[HP] Can you be gentle with me

In the evening, Tahlia and Dumbledore appeared in the headmaster's office.

"I still won't allow it, Albus." Tahlia said as soon as she stood still.

Dumbledore walked slowly to the chair behind the desk and sat down. "Tahlia—"

"Don't try to convince me, I said it, and I don't agree." Tahlia interrupted him directly.

"Actually, what I'm trying to say is," Dumbledore raised his hand, motioning for Tahlia to sit down. "I promise you."

Tahlia blinked. "Oh." She said, sitting down in a daze. "Feel sorry."

"But you have every reason to be angry with me, boy—" Dumbledore continued. "I promise you, I won't let Severus do anything, but I think the kid will..."

"I betrayed Voldemort, yes." Tahlia answered in a low voice. "I know, since that man said he was going to kill Lily, Severus will not be loyal to him..." The soreness in his heart was lingering, and it was very uncomfortable. "He even asked me to intercede—"

"You promised?"

"What? No," Tahlia frowned. "No! Of course I didn't say yes, I can't!" She looked up, staring directly at Dumbledore. "You should know, I know exactly what to do and what not to do—"

"That's what I feel guilty about, Tahlia—" Dumbledore closed his eyes slightly, leaning back in his chair. "You made him hate you."

Tahlia didn't speak.

After a while, she spoke softly. "When did you know?" She remembered that she never told Dumbledore about it, and it should be said that the only person she volunteered to say she liked Snape was Lucius.

Lily discovered it by herself, and James and the others were told by Lily.

And now, even Dumbledore guessed it.

"I vaguely got that idea from your reaction when you saved Severus at the Shrieking Shack," said Dumbledore wearily. "I have to apologize to you, I was suspicious of you at the time—"

Tahlia showed no emotion and just listened silently.

"I was afraid that you would be led astray because of Severus' fascination with Voldemort—I admit that now I was very wrong."

"So you didn't tell me how you guys acted that Christmas break," Tahlia said quietly.

"...I'm sorry, kid."

Tahlia took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Forget it, I'm still alive." She stood up. "That's enough."

"I'm really sorry."

"No need," Tahlia said, walking to the fireplace and grabbing a handful of Floo powder. "You just did what you should do, and I did what I should do, that's all." Seeing that the burning flame in the fireplace turned green after being thrown into the powder by himself, he stepped in and turned his head Finally said. "Good night, Headmaster." Then he stepped into the flames and disappeared.

She has every reason to be angry.

But she couldn't, and certainly wouldn't, take the step of throwing a tantrum at Dumbledore.

Sure enough, there is no one in this world who will trust others unconditionally.

Even Sirius had misunderstood her once, so what reason could she have to hate Dumbledore?

But it's just a bad mood.

Thinking about it, she got up from the small sofa, walked to the small balcony outside, sat on the chair there for the first time, watched the sporadic lights outside dotted the night, she just sat quietly, immersed in the In this stillness.

The calm before the storm.

What's next?

Two days later, Tahlia returned to the place provided by Dumbledore as promised. Not long after, the door was pushed open, and several people walked in. One of them was a red-haired woman holding a baby in her hands.

Not surprisingly, besides James and Lily, the other person is Sirius.

"Meet Harry!" James said loudly as soon as he entered the door.

Lily stepped forward so Tahlia could see the baby in her arms with wide open green eyes.

"He has your eyes, Lily." Tahlia smiled.

"Only my eyes." Lily said pretending to be annoyed. "The rest of the place is simply a miniature version of James. If I have the same personality as him in the future, I will be pissed off!"

"Come on." Tahlia laughed. "Don't you just love James that way—I believe that no matter what Harry's personality is, you will love him the same."

Lily blushed immediately and muttered something in a low voice. "Is there anyone who makes fun of people like you..."

Tahlia didn't continue the subject either, and cleared her throat. "So, Sirius, you're their Keeper?"

"Do not."

Sirius' answer surprised Tahlia, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Peter, you can transform back," he said again.

Then, a tiny mouse jumped out of the pocket of Sirius's robes, transforming into a man in an instant.

"Are you really going to do this?" Peter asked hesitantly as soon as he stood still. "I'm not sure I can...Ta...Tahlia - tell me about Sirius, he wants me to be the Keeper!" he said, looking at Tahlia instead.

"What's the meaning?"

Sirius spoke with a smug face. "Think about it, Tahlia──This is definitely the most perfect plan. Let everyone think that the Keeper is me. Voldemort will definitely go after me with all his strength. Who would have thought that they would go after the wrong person!" As long as He felt immense pride at the thought of being able to trick Voldemort around.

"Have you ever thought that Voldemort might see through your plan?" Tahlia asked flatly. "And what if you do get caught?"

"It's impossible!" Sirius said cheerfully, patting Peter on the shoulder vigorously. "Look! Who would notice Peter? Even if he really saw through, he wouldn't have thought of him, right?" Didn't notice Peter's sad expression.

"James, what do you think?" Tahlia didn't answer, but turned to James.

