The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

Harry had never felt this wonderful in his entire life.

Carrying his suitcase, he walked out of the Dursley's house in complete silence, with no one to see him off. Yet the air he breathed seemed sweeter, and even the overcast sky felt refreshing.

Though he had only exchanged a few words with the mysterious Mr. Snape so far, the way the man had acted toward the Dursleys made Harry think he must be a rather decent person.

Especially since the other party was once his mother's best friend, which was also something Petunia had confirmed.

Just as Harry stood at the doorstep, glancing around the yard, Severus, clad in his oversized black robes, appeared beside him like a bat gliding low through the night.

"Mr. Snape? Where are we going now?" Harry asked subconsciously in shock.

Severus glanced up at the overcast sky, then picked up a teacup from the ground. After ensuring no one was watching, he casually tossed the cup into the air. Finally, he used a small wooden stick to lightly tap the falling teacup.

Harry swore he didn't even blink!

As the delicate little teacup descended, it twisted, stretched, and reshaped itself like clay… transforming in midair!

By the time it landed in Harry's arms, the teacup had transformed into a black umbrella!

Harry stood there, dumbfounded, frozen like a statue.

Behind them, at the Dursley's house, the blinds on the window that originally faced the courtyard were yanked shut with an angry snap.

The culprit of all this, Severus, paid no mind at all and simply waved at the rooftop of the Dursley's house.

Soon, an owl that had apparently been hiding there poked its head out.

Spotting Severus's gesture, it spread its wings, leaped from the roof, and glided through the air. It even performed a little somersault as it passed Harry before landing proudly on Severus's shoulder.

Severus glanced at the owl, borrowed from Hogwarts, while internally complaining to the still-stony-faced Ghost Snape, about how much of a show-off it was.

Then, he pulled out a blank piece of parchment from his pocket.

With another light tap of his wand, a line of elegant cursive script appeared on the parchment.

The theatrically inclined owl grabbed the parchment that Severus had rolled into a tube, raised its right wing as if saluting, then soared high into the sky and disappeared into the dark clouds.

The wind gradually grew stronger and raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Severus patted Harry, who was still standing there in a daze, and as if breaking the petrification, he snapped him back to reality.

"Stop standing there like an idiot. Open the umbrella and follow me."

After saying that, Severus casually pulled out a black umbrella from who-knows-where, shielded himself from the drizzle, and strode out of the Dursley's front yard.

Harry's mind was a complete mess. He didn't even realize how he had managed to open the umbrella, mechanically stepping forward as he hurried after Severus.

It wasn't until they had completely left the Dursley's property and reached the street of Privet Drive that he finally stammered out.

"M-M-Mr. S-S-Snape! Y-you! You just..."

"Do you think that was a trick?" Severus asked without turning around.

"I-I-I think... tricks can't... do something like that."

"Ah, so you're not like those fools who cling to their denial even when faced with the impossible. That's a very good quality."

Harry's jumbled thoughts finally pieced together the cryptic conversation Severus had with Petunia and Vernon back at the Dursley's house.

His eyes suddenly widened, and his hurried steps turned into a jog as he caught up to Severus's long strides.

"You're a wizard!"

It is now July, the height of summer, and the weather in Great Britain is unpredictable. The light drizzle had turned into a downpour in under a minute, the raindrops pounding loudly against the umbrellas.

On Privet Drive, pedestrians who didn't have an umbrella and didn't have time to rush home could only scatter and run to roadside shops or cafes to shelter from the rain.

Severus continued walking along the cobbled path, leading Harry forward without denying the extraordinary accusation.

"Of course I'm a wizard."

"But you told Uncle Vernon you were a professor and headteacher at a vocational school!"

"Is a school of magic not a vocational school?" Severus shrugged, feigning confusion.

"School of magic! You mentioned the name in the house... Hog... Hogwarts, right?" Harry was so excited that he didn't even notice that he stepped into a puddle, causing Severus sidestep away in mild disgust.

