After finally letting go of his nervousness, Harry turned his gaze back to the card.
He focused more on the analysis than the question itself, because the card always revealed hidden details about the past—things no one had ever explained to him.
Those were the things he longed for the most.
He had asked again and again, only to be met with constant evasions.
Regarding his parents, all Harry could ever find were a few brief mentions in A History of Magic.
They were the parents of the Boy Who Lived.
James Potter. Lily Potter.
And that was it.
Nothing else.
Who they were, what their lives were like—why they died, what they were fighting for…
Harry knew none of it.
He had asked Professor Dumbledore, but the Headmaster always told him he would learn "when he was a bit older."
Even when it came to Professor Snape's strange hostility toward him, Harry had simply accepted it.
He never wondered why Professor Snape disliked him.
Snape disliking him—and him disliking Snape back—felt like a small, ordinary fact of life.
Question: When Harry first enrolled at Hogwarts last year, Professor Snape asked him three questions. What was the true meaning behind those three questions?
Answer A: As everyone knows, Professor Snape intensely dislikes Gryffindor students due to his past experiences. He has a deep-seated aversion to every Gryffindor student—but this is irrelevant to the current question. His three questions to Harry were not an extension of his bias toward Gryffindor.
Therefore, Answer A is incorrect.
Answer B: Severus Snape has always felt deep remorse over Lily's death. The three questions he asked Harry were not ordinary questions at all.
When combined, those three questions represented the words Snape most wanted to say to Harry.
Therefore, Answer B is correct.
Answer C: Conspiracy theories persist because people like assuming the worst of others. However, Albus Dumbledore did not conspire with Snape to secretly instruct him to make Harry's life difficult.
Therefore, Answer C is incorrect.
Answer D: Although Severus Snape is a homebody and not averse to darkness, he had no intention of indulging in "dark whims" when he asked Harry the three questions.
Therefore, Answer D is incorrect.
The full analysis on the card was clearly visible—not only to the seven people on the high platform but also to everyone outside.
Harry's gaze locked onto Answer B.
This… was about his mother and Snape.
"The words the Professor most wanted to say to me?"
Confusion clouded Harry's face.
He remembered how hostile he had been toward Snape last year, thinking Snape was the Dark Wizard who wanted the Philosopher's Stone.
And he remembered what Quirrell said at the end:
"If it weren't for Professor Snape… protecting you…"
There were so many things Harry never considered—because he had subconsciously ignored them.
But now that he understood and looked back… everything felt different.
Professor Snape's remorse.
His connection to Harry's mother.
What was that connection exactly?
For the first time, Harry realized he had never truly understood the Professor he once disliked—and now felt strangely complicated about.
"I didn't expect it—Professor Snape, that old bat, actually had a connection with Harry's mother."
Students from Slytherin and Gryffindor alike were stunned.
If earlier it was only speculation, the card's confirmation shattered every doubt.
Professor Snape truly loved Harry's mother.
Otherwise, why would it appear in both questions?
It instantly became the biggest scoop of Halloween.
Students from all four Houses, as well as several Professors, declared that this was easily the most sensational revelation they had ever heard.
However, the older Professors—those who had taught at Hogwarts for many years—likely knew at least a part of the truth.
Professor McGonagall, for example, was one of the few who already understood.
Snape's emotions were a tangled mess.
On one hand, his secret had been laid bare—exposed to nearly the entire school.
The truth he had guarded for years was out, leaving him embarrassed and furious.
But the question-and-answer space was unpredictable and unstoppable. Snape quickly realized there was nothing he could do.
On the other hand…
Even he couldn't deny the faint, hidden joy that blossomed in his heart.
Lily's son finally knew.
Perhaps—though he would never admit it out loud—this was the best possible outcome.
Dumbledore's head was practically spinning.
He kept glancing between Harry and Snape.
When he saw the expression on Snape's face soften—fading from cold and stern to something calmer—Dumbledore finally allowed himself to relax.
"It seems you've come to terms with it, Severus."
"Hmph. Whether I've come to terms with it or not doesn't matter. Dumbledore, you should be worrying about the problems this question-and-answer space will cause. With so many young wizards watching, this news won't stay secret."
"Our Minister is quite ambitious."
Snape's words made Dumbledore's headache throb.
He knew Snape was right.
The Pure-blood families.
The Ministry of Magic under Cornelius Fudge.
They were all desperate to extend their influence into Hogwarts—the greatest magical school in Britain.
And this sudden event, whether true or not, would give them the perfect excuse.
They would definitely make a move.
But for now, things weren't hopeless.
Dumbledore had confidence he could handle their interference.
"Don't worry, Severus," he said calmly.
"With me at Hogwarts, it won't fall into chaos."
His eyes shimmered with confidence—clearly, he already had plans in mind.
Snape simply snorted, refusing to continue the conversation.
No one understood Dumbledore better than he did.
This was a man who loved digging pits…
and letting others fall right into them.
...
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