- My father James was a hero, he saved my life!
- Your mother saved your life if you're so determined to keep score. - said Snape sarcastically.
- Well, he was off protecting her. He was a good and brave man!
- Your father was a half-witted bastard! - spat Snape, leaving the desk that they leaned against and taking a few steps towards Harry, their eyes gleamed with silver light.
Harry felt his brain jump up a little as if in a starting elevator and brim with memories that clearly were not his own:
A person that Harry instantly recognized from the photographs quickly approached from behind a figure in a black bat-like cloak.
-You! It's all because of you! - he shouted - I won't believe for an instant that you are on the bright side now, you pervert! You don't have balls for the kind of job we do; quite literally, by the way! You think I'll believe your stupid "warnings" and leave to be killed in the place YOU suggested? Nobody knows where we are! You pretend all the time, don't you? Play your little "boy game"!
Snape was already forced to take a few steps back and was standing on the edge of the stairs that led down. Their face remained as cold and unmoved as ever, with their sharp eyes boring into other's.
Potter the elder couldn't bear the silence resulted from the absence of other's reaction:
- Oh, I would smite you... - he added in low whisper through his clenched teeth, with his finger shakily pointing at Snape.
He stormed down the stairs, making sure to crash into other's shoulder.
Snape narrowly avoided a trip down headfirst by grasping the rail at the last moment.
The same day, a bit later, Snape was writing in the Message Badge:
- Why are you still there??
- James put the additional protection on the place when we were asleep and left in the morning, he knew I decided to go.
Snape's breathing accelerated significantly. They started to write a sentence but deleted it several times.
- Should I enforce the shield or try to get out?
Snape paced up and down trying to steady their nerves.
- I don't know... Where are you?
- I can't tell you, you know that. If I reveal the place, James will die, his magical signature holds the shield in place.
Snape sank their teeth in their nether lip, flinching slightly:
- Damn James !!
- I can't do that!
- You have less than half an hour... Please
- I'll try to enforce the spell.
Snape was staring at the lignes, incensed.
- James' life ended as soon as the shield was broken, Lilian Saul won four duels, but lost the fifth one. Her story on our side had ended, she had to enter Voldemort's ranks, but...
- But what?
Dumbledore upheld other's gaze as if trying to support them. After a time:
- Heart attack. - they said calmly. They let the silence envelop the room. Watching Snape closely, then:
- Are you okay?
- Of course, I am. It's not me who is dead. Do you think I don't know what's coming when people make this sort of pause?
- Can I do something for you?
- No. Thank you. If there's something else, you can lay it on me.
- Yes, there is. Saul's kid can be adopted now.
- What do I have to do with that?
- I am merely informing all the close friends and relatives, it's the protocol.
- Well, I'm not interested. Can I go now?
- Of course.
Water was zooming below, the wind would've been deafening if not for the magical settings enabled by the Dark Flying. Snape materialized on the doorstep of a beautiful house the stones of which were sticking out of the lush of vegetation and flowers, like tofu cubes immersed in a mess of a succulent salad. They sped up and went straight ahead past a plate reading "James Potter family ledge". The insides of the place looked much gloomier with broken glass shimmering in the sunlight and construction dust everywhere. They flew searchingly around the house and_
But at this point Harry saw the study again, thrown off balance and supported by the teacher, he instinctively yanked his shoulder out of Snape's hand, stumbled backwards and hit a shelf. Snape caught with a spell a jar full of some slimy fluorescent liquid right above his head.
The Potions Master went around their desk to take a seat.
Harry felt a weird rush of anger at Snape, who crushed his illusion and then stepped on its smoldering pieces. He felt so sorry for all the people who were hurt by his father that that boiling sensation of injustice made him hate for a second everything in the whole world including the person who put this evidence before his eyes.
- But, but Pettiprince told me... He told me... A lie?!
- Get _ out. - said Snape, they looked sad and done for, eager to end this interaction.
Harry stormed out and ran down the corridor.