The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

Two weeks later, Severus returned to Hogwarts.

He didn't immediately take Harry and Lupin to see Dumbledore.

In the letter, Dumbledore had only mentioned them coming for a meal, with no mention of other matters. Since Dumbledore hadn't brought it up, Severus certainly wasn't going to volunteer anything.

Lupin went to the Gryffindor Tower to reminisce about the past.

Meanwhile, Severus took Harry back to his office, where he still had some things to pack.

Though it was unlikely Slughorn would use his old dungeon office upon his return, Severus still wanted to maintain the proper decorum.

Compared to the old schemer residing in his body, Severus was far more socially adept.

Harry sat in the office chair, watching as Severus waved his wand, causing the various prepared potions and strange ingredients on the shelves to fly neatly into a suitcase he had prepared earlier… one secretly enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

"Why did you secretly cast that spell on the suitcase? And why can't I tell anyone?"

Harry asked curiously.

Severus was reviewing his office's potion inventory list, ensuring nothing was missing.

"Because the Undetectable Extension Charm is prohibited for private misuse by the Ministry of Magic. Only a few specific items, such as school trunks and family tents, are permitted to use it."

"Would you get sent to Azkaban if you're caught?" Harry shrank his neck slightly, already aware that Azkaban was a very terrifying place.

"That's where they keep the worst criminals. Most who go in don't come out alive. Do you really think the Wizarding World only has one prison? Besides, the Ministry's enforcement of such restricted spells isn't particularly strict. As long as no trouble is caused, the Aurors usually turn a blind eye. Plenty of people use them in secret."

As he spoke, Severus finally finished packing all his belongings from the office.

He nodded in satisfaction, then noticed Harry's envious gaze at the mention of those spells. An idea occurred to him.

"Speaking of loosely enforced prohibitions, there's another one that forbids privately giving wands to children under eleven or teaching them magic, since most wizards aren't professional instructors and could cause accidents when teaching young children."

Severus looked at Harry and pulled out the birch wand he had temporarily set aside from his sleeve.

Hearing Severus's words and seeing his movement, Harry froze for a moment before his face flushed with excitement, as if he had guessed what was coming.

"Originally, I hadn't planned to start teaching you real magic so soon. But the events of the past few days have reminded me that when accidents happen, I can't always be by your side… even with a tracking device. The best solution is to give you some ability to protect yourself."

Severus said seriously.

By now, Harry had stood up from his chair, holding his breath and straightening his posture, as if to prove to Severus that he was ready.

"This wand has been with me for nearly eighteen years. It accompanied me through seven years at Hogwarts and through a period of foolish, disgraceful times. It holds extraordinary meaning for me. I can lend it to you temporarily until you find a wand that truly suits you in the future."

As he spoke, Severus handed the birch wand to Harry.

The sight stirred complex emotions in Ghost Snape.

Those eighteen years Severus mentioned were actually his… the original Snape's. Strictly speaking, this wand was something he had used for so long, a relic of his past.

And now, it was being passed by Severus directly into the hands of Harry Potter.

Should Ghost Snape feel happy?

He should be happy… because this was Lily's son, Lily's son inheriting his legacy.

But should he also feel hatred?

He should hate it too… because this was also James's son, the descendant of his enemy, taking what was once his.

Yet no matter what he felt, the birch wand was finally accepted by Harry with solemn reverence, cradled carefully in both hands.

"I promise I'll take good care of it, Professor!"

After the simple handover, Severus rummaged through his office and found a small satchel. Casting the Undetectable Extension Charm on it, he expanded the interior to about half a cubic meter before giving it to Harry.

"Take this too. Carrying a wand at your age is too conspicuous. Keep it in the bag when you're not using it. You can also store other small things in there."

Harry happily slung the satchel over his shoulder and tucked the wand inside.

Once everything in the office was settled, Severus let Harry wander around the castle on his own, instructing him to be at the Great Hall by 11:20 sharp for lunch.

Then, he temporarily placed the suitcase in the now-empty office.

Alone, he walked out of the dungeons and climbed the stairs with clear purpose.

Before returning to Hogwarts this time, Severus had already planned a few things.

The next time he came back would likely be when Harry started school, so during this period, he needed to take care of some matters in advance.

[What are you looking for?]

Ghost Snape sensed Severus's intentions and spoke up.

'To be precise, not looking… taking.'

Severus didn't deny Ghost Snape's guess. After all, there was no need for secrets between them.

"You know this castle better than I do?" Ghost Snape clearly noticed something was off. From what he could tell, the path Severus was taking didn't lead anywhere significant in his memory.

"I'm not as familiar with the specific details as you are, but I do know a lot about some of the more important key things."

As he chatted with Ghost Snape, Severus finally arrived on the eighth floor, stopping before a blank wall opposite the tapestry depicting the attempt of Barnabas the Barmy to teach trolls ballet.

He paced back and forth in front of the blank wall, silently repeating a thought only Ghost Snape could hear.

'I need a place to hide things…'

After repeating it three times, a smooth door appeared on the previously blank wall!

Ghost Snape was stunned when he saw this scene.

From his student days to his eight years as a professor, he had spent fifteen years in this castle… yet he had never known such a place existed!

Ignoring his shock, Severus pushed open the door and stepped into a room as vast as a cathedral.

