Today was Halloween, and Severus knew he was brooding. For the past two Halloween, he never thought about the tragedy that occurred in Godric's Hollow. Maybe it was because of the totally different environment he was in, and the fact that they only had a quiet Samhain celebration within the Prince family member.

But this year, being back in Hogwarts and looking at the Halloween decorations for the Halloween feast, the memory of himself seeking solace within his room in the dungeon, and drinking a glass of Firewhiskey to commemorate his Lily had come back in full force. Sitting in the great hall did not help at all, and even though they were having lunch, Severus was already itching to have a glass of Firewhiskey. He was positive he could obtain the drink if he wanted to but refrained from trying since he was certain his little body will not be able to tolerate the hard liquor as of yet.

"Are you alright, Sev?"

Lily's green eyes stared at him worriedly. Severus knew that tragedy had not happened yet in this world. Lily was alive and well right in front of him. And he will definitely keep her lively and happy as long as he was alive. But yet, that incident did happen in his past, and he still had the urge to reminisce the other Lily, who had died saving his son all those years ago.

"I guess I am not up to the feast today. I miss the Samhain celebration we have at Prince Manor." Severus smiled weakly, coming up with a valid excuse.

"Yeah, I miss carving pumpkins with my parents as well. It's so unfair that Tuney will still get to do it with them. And she thinks I have the better life" Lily who sat next to him started to pick on her food and pouted. She looked adorable, but Severus should probably not say that.

Petunia had not warmed up to the idea of magic, especially after they had found out about her letter to Dumbledore. Yes, that incident had happened again, but this time he did not seek the letter out. Since Dumbledore had sent his reply to the Evans household, Lily got the letter instead of Petunia during one of his visits and accidentally opened it. Lily had misguidedly confronted her sister thinking her sister was interested in magic now. Severus could see resentment and humiliation on Petunia's face, just like the first time around, and knew Lily would still have a very hard time with her sister.

"I know you miss your family but aren't you a little bit excited about the Halloween Feast tonight? I heard they will be serving lots of sweets!"

Remus joined into their conversation, trying to lighten the mood. He did miss his parents a little, but he was much more excited to experience his Halloween together with his friends.

"We're just missing home" Lily said quietly.

"Well, we will have some free time before the Feast. Do you want to do something together? What about that thing about carving a pumpkin? It seems doable since there are lots of pumpkins laying around. We can do it together this year, and make a new tradition, or something"

Remus wanted to share his excitement with both of his best friends and was willing to do anything to lighten their mood.

"We can certainly ask the house elves in the kitchen for pumpkins and knives. If you want to carve them, that is."

Severus did not understand what this pumpkin carving was about, but he did not want Lily to feel so down as he felt. Lily looked happy with their idea.

"Really? Will you both carve out pumpkins with me? It will get a little messy, but its loads of fun! After we finish, we can decorate them in our rooms!"

So that was how they ended up in the kitchen borrowing the utensils from the house elves and carving out faces to their pumpkin.

"This would be so much easier to do it by magic" Severus was appalled by the mess he was getting into. He could not get the face right, and it looked worse, the more he tried to work on it.

Remus chuckled and Lily giggled at the frustrated face of their usually aloof friend.

"Well, I guess you aren't always the best at everything" Remus smirked but Severus arched one of his eyebrows and looked at him, then Remus' also messy pumpkin.

"What? I think mine has some character than yours, don't you think?"

Severus snorted.

"Please, yours are as bad as mine. Lily doesn't count because she has the most experience with this thing."

Remus just shrugged and smiled, knowing his pumpkin was as badly carved as Severus' pumpkin was. Although he didn't mind the outcome at all, unlike his grumbling friend.

"I should throw this out" Severus muttered.

"No!" Lily stopped him.

"I'll give you mine, and you can give me yours, okay? I am going to decorate it in my room" Lily wanted to keep the very first pumpkin carved by her best friend.

"You want this thing instead of your own?" Severus said incredulously but was internally warmed by her action.

"Do you think it's possible to send this pumpkin home?"

Remus wondered looking at his own pumpkin.

"You can always shrink them and send it by owl. Your father can unshrink them when he gets it."

"Can you shrink it for me? I want to send it right away, so my parents can get it by evening"

Severus nodded and shrank it easily.