"Yes, Hogwarts. The only school of magic in Britain."

"So... you're taking me to Hogwarts to learn magic? I can become a wizard too?"

"Only children who are 11 years old or older and have demonstrated magical traits will be admitted to Hogwarts."

As Severus walked forward, he stretched out his wand and used magic to clean Harry's shoes and trouser legs that were stained with dirty water. With the existence of magic, taking care of messy children would undoubtedly be far less troublesome.

"Have you turned eleven yet?"

Harry shook his head sheepishly.

"Have you shown any magical traits?"

Harry thought back to the strange things that had happened around him before, but under Petunia and Vernon's dismissals, he had always brushed them off as insignificant.

He hung his head even lower, dejected.

At this moment, Severus abruptly changed his tone.

"But sooner or later, you will be 11 years old, and sooner or later, you will show the magical traits of a wizard."

Hearing such recognition, Harry's head snapped up in excitement. He grabbed onto Severus's black robes, splashing rainwater onto the man's face.

"So I can learn magic?! Is it true, Mr. Snape?!"

Severus stopped walking. He sighed, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the water from his face while glancing around.

They had long since left Privet Drive and now stood in some cramped, narrow alleyway.

There was no one here except them, with rain pouring from the rooftops and gushing into the gutters.

The downpour showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Looking at the overjoyed Harry, Severus placed a firm hand on the boy's small shoulder and spoke seriously.

"You can learn magic, and of course you can become a wizard in the future. Even now, your name has been recorded in the history of magic forever."

Harry was a little frightened by his serious and exaggerated speech, and he stammered.

"Me? I'm... that important?"

"Of course, all this is thanks to your late parents, especially your mother."

Inside Severus's body, Ghost Snape clenched his fists so tightly they trembled. His head was bowed, hiding his expression, but the rapid rise and fall of his chest betrayed the storm of emotions raging within him at Severus's words!

Harry froze in shock for the second time. The suitcase he had been holding slipped from his grip and hit the ground with a loud thud.

The noise startled a stray cat hiding somewhere under the eaves, sending it darting away with a frantic scramble.

For four or five seconds, Harry just stared at Severus before whispering, "Aunt Petunia...Aunt Petunia said they... died in a car crash..."

"They were both witches and wizards. Hogwarts graduates. They didn't die of illness, nor in a car crash. They were killed by a dark wizard… He's a tyrant who once nearly ruled over all of magical Britain and sought to spread his evil across Europe."

At some point, the grip on Harry's other hand had gone slack, and his umbrella fell to the ground.

Rain drenched him, turning him into a soaked, shivering mess.

[Stop.]

The low, restrained voice came from inside Severus's body. It's from Ghost Snape, who lowered his head and had an expression hidden by his greasy hair.

But Severus ignored him, keeping his eyes locked on Harry in the pouring rain.

"I was indeed your mother's best friend, but we lost our friendship while still at Hogwarts."

[Enough!]

The roar sounded again, echoing only in Severus's ears.

"Not only that, your father and I despised each other. He and his friends nearly killed me once. And I... I would have gladly returned the favor."

[Why are you saying this?! What right do you have to use my voice for these words!!]

Harry couldn't hear Ghost Snape's outburst. His face had gone deathly pale, and he instinctively stumbled back. The man he had once found intriguing now seemed like some monstrous predator.

Under the black umbrella, clad in black robes, Severus stood like a shadow that could swallow everything whole…

Happiness, excitement, joy, anticipation, hope...

Harry accidentally bumped into the wall as he retreated, and fell to the ground. He was drenched all over, and his body was trembling constantly, not sure if it was because of the cold or fear.

He supported himself on the ground with his hands and continued to back away, as if desperate to flee as far as possible!

But Severus's voice still reached him… calm, detached, and chillingly clear!

"And I..."

"Was once one of that Dark Lord's most loyal followers. An accomplice who indirectly contributed to your parents' death."

"You and I have a blood feud for the murder of your parents. Do you understand now, Harry Potter?"