Ron and Hermione were stunned by the news, their worldviews crumbling.
They were still so young, and Harry regretted treating them like adults after blurting it out.
It was a bit embarrassing, too.
Though it wasn't spelled out, both of them could probably guess that Snape's peculiar attitude toward Harry stemmed from something inherited from their parents' generation—perhaps love turned to hate or something like that.
Harry was finding Snape increasingly irritating, unsure of what was going on in his head.
…Maybe it started after that Quidditch match where Snape got cursed and began worrying about his own safety.
Harry felt like no matter where he went, he'd run into Snape.
Sometimes, he even suspected Snape was stalking him, trying to catch him alone and lock him in a dungeon.
Even if he knew it was probably his imagination—Snape was calm, never showing real hostility or making a move—Harry still felt overwhelmed.
Having a gay guy you can't beat constantly watching and following you—that's what it felt like.
Potions class, held once a week, had become a form of torturous torment. Snape's attitude toward Harry had always been harsh, and Harry could handle that. But now, there was this added layer of care that made it even worse.
Snape seemed to revel in Harry's discomfort and misery. The unhappier Harry was, the happier Snape seemed.
Harry had this nagging feeling—almost a certainty—that Snape could see through people's thoughts. Was it that advanced magic called Legilimency?
They say only a handful of wizards can use it. There's also Veritaserum, but Legilimency is more convenient. With his own magical strength, Harry wasn't worried about his deepest secrets being read, but he didn't want even his surface emotions exposed. He never felt this way when talking to Dumbledore.
At first, Dumbledore seemed able to sense the general state of those around him, but after noticing Harry's sensitivity and discomfort, he stopped doing it.
The Quidditch match ended smoothly, bringing Harry one step closer to earning attribute points. It was like getting a freebie—no real challenge. To avoid Snape's creepy staring, Harry finished the match as quickly as possible.
The worst part, hands down, was still being watched so intensely by him.
Speaking of Snape…
Recently, Harry had noticed Quirrell and Snape having multiple secret meetings. Being hyper-vigilant about Snape's "tendencies," Harry picked up on it.
No wonder he initially thought Quirrell and Snape were an item—it was easy to jump to thoughts of an affair.
It even happened after the Quidditch match.
Harry saw Snape, whose leg had healed, enter the Forbidden Forest several times to talk privately with Quirrell.
Harry followed once, thankfully not witnessing anything too awkward or eye-searing.
They were just talking.
Harry wasn't sure if Quirrell's stuttering was an act.
"…I—I don't know why—why you insisted—insisted on meeting here, Severus…" Quirrell stammered.
"Oh, I think it's best kept private," Snape said, his voice icy. "After all, students shouldn't know about the Philosopher's Stone."
Harry confirmed they weren't doing anything and sharpened his senses further.
Quirrell was muttering something, but Snape cut him off.
"Have you figured out how to get past Hagrid's beast?"
"B—but, Severus, I—I—"
"You wouldn't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," Snape said, stepping closer.
Was it about to happen? Harry felt a twinge of retreat and closed his eyes.
"I—I don't—don't know what you—"
"You know exactly what I mean," Snape said. "Your little tricks—I'm waiting."
"B-but… I don't… don't…"
"Very well," Snape interrupted. "Soon, when you've had time to think it over and decide who you're loyal to, we'll talk again."
He pulled his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing.
It was almost completely dark, but Harry could still see Quirrell standing there, frozen like a statue.
Everything Snape said was a lie, but Quirrell didn't seem to see through it.
Harry knew Quirrell was Voldemort's man, while Snape was Dumbledore's… Snape was a double agent. He used to be Voldemort's follower, and now he was pretending to still be loyal to him in front of Quirrell, even acting like he was vying for Voldemort's favor.
Harry had figured it all out.
So it wasn't that Snape and Quirrell were an item.
It was Snape and Voldemort who had history. By the Seven, this was way too messy.
Now, Snape was Dumbledore's man.
Of course, it could just be a straightforward former master-servant relationship without all the messy stuff. Harry might just be jumping to conclusions, overthinking it.
