"Here we are. Goodbye."
An old man with wiry gray hair and a beard said rather gruffly.
"Thank you, Mr. Aberforth. Thank you so much."
Snape collected himself and thanked him repeatedly. He truly had not expected Aberforth to be the one to bring him back to Spinner's End.
After watching Aberforth vanish with a soft pop, he carried a large bird cage and a box of owl treats toward home.
Bang—
The moment Snape knocked for the first time, the wooden door flew open.
Eileen stood inside, her face full of worry.
Snape quickly raised the birdcage in his hand. "Look, this is the prettiest Screech Owl from Eeylops Owl Emporium."
Hearing the commotion, the owl poked its head out from beneath its wings.
It rustled its wings and hooted softly at Eileen.
Eileen took the cage, though a trace of concern remained in her expression.
"Are you all right? I received a letter from Dumbledore last night saying the two of you had something to discuss."
"Oh, that." Snape set the box of treats on the table. "I ran into him in Diagon Alley, and we talked about my future career choices. I haven't decided what I want to do yet, so he hoped I'd give some thought to which N.E.W.T. subjects I should take next term."
"It got rather late afterward, so I spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron." He yawned repeatedly. "But I didn't sleep very well. The bed was too hard."
"I need to go upstairs and catch up on sleep. See you later."
Tap, tap, tap.
Hearing something at the window, Snape looked up and saw an owl pecking at the living room window with its sharp beak.
He hurriedly set down the box he had been packing and went over to open the window.
The owl shot through the window, folded its wings, landed on the wooden table, and elegantly lifted its right leg.
Snape leaned closer and removed a large square envelope from its claw. His name was written on it.
"Who sent the letter?" Eileen asked.
She held out a small handful of owl treats for the little messenger to sample.
Snape tore open the envelope and unfolded the parchment inside.
"Ah... my O.W.L. results!"
Ordinary Wizarding Level exam results Passing grades: Outstanding (O); Exceeds Expectations (E); Acceptable (A) Failing grades: Poor (P); Dreadful (D); Troll (T) Severus Snape's results were as follows: Astronomy: A; Care of Magical Creatures: E Charms: O; Defense Against the Dark Arts: O Divination: E; Study of Ancient Runes: O Transfiguration: O; History of Magic: P Herbology: O; Potions: O
He handed the parchment to Eileen. "History of Magic was the only one I failed. I got six Outstandings!"
"I failed History of Magic too..." Eileen lowered her head to glance at Snape's results, a smile appearing on her face. "Well done, that's wonderful. You passed nine O.W.L.s. Let's go out for a meal today. This is definitely worth celebrating."
Over the next few days, aside from repeatedly poring over the old books he had brought back, Snape slowly packed his belongings.
Eileen sometimes helped him pack, but during the day she more often went out to the newly purchased house. Still, she refused to tell Snape where the new house was, saying she wanted to surprise him.
Not long before school started, Eileen finally finished arranging the new house.
"Are you all packed? We can move over tomorrow!" Eileen closed the door and smiled at Snape.
Snape answered weakly, "I've been packed for ages. Are you still refusing to tell me where it is?"
"You'll find out when we get there. You'll definitely like it. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning," Eileen said.
"All right, then. I'll go for a walk."
Snape decided to take another look around the place.
Crossing the rusted railings, he entered a playground bathed in the setting sun. A huge chimney towered against the distant skyline.
The playground was deserted. Weeds taller than his ankles grew through cracks in the asphalt. Weathered plastic bags and scraps of paper lay scattered among them.
Two dilapidated swings hung silently in the middle of the playground.
Their seats had lost their original color, and their wooden surfaces were covered in cracks.
Only when a gentle breeze passed through did they make faint creaking sounds.
Snape crossed the playground, then passed through a stretch of woods where a small river wound its way along, letting his feet carry him wherever they pleased.
"Good evening, Severus."
The greeting suddenly jolted him awake. Without realizing it, he had wandered to the Evans family's house.
"Er—good evening, Mr. Evans!"
Mr. Evans gently pushed the car door shut. He seemed to have just returned home from work.
"Long time no see. You've changed so much, Severus."
"Um... Mr. Evans, is Lily home?" Snape asked.
"Did you come to see her? She and her mother have gone away, but Penny is home," Mr. Evans said warmly.
"Penny?" Snape suddenly wanted to see Penny, so he asked, "May I see her?"
"Of course. Go on in. I'll go buy you two something to eat!"
After opening the door, Mr. Evans drove off before Snape could refuse.
From the doorway, Snape could see Penny sitting on the sofa watching television.
Snape called her name. "Petunia."
Penny turned toward the door.
The moment she saw Snape, she snapped off the television and sprang from the sofa.
"What are you doing here?!"
She screamed in shock, then disgust appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to apologize for what happened in the past."
Snape stopped walking.
"I don't need your apology!"
Penny suddenly grabbed a book and hurled it angrily at Snape.
Snape stood where he was without dodging. He merely swayed slightly when the corner of the book struck his forehead.
The pages fluttered apart, and a small cut appeared at his hairline. Blood began to seep from his forehead.
A flicker of panic passed through Penny's eyes. She took a slight step back, and her clenched hands unconsciously relaxed.
"I'm sorry, if this makes you feel a little better."
Snape spoke calmly, but inwardly he smiled. If Penny hadn't thrown that, this visit probably wouldn't have accomplished anything.
"Why didn't you dodge?!"
Penny rushed into the kitchen, dug a roll of gauze out of a cabinet, and fiercely threw it at Snape.
"Thank you." Snape pressed the gauze against his wound and said casually, "Don't worry. It's only a minor injury."
"I have to apologize to you. Tomorrow, I'm leaving Cokeworth and going somewhere far away."
"That has nothing to do with me!" Penny said, still stiffly.
"Yes, I agree. After all, I was a bastard back then. I thought I was special, but I was just a stupid brat."
"I hit your shoulder with a branch, and I peeked at Dumbledore's reply to your letter." Seeing Penny's face darken, he quickly added, "It was all my fault. I ignored the hurt I caused you. I'm sorry."
The hum of a car came from the yard.
Holding his forehead, Snape hurried outside as he said, "I have to go. Mr. Evans can't see this. If he asks, tell him I've gone home.
"Also, Lily isn't a monster. She's your sister."
At those words, Penny looked as though she had just swallowed an entire lemon.
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