Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 703 Lily Reunited

The raging flames illuminated the path ahead, while the howling Cruciatus Curse brushed past.

Harry's right hand was being pulled painfully, and his legs thrashed about as he stumbled and ran into the woods.

Professor Snape was half a body length ahead of him, moving incredibly fast; I hadn't realized before how long his legs were.

She glanced back hastily; Bellatrix was hot on her heels, her face contorted in a ferocious sprint. She wondered if she'd get a stitch in her side while chanting the incantation. After all, they were relatives without blood ties; it would be best if she tripped and fell, using her body as a speed bump for the Death Eaters behind her to help them escape.

"You run ahead, I'll fight off the curse."

"Okay, Professor."

Harry was out of breath from running and could barely recite the spell, so he gave up and said, "Professor, is it really alright for Loren to stay behind alone to deal with Voldemort? Or should we go back?"

"Fool, you're a burden."

He was called an idiot because it's impossible to go back given the current situation.

He's considered a burden because he won't be of much help even if he goes back.

The Potions professor used sharp language, but it wasn't exactly clean.

Snape swiftly waved his wand, unleashing invisible blades and dark green light. Although the hasty casting reduced the power, the invisible and intangible blades often splattered blood, rendering one or two Death Eaters unable to pursue. The improved Killing Curse was even more bizarre; even if it was blocked and shattered by other spells, the lingering aura of death could still make Death Eaters hesitant and fearful.

Not all Death Eaters fought as hard as Bellatrix. Lucius, Lukewood, and Old Nott were more like taking advantage of the chaos, releasing spells at will. They didn't manage to kill the fleeing people, but instead blasted tree branches all over the way.

One wand against dozens of wands, and for a moment it actually gained the upper hand.

The two sides gradually widened the distance between them.

As they were fleeing in panic, a brilliant red light suddenly appeared behind them, even illuminating the path ahead through the dense foliage. Then, with a loud rumble, the ground shook noticeably.

Harry was startled, and Snape was also taken aback. His expression instantly turned serious as he turned to look at the afterimage of a rainbow light that pierced the sky, which was gradually dissipating.

The Death Eaters chasing behind also saw it, and a series of air explosions rang out from the woods.

Harry recognized the sound very well, and asked in confusion, "Why did they Apparate away?"

"Because Voldemort is summoning."

Snape stared intently into the distance, his left hand resting on the outside of his right forearm, where the Dark Mark was radiating a scorching heat.

"The battle is over!" Harry's eyes widened, and he quickly realized, "But Loren...?"

Snape glanced at him, his disdain for his intelligence undisguised: "If something had happened to Loren, it would only mean Voldemort had caught up with him. The fact that he summoned the Death Eaters to leave only proves that something has happened to him."

"..."

Harry opened his mouth, his first reaction being disdain for his look, then he realized what he meant and couldn't help but exclaim, "Loren defeated Voldemort!?"

"Because Dumbledore was there too."

"Dumbledore?"

"You don't think Loren was the only one who saw you leave the castle, do you?"

"..."

With the Death Eaters no longer pursuing them, the two stopped to rest.

Snape remained silent. Harry slowly caught his breath, glancing furtively at Snape's mottled gray hair. Unbeknownst to him, the disgust and even hatred that had accumulated over the past few years had vanished. When did this change occur?

Perhaps it was when they learned that the Half-Blood Prince was Snape.

Perhaps it was when he saw Snape waving his wand at Voldemort.

Or perhaps it was when Snape made him run ahead.

Harry decided to say something: "Professor, about the ritual of bringing the dead back to life..."

"I will start preparing again."

Although Snape tried his best to remain calm and composed, some emotional fluctuations could still be heard in his voice.

Harry fell silent, and silence began to permeate the woods.

A few minutes later, the sound of rustling footsteps came from not far away. Two familiar figures slowly emerged from the forest. There were virtually no signs of a fierce battle on them, and it was impossible to tell that they had just defeated the most powerful dark wizard in history.

A year later, Loren finally saw the potions professor who had resigned. He had changed his hair color, but it was still greasy. He was expressionless and his eyes were calm, like the surface of a black lake without ripples, even exuding a sense of death.

A faint silvery glow filtered through the leaves, and the crescent moon shone obliquely, stretching and widening Dumbledore's shadow. The shadow spread and obscured Snape, who was resting against a tree, like a metaphorical hand dragging someone into darkness behind the scenes of a theatrical stage.

"Severus".

"..."

"Perhaps you should talk to her."

"Who?"

"Lily."

Snape looked up abruptly and saw a half-moon hanging over Dumbledore's right shoulder. In the pale moonlight, he saw the old man reach his right hand into his sleeve, pull it out, and open his palm, revealing a black gem lying quietly in his hand.

Snape held his breath, straightened up, and walked over to the old man. He looked down at the cracked black gem, a vertical line dividing a triangle and a ring. The unique mark instantly reminded him of the legend of the three brothers, the bard Beedle and the Deathly Hallows. The legendary Deathly Hallows slowly overlapped with the black gem before him.

"Summon...the dead."

Snape murmured softly, slowly reaching out his right hand to touch it, yet fearfully unable to face it.

After much deliberation, Snape still couldn't make up his mind. So he turned to Harry, who was not far away, and asked him to touch the gem, just like the previous resurrection ritual, in which his memories were also transferred through Harry.

After hesitating for a long time, Snape lowered his eyes. Even if he couldn't get Lily's forgiveness, he decided to be selfish one last time.

He reached out and grasped the black gemstone, turning the stone three times in his hand.

A cool breeze blew by, making the fallen branches and soil on the forest floor rustle. The moonlight was drawn to it, gathering around me and solidifying into a soft body.

"Lily..."

Snape's lips moved, air passed through his throat, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Lily's figure was no longer transparent and illusory, but more solid. She swept her long hair behind her head and walked closer to Snape and Harry, her expression gentle, her green eyes clear and bright.

Harry touched his lips twice but couldn't utter a sound. He just stared intently at her face, as if he could never get enough of looking at her.

Loren was intently observing Lily's ghostly state when he felt Dumbledore gently tap his shoulder. With just a glance, Dumbledore understood his meaning, nodded, and quietly followed him to the side, leaving the space to them.

(End of this chapter)