"Sn… Snape? How is that possible?!"
Harry practically screamed.
The outburst startled Slughorn badly.
He patted his large belly, took a moment to calm down, then shook his head and said, "There's nothing impossible about it. In fact, Lily and Severus already knew each other before they came to Hogwarts."
"They were… neighbors, I believe. In any case, during their first few years at school, their relationship was extremely close. You could even say they were inseparable."
"The only problem was their identities."
"Can you imagine it? A Slytherin and a Gryffindor eating together, playing together, even sitting together in class?"
"It was simply too out of place."
Harry nodded blankly.
To be honest, "out of place" wasn't nearly enough to describe that image.
Just imagining his mother sitting intimately beside Snape gave Harry a strong sense of discomfort.
It was just… disgusting!
"So, naturally, the other students in Gryffindor and Slytherin thought the same thing. The two of them ended up being ostracized by their respective houses."
Slughorn sighed.
"That situation lasted for nearly a year. Later, Severus took the initiative to distance himself from Lily. Rumor had it that he simply didn't want to play with her anymore, and it broke Lily's heart."
"But in reality? Those of us professors all knew perfectly well that Severus still liked Lily very much. The only reason he did that was because he didn't want Lily to continue being isolated by the Gryffindors anymore."
"You know, sometimes in class, even when Lily and Severus sat very far apart, Severus would still secretly glance at her the whole time. Looking back on it now, it was really ridiculous… no, I suppose I should say pitiful."
"I… I still can't believe it. How could this be possible? Snape, he… there's no way!"
Harry shook his head.
If he only listened to Slughorn's description, then although Snape's actions sounded a little foolish, they were also the very definition of gentleness. You could even call it clumsy but sincere love.
But Harry knew Snape.
The Snape he knew in reality had absolutely nothing to do with kindness.
This was absurd.
"If you don't believe me, why don't we go ask Severus himself? He's here too, isn't he?", Slughorn sighed as he spoke.
Hearing that, Harry raised his head, determination flashing in his eyes.
———
Snape was hiding together with Link and Emily in the corner of the classroom.
A special kind of magical power filled the area around them.
Under the effect of that magic, it was as though the existence of all three of them had been erased.
Even if passing students consciously looked in their direction, they still couldn't truly notice them.
"What kind of spell is this? It seems rather useful."
Feeling the strange magic permeating the surroundings, Snape spoke indifferently.
"A composite spell made from the Muffliato Charm, Disillusionment Charm, Warning Charms, and several other spells," Link said while flicking his wand.
"Its effect is somewhat similar to the Muggle-Repelling Charm, except this one is specifically for dealing with wizards. I only developed it recently. Without it, I honestly wouldn't know how to survive."
Hearing this, Snape recalled the scene from earlier, when Link and Emily had been surrounded almost instantly by members of the Slug Club. He nodded with deep understanding.
Given Link and Emily's current status, attending gatherings like this without such a spell really would be difficult.
The enthusiasm of those driven by greed, or simply by admiration for Link, was intense enough to practically melt him alive.
"Forget about that."
Link continued, "The Ministry sent me news saying Lucius Malfoy was picked up and released?"
Snape nodded.
"That's right. I personally brought Draco and Narcissa to get him."
"Oh? You personally went?" Link narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't really suit your style, Professor Snape."
Snape glanced at Link before changing the subject.
"They also asked me to convey their gratitude for your mercy."
"Professor Snape, now that's even stranger, isn't it?" Emily suddenly covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"With that family's personality, shouldn't they hate Link to the bone?"
"Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy might be somewhat restrained since they understand the danger of careless words. But Draco Malfoy… hehe, I'd wager he openly said plenty of bad things about us, didn't he?"
Snape fell silent.
He had to admit that Emily understood the Malfoy family frighteningly well.
Every one of her guesses was correct.
That made Snape uncomfortable.
The Malfoys were like puppets in a puppet show, completely manipulated from beginning to end.
"Forget about that.", Link waved dismissively.
"I'm not the kind of villain who exterminates entire families just because they badmouthed me a few times."
"Lucius Malfoy's already been released anyway. As long as they live honestly and obey the law from now on, that's enough."
"What I'm more curious about is this. After going through all that suffering, Lucius Malfoy must've gained quite a few profound insights about life, right?"
"So what? He didn't share any of them with you?"
The moment those words were spoken, Snape's expression turned strange. He stared deeply at Link and said, "Of course he did. He advised me to hurry up and get married and have children."
"To that end, he even pushed Astoria Greengrass forward, the girl originally intended for Draco's arranged marriage."
"Worth mentioning is that the way he changed topics was extremely abrupt, and his whole demeanor was rather off. So… Link, this was your idea, wasn't it?"
