For a fleeting instant, Snape thought he had crossed time itself and returned to a beautiful past.
Back then, when he and Lily had just entered Hogwarts, their relationship had been close and harmonious. There had been no detestable Potter, no friendship severed by a single word—Mudblood.
That pain—the agony of happiness seeming within reach only to slip away, forever out of grasp—tore at him and plunged him into grief.
Was this an illusion? A case of thinking about it during the day and dreaming at night? But he wasn't dreaming.
Yet quickly, the habits forged by years of brewing potions pulled him back to his senses—and the "Lily" before him did not disappear.
Not an illusion? It was all real—including this Lily.
Snape instinctively wanted to down a Calming Draught to steady his wildly pounding heart.
Thank Merlin for a wizard's constitution; otherwise, Snape might already be sprawled on the floor. He wasn't young anymore—this kind of shock was a bit much.
Every shift in his expression, every change in his gaze, the shock on his face at the first sight of Hally, and the name that slipped from his lips—all of it fell squarely into Louis's eyes.
To think that Snape would be the first to see Harry's feminized form—and Louis hadn't expected such a noticeable change in appearance once Harry became Hally.
After seeing Snape's reaction, Louis knew this was hitting the jackpot.
Of course, not his jackpot—Snape's.
Because Louis knew that for a boy like Hally, whose self-identity was firmly male, changing that perception would be extremely difficult. If no one discovered that she could transform, then once she figured out the mechanics of the Spring of Drowned Maiden, she would absolutely keep the transformation hidden.
In that case, "Hally" would be nothing more than a fleeting blossom.
But if Snape saw Harry turn into Hally…
Now that was interesting. Tell me—would Snape prefer seeing his first love's eyes on his first love's face, or his first love's eyes on his rival's face?
The answer was obvious. Louis felt that once Snape figured out the effects of the Spring of Drowned Maiden, he would become very proactive about getting Hally into contact with cold water.
Because she hadn't yet reached the age where her voice would change, Hally hadn't noticed anything unusual. She simply lowered her wand instinctively, her face full of panic.
Oh no—points were going to be deducted again.
Using magic in the corridors was strictly forbidden. Snape would never let an infraction like this slide.
But thankfully, Louis was there. He was a Slytherin student—maybe Snape would show a bit of leniency?
What she didn't know was that the sight of her frightened expression, her wet hair plastered against her face, and—most of all—those eyes made Snape's heartstrings tremble.
This was bad. This was the feeling of his heart being stirred.
Fortunately, a dry cough snapped him awake.
Louis felt that if he didn't speak up now, Snape might just scoop Hally up and run off with her. It was absolutely necessary to bring this professor—who was on the verge of completely losing it—back to his senses, lest he do something irrational.
Three years minimum, maximum penalty—death sentence.
"You two… what happened here?" Snape said, regaining his composure and steadying his emotions. "Wilson—and this is… who, exactly? I don't recall there being a student like this at Hogwarts."
Aaaaah! Seeing a young Lily—so badly want to take her home and raise her!
Snape's expression twisted slightly as he fought desperately to suppress the impulse surging in his heart. But to Hally, it looked like he was barely containing his anger, and his words sounded like a warning directed straight at her.
Oh Merlin, he's not going to expel me, is he? Hally thought in terror.
"Ahem, Professor—this is Hally Potter," Louis reminded him. "Harry just tested a potion I brewed and caused a bit of a mess."
"A bit of a mess?" Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at Louis. "Using magic in the corridor and nearly flooding the place—I hardly consider that a minor issue."
"And did I hear that correctly? Testing a potion?" Snape glanced at Hally. "How dare you let someone drink your potion… and produce this kind of result."
This kind of result? Did Professor Snape notice that my magic has been strengthened?
Hally, who lacked even basic magical common sense, looked utterly confused.
"All right, so it's probably not a small issue," Louis pursed his lips. "Professor Snape, how do you intend to deal with us?"
"Deal with you?"
Snape's gaze fell on Hally's face, making her instinctively take a few steps back.
"First…" Snape spoke slowly, making Hally think some sharp reprimand was about to follow.
"First, Slytherin gains fifty points." Snape looked solemnly at Louis. "Wilson, your control over potion-making is outstanding. As the Potions professor, I believe you deserve this evaluation."
…What?
Hally was stunned. She'd expected both Slytherin and Gryffindor to lose points—she hadn't anticipated a turn like this.
Then didn't that mean Gryffindor was doomed? How many points were they going to lose?
Hally felt that Gryffindor was probably destined to finish last this year—and that she was the culprit.
"And then there's Potter…" Snape's gaze shifted to Hally, that sharp mouth of his seeming ready to spit out something terrifying at any moment.
Here it comes—punishment time.
Hally closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.
"Gryffindor gains one hundred points. While drinking an unknown potion was a foolish act, that kind of courage is worthy of praise."
In that instant, Hally was completely dazed. She lifted her head and looked at Snape, seeing emotion in the professor's eyes for the first time.
What Snape said next only left her more confused.
"But remember—courage is worthy of praise, not endorsement. I hope you won't do something so dangerous again."
After speaking, Snape glanced at Hally once more, then turned to enter the headmaster's office—only to pause and look back at her again, unable to help himself.
"What's wrong with Snape?" Hally asked in shock once he'd left. "Did he take the wrong potion or something? He actually gave Gryffindor points!"
"And he seemed to care about me. I've never heard of Snape caring about anyone."
"Well…" Louis said solemnly, patting Hally on the shoulder. "Do you remember what I told you before? That potion has side effects."
"Yeah, I remember," Hally replied, puzzled. "But I don't feel uncomfortable at all. Did I just get lucky and avoid the side effects?"
"Obviously, that's impossible," Louis sighed. "How about you take a look in a mirror first?"
As he spoke, Louis pointed at the puddle of water on the floor. Its surface was smooth—perfectly usable as a mirror.
"Did something weird grow on my face, and Snape felt sorry for me?" Hally walked over to the puddle, half-believing, half-doubting, and looked down.
A sight like a lotus emerging from water.
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