Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 102 The Legacy Wand: Granting All Wishes and the Former Snape
Two weeks later, he returned to Hogwarts.

Severus did not immediately take Harry and Lupin to see Dumbledore.

Old Deng's letter only said that he was coming to have dinner with him, without mentioning anything else. Since he didn't take the initiative to speak, Severus naturally wouldn't go out of his way to approach him.

Lupin went to the Gryffindor tower to reminisce about the past.

Severus then took Harry back to his office, where he still had some things to pack.

Although Slughorn will most likely not use his original basement office when he returns, he still needs to maintain the proper decorum.

Compared to the slick old man inside him, Severus was quite adept at dealing with people.

Harry sat in his office chair, watching Severus wave his wand, causing all sorts of brewed potions and strange potion ingredients on the surrounding shelves to fly into his suitcase, which he had prepared beforehand and secretly cast with a Stretch-Without-Trace Charm.

"Why did you secretly use that spell on that box, teacher? And why won't you let me tell anyone?"

Harry asked curiously.

Severus was checking the potion inventory in his office to make sure nothing was missing.

"Because the Unseen Stretching Charm is prohibited from being used privately by the Ministry of Magic, only a few categories, such as school suitcases and family tents, are permitted to use it."

"Will I be locked up in Azkaban if I'm found out?" Harry shrank back; he already knew Azkaban was a terrible place.

"That's where serious criminals are imprisoned. Ordinary people who go in almost never come out alive. How could the magical world only have one prison? Moreover, the Ministry of Magic doesn't really supervise these control spells. As long as there's no trouble, most Aurors will turn a blind eye, and many people use them secretly in private."

As he spoke, Severus finally finished tidying up all his belongings in the office.

He nodded in satisfaction, then turned and saw Harry's envious look at the spells he was reciting, and a thought struck him.

"Speaking of those lax regulations, one of them seems to be prohibiting the private granting of wands to wizards under the age of 11 and teaching them magic, because most wizards are not actually professional and it is easy to cause trouble when teaching children who are too young."

Severus looked at Harry and pulled out the birchwood wand that he had temporarily put aside from his sleeve.

Harry heard what Severus said and saw what he was doing. He was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed with excitement as if he had guessed something.

"Originally, I didn't plan to start teaching you magic so soon, but what I've experienced these past two days has reminded me that I can't always be by your side when something unexpected happens, even with a locator. The best way is to give you some ability to protect yourself."

Severus said seriously.

Harry had already stood up from his chair, holding his breath and straightening his back, wanting to prove to Severus that he was ready.

"This wand has been with me for almost 18 years, accompanying me through seven years at Hogwarts and through a ridiculous and disgraceful period. It has extraordinary significance for me. I can lend it to you temporarily until you get a wand that satisfies you in the future."

As he spoke, Severus handed Harry the birchwood wand he was holding.

This scene evoked complex emotions in Ghost Snape.

The 18 years of wand experiences that Severus mentioned were all his own, so strictly speaking, the wand was something he had used for a long time and that he had left behind.

And now, it is about to be handed over to Harry Potter by Severus himself.

Should Ghost Snape be happy?

He should indeed be happy, because this is Lily's son, and Lily's son has inherited his legacy.

Should we also feel hatred?

He certainly had reason to hate, because this was also James's son, the descendant of his enemy, who had taken what was his.

Regardless of his emotions, Harry solemnly accepted the birch wand with both hands.

"I promise I will take good care of it, teacher!"

After completing a simple handover ceremony, Severus rummaged through his office and found a small satchel. He used the Unmarked Stretch Charm on the satchel, easily expanding the space inside by half a cubic meter, and then gave the satchel to Harry.

“Take this too. It’s too conspicuous for someone your age to carry a wand. You should keep your wand in your bag. Besides, it can also hold some small odds and ends.”

Harry happily slung the satchel over his shoulder and then stuffed his wand inside.

After finishing his business in his office, Severus told Harry to wander around the castle on his own and be at the Great Hall by 11:20 sharp for dinner.

He then temporarily placed his suitcase in the now-empty office.

A person walked out of the basement and went straight up the stairs with a clear goal in mind.

Before returning to Hogwarts Castle, Severus had made some plans.

The next time he returns to this place will most likely be when Harry starts school, so in the meantime, he needs to take care of some things that need to be done in advance.

What are you looking for?

Ghost Snape sensed Severus's intention and asked aloud.

"To be precise, it's not about going to find, but about taking."

Severus did not deny Snape's speculation; there was nothing between them to hide.

"You know this castle better than I do?" Ghost Snape clearly noticed the problem; he could see the route Severus was heading, a route that, in his memory, contained nothing worth visiting.

"I'm not as familiar with the specific details as you are, but I do know quite a bit about some of the more important key points."

While chatting with Snape the Ghost, Severus finally arrived at the eighth floor of the castle, in front of the wall opposite the tapestry depicting the giant beating Barnabas.

He lingered before the blank wall, silently repeating thoughts that only the ghost Snape could hear.

'I need a place to hide things.'

After three repetitions, a smooth door appeared on the previously blank wall!

Ghost Snape was stunned when he saw this.

Counting from his student days to the eight years he spent as a professor, he lived in this castle for a total of 15 years, but he never knew that such a place existed!
Severus ignored his shock and pushed open the door, entering a room the size of a cathedral.

The beams of light streaming through the high windows illuminated a scene resembling a city with towering walls.

The room is filled with all sorts of odds and ends, items left behind by students who discovered it over the generations.

