The Pensieve

William ate lunch and dinner in his office, but Dumbledore had not yet returned.

He put down a copy of "Transfiguration Today, walked around a few times, and then did the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics in the Headmaster's Office to warm up his body.

The school principals squinted, trying to learn a few body-strengthening techniques from the Eastern Continent.

The most popular style is still Tai Chi. Just now, several principals complained that the picture frame was too small and they couldn't move their bodies freely.

William couldn't understand where these portrait artists got so much energy from; they must be incredibly bored.

William leaned against the window, enjoying the gentle breeze; the whole castle seemed to quiet down.

The night is beautiful.

He discovered that, apart from the tower in the Ravenclaw Common Room, this was the best view of Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore won't retire for many more years, otherwise William would have wanted to apply for the headmaster's position and inherit the office.

The night grew deeper.

The Auror who had been standing guard at the school gate also left.

Of course, judging from the Marauder's Map, Dumbledore and Snape have also disappeared, just like yesterday.

William was extremely bored. He wandered around twice and then returned to his chair.

Suddenly, he noticed a shimmering silver light emanating from the glass box. He turned around to find the source of the light and discovered that the door of a black cabinet behind him was not fully closed, and a bright silver light was shining from inside.

William hesitated for a moment, then got up, walked over, and opened the cabinet door.

Inside the cabinet was a shallow stone basin with strangely shaped carvings on its rim. William recognized Runes and other alchemical symbols.

But he didn't understand the meaning of these characters.

Ancient Runes were an elective course that began in the third year, and he hadn't yet reached that level.

The silver light emanated from the contents of the basin. It resembled a bright piece of silver, but it was constantly flowing, like ripples on the surface of water in a gentle breeze, or like clouds drifting and gently swirling.

William looked down, expecting to see the bottom of the stone basin—but beneath the surface of the mysterious substance was a carriage, and he seemed to be looking into the carriage through a round skylight.

William brought his face closer, his nose only an inch from the glassy substance.

He saw several young wizards sitting in the carriage, seemingly arguing about something.

William recognized it as the Hogwarts Express.

William continued to look down, as if he saw a young Professor Snape... He was too easy to recognize; his demeanor was almost identical to that of the adult Snape.

William couldn't see what was happening in the corner. He moved even closer, his nose touching the surface of the strange substance.

Dumbledore's office suddenly tilted over— William's body lurched forward, headfirst into the basin.

But his hair didn't hit the bottom of the basin. He fell into a cold, dark substance, as if he were being sucked into a black vortex.

Suddenly, William found himself sitting on a bench in the carriage at the bottom of the basin, with the screech of a train in his ears.

William knew what it was; he had seen it in some popular science book on Alchemy.

--The Pensieve

A very precious and rare alchemical item that can be used to access memories.

But this wasn't Dumbledore's memory; it belonged to a young wizard in the carriage.

At that moment, the group of noisy boys were talking, while only one girl sat in the corner by the window, her face pressed against the windowpane.

A moment later, young Snape opened the car door and sat opposite the girl. The girl glanced at him, then turned to look out the window; she was crying.

"I don't want to talk to you." Her voice was tense.

"Why?"

"Petunia, she hates me. Because we read her letter to Dumbledore."

So what?

She looked at him with utter disgust.

She's my sister!

"She's just a—" He quickly stopped, but the girl, busy wiping away her tears, didn't notice what he said.

"But Lily, we're going!" he said, barely containing his excitement. "Just like that, we're going to Hogwarts!"

She nodded, wiped her eyes, and managed a weak smile.

"You'd better go to Slytherin House!" Snape said, encouraged by her improved mood.

Slytherin House?

Inside the carriage, a boy who had previously shown no interest in Snape and Lily only turned his attention to them upon hearing the name.

He was a boy with light black hair, somewhat resembling Snape, but the pampered air about him was something Snape would never have.

"Who wants to go to Slytherin House? I think I'd better leave. Aren't you leaving?" the dark-haired boy asked with a smile to the boy lying lazily opposite him.

But the man didn't laugh.

"My whole family goes to Slytherin House," he said.

"Oh dear!" said the dark-haired boy, "I bet you must be too!"

The man grinned.

"Perhaps I'll break this tradition. If you had to choose, which college would you want to attend?"

The black-haired boy made a motion as if drawing a sword out of thin air.

"Gryffindor, the house teeming with Champion! Just like my dad!"

Snape gave a slight, dismissive snort. The dark-haired boy turned to look at him.

Do you see anything wrong with it?

"No," Snape said, though his little sneer clearly didn't mean it that way, "As long as you're willing to be a muscle-bound, simple-minded guy..."

"So which college do you want to go to? You seem to be physically weak and not very bright either," the boy next to him interjected.

The black-haired boy laughed loudly. Lily stood up, her face turning even redder, and looked at the two of them with disgust.

"Let's go, Severus, let's find another carriage."

"Oh oh oh oh oh..."

The two boys mimicked her aloof tone, and the dark-haired boy tried to trip Snape as he passed by.

"See you later, Snivellus!" a voice shouted, and the car door slammed shut.

But the scene did not disappear.

This means the memory did not come from Professor Snape and the girl Lily.

The dark-haired boy said, "Let's get acquainted. My name is James Potter, just call me James. And you?"

My Sirius Black.

The two shook hands.

William was stunned. This was actually Harry Potter's father, and the other was the traitor Hagrid had mentioned.

"And you?" James asked the other children.

A boy dressed in tattered clothes and with a pale face said, "My name is Remus Lupin. Just call me Remus."

Just as the boy next to James was about to speak, James put his arm around him and said with a smile, "His name is Tywin, he's my friend."

Tywin blushed deeply, feeling both resistant and delighted by this intimacy.

William then noticed Professor Tywin; as Hagrid had said, he was quite ordinary as a child.

Both her appearance and temperament have changed dramatically since she grew up, and she no longer has that ever-present smile and composure.

(First update)