Harry Potter and the Prancing of Ponies

by The Guy Who Writes

Chapter 57: Severus Snape

In the dungeons of Hogwarts, two men sat across from each other. One stewed in surly silence, the other sat in the chair across from his desk. Many students had sat in that chair, and it was never a good experience. Now that it was not a student, it promised to be equally unpleasant in the opposite direction.

"Apologies, Severus," said 'David Monroe' in the Slytherin Head of House Office.

The man had entered after a polite knock, then cast the complete suite of privacy spells, plus a few that Severus had never seen or heard before. The man had also activated a device, claiming it would keep the meeting private without the need for continuous re-casting of temporary charms.

"I know you wanted to speak with me," said the Defense Professor, "but this was the earliest I could find time to meet."

"Oh, no," said Severus, eyeing the man with frustration and fury. "I understand that national matters are far more important than personal squabbles." The words were not spoken sarcastically, but bitterness seeped through every syllable.

The Potions Master had been imagining this moment the entire day. His resentment had been building. Festering. Coalescing. But not out of control. His emotions continuously clashed with the certainty that he was completely impotent. And not just because he signed a paralyzing contract.

Severus could hold his own in a fight. Even against most aurors. But he has no hope against Voldemort. That was true even ten years ago.

Now it's worse. Much, much worse.

If Mad-Eye is to be believed, if the brief battle between Dark Wizard and Dark Wizard Hunter had not been staged…

Then the difference in power between Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort…

…he has been thinking about this all day…

The gap in power is far greater today than it had been a mere three days ago, and the gap of three days ago had been far greater than the gap ten years ago, and that original gap had already been extreme enough.

To make matters yet worse, the ambition of actually slaying Voldemort is utterly hopeless, even ignoring the power imbalance. Besting Voldemort in battle would do Severus no good, regardless of its impossibility.

Voldemort knows the methods of vanquishment proposed by Harry Potter. Voldemort would not have allowed Harry Potter to say those weaknesses aloud if he was still vulnerable to them. If the story is to be believed, he had years- no, decades to shore up those chinks in his armor. Dementors might still be a weakness, but there are only two left and Voldemort is on good terms with those who had destroyed the rest. He is on good terms with the Ministry of Magic, or at least the Wizengamot, who control Britain's remaining Dementor. He is on decent terms with the ICW as well, who guard the final Dementor – and when it comes to the ICW, 'decent' terms is about as good as one can get. Voldemort is on good terms with the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort is on good terms with everybody.

In short, Severus would not be avenging Lily Potter, today or ever.

Severus had lost his infatuation for her back in September, thanks to her son's harsh words, but Severus still held to the love of childhood friendship which he and Lily shared long before they were Hogwarts students. He had still held to his vendetta for that sake, for the connection they shared before they grew older, grew up, and grew apart. Or perhaps he still held to it because he had nothing else. For over ten years, that vendetta had been his only meaningful connection to this world.

Without it, he has nothing. Nothing except his anger at the impossible. That anger would either disappear, leaving him truly empty of emotion, or it would drive him mad. Staring at the source of that anger was not helping, but had to be done.

Voldemort gazed back at Severus with far less emotion. The Dark Lord's expression did not seem condescending or critical, just curious, and perhaps a bit weary.

"I disagree," said the man. "Personal matters feel, and in most cases are more important to the individual than national matters. On that note, is there anything you would like to know before we proceed?"

"I would like to know," said Severus Snape's sharp voice, "exactly how the Boy-Who-Lived has come to be your ally, for I cannot imagine him taking your side if he had any other choice. I would like to know if it was a lie that Dumbledore also took your side, and if not, how you managed to fool him. And finally, I would like to know how you faked that Patronus charm."

There was a deep sigh. "It wasn't fake," he lied, "though I don't blame you for suspecting me. I did say I found a way to fake the charm, after all. I was hoping you would see the method on your own."

"Do enlighten me," said Severus, "if it would not be unwise."

The man shrugged. "Suppose Quirinus Quirrell was the type of person who would never, ever cast the Killing Curse, like Dumbledore. Now consider all of last year. Can you see a way for that man's mouth and wand to produce the green death regardless?"

