SUMMARY:

"Severus Snape had failed and had lived to see the victory of Voldemort. Escaping the Dark Lord, he finds a powerful Time-Turner, and with an experimental potion, transports his mind into his past self, during his 5th Year at Hogwarts. His mission? Unite Slytherin against Voldemort. However, love, rivalry and misfortune will plague that mission." [COVER ART by Tom Carlton]

Severus Snape, the Lord of Vipers is an AU Time-Travel Fanfiction, where Severus Snape, seeing the victory of Voldemort and the dead body of Harry Potter, he goes on a pilgrimage from England and soon finds a powerful Time-Turner. Using it alongside a deadly and experimental potion, he transports his mind into the past, and into his 5th Year self.

His task is to combat Lord Voldemort by weaponizing the House of Slytherin against him. Along the way, his past loves and rivalries, without knowing it, meddle with his plan, and he tries his best to balance the image of a powerful, young Wizard of Slytherin, alongside a caring friend who has left the Death Eater cause for good.

This story is inspired by many works where Severus Snape has a change of heart or a second chance and especially inspired by his ambitions from the Fanfic The Peace Not Promised by Tempest Kiro. I suggest checking it out, it's a very good and comfy read.

This story will be M Rated for language, graphic violence and scenes, and I will not warn readers of anything because I see that as detrimental to the Writer and the Reader alike. To note, the Snape that is seen here is a slightly older, melancholic Snape, not quick to anger and very concentrated. However, he is not one to show inner emotion when it is coaxed from him unwillingly- you'll see what I mean. Also, basing most of the look and stuff off of the movies. Sorry, book fans.

Without further ado- Chapter 1

Many would call Victory in War bittersweet. The dead would be counted, remembered, buried and talked about for many years, including the enemy. The winning side would count it as a milestone or changing point in their nation, society or culture. They would both praise it and damn it for its destruction. Thus was the philosophy of Modern War. Modern War was bittersweet, deadly and yet glorious in the eyes of those who excelled at it and powered through the mistakes of their generation.

Severus Tobia Snape was one such mistake.

He had failed in his quest. The Potter boy had died in vain. Not only him, but even as he lay dead, his foolish friends and allies continued to fight. Stubborn to the end, they did not take the Dark Lord's mercy.

Hogwarts now remained a pile of old stone and rubble, the magical residue going up to the skies in clouts of dusty smoke.

Severus had feared that he would be killed, but Fate had other plans. The Elder Wand seemed to answer to Voldemort. For now. Though, as the Death Eaters, armies of thugs, magical monsters and evil men and women celebrated amongst the rubble, singing praise to their nose-less Lord, the Potion Master was blank. Lucius Malfoy, father of his Godson, Draco, tried to talk with him, but Snape was but a pole, standing upon a cliff overlooking Hogwarts' Ruins.

Severus felt like a disaster, a total failure. He knew he was. He had failed Potter. McGonagall. Dumbledore…

Lily.

He had failed her the most. He had failed to defend her boy, her child. Her son now laying upon an altar close to the cheering Voldemort, suffering cruelties even in his death. The boy had to die, but he died and passed. The Horcrux destroyed, but the fight not finished. A defeat.

Now Snape knew what it was like to be at the defeated side's table.

He was a Death Eater. But did he feel victorious? Not in a million years, he thought. He bellowed his black cloak over his equally black coat, and curling his arms over his chest, he shivered, walking away. He continued down a beaten path, passing watchful Death Eaters, taking short breaks to gawk at him from their carnal and hedonistic activities. He continued ignoring everything and everyone as he passed into the Forbidden Forest. He didn't stop walking. Even as the Forest ended and scabbards of rocks began.

Finally, his boots almost rotting and his feet aching and puffing like dozens of bees had bitten them, he broke down, staring at a Scottish Loch in agony. He wailed. He cried. He screamed. He begged for forgiveness from all those he had failed. In anger, he took his wand and began to tamper with the Death Eater seal.

Even as he felt like he was being torn asunder, inside, he screamed in fury, cursing at the Dark Mark on his right hand, before it disappeared, and his wrist bloody with scars inflicted from the disenchantment. He didn't have time to calm down, as he dived into a bush, feeling the presence of five Death Eaters bellowing in black smoke, apparating in their dark way toward his location. He had been found out. This was the day he would no doubt die. He deserved it, really…

"Severus! Severus! Answer me, Severus!"

