Snape as a Child
Lily sat down beside him, opened her lunchbox and pushed all the sweet, fragrant butter biscuits in front of him. Snape stared at the round, aromatic biscuits, a little dazed.
Before he could speak, Snape began telling her everything he had found in old books. Slowly and deliberately, he spoke of the wizards hidden on the other side of the world, Hogwarts Castle with its countless secrets, flying broomsticks that could carry people soaring through the sky, ever-changing potions, and the nearly insurmountable divide between Pure-blood wizards and Muggles.
Lily listened without taking her eyes off him, her emerald-green eyes full of wonder. Absorbed in his words, she often raised a hand without realizing it, and faint traces of magic quietly spread out: wildflowers in the bushes beside her broke away from their stems and drifted into her palm; an empty swing nearby rocked gently back and forth without anyone touching it.
Whenever that happened, Snape's eyes would suddenly light up, and he would tell her with earnest certainty, "You were born a witch. It's a gift that belongs to you alone."
When they grew tired of talking, the two went to a small riverbank beside the park and squatted down, bending over to pick up smooth, brightly colored pebbles. A faint trace of magic gathered at Snape's fingertip, and with a gentle flick, he sent a pebble skipping across the water, scattering tiny splashes. Lily rested her chin in her hands and quietly watched the flowing river, telling him about the little things on her mind at home.
The peaceful hours never lasted long. A few boys from the families of the town's factory workers came along, playing and roughhousing together. They spotted Snape from a distance and immediately began mocking his filthy, worn clothes and jeering at him for living on the foul-smelling Spinner's End.
Snape's face darkened at once, and he instinctively clenched his fists. Seeing this, Lily grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a thick, low bush. They held their breath and hid deep among the branches and leaves until the noisy group of children had gone far away, then let out a sigh of relief.
Whenever anyone teased or bullied Snape, Lily was the only one who stood up for him, earnestly arguing back and refusing to let him bear their malice.
The river flowed slowly as dusk gradually settled in. Looking at the factory's gray chimneys in the distance, Snape murmured to Lily again and again that once he turned eleven and received his letter from Hogwarts, he could finally leave that wretched, rundown lane in Cokeworth behind for good.
As he spoke, a fierce light surged in his eyes. It was an ardent longing to break free of his difficult life and gain powerful magic, the only hope he kept hidden in his heart.
Lily broke off a piece of warm biscuit and handed it to him, nodding gently. In her heart, she too quietly hoped that when the day came, she could go to that world belonging only to wizards.
After they returned from the little park, the dinner table was so quiet that only the faint clinks of cutlery against china could be heard. Lily played with the silver spoon in her hand, a hint of mischief in her eyes. While Mr and Mrs. Evans were looking down, drinking soup and serving food, she quietly willed it to happen and raised a fingertip almost imperceptibly. The spoon by her plate suddenly rose into the air and floated there, slowly turning.
"Good heavens!" Mrs. Evans put down her soup spoon, her eyes wide and round as she stared in shock at the silver spoon floating in the air.
Mr Evans also stopped using his dinner knife and leaned forward slightly, disbelief written all over his face. Then unmistakable pride appeared, and his face broke into a broad smile. "My Lily, you have such an amazing ability!"
The couple exclaimed over the floating spoon, praising their younger daughter with every word. They were delighted and proud of the magical ability that belonged to Lily alone, and paid no attention at all to Petunia sitting across from them.
Petunia lowered her eyes and gripped her metal fork so tightly that its tines dug painfully into her palm. A bone-deep sense of betrayal swept through her. She silently watched her younger sister bask in their parents' attention, her chest tight and heavy, as though the promise that had always belonged to the two of them had shattered completely in that moment.
Before the bitterness had faded, Lily's bright voice rang out cheerfully as she spoke without hesitation of her encounter at the park. "A few days ago, I went to the park and met a little boy who can do the same kind of things as me. His name is Severus. He told me that when we turn eleven, we'll get a letter of acceptance from Hogwarts and can go to school in a world full of magic."
Those words crushed the last of the hope in Petunia's heart.
On countless evenings before, they had lain by the window with their heads together, promising that in a few years the two sisters would go to Winchester College together, stay by each other's side day and night, and never part. It was the most precious hope Petunia kept in her heart, the future she believed belonged to both of them. But now Lily had a completely different new world that belonged to her alone.
Jealousy and envy wrapped tightly around her heart like vines, bitter and heavy, leaving her unable to breathe. How she wished she had that special ability too, so she could follow Lily into that wondrous world of magic, without having to watch her sister go off alone to an exciting life all her own, without being forced apart from her.
Petunia pressed her lips tightly together and buried all her surging emotions deep in her heart. She merely tightened her grip on her fork and said nothing.
Lily caught sight of Petunia gripping her fork, her fingertips white, and her heart sank. A thousand words stuck in her throat, yet she could not find a single suitable word of comfort.
The difference between them was something they had been born with, and no amount of words could erase that destined divide. At the thought that they might gradually grow apart in the future, profound sadness spread through Lily's heart.
Petunia had always treated her very well. Even though their parents had long favored Lily both openly and quietly, Lily had always kept her sister in mind, carefully balancing things between them and seizing every opportunity to secure for Petunia the affection and attention she deserved. Magic was an inborn gift, never something one could have simply by wishing for it. Lily felt a quiet sense of loss. How she wished Petunia could have magic too, so they could enter Hogwarts side by side, without having to endure separation, and never reach the point where the sisters would one day fall out.
As the night deepened, the family went to their rooms to rest. Full of unease, Lily carried a soft pillow to Petunia's door and knocked gently.
The room was silent, with no response at all.
Lily knocked twice more and asked softly, "Petunia, may I come in?"
After a moment's silence, a cool voice from inside gave her permission.
Lily pushed the door open and climbed onto Petunia's bed with her pillow. Her sister lay on her side with her back to her, wrapped in a distant gloom. Lily patiently moved closer. "Even if I have to go to a magic school far away someday, I'll never grow distant from you. We're sisters, connected by blood. Nothing can ever sever that bond."
She carefully listed Petunia's good qualities, speaking with heartfelt sincerity. "You're careful and steady in everything you do, and you're especially diligent at school. After you finish ordinary secondary school, you can go on to sixth form and get into the best university in all of Britain. You'll definitely be a thousand times more accomplished than me. To me, you're the most wonderful person in the whole world, and whatever you do, you'll always do it best."
Her gentle words gradually soothed the bitterness and hurt surging in Petunia's heart, and the jealousy and loneliness weighing on her slowly subsided. She turned around and looked at her sister beside her, whose eyes were full of sincerity.
The two little girls snuggled together in the same bed, taking turns talking about the futures they each dreamed of. Their soft, gentle whispers filled the small room. Sleepiness gradually overtook them, and the sisters lay close together, drifting into peaceful dreams without realizing it.