James frowned. "This method is indeed feasible, the point is whether Peter is willing to—" He looked at Peter. "Have you thought about it? Being a secret keeper means that there may be dangers that you can't even imagine..."

"I...me?" Peter obviously didn't expect to be asked by James like this, and he didn't know what to say.

"Of course he would!" Sirius answered directly for Peter. "What reason does he have for refusing to help a good friend?" He also looked at Peter. "right?"

"I..." Uncomfortable being stared at, Peter stammered, but still didn't answer.

"Peter, no one is forcing you, you should think about it." Tahlia said gently.

Peter still opened his mouth in a daze, then lowered his head and said in a low voice. "I have no idea."

"But you only agreed yesterday!" Sirius said loudly, with a look of incomprehension. "Yesterday you said yes, Wormtail."

"But I'm still afraid... afraid of that person..." Peter lowered his head even more, and his voice became smaller and smaller. "I'm afraid he'll kill me."

Sirius snorted disdainfully. "You shouldn't be afraid of him killing you, Peter," he said. "You're a Gryffindor... Tahlia, tell me about him!" he said to Tahlia.

This is obviously a perfect smoke bomb, don't they think so?

"You know I can't force you to do anything." Tahlia frowned. "If you insist on asking me, I certainly think it's safest to find the principal."

"I agree with Tahlia." Lily said the same, looking at James pleadingly. "Let's go to Headmaster Dumbledore, please?" She hugged Harry tightly. "I can go and find the principal right now, let's find him..."

"Don't you trust Sirius?" James said suddenly and without thinking, which stunned Lily for a moment. "Because he's a Black?"

"How can you say that!" Lily yelled. "Of course I trust Sirius, I know you trust him, and I've never been prejudiced against him for anything!" she said excitedly. "It's just that finding the principal can definitely ensure our safety [-]%, why don't we do it?" There was a pause. "No offense, but Sirius—no, not just him—we're all not as good as the headmaster, are we?" Calmed down a little. "Since the principal expressed his willingness to be the keeper of the secret, I don't understand why he wasn't approached."

"Li...Lily is right, James." Peter timidly echoed from the side. "Don't look for me...I can't do it──"

"Wormtail──" Sirius was about to make an attack, but immediately swallowed the words abruptly because of Tahlia's look.

James was silent, seeming to be thinking about something seriously.

"You'd better make up your mind, James──" Tahlia said with a headache. "I can't stay here too long..." She couldn't, there was an attack on a Muggle community that night and she had been assigned to be there.

"James, go to the principal──" Lily said.

"No." James looked up suddenly. "My decision remains the same, and—" He stared at Peter. "I think what Sirius said makes sense, Wormtail," he said seriously. "Voldemort never thought that the keeper was you, you will be safe, and you can hide yourself──If someone really comes to the door, don't forget that you are an Animagus, are you afraid you won't be able to escape?" He smiled . "You are the one most likely to escape their pursuit, Peter. It is indeed a perfect plan for you to be the keeper."

Peter stared blankly at the two people in front of him, his best friends, James and Sirius.

He... how could they have calmly sent him to die... Once his secret of being a Keeper was revealed, all the Death Eaters and even the man himself would come looking for him, and that was the man!He will definitely be killed by him!

However, they looked at themselves so eagerly and hopefully—

James is a friend, a friend who helped him a lot in school, he should do something for him, shouldn't he?

And he had indeed promised Sirius.

"I..." Peter lowered his head.

He's a Gryffindor, and he's been told to be brave, for seven years.

But he is not brave at all, not brave at all. Courage has always been what he lacks the most. In recent years, he has been ridiculed because of this—

Only Tahlia spoke for herself, and she always spoke for herself.

Stealing a look at Tahlia, she didn't show any expression, but looked tired.

He had let her down, and even though she hadn't said anything or forced himself to agree, he knew she wanted them to decide quickly who would be the Keeper, and he'd obviously caused her a lot of trouble by getting cold feet.

Clenching his fists, he jerked his head up, as if the Gryffindor spirit instilled in him for years had finally worked, and shouted. "Let me do it!" Although after he finished shouting, he instantly changed back to a timid look, feeling astonished at his behavior just now.

James smiled brightly. "Knew you'd say yes—" he said, stepping forward to pat Peter on the shoulder. "Thank you, brother."

"No, no—" Peter smiled weakly. "We're friends, aren't we?" he said. "And... Sirius' plan is really, really perfect."

"Just talk!" Sirius nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Tahlia. "The Secret Keeper is sure to be Peter, Tahlia, let's get started."

Tahlia frowned, Peter was obviously not very willing, but she didn't say much, just took out her wand and motioned for them to come forward—

That night, when she finished her mission and returned to Voldemort, she told him about it flatly.

About Dumbledore making the two families use the Loyalty Curse, and also saying that because Longbottom chose the old man as a secret keeper, they couldn't get the location of Longbottom's house from Dumbledore──

The only breakthrough is the Potter family's secret keeper ── Sirius Black.

Voldemort was extremely satisfied, he praised Tahlia vigorously again, and then gave the order.

"Go after Sirius Black with all your might," he said.