Paper cranes fly away, lilies bloom

A Thousand Paper Cranes - Chapter No.16

A green light flashed.

Then there was an explosion.

Snape screamed, jumped up from the bed, grabbed the wand at the side, pointed forward, and panted heavily.

He looked around, touched his left arm subconsciously, and then shook his wand.

The door of the side cabinet opened, and out came a bottle of potion and a traveling cloak.He grabbed the potion, gulped it down, and tossed the bottle aside.He adjusted his robes again, then put on his traveling cloak, clutched his wand tightly, and then Disapparated.

Seconds later, he appeared in front of James and Lily's house.The house was crooked, with a crumbling window and a pile of broken bricks on the floor.

He was startled, and immediately ran to the door. The door had fallen down. He quickly ran in and ran around the first floor, but he didn't see anyone.

His heart tightened, as if he had realized what had happened.

His footsteps slowed down, he walked to the stairs step by step, and went up the stairs step by step.At the corner of the stairs, James lay there, waiting with empty eyes, and a trace of anxiety froze on his face.

Snape looked at the man he hated, but felt no anger at all.He walked around James slowly, already realizing what had happened.

His steps trembled and his body wobbled, but he continued to walk, very slowly.

Lily's bedroom has arrived.Although he was mentally prepared, he still collapsed on the ground the moment he saw Lily.He picked up Lily's body which had started to cool down, and wept bitterly...

When he had had enough of crying, he got up silently and Apparated again.

Seconds later, he appeared in Hogsmeade.He walked slowly to the principal's office.After saying the password to the stone monster, he walked in.

He sank deep in his chair, and Dumbledore stood looking down at him.After a while, Snape looked up, sobbing and saying:

"I thought... you could... protect her..."

"She and James believed in the wrong person," said Dumbledore, "worse than you, Severus. You can't expect Voldemort to spare her, can you?"

Snape's breathing became thinner.

"Her son survived," said Dumbledore.

Snape twitched slightly, as if to dislodge a disgusting fly.

"Her son is alive. He has her eyes, exactly the same. You remember Lily Evans' eyes?"

"Don't..." Snape growled, "It's gone... dead..."

"Is this remorse, Severus?"

"I would rather... I would rather die..."

"But what's the use of you now?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you love Lily Evans, if you really love her, then it will be clear which way you should go in the future."

Snape was immersed in the haze of pain, and Dumbledore's words seemed to reach his ears after a long time.

"You—what do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died, don't let her die in vain. Help me protect her son."

"He needs no protection, the Dark Lord is gone—"

"The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be very dangerous then."

It took a long time for Snape to recover, and finally he said, "Okay, okay. But never... never tell anyone, Dumbledore! It's a secret between us! I can't stand it... ...especially Potter's son...you swear!"

"You want me to swear, Severus, never to tell him the good side of you?" Dumbledore sighed, looking at Snape's agitated and pained face. "If you insist..."