Harry shared this intel with Hermione and Ron, including how the professors, besides Hagrid's Fluffy, had likely set up their own protections to guard Dumbledore's treasure. Quirrell and Snape were at odds beneath the surface, with Snape threatening Quirrell. Despite Quirrell's powerful dark magic gear, he was playing weak.
And Snape's past ties to Voldemort were close. Harry told them that, too.
Ron tried his hardest not to spill this to the Weasley twins, but in a moment of carelessness, he let slip that Snape might be "that way."
Once the twins knew, their whole gang of troublemaker friends found out, then Gryffindor, and eventually Slytherin.
The young wizards were abuzz with gossip, growing even more terrified of Snape. Even Malfoy didn't dare ask him about it.
Snape thought his recent behavior toward Harry was what made him more fearsome in the students' eyes.
He didn't mind the feeling.
As it stood, this was just how Gryffindors were.
You could never count on them to keep their mouths shut. Thankfully, Ron was tight-lipped about Harry's personal matters.
If word got out that Snape liked Harry, that would be a true catastrophe. Harry was already a figure in modern magical history because of what happened with Voldemort when he was one. If some scandalous, salacious rumor got spun into unofficial histories, Harry would have to crack down hard with a literary purge.
For now, it was still within acceptable bounds…
No… wait. Snape's special attention toward Harry was already widely known.
When Snape was seen as straight, his attitude toward Harry was pure hatred.
But once people got the wrong idea, even if they didn't dare say it openly out of fear of Harry's power…
No way! This absolutely could not happen!
Snape, I have to control you!
Harry took back his earlier promise. He'd once said, for his dad's sake, he wouldn't mess with Snape. But he was wrong. Disgust was disgust, and it didn't bend to anyone's will.
Harry often jokingly called himself a "charmer," noting that far more guys than girls had maxed-out affection for him. But those were normal loyalty-based relationships. Who would dare have impure thoughts about him?
Only girls were allowed!
Right, only girls!
If guys weren't okay, then turning a guy into a girl would fix it, wouldn't it?
Now, Harry would truly unleash his "charmer" powers, bending the world with his stunning allure to create a forbidden artifact that could rewrite the rules.
Harry activated his rarely used, ultimate transcendence mode!
The Red God, the Cold God, the Lord, the Buddha, the Three Pure Ones, the Radiant Lord, the Seven above, and the power of Balaba, the Dark God—lend me your strength!
Harry poured everything he had into it.
He channeled it all into the Dark Soul, perfected and used for the first time today.
The result was a twisted potion, rich with feminine essence.
It was stored in an ordinary crystal vial, neither growing nor shrinking, shimmering within its warped rules.
Its power was enough to create a witch.
By "witch," Harry meant a magical girl, like the Balaba Dark Fairy he'd seen. This permanent potion could grant its user certain spellcasting abilities, like other magical transformations.
Harry could make weaker versions with lesser boosts, but those would just be cross-dressing—making Snape look like a male pervert, which wouldn't serve Harry's purpose.
Magical middle-aged woman Snape, don't blame me!
The inspiration came from the Polyjuice Potion he'd seen in the Restricted Section. Even with advanced potion training, Harry could only barely brew basic Polyjuice. It wouldn't do anything to Snape.
But Harry had tapped into his invincible divine power. This force, symbolizing the Night King to the Cold God, made Snape his chosen one. It surpassed the scope of three-point divine power, a miracle achieved through Harry's kingly might, with the system's help, to harmonize all opposing forces.
Into the potion, Harry poured his earliest memories of women.
He added his and Snape's hair.
Harry hoped that, as a woman, Snape could find his true love.
He wasn't sure which side Snape was on. His dad was… Even after returning from A Song of Ice and Fire, Harry thought this idea might be going too far.
Still, many on the receiving end might genuinely want transformation powers. The cost of Harry's divine power was only becoming female—nothing else.
He just hoped Snape would stop staring at him!
Even if Snape kept staring as a female pervert, it wouldn't hurt Harry's reputation.
On a dark, windy night, Harry knocked Snape out and achieved his goal.
Snape became a witch.
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