The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

"Professor, my robe is torn."

"Go find Lupin to sew it for you."

"Professor, there's a scratch on my glasses. It's affecting my vision."

"Ask Lupin to fix it for you."

"Professor-"

"Let Lupin handle it."

"Wait, Professor, where is Mr. Lupin?"

Early in the morning, Severus, who was brushing his teeth in the hotel, paused mid-motion. He met Harry's innocent eyes, then leaned out of the room to look around.

"Wasn't he just here?"

Just as Severus was puzzled, Lupin walked upstairs carrying three breakfast trays.

"This hotel serves one egg per person for breakfast, but the milk is unlimited."

Lupin's calm tone carried a faint trace of resentment, as if he was dissatisfied with the hotel's stinginess.

Severus was quite pleased with Lupin's conscientious work attitude.

Of course, it wasn't that he genuinely wanted this down-and-out werewolf to act as a nanny for him and Harry… it was more about enjoying the compensation on behalf of Ghost Snape.

Before breakfast, Lupin, who had regained his wand, efficiently repaired Harry's glasses with a Reparo spell and mended the tear in his robe.

Having wandered the Wizarding World for many years, Lupin had honed his life skills to a level comparable to Molly Weasley's homemaking prowess.

"We still have a busy day ahead."

Severus laid out the day's schedule while eating breakfast.

"After breakfast, we'll head to Diagon Alley to buy some things. Then, at noon, we'll visit Hogwarts… Dumbledore wrote to invite us for lunch. Apparently, all the professors staying at the school will be there, including Professor Slughorn, who'll officially take over my position."

"In the afternoon, we'll go to the Auror Office at the Ministry to assist with some inquiries and collect the reward we're owed. Robert and Lyall will join us then, and we'll have dinner together."

"Hogwarts?" Harry's eyes lit up eagerly, "I made friends with a ghost there. He said his name was Nick."

"At least you didn't befriend Peeves." Severus said with a wink.

"Who is that?"

"He's also a ghost." Lupin explained to Harry, "But he's a troublemaker who loves pranks."

"Hogwarts actually has another ghost professor." Severus added, finishing his milk and wiping his mouth with a napkin, "It's Professor Binns, who teaches History of Magic. But his classes are incredibly dull."

At this point, Severus suddenly turned to Lupin and warned, "I remember you four had a habit of tattling."

"I never did such things." Lupin shrugged.

"You didn't, but your so-called friends certainly did. I'm just worried you'll pick up their bad habits."

Hearing his elder-like lecturing tone, Lupin felt somewhat helpless.

Sometimes, he thought Severus's change might be a good thing… other times, not so much.

Lupin didn't respond, simply burying himself in his meal.

After breakfast, they took Harry to the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Network, then headed into Diagon Alley.

After the Daily Prophet was sent out this morning, while the Crouch Family's scandal inevitably dominated wizarding conversations, Severus's own reputation had also risen significantly.

Just as he'd said during the trial, talk meant nothing… actions were what truly mattered.

Many wizards in Diagon Alley wanted to buy him a drink, but he politely declined each one until the three of them slipped away into the bustling alley.

Severus first led them to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, where the owner, Jiggle, was clearly already familiar with him.

"Five sets of ingredients for Wolfsbane Potion, and 1.5 pints of dragon blood… preferably Hungarian Horntail. If not, Hebridean Black or Norwegian Ridgeback will do."

His request was quickly fulfilled. The materials were expensive, but fortunately, Severus's Gringotts vault held enough gold to rival a small pure-blood family's fortune.

Those were the savings Ghost Snape had painstakingly accumulated over the years through potion-making.

After carrying the purchased ingredients, Lupin, who, while no master, was far from ignorant in potions, immediately recognized what they were for.

He grew visibly uneasy, even flustered.

It was obvious that these ingredients for Wolfsbane Potion were for him.

This potion, which was hailed as one of the greatest magical inventions of the 20th century since its introduction in the 1970s, was notoriously difficult to brew and required extremely rare ingredients.

