Days at Hogwarts

Answer to Chapter 704

"Lily."

Snape stood motionless, his robes trailing to the ground like a classical statue of tragedy, his voice fading as if echoing through a valley.

Harry remained silent, seemingly content that this was enough; he was willing to stand there and watch her forever.

Loren and Dumbledore, two unrelated individuals, had already walked some distance away, and could only see the three of them standing facing each other, but could not hear their voices.

A night breeze blows, the clouds and mist dissipate, and the woods under the moonlight are exceptionally tranquil.

"Severus... After graduation, I thought we would never see each other again."

Gleaming a soft silver glow, Lily looked at her childhood friend who had opened the door to magic. There was no resentment or blame in her eyes, only a touch of nostalgia on her face. "How long has it been since we had a proper conversation?"

"..." Snape's lips moved, but he didn't give an answer. Perhaps he couldn't remember, or perhaps he didn't want to answer.

"You seem more mature and composed now." Lily narrowed her eyes, her voice gentle. "When we graduated, you were hanging out with the Death Eaters, and I was worried that you would remain immersed in the world of dark magic and become a reclusive, eccentric, and evil wizard."

Harry silently agreed in his heart.

Yes, that's right, it is him.

"I became the Potions Professor at Hogwarts," Snape said in a strained voice.

"That's great. I originally wanted to be a potions professor, but the professor said I was too young and should see the world. I never had the chance to apply again. Now, you've given me a taste of what it's like to be a professor."

Lily's voice was ethereal, and the night breeze made it sound even more distant and distant. She continued, "How are Harry's grades?"

Snape paused for a moment, then answered tactfully, "Normal."

Harry wanted to argue, but when he thought about his report card, he immediately lost his confidence.

"Oh? He didn't inherit my talent in potions. What a pity."

"He has a good talent for spells and Quidditch."

“Spells and Quidditch…” Lily smiled, then remarked candidly, “He sounds more like his father.”

"Personality too."

"You must be very annoyed."

Lily chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons, her long hair swaying gently. She made no attempt to conceal their past grievances, seemingly unconcerned that the person before her was one of the culprits responsible for their deaths. Her tone was more like that of a long-lost friend. "I can't help but laugh when I think about how you two got along. Even though you were clearly upset, you still had to keep an eye on and protect Harry. There must have been so many misunderstandings and funny situations!"

"Yes, in the first few years after he enrolled, he always thought I was trying to harm him, but he became more sensible later."

"It sounds like your experience with James."

"He's a bit better than that guy; at least he doesn't show off his Golden Snitch in the hallway. It's just that he always likes to meddle in things he shouldn't, and he always looks like a fool who overestimates himself..."

Snape recounted what happened back then, his memories flowing like a burst dam, his voice growing increasingly hoarse until he finally choked up and could no longer continue.

He stared at Lily before him, paused for a long time, and his lips trembled slightly: "If it weren't for me, Voldemort wouldn't have known about that prophecy, he wouldn't have noticed you, you wouldn't have died, and you could have personally accompanied him as he grew up, instead of listening to me relay it here."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Decades later, the apology he couldn't say in his youth finally came out, as if the floodgates of his heart had been opened. The Potions professor tore down all his pride in front of his most hated student, recounting his crimes as if speaking to the victim, but also as if speaking to himself. "Alright, I forgive you."

Lily said softly, with a hint of helplessness, as if she saw the boy who emerged from the bushes many years ago, wearing his mother's ill-fitting sweater. Later, he changed out of his old clothes, but he could never shake off his inferiority and embarrassment. Those things weighing on him drove him down the wrong path.

Snape continued to apologize repeatedly, stubbornly promising to revive the dead and make amends for his mistakes...

"I've said enough!"

Lily raised her voice slightly, revealing a bit of the toughness typical of Gryffindor girls. Looking at the somewhat bewildered Snape, she let out a disgusted and helpless "Eh," reaching out to wipe away the tears from the corners of Snape's eyes, but their souls and bodies merely passed each other by.

Snape's eyes showed even more guilt, and she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "What resurrection ritual, what equivalent exchange of death, how silly! I really don't understand why Dumbledore didn't stop you, he's really getting senile."

"..." Snape pursed his lips.

"That's settled then. Leave the Resurrection Stone here. Go find Dumbledore. I'll spend some time alone with Harry." Lily turned to look at her son, Harry, who was still dazed from the scene and stood there in a daze.

Snape's eyes gleamed, and he handed over the black gem. Harry took it foolishly, and at the moment the Resurrection Stone was handed over, Lily's ghostly image flickered.

Snape walked silently toward the two people not far away, with the sounds of a mother and son reunited echoing behind him.

"Don't even think about coming back to life. If I come back to life, what will happen to your father?"

"The events of that year were very complicated, and it wasn't just his fault. Even if he hadn't leaked the secret, the prophecy would have come true, only the process would have been different."

"Of course, if you really mind, then find a way to beat him up; he won't retaliate."

"..."

Snape paused, pretending not to hear, and continued walking forward. As the distance increased, the sound behind him became inaudible.

……

Loren glanced at Professor Snape, trying to see if his eyes were red or tear-stained. He hadn't been able to see clearly whether he had cried or not from the distance.

Unfortunately, it was too dark to see much.

Snape approached the two men, his face darkening as he caught their gaze. He then adopted his usual expressionless, cold demeanor and calmly asked, "You two just defeated Voldemort together?"

Dumbledore smiled. "To correct you, it wasn't 'us,' it was just Loren alone."

Snape raised an eyebrow, suppressing his surprise, and continued, "Is there a way to deal with the Horcruxes?"

"We have destroyed five Horcruxes. Voldemort's soul could not withstand further fragmentation, leaving only one living Horcrux," Dumbledore briefly explained the current situation. "I've heard that there's something unusual about the snake tree in Ilvermorny. I plan to go to Greylock Hill this summer to take a look."

"His hidden Horcruxes won't be discovered so easily."

"Hmm... if the Horcrux isn't in Iphamoni, then I'll just have to wait until I retire and travel the world to find it."

Snape frowned, clearly not believing this was Dumbledore's true plan, and asked again, "What about Harry?"

"Lily will give him the answer, just like she gave you the answer."

"..."

(End of this chapter)