Chapter 14: The Pensieve of Lies and the Potion of Truth part- 3
"Now, bring in the puppy asset," Blackwood commanded. A cute, slightly cartoonish beagle appeared in the air. "Okay, now make Snape kick it. Harder! Add a whimpering sound effect. Yeah, that will make Lily cry. She is such a soft touch for animals."
Projection-Blackwood leaned back in his chair, laughing. "Once she sees this, she will dump that potion-brewing bat immediately. Then, I will swoop in with the comforting shoulder, and by the end of the semester, I will have unlocked the 'Seduction of the Chosen One's Mother' achievement. Easy points."
[Projection Scene Ends]
The image faded. The room was deadly silent.
Lily Evans stood perfectly still. Her face had lost all color, but her eyes were blazing with a fire that made the hearth look like a matchstick.
Blackwood was frozen, his wand drooping in his hand. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights of the Hogwarts Express.
"I..." Blackwood squeaked. "That... that is a trick! Severus is using Dark Magic to alter the Pensieve!"
Lily turned to Blackwood. Her voice was terrifyingly calm. "You called me a 'soft touch'."
"No! No, baby, that was... out of context!" Blackwood stammered, backing away.
"And you called this an 'achievement'?" Lily continued, stepping forward. Sparks began to fly from the tip of her wand—not a spell, just pure, uncontrolled magical fury. "You think my life is a game? You think my relationship with my oldest friend is something for you to destroy for points?"
(She is going to kill him,) Ethan noted with awe. (We should probably take notes. This is impressive.)
"Lily, please!" Blackwood pleaded. "I did it for us! He is a Death Eater! He is evil!"
"He might be difficult," Lily spat. "He might be grumpy. He might be the most stubborn, sarcastic arse in this entire university. But he has never, ever lied to me."
She raised her wand.
"Severus," Lily said without looking back. "Do you have any objections if I hex him into a teapot?"
Snape crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. A rare, genuine smirk played on his lips. "Only that a teapot is a useful object. I suggest a chamber pot. It suits his personality better."
"Right," Lily said.
"Transmogrify!"
A jet of blue light hit Blackwood square in the chest. He didn't even have time to activate a shield charm.
POOF.
Where the handsome, charismatic Lord Blackwood once stood, there was now a porcelain chamber pot. It had a painted design of little blonde men running away in fear.
Lily stood over the pot, breathing heavily. She kicked it. It made a hollow clink sound.
She turned to Snape. The anger drained out of her, replaced by shame. She looked down at her shoes.
"Severus... I..."
Snape pushed off the wall and walked over to her. He didn't hug her—that wasn't his style—but he stood close enough that their robes brushed.
"You were deceived," Snape said quietly. "He used advanced magic. Anyone would have been fooled."
"I shouldn't have believed it," Lily whispered. "I know you. You hate dogs, but you don't hurt them. You just complain about them."
"Endlessly," Snape agreed.
Lily looked up at him, a watery smile forming. "I am sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Snape looked at her green eyes—the eyes he had been obsessed with since he was nine years old.
(Say yes, you idiot. Don't be brooding. Be gracious.)
"There is nothing to forgive," Snape said simply. "However, you do owe me."
Lily raised an eyebrow, her spirit returning. "Oh? And what is the price of your forgiveness, Professor Snape?"
"You are grading the first-year essays tonight," Snape deadpanned. "I refuse to read another paper on why 'swish and flick' is a dance move."
Lily laughed. It was a bright, happy sound that cleared the heavy atmosphere of the room. "Deal. But you have to make the tea."
"Acceptable," Snape nodded.
As they walked out of the staff room, leaving the Blackwood-Chamber-Pot behind, a notification screen popped up in Snape's mind (visible only to Ethan).
[Incident Report: World 3][Target: Severus Snape & Lily Evans.][Status: Reconciled. Trust Level: Maximum.][Villain Status: Transfigured into sanitary ware. Likely to be flushed by the janitor.][Reward: 800 System Points. New Skill: "Occlumency Shield: Trust" (Allows the host to share truthful memories without tampering).]
(Well done, Severus,) Ethan thought. (You didn't smile, but you made a joke. That is basically a marriage proposal coming from you.)
"Shut up," Snape thought back, but there was no venom in it. "And... thank you. For the hack."
(Don't mention it. Just invite me to the wedding. I want to see Potter Sr.'s face when he realizes he lost.)
[System Alert: Anomaly Resolved. Preparing for next jump...]
"Wait," Snape thought. "You are leaving?"
(My job is done here. The villain is a toilet. You have the girl—or at least, you have the chance. Don't mess it up. Be less greasy. Wash your hair. Good luck, Professor.)
The world of magic swirled and vanished.
..........
World 4: The World of Superheroes (The Boys / DC Hybrid Universe)
Ethan felt the transition hit him harder this time. He felt... heavy. Powerful. But also incredibly anxious.
He opened his sensors. He was in a high-tech apartment overlooking a gleaming futuristic city. The sky was filled with flying cars and patrolling caped figures.
[Initialization Complete.][Host: Homelander (John).][Wait... Correction. Host is a variant of Homelander who is actually trying to be a good person but is socially inept and terrified of rejection.][Love Interest: Queen Maeve (Maggie).][Villain Identity: "Captain Cosmopolitan" (Transmigrator).][Villain Ability: "The PR Manager System". Can manipulate public opinion and social media trends to gaslight targets.]
(Oh no,) Ethan thought, panicking slightly. (I am inside Homelander? The guy with the laser eyes and the mommy issues? This is going to be a disaster.)
He tuned into the Host's thoughts.
Homelander was standing in front of a mirror, practicing a smile. It looked terrifying.
.....
You can read the advanced chapters of all my novels at patreon for only 2.99$/ month at ultimate patreon tier
https://www.patreon.com/c/Vidhifate
....