Chapter Text
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died in the Shrieking Shack at the age of sixteen, the victim of a cruel prank gone terribly wrong. In this world, James Potter did not stop his rival from venturing down the tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and was not there to pull him out of harm's way when he caught a glimpse of a werewolf. In this world, when Severus Snape followed Sirius Black's hints and ventured out after Remus Lupin one full moon, he was met by a fully transformed werewolf, and did not survive the encounter. When Madame Pomfrey returned in the morning to retrieve her charge after his transformation, it was to find a horrified Remus Lupin who had reverted to his human form to discover the mauled and mangled corpse of his classmate lying before him. The justice of the Ministry and Hogwarts was swift and harsh, though too late to be of any use to Severus Snape: Remus Lupin was executed as a dangerous beast, and Sirius Black and James Potter were both expelled for their roles in the tragedy. In this world, Lily Evans would never marry James Potter or give birth to his son, wanting nothing to do with any of the boys who had killed her old friend, and Severus Snape would never relay a prophecy to the Dark Lord. With no marked Chosen One, no Boy Who Lived, there was no one to destroy Lord Voldemort, and the Wizarding War would stretch on long and bloody before reaching its inevitable, terrible, conclusion. In this world, Severus Snape's death was an accident.
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died in Azkaban Prison at the age of twenty, destroyed by the dementors and his own overpowering guilt. In this world, Albus Dumbledore did not give his former student a chance to renounce the Dark Lord, did not trust him enough to make him his spy. In this world, when Severus Snape appeared on a windy hilltop to beg the Headmaster for the life of Lily Evans Potter and warn of the Dark Lord's search for her son, he was met not by Albus Dumbledore alone, but by a group of Aurors lying in wait. Dumbledore waited until the distraught Death Eater had given his information, made his pathetic pleas, then coldly stepped aside and allowed the Aurors to drag him away. The justice of the Ministry was swift and harsh, with barely a play at a trial; Severus Snape admitted to being a Death Eater, not daring to claim otherwise, and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. He would die there only months later, drowning in his regrets and terrible memories at the hands of the dementors until he starved to death. In this world, the prophecy had already been passed on, and the Dark Lord would be defeated by Harry Potter through the sacrifice of his parents. In the Second Wizarding War, there was no one to act as a spy in the ranks of the Death Eaters, or to protect Harry Potter, and the Boy Who Lived would die long before he could even attempt to destroy the Dark Lord. In this world, Severus Snape's death was a punishment.
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died in a fall from the Astronomy Tower at the age of twenty-one, throwing himself to his death in the midst of his despair. In this world, Albus Dumbledore was unable to convince the Potions' Master of the need to stay alive to protect Harry Potter, and was not there to pull him back from the edge when he took the jump. In this world, when Severus Snape was told of the death of Lily Evans, he could not be consoled by reminders of her son's survival nor convinced that there was any reason left for his own continued existence. When Hagrid went walking on his usual rounds about the castle grounds the next morning in search of anything amiss, he found the body of Severus Snape lying broken at the base of Hogwarts' highest tower. His wand, tucked into his sleeve, had been snapped in two from the impact, and on the ground beside him was a stone that must have fallen from his hand, with two letters roughly scratched into its surface in a child's writing: L.E. for Lily Evans, a present he had carried with him for over 10 years. In this world when Lily Evans Potter died, Severus Snape's will to live died with her, and his body soon followed, leaving the Boy Who Lived with one fewer person to watch over him, and leaving Albus Dumbledore without a spy. The War would still occur in its time, but the defeat of the Dark Lord would never be accomplished in his absence. In this world, Severus Snape's death was a choice.
