They entered the biological research institute, heading straight to its largest laboratory.
Without hesitation, Snape flicked his wand— Stupefy!—and every researcher inside collapsed in a heap.
"Now, see which of them are useful," Snape ordered curtly, as though the useless ones would simply be disposed of.
"I wouldn't know. I don't recognize any of them," Arthur rolled his eyes. "Check their ID badges, pick out the supervisors."
This was the largest biological research center in Britain, home to top-tier experts.
Among the unconscious, Arthur spotted two familiar names: Robert Edwards? and Ian Wilmut?
(Author's alternate history—slightly altered names, parallel world.)
Respectively, one was known as the father of test-tube babies, the other destined to create the world's first cloned sheep.
Which, of course, revealed the nature of the information Arthur had gifted Snape: documents on in vitro fertilization and genetic cloning.
Arthur had always pitied Snape. Now, with power and opportunity, he wanted to rewrite some tragedies, to offer compensation for regrets.
For Snape, what was the greatest regret? Lily.
Had he not delivered the prophecy to Voldemort, Lily would never have died. Her death broke him, drove him to Dumbledore, and left his soul hollow, rootless.
He became a master of Occlumency, locking all emotions inside, wearing only coldness and venom.
Until Harry—the boy with James's hated face and Lily's beloved eyes. Love outweighed hate, and Snape resolved to protect him.
Arthur was not one to forget kindness. Snape's careful instruction in potions had earned his respect.
Thus, Arthur delivered knowledge of cloning and IVF, adding his own hypothesis:
—Clone Lily's genetic material.
—Induce cells to regress into egg cells.
—Fuse with sperm.
—Implant via IVF, and bring forth new life.
Impossible in Muggle science perhaps. But with magic, belief, and power? Anything was possible.
Arthur had expected Snape to brood over the material for weeks, perhaps confront him with skepticism. Instead, no sooner had he gifted it for Christmas than Snape appeared at his door, dragging him into action.
Now, in front of Arthur, Snape used the Imperius Curse on the two experts.
Arthur couldn't help but sigh inwardly. So he really does trust me—casting an Unforgivable right before my eyes.
"Where do we go now?" Snape asked.
Arthur: …You didn't even plan that far ahead?
Clearly, Snape had rushed here first thing in the morning, probably skipping breakfast.
Arthur considered suggesting Snape take them home, but then remembered Spinner's End—filthy alleyways, weeds, rubbish, sewage. Probably not even fit for rats, let alone delicate equipment.
"Let's find a house on the outskirts," Arthur said finally.
After much searching, they settled on a warehouse. Another round of "zero-pound purchasing," naturally—neither had Muggle currency; Snape only had galleons, and Arthur wasn't much better.
Once the captives were secured, Arthur asked: "So, do you really have Lily's DNA?"
Snape hesitated, then admitted softly, "When Lily died, I… plucked a lock of her hair. Preserved it with a stasis potion."
He looked almost embarrassed.
Arthur, however, only pressed the technical point: "Was there a follicle attached?"
"Yes."
"Good. The DNA's only in the follicle."
Outwardly calm, inwardly Arthur was screaming: You yanked it straight from her head?! If her soul had lingered, she'd have slapped you senseless!
"What now?" Snape asked.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Of course not! I'm not a biologist. You kidnapped the experts, ask them!"
Snape shoved him toward the researchers. Arthur groaned. He barely understood cell biology himself.
"Alright, you two—who can handle cell extraction and culture?" Arthur asked.
"We both can," Ian replied, "but we'll need equipment."
Arthur massaged his temples. Oversight—he hadn't considered gear.
"Professor, let's go back. We'll move the lab equipment here."
So back they went. The staff had just started waking when—Stupefy!—they all dropped again. When they finally came to, a portion of their lab's machinery was missing, and two supervisors had vanished. The theft and disappearance soon became one of Britain's biggest unsolved cases of the year.
Back at the warehouse, equipment assembled, Arthur instructed Snape to hand over Lily's hair. Robert Edwards and Ian set about extracting and cultivating cells.
"The real challenge is inducing follicle cells to become human egg cells," Arthur said. "The IVF step is covered—Robert's already had success there."
Snape turned those black eyes on him. "Do you have a solution?"
Arthur sighed. "Not in science. But maybe in magic. That's your department."
At that, Snape leaned forward, suddenly alert.
"You know the potion Ageing Elixir? What if you made a Potent Reversing Draught—one that forces cells to regress into a pre-differentiated state? Then, with the right external guidance, we push them into egg cells. Permanently, not temporarily like the Ageing Potion."
Snape nodded sharply. "I'll begin at once."
And with a twist of Apparition, he vanished—leaving Arthur standing dumbfounded in the empty warehouse.
"…Great. He didn't even send me back."
In the end, Arthur had to disguise himself with Disillusionment and hitch rides on passing cars. After many detours, he finally staggered into the city, found a phone booth, and rang up Mr. Granger to pick him up.
Honestly, just navigating back to the city was a miracle enough.
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