war and peace

After many years of silence, the Dark Lord suddenly woke up.Snape knew he was calling for his men because his Dark Mark was clear and burning.But he couldn't go back, at least not yet - he had to go to Dumbledore, the wise old man.He didn't know why the Dark Lord chose this time, the Dark Mark has become more and more clear in the past ten years, hasn't it?

When Dumbledore stared at his fangs and claws of the Dark Mark, the expression on his face was as if he had been punched hard.This certainty must have come as a shock to the old man, even if he had definitely predicted that Voldemort could not have died.

Because of the delay, it was already too late when Snape rushed there, so he didn't see the legendary youngest Death Eater.But he knew that there was such a person, and the Dark Lord even softly called him "my boy".

who is the boyNobody knows.

All Snape knew was that when he came back from the coast of Ireland, there was an owl on the table.Yes, a well-trained owl can even go straight to the cellar.He couldn't figure out who was so rich and spent ten Galleons just to send him an unknown letter.

don't go back.

But how is this possible?He still has a lot of debt to pay off.The letter was such a joke that Snape laughed so hard that tears flowed from his eyes.

***

Snape arrived on time for the second Death Eater meeting.This time it was changed to another place, which he had never seen before, and the procedures for entering were also very complicated.This is probably also a problem, you can go back and talk to Dumbledore.

The topic...is actually the savior.

Snape lowered his head, listening to the movement ahead.There were no miserable cries, the Dark Lord seemed to be annoyed by this recently, but he was not moved by any tragedy before, and even enjoyed it.

Yes, enjoy.

Enjoy the thrill of cat and mouse... The Dark Lord, as before, wanted to single-handedly catch Harry Potter, Snape thought he could only relate to that.

But... the Dark Lord's anger was too great.You know, when he first came back, he didn't speak so harshly to them Death Eaters who didn't go to him.Having said that, he really never understood the Dark Lord's thoughts.

Also, the Dark Lord seems to have forgotten his pawn at Hogwarts, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

***

Snape felt he must have done something wrong, or been discovered.

In the past, no matter what, he was one of the more favored Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord was always willing to say a few words to him, or let him sit near the long table.Now, however, he wasn't even allowed to attend Death Eater meetings.Damn Merlin, he really wasn't thinking about the seat closer to the Dark Lord (God knows how hard he had to work to maintain Occlumency), but that he wouldn't be able to bring enough news to the Order of the Phoenix .

The few times they met, Lucius was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.It seemed to him that they were in danger.His worries were indeed justified. It was no news that former Death Eaters were arrested for trial or entered Azkaban.Auror Chief of Staff Boggs Chester is now a thorn in Lucius' side.

In contrast, the Lestrange family is proud.Although Snape didn't know what the mission the Dark Lord sent them was for, it was obvious that they were the ones whom the Dark Lord trusted.

Dumbledore was a little surprised by this, but didn't say anything.It's just that Snape had to endure the increasingly ugly face of the stupid dog - the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix was in his old house.

Ha, as if anyone cared what he thought.

***

Sure enough.

"Trust me, my lord, what you've heard are rumours." Snape thought it was a miracle that he could keep his composure after hearing the Dark Lord's sentence.Has his Occlumency leaked something?

The Dark Lord sat on a golden throne, his handsome face full of sarcasm. "Rumors? Rumors confirmed by life?"

Snape didn't know what life he was referring to, and it was a time like this to say less wrong.

"Remember clearly, it's not that I let you go, the only end to betraying me is death." The Dark Lord didn't seem to expect his answer, and his tone didn't sound very good. "Someone doesn't want to see you die. Remind you, it's best not to let me find a reason."

Snape's back was covered in cold sweat.If he's been found out to be an undercover agent from the start, who the hell is going to save him from the Dark Lord?

Dumbledore was even more surprised by this.Tom has never been a soft-hearted man, he said.

Something is going on that they don't know about.

***

In the summer afternoon, the shadow of the sun slanted slightly, and dust floated in the white-hot air.The entire Privet Drive was shrouded in a stuffy and sleepy atmosphere, the roses drooped their leaves, and the hydrangeas seemed to lose their luster.There were few pedestrians on the road, and even if there were, they all hurried past with parasols or hats.Except for the occasional footsteps, only the short chirping of insects remains, which makes people feel even more irritable.

A man in a black robe stood by the side of the road. The very short shadow cast by the house could not cover his figure, and more than half of his body was exposed to the sunlight.But Petunia, who was leaning out from the window, didn't see him, but disappeared in a flash, only a few complaints floating in the air could be heard.

