Snape glared at Dumbledore, his cheek twitching slightly, his raised voice filled with uncontrollable hatred. "He promised me! Lily would be safe! He promised me!"
"The Fidelius Charm!" Sirius seemed to realize something, his expression turning deeply regretful.
He clenched his fists and was about to slam one into his own head, but Lupin stopped him.
Even so, his eyes reddened as he roared in overwhelming remorse, "If not for me! If I hadn't been so damn clever, James and Lily wouldn't have died!"
Harry felt his head buzzing. He stood there blankly, face pale, as though even breathing had become difficult.
He had heard about what happened next more than once from Sirius and Lupin.
If they had not changed the secret-keeper to Peter Pettigrew, and if Peter Pettigrew had not betrayed his closest friends and chosen to join Voldemort, perhaps none of what followed would have happened.
Faced with such a regret-filled atmosphere, Voldemort was naturally delighted.
He wanted to see everyone suffer. Better if not a single one of them was spared!
Snape shot Sirius a sideways glance and gave a derisive laugh in agreement. "Yes! Black, you are an idiot!"
A self-mocking expression crossed his face, and a nearly numb exhaustion showed in his eyes. He shrugged. "But I was an even bigger idiot than you! If not for me, the Dark Lord would never have known anything!"
"Anyway... it happened. Lily died, and it couldn't be undone... I tried every method, but it couldn't be undone... It simply couldn't be undone!"
He shook his head softly. He looked utterly weak, with that same nearly numb exhaustion in his eyes.
"A whole soul can be matched with a new body, but a scattered soul..." He gave a wretched laugh. "...cannot enter a new body!"
Harry had