HP Approaches the Magic World

A large chimney towers impressively in the distant sky.

Two girls were playing on the swing, and a skinny boy was hiding behind the bushes and watching them.

The boy's black hair is very long, and his clothes are very uncoordinated. It seems that he is dressed like this on purpose: a pair of jeans that are too short, a pair of jeans that are too big and long, like a shabby coat worn by adults, and a strange-looking pregnant woman's coat.

Clothes-like shirt.

Harry approached the boy. Snape looked to be about nine or ten years old, with a sallow complexion, short stature, and a lean build.

Watching the smaller girl swinging higher and higher on the swing than the older one, his thin face showed undisguised yearning.

"Lily, don't do this!"

the older girl screamed.

However, when the little girl reached the highest point on the swing, she let go and flew into the air. She was really flying, laughing and jumping into the sky.

She did not fall heavily on the asphalt floor of the playground, but glided in the air like an acrobat, staying there for a long time, and finally landed very lightly on the ground.

"Mom told you not to do this!"

Petunia stopped the swing with her heels scraping against the ground, making a sharp scraping sound, and then she jumped up again, hands on her hips.

"Mom said you're not allowed to do this, Lily!"

"But I'm fine," said Lily, still giggling. "Petunia, look at this. Look at what I'm capable of."

Petunia looked around. There were only the two of them in the empty playground, and of course Snape, but the girls didn't know that.

Lily picked up a dead flower from the bush where Snape was hiding.

Petunia walked up, looking both curious and dissatisfied, and very conflicted inside.

Lily waited until Petunia was close enough to see clearly, then she spread her hands, and the petals kept opening and closing in her palm, like some kind of weird, multi-layered oyster.

"Stop it!" Penny screamed.

"I didn't do anything to you." Lily said, but she still crushed the flowers into a ball and threw them to the ground.

"This is wrong," Petunia said, but her eyes followed the fallen flowers and rested on them for a long time, "How did you do it?"

She asked again, with unconcealed desire in her voice.

"Isn't that very clear?"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Snape jumped out from behind the bushes.

Petunia screamed, turned around and ran away from the swing. Lily was obviously startled, but she stayed where she was.

Snape seemed to regret his rash appearance. He looked at Lily with a faint blush on his sallow cheeks.

"What's clear?"

Snape looked nervous and excited.

He looked at Penny, who was wandering by the swing in the distance, and lowered his voice and said, "I know who you are."

"What's the meaning?"

"You are...you are a witch."

Lily seemed insulted.

"It's rude to say that to someone else!"

She turned around and strode towards her sister with her face raised.

"No!"

Snape said.

His face was turning red, and Harry didn't understand why he didn't take off that ridiculously oversized coat, unless it was because he didn't want to reveal the maternity clothes underneath.

He waved his sleeves and chased after the two girls. His funny look was like a bat, just like how he would look as an adult.

The two sisters looked at him with equal disapproval, both holding on to a swing post as if it were a safe place in a game of tag.

"You are,"

Snape said to Lily: "You are a witch. I have been observing you for a while. There is nothing wrong with that.

My mother is a witch and I am a wizard."

Penny's laughter was like cold water.

"wizard!"

She screamed.

The boy's sudden appearance had shocked her a lot, but now she had regained her composure and her courage had returned.

"I know who you are, you're the Snape boy!

They live in Spider End Lane by the river,"

She told Lily, in a tone that made it clear she thought it was a dirty place: "Why are you peeking at us?"

"I didn't peek,"

Snape said, he was excited and uneasy, and his hair looked dirty in the bright sunlight: "I don't want to peek at you," he continued contemptuously, "you are a Muggle."

Petunia obviously didn't understand the word, but she certainly didn't understand his tone.

"Lily, come on, let's go!"

Lily immediately obeyed her sister's words and left, but she still stared at Snape.

Snape stood watching the two of them striding through the playground door, Harry alone watching him.

Harry saw what was in Snape's heart

Painful and disappointed, he understood that Snape had been planning this moment for some time, but he didn't expect that everything would go wrong...

The scene in front of him disappeared, and before Harry could react, the surroundings completely changed.

He is in a small forest now.

He saw a small river in the sun flowing between the trees, with sparkling waves and a dark green coolness cast by the shade of the trees.

The two children sat cross-legged, facing each other on the ground.

Snape had already taken off his coat, and in the half-dark light, the weird maternity clothes looked less dazzling.

"...If you perform magic outside of school, the Ministry of Magic will punish you and you will receive a letter."

"But I have done magic outside of school!"