Link smiled without confirming or denying it.
"No matter what, it's not a bad suggestion, is it? Though of course, I mean the marriage and children part, not Astoria Greengrass. That girl's too young, better leave her to Draco."
"As for you, Professor Snape, what kind of woman would you want? You should understand that with my current authority, no matter what kind of girl you want, I can find her for you."
"Gentle? Lively? Beautiful? Hardworking? Or perhaps… someone who looks and acts exactly like Lily…"
"Enough! Link!"
Snape's gaze sharpened as he interrupted him.
"Do not mention that name in front of me!"
Emily frowned slightly at Snape's rude behavior, but Link merely continued smiling.
"People have to move on eventually. There's no meaning in drowning yourself in past pain and tormenting yourself forever. It won't change anything. All it'll do is drive you insane."
"That's because you've never experienced it, Link. You possess everything, kind family, sincere friends, caring teachers…" Snape said.
"So now you can stand in the sunlight and tell me to move on. But in truth, I understood from the very beginning that you and I are actually the same type of person."
"If one day you lose all the treasures you currently possess, you'll become just like me… no, even more insane than I am! After all, you hold far more terrifying power in your hands, and there's much more you're capable of doing!"
Link said nothing. He merely looked quietly at Snape.
He had to admit that Snape was right.
He truly couldn't understand Snape's pain.
But that didn't stop Link from trying to pull him out of it.
Although Voldemort had now been driven out of Britain, and it seemed Snape's tragic fate had been changed, Link's spiritual power continued to surge as his strength grew.
As a result, his ability to perceive destiny had become increasingly powerful.
And through that ability, Link could vaguely sense that Snape was gradually heading toward self-destruction.
The feeling was strange and hazy, so vague that Link had no idea what exactly would happen.
But one thing was certain.
Snape would die.
And he would die horribly.
Furthermore, it would probably happen in the near future.
And that was something Link absolutely could not tolerate.
Along the way, many people had helped Link.
But among them, Snape held the same irreplaceable place in Link's heart as Madam Flamel and Emily.
It was Snape who taught him how to brew all kinds of potions. It was Snape who taught him how to fight.
In a sense, the reason Link had embarked on this combat path centered around the power of curses was because Snape had led him onto it.
To Link, Snape was no longer merely a professor or teacher.
He was truly… a master.
Link would not allow him to die such a miserable death, even if that was Snape's own wish.
So he had to change Snape's mindset as quickly as possible and pull him out of that whirlpool of self-torment.
Thinking this, Link took a deep breath and said sincerely, "Professor Snape, I truly hope you can find happiness!"
As though he hadn't expected Link to suddenly say something like that, Snape was visibly stunned. The stiffness on his face gradually softened as well.
And at that exact moment, Link smiled again.
"Though I'm afraid the topic of Lily still needs to be brought up. Even if I don't mention it, someone else certainly will."
As he spoke, Link turned his head to the side.
There, Slughorn and Harry were standing outside the perimeter of the wizard-repelling barrier Link had created, fiddling with something.
It was obvious they had already realized Link and the others were nearby.
But no matter what they tried, they simply couldn't undo the spell surrounding the area.
With a light flick of Link's wand, a small opening appeared in the barrier before them.
"Oh! Good heavens! Link, is this another spell you developed? It's incredible! This invention alone should earn you another Order of Merlin medal!"
Slughorn exclaimed excitedly, all while continuously sensing the unusual fluctuations in the surrounding magic with immense interest.
Compared to him, Harry looked much more anxious.
Without the slightest hesitation, he rushed directly in front of Snape and said, "P… Professor Snape! Professor Slughorn told me that you and my mother used to be very close. That you even… even should've ended up together. Is that true?"
Snape's pupils contracted violently, and for a moment he looked completely at a loss.
Nearby, Link and Emily, both well aware of the situation, covered their mouths to hide the wildly rising corners of their lips.
Link even couldn't resist adding an inner voice for Snape in his head, "Oh boy."
Snape shot Link a vicious glare before finally avoiding Harry's eyes and speaking in a somewhat hoarse voice.
"She and I were indeed friends… once."
Hearing that, Harry's face turned pale. He staggered backward several steps before Slughorn finally caught him.
"But… if that's really true…" Harry muttered weakly, his face deathly white. "Then why did you treat me like that, Professor Snape?"
Faced with Harry's question, Snape's eyes trembled slightly, as though some emotion was on the verge of breaking free.
This was a sign that Occlumency was about to fail.
Meanwhile, Slughorn muttered indignantly from the side, "What else could it be? Of course it's because of your father!"
"Professor Slughorn!" Snape barked. "Don't say another word!"
