There are many mysteries that surround the concept of death, some say that you feel consciousness slip and that an inexplicable peace flows within you, others say that

your life flashes right before your eyes and that you relive all those precious moments that are now gone. But for Severus Snape who laid on a cold wooden floor in a pile

of his own blood, the situation was much more different. For him there was no peace and there was no beauty, not in his death, and not in his life, his whole existence

had been a constant torture, whether it was because of his destiny or his incorrect decisions, there was no doubt that Severus Snape had never known peace or beauty,

or maybe he had? He had known a beautiful redhead with emerald eyes that could bring the dead back to life, he had known compassion and friendship, unity and

reliability, but in the end he had lost it all due to an unending ambition.

The professor's eyes began to close while his breaths became silent, he knew that the moment had come, the end, he did not feel sad or happy, he felt anxious because

of what would be waiting for him on the other side. But before he left he needed to see those eyes one last time, so with the last of his strength he looked up to the

young boy with a scar on his forehead and into two emerald green eyes and whispered.

"Look at me...you have your mother's eyes"

After his last bit of strength had been consumed and having seen those eyes for a final time, Severus Snape closed his eyes for the final time and stopped breathing,

darkness took over him and he fell into a slumber from which he expected to never wake up. Severus opened his eyes and found himself back at the park in Coke worth,

this was the place he had first met Lily Evans, this is where it had all started. He looked around surprised and disoriented, lifting his left arm he touched his neck and

looked for the open wound that had caused him his life, but the wound was not there anymore, only pale skin.

"What is this place?" he thought "Am I dead? Or was it all just a dream?"

He looked down to his feet and realized that he was still wearing his black cloak and shoes, but they were clean, if he had truly bled out in the shrieking shack then why

were his clothes suddenly in perfect condition? Hesitantly, he began to walk around the park, but even though it seemed like it was a sunny spring day, the park was

deserted, he grew tired of looking around and sat down under the biggest tree where he had once sat in the summer afternoons with Lily at his side. She was not there,

he knew that, in that brief time since he had asked himself about his death, he realized that he indeed was dead and gone, but this wasn't heaven, it was his own hell,

his divine punishment, to spend an eternity waiting for someone that would never show up.

Severus was a man that prided himself in being rational and composed, but when the memories of Lily began to flood his already tired mind, he did something so

uncharacteristic of him that if anyone that had known him had seen it; they would have thought it was an illusion, Severus Snape broke down sobbing and cursing the

decisions that had led him to where he was now.

"Why? Bloody hell, why? All I ever wanted was to see her for one last time, one moment is all I ask for, I need to tell her, tell her that I love her, that I am sorry for

everything, for our friendship, for my hatred and prejudice, for her family, for her son. Harry, I couldn't save him either, I left the boy alone, I left Albus raise him like a

pig for slaughter right before my eyes and I did not do anything, now he's at the mercy of that monster, that half-blood that claims to be the purest and yet his soul is

even darker than mine, that man should be here with me rotting in this hell"

The man finished his monologue and began to cry more frantically, his body shacked with agony and despair while he buried his face in his hands. He was so immersed

in his breakdown that he did not see the figure that was approaching him at a slow but steady pace.

"Look at ya! You scrawny bastard, who would have thought that after all the shit you went through you were still a crying little kid, huh boy"

Severus recognized that voice and instantly lifted his head to face the man that was now in front of him, the man was much like him, his nose large and his hair dark

but he showed more age than the Slytherin wizard, he then realized who he was facing and instantly his face contorted into one of rage and disgust as he pronounced

the following words with venom in his voice.

"Tobias"

"In the flesh boy, well not in the flesh but you get what I'm saying" joked the man

"YOU!" yelled Severus at him

"Don't you dare take that tone with me boy, just because this ain't a peachy little reunion with a redhead girl doesn't mean that you get to disrespect your father"

countered Tobias

"You dare call yourself a father, Tobias. After all that you did, all that you made me and my mother go through. When you left Spinner's end after mother died I thought

that I was free from you but judging from your presence here it seems that I won't ever be able to get rid of you. But if I can't get rid of you then I can at least silence

you…SILENCIO!" said the man as he attempted to perform wandless magic, when nothing happened Tobias resumed talking

"Your magic tricks won't work here boy, you're dead, I'm dead, we're both dead, and one more thing to add to your list, she ain't comin'"

