Chapter 761: How Is It Possible?!!
The scene shifted again.
Snape stood outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.
Lily was there too, arms folded tightly across her chest.
Snape kept trying to speak, his voice low, strained.
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm not interested. Don't waste your breath."
Lily's expression was cold—almost mocking.
"Enough. Mary told me you were planning to wait here all night before I even came out."
"I was… I was going to. I just—I shouldn't have—"
She cut him off sharply.
"Stop."
Her eyes were hard now.
"I know you didn't plan to say it. You just blurted it out."
She took a breath, steadying herself.
"For years, my friends have told me it was ridiculous that I stayed friends with you. And every time, I defended you."
Her voice tightened.
"But what about you?"
"You never listened to me. I told you to stay away from those people—Avery, Mulciber—what did you do? Nothing. You stayed with them anyway."
She looked straight at him.
"You've already decided to follow the Dark Lord, haven't you?"
Snape froze.
"So what exactly is left for us to talk about?"
She shook her head.
"I know you didn't mean to call me that."
"But you use that word for people like me."
Her voice dropped.
"So tell me—what's the difference between me and them?"
Snape opened his mouth, searching for something—anything—to say.
But nothing came.
Lily gave him one last look.
Then turned and pushed open the door.
And walked away.
---
The memory shifted again.
A barren, windswept hill.
Cold.
Empty.
Snape stood there, clutching his wand, his whole body tense.
Waiting.
Terrified.
A flash of white light—
Snape dropped to his knees instantly, his wand falling from his hand.
"Don't kill me!" he cried. "I didn't mean—please—!"
A figure appeared before him.
Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked at him, calm… and faintly disdainful.
"Severus. We meet again. What message does your master send this time?"
"No—no message… I came for myself… please… I have information…"
Snape's voice trembled.
"Information? From a Death Eater?" Dumbledore said coolly.
"It's a prophecy. Trelawney's prophecy—"
"How much did you tell him?"
"…Everything. Everything I heard…"
Snape's hands shook.
"He… he chose Lily Evans…"
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened.
"The prophecy did not specify a woman."
"He chose her son—Harry Potter! He's going to kill them… all of them…"
Snape covered his face, anguish breaking through.
Dumbledore's voice turned cold.
"So Lily Evans means that much to you… and yet you did not ask your master to spare her family?"
"I begged him!" Snape said desperately. "I begged him to spare Lily—"
"You disgust me."
Dumbledore's words cut like a blade.
"You want to save her—but you do not care about her husband, her child."
Snape said nothing.
For a long time—
he lowered his hands.
"…Then hide them," he whispered. "Protect them… please…"
Dumbledore studied him.
"And what will you give me in return?"
"Anything," Snape said hoarsely. "Everything I have."
---
The hill faded.
Now—
Dumbledore's office.
Snape sat hunched forward, letting out a raw, broken sound—like an animal in pain.
Dumbledore stood before him, silent.
After a long time, Snape finally looked up.
"I… I thought you would protect them…"
"They trusted someone else," Dumbledore said quietly. "Just as you did."
Snape's breathing faltered.
He looked… empty.
"Her son survived," Dumbledore added.
Snape's expression twisted.
"…Her son," he repeated. "He has Lily's eyes…"
His voice broke.
"It should have been me. It should have been me who died…"
"That changes nothing," Dumbledore said. "You know why she died. The path before you is clear."
Snape stared at him, uncomprehending.
Then—
slowly—
he understood.
"What do you mean?"
"The Dark Lord is not gone forever," Dumbledore said. "When he returns, the boy will be in grave danger."
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then Snape stood.
"…Very well," he said quietly. "I will protect him."
His eyes hardened.
"But you must swear… you must swear never to tell him."
"Tell him what?"
"That I am doing this for Lily. That I… care."
"If you insist," Dumbledore said softly.
---
The office dissolved.
Now—
an orphanage.
Snape stood with Dumbledore again.
"I can't even look at him," Snape muttered. "He looks exactly like her… I can't bear it…"
Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"You'll have to learn."
Then, almost casually—
"And Darren… he's a very perceptive child. Be careful. He may notice that you're fond of him."
---
Another shift.
Dumbledore's office again.
Snape stood stiffly, clearly irritated.
"What exactly are you planning?" he demanded. "That boy is brilliant—polite, disciplined—he's far better than Potter in every way!"
Dumbledore didn't even look up from his paper.
"Trust me. Harry is a good boy too."
He turned a page.
"Other teachers say he's humble, likable."
Then, after a pause—
"Have you been watching Quirrell? There's something… off about him. He's been paying attention to Darren."
---
The scene changed once more.
Snape stood facing Lucius Malfoy.
His voice was sharp with anger.
"Why did you bring that thing into the school? Darren Potter and Harry Potter nearly died!"
Lucius looked uneasy.
"I had no choice. The Ministry was conducting inspections—I couldn't risk keeping it. Selling it was impossible."
He shrugged.
"So I had Ginny Weasley take it into the school. I assumed Dumbledore would deal with it. I didn't expect it to nearly kill Darren…"
He hesitated, then added—
"By the way—Draco mentioned Darren. He seems… fond of him. What do you think of the boy?"
Snape's expression softened slightly.
"He's well-mannered. Quiet. Talented. Studies hard."
He paused.
"…Much better than his brother."
Then, after a moment—
"…His only flaw is that he's too trusting. Too straightforward. Easily taken advantage of."
His voice lowered.
"Every time I see him, I worry he'll be hurt."
Lucius stared at him, surprised.
"Severus… do you know what Narcissa says every time Draco talks about you?"
Snape frowned.
"What?"
Lucius smirked slightly.
"I thought I was listening to a parent talk about their child."
Snape froze.
Then immediately snapped back.
"What nonsense—"
He turned sharply.
"Get out."
Without another word, he shoved Lucius toward the fireplace.