little pieces fall to the ground. "But it doesn't matter. I won't be there much longer, will I? Mum's relieved I'm going to Hogwarts."

"I see…" Lily tilted her head, studying him. "And what about your dad? He still doesn't like magic, does he?"

Severus had once told her how his father had expected him to be "normal." One night, when Severus had been floating in his cot, his father had been horrified. His mother had no choice but to tell him the truth about herself. Though his father hadn't abandoned them, he had never truly forgiven her, and that resentment had lingered in their home like a shadow. It only grew worse when his father was angry or drunk.

"There's nothing he likes, really. He's a Muggle." Severus scowled with frustration. "He doesn't understand… and he never will." His voice faded into a bitter whisper.

"Severus…"

A smile ghosted across his lips as she said his name.

"What…"

"Tell me about the Dementors again," Lily said, changing the subject as she noticed Snape's hands shredding the leaves.

"What do you want to know about them?"

"If I use magic outside of school…" she began, lowering her voice, almost afraid of the answer.

"They're not going to send Dementors after you for that!" Severus replied with a mix of impatience and amusement. "They only use them for serious criminals, and they guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. I told you, they won't take you there. You're far too…" He trailed off, blushing again.

"Phew! That's a relief," Lily said with a grin. "Now my only worry is Tuney. She's still mad that I spend so much time with you."

"I don't think that's the reason," Severus muttered, tearing another leaf and letting the pieces fall to the ground. "It's the magic. Some Muggles are envious of it," he added quietly, as if he were speaking from personal experience. "Your sister's jealous because she's… ordinary, and you're special."

Lily frowned.

"That's a horrible thing to say, Severus," she said, hurt. She didn't want to believe that her sister, whom she had always adored, could resent her for something neither of them could control. When had things become so complicated?

The wind stirred the branches above, scattering more leaves around them. Neither of them noticed Petunia hiding behind a nearby tree, eavesdropping from the shadows. But then a branch snapped under her weight, forcing her out of her hiding spot.

"Tuney!" Lily exclaimed, startled. Severus jumped to his feet, his shoulders tense as if bracing for an attack. Petunia never missed a chance to throw a nasty comment his way.

"Oh, it's you again!" Severus growled irritably. "So, who's spying on who now? What do you want?"

Petunia, embarrassed at being caught, scowled. She knew she couldn't simply leave, and her pride pushed her to say something cruel to get back at him for what she'd overheard.

"What are you wearing?" she sneered, eyeing Severus's worn-out clothes with a smug grin. "Is that your mum's blouse?" she added maliciously, clearly enjoying the reaction her words provoked.

Severus's face turned crimson with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles went white. His dark eyes shone with barely contained hatred, and he made no attempt to hide it.

Lily stood too, her gaze flicking anxiously between her sister and her friend, her heart heavy with unease.

Then, there was a sharp crack, like something snapping. Before any of them could react, a branch broke off from above, spinning through the air, and fell straight towards Petunia.

"Tuney!" Lily screamed, her voice high-pitched with panic.

The branch struck Petunia's shoulder with a dull thud. She staggered backwards, clutching the spot where it had hit her. For a moment, she stood frozen in shock, and then she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lily rushed over, her heart clenched with worry.

"Tuney, are you alright?" she asked, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders.

Petunia shoved her away, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't touch me! This is your fault!" she cried, glaring at Lily with a mix of pain and resentment.

"Oh, Tuney…" Lily whispered, trying to check if she was hurt, but Petunia let out a heart-wrenching scream and pulled further away.

"Monsters! You're both monsters!" she sobbed before turning and fleeing into the trees, her voice filled with anger and fear.

Lily whirled around to face Severus, her face flushed with a mixture of fury and disappointment.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Her voice trembled with both anger and disbelief.

Severus took a step back, his expression a strange mix of defiance and fear.

"No," he said firmly, but his eyes refused to meet hers.

"Yes, it was!" Lily pressed on, each word heavy with pain, as if she had unravelled the truth at that moment. "You hurt her! Tuney! My sister!"

"No! I didn't do anything!" Severus protested, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. He stepped forward, reaching out as if to stop her, but Lily immediately backed away, her gaze piercing through him like an arrow.

She shook her head, her green eyes blazing with anger and disappointment.

"I can't believe it…" she whispered, more to herself than to him.

She gave him one last, bitter look, as though she had uncovered his lie. Then, without another word, she turned on her heels and ran, leaving the small grove behind in search of her sister.

Severus stood frozen, rooted to the spot where he'd watched her vanish among the trees. A knot of sadness tightened in his chest.