Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 6 Same Purpose

"Stop glaring at me with those dead fish eyes. We all know that looks can't kill, especially not the eyes of a ghost."

While Harry went to the cupboard under the stairs to gather his things, Severus did not remain in the room.

He arrived at the Dursleys' yard, observing the sky, which had turned completely gloomy and looked like a downpour was about to begin, while amusing himself with the ghost Snape inside him.

Snape did indeed want to kill Severus with his eyes.

He made no attempt to hide his anger, letting out a roar that only one person could hear.

"You despicable liar! How dare you say the name Lily Evans! And how dare you tell Poot that you are her friend!"

Severus simply responded nonchalantly to his angry outbursts and questions.

Are you angry that I lied to you? Or are you angry that these words were spoken in your capacity? Or are you furious that you are not qualified to say that name again?

This question silenced Ghost Snape.

But he still looked like he was about to explode with anger. Forget about magic, if he had any physical body and could touch Severus, he would immediately cause a huge disturbance inside him and beat up his internal organs!
However, now that he had completely become a ghost, all he could do was writhe in impotent rage.

“Do you remember how I answered you when you asked me what I really wanted to do?” Severus suddenly asked.

Ghost Snape stared at him coldly, without saying a word.

Severus ignored his indifference and continued talking to himself.

"Sincere people are the most worthy of others' appreciation, trust, and reliance."

"In your eyes, all the preparations I made for the motor company before coming here were a deception. But even if Vernon Dursley really understood that before today I didn't know what the Groning Company was, or that a drilling rig wasn't an electric drill, he wouldn't mind at all; on the contrary, he would be even closer to me."

"Do you know why?"

Severus never expected Snape the Ghost to give him any answer, so he asked and answered himself.

"Because this is also a kind of sincerity. I even prepared in advance to get along with him, and specifically learned about things I didn't know and explored areas I had never been involved in before, just so that we could get along well on our first meeting. Is that considered deception?"

"Seeking common ground while reserving differences is the first step to communication, rather than starting by arguing because of differing perceptions."

“Muggles don’t understand wizards, and wizards disdain to understand Muggles. But Muggles’ lack of understanding of wizards is not of their own volition; rather, it is because wizards deliberately want to hide themselves. Wizards’ disdain to understand Muggles stems from an innate sense of superiority.”

"This kind of superiority is too foolish, especially when wizards need to communicate with Muggles, they often can't let go of their pride."

At this point, Severus shrugged.

“But I can. I don’t think there’s any difference between Muggles and wizards who possess both rational thought and emotional impulses and who don’t even have reproductive barriers.”

"Once we've established a basis for communication, which of my subsequent statements were lies? Which ones weren't based on considerations from Penny and Vernon's perspectives?"

Isn't this sincerity?

"You only see that I used your past relationship with Lily, which I never experienced, to gain Petunia and Harry's ultimate trust. But have you ever thought that I am you now, and you are me?"

Ghost Snape remained silent, but his silence regarding this question was different from his silence regarding the previous ones.

Severus leaned against the Dursleys’s house wall with his arms crossed.

Standing here, I can see through the window to my right that Harry is happily tidying up his meager collection of clothes by himself.

None of the Dursleys were helping him. Even though he was the central figure in today's events, he seemed like an outsider the entire time, except for the last part when Severus asked for his opinion.

“I can be sincere with the Dursleys, and I can be just as sincere with you, old man.”

He uttered a name that made Ghost Snape inexplicably feel a throbbing in his temples.

"I've thought about it carefully. Actually, you should have died the moment I completely took your place. But why are you now a ghost trapped in my body? How are ghosts created?"

"You don't want to die; you still have an attachment to this world." "Harry Potter, that's the attachment."

After a long silence, Snape the Ghost finally couldn't help but speak.

"What do you want to say?"

“I want to say that our current situation is already predetermined. You are the ghost Severus Snape, and I am the Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, Professor of Potions, former Death Eater, a potential future Order of the Phoenix, and Severus Snape whose hair is destined never to be greasy again.”

As he rattled off this long string of prefixes, Severus completely ignored Snape's increasingly dark expression and couldn't help but flick his very flowing short ponytail.

"We are not only indistinguishable in an objective sense, but also share the same goal subjectively."

"Your obsession with becoming a ghost is to protect Lily's son, Harry Potter, and so do I."

"Because only in this way can I live carefree in this world as Severus Snape and enjoy life. It's just that your protection of Harry is a form of atonement, not caring about your own fate, while I want a better future."

"But this difference isn't a conflict at all, is it? It's just a difference between good and better."

"But is it really better for you to do it this way?"

At this moment, Ghost Snape suddenly spoke in a low voice.

“I know what you’re trying to do. You’re bringing Poot out of the Dursleys’ house ahead of time so you can build a good relationship with him and make him forget that you were one of the main culprits who killed his family!”

"But are you so sure that the hatred that erupts when Potter learns the truth won't be ignited by the sudden betrayal, making him hate you even more?"

"Moreover, your actions have ruined Dumbledore's plans! That man will come back sooner or later, and if you want him to continue to trust you, you must hate Boole! Not give him that ridiculous favor!"

Severus neither confirmed nor denied Snape's accusations, but simply stated calmly.

"You don't need to worry about Dumbledore's plans at all. Dumbledore will definitely think of them more thoroughly than you do."

“I guess part of the reason he agreed to let me try to get Harry out of the Dursleys’ house was that Harry was only 9 years old, and it would be two years before he could enroll in Hogwarts after he really showed his magical talent.”

"In the past two years, as long as I conceal it properly, it won't be conspicuous to have him around. If I fail to give him any surprises in these two years, he can still get things back on track after Harry enrolls, and I can even help leave him some room to maneuver."

"Whether I can surprise Harry with me is something we should wait and see, rather than making empty promises."

"As for what you said, that I am Harry's enemy..."

Severus raised an eyebrow and sighed softly.

"Alright, since I said it, we're already inseparable, so we can't just take the benefits without bearing the consequences. Let's just say I was one of the main culprits in the murder of the Potters."

“If I continue to hide the truth and treat him as his mother’s best friend, he will naturally feel betrayed when he finds out the truth.”

"But, it's still that same word."

"Do you remember what I told you before I came here, what kind of person is most worthy of admiration, trust, and reliance?"

Upon hearing this, Ghost Snape was taken aback at first, and then a huge sense of panic welled up in his heart!
Through the window, Severus could see Harry struggling to carry a worn-out suitcase that Vernon had discarded years ago, walking with difficult yet cheerful steps out of the room without any help from anyone.

“Sincerity, and a sufficient degree of sincerity,” he murmured.

"What else do you want to do? Just how big of a mess are you planning to make!" Ghost Snape gasped, his voice trembling as he questioned.

“I’ve been honest enough with Vernon Penny and with you, so why would I lie to Harry Potter or hide anything from him?”

Severus straightened up and quickly tidied his robe, which was neither too messy nor dusty.

"Just because he's still a child? But I don't think that's a suitable reason."

After saying that, he didn't stay where he was, but strode towards Harry who came out of the house.

(End of this chapter)