Lucius. God damn it all…

He heard Lucius and four others step around, silent, careful. Wands at the ready. He could hear their holsters unlocking. He stilled his breathing. He wanted to die, yes, but something was pulling him away from this fate, screaming at him to fight back! Fight back!

And as a Death Eater came closer, that is exactly what he did. Diving up, he muttered a quick 'Crucio!' before pointing it at Lucius, who roared in pain, dropping his wand and trying to stop the imaginary pains that were appearing everywhere around his body. Quickly, with pain in each step, Snape dived behind a tree as 'Avada Kedavra' was screamed by the four others, hitting stone, bush and pine tree, sending debris and ricocheting green lights everywhere.

Severus quickly peeked out and muttered the Death Curse back at one, sending him tumbling to the floor, numb and still. He ran forward, almost limping at this point, as he roared another Death Curse at another Death Eater. A third Death Eater shot off a Stupefy and hit Severus. Dazed and confused, he groaned, rolling on the floor. He saw Lucius nearby, still gripping at his body and skin, screaming Bloody Mary. He crawled to him, groaning as he dived forward, dodging more incoming Stupefies and Avada Kedavras.

He clutched Lucius, who writhed in pain. By his hair, he lifted him up, and standing with him, pointed his wand at his neck. He hoped this would work.

"S-stop! STOP! I have him, I have him, dammit! Stop! NOW!" Snape screamed, frantically, his wand pointed at Lucius' throat.

The two Death Eaters froze. One was Avery Senior, the other was some new recruit. Avery shook, his wand wobbling. "D-Dammit, Sev! You don't just run away, not now! We've won…!"

"We've won nothing! We've won a darker world than before, Avery! And you know it! Now go away or I kill Malfoy! I'll do it!" Severus roared, pushing the tip oft he wand deeper into Malfoy's neck, who screamed at the contact, writhing and swinging his arms and legs about, screaming for it to stop.

Avery and the recruit didn't seem to budge. Very well. He swiftly swished his wand at the Recruit, turning toward him, and yelling 'Avada Kedavra!' The recruit blinked behind his mask, before releasing his final breath, falling to on his back and into a tree, limp and still. Avery roared in anger, sending the same spell, but, Severus acted quickly, pushing Malfoy in front of him. Malfoy, now breathing his last, gave Severus the time to snap at Avery and send the same spell back at him, killing him, too.

Then, silence.

Only the wind. The odd wave from the Loch. The birds singing above. The tussle of bushes and leaves…

Severus had tears in his eyes. Why did this happen? He was now holding the body of his Godson's father, like a shield, against four others he had just mercilessly killed. But they would've done the same to him. He knows it. He knows it well. He sobbed quietly., as he stepped back, letting the limp body of Lucius Malfoy drop to the mossy ground. He shuddered, holstering his wand and closing his eyes. He couldn't go home… he needed to go far, far away…

Then, he apparated.

Two years had gone by since that day.

The scars had healed, and so did his feet. They were blistery, wounded, from his long walk away from Hogwarts into the Unknown. He had apparated deep into the Siberian Tundra, having gone there once himself to collect rare ingredients in his earlier days as Potion Master. He made his home there and within a deep cave. For those two years, he had been a wanted man by the new Regime. Luckily for him, the Russian Ministry did not bend to Voldemort so quickly, and so, were quite diligent in neither helping the Dark Lord find Severus or for Severus to hide. It was hard to hide, either way.

Needing food and supplement, he had apparated all around the world along those two, long and dark years. He had seen many places, faces and people, and had seen the fallout and destruction of the New World Order wrought by Voldemort. His chief hunters were Lestrange and Draco Malfoy.

Draco. His own Godson, out for revenge for the killing of his Father. Foolish, poor boy. He had never wanted to be under Voldemort, forced into it out of threat, but now he was more like a patriot and vigilant hunter of his father's murderer. Even if he could know that Avery had struck the killing blow, he would still blame Severus. Severus blamed himself, too.

He had never been a man to grow a beard, but Snape had done so over the two long years. Hardly getting a bath, he looked ever dirtier, greasier and more disgustingly rugged over the months that passed.

He was nothing but a smelly, depressed Hermit. He had tried to take his life many times, sleeping in places of large Bear activity, sleeping out in the cold. But something had always pulled him away from death. Something he could not escape, not nag about or even ignore. Something that felt like he was pinched and pulled back into his senses. He cursed the feeling.

