Harry Potter 1976 : I'm Snape ?! Time to Looksmaxx.

Dumbledore gently closed the door of the cabin, still burdened with other matters to attend to.

Before leaving, he told Snape and Lily that he would arrive promptly the next day at noon to fetch them.

Snape brought Lily a brand-new feather pillow and a deep blue morning robe.

"Would you like to sleep in the guest room tonight?" he asked softly.

Lily nodded.

Just as Snape turned to leave, he felt a faint tug at his robe's hem—a gentle pull so light it was almost imperceptible.

He lowered his gaze and met those dim emerald eyes.

"Rest well tonight," Snape whispered gently. "I'll stay here with you."

With that, he left the room and went to fetch an armchair from the sitting room.

When he returned, Lily had changed into her morning robe and curled beneath a somewhat thin blanket, her red hair splayed across the pillow.

Snape placed the chair by the bedside, adjusting it to a spot where he could watch over Lily without overwhelming her.

He sat beside her, hesitating a moment before reaching out to hold her cold hand, exposed outside the blanket.

Suddenly, Lily gripped his hand tightly—so tightly.

"Later… I noticed the changes in you…" she murmured so faintly Snape had to lean close to hear. "But… I'm sorry…"

"It's all right. It's in the past," Snape said, stroking her hand gently with his thumb. "It was me before—I should be the one apologizing to you."

Lily turned slightly to face him. Moonlight spilled through the curtains, illuminating her pale face. She gazed at him for a long time, her look laced with an emotion Snape could not decipher.

At dawn, soft footsteps stirred their light sleep.

Snape realized he had fallen asleep, his neck stiff and sore from an awkward position.

Eileen stood at the guest room door, surprised at the scene: Lily lying in bed and Snape sitting at her side, their hands still clasped tightly.

"Ah, Mrs. Snape," Lily gasped, releasing his hand like a jolt, hastily sitting up and lowering her voice in embarrassment, "Good morning, I…"

"It's all right, all right," Eileen stepped back a few paces, seeming a little apologetic for disturbing them, yet there was understanding in her tone. "I'll go prepare breakfast."

Only then did Snape rise, rubbing the stiffness from his neck.

"I'll step out for a moment," he told Lily before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Lily quickly changed and came down to the kitchen, eager to help but stopped by Eileen.

"No need, just sit," Eileen waved her wand, and a steaming cup of milk appeared on the table before Lily.

The table was laden with an even more abundant spread than usual.

Snape watched as Eileen kept filling Lily's plate and cleared his throat. "Mother, Lily will be staying here for a while. Is that all right?"

"Of course," Eileen said, slicing white bread and spreading butter. "Lily, it's been so long since we last saw you. You were just a little girl then…"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Lily said softly. "I can't eat all this…"

"Eat more," Eileen insisted, adding sausages and fried eggs to Lily's plate. "I'll set up a bedroom for you upstairs. The guest room downstairs is too simple."

"No trouble!" Lily nearly spilled her cup. "The guest room is fine…"

"Don't be polite with me, Lily," Eileen persisted.

After breakfast, Eileen suddenly looked at Snape and said, "Why don't you move to another room? Yours has the best view."

Snape stared at her, startled.

"No need," Lily quickly interjected. "Really, thank you, Mrs. Weasley, but the guest room is fine for me."

"That won't do." Eileen flicked her wand at the table, sending the dishes flying into the sink, where they began washing themselves with clinks and splashes.

While Eileen went upstairs to prepare the room, Snape accompanied Lily to the small garden outside.

They stood side by side in silence.

Dewdrops sparkled on the spiderwebs, bees buzzed busily among the flowers. In the distance, the stream murmured gently, and early birds sang.

The storm from the night before seemed to have left no trace—the world looked just as it always had.

"Lily!" After a moment, a window upstairs opened and Eileen poked her head out. "All set—would you like to come up and see?"

Snape waved toward the window, then turned with Lily to return to the cabin and head upstairs.

On the second floor corridor, Snape noticed Eileen standing outside his room, cheerfully beckoning Lily inside.

"Hmm… all right," Snape thought, it seemed Eileen had indeed swapped his room.

"Come on in," she urged Lily warmly. "See if there's anything you don't like."

"No," Lily shook her head softly. "It's very nice."

She stepped inside, eyes glimmering faintly with sadness as she looked at the freshly changed bedding, the clean desk, and the shining floor.

"May I be alone here for a while?" Lily asked quietly.

"Of course," Snape's glance stopped Eileen from speaking, and he gently pulled her away. "Call us if you need anything."

After closing the door, Snape thought it best to give Lily some privacy.

He and Eileen descended to the sitting room.

"Mother," he said thoughtfully, glancing at the staircase, "something happened yesterday… Mr. and Mrs. Evans… they've passed on. That's why Lily is here…"

Eileen covered her mouth in disbelief.

Looking up at the stairs, she whispered, "What happened?"

"An accident," Snape shook his head, choosing not to reveal the truth. "Just make sure not to mention it around others, and pretend you don't know.

"Also, Professor Dumbledore will come to collect Lily at noon to handle the unfortunate incident. I'll accompany her then."

Eileen nodded gently, her expression filled with sympathy.

