The corridors of Hogwarts were quieter than they had been in weeks. Snow had begun to fall outside, muffling the sounds of the world, but inside, Severus Snape could feel the castle's unease like a pulse. Something was winding tighter with every passing day—a knot of memory, fate, and dread.
He knew what was coming. The Shrieking Shack. The confrontation with Black. But this time, it wouldn't play out as before. He wouldn't let it.
---
Snape's Office – Late Evening
Snape sat at his desk, quill poised over a stack of parchment but unmoving. The Marauder's Map lay open beside him, its ink shimmering faintly in the firelight. Pettigrew's name flickered near the Gryffindor tower again.
Snape tapped the map once with his wand, muttering a binding charm under his breath. The lines of ink glowed briefly, but the rat vanished from sight.
"You can run, vermin," Snape muttered, "but you will not hide."
A sharp knock broke the silence.
"Enter," he said coldly.
The door creaked open, and Remus Lupin stepped inside. His expression was carefully neutral, but Snape could see the weariness in his eyes.
"You've been watching the map," Lupin said quietly.
Snape's gaze narrowed. "You know what I've seen."
"I know," Lupin admitted, stepping closer. "And I know what you're planning. Pettigrew isn't the only ghost that haunts these walls."
Snape rose from his chair slowly. "If you're here to stop me, Lupin—"
"I'm here to warn you." Lupin's voice sharpened. "The full moon is in two nights. Whatever you're chasing, if you force this too soon, you'll risk everything."
Snape stepped closer, his expression dark. "You think I care about risk?"
For a moment, the two men stared each other down. Old grudges simmered beneath the surface—too many years, too many wounds unhealed.
Lupin finally sighed, shoulders slumping. "If you're going after him… then don't do it alone."
---
Elsewhere – Gryffindor Tower
Harry sat in front of the fire, the Marauder's Map tucked safely under his robes. He hadn't told Ron or Hermione about Pettigrew. Not yet. They wouldn't understand why Snape—of all people—seemed to be circling closer to the truth than anyone else.
But he couldn't get Snape's words out of his head.
"I know this magic. I know the men who made it."
Harry frowned into the flames. Why did Snape sound like he wasn't just talking about Sirius or Lupin? There was something heavier in his voice. Personal.
From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Draco watching him again from across the room. Their gazes met briefly, awkward and sharp, before Draco turned away quickly, muttering something to Crabbe.
Harry sighed. Everything felt like it was winding toward something.
---
Later – The Clocktower
Snape stood once more beneath the clocktower's slow-moving hands. Time, relentless and steady, mocked him.
He wasn't supposed to be here. None of this was supposed to be happening.
And yet, when he closed his eyes, he could still see Lily—her smile, her voice—standing just out of reach.
"I'll fix it," he murmured to the empty air.
From behind him, a voice cut through the shadows.
"You always were too stubborn for your own good," Lupin said, stepping out from the archway.
Snape didn't turn. His grip on his wand tightened.
"We're running out of time," he replied. "Pettigrew's moving. Sirius will follow. And Potter…" He paused, jaw tight. "…Potter is walking blind into history's jaws."
Lupin stepped closer, his expression wary but resolute. "Then we stop it. Together."
Snape exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing on the snow falling through the high windows.
For Lily.
---
Elsewhere – The Forbidden Forest Edge
A figure moved through the trees, cloaked and silent, breath fogging in the cold air. Sirius Black's eyes glinted in the moonlight as he glanced toward the castle.
He was closer than ever.