Harry saw that the original four long tables had disappeared, replaced by a hundred smaller ones.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, shining down on the heads bent low over parchment.
Harry spotted Snape — Snape back when he was still a student.
Though he looked different from now, that hooked nose was unmistakable.
They were taking an exam—Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the O.W.L.s.
This memory-version of Snape was about the same age as Harry was now, around fifteen or sixteen.
He also saw Professor Flitwick.
At the time, Flitwick looked a bit younger and was walking past a messy-haired boy with black hair.
Harry froze. He recognized that black-haired boy.
Even though he looked much younger, Harry still recognized him.
That was... his father.
His father at fifteen.
He ran over and stared at that face.
Whether it was Sirius or anyone else who said it—They were all right.
His father looked so much like him—the same thin face, the same mouth, the same eyebrows.
No wonder everyone who saw him always said he looked like his dad.
Even their hair and hands were strikingly similar.
If they stood side by side, there wouldn't be much difference in height either.
He also saw Sirius. As expected, the two of them had been best friends even back in school.
His godfather in his youth looked wild and rebellious—definitely the kind of student who wouldn't take class seriously.
Then… then Harry saw even more.
Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
Professor Flitwick told everyone to stop writing and used magic to collect the papers.
Only, there were so many test papers that they knocked him over.
A few students helped him up, and Professor Flitwick didn't mind being laughed at for the slip-up.
Harry followed behind his father as the four of them discussed the exam questions.
When he heard the conversation between Lupin and his dad, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Asking a werewolf about werewolf-related questions?
His father pulled out a golden Snitch, let it fly about a foot into the air, and then swiftly caught it again.
That made Harry quite delighted—it was exactly like him.
Except he didn't show off as much as his dad did.
They sat under a beech tree, and every time the Snitch was released and caught again, it would set off a shriek from Peter Pettigrew.
Snape was already sitting on the grass, while his father tirelessly played with the golden Snitch.
Harry could tell he really enjoyed being the center of attention.
"This is so boring," said Sirius. "If only tonight were a full moon."
Lupin muttered darkly from behind his book, "We still have the Transfiguration exam. If you're so bored, you can quiz me."
Sirius snorted through his nose and said arrogantly, "I don't need to read this rubbish. I already know it all."
This version of his godfather was completely different from the Sirius Harry knew. Harry couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Then his father spoke. "This'll perk you up, Padfoot. Look—guess who's over there?"
Sirius turned his head. He froze like a hunting dog catching the scent of a rabbit.
"Perfect—Snivellus," he said with a mischievous grin.
Snape was busy packing up his O.W.L. exam papers.
As Snape stepped out from the shadow of the bushes and onto the grass, Sirius and James stood up.
Lupin and Peter Pettigrew stayed where they were, but Lupin frowned slightly.
James called out loudly, "All right there, Snivellus?"
Snape reacted quickly, as if he had practiced this a hundred times—he threw off his bag and reached into his robes for his wand.
But before he could even raise it halfway, James had already disarmed him.
Harry froze, not understanding why it had escalated so suddenly.
Next came Sirius. He smirked mockingly and, just as Snape bent down to pick up his wand, hit him with a jinx that made Snape stumble and fall in a ridiculous heap.
Harry felt like this couldn't be real—like it was some sort of nightmare that shattered the image of his father he had held in his heart.
They kept calling Snape by that awful nickname, "Snivellus," and Sirius sneered that the oil stains on Snape's parchment must've come straight from his nose.
Snape clearly wasn't popular—some nearby students even laughed at the scene.
"You just wait," Snape snarled, glaring viciously at the two of them, cursing them out under his breath.
Harry tried to comfort himself with the thought that maybe Snape really was an awful person.
But when James hit Snape with a Scouring Charm that left his lips foaming with soap bubbles, all Harry felt was a cold chill.
"Leave him alone!"
A girl with deep red hair walked over from the lakeside, her strikingly green almond-shaped eyes wide with anger.
At this moment, James didn't seem so vicious. "Hello, Evans," he said.
