TITLE: A New Dawn

AUTHOR: Arabella Figg

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMERS: I do not own any of the Characters from the Harry Potter universe that you might reciognise this fic is a response to the Challenge by Severitus, And Ideas come from various fics. Amongst them Raven Dancer's idea for a healer and some ideas from the fic's of Lei Dumbledore and Ankha. I only own the actual writing and some of the plot. I own Dr Melody Brass and Professor Jamie de Gournai

It was fourteen long years, well thirteen years and nine months, since his former girlfriend was murdered. He remembered it all; the trial, the lies and the night that the Dark Mark vanished from his forearm, like it was yesterday. But the mark was back after those long years and it was burning. Standing, he walked out past the wards and apparated.

He was eighteen, irresponsible and confused. His parents made him feel unwanted, but of course, he did what they wanted and he joined the Dark Lord. He realised little more than twelve months later, a year after he left Hogwarts, that he had made the wrong decision. Actually, hadn't made the decision in the first place,it was something he was forced into. Although he didn't want to be disinherited by his parents, he couldn't risk it. He never really counted his parents as his parents, nor his house as his home. That was what Hogwarts was, apart from his school. There were very few people he could talk to about this. He thought of Lily Evans; he could always talk to her, but since leaving Hogwarts, she had been engaged and married James Potter. He could have spoke to James. James was popular and loved by everyone at Hogwarts, but he just couldn't bring himself to, because of James' job as an auror. Azkaban was the punishment, even if you were a death eater who realised what you had done was wrong. Crouch Sr. was relentless. Of course, Death Eaters turned Spies were spared. Lily was an Auror too, yet another reason he couldn't speak to her. The only person he could talk to, was the one person that he didn't want tell what had happened in those twelve months. He knew this person would be ashamed, and he knew what might happen. He would get protection. And besides didn't his Head of House at Hogwarts say that if he was forced to be a Death Eater comma wait twelve months and then return to speak to himself, Professor Jamie de Gournai, and his former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He apparated to the edge of the wards surrounding Hogwarts and began the long walk up to the castle. He knew what he had to do.

That was the night he turned spy. The night he realised he could help people rather than cause them misery and pain. He Severus Snape was a spy and a good one comma at that.

Two Hours hours later and Severus was back at Hogwarts. Comma Sitting sitting in the headmasters office. He had been tortured, period He had always been suspect suspected of being a spy. Especially since the former Potions professor left his job, allowing Severus to assume his position, the same day that he became a spy.

It was a late autumn day, Halloween to be precise, and when Severus Snape was called. Dumbledore had instructed him to do everything Voldemort told him to do , except kill and torture, in order to protect himself. Lily Potter had been captured. Voldemort wanted him to do something to her, something that was illegal,but not unforgivable. Lily was an Auror for Dumbledore, like James, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. He could explain to Dumbledore who would in turn, inform Lily of what was to be done to her. Severus did what he was told. and when he was done, he went back to Hogwarts and aplogised apologised profoundly to Dumbledore. Little did he know of the consequenses consequences fourteen years later.