The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

When Dumbledore asked this question, McGonagall, who is sitting beside him, visibly clenched her hands.

But Severus's expression remained calm.

He knew very well that this was the final hurdle he had to face with Dumbledore.

After confirming that his character, abilities, and attitude toward Harry were all beyond reproach, the only remaining concern, and the most critical and sensitive one, was laid bare.

What had happened to the original Severus Snape, and where was he now?

Even though Ghost Snape had a foul temperament, was unpleasant, and though he occasionally showed glimpses of humanity, most of the time, he was far from a good person, there were still people in this world who remembered him, worried about his safety, and had doubts about his current situation.

This was something Severus had discussed with Ghost Snape before. He didn't believe Dumbledore was a bad person.

It was just that to be a truly good person, one had to consider far more than a villain ever would… to think more deeply and carefully.

Like now, even at this final moment of testing-

Dumbledore still hadn't ripped off the facade and bluntly asked, 'What have you done to the original Snape?'

Instead, he posed the question to Severus in a more tactful, more considerate manner.

"In most cases, people rarely take the initiative to change themselves, don't they?"

Severus didn't avoid Dumbledore's gaze. Instead, he countered with a question of his own.

"I'm no exception. If everything had been normal, I would still be the same person I was before. But because of an accident no one could change, I had no choice but to change… to find a way to embrace this world anew."

"Yet, as you said, no matter who it is or what happens, no one can truly sever themselves from their past. And given how deeply my past self was entangled with regrets and obsessions in this world, how could he simply stand by and watch me change?"

"He has always been here. I've never abandoned my past self. You may no longer see his shadow in me, but he has always been able to see you."

As his words faded, the Headmaster's office fell into silence.

Ghost Snape within Severus's body was equally silent. Just as Severus had said, he gazed wordlessly at Dumbledore, as if he could see directly into those blue eyes through Severus's own.

After a moment, Ghost Snape suddenly spoke.

[Tell him that no matter how I change, I will never forget the promises I once made to him.]

Severus solemnly repeated these words.

"My former self wanted me to tell you that no matter how I change, I will never forget the promises I once made to Dumbledore."

Dumbledore interlaced his fingers and rested them on the desk. He studied Severus with profound eyes before finally speaking.

"I believe every word you've said, Severus. And from now on, I will continue to trust you just as I always have."

This was his final stance… his ultimate declaration of trust toward Severus.

Beside them, McGonagall couldn't help but wipe the corner of her eye, apologizing, "Forgive me, I'm not quite myself. But no matter what, I still miss him dearly."

With that, she stood and left the Headmaster's office.

Ghost Snape said nothing more. He merely remained silent, his expression somber.

After McGonagall left, Dumbledore murmured softly, "Minerva has always been a sensitive witch. It's just that her stern demeanor often intimidates students, making them overlook this side of her."

Severus nodded.

"I understand how she feels."

"Now, let's move on to other matters."

Dumbledore straightened up, his gaze fixed on Severus.

"No one could have predicted what happened at the Crouch Family's residence. But thanks to you, we uncovered the crucial information that Barty Crouch Jr. had escaped from Azkaban, saving Barty Crouch Sr.'s life."

"However, this is far from over. Barty Crouch Jr. is his most loyal servant. Having escaped from home, he will stop at nothing to find his master again, and he will rally every force he can to achieve this."

"I won't ask you to round them all up in one go, but in the coming days, it would be best if you kept a close eye on this matter, especially the recent movements of your… former acquaintances."

Hearing this, Severus understood.

Dumbledore's request didn't come as a surprise. Before arriving at Hogwarts, Severus had anticipated this.

The greatest agreement between Ghost Snape and Dumbledore had always been the protection of Harry.

And both of them believed that Voldemort, who had never truly died, is the ultimate villain who sought Harry's demise.

Now, with Barty Jr. escaping early from the Crouch Family's residence, Dumbledore had keenly sensed that this might accelerate Voldemort's return.

Thus, he would undoubtedly ask Severus to monitor the situation closely.

"When I confronted Barty Jr. at the Crouch Family's residence, I already had some plans in mind." Severus said thoughtfully.