"It doesn't matter to us.

We don't have a magic wand yet.

Children can't control themselves, they don't care. Once they reach eleven years old,"

He nodded seriously: "They start training you, then you have to be careful."

The two were silent for a while.

Lily picked up a branch from the ground and spun it rapidly in the air. Harry knew she was imagining sparks floating behind the branch.

Then she dropped the branch, leaned towards the boy and said, "It's true, isn't it? No joke? Penny said you were lying to me. Penny said

There's no such thing as Hogwarts. That's true, isn't it?"

"What is true for us," said Snape, "is not true for her. We will get the letter, you and me."

"real?"

"Absolutely true."

Snape said that although his hair was uneven and his clothes were weird, he looked very distinguished and confident in his future when sitting in front of her.

"Did the letter really come from an owl?"

Lily asked quietly.

"Generally speaking," Snape said, "but you are a Muggle, so the school will send someone to explain it to your parents."

"Does being Muggle-born make any difference?"

Snape hesitated, his dark eyes looking eager in the green shade, looking at Lily's pale face and crimson hair.

"No," he said, "it won't make any difference."

"Very good."

Lily said, breathing a sigh of relief, as if she had been worried about this.

"You can do a lot of magic,"

Snape said: "I saw it. I have been peeking at you..."

His voice became softer and softer.

Lily didn't listen to him, but stretched out her limbs on the ground covered with green leaves, looking at the dense leaves above her head.

Snape looked at her longingly, just as he had looked at her on the playground.

"How are things going at home?"

Lily asked.

Snape frowned slightly.

"fine."

"They stopped arguing?"

"Oh, it's still noisy,"

said Snape, grabbing a handful of leaves and tearing them to pieces, apparently without realizing what he was doing: "But it won't be long before I'm gone."

"Your dad doesn't like magic?"

"He doesn't like anything very much."

Snape said.

"Severus?"

Hearing her call his name, a smile flashed across Snape's lips.

"Um?"

"Tell me more about the dementors."

"Why are you asking about them?"

"If I use magic outside of school—"

"I won't hand you over to the Dementors for this!

Dementors specialize in dealing with people who have done really bad things.

They guard Azkaban, the wizarding prison.

You're not going to get into Azkaban, you're too—"

His face turned red again and he tore up more leaves.

At this moment, there was a rustling sound behind them. He turned around and saw Penny lying behind a tree, unsteady on her feet.

"Penny!"

Lily said, her voice full of surprise and welcome, but Snape jumped.

"Who's peeking now?"

He shouted: "What do you want to do?"

After Penny was discovered, she was so panicked that she could hardly breathe.

Harry could see that she was racking her brain for something hurtful to say.

"Tell me what you are wearing?"

She pointed to Snape's chest and said, "Your mother's clothes?"

With a click, a branch above Penny's head suddenly fell down.

Lily screamed, and the branch hit Petunia on the shoulder. She staggered back a few steps and started crying.

"Penny!"

But Penny ran away.

Lily got angry at Snape.

"Did you do it?"

"no."

Snape looked both unconvinced and frightened.

"That's you!"

Lily backed away from him: "It's you! You hurt her!"

"NO, I have not!"

But Lily didn't believe his lies.

She gave him one last angry look and ran out of the woods after her sister, Snape looking pained and confused...

Scene transition.

On platform nine and three-quarters, Snape stood next to him, slightly hunched over, next to a thin woman who looked very similar to him, with a sallow face and a gloomy expression.

Snape was staring at a family of four not far away.

Two girls stood away from their parents.

Lily seemed to be begging her sister.

"...I'm sad, Petunia, I'm sad! Listen to me -"

She grabbed her sister's hand and held it tightly, while Petunia struggled desperately: "Maybe as soon as I get there - no, listen to me, Petunia! Maybe as soon as I get there, I can find Professor Dumbledore and convince me

He changed his mind!"

"I don't - don't - want to go!"

Petunia said, trying hard to pull her hand away from her sister: "You think I want to go to some ridiculous castle and learn to be a--a--"

Her light eyes looked at the platform, at the cat meowing in its owner's arms, at the owls flapping their wings in the cage and shouting to each other, at the students - some of them had put on black robes.

After loading my luggage onto the bright red steam locomotive, I happily greeted my classmates loudly after a summer vacation.

"—You think I want to be a—a monster?"

Petunia finally pulled her hand away, and Lily's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not a monster," Lily said. "That's an ugly thing to say."

"That's where you're going," Petunia said enthusiastically: "A school specifically for monsters. You and that boy named Snape... freaks, you both are freaks.