…

At midday, sunlight filtered through clouds, casting mottled light across the lawn outside the cabin.

Dumbledore knocked punctually at the door.

"Eileen, long time no see." The Headmaster's face had regained its usual calm and peace.

"Good afternoon, Professor." Eileen opened the door, instinctively wiping her apron, somewhat shy. "You're here—will you have lunch before you go?"

"Thank you, Eileen," Dumbledore smiled. "Time is tight; I'm sorry to miss your cooking. Next time, I'll make sure to try it."

When Dumbledore arrived, Snape and Lily had already taken up their cloaks.

After bidding farewell to Eileen, the three followed the Headmaster out of the cabin.

They walked down the hill together, Dumbledore's robes billowing in the breeze.

After some distance, they left the anti-Apparition wards behind.

"Where are we going?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore said nothing but extended one arm to each of them.

"Hold tight," he warned softly. "This might feel uncomfortable."

Each took hold of one of Dumbledore's forearms.

When their feet touched the ground again, they stood on an unfamiliar street.

The street was narrow, lined with old buildings mostly built of brick and stone, their walls crawling with the marks of time, some patches of plaster crumbling to reveal rough stone beneath.

Various shops lined the street, the most noticeable being "Wynstanley Books & Stationery." The storefront was small, its window crowded with books, stationery, newspapers, and magazines. The faded sign above the door bore letters worn almost illegible.

Inside, soothing piano music played—a stark contrast to the dilapidated surroundings.

Besides the stationery shop, there were other small businesses: a grocer, a tailor, a cobbler. Business seemed slow; few customers appeared. Occasionally, one or two elderly figures in tattered clothes shuffled in or out.

"Where are we?" Lily released Dumbledore's arm, asking.

Dumbledore drew a parchment from his robes and unfolded it before Snape and Lily.

"Read it carefully, and remember well."

In unfamiliar handwriting, the parchment read: "The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters is located at 421 Vauxhall Road, London."

After they finished reading, Dumbledore ignited the parchment with his wand. It curled into flames, ash drifting to the ground.

Lily looked up at the surrounding buildings, frowning in confusion. They stood before Wynstanley Books & Stationery, beneath a sign marked number 422.

To her left was an aged apartment building numbered 420; to the right, a tailor's shop numbered 423.

"Where is it?" Lily asked, puzzled.

Is this really the Order's headquarters during the First Wizarding War? Snape's black eyes flickered with understanding.

"The Fidelius Charm," he explained quietly to Lily, then glanced to Dumbledore. "421 Vauxhall Road. Professor, aren't you the Secret-Keeper?"

"No," Dumbledore shook his head, "this house belongs to the Prewett family. Gideon Prewett himself serves as the Secret-Keeper."

At that moment, a dark oak door materialized between numbers 420 and 422, a polished brass plaque bearing the number "421."

Above it, a window with tightly drawn curtains also appeared, as if an extra house had suddenly expanded, pushing the neighboring buildings apart.

The piano music continued inside Wynstanley Books, and several Muggles sitting by the window remained engrossed in their books, clearly unaware of anything unusual.

"Let's go," Dumbledore said, leading the way to the door at 421 Vauxhall Road.

He tapped thrice with his wand.

Snape heard loud metallic clangs and the clicking of gears.

The door creaked open.

They stepped into a bright, spacious foyer.

"Albus, you're here," Moody's distinctive figure thundered from a door at the far end of the hall. "Hmm… and they brought the two of them along. You're both of age now… Come in, the meeting awaits."

They walked down the corridor toward the door Moody had emerged from.

Snape noticed portraits lining the walls—depictions of witches and wizards with dark golden hair. Some dozed, others blinked sleepily, all offering friendly smiles to Snape and Lily.

The door opened to reveal a room packed with witches and wizards.

On the wall opposite the door hung a massive pale-red tapestry. Its golden threads shimmered in the light, depicting an intricate family tree stretching back to the Norman Conquest.

At the tapestry's top were embroidered large letters: The Valiant Prewett Family—Unwavering Courage.

Snape's gaze drifted to the bottom row of the tree. Beside the names Fabian and Gideon Prewett, a double gold thread connected Molly Prewett to Arthur Weasley, with three single strands extending vertically down to William (Bill's full name), Charlie, and Percy.

Further up, the names Ignatius Prewett and Lucretia Black were also linked by a double gold thread.

Fabian Prewett, with short dark golden hair, winked at Snape—he had met him at Professor Slughorn's party before. Next to him sat a man of similar appearance, surely Gideon Prewett.

Dumbledore strode to the tapestry and sat at the long table's center.

"Sit," his voice silenced the buzzing chatter immediately.

The gathered witches and wizards made space for Snape and Lily.

"I want to introduce two new comrades," Dumbledore said in a low voice. "Severus Snape and Lily Evans. They are still Hogwarts students."

"They're adults now," Moody explained to curious Order members, "soon entering seventh year."

"But," a wizard with a round face and pale blond hair whispered to Dumbledore from the other end of the table, "they're still students."

A fair-featured witch seated beside him gently squeezed his arm.

"Frank," Dumbledore raised his hand, his tone firm but kind, "they have their reasons to join the Order, just as you and I do."

Frank Longbottom offered no further objection, nodding warmly at Snape and Lily.