Harry's heart was still racing when he finally opened his eyes. The remnants of the dream lingered like a dark cloud.
His breath came in shallow gasps, the weight of Snape's experiences heavy on his chest.
He wasn't sure how long he had been lying there, his mind a swirl of confusion and guilt. The heartbreak in Snape's eyes and the desperation in his voice was so vivid.
Too vivid.
He pushed himself up, his muscles sore and stiff.
His mind was swimming in a thick fog, and he was disoriented, trying to make sense of the flood of emotions that had overtaken him.
Snape wasn't just a bitter, angry professor.
He was a man broken by his past, his choices, and the love he could never have. Harry's heart twisted as he thought about it.
But as much as the dream had shaken him, it also left him with a burning question: What was he supposed to do with this knowledge?
The common room was quiet when he stumbled downstairs, hoping the fresh air would clear his head.
Hermione was there, sitting at one of the tables, her nose buried in a book. When she saw Harry, she looked up with a sharp, knowing look. "You've been up for a while," she said, her voice soft with concern.
Harry gave her a tight nod, rubbing his forehead as he sat across from her. The weight of his emotions still clung to him, but he couldn't just keep it inside. Not now.
"I saw it," Harry said quietly, his voice shaking just a little. "I saw Snape's memories. His past. It wasn't just… it wasn't just what I saw either. It was his pain, his heartbreak. I felt it. He—" Harry's voice caught, and he swallowed hard. "He never really got over it, Hermione. The way he was treated… the way Lily left him… It changed him. He's not just a monster."
Hermione's eyes softened with understanding, but there was a flicker of something else there, something cautious. "Harry, what are you talking about? Did you have another vision?"
Harry took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The dream had been overwhelming, and he wasn't sure how to explain it. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the table as he struggled to find the right words. "Yeah. A vision. But it wasn't like the others. It was different, intense, like I was there. And the way James treated him—"
Harry stopped, swallowing hard as the image of Snape's broken expression flashed in his mind again. "It was awful. I can't even describe how cruel my dad was to him."
"And you're sure of what you saw? What this means. Snape's actions, his choices—"
"I know," Harry cut her off, his hands gripping the edge of the table. He was trying to make sense of it all, but it wasn't easy. The dream had shown him everything, and yet he still didn't know how to reconcile the man Snape had become with the boy he used to be. "I don't know what it means. I just—It was so real, Hermione. I felt everything he felt. His anger, his pain, his bitterness... it was all in me. And now I can't stop thinking about it."
Hermione was quiet for a moment, taking in what he'd said. "So, what are we going to do? Are you going to confront him, ask him about it?"
Harry shook his head slowly. "I can't. Not yet. I don't even know if I'm supposed to do anything. But we've got to be careful. I'm seeing things through his eyes now… and I don't know how far it goes. What if I can't separate myself from his emotions? What if it starts to affect everything?"
Hermione nodded solemnly, her brows furrowing in thought. "I think that's why you need to be careful. The emotions are powerful, but you need to make sure you're not letting it control you."
Harry nodded, his mind spinning. "I know. And I think it's starting to affect me. I can't stop thinking about how things might have been different if things hadn't gone the way they did. But I don't know if I should let it change how I see him. He's still Snape."
Hermione's voice dropped to a softer, more cautious tone. "But he's human too, right? You saw his past, Harry. You felt it. You can't just ignore that."
Harry shook his head, his thoughts tangled. "I know. But I don't know what to do with it. If Snape really is suffering because of everything that happened with my parents, then... maybe that's why he's like this now. But I still don't know what to make of it"
"We don't have to trust him, but we also don't have to make assumptions about him either," Hermione said, leaning forward slightly. "We need to keep an eye on him, just like we've been doing. Maybe what you saw is part of why he's so difficult to figure out. We should keep watching him, but we can't let it distract us from what's actually happening right now."
Harry met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words. He didn't know how to process all the emotions that had been flooding him since the dream, but he knew she was right. He couldn't let Snape's past cloud everything else. There was more at stake, and it wasn't just about Snape's suffering.
"I'll keep watching him," Harry said quietly as if speaking more to himself than to Hermione. "But I need time. I need to figure out how to control this—this connection. I can't let it take over."
Hermione gave him a small, encouraging smile, though her eyes were tinged with worry. "You will, Harry. And we'll figure out what to do with Snape together. We just need to stay focused."
He didn't have all the answers. He didn't even have all the questions. But he couldn't let Snape's past define who he was now.
Not without understanding it. Not without doing something with it.