"What?" asked Severus not wanting to know the answer

"She ain't coming, the girl, ya know I was always really pissed to even walk let alone talk to ya, but even I could see that ya felt something for her, you messed up big

time boy"

"Tobias, I understand the implications of my mistakes and where they led me but please do not act like you care about my existence, you did not do so when I was a

child, I believe that now that I am dead it is too late"

"I know that, ya know, after your mum died I realized that I was a bloody cunt to you and her, but by that time it was too late, I had already destroyed her life and left

you alone to destroy yours"

"And you did, you destroyed the life of a woman that loved you and the life of your only child, all because of prejudice and hate, and now I'm trapped here with you as

company, if I had doubted that this was hell, now I am completely sure that it is" said Severus

"Boy please don't be so dramatic, and who said anything about being trapped" responded Tobias

"What other word do you have in mind for a state of existence from which I cannot escape?"

"You misunderstand this whole thing, kid, this ain't hell, heck this ain't even the other side, smart lad like you should have figured it out by now but I guess that all that

magic messed your head up"

"If this is not hell, then what is this place?" asked Severus growing impatient at the older man's lack of clear answers

"It's a crossroad"

"A crossroad?"

"Yes, you see, boy, there are rare occasions in which certain people are given second chances, you kid are one of those people, but of course ya need to agree to it first"

"A second chance? That is not something possible, not even for us wizards, death is not just something that can be evaded"

"Blimey, you are denser than what I remember, it means that you get another shot, another go at living since you wrecked the first one, and how can you say it's not

possible when you can fly and make shit explode, boy you make no sense at all"

"For the continuation of this conversation let us say that what you are saying about a second chance is true, what would I need to give in return?" asked Severus still

skeptical

"Nuthin', you ain't gotta give anything, there's one catch though"

"Of course there is" thought Severus bitterly

"Ya can't pick a certain time in your life to go back to, you won't be reborn either"

Severus chose not to continue the talk and instead withdrew himself to the confinement of his mind, he analyzed the predicament that he was currently in, on one side

he could choose to go back and try to make things right, but what if he failed? What if he was sent back to the time when he was already a Death Eater? Could he go

through with being a double agent again? Would he have the courage to lose Lily twice? To kill Dumbledore again? But if he stayed, then what would happen to him?

Where would he go? Would he stay there waiting for Lily forever?

"Boy, I see that you're taking your time but this ain't rocket science, let me make it easy for ya, if ya stay there's no chance of things getting better, your guilt will haunt

you forever and you'll always have the thought of a missed chance in the back of ya head, many people would love another go, so don't throw that away, make up your

damn mind and go"

The words that Tobias had said were full of truth and Severus knew that, if he stayed he would not be able to save Harry and if he was lucky enough then maybe this

time he would be able to save Lily.

"If that is what I have to do in order to not be in your presence for another second, then I accept"

As those words were said everything around Severus began to slowly fade away, Tobias still stood in front of him but he too was disappearing, the older man looked at

the Slytherin wizard and for the first time in Severus's existence, he gave him a sincere smile and said some words that left Severus speechless.

"My son, I'm sorry, for everything, but I'm proud of ya, I hope that this time you get what you truly deserve, good luck"

"Wait, Tobias, if you have been trapped here too, then isn't it logical to think that you are also getting a second chance?" said Severus regaining his composure

"Nah, I'm too old for that, besides I already have someone waiting for me"

"Who is waiting for you?"

"Take a guess"

Tobias said those final words and disappeared into thin air leaving Severus alone and surrounded by complete emptiness, the half-blood Prince suddenly began

experiencing a blinding pain that stretched from his head all the way down to his feet, the pain was so excruciating that it could be compared to that of the cruciatus

curse. He fell to his knees and then collapsed from the pain, but before he did so, he promised to himself that he would not fail this time, not again.

Hi!

To everyone that's reading this chapter, this is some sort of pilot chapter for a story that I've had in mind for quite a while now. I will be honest and

say that I am kind of insecure as to how my story will be received and I postponed the posting of this chapter many times because I know how

Potterheads value the Harry Potter franchise, I do hope that this wasn't very bad. I know I have a lot to improve so please if you can, leave a review

and maybe some constructive criticism. Other than that, thanks for reading.

Shotgunangel350916 logging off