The school term ended quickly, and the students boarded the Hogwarts Express for the journey home under a beautiful, sunlit sky.
Before departure, Dumbledore had told Snape in person that he would visit Snape's home during the summer holidays. The exact date, he said, would be sent later by owl.
The train began to move slowly, its wheels clattering against the rails, the rhythm growing faster and faster.
Time on the train seemed to fly. Snape, Pandora, and their friends sat together in one compartment, chatting about all kinds of school matters while sampling every treat from the trolley, except Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.
Outside, the scenery rolled past like an unfolding painting. Just as their conversation was at its most animated, the train whistled loudly and began to slow with a rhythmic clatter.
When the bright red steam engine came to a halt, Snape dragged his trunk through the crowded platform, said goodbye to his companions, and once again walked toward the brick wall at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Sunlight streamed across the platform. On the other side of the wall, Eileen was already waiting for him, smiling warmly.
"Come on," she said softly, holding out her arm to him. "Let's go home."
Snape did not tell Eileen that he had passed his Apparition exam. Instead, he bent slightly and took her arm.
This year, he had shot up in height and now stood noticeably taller than her.
After a brief spin, they found themselves standing on the hillside overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole.
Before them lay a sunlit village and winding streams; behind them stood the familiar little wooden cottage, quietly waiting for its owners to return.
Snape settled comfortably into his summer at home, occasionally visiting the Burrow with Eileen to help Mrs. Weasley look after her three sons.
Percy could now wobble a few steps on his own and even say a few simple words. The little boy didn't like crawling around and getting dirty; instead, he preferred to sit quietly with wide eyes, watching the adults talk.
Purely for his own amusement, Snape had been trying to teach Percy words like "Prefect" and "Head Boy."
One day, they were all sitting around the kitchen of the Burrow chatting when the strange family clock on the wall gave two sharp dings. The hand representing Mr. Weasley suddenly swung to point at "Home."
A moment later, the front door banged open, and Mr. Weasley's cheerful voice echoed from the yard: "Molly! I'm back!"
"Ah, Eileen, Severus, you're here too," Mr. Weasley said tiredly as he entered, greeting them before collapsing into a kitchen chair. He removed his glasses and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
Mrs. Weasley rose and went to stand behind him, gently kneading his shoulders.
"What a busy, exhausting day," Mr. Weasley sighed deeply. "An old witch put a spell on some Muggle thing called a 'plug,' and the blasted plug went mad, started lashing out with whips of lightning! Several Muggles ended up in the hospital."
"How strange..." he muttered, frowning in confusion. "Why would a plug release lightning?"
"'Plug?'" Snape asked curiously.
"Yes," said Mr. Weasley, pulling a blackened plug from his pocket, a short length of wire still attached. "This thing right here."
"What on earth did you bring that home for?" Mrs. Weasley said, eyeing the scorch marks on his hands and robes with disapproval.
"It's fascinating, Molly," said Mr. Weasley, suddenly animated, eyes gleaming with excitement. "That 'plug' was like a creature, it was cracking and snapping, whipping blue sparks all around! Perkins and I had a devil of a time subduing it..."
But when he saw Mrs. Weasley's frown deepen, he quickly shoved the plug back into his pocket.
"It's called an electrical plug," Snape explained with a small smile, realizing this must have been where Mr. Weasley's fascination with plugs began. "Muggles use it to supply power to their electrical devices."
Mr. Weasley straightened at once, full of interest, peppering Snape with questions about Muggle life.
Snape did his best to explain, from televisions to washing machines, but soon discovered that without some basic concepts, Mr. Weasley couldn't quite follow what he was saying.
In the end, Snape had to pretend he didn't really know much himself, claiming he had only heard these things from Muggle-born classmates. That excuse was enough to free him from Mr. Weasley's relentless curiosity.
During dinner, Mr. Weasley warmly invited Snape to sit beside him. When Mrs. Weasley wasn't looking, he quietly pulled out a few batteries and asked Snape what they were used for.
"Ahem." Mrs. Weasley gave two soft coughs.
"Ah, Molly," said Mr. Weasley quickly, changing the subject, "the Ministry has a new holiday benefit this summer! They're offering subsidies so Ministry employees and their families can go traveling.
"Bertha Jorkins, she just transferred to the Ministry from The Daily Prophet, says she's planning a trip to Albania, and she asked if we'd like to come along. What do you think?"
"How many Galleons would that cost, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked, sounding both tempted and cautious. "How much will the Ministry cover?"
"But Percy's still so little..." she added softly.
"Don't worry about that, we can use Muggle transportation," said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Jorkins says it doesn't cost much to travel in Albania. If the five of us go, the Ministry will subsidize up to two hundred Galleons."
"And Molly," he continued, his tone carrying a trace of guilt, "since we got married, we've never taken a proper trip together. You've been working so hard at home all these years, I owe you that much..."
"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said shyly, glancing at their guests, "Eileen and Severus are still here."
"Oh, right," said Mr. Weasley, rubbing his hands awkwardly. "Sorry, the Ministry benefit only applies to employees and their families."
Listening to their conversation, Snape suddenly remembered Bertha Jorkins, the witch who would one day be killed by Voldemort and whose death would be used to turn Nagini into a Horcrux.
He quickly composed himself and said, "That's all right, we understand. But if you don't mind, we can pay our own way and join you on the trip."
Snape turned to Eileen. "Mum, would you like to spend the summer holiday in Albania?"
"If you'd like to go, then let's go," Eileen replied with a gentle smile.
"Excellent!" said Mr. Weasley, beaming. "Molly, don't say no, wouldn't it be fun to all go together?"