That night, Lily's pumpkin sat on Severus' night stand with a soft glow which he enchanted. The light had brought warmth to his heart, and for the first time since that awful night, Severus slept deeply with a slight smile on his face.

Severus had started making some of the basic potions for the infirmary instead of Slughorn after the professor tested his skills. Lily, Remus and occasionally Alice, Frank, had Caedmon came to help him with preparation and used the time to improve their own potion skills. They were all excelling in Slughorn's class.

By mid-November, it had become a routine for him to create and deliver his potions every Wednesday afternoon to the infirmary.

"Will you be going to your lab, Sev? I promised Alice to help her with her Charms homework so I don't think I can help you today." Lily asked.

"That's alright, I've finished brewing them. I just need to bottle the potions up and bring them to Madam Pomfrey, so why don't you all go ahead to the Library and start your studies?"

Remus and Frank nodded and joined Lily and Alice to the Library to finish their own Charms homework.

When Severus was walking towards his private lab alone he saw a group of Slytherins whom he all knew well in his original time. One of the Slytherin noticed him and signaled the others to surround the first year Gryffindor.

"Prince, I heard you are such a prodigy of the century or such rot. A lion should not come to the Snake den alone."

Avery taunted Severus, but he ignored the boy and looked at the figure standing in the back. So, it took a little more than two months for the elder boy to scout and make this move. Since he was in Gryffindor, Severus was not sure if the Slytherin would make a move at all towards him, but he was glad for this opportunity. Severus had been waiting for this attack all along.

"Lord Malfoy, nice to have your acquaintance."

Severus said politely, acknowledging Lucius as the heir of Malfoy. This two years, Maximus had not only taught magical thread to his grandson but also the status and power the Princes had within the upper class. He also learned of the more detailed politics within pureblood families, and the power structure he had never bothered to look up.

Malfoys were among the top ten of the most noble families including the Blacks and the Potters. However, Prince was in a higher rank than any and as so, they had the right to address the others first. If they did address them using their formal title, the others were bound to respect and be polite to those above them.

Many of the Slytherins were Gentry with no title, Esquire being the most. Avery and Mulciber were not even a Gentry, even though Avery was considered as one of the sacred twenty-eight, which Maximus scoffed with its idea. Maximus had stressed how stupid this notion of sacred twenty-eight was since Princes were not included in them. His grandfather explained how Nott, who was also not a Gentry, had come up with this stupid theory to claim his family's supremacy. On the other hand, Malfoys were considered in muggle term Barons, higher than any one of them currently present, but Princes were Dukes, a direct line of Royalties. Severus knew Lucius' manners were engraved within his upbringing and would not dare act below their title.

"Lord Prince, I am honored to have your acquaintance as well." Lucius stood straight and bowed. However, Severus could see his teeth clenched, indicating he was suppressing his pride. A Seventh year bowing to a First year.

"I have heard from my grandfather that your father is an excellent broker whom he would certainly be interested to converse. If Lord Malfoy would not mind, please extend my regards to your father. I do realize we are in different houses, but I hope we would not be in any conflict with each other. After all, I do respect the house of Slytherin, as my grandfather and my mother, both whom I admire have graduated from your house."

Severus smiled, then made a small bow that astonished the blond.

"Please forgive me, but I have an errand to run. It was a pleasure to talk to you, Lord Malfoy."

Severus walked through the Slytherins whose mouths were all agape.

"Hey, little twirp! You don't just go through us!" Avery tried to grab Severus arm.

"Stupify!" Malfoy startled everyone by stunning Avery.

"My deepest apology, Lord Prince. Please forgive my friend for his ill manner. I will certainly make sure they will not bother you again." Malfoy bowed, but this time he was annoyed by his housemates.

"I will also owl my father of your compliments. Have a good day." Malfoy turned and ushered the group towards the common room.

Severus had a plan with the Malfoys this time around. He knew Lucius always craved his father's approval and praise, so he gave what he wanted. An open invitation to the Princes which undoubtedly will satisfy Abraxas Malfoy.

Severus never hated Lucius when they were Death Eaters. He did sometimes abhor the way Lucius treated people but Lucius had always respected Severus of his intelligence and talent. Lucius was cunning and selfish, but he still regarded his family above everything, so Severus knew that whatever carrot the Dark Lord may dangle in front of Lucius, Severus could still sway him away by promising him much more money and safety for his future family.