"Let him go." Lily Evans — Harry's mother.
The look of disgust she gave James pierced Harry deeply.
"What did he ever do to you?"
"Well," James said, striking a pose as if pondering something of great importance, "he shouldn't even exist, if you know what I mean~"
Harry was in despair—his father had actually been that kind of person.
He even felt that Malfoy was kinder in comparison.
"You think you're funny? But you're nothing more than an arrogant, rude, bullying scumbag. Potter, let him go!" Lily said coldly.
"Heh~ If you go out with me, Evans, I'll let him go," James said with a spoiled playboy's tone, shamelessly teasing a good girl. "Come on, say yes—if you go out with me, I swear I won't lay another finger on old Snivellus with my wand."
In stark contrast was Snape, crawling pitifully toward his wand, foam still bubbling at the corners of his mouth.
Lily didn't bother hiding her contempt for James and snapped that she'd rather go out with the giant squid than with him.
Just then, Snape grabbed his wand and cast a spell at James.
A flash of light shot out, and a gash appeared on James's face, blood dripping down.
James spun around and fired a spell that left Snape dangling upside down in mid-air.
"Enough. That's enough," Harry growled under his breath, his fists clenched tight. Around him, laughter rang out.
Lily repeatedly told him to let Snape down, but Sirius cast a Petrificus Totalus, making Snape's situation even more humiliating.
"I can't watch aymore.." Harry was about to shut his eyes—
When suddenly—
A glint of light shimmered on the surface of the lake.
He looked over—and saw a pair of vertical pupils staring back at him.
His whole body went cold.
Those eyes were wrapped in layers of darkness and vanished the moment he blinked.
"It's him. It's him!" Harry's hands and feet were freezing.
He didn't understand how those eyes could appear even in Snape's memory.
Then—
"I don't need help from a filthy little Mudblood like her!" Snape's furious voice echoed.
Harry snapped back to himself, just in time to see Lily break off with Snape because of that one sentence.
Lily, by the way, also scolded James.
That made James so furious he nearly yanked down Snape's underwear.
Before Harry could witness that scene, he was yanked out of the Pensieve.
It was Snape—his face deathly pale and terrifying.
"Had fun?" Snape's words were like icy water drowning him. "Enjoy yourself, Potter?"
"N-No," Harry stammered, struggling to get free.
But Snape was far too terrifying. His lips trembled as he bared his teeth.
"Your father was an amusing man, wasn't he?"
Harry was being shaken so hard he nearly threw up—he didn't find it amusing at all.
"Professor.."
"Don't you dare tell anyone what you saw!" Snape roared, utterly losing control.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Snape roared again, "Get out! Get out! I never want to see you in this office again!"
...
Constellation Society.
John was holding the diadem, his face as pale as a ghost.
Daphne was nearly in tears when she saw him.
"John, what's wrong?" Her lips trembled.
John shakily got to his feet and placed the diadem into another box.
As the box closed, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He grabbed Daphne, who was about to run out to get help, and said calmly, "Don't tell anyone. Go get the Constellation."
"But…" Daphne hesitated, then murmured, "Alright."
She brought out the Constellation. As soon as she opened it, John drank straight from the bottle.
Halfway through, he suddenly choked, coughing violently.
Blood poured from his mouth in great gulps, terrifying Daphne beside him.
John looked at the blood, his expression dazed as he muttered, "To be reborn through death…"
He set the Constellation down, swayed as he stood, and with his fingers gripping Daphne's shoulder, he said word by word, "Don't tell anyone about this, Daphne."
Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes as she frantically shook her head.
"Daphne, promise me." John tightened his grip, making her wince in pain.
She stared at John and asked, "Are you going to die?"
John smiled at her and said, "I promise, I won't die."
That sentence finally made Daphne relent—she agreed not to tell anyone.
John smiled, his face pale and gaunt, looking like he was gravely ill.
He collapsed against Daphne, whispering something into her ear.
Daphne held back her tears and nodded firmly.
_________
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