The house of the Flamels wasn't particularly large, designed with the elderly legs of Nicolas and Perenelle in mind, so the distance from the front door to the living room was quite short.
Thus, the roar echoing from the living room was impossible for Dumbledore and Snape to miss as they approached the entrance.
Snape's expression turned grave in an instant. That voice—he knew it all too well, far too well.
Who else would dare to call out to him like that at Hogwarts, if not…
He looked up and saw James Potter, one foot planted on a chair, passionately holding forth.
The man. From the very first glance, Snape was certain it was James Potter himself.
The enmity between them was simply too bloody immense. Even if James were burned to ash by Fiendfyre and mixed into the dirt, Snape could still sift through the cinders and pick out James's ashes, bit by bit.
Their grudge wasn't just about schoolyard bullying—it was layered with the bitter sting of stolen love.
Snape's childhood friend, his lifelong white moonlight, the angel who'd been his salvation, had been snatched away by James Potter's brazen interference…
Pain!
It was too painful!
The mere thought of it made Snape feel like he couldn't breathe.
Even so, Snape didn't immediately confront James. Instead, he scanned the meeting room with a flicker of hope in his heart.
As expected, he wasn't disappointed. On the other side of James, he spotted the figure that haunted his thoughts day and night, the one who lingered in his dreams.
"Lily?"
He murmured her name softly.
But to everyone's surprise, Snape's first reaction wasn't to enter the meeting room. Instead, he turned and left the Flamel's modest cottage.
"What's up with old Snivellus?" Sirius asked, holding a teapot.
"Probably realized his robes are covered in grease stains and forgot to change," James quipped, delivering a scathing jab at Snape.
Good thing Snape wasn't there to hear it, or a duel involving Sectumsempra and Levicorpus would've been inevitable.
At that moment, Dumbledore approached the table in the living room.
"Would someone care to explain what's been happening at Hogwarts while I've been away?"
Sirius gleefully recounted the recent events, including Poppy Sweeting's revival and how Harry had used the Desire Stone to heal Anne, only to accidentally summon his parents in the process.
Dumbledore listened, shaking his head in wonder. "Magic," he mused, "is truly remarkable…"
"Welcome to thirteen years in the future," Dumbledore said warmly to James and Lily after his reflection. "I never imagined I'd reunite with you both in this way…"
"Actually, we saw you just yesterday," James said with a wink. "You were trying to convince me to make you our Secret-Keeper…"
Dumbledore paused, recalling the moment, and then gave a gentle, knowing smile.
But James's next question cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"I've been wondering, though—who was it that leaked the news about Harry?"
"What news?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.
"You know, Trelawney's prophecy," James said, his sharp gaze fixed on Dumbledore. "I don't believe Voldemort has omniscient powers. Someone must have tipped him off… and I'm guessing that someone was Snivellus, wasn't it?"
Dumbledore rubbed his fingers together and sighed softly. "Yes, you're correct. It was indeed Severus who leaked the information…"
James let out a cold, knowing smirk, as if he'd expected nothing less.
In truth, he'd always assumed the worst of Snape.
To him, only a slimy, creeping creature like Snivellus would stoop to snitching.
Harry, meanwhile, was stunned. He'd only just learned that it was Professor Snape who had betrayed his parents.
If James and Lily weren't right there, he'd have stormed off to confront Snape himself.
But with the involved parties present, Harry could only sit and observe.
"No wonder Professor Snape's always so… off," Harry said, realization dawning. "So that's why…"
Sirius slapped his knee, striking a pose like a Muggle detective solving a case.
"Exactly! On one hand, you look like James, so he can't stand you—might even hate you. On the other, he feels guilty about what he did, so he's occasionally a bit kinder to you… Though, personally, I think someone like Snivellus doesn't even know what guilt is. If he's nice to you, it's for some other reason."
Harry didn't need Sirius to spell it out. He knew exactly why.
It was because Snape, deep down, was still hung up on Lily. Every now and then, his conscience would kick in, reminding him that this boy wasn't just James Potter's son—he was also Lily Evans's child.
Yes, in Snape's heart, he never acknowledged a "Lily Potter." To him, she would always be Lily Evans.
But that was a thought he could only keep buried, because Lily was married to James—an undeniable fact.
Was Snape pitiable? Well, he… kind of deserved it.
After all, calling the girl he loved a "Mudblood" was enough to show why Lily had cut him off entirely. He had no one to blame but himself.
"Oh," James said, raising an eyebrow. "I'd prefer to think he's kind to Harry out of guilt, but we all know a slug like Snivellus doesn't have a heart."
"James!" Lily scolded under her breath.
At her reprimand, James instantly turned into a chastised puppy, sitting up straight, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at Lily, practically offering her his devotion on a platter.
"Sometimes I think your Animagus form should've been a dog," Sirius teased mercilessly. "Look at you—haven't I been saying this for years?"
"Oh, shut it, Sirius!" James rolled his eyes.
As best mates, Sirius never missed a chance to rib James whenever the opportunity arose.
"But what's really got me curious…" James said after a moment's thought, "is why you'd let Snivellus teach at Hogwarts, Dumbledore? He was a dyed-in-the-wool Death Eater, loyal to Voldemort."
