The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

After Severus said his purpose for coming here, Petunia, who had remained silent the entire time, couldn't hold back any longer and let out a shrill scream.

"I knew it! I knew it! People like you… I won't allow you anywhere near Harry! He's normal! Under our care, he's grown up perfectly normal!"

Vernon, who had just moments ago been treating Severus like a good friend, now looked rather awkward.

Of course, he firmly stood by his wife Petunia, but having just been on such friendly terms with the man, he couldn't just flip his attitude so abruptly, right?

Besides, he thought Severus was actually quite decent, nothing like the freaks he'd imagined.

Ghost Snape watched this scene with a sneer. He had watched the entire charade of this deceitful man bending over backward to ingratiate himself with these Muggles. But in the end, it was all futile.

He even suspected that Dumbledore had deliberately set up this impossible challenge.

The Dursleys were so unreasonable that it was nothing short of a fantasy to expect them to let Harry go willingly.

Meanwhile, Harry looked at Severus with an even more confused expression He couldn't understand why a professor, and a Headteacher, no less, from a school he'd never even heard of would come to the Dursley's house specifically for him.

'And why was Aunt Petunia, reacting so violently? What did she mean by 'people like you'? What was 'not normal'?'

Of everyone present, whether living or dead, the only ones who seemed unbothered were Dudley, who was busy shoving handfuls of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans into his mouth, and Severus himself, who remained completely unfazed.

It was as if Petunia's reaction was exactly what he'd expected. He had never assumed that his earlier performance alone would truly win this family over.

"In your eyes, am I a normal person right now, Mrs. Dursley?"

Severus leaned back comfortably in his chair, took a sip of the tea Vernon had poured for him, and then looked at Petunia calmly as he posed the question.

Petunia simply stared at him, unblinking.

"You know exactly what you are! You might fool my husband, you might fool my son, but you won't fool me! I've known you since we were children! I know what you are!"

"But I believe that judging whether a person is 'normal' should be based on their actions, thoughts, and words. Wouldn't you agree?"

Severus remained composed and did not get into an argument with Petunia.

"Those things can be taught, changed, influenced by society. However, there are other aspects… things that simply exist, regardless of human will. They are objective truths."

"And by your definition of 'normal', Harry Potter possesses one of those objective traits. I know you don't want me to say the word in front of the children, but his heritage is what it is. In time, he will become what his family was."

However, Petunia didn't seem convinced at all. She was breathing heavily because of anger, and her eyes, which showed no sign of hiding her hatred, glared at Severus with hostility.

"So why are you here for Harry? To speed up his transformation into someone like his parents? To turn him into a complete freak?!"

"With Albus Dumbledore's approval, I came here to take Harry for some preparatory education." Severus immediately invoked Dumbledore's name.

"I will never agree to that!" Petunia shrieked, showing no deference to Dumbledore whatsoever.

It was often said that Albus Dumbledore was the greatest white wizard in Wizarding World, that both dark and light factions would show him respect at the mere mention of his name.

But today, Severus proved that to be nothing more than a myth!

'Apparently, even a simple Muggle housewife had no qualms about spitting in his face.'

Severus muttered to himself in his heart, but of course, he would not say it openly. He still looked at Petunia calmly.

"You are her sister, and you should understand that your sister already displayed those unusual characteristics at home before she even entered Hogwarts."

This made Petunia's face twisted further.

It was a memory she desperately wanted to forget.

Unlike the Dursleys of today, the Evans family had been proud, and even delighted, when they discovered their youngest daughter's extraordinary abilities.

This made the ordinary Petunia feel neglected, made her jealous, and also shaped her current attitude towards wizards and magic.

"Your sister was once the pride of your parents' family, but what if Harry begins showing the same traits as his mother? Here, in this house, in front of your guests, your friends, your family?"

The directness of his words made Petunia go pale.