Fortunately, you are separated from ordinary people, that is for our safety."

Lily glanced at her parents. They were looking at the scene on the platform with sincere joy, enjoying the scene emotionally.

Lily turned back to look at her sister, lowered her voice and her tone became very intense.

"When you wrote to the principal begging him to accept you, you didn't think it was a monster school."

Penny's face turned red.

"Begging? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply. It was written very tactfully."

"You shouldn't peek—"

Petunia whispered: "That's my privacy - how could you -?"

Lily glanced at Snape, who was standing nearby, and revealed the secret.

Penny gasped.

"That boy found out! You and that boy sneaked into our room!"

"No—not sneaking in—"

Now it was Lily who was defending: "Severus saw an envelope and he didn't believe that Muggles could get in touch with Hogwarts, that's all!

He said there must be wizards who have infiltrated the postal system and are secretly looking after—"

"Looks like wizards are meddling in their own business!"

Penny said, her face that was red just now turned pale: "Monster!"

She spat at her sister, turned around, and ran towards her parents...

The scene disappeared again.

Snape hurried forward in the aisle of the Hogwarts Express as the train clanked through the countryside.

He had already changed into his school robe, and this was probably the first time he had the opportunity to take off his ugly Muggle clothes.

Finally, he stopped outside a box, where a group of noisy boys were chatting. Lily sat curled up on a seat in the corner by the window, her face pressed against the glass window.

Snapra opened the door of the box and sat opposite Lily.

Lily glanced at him, then turned back to look out the window. She kept crying.

"I don't want to talk to you."

She said with a choked voice.

"Why?"

"Petunia hates - hates me because we read Dumbledore's letter."

"so what?"

She rolled her eyes at him with great disgust.

"She's my sister!"

"She's just a—"

He quickly shut up. Lily was busy wiping her tears secretly and did not hear his words.

"But we're off!"

He said, with uncontrollable joy in his voice: "That's right! We're leaving for Hogwarts!"

Lily nodded, wiped her eyes, and couldn't help but smile.

"You'd better go into Slytherin."

Snape said he felt encouraged to see Lily cheering up a little.

"Slytherin?"

A boy sitting in the box turned his head at the word.

He originally showed no interest in Lily or Snape.

Like Snape, he is thin and has black hair, but at a glance, he can tell that he has been cared for and even loved since he was a child, which is obviously something Snape desperately lacks.

"Who wants to go to Slytherin? I wouldn't want to be there, how about you?"

James asked the boy sitting leisurely in the seat opposite.

That's Sirius.

Sirius didn't smile.

"Our whole family is Slytherin."

"Gosh," James said, "I thought you were pretty good!"

Sirius grinned.

"Maybe I'll break tradition.

If you were given a choice, where would you like to go?"

James raised an invisible sword.

"'Gryffindor, there is courage buried deep in your heart! Just like my father."

Snape snorted contemptuously, and James turned to look at him.

"What, do you have any objections?"

"No," said Snape, but his haughty grin suggested the opposite: "If you would rather have muscles than brains—"

"So where do you want to go?

It seems you are underdeveloped in both."

Sirius suddenly interrupted.

James laughed loudly.

Lily straightened up, blushed, and looked at James and then at Sirius with disgust.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another box."

"Oh oh oh oh……"

James and Sirius imitated Lily's haughty voice, and James even stretched out his leg to trip Snape when he walked by.

"See you later, Snotlout!"

A voice shouted, and the door of the box slammed shut...

The scene disappears again...

Snape faced several desks illuminated by candlelight, and there were excited faces around the tables.

At this time, Professor McGonagall said: "Lily Evans!"

He watched as his mother walked forward with trembling legs and sat down on the rickety stool.

Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on her head, and within a second of the hat touching her crimson hair, she shouted: "Gryffindor!"

Harry heard Snape let out a soft sigh.

Lily took off her hat and gave it back to Professor McGonagall, and hurriedly walked towards the enthusiastically cheering Gryffindor classmates, but she looked back at Snape, with a helpless smile on her face.

Harry saw Sirius move on the bench to make room for her. Lily glanced at him and seemed to recognize him as the man on the train. She immediately folded her arms, turned around firmly, and turned her back to

Hold him.

The roll call continues.

Harry saw Lupin, Pettigrew and his father all sitting at the Gryffindor table with Lily and Sirius.

Finally, when there were only a dozen students who had not been sorted, Professor McGonagall called out to Snape.

Harry walked with him to the stool and watched him put the hat on his head.

"Slytherin!"

