Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, wish I did.

For those of you who are waiting for my W.I.T.C.H./Harry Potter crossover don't worry it's still in the works. I've gotten the first two chapters done but I wanted to get a few more written since the plot for that store is fairly complex and I don't want to miss anything important.

I do apologize for the long break from writing but it's been a very busy and fairly rotten year for me. But I feel that I need to get my creative juices flowing again to build up some more positive energy. And after all the "Far well to Harry Potter" parties and tributes this little idea popped into my head and I have been unable to shake it. So might as well let it out. The parts in bold are lines from the books. I'm also looking for a Beta for this story so if anyone is interested please let me know. Enjoy.

The plot: Severus Snape gets another chance to go back, stop the first rise of the Dark Lord, and to save Lily before the prophesy can be told. But things are never easy or straightforward for Snape. His seventeen year-old self is forced to relive his death in front of the Marauders and a whole crowd of students. In his weakened state he is forced to rely on his arch rival for help. Can they save the world or will they end up killing each other first? Pairings Snape/Lily and James/Lily More to come.

The Torn Prince

Chapter 1:

From Blood Reborn

Seventeen year old Severus Snape was in deep thought as he slowly exited his year sixth year Transfiguration class. Tonight was suppose to be an exciting night but all he felt was unease. Tonight the chosen ones would be initiated into the Dark Lord's ranks, and become Death Eaters. But was this what he really wanted? Sure he wanted power, he wanted be somebody important, someone other wizards would look up to.

Potter and his friends were living in a dream world. They had no idea what muggles were like and yet they defended them as if they were helpless victims. Thinking of his mother, practically broken by his bastard of a father and Lily's spiteful muggle sister- He paused as his thoughts once again turned to his former best friend. 'Stop that!' he scolded himself. 'It's over, you screwed it all up! And it's your own damn fault!'

"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"

He hesitated. His black eyes, eager in the greenish gloom, moved over her pale face and dark red hair.

"No," he said. "It doesn't make any difference."

The memory drifted into his head unwillingly.

But maybe when he earned the Dark Lord's favor, when he became someone important he could make her see- but his thoughts were interrupted with a sharp pain to his right hand as his wand flew out of it.

He turned and quickly spotted James "bloody" Potter is his merry little band of trouble makers.

"Potter!" he spat. "Give me my wand back this instant or I'll-"

"Or you'll what, Snivellus. It seems to me you've lost your wand. You really should take better care of it. Someone might accidentally thrown it into a tree." James taunted and his best friend Sirius Black was right behind him with the punch line.

"How about the Whopping Willow." James smiled.

"Nicely done mate." While the two of them were rubbing Snape's nose in the fact that he had been caught off guard Remus was trying to figure out a way to end this confrontation with out anyone getting hurt, maimed or humiliated. Peter just hung back and decided to enjoy this show that was just starting.

Snape was furious, he couldn't believe he had let his wand be taken from him so easily. He wouldn't put it past those four not to fallow up on their threat. But just as he was formulating a plan to get it back a strange memory seemed to pop into his head.

"I'm sorry!" he begged.

"Save your breath." Lily said turning away from him.

"I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just – "

Severus shook his head violently. Why was he thinking about this now?

"It's too Late…I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"What's wrong Snivlly?" taunted James. "Can't think of any snappy comebacks this time?"

But the voices didn't stop there. This time it was Professor Dumbledore. "How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?"

"Everything – everything I heard!" said Snape. "That is why – it is for that reason – he thinks it means Lily Evans!"

The Slytherin was now becoming alarmed. That wasn't a memory.

"You disgust me," said Dumbledore, with contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little, "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"

"Stop it." The real Severus said through gritted teeth now covering his ears trying to shut out the voices in his head.

Then he heard something that made a terrible sound, like a wounded animal. Severus was shocked when he realized it was himself."I thought…you were going…to keep her…safe…"

"I said STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" The boy shouted denying and yet knowing what the voices were implying.

James looked back at his friends giving them a questioning look. "What's he on about? We haven't done anything yet?"

"You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?"

"DON'T!" bellowed Snape. "Gone…dead…"

"SHUT UP!" He shrieked so violently the Marauders collectively took a step back.

Snape then turned to his teenage attackers. He had a mad look in his eyes and he fixated them right at the Gryffindors. "I don't know what you're playing at but this is too cruel even for you. Make it stop NOW!"

"I wish…I wish I were dead…"

Severus shoved his hands over his ears but the voices only seemed to be getting louder. As a crowd started to gather his behavior only became more erratic. To make matters even worse images were flashing behind his eye lids to go along with voices. Haunting images of Lily several years older kissing Potter, of himself listen by a door, and of the Dark Lord branding his arm.

" – mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent – "

Images of a young boy who looks sickenlly like James Potter…but his eyes….

"You see what you expect to see, Severus," he heard Dumbledore say.

More images of the green eyed Potter growing up through his eyes as he watched and protected the boy. The boy that marked his rivals triumph over him. The boy that should have been his, his and Lily's.

Severus Snape had sunk to his knees still shaking his head. His thought were getting mixed up with these new strange one trying to weave themselves into his mind.

"Why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?"he hear his own voice again paired with an image of the Headmaster's blackened hand.

