He wants to confess to me!?
Professor McGonagall's mind instantly spiralled into chaos.
Surely not.
Really?
The thought repeatedly flashed through her head.
After all, neither of them were young anymore. Starting some late-life romance now would be utterly absurd…
Still…
Putting aside Professor Flitwick's goblin ancestry and rather compact height, he genuinely didn't have many flaws.
He was gentle, humorous, approachable, and extraordinarily talented in Charms. Back in his younger days, he had even been the Duelling Champion.
When she thought about it carefully…
It honestly didn't sound that terrible.
At their age, appearances no longer mattered much anyway.
But the two of them had remained close friends for decades.
Changing that relationship so suddenly was no simple matter.
Seeing Flitwick still hesitating nervously, Professor McGonagall finally encouraged him boldly.
"Just say it."
"Trust me, it's not that serious."
"Sometimes you simply need courage."
Flitwick immediately felt confidence surge through him.
"I… I can really say it?"
"Of course," McGonagall replied calmly. "There's no need to be frightened. As long as you speak honestly, everything can be discussed properly."
Flitwick's face instantly reddened.
Then, gathering all his courage, he finally blurted it out.
"Actually… I wanted to ask whether Logan Anderson from Gryffindor could transfer into Ravenclaw."
"Perhaps we could speak with Headmaster Dumbledore together?"
"I know it sounds unconventional, but every precedent must begin somewhere!"
"I truly believe that child would have a brighter future in Ravenclaw!"
Professor McGonagall's smile froze completely.
Her brain replayed only one sentence endlessly.
"I want Logan Anderson from your House…"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Flitwick blinked awkwardly.
Why had she suddenly stopped moving?
Confused, he even waved a hand in front of her face.
Still no response.
Meanwhile, inside McGonagall's mind—
You want Logan?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Her eyes slowly regained focus.
Then—
She calmly reached inside her robes and pulled out her wand.
Flitwick's face instantly turned pale.
"Minerva?"
"Minerva, what exactly are you doing?"
"Please don't act impulsively!"
"Put the wand down!"
"We're friends!"
"AAAAAAAAH—!"
"DON'T COME CLOSER!"
Soon afterward, agonised screams filled that hidden corner of Hogwarts.
The cries sounded extremely tragic.
....
Meanwhile, deep beneath Hogwarts near the Potions classroom, a rarely visited underground office remained dimly lit.
Professor Snape stood quietly beside a cauldron.
The bubbling potion released layers of intertwining fragrance and bitterness, creating a strangely calming atmosphere.
Mist drifted through the room.
Snape genuinely enjoyed moments like this.
Only while brewing potions could he briefly escape the endless guilt and pain haunting his life.
Only then did he feel remotely alive instead of merely existing like a walking corpse.
Lily's son had already entered Hogwarts.
As long as Harry Potter survived safely…
Perhaps that alone could count as partial atonement for his sins.
Suddenly, the potion inside the cauldron began bubbling violently.
A foul sour smell spread through the office instantly.
Snape's expression sharpened immediately as he returned to focus.
Carefully, he removed a tiny strand of silvery fur from a sealed pouch nearby.
Wolfsbane Beast Hair.
An extraordinarily rare magical ingredient nearly impossible to obtain legally on the modern market.
Snape had spent tremendous money and effort acquiring even this small amount.
The instant the fur touched the potion, the bubbling liquid immediately calmed.
The sour odour gradually transformed into something sweet and strangely hypnotic.
Snape stared intently at the nearly completed potion with anticipation flickering deep within his eyes.
This recipe had been purchased secretly from a black-market merchant in Knockturn Alley at an outrageous price.
Its name sounded unbelievably ridiculous.
"Love's Illusion."
A pathetic title.
Yet the potion's effects genuinely tempted him.
Once completed, the brew would become a crystal-clear blue liquid capable of placing someone into an incredibly realistic dreamscape.
Inside that illusion, all regrets could be rewritten.
Every pain erased.
Every tragedy changed.
Within that dream—
James Potter would disappear.
Severus Snape would become the one Lily Evans loved.
The humiliating memory of being publicly humiliated upside-down would instead belong to James Potter and his arrogant friends.
He would marry Lily.
They would have a beautiful daughter together.
And Lily would never die at Voldemort's hands.
Everything inside that illusion would unfold according to the drinker's deepest desires.
Perfect.
Beautiful.
Irresistible.
At the thought, an unsettling smile slowly spread across Snape's face.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Suddenly, someone knocked at the office door.
A familiar youthful voice followed immediately afterward.
"Professor Snape? Are you inside?"
Snape frowned slightly.
Normally, students avoided his office like the plague outside class hours.
And he instantly recognised the voice.
Logan Anderson.
The recently infamous first-year prodigy.
To be fair, Snape admitted the boy possessed exceptional talent.
But regardless of ability—
He was still a Gryffindor.
Still, Snape had no intention of unfairly targeting truly gifted students.
With a flick of his wand, the office door unlocked.
"Come in."
"I've lifted the sealing charm."
The door creaked open cautiously.
Logan poked his head inside carefully while observing the gloomy surroundings.
Dark stone walls.
Cold air.
Flickering candlelight.
Honestly, if not for the lights, the room looked disturbingly similar to the opening area of a haunted attraction from his previous life.
Snape stared at Logan coldly.
"So."
"Instead of enjoying your current status as Hogwarts' rising celebrity, why exactly have you come here?"
Logan immediately answered respectfully.
"Professor, I've recently been researching several potion-related topics."
"Unfortunately, I lack proper guidance."
"So I hoped to ask you a few questions."
.....
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