Severus Snape walked to the other side of the Great Hall, getting farther and farther away from Lily.

The Slytherin classmates cheered him there. Lucius Malfoy, wearing a shiny prefect badge on his chest, patted Snape who sat down next to him...

Scene change...

Lily and Snape were walking in the courtyard of the castle, obviously quarreling. They were both much taller, and it seemed that several years had passed since the Sorting.

"...think we should be friends?"

Snape was talking: "Best friend?"

"That's right, Sev, but I don't like those people you hang out with!

Sorry, but I hate Avery and Mulciber!

What do you see about him, Sev?

Sneaky!

Do you know what he wanted to do to Mary McDonald that day?"

Lily walked to a pillar and leaned against it, looking up at the thin, sallow face.

"That's nothing,"

Snape said: "Just kidding, nothing -"

"That's dark magic, if you think it's fun -"

"But what about what Potter and his friends were doing?"

Snape asked, blood rushing to his face again, he seemed unable to control his resentment.

"What's Potter up to?"

"They sneak out at night. That Lupine is a little weird. He always goes out. Where is he going?"

"He's sick," Lily said. "They say he's sick--"

"When is the full moon every month?"

"I know what you're thinking,"

Lily said with a cold tone: "It's strange, why are you so concerned about them? Why do you care about what they do at night?"

"I just want you to see that they're not as good as everyone thinks they are."

Under his focused gaze, she blushed.

"But they didn't use black magic,"

She lowered her voice, "And you are so ungrateful.

I heard what happened that night.

You snuck under the Whomping Willow into that tunnel, and it was James Potter who saved you and escaped from down there—"

Snape's whole face was distorted and he said angrily: "Save me? Save me? Do you think he is a hero?

He is trying to save himself and his friends!

You can’t—I won’t let you—”

"Let me? Let me?"

Lily's bright green eyes narrowed to slits, and Snape immediately flinched.

"I didn't mean that - I just don't want to see other people treating you as a fool - he likes you, James Potter likes you!"

The words seemed to be forced out of his mouth: "He is not... everyone thinks... the great Quidditch star-"

Pain and disgust made Snape speak incoherently, and Lily's eyebrows rose higher and higher on her forehead.

"I know James Potter is a self-righteous megalomaniac,"

Lily interrupted Snape: "You don't need to tell me this. But Mulciber and Avery's so-called humor is evil.

Evil, Sif.

I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Harry wondered if Snape had heard her criticism of Mulciber and Avery.

As soon as Lily accused James Potter of leaving his mouth, his whole body relaxed. When they turned and walked away, Snape's steps became brisk again...

The scene disappeared...

Snape left the auditorium after taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. exam, watching him leisurely walk out of the castle, wandering aimlessly near the beech tree, where James, Sirius, Lupine and Pettigrew were together.

Sitting under the tree.

But Harry did not approach them this time because he knew what happened after James taunted Severus in the air. He knew what they did and said, and hearing it again would not make him happy.

As he watched, Lily walked into the middle of the group to defend Snape.

From a distance, he heard Snape angrily yelling the unforgivable word at her: "Mudblood."

Scene change...

"sorry."

"I am not interested."

"sorry!"

"Don't waste your breath."

It was evening, and Lily was wearing a dressing gown and standing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower with her arms folded.

"Mary said you threatened to sleep here before I came out."

"I'm going to sleep here. I never meant to call you a mudblood, I just-"

"Just let it slip?"

There was no sympathy in Lily's voice: "It's too late, I have been looking for excuses to forgive you for so many years.

None of my friends can understand why I'm still talking to you.

You and your dear Death Eater friends - look, you don't even deny it!

You don't even deny that that's your goal!

You can't wait to become You-Know-Who's subordinate, right?"

His mouth opened without speaking, then closed again.

"I can't pretend any longer. You chose your way, and I chose mine."

"No - listen to me, I didn't mean to -"

"—Call me a Mudblood? But you call people of my birth a Mudblood, Severus. What difference does it make me?"

He struggled to say something, but Lily gave him a contemptuous look, turned around and crawled back through the portrait hole...

The corridor disappeared, and the scene change took a little longer this time.

He stood on a desolate, cold mountaintop in the dark, with the wind blowing past several leafless dead trees.

The adult Snape panted and turned around, holding the wand tightly in his hand, as if he was waiting for someone or something...

His fear also infected Harry, although Harry knew that he could not be harmed. He wondered what Snape was waiting for, and couldn't help but turn his head - suddenly, a dazzling, zigzag white light flashed in the air,

Harry thought it was lightning, but Snape fell to his knees and his wand flew out of his hand.