Severus saw the answer instantly. "But…" he hesitated. "To do the same for the Patronus… would that not require…"

"It would," said the man, sounding unalarmed and unbothered. "If I arranged for another mind to become immortal as mine has, and if I allowed them to possess my body in the same way that I possessed Quirrell, or if some other mental link could achieve the same effect, then another being could use my body, my wand, and my voice to form a Patronus Charm. Assuming they could already cast it themselves, of course. Thus would I appear to cast the spell, though it would not be me truly doing it." The man smiled, as if in remembrance. "I wanted to fool Dumbledore that way, at one point, long before I could cast the spell honestly. But I did learn to cast it honestly."

Severus snorted. "Let me guess. You encountered a Dementor, it threatened your life, and you loved yourself enough to repel it, going from not a flicker of light to a full Patronus."

"Not even close," said the man. "The Patronus cannot be cast from self-love. That could never form a Patronus, unless we include abstract muggle theories about a lack of true altruism in evolution due to genetic self-perpetuation of a life form's closely-related tribe."

"Hm," said Severus. Ignoring whatever gibberish the man had said after the first part, it's clear Voldemort has studied the Patronus. He seems to know what does not constitute the right kind of thought, at least.

"In any case," the man continued, "the entire purpose of Dumbledore's questioning was to prevent such a scenario from succeeding. Can you guess, from all that, how Dumbledore was 'fooled', as you put it?"

"Yes," spat Severus. "You spelled it out in the headmaster's office. A Voldemort who can cast the Patronus charm would not be Voldemort anymore; there would be nothing left of him but a remnant. What I can't understand is how you expect me to believe your redemption, and how you expect me to believe it fulfills the prophecy. The headmaster is a sentimental old fool when it comes to such matters. Harry Potter is young and naive. I am neither."

"Mr. Potter was less naïve and immature about your own situation than you were. Who's to say he was not equally skeptical and mature about mine?"

Severus furrowed his brows for a moment. Then he realized. "Potter TOLD-"

"Perfect Occlumency lessons," Voldemort interrupted him before his indignation could really get going. "Naturally, I did not agree to Obliviation, and I sometimes saw things without him realizing, especially early on. Even Mr. Potter does not know that he told me about the private conversation he had with you."

Severus crossed his arms, glowering heavily. He did not quite direct the expression at the man sitting across from him.

The Defense Professor looked at him with a calm sort of weariness. "If you are going to disbelieve anything that puts me and my allies in so much as a neutral light, we can have this conversation through Patronus messages if you'd prefer."

Severus shook his head. "I shall take your excuse at face value, but I stand by my statement that Mr. Potter is closer to Dumbledore than myself when it comes to matters of redemption. His attitude towards Mr. Malfoy is obvious enough."

"True," said Voldemort. "And as a result, Mr. Malfoy has had a change of heart and a change of perspective. Mr. Potter's attitude towards Mr. Malfoy was justified, where Dumbledore's cynicism was not. And his attitude towards Filch was also justified where Dumbledore's naiveté was not."

Severus wished he could argue the point, but he had nothing to say to that. Voldemort, as usual, was exactly correct on a point-by-point basis. Even if the direction the points were going as a whole…

"Mr. Potter can see the potential good in people," Voldemort went on. "Even me, though he is less naïve about how to go about achieving it than Dumbledore. And he is likewise realistic about irredeemable cases. You, on the other hand, are disinclined to believe anything positive about me. You might admit that I have what are called 'evil virtues'-" the man rolled his eyes "-like cunning and power, but nothing that would prove a modicum of morality. That is a flaw in reasoning as well, Severus. I know because I laboured under that flaw for much longer than you have. Even if I provide solid evidence to prove my case, you will reject it."

"What evidence?" demanded Severus. "And don't say the Patronus charm."

But Voldemort shook his head. "Your tone suggests that you will find any possible reason for denial. If I say something that you can't refute, you will say that it being true does not prove anything. If I say something unprovable, you will say I am lying. There will always be an excuse, some reason I am evil and wrong. Your emotions have brought you beyond the realms of reason and evidence. I am not yet good at such conversations, Severus. That is why I am tempted to skip to the end of this one. I am tempted to order that you accept the best offer I can make to settle debts between us, then be done with the whole affair."