Without hesitation, Severus entered the room and walked through the alleyway made up of various piles of dilapidated and crumbling furniture.

He clearly didn't know the exact location of what he was looking for, and kept wandering around inside. Finally, he stopped in front of a large cabinet with a bubbly surface, as if it had been doused with strong acid.

Right next to this large cabinet, on a crate, sat an ugly old male wizard bust, along with some other items.

Ghost Snape couldn't see anything special about these things, but Severus, with a clear purpose, took one of them and then walked out of the room without hesitation.

After he left, the smooth door quietly disappeared from the wall, as if it had always been blank and nothing had ever appeared there.

11 points.

The small luncheon, initiated by Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, has officially begun.

They sat on the high platform of the auditorium, at the long table where the professors used to sit at the beginning of each academic year. The professors who stayed in the castle during the summer vacation all attended the banquet.

Besides the heads of the house, there were also the hunting grounds guards, Rupert Hagrid, the Hogwarts key keeper, and Aurora Sinesta, the astronomy professor.

Including Slughorn, there are four current heads of departments, three others including Severus, and Dumbledore himself, making a total of ten people.

The auditorium had clearly undergone some simple decorations beforehand, making it look less austere and solemn than usual, and more in line with the atmosphere of a banquet.

Dumbledore seemed to be in a very good mood today. Before the banquet officially began, he raised his beer glass with a smile, toasting Severus and Slughorn in welcome.

"Slytherin will never lack excellent headmasters, because the previous excellent headmaster has nurtured an excellent student for us, and this excellent student can then help us bring back the previous headmaster!"

He almost never makes polite remarks in any situation, and usually gets straight to the point.

"Today's luncheon is mainly to celebrate the handover of the Slytherin Headmaster position, to welcome Horace back, and to wish Severus a pleasant journey!"

The professors on both sides of the long table also raised their glasses, while the young Harry could only drink juice.

After they cheered together, those who could drink downed their glasses of wine in one gulp, while some female professors who didn't like drinking only took a small sip.

The luncheon quickly became lively.

Dumbledore asked Severus to tell him some amusing stories from his pursuit of the werewolf case.

Slughorn was chatting with Sprout about whether she had cultivated any new varieties of herbs in the past two years.

McGonagall, Sinestadt, and Flitwick were talking about some troubles they had encountered recently while delivering Hogwarts acceptance letters to students from Muggle families.

Meanwhile, the massive Hagrid was clinking glasses with Lupin, his eyes fixed on Harry, whispering something only the two of them could hear.

“He looks so much like him! I personally delivered him to Dumbledore that night, right there on my motorcycle!”

During Lupin's student days, Hagrid was very close friends with the group of four.

Therefore, Hagrid clearly saw the similarities between Harry and James.

Perhaps the other professors also noticed something, but none of them seemed inclined to ask.

Because regardless of whether it is true or not, the final result and answer are determined by Dumbledore.

But Hagrid clearly didn't have that kind of intention; he simply grabbed Lupin, whom he knew well, hoping to get answers from him.

Lupin was somewhat exasperated by his questioning.

Because of his familiarity with him, he knew very well how unreliable Hagrid's big mouth was.

If he finds out, the news that Severus's student is Harry Potter will probably spread throughout the wizarding world's taverns in less than a day!

So he just kept emphasizing it.

“No, it isn’t! Hagrid, you should know that James’ son has eyes just like Lily’s, but his eyes are brown, right? And the scar, that lightning bolt-shaped scar is the child’s most distinctive feature, and he doesn’t have it on his forehead, right?”

"So stop guessing. That boy isn't Harry Potter. His name is Dudley Dursley, a child from an ordinary Muggle family with magical talent."

Hagrid kept his eyes fixed on Harry, making Harry feel extremely uncomfortable. Harry's polite smile almost crumbled before Hagrid finally gave up on his suspicions.

He sighed, picked up his wine glass, and shouted at Lu Ping.

"I must have been out of my mind. If he really were James's son, there's no way Dumbledore would have let him follow Snape."

Lupin simply nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you're right."

At this moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The luncheon ended around 1:30 p.m. Hagrid, quite drunk, went back to his cabin first, and the other professors gradually left the long table as well.

Finally, when only a few people remained on either side of the table, Dumbledore smiled and winked at Lupin.

"Remus, could you take Dudley around the castle? I think you have a lot you'd like to show him around, right?"

Lupin, sensing the situation, pulled Harry to his feet and prepared to take him to see some secret bases that only the four raiders knew about.

After the two of them left, only Dumbledore, Severus, and McGonagall remained at the long table.

At this moment, Dumbledore also got up from the table and called to Severus.

“Come on, Severus, we can go to my office to talk and have some dessert while we’re at it.”

Severus understood that this was the crux of the matter—Dumbledore's letter asking him to return to Hogwarts.

Without hesitation, he stood up and followed Dumbledore, along with McGonagall, to the Headmaster's office.

Nothing has changed since he first came here two weeks ago.

The portraits of the former principals are still squinting and pretending to be asleep, and the phoenix named Fox still perches on the golden branch.

After the three of them sat down, Dumbledore stared at Severus silently with his blue eyes for a few seconds before asking a question.

“I’m happy to see anyone make positive changes, but often these changes don’t allow them to completely abandon their past selves.”

"And you, Severus, I am pleased with your changes, yet I am also worried about your past."

"I want to know, you and he haven't really completely disappeared from this world, have you?"

　Next chapter before 12 o'clock
　　
　
(End of this chapter)