Snape was facing a closed door and was not about to knock on it.He stood there in silence, his black eyes scanning the house from top to bottom.Number 4 Privet Drive hasn't changed much in the past ten years - Petunia still stretches her overlong neck into other people's gardens, Vernon still has a loud voice that can shake the neighbors; As for Li, he has never been successful in losing weight.

The sunlight pierced straight through Snape's body, onto the glare of the road.The weather at the end of July was the hottest time of the year, but he remained motionless, as if he didn't feel the scorching sun.

Harry Potter is not in the house.This was obvious, because the current Dark Lord would never let go of such an opportunity.Thinking of this, the man with a stiff expression finally made his first move here - he took a few steps forward, fully exposing his body to the sunlight.His eyes are a bit dazed, but he still seems to be able to see some fluctuations of magic power remaining in the air.They are full of love from their owners and hover around the house.

Eye sockets ached, Snape blinked.It was the last day of the last year, and Harry Potter came of age.If the day passed, he would never see anything left of Lily herself, save Harry Potter's emerald eyes.Of course, maybe those magic fluctuations were also his illusions, but he said to himself in his heart that they were there, and he must have seen them.The place where he and Lily met is not here, but the place where they bid farewell can only be here.

More than ten years have passed since Lily died, and the ruins of Godric's Hollow have grown verdant holly.But Snape still remembers those times of acquaintance, those intertwined fragments very clearly.I remember it was such a harsh summer day, they let the flowers bloom under the shade of the trees, next to the sparkling small lake.The cheerful laughter of boys and girls seems to stay in that moment forever.Unlike Dumbledore's entire row of phials, he only has a few fragments that he wants to keep forever.Thanks to Merlin, he still has them now, with generous permission from Lily in the Resurrection Stone.

From after Christmas to the summer of the new year, Snape spent most of the year traveling.He climbed high mountains, crossed streams, stepped on more than three feet of snow (the ground was frozen to ice), and lifted the clear waters of the Bering Strait with his hands.He didn't want Lily to see the perennial fog and trash of Spider's End, not even for a moment.Because his mistake led to Lily's death, in order to make up for this mistake, he is willing to use everything he can to redeem it, or make it up.After he came back, he thought that all his long journeys in his life had probably been completed in the past six months.

Snape's hand was inserted into the robe, and the shape of a fist could be vaguely seen from the outside.At first he didn't know who gave it to him, but he was shocked when he got it.Facing the still young human phantom, he cried bitterly, begging for forgiveness.

Lily listened quietly to his regrets over the years.She was much calmer and more aware than he was, and she didn't blame him at all.She also begged him not to get too hung up on the matter, she just wanted one more chance to prove that things will be alright in the future.Finally, the red-haired woman looked at him tenderly, and put her empty hand on his fingers, as she had done long ago as a child. "Please take good care of yourself, Sev." She seemed to hesitate to speak, but she still didn't say it in the end.

Lily didn't say sorry to him, or please forget me.It wasn't like Lily's usual straightforward style, but Snape was thankful.He didn't understand it when he was young, but after such a long time, he has changed from a diehard Death Eater to an undercover agent of the Order of the Phoenix, and he understands everything he should know.What he missed was probably more than the academy faction and his unintentional mistakes... But at that moment, he actually felt the joy that he hadn't seen for a long time-obviously, Lily could never accept his feelings, but she forgave him for his stupid mistakes, forgiving He was dazzled by the competition, and even promised to restore his right to call "Lily".She didn't cut off his slim hope, because it was impossible, or because she couldn't bear it.

Whatever the reason, Snape could accept it.Because no matter what, he knew it wasn't mercy.It is impossible for him to give up.Just like his patron saint of the doe that has been around for decades, no external conditions can affect it.

Lily obviously understood this, even though she didn't say it.Giving up on me was a matter of one word to her; but to Snape, Lily hadn't told him, it was simply the best thing he could have gotten.She let him leave the only obsession in his heart, and made the impossible it continue to support the rest of his life.And Dumbledore, who knew it, just sighed, and also said nothing.Because this is his choice, it has never changed.

The daylight gradually moved to the west, and there were more pedestrians on the road.Snape tightened his grip on the Resurrection Stone in his hand.Unlike the note, he probably couldn't keep it forever.And as Lily said, one cannot always be immersed in memories.He walked away from the Death Eaters, and there must be new targets waiting for him.He turned and left, the black robe was blown up by the wind and bulged violently behind his back.

Lily, Harry Potter is fine.

Well, I'll be fine too.

and also……

Even if you are in another world, I still love you.