The Dark Mark on Severus's arm itched for the briefest of moments, then went dormant.

Severus eyed the man in calculation. Voldemort certainly would have skipped to the end, but Severus knew that 'Voldemort' was at least partially an act. Tom Riddle might be more patient.

"Why haven't you?" Severus asked, ignoring the stupidity of the 'settling debts' statement. He had well learned by this point to never call Voldemort stupid in any way, or imply it, or whisper it behind closed doors.

"Obligation," the man stated. "Part of settling that debt is offering you the opportunity to question me."

"Without restriction?" asked Severus. "For I do indeed have many questions."

The man shrugged. "I do have my own preferences. I would prefer that we not act out the roles of characters in a play, with myself as the regretful but untouchable perpetrator, you the vengeful but powerless victim, and our lines exactly what you would expect from that situation. Is there anything you want to know that would not fit into such a scene? That might actually prove productive."

For a long time, Severus tried to think of something to ask, discarding question after question. He stared at Voldemort all the while, who began tinkering with his device after a time.

Eventually, Severus did think of something. "Why did you induct me when I brought you that prophecy?"

The man's eyes looked up from the device, his eyebrows raised.

"You could have killed me once you took what you wanted," Severus stated the retrospectively obvious. "What did you see in me, as I was then, that made you consider my application to the Death Eaters?"

"I was tired of being surrounded by gibbering stupidity," Voldemort said at once, as if it was the most obvious statement in the world. "I saw from your mind that you fit the schemer archetype, like myself. You had more raw intelligence than all my other servants. If you ever wondered why I never used the Cruciatus on you after that first time, it's because you never again did anything that annoyed me. You cleverly learned what acts to avoid from watching others be tortured, and you never failed in any of your missions. When I wanted to have a mildly intelligent conversation, or brag about a successful maneuver to someone who could actually understand the feat, you were my go-to."

"Not Lucius?" Severus asked, knowing Lord Malfoy also fit that particular personality mold, and knowing that Lord Malfoy is about as intelligent as himself.

"Not since you joined, no." The man went back to examining his privacy device. "Lucius would always be thinking of anything I said as a means to further his own agenda. He would offer tips, or minor adjustments in strategy, hoping his advice would reflect well on him. I would let him do it because he occasionally said something useful, but when you came along I no longer needed to tolerate his maneuvering. You were much more straightforward. And more intelligent. You asked me questions that proved the strength of my mind to the other Death Eaters. You didn't pretend to worship me the way they did. And on the few occasions you remarked on my strategy, it wasn't with the intent of improving your image. I admit, that was enjoyable to me, which is why I heeded your begging when I went to the Potters. To the extent Lord Voldemort ever heeded such things, that is."

"Which is to say that he did not."

The man looked up from the device. "Which is to say that he gave her a chance. And he was honest with her, though she didn't believe it. That is what he would have said three days ago. Now I shall agree with you. You are correct. To go after a good parent's only child is to give them no choice at all." He looked back down again and resumed his fiddling. "I should mention that if Harry Potter, or I, or the others working on the problem discover a moral way to resurrect someone after the brief window in which the brain is recoverable, you'll be... one of the first to know. If it's still possible to contact you at that point. Though you should understand that I will not grant your original request. On the off chance it is possible to revive her, Mr. Potter will insist that James come back as well, and those two did truly love each other."

"I know," said Severus, leaning back in his chair.

He did not know if he should believe any of this, but he at least believed the part about the gibbering stupidity of the other Death Eaters. As for the bit about revival…

"Are you deliberately offering me false hope?"

"No," said Voldemort. "That item is on our agenda for future research. From what you know of me, you can see how my interests are served by an ally knowing such a spell. It would be a final contingency against my death. If we do discover anything that works, you will be told. But we're trying to avoid getting our own hopes up. Preventing death is far easier than curing it. Just so we're clear, that is not how I intend to settle my debt… although 'settle' isn't the correct word, come to think of it. I don't expect to ever truly settle it. I understand that it is nigh impossible to make up for what I've done. Even saving the world, doing the work of Merlin himself, would not make it up to you. Correct?"

