The Sunshine of Hogwarts, Snape

Upon hearing McGonagall's questioning, Dumbledore did not immediately offer an explanation.

He simply gazed silently in the direction where Severus and Harry had disappeared, remaining quiet for a long while before finally speaking.

"Often, we must consider age and be mindful of children's feelings. Yet, in certain circumstances, a very small number of people do not fall under this rule."

"Harry Potter is an extraordinary child. After all he has been through, his future is destined to be unlike anyone else's."

"So, in some cases, letting him learn certain things earlier might not necessarily be a bad thing?"

But McGonagall clearly did not agree with Dumbledore's reasoning. Her expression was tense.

"But that Snape… you must have realized it before I did, that Snape is not right! This isn't something he would ever do, nor are these words he would ever say!"

"We have no idea who he really is or where the Severus Snape we once knew has gone! Handing Harry over to him like this is far too risky. There are far too many uncertainties!"

"Sometimes, uncertainty may turn out to be better than certainty, don't you think?"

Dumbledore's bright blue eyes were unfathomably deep, making it impossible for McGonagall to discern what he was truly thinking.

"As for who this Severus Snape is now and what his intentions might be, didn't we just see and hear what he plans to do?"

McGonagall shook her head.

"That's just his one-sided statement!"

"Quite right. When we wish to understand a person, we must not focus too much on what they say, but rather on what they do."

When Dumbledore finished speaking, he paused in thought before raising his right hand.

In the rain beneath the overcast sky, a furtive-looking owl flew over from the rooftops in the distance. It circled once above the two of them before finally landing on Dumbledore's arm.

The owl looked thoroughly drenched by the heavy rain, but the parchment clutched in its talons remained perfectly protected.

Dumbledore unfolded the letter that had been sent out the moment Severus had taken Harry from his aunt's house. This letter was obviously a report addressed to Hogwarts.

The letter was brief, simply stating that he had successfully obtained the consent of Harry's guardians and the boy himself to bring him away.

It also formally requested a long leave of absence from Dumbledore in writing.

At the very least, by the time Hogwarts reopened in September, Severus would be temporarily unable to return to his duties as Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House. He asked Dumbledore to find a suitable replacement.

It was a perfectly proper and faultless report.

Holding a quill that had somehow appeared in his hand, Dumbledore gently shook the parchment, and the words Severus had written on it vanished.

"These past few years, the Wizarding World has been quite peaceful, though there have been a few minor incidents..." The sweet-toothed old man muttered.

Then, under the rain, the greatest Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts wrote a reply to the Slytherin House's Head, who had absconded with the Wizarding World's savior and was now planning to skip work.

The reply was not long either. The quill danced across the parchment, while the raindrops avoided the paper entirely.

Soon, Dumbledore finished writing and slipped the reply into the owl's talons.

As usual, the Hogwarts's official owl saluted dutifully with its wing before taking flight under the watchful eyes of Dumbledore and McGonagall.

…

Charing Cross Road, London.

The usually bustling street was nearly empty due to the rain, with only a few pedestrians in sight.

When two black umbrellas, one large and one small, arrived at the roadside, under the small umbrella, Harry could see three oddly dressed individuals, which is similar in attire to Severus, chatting beneath the awning of a shop.

Those people had been laughing and talking, but as soon as one of them noticed the approaching pair, their smiles vanished instantly.

One of them stared at Severus for a long moment before finally recognizing the man who no longer has greasy hair, but with his locks tied back in a neat ponytail. He abruptly elbowed his two companions.

"Professor Snape."

One of them bowed his head respectfully.

Hearing this address, Severus couldn't help but turn his head to look over.

The faces weren't entirely unfamiliar in his memory, as they were students who had graduated from Hogwarts just a couple of years prior.

"Brown, Guerrero, and Smith? Now that you've graduated from Hogwarts, there's no need to call me Professor."

Hearing his friendly reply with a smile on his face, and the fact that he still remembered their names, the three graduates were obviously stunned.

'Is this the Professor Snape they know?'

But someone quickly recovered.

"You taught us for seven years. No matter what, you'll always be our professor."

The young man, who was well-dressed and had a good temperament, said respectfully.

While the other two also reacted and nodded in agreement, they couldn't help but curse and mutter in their hearts, 'Damn bootlicker! Always the first to flatter!'

'You graduated from Slytherin, so it's understandable that you say nice things, but why do you have to drag us along?'

As the Head of the Slytherin House, Snape had always openly favored students from his own house.

Severus waved a hand dismissively and said nothing more, merely gesturing for Harry to follow as he turned and walked toward the shabby, wizard-only pub at the center of the street… the Leaky Cauldron.

The three Hogwarts exchanged glances as they watched Snape and the young boy disappear inside.

They were clearly curious about the child, but because of Snape's 'reputation', no one dared to ask him in person.

At this time, Harry, who had taken off his big black-framed glasses and was asked by Severus to wear contact lenses and used a little trick to cover the lightning scar on his forehead, was surprised by what had just happened.

Only at this moment did he vaguely understand the weight of the position of 'Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts'.

As the only magical school in Britain, being a professor or even the head of a house there meant that nearly every witch and wizard from the past few decades had once been their student!

And his new teacher… seemed to command quite the respect among them.

But soon, his attention was soon stolen by the interior of the pub they had just entered.

This was clearly a secret gathering place for wizards, and only wizards can enter here!

Compared to the deserted street outside, the dingy old pub was bustling. Nearly every table was occupied by robed figures, some even wearing pointed hats.

They chatted about things that would sound like pure fantasy to ordinary people-

Magic, divination, alchemy, unicorns, dragons-

Creatures straight out of children's fairy tales were spoken of as casually as everyday things.

One group was negotiating the sale of a bone-regrowing potion. A drunkard was loudly boasting about wrestling a werewolf. Another was waving a crystal ball, muttering prophecies to his equally inebriated companion...

If a normal person accidentally walks in here, they will definitely think it is a gathering of mental patients!

And the moment Harry followed Severus inside, many people in the bar turned around and looked at them.

In the next second, Harry could clearly feel the lively atmosphere in the pub drop several degrees.

Some people took off their hats to salute his teacher, some people, after taking a quick look, immediately pretended that they saw nothing and turned around to continue drinking their drinks, and a few people, like mice seeing a cat, immediately stood up and hurriedly left the pub.

The bar owner, a slovenly old man sitting behind the bar, put down the glass he was wiping and stepped forward to greet them.

"Professor Snape? It really is you! The new hairstyle suits you. Welcome. What would you like to drink today?"

Seeing this scene, Harry couldn't help but feel even more surprised and also feel a sense of heaviness in his chest.

The reason why he was surprised was that his teacher was a very prestigious figure not only among the graduates of Hogwarts, but also in the entire Wizarding World.

The heaviness is because this very same man, who is so infamous and respected, was not just his teacher-

He is also his enemy.