"I will reach out to some old… associates. Barty Jr. may seek them out, but they won't necessarily be eager to see him. Most of the Wizarding World genuinely believes that he is dead, even some of his former followers think so. After all, their actions during the trials were hardly honorable."

"Even if he were to return and temporarily forgive them, their standing would never be what it once was."

Dumbledore's attitude towards this was just like the promise he had just made to Severus. He had absolute trust in Severus's arrangements.

"If you have a plan, proceed with confidence. Should any other issues arise, you can always come to me."

Once again, he made a weighty promise before shifting the conversation elsewhere.

"It seems you and Remus are getting along quite well?"

Severus shrugged.

"Let's just say, out of those four, the subjective harm he caused me wasn't as severe."

Dumbledore shook his head.

"That was the school's failing. No institution should allow relationships to escalate to the point of life-and-death animosity, as yours did."

"That's all in the past now. Besides Lupin, none of the other three are in any position to trouble me anymore, are they?" Severus leaned back in the armchair, his casual tone carrying an undercurrent of implication.

This made Dumbledore stunned.

He clearly sensed there was something deeper behind those words, but for the first time, someone was presenting him with a riddle… a role reversal from his usual habit of leaving others to decipher his meanings.

After realizing what was happening, Dumbledore chuckled softly.

"As long as you and Remus can coexist, that's what matters. Let him stay with you for a while. You've likely seen the materials Arthur passed along to you earlier… if you have time, you might experiment with them. Improvements would be ideal, but don't force it if progress is slow."

"Now, let's talk about you."

Dumbledore's expression turned serious.

"After everything you've experienced recently, have you noticed any issues with your spellcasting?"

The question caught Severus off guard. His eyes locked onto Dumbledore's, surprised that not only had Ghost Snape identified the problem, but Dumbledore had as well!

"When did you notice?"

"The day you retrieved Harry from his relatives." Dumbledore recalled, "When you cast spells in front of him, I observed subtle differences in your incantations. While the effects of the magic remain unchanged, the discrepancy is still a concern."

'Dumbledore wouldn't bring this up without reason. If he mentioned it, he must have a solution in mind!'

With this in mind, Severus took out his newly bought wand.

"I tried switching to a new wand. With it, the spells do feel slightly different."

"A new wand is a good start, but it's only part of the equation. The core issue remains unresolved."

"What about prolonged, consistent spell practice?"

"That would only habituate you to the flawed casting state, not address the root cause."

Dumbledore outright dismissed Ghost Snape's earlier suggestion.

"Do you have a better alternative?"

In response to Severus' question, Dumbledore simply retrieved a blank piece of parchment.

After a brief pause, he wrote something on it, sealed it in an envelope, and inscribed an address on the front before handing it to Severus.

"When you have time, visit an old friend of mine in France. He may hold the solution to your problem."

Severus accepted the letter, his eyes scanning the address and recipient:

[Paris, Nicolas Flamel District, 51 Rue de Montmorency, Nicolas Flamel]

Receiving this letter from Dumbledore was an unexpected boon.

At this point, Severus's greatest concern was his magical limitations. If Dumbledore, a wizard at the pinnacle of magical mastery, claimed Nicolas Flamel could help, then there was no doubt it would yield results.

With that, the meeting in the Headmaster's office seemed to draw to a close.

Just before Severus prepared to leave, he turned back with a cryptic remark.

"Since you've given me a gift, shall I give you something in return?"

Dumbledore couldn't help but blink, his lips curling into a smile of genuine curiosity.

"Oh? It's rare to receive presents outside of Christmas. Is it something sweet?"

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed… It's not edible, but I assure you, it will capture your interest."

As he spoke, Severus took out the diadem he had just obtained from the Room of Requirement. It was a tarnished, ancient-looking diadem, utterly unremarkable at first glance. Then, he placed it on Dumbledore's desk.

"Take your time studying it. I'll be taking Harry and Lupin with me now. The Ministry still has matters requiring our attention."

Without waiting for a response, Severus gave a casual wave and exited the Headmaster's office.

Only after his silhouette vanished did Dumbledore shift his gaze to the diadem.

He stared at this thing for a long, long time, and gradually, his eyes revealed an unprecedented solemnity.