Severus nodded, almost surprised that Voldemort understood as much. Though he could have simply been trained to follow a script by someone who did, with no true understanding himself…

"Have you saved the world, out of curiosity?"

"I have," Voldemort answered. "I suspect you won't need much convincing on that front. I once told Mr. Potter that I hold no great fondness for the universe, but I do live there."

Severus chuckled mirthlessly. "What precisely did you do?"

"You won't accept that it makes me a good person, and you would be right, since I did it long before I was a decent person, so I won't bore you with many details. It involved muggle militaries, nuclear weapons, and compulsion charms. Compulsion to inaction, in many cases."

"I see," Severus said to the unsurprising answer. "You are right, I do not accept it as evidence."

The man nodded. "Those who can cast Mr. Potter's Patronus can't ignore the fact that I've saved the world, which is why they will try to deny it when they first hear it. Those who can't cast the stronger version might readily believe that I've saved the world, like you, but they will say it makes up for nothing. The vast world around them is very far removed, after all. Saving it does not feel relevant to their own grievances. They want me to pay, not repay."

Severus frowned at that last part. He thought for another long while, searching for another question, but he couldn't think of anything except the most important one, which would fit firmly into the 'vengeful but powerless' scenario. It wasn't wise to annoy Voldemort, but…

"In that case, how do you intend to 'repay' when what you took was priceless?" he asked at last, since there was nothing else left.

The man carefully set the device down and met Severus's gaze. "By offering you the same priceless opportunity I received. I have come to realise that mental health is invaluable." He withdrew a shard of red from his robes. "I possess the Stone of Permanence. I can give you any form you please, send you anywhere you want to go with whatever resources you require. Thus, you have three choices. You can stay in Hogwarts as the Potions Master, evil or no. You can choose your own destiny, with or without my help. Or you can go to the place that I believe has the best chance to bring you lasting happiness. You will have to become an animagus, but that can be arranged."

Severus could feel his eyebrows furrowing. He was tempted to reject the man outright, but… "What, precisely, does your own offer entail?" he found himself asking.

"I offer you the chance to start over, Severus," replied the man. "No one will know you as the evil Potions Master. No one will know you as a Death Eater. No one will know you as a member of the Order. Not even yourself, if you wish to have your memories locked. Though I will recommend you don't, and further recommend that you speak to a therapist who is Vowed to privacy. With the exception of that therapist, no one will see you as anything other than how you present yourself. I would offer to remove your Mark, but it was designed as a permanent curse. Removing it will require effort on the part of a certain individual, if you accept this offer, and you can also choose to accept her help or simply never meet her."

"You offer to remove your own Mark?" Severus asked, keeping his disbelief out of his tone.

"I can't guarantee the Mark will ever come off," said the man. "I can't even guarantee that you'll find happiness. You'll have to do the right things yourself. I can only guarantee that the efforts will be made. I suppose I can also guarantee that your potions mastery will be valued, if you can adjust to the new setting. Even as a fresh and competent potions master, no one will ever connect the dots about your past. And if you do go down that route, and then later wish to return as Severus Snape for any reason, whether for a day or a year or a lifetime, I can arrange that as well. I did not have that option myself, when I lived through what I am offering you, and it was for the best. Perhaps it would be best if you could not come back so easily either... but the communications delay, and the fact that it has to go through me, might serve as a sufficient barrier outside of extremely important matters."

"And it is truly a choice?" he asked without taking even a moment to consider it. "Not an order?"

"Not an order," the man confirmed. "I am tempted to make it one, but I won't."

"Why not?" asked Severus. "Why give me the choice if you are so convinced you are right?"

"Because I might be wrong," he shrugged. "And because trying to help others in order to make oneself feel less bad is actually unwise, emotionally speaking. It means I'm still caring mostly about my own desires and emotions, not yours. I know that's where this suggestion is coming from, and I know to distrust that motivation. Even if I think this path would be best for you, it's not my place to tell you that you should take it. It's only my place to offer. This way, the choice will be yours."

Severus leaned back in his chair.

