Severus sat in the headmaster's office arms folded anger on his face. This was not happening, Dumbledore could not do this to him, he was supposed to go back and spy! Lily was watching him and very nearly said he looked cute when he pouted but she knew he was not in the mood for that. She hated pulling out the card she had but she had no choice and that was why Severus was angry, she had reminded him of his vow to protect Harry. She was not going to let him risk his life going back to spy for Voldemort when he came back. She was not going to see him have to face that monster any more.
"Severus you cannot go back, Harry needs you." Lily said.
"I can get things none other can from the dark lord." Severus said as he unbuttoned his left sleeve and shoved it up showing the faint outline of the dark mark, "I have this, he can and will find me."
"No, there is a way to get rid of marks like that." Lily said, "I was researching a way and found the pool of purity."
"That is a myth, besides if it did exist rumors have it the Goblins have it." Severus said.
"Lily would they allow a human to use the pool?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, it would get rid of the dark mark, Kralnack is waiting for you." James said, "I had Harry make an appointment for you."
"Why thank you James." Severus said sarcastically, "I am so happy that you made that for me, will you do my thinking for me next?"
"Oh same old Severus," James laughed, "you have a few minutes, an owl will come with the portkey to take you now."
An owl flew through the window and dropped a small empty vial in his hands. At once he was gone and after a time he landed in a cavern and saw several Goblins waiting for him. He backed up to the wall, not daring to go for his wand and wondering if this were a trap. Kralnack stepped forward and grinned a toothy grin at the tall human which did not reassure Severus. He remembered a time long before when he had been a captive of Moody and goblins and they had not been nice. They had not tortured him but he knew they would have if Moody had not been there.
"So you want the dark mark gone do you?" Kralnack said.
"Yes sir." Severus said, "I would."
"Well, I will take you to the Pool of Purity, but I must warn you, if you have not truly renounced this dark lord you will die." Kralnack said.
"I am willing to fully renounce the dark lord." Severus said.
"Oh and you might suffer a bit discomfort." Kralnack said as they came to a small room, "you must leave your clothing here, you cannot take anything into the pool with you."
Severus disrobed and stepped forward to a set of plain doors and stepped through. He found himself in a room that was a perfect square with 36 foot long walls and in the center, with a perfectly circular pool of water in the center 24 feet in diameter. It was clear and was an even twelve feet deep and Severus willingly dove into the pool and at once pain struck him and he tried to surface. He was unable to but he found he did not need to, as he did not need to breath here. Time did not seem to matter, the pain came and went and he could see a dark mist leave his body, not just where his mark was.
Finally a long time later he emerged from the pool and took in great gasps of clean pure air and lay on the side of the pool tired but freer and lighter than he ever had been. After a time he got up and walked to the doors he had come into this chamber. He found his clothing and got dressed and was met with Kralnack who seemed surprised but pleased to see him. Severus was handed a portkey and he expected to end up back in the headmaster's office but found himself in another office with furniture suited for a smaller person and indeed Kralnack came in and took a seat.
"Please sit." Kralnack said, "we have most important news for you Severus Snape."
"What news could that be sir?" Severus asked.
"You are aware that one Tom Marvolo Riddle, who you knew as Lord Voldemort was the heir to Slytherin?"
"Yes I am aware of that." Severus said.
"We goblins recognize that the body of one Tom Marvolo Riddle was killed, this then means that all claims he had are null and void and the next in line of the ancient house of Slytherin can step forward now he has been free to claim the title of heir and lord Slytherin."
"Who would that be?" Severus asked dreading yet hoping for the answer.
"Long ago Slytherin had two sons, both had daughters, one married to the Pervell line, the other was a squib and married into a muggle family that became in time the Snapes. You then were the second in line as the most direct in line to Slytherin, and if you had not had the dark mark removed making you a bonded servant you could not have claimed this." Kralnack said sliding a ring over the table to Severus, "it should accept you."
Severus took up the ring and saw it had the crest of Slytherin on it, he knew what would happen if he put the ring on and it did not accept him, he would die. He slipped the ring onto his ring finger on his right hand and he felt a warmth go through him. He looked up, stunned, he was really the heir to Slytherin and he was now the lord Snape-Slytherin? He had no clue that he was related directly to Slytherin, though his father's line no less! It had to have been passed down older son to older son and so on to him and as he was magical and the body of Voldemort was dead (though Voldemort had tethered himself to earth with a Horcrux).
"There are direct heirs to the other founders, you will meet them in time, they learn who they are when they turn fifteen." Kralnack said, "or earlier if Hogwarts allows it, I can tell you young lord Potter is not one. Great things will happen now that all the heirs are at Hogwarts."
"What things?" Severus asked.
"More gold for the Goblins, a new age, never before have all the heirs been at Hogwarts at the same time."
"I am a professor." Severus said.
"Yes but you are still at Hogwarts, now it has been three days, Warlock Dumbledore must be worried." Kralnack said.
He handed Severus a portkey and once more Severus was flying and he landed in Dumbledore's office to see the aged headmaster seated waiting for him. There was a large tea set up and Severus sat down hungry and fell on the food. How was he to explain to Dumbledore what had happened? His time in the pool was hard enough but now the fact that he was the heir to Slytherin? Who else was an heir and how would he know them? He looked up at the headmaster who was looking at the ring on his right hand.
"The goblins told me I am the heir of Slytherin it seems." Severus said, "the goblins have confirmed it."
"Tom is not the heir?" Dumbledore said frowning in thought.
"He was, but then Harry vanquished him, or his body and that made any claims he might have null and void." Severus said, "if I still had my mark, I could not claim the house. Oh and yes I am aware how this changes things, I have more power than that thing that I served. He will pay for what he did to me and to our world," Severus said a gleam in his eyes. "I was told that there are three other heirs at Hogwarts and they will let themselves be known in time."
Dumbledore looked at his young friend and saw a difference, there was hope in the young man's eyes, hope that had to come from not having the horrible mark any more. He was cleansed and though Dumbledore was surprised him being the new heir to Slytherin fit. He was a perfect fit and it could very well lead in a new age, he certainly hope so. There had been too much darkness and evil for so long, not just in the magical world but the whole human world. This world suffered and Dumbledore knew that, he could feel the anger and suffering of the peoples over the world and did hope that the ancient prophecies were true, that a new age was upon them.
Over the next few weeks Severus learned just what he had inherited, as the body of Tom Marvolo Riddle was dead and there were no remaining heirs to claim the Riddle vault it went to him as the next in line for the vault and the Goblins gave it over to him completely. Severus, with the help of the goblins went through what was in the vault and found much that was his and much that had been stolen from quite a few families. He went through what was his and separated out that which was not and still, still he had, overnight become quite a wealthy man. He was actually looking forward to Voldemort coming back for a very short time so he could rub it in the evil dark lord's face all he had lost due to his stupidity.