However, one day, on Hallow's Eve of 2000 AD, of all days, Severus was staring out from his cave entrance. He sniffed, the cold of the Tundra never going away despite the season. And now, it was starting to get on a segway, going faster and faster. However, his blank attention pointed toward the horizon-reaching forested mountains and steep cliffsides were broken. His attention was drawn to a flowing dot in the sky. The closer it got, he understood it was a gliding bird, with wide wings, flying in his direction. It filled him with unexplainable warmth, as he watched it slowly glide closer and closer and closer.

Squinting his eyes, he finally understood. By God… That was Fawkes! The Phoenix screeched, gliding ever closer. Severus, on habit, clutched his wand, his pale yet now muscled physique stiffening. He had trained it up over the two years, no more looking like a hollow man. Now he looked like a very fit hollow man.

The Phoenix screeched again as it landed on a perched up stone some feet from him. It stared him down, and Severus held its judging gaze. He did not speak, as he slowly let go of his wand and glided easily to him. His steps were quiet, small and hesitant.

Fawkes, fortunately, seemed to want his gaze and touch, as it bowed its head to Snape's hand, the same hand that was now nuzzling it like delicate china. Soon, it turned into petting, and Snape felt tears bite at his eyes. He breathed a shaky sigh, before the bird looked into his eye, with his own. Something was pulling Snape, and something was 'enticing' him to grasp Fawkes' now extended feathery right wing.

As he did, suddenly, he apparated. With a bird, no less. The Phoenix squawked as Snape seemed to snap to it. He clutched his chest and dived to his knees, grunting at the sudden release of whatever held his mind. It felt, in his mind, like an Imperius Curse. But softer. Unforced… Welcomed?

Suddenly, he felt that he was kneeling on what seemed to be concrete. It was evening, the sky was filled with stars. Blinking, Snape rose and looked around, as Fawkes circled the air above him.

No. Godric's Hollow. Why was he here? Of all places, no!?

He looked in fury at the Phoenix, pulling his wand out, but before he could do anything out of anger, he looked on as it perched itself on a stone fence. He looked past the fence and at the house of Dumbledore. Dishevelled, beaten. A ruin. A husk, much like Snape himself.

He looked on in confusion. Why? Why was he here for? What was he doing here?

He slowly walked forward, opening the small 'gate' through the fence and ignoring it as it snapped off and fell to the ground, making a distant dog bark out in alarm. He stiffened and steeled himself, as the Phoenix lightly placed itself on his right shoulder. Severus felt, at least, lucky that he was not going in alone. Taking the risk, he opened the beaten doors and whispered 'Lumos', igniting the tip of his wand with a blue, illuminating light. He swallowed spit, as he slowly walked inside and through a hallway, into the main lobby room. It was spacious, obviously enchanted to look smaller from the outside. It was all destroyed, beaten, crushed and scattered. Everything. Sofas, chairs, even the fireplace looked destroyed. One thing caught his mind, however. But it caught him first, it seemed.

"You should do well with a shave, dear Severus."

Severus almost cast an Incendio and screamed in terror, as a portrait of the late Albus Dumbledore stared him down. It was of medium size and the imposing ex-Headmaster sat neatly in his chair that he always sat in while at Hogwarts. He smirked, playfully at the horrified, petrified and surprised face of his greatest Spy.

"W-What are... You… I…" Snape muttered, his body shaking in confusion.

"I am the contingency plan, Snape. It is good to know that after two years of searching, my good friend Fawkes has finally found you." Albus said, smiling brightly. It was as if the world outside hadn't turned into a nightmare. Snape scowled, but kept his cool, his emotions and feelings having numbed long ago.

As Snape kept quiet, Dumbledore nodded.

"We've lost the battle, Severus. Not the War."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Severus asked, in a slight scowl.

"It means that while you're still alive, Voldemort has still lost. Severus… Do you know of the Time-Turners?"

Snape furrowed his eyebrows, as the Headmaster's face grew grim.

"Yes. I do. Legalized in 1983. They turn back time only at the limit of A year or two. Why? Why am I even here… What is this, Dumbledore?"

Anger was evident on Snape's brow, despite his dirty, bearded face. Albus kept his cool, but his grim voice was stoic and unwavering.

"The way to change the Past in slight detail. They say bad things have happened to the Wizard who has used it, even for three days of repeating and fixing mistakes… But my goal is to see everything change."