How cruel, he realized, for Voldemort to allow Severus to choose for himself, so that Voldemort cannot be blamed for how his life turns out from this moment forward. Even if Severus chooses Voldemort's option, it will have been his choice to accept it. He will have to own his decisions henceforth, just as he takes responsibility for the last time he chose the 'Voldemort' option.

That is how I brought it about, he had once said. Brought it all about, from beginning to end, me and my own doing.

He knew that this is another one of those critical moments, another opportunity for him to make the wrong choice. It's the height of irony that Voldemort is seemingly offering him the 'good' option, when before he had been the conventionally 'evil' path.

Ignoring good and evil, the truth is that Severus doesn't want to continue being the scary Potions Master of Hogwarts. He had not been expecting to survive last night, had not made any plans for the future. He had been content to die knowing Lord Voldemort would be vanquished.

Now his life is effectively finished. His past plans and ambitions are moot. 'Voldemort' might be vanquished on some prophetic level, but the mind behind the glowing red eyes is still alive, and Severus can no longer influence that man's fate in any way that truly matters.

Lily Potter's death will never be repaid by the death of her killer.

And Tom Riddle, of all people, is attempting to make up for that fact. Tom Riddle, of all people, claims to understand that it can't be made up, which is almost harder to believe than his attempting to make amends in the first place.

After so many wrong decisions in his life, Severus has finally come to recognize when one is at hand. He has finally come to recognize the source of his wrong decisions as well, that which Tom Riddle called his 'bitterness and resentment'.

So, for just a moment, he left them aside. For just a moment, he chose to humor the other man.

"Please, use your Patronus," Severus requested, even knowing it might be fake. "Have it inform me of your evidence. I will leave the wording up to you."

The man did so. First he told his Patronus to "Tell Severus I have a means of conveying a message that is faster than echoing my words. It is just as honest."

The Patronus conveyed that message, then at Severus's hesitant nod, the Patronus spoke on its own, sending the following message:

"I am the happy thoughts of Tom Riddle," said the silver humanoid. "There used to be a dangerous, anti-harmonic resonance between Tom Riddle and Harry Potter, which you witnessed in Flitwick's memory, and which Mr. Potter called a 'Sense of Doom'. You can confirm it with Headmistress McGonagall, whom Mr. Potter told in the first week of the school year. Before the incident with the Mirror, we could not freely cast magic on each other. If we tried, we might have died. Our spirits and magic were close, but different enough to cause a cascading, resonating, explosive effect. That is no more. If I maintain my redemption, the resonance will stay gone. So long as I do not engage in my old patterns of thought, as I did last night in the Quidditch Pitch, it will not return, and I have every motive to avoid that outcome."

"And your offer is also true?" asked Severus. "It is not intended as a trap or trick?"

"It is neither," replied the Patronus. "I truly intend to meliorate this debt between us, Severus, in a way that does not involve pain or violence or punishment. I truly believe that your best interests will be served by my offer. If you are lucky, your deepest desires will be granted by extremely powerful and all-encompassing prophetic magic. My wishes, Dumbeldore's wishes, and Mr. Potter's wishes were all granted in this way."

"Explain."

"I'm afraid I mustn't," said the Patronus. "You shall have to ponder that on your own. In practical terms, you will want for nothing. Materially, magically, or emotionally. If you put in the work at therapy, that is."

"What do you mean by therapy?"

The man spoke this time, not the Patronus. "Better it be done in an office by a professional than in a hallway by your eleven year old student."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the man. "I take it you are finally lying?"

The man sighed, though it was his Patronus that answered, after a shake of its glowing white head. "That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't a good thing to say. When I have this much autonomy, I don't convey such thoughts."

Severus raised a hand. "A moment, please."

He has been trusted with deep magical secrets in the past, but usually he was warned first. Then again, back in the day, Voldemort had stopped warning him in advance after the first time. And all of this was getting in the way of what mattered.

"You said earlier that you were tempted to skip to the end," he decided to say to the man. "I think I am ready to do just that." He looked at the Patronus. "I need two final pieces of true information. First, speak of the offer's quality."