"Do not kill me!"

"That was not my intention."

The wind whistled among the branches, drowning out the sound of Dumbledore's Apparition just now.

He stood in front of Snape, his robes fluttering in the wind, and the light of his wand shining on his face from below.

"How is it, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?"

"No—no message—I'm here for myself!"

Snape wrung his hands, looking a little distracted, his dark messy hair flying around his head.

"I-I bring an alert-no, a request-please-"

Dumbledore waved his wand.

Although the surrounding branches and leaves were still flying in the evening breeze, there was silence where he and Snape stood face to face.

"What can a Death Eater ask of me?"

"That - that prophecy... that prophecy... Trelawney..."

"Ah, yes," said Dumbledore, "how much did you convey to Voldemort?"

“Everything—everything I heard!”

Snape said: "So - because of that - he thought it was Lily Evans!"

"The prophecy did not say it was a woman," said Dumbledore. "It said it was a boy born at the end of July -"

"You know what I mean! He thinks it's Lily's son, and he's going to hunt down Lily—and kill them all—"

"Since Lily is so important to you," Dumbledore said, "Voldemort will definitely spare her death, right? Can't you beg him to spare the mother in exchange for your son?"

"I-I begged him-"

"You disgust me."

Dumbledore said that Harry had never heard Dumbledore speak in such a contemptuous tone.

Snape seemed to shrink a little.

"Then you don't care about the life and death of her husband and children? They can die as long as you get what you want?"

Snape said nothing, just looked up at Dumbledore.

"Then hide them all," he croaked. "Keep her—their—safe. Please."

"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"

"In return?"

Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry thought he would refuse, but after a long time, he said: "Anything is fine."

The top of the mountain disappeared, and Harry stood in Dumbledore's office. Something was making a terrible noise, like some kind of injured animal.

Snape sat slumped in his chair, leaning forward.

Dumbledore stood in front of him with a stern look on his face.

After a moment, Snape raised his face. Since the scene on the top of the wilderness, he seemed to have spent a hundred years of suffering.

"I thought... you would... ensure her... safety..."

"She and James made the mistake of trusting others," Dumbledore said, "just like you, Severus. Didn't you also hope that Voldemort would spare her life?"

Snape's breathing was weak.

"Her son survived."

Snape shook his head violently, as if trying to shoo away a pesky fly.

"Her son is still alive and his eyes are exactly the same as his mother's.

I assume you remember Lily Evans' eyes, their shape and color, right?"

"No!" Snape shouted: "No more...dead..."

"Is this remorse, Severus?"

"I hope...I hope it's me who dies..."

"What use is that to anyone else?"

Dumbledore said coldly: "If you love Lily Evans, if you truly love her, then the path before you is clear."

There seemed to be a mist of pain before Snape's eyes, and it seemed that it took a long time for Dumbledore's words to reach his ears.

"W-what did you say?"

"You know how and why she died.

Don't let her sacrifice be in vain, help me protect Lily's son."

"He doesn't need protection, the Dark Lord is gone -"

"The Dark Lord will return, and by that time, Harry Potter will face terrible danger."

After a long silence, Snape slowly controlled himself and breathed freely.

Finally he said: "Very well. Very well. But never - never tell anyone, Dumbledore! Only you know and I know! You swear! I can't stand it...especially Potter's son...I

I want you to swear an oath!"

"You want me to swear, Severus, never to reveal the best about you?"

Dumbledore looked down at Snape's excited and painful face, sighed and said: "If you insist..."

The office disappeared, then reappeared.

Snape paced up and down in front of Dumbledore.

"—Just like his father, who is mediocre, arrogant, loves to violate discipline, likes to be in the limelight, attract other people's attention, and is rude and disrespectful—"

"You saw what you expected to see, Severus,"

Dumbledore was reading a book called "Transfiguration Today" and said without raising his head: "Other teachers say that boy is modest, easy-going, and very talented.

I also personally found him to be a likeable kid."

Dumbledore turned the page and said without raising his head: "Pay attention to Quirrell, okay?"

Colors swirled, everything around them darkened, and Snape and Dumbledore stood a little apart in the foyer.

The last people at the Yule Ball passed by them and went back to bed.

"How about it?"

"Karkaroff's mark also turned black. He was nervous and worried about being punished.

You know he gave the Ministry of Magic a lot of help after the Dark Lord fell."

Snape looked sideways at Dumbledore's curved-nosed face: "Karkaroff plans to run away if the mark becomes painful."

"Yeah?"