Severus remained quiet, confused. His silence urged Albus onward.

"Change the Past. Forever."

"How?"

"... There is a Potion, you might know it. Alchemists know it, as well. It is said to reduce ageing and my friend Nicholas Flamel had once tried to conduct this potion. He did. Luckily, he did not drink it. A friend of his did. Went mad and soon committed suicide… You know of what I speak?" Albus asked, leaning forward in the 2D space, with an all-knowing flash in his eyes. Snape knew it well, indeed. A restricted potion, almost as dangerous as pure Love Potion…

Restorconver Vicis(*).

"A dangerous and foolish potion. Bends the mind into a younger self. Maddens the drinker. At worst, suicide or turning into a bumbling vegetable. I… What is going on, Albus? Why am I here? They might be here any minute…!"

"Then we must act quickly, Severus. You're the only man alive who knows how to act against the Dark Lord. You must go back in time, Severus."

Severus backed off, blinking. "W-what!?"

"You heard me right, Severus. My boy, you're our only hope. Stop this in its tracks… It is my hypothesis that using Restorconver Vicis with a Time-Turner, you can keep your sanity and mind, but also flashback into the mind of your past self. As if transferring your current, present mind back in time."

"A Hypothesis. Albus, are you a fool? Of course, you are, you're… You're a bloody painting!"

Albus almost chuckled, it seemed, but he held a smile.

"Snape… My dear Severus Snape. You have sacrificed so much. I know that I cannot ask this much of you. Already, I see the life that spurred you on to do your mission entrusted by me dying out. But you must be strong, Severus," Dumbledore said, glaring with conviction at the Potion Master who turned away from him, clutching his head and massaging his temples.

"Severus. Please…"

Those words snapped him. He looked up, his eyes slightly watery…

"I… But why… Why should I…? Why -me-?"

"Because you're the only one I have trusted more than any other, Severus. You're the only one who can…"

Severus groaned, feeling a sob coming on, but forcing it down before his Headmaster. He groaned, plopping himself down in a ruined cushion chair, putting his face in his palms. Dumbledore and Fawkes stared at him what felt like ten minutes, at least, before Severus rose, his eyes bloodshot and with red rings around them. He shivered out a sigh…

"I can change… Anything?"

"Yes."

"... I…"

"Do it for Lily." and that was all Dumbledore had to say for the tears to roll. Severus nodded. If the Hypothesis didn't work, then he might as well accept death and insanity. The Death Eaters were coming already, no doubt.

"Alright. A-alright… How?" Severus asked, beating back sniffles and sobs. Dumbledore simply nodded to the fireplace.

Snape blinked, turning around and walking to the ruined fireplace. Old and almost ancient ash lay there, with charcoal amongst it. He looked at Albus who nodded, and Severus turned back, sighing as he pressed his hands and fingers deep into the black mass of ash and charcoal. He dug around, before touching something soiled. Cubical. As he pulled it out, in a peculiar curiosity, Albus began to speak.

"Many years ago, I had found a very powerful Time-Turner. It would let me traverse back to three Years. And back. But now, it shall be used for the final time. I trust you, Severus… All of our fates," Dumbledore began, as Severus opened the cubical casket and beheld a green-liquid elixir and a Time-Turner, slightly larger, with its sand a shade of crimson red within its hourglass "rest in your very hands…"

"I know…"

Then, a crash. Albus, Fawkes and Snape looked up at the second level. They were here. The giggling of Bellatrix was very apparent. Dumbledore looked shocked and worried, for a painting. Fawkes moved out, into the second floor, screeching and dodging spells.

Snape ran to Dumbledore's painting.

"Snape! When you get there, come to me! Do not wait! Come to me! Turn it five times, quickly! Drink the potion!" Snape frantically listened to Dumbledore's instructions and uncorked the elixir. Fawkes screeched out, as a green light shot at him. As he gulped and turned around, clutching the Time-Turner, he saw Bellatrix and his Godson, Draco, pointing their wands at him. They made the move of a lightning strike with their wands, and as he turned the Time-Turner five times, he heard Dumbledore.

"Good luck."

Then, a bright light.

(*) = Made up potion. In Latin, "Retrorsum converti Vicis" means 'Turn Back Time' so I combined all three words together, somewhat.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

Chapter 2 Coming Soon!
R&R!