Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 11 Returning to the old place
"We've arrived. Goodbye."

An old man with wire-like gray hair and beard said somewhat gruffly.

"Thank you, Mr. Aberforth, thank you very much."

Snape composed himself and thanked him profusely. He truly hadn't expected that the person who would take him back to Spider's End would be Aberforth.

After watching Aberforth disappear with a soft thud, he carried a large birdcage and a box of owl nuts home.

"boom--"

The wooden door burst open as soon as Snape knocked the first time.

Eileen stood inside the door with a worried expression.

Snape quickly held up the birdcage in his hand and said, "Look, this is the most beautiful horned owl in the Eeyore Owl Shop."

Hearing the noise, the owl poked its head out from under its wing.

It flapped its wings softly and chirped at Eileen.

Eileen took the birdcage, a hint of worry still lingering in her expression:
"Are you alright? I received a letter from Dumbledore last night saying that you two have something to discuss."

“Oh, you mean this?” Snape placed the nut box on the table. “I ran into him in Diagon Alley and we talked about future career choices. I haven’t decided what I want to do yet, so he wants me to think carefully about which NEWT subjects to take in the new semester.”

"It got a bit late, so I spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron." He kept yawning. "But I didn't sleep very well; the bed was too hard."

"I need to go upstairs and catch up on some sleep. See you later."

……

"Tuk, Tuk, Tuk."

Hearing a noise at the window, Snape looked up and saw an owl tapping on his living room window with its beak.

He quickly put down the box he was packing and went over to open the window.

The owl swooped in through the window, folded its wings, landed on the wooden table, and gracefully raised its right leg.

Snape leaned over and took a large, square envelope from its paw; his name was written on the envelope.

"Who sent the letter?" Eileen asked.

She held out a small handful of owl nuts and offered them to the little messenger to taste.

Snape tore open the envelope and unfolded the parchment inside.

"Ah... my OWL score!"

Common Wizard Level Exam Results

Passing grades: Excellent (O); Good (E); Pass (A)

Unsatisfactory grades: Poor (P); Very Poor (D); Extremely Poor (T)

Severus Snape's grades are as follows:
Astronomy: A; Protecting Magical Animals: E
Charms: O; Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Divination: E; Ancient Runic Studies: O
Transfiguration: O; History of Magic: P
Herbalism: O; Potions: O
He handed the parchment to Eileen and said, "I only failed History of Magic; I got six excellent grades!"

“I failed History of Magic too…” Eileen glanced down at Snape’s report card and smiled. “Well done, fantastic! You passed the Nine Gates in the OWL. Let’s go out for a meal today, this is definitely worth celebrating.”

Over the next few days, aside from repeatedly looking through the few old books he had brought back, Snape spent his time slowly packing his luggage.

Eileen would sometimes help him tidy up, but during the day she would mostly go out to the newly purchased house. However, she refused to tell Snape where the new house was, saying she wanted to give him a surprise.

Shortly before the start of the school term, Eileen finally finished decorating her new house.

"Are you all packed? We can go tomorrow!" Eileen closed the door and said to Snape with a smile.

Snape replied listlessly, "I've already packed up. Are you still not going to tell me where it is?"

"You'll see when we get there; I'm sure you'll like it. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning," Eileen said.

"Okay, I'll go for a walk then."

Snape decided to go out and explore the place again.

He stepped over the rusty railing and entered a playground bathed in the setting sun, with a large chimney towering in the distant sky.

The playground was deserted. Weeds taller than ankle-high grew from the cracks in the asphalt. Scattered among them were some weathered plastic bags and scraps of paper.

Two dilapidated swings hung silently in the center of the playground.

The swing seats have lost their original color, and the wooden surface is covered with cracks. They only creak and groan when the wind blows gently.

Snape walked past the playground, then through a grove of trees with a winding river, letting his footsteps lead him.

Good evening, Severus.

A greeting suddenly startled him awake, and he found himself unknowingly walking in front of the Evans family's house.

"Uh—good evening, Mr. Evans!"

Mr. Evans gently pushed the car door shut, looking as if he had just come home from get off work.

"Long time no see, you've changed a lot, Severus."

“Um… Mr. Evans, is Lily home?” Snape asked.

"Are you looking for her? She and her mother have gone on a trip, but Penny is home," Mr. Evans said warmly.

“Penny?” Snape suddenly wanted to see Penny, so he asked, “May I see her?”

"Sure, come on in. I'll go buy you some food!"

After Mr. Evans opened the door, he drove off in a flash without waiting for Snape to refuse.

Looking from the doorway into the living room, you can see Penny sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Snape called her name: "Petunia."

Penny turned her head to look at the door.

Upon realizing it was Snape, she snapped the TV off and leaped off the sofa.

"what are you doing here?!"

She screamed in shock, then a look of disgust crossed her face.

"I'm sorry, I want to apologize for what happened in the past."

Snape stopped in his tracks.

"I don't need your apology!"

Penny grabbed a book and angrily threw it at Snape.

Snape stood still, not flinching, but only swaying slightly when the corner of the book hit his forehead.

The pages of the book were turning rapidly when a small gash appeared on his forehead, from which blood oozed.

A flicker of panic crossed Penny's eyes. She took a slight step back, her clenched hands unconsciously loosening.

"I'm sorry, if this makes you feel any better."

Snape said calmly, but a smile crept across his face: If Penny hadn't thrown this tantrum, today's trip probably wouldn't have had any effect.

Why didn't you move aside!

Penny rushed into the kitchen, pulled a roll of gauze from the cupboard, and threw it at Snape.

"Thank you." Snape pressed the gauze against the wound and said casually, "Don't worry, it's just a minor injury."

"I must apologize to you, I'm moving away from Cockworth tomorrow to a very far place."

“This has nothing to do with me!” Penny said curtly.

"Yes, I agree. After all, I was a jerk in the past. I thought I was special, but I was just a stupid brat."

“I hit your shoulder with a branch and peeked at Dumbledore’s reply to you.” Seeing Petunia’s face darken, he quickly added, “It’s all my fault. I overlooked the harm I caused you. I’m sorry.”

The sound of a car engine could be heard coming from the yard.

Snape covered his forehead and hurried towards the door, saying, "I have to go. Mr. Evans can't see this. If he asks, just say I'm going home."

"Besides, Lily isn't a monster, she's your sister."

Upon hearing this, Penny looked as if she had just swallowed a whole lemon.

(End of this chapter)