Malfoys and the Blacks were the two most influential family that contributed immensely to the Dark Lord's cause. If he could at least cut the financial back up into half, he knew the Dark Lord will not gain as much power as he did his first time around. The Malfoys, especially, had deep connections within the Ministry and was able to deploy spies within its structure. If Malfoys will not become a Death Eater, then he doubted the Dark Lord could gain a strong footing in the magical world.

The only thing the Dark Lord had was a selfish agenda and a charm to influence people around him. Severus would try his best to openly reveal how selfish and poor the Dark Lord was, and let them see how he was nothing but a man trying to cheat his own death.

Severus went to his private lab and checked the status of all the simmering cauldron. When he was satisfied, he started bottling them carefully and put them in a potion bag to bring to the infirmary. On his way, he saw Potter and Black trying to attack Pettigrew from behind. Severus sighed at their antics and deliberately called their names out loud.

"Potter, Black, what are you two doing lurking about in the corridor? Do you not have other things, like Charms homework to do?"

Potter, Black, and Pettigrew were startled by his sudden voice, and Potter growled towards Severus. Pettigrew scurried away while the two Gryffindors faced their housemate.

"Prince! Why did you stop us! You knew we were trying to hex Pettigrew in the back" Severus just shrugged.

"I don't want you to lose any more of the points I gained, Potter. You and Black both have had so many points deducted from these stupid ploys."

"It's not stupid! We are just attacking our enemies before they start attacking us."

"Are you telling me that that weak minded Pettigrew is a true threat of yours? If that is so, then I will be much more concerned about your ability, Potter. Especially if you always have to attack him two on one, and from the back at that!"

Severus snorted, and he saw Potter's face flush.

"Well, I am not saying that he is my threat! I am just saying that he is going to be one of those evil Knights when he is older!"

"Did he tell you that? Or are you intentionally pushing him towards it?"

Severus crossed his arms. He really needed to understand why Potter and Black were doing this bullying. He had been a target for too long, and at the time, his hatred run too deep that being a Death Eater had become the only choice for him to defeat the Marauders. Potter and Black blinked.

"What do you mean intentionally pushing? We aren't doing nothing of the sort."

"Yes, you are. Pettigrew is a weakly minded twit, but I doubt he wants to be a Death Eater yet, especially if you know that his parents were Gryffindors and is working at the Ministry helping muggle-borns. But by attacking him relentlessly with no reason, I might add, you are letting him think that the only people who would help him are the Death Eaters. Is that your goal Potter? Do you want people to think only the chosen are of the light and all the other weaklings are to go to the Death Eaters for help?"

Potter and Black looked alarmed.

"My grandfather and my mother were a Slytherin, so I am not going to listen to you say all Slytherins are bad because they are not. They are all like us, children with possibilities. But your actions are taking away a lot of options. You two should think more about the consequences of your actions."

Severus curtly said and went on his way to the infirmary to give madam Pomfrey his potions leaving the two Gryffindors behind.

"Very well said, Mr. Prince. I must award five points to Gryffindor for a well-designed speech."

Madam Pomfrey was at the door waiting for him with a smile.

"I must say, your words were astonishingly insightful for a first-year student. I hope Mr. Potter and Mr. Black will change their ways. Mr. Pettigrew has been having more asthma attacks than any other students. Poor boy is so scared to death to even walk the corridors, which as you may have seen is a verified threat for him."

"I hope they do too, Madam Pomfrey. Here are my potions for this week."

Madam Pomfrey's face brightened and took the bag full of potions.

"Thank you, Mr. Prince. You have become a big help since Professor Slughorn often forgets to make our basic potions."

She opened and smelled the potion.

"And, always of the great quality. I have a suspicion that your potions skills are beyond Professor Slughorn."

Madam Pomfrey smirked lightheartedly. Severus blushed, not used to getting any sort of praise from Poppy. He was not even aware that she had the skill to distinguish the quality of potions. Severus bid goodbye to Poppy, and by the time he came back to the corridor, Potter and Black were gone. Severus truly hoped the two would stop this bullying soon.