Of course, she remembered all too well the strange occurrences surrounding Lily before she'd left for Hogwarts.

If Harry started exhibiting the same tendencies, whether at school or at home, whether there were outsiders around...

"We'll control him! We won't let him become like that! As long as he doesn't come into contact with people like you! He will never become like that! No..."

"That will only make it worse, Petunia!"

Severus raised his voice, cutting off her delusions.

"Magic doesn't disappear just because you will it to. It will only be accumulated in Harry's body and mutate. And eventually, like a water balloon pressed to its limit, it will burst. And when it does, it'll hurt him and everyone around him."

"Moreover, even if Harry doesn't turn out like that, without proper guidance on how to coexist with normal people while possessing magical abilities, what do you think might happen in the future?"

He pointed solemnly at his own eyes.

"I can see glimpses of the future. Many things you would never wish to witness will occur. At the zoo, he'll vanish the glass in the reptile exhibit and cause panic. In this very room, he'll inflate his insulting aunt like a balloon and send her floating to the ceiling. At a seaside cottage, if you refuse to let him attend that school, your precious son will grow a pig's tail."

"You're threatening us!" Petunia shrieked.

"I am stating the facts."

Severus remained composed, though his gaze now shifted to Vernon.

Once Petunia had taken control of the situation, Vernon had sat quietly, fiddling with his thumbs.

When he noticed that his 'good friend' Severus was looking at him, he didn't avert his eyes.

"My friend, I understand your concerns, but some things can't be avoided by running away. Since they're inevitable, isn't it better to prepare early? I'll teach Harry how to interact normally with you, how not to cause trouble, how not to make your lives difficult. What do you think?"

The sincerity in his words made Vernon glance at his wife. He stood from his chair, walked over to Petunia, and wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders before hesitantly asking, "Maybe... we should listen to Snape here?"

Severus did not continue to take advantage of this opportunity to press further.

He had said all he needed to. No matter what he says afterwards, it will only have a negative effect. Now, the final decision rested entirely with Petunia.

Petunia's breathing grew ragged, but she didn't speak immediately.

The whole room fell into silence.

Only the ticking of the wall clock and Dudley's relentless chewing of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans filled the air.

About ten seconds passed, maybe twenty or thirty seconds.

Then, in a voice hoarse with emotion, Petunia finally spoke again, "How can I trust you? How do I know I can hand over my sister's son to you?"

To this question, Severus simply responded quietly.

"He is Lily Evans' son."

The moment those words left his lips, Severus could clearly feel a deathly glare from inside his body, staring at him as if it could eat him alive!

And upon hearing them, Petunia collapsed into her chair. She cried out loud, and finally stood up from the chair again, wiped her tears and turned away.

"Do whatever you want. Whatever..."

Though she hadn't explicitly agreed, her meaning was clear.

Vernon finally breathed a sigh of relief at this time, and a smile appeared on his face again, but when he turned to Harry, this smile immediately changed and became stern and red.

"Well?! Don't just stand there! Go pack your…"

However, before he could finish his words, Severus raised a hand, signaling him not to speak in such a commanding tone.

Severus then turned and looked at Harry, who had been sitting in bewildered silence, utterly lost in the adults' discussion about him.

"Mr. Harry Potter." Severus said, meeting his eyes with solemnity, "I have convinced your guardians, and now, it's your turn to decide."

"Do you agree to come with me for preparatory studies? To ready yourself for Hogwarts, and to come to terms with your… extraordinary identity?"

It was the first time that Harry was treated so seriously by an adult, and he felt a little nervous.

He swallowed hard, stammering slightly but managing to voice the question that burned in his mind.

"Mr. Snape, did you know my mother?"

Once again, Severus ignored the stare of Ghost Snape from inside his body and smiled in reply.

"We were once the best of friends."

Hearing this, Harry didn't hesitate anymore. He practically leapt from the sofa.

"I'd be honored to go with you, sir!"