Pillars of light from high windows illuminated what looked like a city of towering walls.

The room was filled with all kinds of clutter… items left behind by generations of students who had discovered this place.

Without hesitation, Severus walked in, weaving through narrow alleys formed by teetering piles of broken furniture.

He clearly didn't know the exact location of what he was searching for, so he wandered aimlessly.

Finally, he stopped in front of a large, blistered cabinet that looked as if it had been splashed with strong acid.

Beside it, on a crate, stood an ugly bust of an old warlock and a few other objects.

Ghost Snape saw nothing special about them, but Severus reached out with clear purpose, took one of the items, and then left the room without hesitation.

The moment he stepped out, the smooth door vanished silently, as if it had never existed.

11:20.

The small luncheon hosted by Hogwarts's Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore officially began.

They sat at the high table in the Great Hall… the same one where professors sat during the start-of-term feasts. All the professors who had remained at the castle over the summer attended.

Aside from the Heads of Houses, there was Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds, and Astronomy Professor, Aurora Sinistra.

Including Slughorn, there are the current four Head of Houses, Severus's group of three, and Dumbledore himself, a total of ten people.

The Great Hall had clearly been lightly decorated beforehand, making it feel less stern and more festive.

Dumbledore seemed particularly cheerful today. Before the meal officially began, he raised his tankard with a smile, toasting both Severus and Slughorn in welcome.

"Slytherin never lacks for an excellent Head of House, because the last outstanding Head trained an outstanding student… and that outstanding student has now brought the previous Head back to us!"

He rarely bothered with formalities, usually cutting straight to the point.

"Today's luncheon is a small celebration for the handover of Slytherin's Head of House. Let us welcome Horace back and wish Severus pleasant travels!"

The professors on either side of the table raised their glasses as well. Harry, being underage, was still stuck with juice.

With a collective cheer, those who drank finished their glasses in one go, while the female professors who weren't fond of alcohol took only a sip.

The luncheon quickly grew lively.

Dumbledore asked Severus to share some amusing stories from his werewolf case.

Slughorn chatted with Sprout about whether she had cultivated any new magical plants in the past two years.

McGonagall, Sinistra, and Flitwick discussed the troubles they'd faced recently while delivering Hogwarts' letters to Muggle-born students.

Meanwhile, the enormous Hagrid clinked glasses with Lupin, his eyes frequently darting toward Harry as he whispered things only the two of them could hear.

"He looks just like him! That night, I was the one who handed him to Dumbledore… on my motorcycle!"

During Lupin's school days, Hagrid had been close friends with the Marauders.

So it was no surprise Hagrid immediately saw the resemblance between Harry and James.

Perhaps the other professors had also noticed something, but none of them showed any intention of asking directly.

After all, regardless of the truth, the final decision and answer lay with Dumbledore.

But Hagrid clearly lacked such restraint. He had latched onto Lupin, his old friend, hoping to get confirmation from him.

Lupin was somewhat helpless under his relentless questioning.

Because he knew Hagrid so well, he was acutely aware of how loose his lips were.

If Hagrid found out, it wouldn't take a day before the news that 'Severus Snape is traveling with Harry Potter' spread to every pub in the Wizarding World!

So he could only keep insisting-

"He's not! Hagrid, you know James's son has Lily's eyes, right? But this boy's eyes are brown. And the scar… the lightning-shaped scar is the boy's most distinctive feature. Does he have one? No, right?"

"So stop guessing. That boy isn't Harry Potter. His name is Dudley Dursley, an ordinary Muggle-born with magical talent."

Hagrid continued staring at Harry so intensely that the boy grew visibly uncomfortable, his polite smile straining. Only then did Hagrid finally give up on his suspicions.

With a sigh, he raised his tankard and grumbled to Lupin.

"I must be going barmy. If it really were James's son, Dumbledore would never let him tag along with Snape."

Lupin just nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. You're absolutely right."

Internally, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The lunch ended at about 1:30. Hagrid, thoroughly drunk, stumbled back to his hut, while the other professors gradually left the table.

When only a handful of people remained, Dumbledore smiled and winked at Lupin.

"Remus, why don't you take Dudley on a tour of the castle? I'm sure there are plenty of places you'd love to show him."

Taking the hint, Lupin stood and led Harry away, planning to show him a few secret spots only the Marauders had known.

Once they were gone, only Dumbledore, Severus, and McGonagall remained at the table.

At this time, Dumbledore rose from his seat and gestured to Severus.

"Come, Severus. Let's continue our chat in my office… perhaps with some dessert."

Severus understood that this was the real reason Dumbledore had called him back to Hogwarts.

Without hesitation, he stood and followed, with McGonagall trailing behind, as they made their way to the Headmaster's office.

The room looked exactly as it had two weeks ago when Severus first visited.

The portraits of past headmasters still feigned sleep with half-closed eyes, and Fawkes the phoenix remained perched on his golden stand.

Once the three were seated, Dumbledore fixed his piercing blue eyes on Severus for a few silent seconds before speaking.

"I am always pleased to see anyone change for the better. Yet, such changes rarely erase one's past entirely."

"So what of you, Severus? Your transformation brings me joy, but your past still gives me pause."

"I must ask… has the man you once were truly vanished from this world?"