"Why shouldn't I? Harry's old enough now. He deserves to know some of what happened back then!"
Slughorn continued speaking to Harry.
"I'm not trying to insult James Potter, but honestly, both I and many others at the time believed your father simply wasn't worthy of Lily!"
Harry still looked unconvinced, but Slughorn sneered and continued, "I already explained what kind of person your mother was."
"To exaggerate a little, even if I'd heard one day that she became Minister for Magic, I wouldn't have been all that surprised."
"She was simply that outstanding. And your father? Do you even know what kind of person he was?"
"Of course I do!" Harry said instinctively. "He was brave and kind, a true Gryffindor!"
"Oh dear heavens! Hahaha!"
Slughorn burst out laughing.
"I'd wager Sirius Black told you all that, didn't he? To him, James Potter was a flawless person."
"Which makes sense, since fundamentally, he and James Potter were the same type of person. After all, who in this world enjoys belittling themselves? But the truth?"
Slughorn's face suddenly turned serious.
"To me, and to many professors at the time, your father was actually a playboy. A spoiled rich brat! In some ways he truly was exceptional."
"Intelligent, popular, excellent at Quidditch, even leading his house to victory. But in other ways, he was utterly insufferable!"
"He was arrogant! Loved showing off, always messing up his hair on purpose so he could pretend he'd just gotten off a broomstick!"
"He thought it made him look cool, never realizing how ridiculous we found it!"
"And together with Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew, he formed a little group called the Marauders. Honestly speaking, the name suited them perfectly!"
"Because after forming the 'Marauders,' they hardly did any good at all."
"Relying on their wealth and influence, they caused trouble everywhere, broke school rules constantly, and gave nearly every professor endless headaches."
"Worst of all, they bullied other students."
"Bullied? How could that be? Who did they bully?"
Harry pressed urgently.
Slughorn raised an eyebrow.
"Who else do you think?"
Harry stared at Snape in horror.
He couldn't think of any other possibility.
And once he realized that, everything suddenly made sense.
Snape's hostility toward him came entirely from his father.
Because his father hadn't just stolen his mother from Snape, he'd also joined Sirius and the others in bullying him.
And now, years later, Harry had fallen into Snape's hands, so naturally Snape would return all the pain James Potter inflicted upon him back onto James Potter's son.
Especially since Sirius had more than once remarked how much Harry resembled his father.
"Poor child! I still remember what happened that afternoon."
Slughorn sighed.
"He was cornered, then attacked in front of everyone, in front of Lily herself, using the very curse he invented. He was hung upside down, stripped of his…"
"Enough! Slughorn, I said enough, didn't you hear me!?"
Snape's furious roar cut Slughorn off.
At that moment, it seemed Snape had completely released the restraints Occlumency placed upon himself.
Harry was certain he had never seen Snape this enraged before.
The blazing fury radiating from him had even fused together with his own magical power, and the two fed off one another to create a tangible force.
The wizard-repelling spell Link had set up shattered almost instantly under the overwhelming power erupting outward from within Snape. Every student in the hall noticed the disturbance and turned curious eyes toward them.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Slughorn, finally realizing what he had done, seemed somewhat embarrassed.
Keeping a stern face, he said, "Professor Snape, I think you'd better control your emotions. I'm speaking up for you here!"
Snape didn't answer.
The attention from the surrounding students had gradually calmed him down. The magical power erupting around him had also fully withdrawn.
Yet the gaze he fixed on Slughorn remained ice-cold.
Anyone who had attended Snape's NEWT advanced classes and understood him knew exactly what that meant. Not only had Snape's anger not diminished, it had become even more intense.
With Snape's personality, the idea that he truly respected Slughorn all that much was impossible to begin with.
If pushed far enough, it wouldn't be strange at all for him to attack.
Slughorn understood that too.
Unfortunately, by now, he was already stuck riding a tiger and unable to get off.
At that moment, Link suddenly stepped forward.
"Alright, today's gathering ends here!"
Pointing at the surrounding students, he shouted, "Everyone, return to your dormitories immediately and get some sleep. Everything that happened at today's gathering is to remain confidential."
"Hermione, and Neville, come over here please. Take Harry back and let him rest properly. He's been through quite a shock tonight."
"And Emily, you should go back with Snape too. Talk with him for a while."
"Leave this place to me."
Under Link's direction, the crowd quickly and orderly poured out of the classroom.
Everyone chose to obey Link's instructions, even the furious Snape and Slughorn.
And only after the once lively classroom had completely quieted down did Link finally turn toward Slughorn with a cold expression and say, "Now then, Professor Slughorn, it's time we discussed the real matter at hand."