Dumbledore said softly, as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davis came giggling from the playground: "You want to go with him too?"

"No," Snape said, his dark eyes staring at the retreating figures of Fleur and Roger, "I'm not a coward like that."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, "you are much braver than Igor Karkaroff so far. You know, I sometimes think our classifications are too hasty..."

He walked away, leaving Snape dejected...

This time, Harry was still standing in the principal's office.

It was night, and Dumbledore was leaning weakly on the throne-like chair behind the table, looking delirious.

His right hand was drooping, burnt and black.

Snape muttered a spell in a low voice, pointed the wand at the wrist, and poured a cup of thick golden liquid into Dumbledore's mouth with his left hand.

After a while, Dumbledore's eyelids twitched a few times and opened.

"Why," Snape asked immediately, "why do you wear that ring?

It has a spell on it, you must know it.

Why even touch it?”

Marvolo Gaunt's ring lay cracked on the table in front of Dumbledore, next to Gryffindor's sword.

Dumbledore smiled bitterly.

"It's not that serious. Isn't it still you? Besides, Jon said..."

"Jon, Jon, what he said is not the Bible, can you not just listen to him?

How can he guarantee that you will live?

The realm of death..."

Dumbledore didn't answer.

"You should know that it is a miracle that you can come back here this time!"

Snape said angrily: "There is a particularly powerful spell on that ring, and the best we can hope to do is contain it.

I have temporarily imprisoned the curse in one hand—"

Dumbledore raised his charred, useless hand and looked at it carefully, as if he were facing a very interesting antique.

"You did a great job, Severus. How much time do you think I have?"

Dumbledore's tone was relaxed and casual, as if he was asking for the weather forecast.

Snape hesitated and said, "I can't say, maybe a year.

There is no way to curb such a curse forever, not even Grindelwald. Maybe Jon has a way, but the Hufflepuff principal is now...

And the effect of the spell will eventually spread, and the spell will continue to strengthen over time."

Dumbledore smiled.

Now that he had less than a year to live, the news seemed inconsequential to him.

"I'm lucky, very lucky, to have you by my side, Severus."

"If you had called me here earlier, I might have been able to take more measures to buy you more time!"

Snape said angrily, looking down at the broken ring and the sword: "Do you think destroying the ring can break the curse?"

"Absolutely...it's not particularly important anyway..."

Dumbledore said, sitting upright in his chair with difficulty: "Well, that makes things easier."

Snape seemed completely confused. Dumbledore smiled.

"I'm referring to Voldemort's plans surrounding me.

He planned for that poor Malfoy boy to kill me."

Snape sat down in Harry's usual chair, facing Dumbledore across the table.

Harry saw that he wanted to talk more about Dumbledore's hand that was damaged by the curse, but the other party raised his scorched hand and politely expressed his unwillingness to continue discussing this topic.

Snape frowned and said, "The Dark Lord didn't expect Draco to succeed.

This was just to punish Lucius for his latest failure.

For Draco's parents to watch their son fail and then pay the price is a blunt knife to their flesh."

"In short, this boy has been clearly sentenced to death like me, but I still have a way out, what should he do?"

Dumbledore said: "I think that if Draco fails, you will naturally take over the job, right?"

A brief silence.

"I think the Dark Lord designed it this way."

"Does Voldemort foresee a time in the near future when he will no longer need spies at Hogwarts?"

"He believes the school will soon be under his control, yes."

"If the school really falls into his hands,"

Dumbledore said, seeming to have a sudden thought: "I want you to swear that you will do everything in your power to protect the students of Hogwarts, okay?"

Snape nodded stiffly.

"very good.

Well, you first need to find out what Draco plans to do.

A panicked teenager is dangerous not only to himself, but to others.

Provide him with help and guidance, and he should accept it. He likes you—"

"——After his father fell out of favor, he didn't like me that much.

Draco blames me and thinks I took away Lucius's position."

"It doesn't matter, just try it.

I was more concerned about the boy being the unintended casualty of any plan of action than I was about myself.

Of course, there is only one way to save him from Voldemort's wrath."

Snape raised his eyebrows and asked in a sarcastic tone: "Are you going to let him kill you?"

"Of course not. You must kill me. Others cannot control this scale."

There was a long silence, and there was only a strange clicking sound in the room.

Phoenix Fox is gnawing on a small piece of cuttlefish bone.

"Do you want me to do it now?"

Snape asked, with strong sarcasm in his tone: "Or do you need a moment to come up with a tombstone?"

"Oh, not yet," Dumbledore said with a smile, "I think that moment will come when it should come.