"It is the best I can make with my current intelligence and wisdom" said the Patronus. "Take that for what you will."

"And your ulterior motives?" he asked the most important question.

"I am doing it to feel less bad," said the Patronus. "In that sense, my motivations are, indeed, still selfish. I don't care for you all that much, Severus, but I do regret much of what I did as Voldemort. That regret is my primary motive. Otherwise, there are no ulterior motives in the sense that you are asking the question."

Severus considered this message for a long moment. He knew this message could possibly be fake... but it could also be true. Which made him almost reject the offer outright. He would rather strike out on his own.

This triggered his bitterness and resentment to return, constrained by the hard limits of the problem- and he finally saw a certain, obvious thing he could do about it. And after that, a certain possible path of future events. He was no seer, no centaur, but this vision of the future felt so likely to occur as to be almost inevitable, even if he does not help to speed it along himself.

His new deepest desire… even if he could not fully bring it about himself… it would certainly be something he'd want to witness personally… and perhaps he will be granted that much, if nothing else, by this supposed wish-granting world…

He weighed his options, then made his decision, even knowing that it is likely the wrong one.

---

The town of Hollow Shades doesn't often see new faces. Even when it came out that the current Prince of Equestria, the first and only stallion alicorn in known history, was actually a thestral, Prince Excelsior mentioned that he hadn't come from Hollow Shades, so it hadn't really caused an explosion in tourism or anything.

Ivy Bloom was perfectly fine with that. Too many hooves would mess with the local horticulture in the surrounding forest, and that would mess with her own small business of potions-making.

She was one of the only non-thestrals living in Hollow Shades, but her midnight-blue coat fit in just fine, and the rest of the town appreciated her magic. It paid the bills when potions didn't... but that was mostly due to her poor skills as a brewer, not a lack of business. Her special talent was preparing ingredients, from stewing slugs to growing mandrake, but she has never been the best at actually making the draughts.

Nopony in town had replied to her 'help wanted' sign once they learned she was asking for a brewer. Even though non-unicorns can brew potions and she was trying to reach out, there were simply no thestrals in Hollow Shades with the interest or talent for potions-making.

One of the residents – the only other unicorn, as it turned out, a blue mare in her fifties who went by the name Trixie – suggested that Ivy Bloom submit a request to Princess Luna. Princess Luna had helped Trixie, once upon a time, so Trixie reasoned that the princess might be able to help Ivy too. Trixie herself did not want the potions-brewing position, when asked.

Ivy Bloom had sent a letter in May, not really expecting a reply from the Princess.

Now it's August and she's already falling behind on the trickle of orders she'd gotten. It was always frustrating when a potion failed and she had to restart, and that already happened twice on this draught. Poison Joke cure is tricky to get right. It's a good thing she has so many spare ingredients. The bell above her small shop's door was a welcomed distraction.

"Hello," she greeted the thestral customer as she emerged from the backroom to the storefront. She didn't think she recognized him, so she just asked, "Can I help you?"

"Yes," said the thestral, his accent clearly a sign that he wasn't from around here. "I have been informed that you are in need of a Potions Brewer. I am here to apply for the position."

"You are?" her eyes lit up. "Can you start right away?"

The stallion nodded, a bit awkwardly. "I must warn you that I am... rusty," he said, raising a hoof and looking at it. "It might take time to get into practice."

Can't be worse than me, she thought to herself. "That's fine!" she said, lifting the counter flap with her magic. "I'll just start you on something I haven't gotten to yet. So long as your success rate is around one-to-one, you're hired."

"One-to-one?" he asked curiously. "You require perfect brewing? I was not expecting such high standards..." He curled and uncurled the hoof he had raised, looking to it once more. "I might not be able to meet them so soon."

"Oh, no no no," she said with little laugh. "I mean one successful potion for each one you fail."

The stallion stared at her. "One success for one failure," he repeated. "Is that the standard of your old brewer?"

"Oh, I've never had a brewer," she said. "Besides myself. That's my success rate." She felt her cheeks getting warm in embarrassment as he continued staring at her. "I've... never been very good at potions," she admitted, showing him her cutie mark. "Just at getting the ingredients. If I could spend all day in the forest, I would."

