As a half-blood wizard, Severus Snape's childhood was hardly happy.
Even after gaining the power of magic and entering Hogwarts, Snape continued to live in unhappiness.
Within Slytherin, his father being a Muggle meant he wasn't accepted by the elite circles of the house, as it was an era when blood purity was highly prevalent.
Outside of Slytherin, some Gryffindors, led by Harry's father James Potter, found amusement in bullying him.
During Snape's school years, although the war hadn't fully erupted, it was a time when Death Eaters and wizards from other factions were in fierce opposition across society.
Slytherin, the house that produced the most Death Eaters, was like oil and water with students from Gryffindor and other houses.
Various forms of humiliation and torment came his way without warning...
A speck of dust from the great changes of the era, falling on Snape, felt as heavy as a mountain.
And on the train to school, James Potter and his companions, who had already formed a feud, began to target Snape with a ferocity that far surpassed typical inter-house student conflicts, due to certain factors.
Fortunately, his close friend from before school, Harry's mother, Lily Evans, was like a sacred radiance, illuminating his heart.
Allowing him to persevere through any setback.
Snape was never one to admit defeat; he was ambitious then, craving power, and when faced with problems, he wouldn't back down but would find a way to solve them.
In his study of magic, he discovered he had a particular talent for Dark Magic... This was normal; extreme minds often developed a talent for emotion-based magic.
The torments of his life transformed into the steps of his ascent.
Through the power of Dark Magic, the increasingly powerful Snape began to be accepted by all of Slytherin.
Slytherin was a place that valued 'nobility,' and what could be called noble, besides bloodline, was power. In fact, the very root of bloodline's nobility was that bloodlines truly held power here! Descendants of Seers possessed a certain prophetic ability, and the descendants of powerful wizards were highly likely to be stronger than ordinary wizards.
As Snape grew in power, the once aloof nobles extended olive branches to befriend him. His reputation grew, reaching those outside the school, and even ancient pure-blood noble families like Lucius Malfoy's had expressed their approval of him.
But...
His professional success did not bring the favor of 'that light.'
On the contrary, Lily began to drift away from him.
As a witch who could become the Head Girl of Hogwarts, Lily's magical talent was no less than Snape's, and being skilled in emotion magic herself, she was well aware of the terrifying consequences that could arise from prolonged use and study of Dark Magic, an extreme form of emotion magic.
The deeper one delved into emotion magic, the more easily the mind could be distorted by it.
She had been urging Snape to abandon Dark Magic and stay away from those Slytherin students who also studied it, but to no avail.
Snape was an ambitious man; his talent in Potions couldn't make him powerful in a short time. He would never abandon Dark Magic, the only path that could carry his ambition, nor would he abandon the influential connections he had painstakingly acquired.
Moreover, even setting aside ambition, if he lost the path of Dark Magic, becoming weak again, how could he, a weak half-blood from Slytherin, establish himself in this world? Snape craved the power to resist, he craved to wield authority.
The divergence between them grew wider, until... the day of the O.W.L.s.
After that day, they parted ways completely. She left him, step by step, and ended up with the leader of the Marauders, whom she detested the most.
Lily Evans, James Potter...
Two familiar names, along with past memories, gradually blurred from his mind, transforming into Harry Potter, who stood before him.
Harry Potter said many things.
But Snape wasn't in the mood to listen.
Whether it was an apology or anything else, or even the rights and wrongs of the past, Snape had no inclination to argue.
Snape just stood there quietly, listening to Harry's confession.
His longing for Lily had never ceased.
He knew better than anyone that James had done many wrong things back then, but he himself had also done his share of wrong.
Lily had indeed abandoned him, but it wasn't Lily's fault.
In truth, Snape hated himself more than James Potter.
If he hadn't been deceived by that damned Sirius, if he hadn't approached Lupin on the full moon, James, feeling unable to stand by, wouldn't have rushed to his rescue.
If that full moon night hadn't happened, Lily wouldn't have discovered another side of James.
They wouldn't have gotten together.