"His name is Severus, James," Dumbledore sighed. "And he is, at the very least, a professor at Hogwarts now…"
"I'm already giving you face by not whipping out my wand and giving him a Levicorpus!" James said, lazily rolling his eyes. "He's the Death Eater who sold out me and Lily. Do you really think I'd give him any respect?"
Your logic is so sound, I'm at a loss for words…
Dumbledore considered it and realized James had a point, so he didn't press the issue further.
Fine. Let the heavens rain and mothers marry—let him be.
"Severus informed Voldemort of Trelawney's prophecy immediately after hearing it, but he didn't know the child in question was Harry," Dumbledore said after a pause, choosing his words carefully. "When he realized it was Harry, he came to me, expressed his regret, and offered to act as a double agent in exchange for protecting you and Lily."
James's face darkened, a flush of purple creeping into his expression.
What the—?!
That greasy, filthy Snivellus—thinking he needed to "protect" my wife?
That vile, idiotic Snivellus—I'll deal with him myself…
Sirius, sitting nearby, ducked his head, stifling a laugh.
He wouldn't have laughed originally, but since James and Lily were now here in this time, it meant they weren't dead—so a chuckle wouldn't hurt.
Sirius had witnessed plenty of James's embarrassing moments, and he was well aware that Snivellus had always been stuck on Lily like glue.
That Snivellus was relentless, and if it were Sirius in James's shoes, he wouldn't have tolerated it either.
"And then?" James asked, barely containing his anger.
"And then?" Dumbledore gave a small smile. "He provided me with valuable intelligence—such as when Voldemort would move, heading to Godric's Hollow to find your family… But Peter betrayed you. He sold you and Lily out to Voldemort, and… well, you know the rest."
When Sirius had recounted the events earlier, he hadn't mentioned Peter's betrayal to James.
He knew James was fiercely loyal, trusting his friends with his heart and soul.
Hearing this bombshell, Sirius worried James wouldn't be able to handle it.
Sure enough, James's face froze at the news.
Uncertain, he asked, "What did you say? Who betrayed us?"
"Peter Pettigrew," Dumbledore said bluntly, no hesitation in his tone.
At the mention of the name, James fell into a long silence.
"James? Darling?" Lily, knowing her husband's temperament, reached out to rub his back, trying to soothe his raging heart.
It took a while for James to snap out of his stupor.
"Wormtail betrayed me…" James lifted his head, murmuring, "I trusted him so much… Merlin, I treated him like my own brother. Why? Why would he do this?!"
"According to Peter's confession under Veritaserum, he'd betrayed you as early as a year prior, in 1980, not 1993," Dumbledore said, then added, "He'd already defected to Voldemort by then."
"He turned that early…"
James clutched his head, his eyes dull with defeat. "I trusted him all along, but why… His Animagus is a rat. If he wanted to hide, no one could've touched him. Why would he choose to join Voldemort?"
"No one knows why," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "Under Veritaserum, he said it was out of fear."
"It's over now. Peter's been punished," Sirius said, clapping James on the shoulder. "Cheer up, mate—at least you're both alive now, right? That Desire Stone—bloody brilliant, isn't it?"
But James's expression remained ashen, still trapped in the shadow of Peter's betrayal.
"There's more to it than that, Mr. Potter."
Cassandra's sudden voice drew everyone's attention to the table.
No one expected the typically aloof Cassandra to speak up.
James slowly raised his head, looking at her in confusion.
"What Miss Malfoy means is…"
"I mean that Peter's actions go far beyond that," Cassandra said, a sly smile curling her lips. "Did you know? After betraying you, he framed Mr. Black, leading to Sirius spending twelve years in Azkaban. Meanwhile, Peter hid as a rat in the Weasley household for twelve years… If Harry hadn't uncovered Peter's true identity, he'd still be in hiding, and Mr. Black would still be rotting in prison, unjustly accused."
James froze, stunned. He hadn't imagined his close friend would suffer such an injustice, languishing in Azkaban for so long.
In the wizarding world, Azkaban's fearsome reputation was known from Ireland to Cathay.
Everyone knew that even a good person sent to Azkaban would enter sane and leave unhinged.
"Yes," Poppy Sweating added. "Sirius saw Peter, transformed as a rat, in the newspaper, so he broke out of Azkaban to protect Harry from that traitor. The Ministry went all out, even sending Dementors to hunt him down. Poor Mr. Black had no food, surviving on rats and spiders…"
"Hey, it's no big deal," Sirius said, tilting his head back with a nonchalant air. "Just another chapter in life, right?"
"Sirius…"
Lily covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down.
Just thinking about the life Sirius had endured made her heart ache.
In a way, Sirius was like a son to her—how could she, as half a mother, not feel the pain?
"Mate."
James reached out, squeezing Sirius's shoulder. He said nothing, only giving Sirius a heavy, meaningful nod.
A man's friendship needed no sentimental words—everything was understood in silence.
"Hmph."
A greasy, drawling voice suddenly cut through the air.
"If this Black dog had been smarter and gone to Dumbledore to clear things up early on, he wouldn't have wasted so many years in Azkaban… Oh, I forgot—canines aren't exactly known for their intelligence…"
Hearing Snivellus insult his best mate, James couldn't hold back.
"Snivellus!" He shot to his feet, drawing his wand from his robes and pointing it at Snape. "Fancy a Levicorpus? If you're asking for it, I'm happy to oblige!"
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