"I see," said the stallion. "Perhaps, once I have a handle on my practice again, that can be arranged."

"How?" she asked. Even if he did turn out to be a decent brewer, she would still need to spend time brewing.

"I used to be a potions master," he answered.

"Really?" she asked skeptically, then caught herself. Yes, she reminded herself, other species can brew potions. They can be potions masters. Even if it is a bit rare.

The stallion chuckled. "Yes, I suppose the convenience is a bit hard to believe, isn't it? I suspect my upcoming performance will not help my case either. But it is true nonetheless."

She really hoped it was true. "What's your name?"

The stallion seemed to pause for a moment. "Sharp Draught. Yours?"

"Ivy Bloom."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said formally, holding out a hoof.

"And yours," she said, briefly wrapping her neck around his. When she withdrew, she saw he was staring at her, wearing a puzzled frown. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"...No," he said, lowering his hoof to the floor. "Just adjusting to a change."

Comments

[MLfan]

That ending, though... wow. I've seen you compare yourself unfavorably to the original methods author, but I truly think this is a fantastic continuation. Snape finally getting his happy ending is just an incredible thing to see, finding a sort of AU Lily in the end. Though I have to wonder what the others will think when Snape, days after finding out Monroe's secret, conveniently disappears lol

Also, I love the Monroe's distinction between those who know the True Patronus and otherwise. For Harry, saving the world is a truly Good deed. For Snape, it matters little. It's just really cool. Really, every chapter of this story is a treat. I can't wait to see where this goes in the future!

[The Guy Who Writes]

11429224
Thank you.😄

[Booster Spice]

All you need is a way to look back in time, a way to record the information from that time, and a way to ensure the resulting information is intact when you use it at present.

Becasue light takes a finite time to move from one location to another and both locations must be there in the correct place for the interaction to occur, theoretically the principle is simple. Look at something.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Snape has Left The Building.

Thestral? so much for Equestrian efficiency.

[Archanon]

Thanks again TGWW for another great chapter. I'm excited to see the next one, and I'm hoping next chapter we resume back to that cliffhanger you left us with Tomb trying to make his next horcrux. Cheers!

[Greenhorn]

Err... did Monroe even inform his former employer on importing an immigrant to Equestria? I think it would be wise to at least tell her and not her sister. And I really want to hear Harry's opinion on this matter.

[keybounce]

This ... is interesting. Very interesting, and definitely up for re-reading later.

And no, I did not see Snape's immediately obvious answer.

I like the idea of Snape being able to continue being a potions master in a place where that will be a useful skill, complete with local training. And I agree, pony life, with Luna as a therapist, will be helpful.

(For some reason, when I read the chapter title, I'm thinking "Snape, Snape, ...")

[LNMAnonymous]

11429586 Given that his current deepest desire is for Voldemort to pay, I think the implication is that his plan was simply to go into the mirror and hope that it granted his wish, like it granted the other wishes, resulting in revenge on Voldemort.

[harts fire]

such a kind chapter.
severus snape / Sharp Draught will in time be so much happier.

i really love this chapter.

[The Guy Who Writes]

11429500
Tomb, eh? Was that a typo? Because that probably would have been a more appropriate name for Voldemort's pony form than Tome. "Riddle Tomb". I like it.

[The Guy Who Writes]

11429579
Rest assured, Celestia and Luna are informed of all immigration to Equestria.

[Fireeaters]

If there weren't still loose story threads hanging about, that'd've been a good place to end a story.

[keybounce]

I just realized, you have Trixie in her 50's.

This is 35 years after the show. About 30 since Twilight's coronation. So ...

So much will have happened by now. All the "main characters" will be old and retired. Even the CMC will be parents by now.

... when do we meet the new ponies?

[Poparakelis]

"...No," he said, lowering his hoof to the floor. "Just adjusting to a change."

Be happy

[Black--Soul]

Everyone is old my now... that just hit me. Makes me wonder if Tirek become the third or if it was never used up.

Further who become what? A parent? A successful shop or business owner? Employed high position individual? Did Twilight become a Alicorn? Did others?
So many questions, no answers.

Magnificent story!