Snape opened his eyes slowly, then stared at the ceiling for a few moments before he sat up. Rubbing at his neck, he glanced sideways, then winced slightly as he discerned the cold, bloodless corpse that was his body.

"Takes a bit of getting used to, don't it?" A voice startled him.

He looked up into the familiar face, young and handsome, but split by a grim, knowing smile. Snape felt his heart in his throat as he considered the implications before speaking. Then, he wearily sighed.

"You're dead as well, I take it. So…which one are you? Even in death, you're indistinguishable."

"I'm George, sir," the boy answered, still smiling.

"I'm sorry," Snape said, then at the raised eyebrow, he added, "that you're dead."

"Oh." The redhead sobered, then seemed puzzled. "You are?" When Snape gave him a withering look, his eyes widened. "Wait. What was that you gave Harry? Memories?" His brows knit together, he didn't pause for an answer, but gasped, "Why would you give him memories?"

Snape waved a hand dismissively. "So that he might succeed. Too complicated to explain…at least for now." He raised both hands in front of his face and flexed his fingers carefully. "Odd, I don't feel much different," he murmured, then looked up at the Weasley boy. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"Dumbledore sent me."

"Ah. Naturally," Snape replied dryly. He looked around the Shack one last time. "Well, I suppose I am ready."

A hand was suddenly thrust into his face as the redhead offered to help him up. Snape stared at him for a moment, then took hold and was firmly boosted to his feet.

Strangely, the hand didn't let go, and even stranger, Snape accepted it as the most natural circumstance in the world. Well…in this world, he supposed.

As they turned to go—Snape didn't know where, and, remarkably, didn't even care—the twin smiled at him and confessed, "Professor, I'm not George. I'm Fred."

"Does it really make a whit of difference?" Snape asked rhetorically, and was rewarded by a soft snicker and a squeeze to his hand as they drifted through the wall.