Judging from what happened tonight," he pointed to his withered hands, "we can be sure it will happen within a year."

"Since you don't care about dying - you can't die anyway, right?"

Snape said rudely: "Why not let Draco succeed?"

"The boy's soul is not completely ruined," said Dumbledore. "I would not like it to be torn asunder on my account."

"And where is my soul, Dumbledore? Where is mine?"

"Only you know that saving an old man from pain and shame will not hurt your soul," said Dumbledore. "Severus, I ask you to do this great thing for me, because death is certain for me."

Things, like the Chudley Cannons will finish bottom of the league this year.

To be honest, I would rather end my life quickly and painlessly than to die in a protracted and embarrassing way, for example, involving Greyback - I heard that Voldemort also recruited him?

Or did it fall into the hands of dear Bellatrix, who liked to play with her food before eating it?

We all have a future, but those kids don't, so we're going to make it a little easier for them."

His tone was very relaxed, but his blue eyes looked at Snape sharply, just like they looked at Harry before, as if they could really see the soul they were talking about.

Finally, Snape nodded slightly.

Dumbledore seemed satisfied.

"Thank you, Severus..."

The office disappeared, and in the dusk, Snape and Dumbledore walked together in the deserted castle grounds.

"How about you and Potter being in solitary confinement these nights, Severus? Before long, the boy will be spending more time in solitary confinement than he is free."

"He's the spitting image of his father—"

"He may look like this, but in his heart he is more like his mother.

I stayed with Harry because I had something to discuss with him, and I had to give him some information, otherwise it would be too late."

"Message," Snape said, "you trust him... but not me."

"This is not a question of trust or distrust. You and I both know that my time is limited.

I have to give the boy enough information to do what needs to be done."

"Then why can't I get the same information?"

"I don't want to put all my secrets in a basket, especially a basket that spends a lot of time hanging on Voldemort's arm."

"I did as you asked!"

"You did a great job.

Don't think I underestimate the danger you are constantly in, Severus.

Only tell Voldemort the information that seems valuable, and keep the most important information deep in your heart. I can only leave this job to you."

"But you place more trust in a little boy who doesn't even know Occlumency. His magic is mediocre, and he can directly connect to the Dark Lord's mind!"

"Voldemort was afraid of that connection," Dumbledore said: "Not long ago, he had a small taste of what sharing Harry's thoughts meant to him.

He had never experienced such pain.

He will never try to control Harry again, I'm sure, at least not in that way."

"I do not understand."

"Voldemort's soul is so mutilated that it cannot bear to be near a soul like Harry's, like tongue stuck to frozen steel, flesh touching fire -"

"Soul? We're talking about thoughts!"

"When it comes to Harry and Voldemort, they are the same thing."

Dumbledore looked around to make sure there was no one else but them.

They were now near the Forbidden Forest, but there was no one around.

"Severus, after you killed me—"

"You won't tell me anything, but you still expect me to do you a small favor. I think it's better to let Jon help you."

Snape's thin face flashed with real anger: "You take many things for granted, Dumbledore! Maybe I have changed my mind!"

"Jon doesn't have time, he's busy doing other things...and you swore, Severus. Speaking of your service for me, I remember you promised to keep a close eye on our young man.

Slytherin friend, right?"

Snape looked angry and unconvinced. Dumbledore sighed.

"Come to my office at eleven tonight, Severus, and you won't complain that I don't trust you..."

They returned to Dumbledore's office. It was dark outside the window. Fawkes was staying quietly. Snape sat there motionless. Dumbledore was talking and walking around him.

"Don't let Harry know until the last moment or when it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, how will he have the strength to do what he must do?"

"What must he do?"

"That's between Harry and me.

Now, Severus, please listen carefully.

At some point - after I'm dead - don't argue, don't interrupt!

There comes a time when Voldemort seems to fear for the life of his giant snake."

"Worried about Nagini?"

Snape looked shocked.

"good.

If at some point Voldemort no longer sends the big snake to carry out his orders, but lets it stay by his side and protect it with magic, then I think I can tell Harry."

"Tell him what?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Tell him that on the night Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily put her life between them, the Killing Curse bounced back onto Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blown away and attached to the collapsed house.

The only living soul in the world.

Part of Voldemort lives in Harry's body, giving Harry the ability to talk to snakes and connect to Voldemort's thoughts, which has always puzzled him. As long as the soul fragment that was not discovered by Voldemort is still attached to Harry

With Harry's protection, Voldemort can't die."

"Then the boy...the boy must die?"