Most wizards couldn't afford it, let alone a perpetually unemployed wanderer like Lupin.

Yet here was Severus, sweeping into Diagon Alley and buying these things without a second thought… without even mentioning it to him.

Lupin didn't know how to describe the turmoil in his heart. This changed Severus was still something he hadn't adjusted to, leaving him with a mess of conflicting emotions.

Given what he'd done during their school days, how could he accept such generosity without guilt?

Severus, obviously noticing his current mood, spoke up first.

"Don't overthink it. I'm not as noble as you imagine. This was mainly Dumbledore's idea… I'm just following his instructions."

However, Lupin didn't let go of his gratitude toward Severus because of this.

Years of wandering the wizarding world after graduation had long worn away the recklessness and naivety of his school days. He knew very well that, no matter what, Severus was willing to brew Wolfsbane Potion for him without asking for anything in return… and that meant he owed him.

But Lupin's heart was conflicted. Now that Severus had changed like this, if he truly let go of the past, would that really be fair to James?

However, when he saw Harry, who had just been given pocket money by Severus to buy ice cream, his inner turmoil lessened considerably.

'No matter what, at least it was for Harry's sake.'

"Take Harry around Diagon Alley for a while. I need to visit Ollivander's Wand Shop."

Severus spoke up at that moment.

Lupin didn't ask further. A wand was a deeply personal matter for any wizard.

After instructing Lupin to keep an eye on Harry, Severus headed to Ollivander's alone.

Ghost Snape had reminded him yesterday that the first priority was to replace his wand, and Severus hadn't forgotten.

Now that he finally had time, his most urgent task was naturally to visit the wand shop and find one that suited him.

Ollivander's Wand Shop was a cramped, narrow, and shabby little store.

It was currently summer break at Hogwarts, the busiest time of year for the shop.

However, most young wizards who received their Hogwarts' acceptance letters usually waited until August to visit Diagon Alley for school supplies… including their wands.

So when Severus pushed open the door, the shop was empty except for Ollivander himself.

"Ah, Professor Snape."

As the doorbell jingled, Ollivander, who was standing on a wooden ladder organizing shelves, looked down in surprise at Severus.

"Welcome! I thought you were still at the Ministry assisting the Aurors with their investigation? What brings you to my shop? Is there an issue with your wand?"

He spoke while carefully descending the ladder, his curious gaze fixed on Severus.

By now, Severus had grown almost numb to such looks. From the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley, everyone, whether they knew him personally or not, had stared at him the same way.

"I'm here precisely because of my wand."

As he spoke, he took out the birch wand that had accompanied Snape since his school days from his sleeve.

Ollivander also stared at the wand… he obviously memorized every piece of information about the wand in his mind.

"Thirteen and a half inches, birch wood, with a core of snake nerve… a very clever, mysterious, and noble combination. And you've taken excellent care of it. Even after over a decade, it's hardly changed from when you first bought it."

Faced with Ollivander's praise, Severus nodded.

"It has served me well, accompanying me through many unforgettable moments… my first successful spell, my first potion brewed with it. Every memory remains vivid. But-"

"But what?" Ollivander tilted his head up to look at Severus… After all, he was a short, elderly man.

"You've likely read the recent news. During the trial, I publicly declared my repentance and my commitment to change."

Severus spoke solemnly.

"And after I truly acted on that, after changing myself from the heart... this wand has felt somewhat-"

He searched for a suitable, tactful way to phrase it, but before he could, Ollivander stared at him and said:

"It no longer responds to you as seamlessly as before, does it?"

"Something like that." Severus admitted.

Ollivander didn't seem particularly surprised. He simply nodded knowingly.

"My family, and I, have always believed that the wand chooses the wizard. Most of the time, a wand grows alongside its master. But under certain circumstances... it may no longer feel as intimately connected as it once did."

"Your wand appears to be such a case. It cannot accept your change, which is why you've sensed this dissonance."

"But this also proves that your repentance is genuine… and comes from the heart!"