"It is a miracle you managed to return here!" Snape sounded furious. "That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for; I have trapped the curse in one hand for the time being – "

Within the ever growing crowd was Mary Macdonald, a good friend of Lily Evens. She had help her friend out all though her and Snape's fail friendship. And while Lily said she had given up totally on the little bastard Mary could still catch her steeling glances at "the boy next store" wondering if she made the right choice.

Mary personally thought it was good that Lily finally broke things off with Snape but even she had to admit a four against one fight wasn't very Gryffindor in her books. But this was different, she didn't see who started it but right now Snape was getting hysterical. James and his pals didn't seem to be doing much and even looked confused. Something was wrong and it was only getting worse.

Mary quickly turned to a small second year Gryffindor and told her to go get Professor McGonagall before things got too violent. The girl looked relived now that she had an excuse to leave and took off running. It was a good thing she was sent away, for things really did go from bad to worst.

James and the other Marauders didn't notice the girl leaving they could only stare in confusion at their arch rival…well writhing. James glanced back a Sirius wondering if his best friend was trying some weird new spell.

"Hey mate, what'd you do?" Sirius look back at James with an odd expression.

"Me, I thought you were doing it." James got a better look at his face, he could always tell if Sirius was lying. He could never keep a straight face when he had pulled off a great prank. His staggering number of detentions was proof as well as a source of great pride for the boy.

Remus looked worried and Peter…well Peter he wasn't so sure about. It looked like he was scared but didn't want to look away. While that may have seemed strange whatever was happening to Snivellus was way beyond Wormtail's capability.

Sirius tried to smile but it fell short so he tried to joke his way out of a evergrowing scary situation. "Maybe he's just gone round the twist?" But even he couldn't laugh as Snape let out another scream.

"Guys!" Hissed Remus. "This isn't funny something is seriously wrong with him."

James first response would have been, "You're just figuring this out now?" but even he had to admit this was getting too weird for his taste so he held his tong.

As for Severus the images and voices were only getting worse.

"You have done very well, Severus. How long do you think I have?"

The seventeen year old Snape realize, even in his casual tone, Albus had just admitted that he was dying.

"If you had only summoned me a little earlier, I might have been able to do more, buy you more time!" his older self said furiously. An image of a broken ring and sword attacked his eyes. He had never seen them before their meaning was clear. And now they were coming in flashes. Like something was coming, as if he was he was running out of time.

He saw himself promising that he would keep his promise to Dumbledore, and his confession that he still loved Lily, even after all this time. Other images came with such quickness he wasn't sure what he was seeing.

Then he saw himself kill Albus Dumbledore and running from the castle. And he felt the pain of the loss almost as much as Lily herself.

But even then he was cured as well as obligated to watch over her son. It always was at a distance, why should now be any different? He led the boy to the sword, and watch as Potter and the Weasley boy destroyed the locket. He was left to protect Hogwarts while distrusted from members on both sides.

Finally he was called, and at last the Dark Lord placed his precious snake in a protective case. But something was wrong.

The crowd had gotten even larger as Severus Snape stood up. He was looking at the Marauders but it was almost like he was looking through them at something else only he could see.

"It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."

The present day Snape backed away slowly his eyes widening in fear. No one said a word but even if they had Snape only heard one.

"Kill."

He saw the snake coming at him but could do nothing to stop it. He screamed as he felt its sharp fangs rip into his neck. As the warm blood poured from his body his screams turned into garbled gasps. He collapsed to the ground grabbing his thought fighting in vain to keep the poison from spreading and his blood from spilling. But this wasn't a vision that was just happening in his head.

The crowd gasp in horror and joined Severus in his screaming. They couldn't see what had happened even though they were staring at him the whole time. All they saw was a terrified Snape and something invisible ripping out his thought.

Even through the crowd was large no one was willing to near the poor bleeding Slytherin. They didn't know what had attacked him or where it had gone. Many fled: some to get help, some just to get away. Only James Potter was close enough to hear what Severus was saying.

"Take…it….take…it…."

He had no clue what the other boy was talking about. But as much as he hated Snivellus Snape, and he did, it wasn't enough to want to watch him die right in front of him. After getting over his initial shock he rushed to Snape's side and put his hands over the neck wounds trying to stop the bleeding.

But as he lay dying Snape's mind was caught somewhere between his current life and the life he had yet to live. But he still had one last thing he needed to do. Reaching up he grabbed James's robes and forced the Gryffindor to look him in the eye.

"LOOK AT ME!" But as he looked in to Potter's Brown eyes he knew something was terribly off. Somehow he was looking at the wrong Potter.

While James still had no clue what was going on something happened when he met Snape's eyes. He saw an entire life, not his own, flash before his eyes in a heartbeat. Before he could take anything in however, he was roughly shoved aside by Professor McGonagall. She a several other teachers had converged on sixth year Slytherin and were attempting to save his life.

As soon as they were ready to move him the deputy Headmistress turned to her four wayward lions. They had never seen her eyes so cold and harsh aim directly at them, not even after that botched prank on the full moon last year. "What have you done?" she said softly but she might as well have shouted.

James opened his mouth to defend himself but as he glanced down he realized he still had Snape's wand in his hand and his close were now drenched in his blood.

To be continued…

Next time: Lies in the Light, Truth in the Darkness

While Severus fights for his life, James begins to have vision of the life Snape lived and the life that is to come. And he never been more terrified.