Perhaps Lily would still have left because he chose ambition, but at least... she wouldn't have died! The self-righteous and incompetent James Potter couldn't protect her.
The foolish and useless werewolf couldn't help.
And that damned traitor Sirius, a traitor!
Every time he thought of him, of that traitor still being alive, Snape felt his body tremble.
"Enough... stop talking!" Snape raised his trembling hand, signaling Harry to stop.
Facing those familiar eyes, which no longer held the distance and fear that made him uncomfortable.
Looking at this young wizard who had conquered his fear, honestly admitted everything, and bravely faced everything, Snape suddenly felt a sense of weariness.
In that instant, Snape could no longer see James Potter's shadow in Harry.
He was Harry Potter, not James Potter, not anyone's substitute.
...Let it be this way.
Snape was weary.
Harry looked at Professor Snape's pale face, and the anger that suddenly flared and then extinguished in his eyes. He thought that his apology hadn't made Professor Snape let go of the past, but instead had angered him.
After a moment's thought, Harry said, "Professor Snape, I know that even though I believe my father did wrong and I'm willing to apologize to you for what he did, it doesn't mean much to you."
"As someone who wasn't there at the time, no matter how much I apologize, it's probably hard to quell the firestorm that still rages in your heart."
"But, I am their child, and whether you need my apology or not, I have an obligation to do so."
At this point, Harry paused, then continued, "I saw the 'mistakes,' and I won't ignore them."
"I also don't believe that a few words are enough to erase these mistakes."
"I will go find Lupin and make him apologize for what happened in the past."
"I will go find Sirius and make the traitor face the consequences he deserves."
Hearing this, Snape, who had been somewhat listless, suddenly showed a flicker of emotion on his face.
But Harry didn't stop there. "I will make my father realize that after he made mistakes back then, he shouldn't have acted as if nothing had happened and just let things slide. He should face his past mistakes like a man."
"I will let my mother know that you ultimately didn't choose the path of Dark Magic, that you are not the kind of person she thought you were. You are a good professor who has led the House to win the House Cup for six consecutive years, and someone who is willing to risk everything to protect others." As he said the last sentence, Harry remembered a glimpse of the future that Roger had shown him.
If Roger hadn't appeared, Snape would have died because of him.
When Harry stopped speaking, the emotion on Snape's face disappeared, replaced by a sneer. "How are you going to make James Potter realize his mistakes? Dig him out of his grave and shove him in front of me?"
He thought Harry had changed, but he didn't expect him to be just like his scumbag father, James, full of empty boasts and impractical ideas.
Still that detestable, nonsensical 'Boy Who Lived'! Faced with Professor Snape's mockery, Harry replied calmly, "I will resurrect them, and then..."
"Resurrect them?!" Before Harry could finish, Snape interrupted him loudly.
"Who do you think you are?"
"You're just a lucky survivor who escaped that person's grasp thanks to Lily's love!"
"Do you really think that just because others call you the Boy Who Lived, you're invincible? How laughable!"
If Snape had been merely mocking before, he was now reprimanding! The anger that had subsided flared up again, but this time not at Sirius, but at Harry.
"Now, get out of my office immediately. I don't want to see you again." By the last sentence, Snape's voice was as dark as dripping water.
As a master of magic, Snape knew too well how difficult true resurrection was.
Had anyone succeeded from ancient times to the present? He hadn't heard of it.
"But... Roger said I might have a chance to do it." If it were in the past, being reprimanded by an enraged Snape, Harry would probably have been too scared to stand steady. But at this moment, he would no longer surrender to fear.
"I believe him."
As Harry's resounding retort echoed, the Headmaster's office fell silent.
"..." Snape stopped speaking, but his contorted expression showed that his inner turmoil was far from calm.
After about ten seconds of silence.
Snape finally managed to squeeze out from between his teeth, "That annoying... I mean, that powerful Seer, whose prophecies in the records have never been wrong, really told you that?"
"He said you had a chance to resurrect Lily?"
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