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died in the Little Hangleton graveyard at the age of thirty-four, executed as a traitor by Lord Voldemort. In this world, the Dark Lord did not believe the former Death Eater's excuses for his apparent betrayals, and killed the Potions’ Master rather than accepting him back into his service as a Death Eater. In this world, when Severus Snape appeared in the graveyard hours after the Dark Lord's summons and attempted to explain away his behavior to his former master, his ploy was unsuccessful. In this world, despite Severus Snape's great prowess at Occlumency, he was no match for the greatest Legilimens in the world. Voldemort saw through his excuses, saw through his lies, understood that the man before him was no longer his loyal servant but instead a traitor and a would-be spy, and dealt with the matter accordingly. The Dark Lord's view of justice for the act of betrayal was cruel, though not as prolonged as it could have been, for Voldemort had more important issues to fill his time than the execution of a single traitor. Severus Snape's battered body was left before the gates of Hogwarts, with the Dark Mark cast into the sky above to ensure the Headmaster's attention and publicize the consequences of treason. The loss of their spy was a blow to the side of the Light, though not an entirely unexpected state of affairs. The details of the Second Wizarding War would change drastically with his death, and the Boy Who Lived would ultimately be unable to prevail against his foe. In this world, Severus Snape's death was an execution.
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died at the top of the Astronomy Tower at the age of thirty-seven, killed for his apparent murder of Albus Dumbledore. In this world, Harry Potter recovered faster from his shock at the Headmaster's fall, and made his move before the Death Eaters left the top of the tower. In this world, when Severus Snape raised his wand towards Dumbledore, the invisible and immobilized Harry Potter fought to do the same, straining against the spell that bound him. Dumbledore’s spell died with him, and the boy cast his own curse immediately. In the eyes of the Boy Who Lived, justice should see Severus Snape dead, and in that moment he believed himself the vehicle for that justice. Righteous anger and the hatred he had harbored for the Potions' Master for years were enough to fuel even an Unforgivable Curse, even the Killing Curse. Severus Snape's body hit the floor of the tower in a flash of green light even as he tried to shepherd Draco Malfoy towards the safety of the stairs. The other Death Eaters fled, dragging Malfoy along with them, with Harry Potter following behind like an avenging angel. They left behind the two bodies - the Headmaster at the base of the tower and the Potions Master at its pinnacle. With Severus Snape dead there would be a new headmaster of Hogwarts under Voldemort, and the final events of the Second Wizarding War would culminate not with Harry Potter's defeat of the Dark Lord, but with the victory of Darkness over Light. In this world, Severus Snape's death was retribution.
In one world, a world that might have been, Severus Snape died in the corridors of Hogwarts at the age of thirty-eight, cut down as he tried to flee without harming his former colleagues. In this world, Minerva McGonagall furiously cast her spells with incredible speed, forcing the so-called headmaster to counter them as he backed away down the hallway. But while she had no qualms about being on the offensive, he was hampered by his desire to avoid causing real harm to his opponent. In this world, Severus Snape's reaction came just a little too slowly as the Transfiguration Mistress sent a swarm of daggers towards him, too slowly to deflect the deadly blades. Instead of impaling themselves harmlessly in a suit of armor or the nearby wall, the daggers sank into the chest of Severus Snape, sending him staggering to the ground. With Harry Potter still hidden beneath his invisibility cloak, it was to a horrified Minerva McGonagall that he reached out a pleading hand, and whispered a last request for her to give the memories suddenly pouring from his orifices to the Boy Who Lived. In this world, as the body of Severus Snape was left behind in the corridor, impaled by countless knives and with robes soaked in his own blood, neither Minerva McGonagall nor Harry Potter viewed the memories of the Potions Master, unable to look past his previous betrayal or trust any help he might offer. The Boy Who Lived would be defeated by the Dark Lord, and Minerva McGonagall lived little longer to regret what she had done to the man they had not realized was on their side. In this world, Severus Snape's death was a mistake.
In one world, a world that almost was, Snape died in the Shrieking Shack at the age of thirty-eight, killed by the Dark Lord for a wand that he had never possessed. In this world, as we know well, Severus Snape became a victim of Voldemort's thirst for power, bleeding out from the wounds inflicted by Nagini at the Dark Lord's command. His last act was to attempt to pass on his memories, the vital information that would allow Harry Potter to finally win the battle against Lord Voldemort, but in this world the Boy Who Lived would not listen to the man he still believed a murderer and traitor. And so it went, as the body of Severus Snape lay in a puddle of blood in the Shrieking Shack, that the Second Wizarding War was lost through the pride of Harry Potter, and the true allegiance of the Potions’ Master was never known. In this world, Severus Snape's death was meaningless.