Snape asked calmly.

"And Voldemort must do it himself, Severus.

That's very important."

There was another long silence. Then Snape said: "I thought...for so many years...I thought we were protecting him, for her, for Lily."

"We protect him because we must train him, train him, and let him hone his abilities," Dumbledore said, still closing his eyes tightly: "At the same time, the connection between them has become stronger and stronger.

, like a parasitic life.

Sometimes I think he seems to be aware of it himself.

If I really knew him, I think he would have arranged everything so that when he died resolutely, it would mean the true end of Voldemort."

Dumbledore opened his eyes, and Snape looked horrified.

"You let him live just so that he can die at the right time?"

"Don't be alarmed, Severus, how many men and women have you seen die?"

"Lately, the only people I can't save are those I can't save."

Snape said, and he stood up.

"You took advantage of me."

"What's the meaning?"

"I worked as a spy for you, made up lies for you, and risked my life for you.

All this is said to be to ensure the safety of Lily Potter's son.

Now you tell me that you are raising him like a pig waiting to be slaughtered——"

"How touching, Severus," Dumbledore said seriously, "are you really starting to like that boy?"

"like him?"

Snape shouted: "Holy Guard!"

The silver deer popped out of the tip of his staff.

It fell on the floor, jumped to the other end of the office, and flew out of the window. Dumbledore watched it go away, watched its silver light disappear, and then turned to look at Snape, his eyes

Already filled with tears.

"Is this still the case after all this time?"

"It's always been like this."

Scene transition.

Now, Harry saw Snape talking to the portrait of Dumbledore behind the office.

"You must tell Voldemort the exact date that Harry left his aunt and uncle's house," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort thinks you are very well-informed, and your failure to do so will arouse suspicion.

However, you have to instill the idea of ​​using a double into others - I think that should keep Harry safe.

Try using the Confusion Charm on Mundungus Fletcher.

And, Severus, if you have to take part in a chase, do it convincingly...

I count on you to continue to gain Voldemort's trust as long as possible, otherwise Hogwarts will be at the mercy of the Carrow brothers and sisters..."

Now, Snape was whispering to Mundungus in a strange tavern. Mundungus looked confused and confused, while Snape frowned and concentrated.

"You have to make a suggestion to the Order of the Phoenix," Snape whispered: "Let them use a substitute, Polyjuice Potion, and several identical Potters. Only this method will work. You have to forget that this suggestion was made by me.

You have to put it forward as your own idea. Do you understand?"

"clear."

Mundungus murmured, his eyes dull...

Now, Harry was flying in the empty night with Snape on his broomstick.

There were other hooded Death Eaters around, Lupine in front, and Harry dressed as George...

A Death Eater rushed in front of Snape, raised his wand and pointed it at Lupine's back——

"The Divine Edge is Shadowless!"

Snape shouted.

The curse was originally aimed at the Death Eater's wand hand, but instead hit George——

Next, Snape knelt in Sirius's old bedroom.

He read the old letter written by Lily, tears streaming down the tip of his aquiline nose. There were only a few sentences on the second page of the letter:

Will make friends with Gellert Grindelwald.

I personally think she is a little confused!

infinite love

Lily

Snape picked up the letter with Lily's signature and love on it and stuffed it into his robes.

Then he tore the photo in half, leaving the smiling half of Lily, and threw the James and Harry half under the chest of drawers on the floor...

Now, Snape was standing in the Headmaster's study again, and Phineas Nigellus hurriedly intruded upon his portrait.

"Headmaster! They're camped in the Forest of Dean! That Mudblood—"

"Don't say that word!"

"——The girl named Granger said the name of the place when she opened the bag, I heard it!"

"good very good!"

The portrait of Dumbledore behind the headmaster's chair said loudly: "Now, Severus, take that sword!

Don't forget that you have to have need and courage to get it - and don't let him know it was you!

What if Voldemort reads Harry's mind and sees you helping him—"

"I know."

Snape said simply. He moved closer to Dumbledore's portrait and pulled it out.

The portrait opened, revealing a hole hidden in the back, and Snape took out Gryffindor's sword.

"You still won't tell me why it was so important to give the sword to Potter, will you?"

Snape said, putting a traveling cloak over his robes.

"Yes, indeed," said the Dumbledore portrait, "he will know what to do with it.

Severus, be careful, after George Weasley's accident, they will not be friendly to your presence - "

Snape turned around at the door.

"Don't worry, neither Dumbledore nor Jon have any opinions on my behavior."

As always, he said coldly: "I have my own arrangements..."