ALL NOVEL Chapter 6: Chapter 6:
Chapter 6:
Severus Snape wasn't having the best day. Actually, scratch that—his life was basically a series of bad decisions wrapped in a greasy cloak. And now, standing in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded Albus Dumbledore's office, he was about to make another one.
"Lemon drop," Snape muttered under his breath, because of course that was the password. Dumbledore had the taste of a deranged grandparent. The gargoyle moved aside, revealing the spiraling staircase, and Snape stepped on, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen.
The moment he entered the office, the Headmaster looked up from whatever ancient nonsense he was studying, his blue eyes twinkling as though he already knew why Snape was there.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, all serene and annoyingly calm. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Snape clenched his fists. There wasn't time for small talk. There wasn't time for anything except the one thing that had been burning in his mind since he'd overheard that conversation at the Hog's Head.
"I need your help," Snape said, the words tasting like ash on his tongue. He'd never begged anyone for help, least of all Dumbledore. But desperate times and all that.
Dumbledore didn't even blink. "Go on."
Snape took a deep breath, resisting the urge to throw something just to feel better. "Lily," he said, his voice cracking. "She's in danger. The Dark Lord—he's going after her because of some ridiculous prophecy. You have to protect her."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled under his chin like he was thinking about the weather. "And her family?"
Snape flinched. Of course Dumbledore would ask that. The Potter family. It wasn't enough to save Lily—oh no, they had to save James Potter and the boy, too. Because life wasn't already unfair enough.
But if this was the price to pay to save her, so be it.
"Yes," Snape spat. "Her family too. Just—please. You have to save her."
Dumbledore's eyes softened, but his face remained unreadable. "You realize what you're asking, Severus?"
Oh, Snape realized. He realized he was signing his soul over to the one man who could manipulate anyone into doing what he wanted. But he didn't care, not this time.
"I'll do anything," Snape said, and yeah, that didn't sound desperate at all. "Just save her."
Dumbledore was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well, Severus. But you must understand—if I am to protect Lily and her family, you must be prepared to make sacrifices. This will not be easy."
Snape straightened, his greasy hair falling into his face as he tried to stand tall, tried to hide the fact that he felt like a house of cards about to collapse. "I'll do it," he said. "Whatever it takes."
Dumbledore's gaze sharpened. "You will have to become my spy, Severus. You will have to work against Voldemort, and that will be dangerous."
Dangerous? Snape had been playing with fire for years. "I know the risks," he said. "But I will do it. For her."
Dumbledore stood, his expression grave but somehow... understanding? "Then it is done," he said softly. "But remember, Severus, the path ahead will be filled with trials. You may not always like the choices you will have to make."
Snape scoffed, though it lacked his usual venom. He hadn't liked a single choice he'd made in years. What was one more?
Without another word, Snape turned on his heel and left the office, his robes billowing dramatically behind him like they always did. Because if there was one thing he could still control, it was his flair for theatrics.
As he descended the staircase, one thought echoed in his mind, louder than all the others: This better be worth it.
—
Back in Godric's Hollow, James Potter was doing what James Potter did best when he was nervous: pacing. If you'd walked in on the scene without context, you'd have thought he was training for a marathon. His wand twirled in his hand like a baton as he threw glances over at Lily and Harry every few seconds, like they might disappear if he stopped looking.
Lily, holding baby Harry, was remarkably calm for someone about to hide her entire family from the most dangerous dark wizard in, well, forever. But then again, she had that whole "goddess" thing going for her, which probably helped.
James stopped mid-pace to face her, his glasses askew in that classic Potter way. "You ready for this, Lil?"
Lily raised an eyebrow, shifting Harry in her arms as he gurgled happily and tried to eat the edge of his blanket. "James, no one is ever ready to hide from a homicidal maniac. But yes, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
There was a knock at the door, followed by the unmistakable voice of Sirius Black: "Oi, Prongs! Let me in, unless you want me to blow your door off the hinges."
James grinned, pulling open the door. "Relax, Pads. This isn't the Shrieking Shack. You're not twelve anymore."
Sirius walked in, shaking his hair out like he was in some kind of shampoo commercial. His swagger could be felt from a mile away, but there was tension in his shoulders, too. He clapped James on the back, a little too hard. "Yeah, yeah, make fun all you want. But I'm your decoy. If we mess this up, Voldemort's going to be after my good looks, and I'd rather not."
Lily rolled her eyes, though it was impossible not to smile. "Oh no, anything but that. Imagine the world without Sirius Black's good looks."
"Tragic, isn't it?" Sirius quipped, but the joke didn't quite reach his eyes. He hated the idea of hiding just as much as James did, but this was the best plan they had.
And then came Peter Pettigrew, stumbling into the room like he'd gotten lost on his way to the front door. Peter always looked like someone had just surprised him with a pop quiz. His watery eyes darted around nervously as if he was expecting Voldemort to pop out from behind the curtains at any moment.
"R-ready when you are," Peter stuttered, fidgeting with the sleeve of his robe.
James gave him a thumbs-up like they were about to play Quidditch, not, you know, cast the most important spell of their lives. "That's the spirit, Wormtail."
Now, if this were a normal day, maybe someone would've picked up on Peter's extra-nervous behavior. But when you're about to cast the Fidelius Charm, a spell that could be the difference between life and death, well, you tend to focus on the big stuff.
And so, they got to work. The four of them—James, Lily, Sirius, and Peter—stood in a circle in the center of the room, wands raised. James glanced at Lily, and she nodded, her expression serious for the first time in hours. Together, they spoke the incantation, their voices steady, as the magic swirled around them like an invisible tornado.
As the spell settled over their home, James let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. "Well, that's that. We're officially invisible." He grinned like a kid who'd just won a game of Wizard's Chess.
Sirius tried to smile, too, but his fingers twitched at his side. "Yeah... invisible. For now."
Lily looked between them, bouncing Harry gently as the baby yawned, blissfully unaware of how dangerous his world had become. "We've done everything we can. Now we just wait."
What they didn't know—what none of them could possibly know—was that Peter was already planning his betrayal. For more than a year, he'd been secretly passing information to Voldemort, all while pretending to be the bumbling, loyal friend. And now? He was the one person who could break the Fidelius Charm. The one person who could destroy everything.
But no one suspected a thing. After all, who would ever believe that Wormtail, the least impressive of the Marauders, could be a traitor?
Yeah, they were about to find out.
******
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