Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts

"At least before a wizarding war breaks out!"

"So, in your eyes, he became abnormal after that period of time. But since you have this feeling, you should also understand that having Draco with me will only bring benefits and no danger, while staying by your side is truly unsafe."

Severus stared at Lucius.

"You can see that something's wrong with me because you know me better, but are people like Gore, Crabbe, and Carlo stupid?"

"They might believe that the Dark Lord is still alive, or they might believe that I know some secrets that others don't. However, they might not really believe that Little Barty is useless and that I can definitely bring the Dark Lord back."

“You are just like them, a true opportunist. This is true between the Ministry of Magic and the Dark Lord, and it is also true between me and Barty.”

"Don't be fooled by their promises to me. They keep saying they'll arrest Little Barty if he comes looking for them again, so as not to ruin the Dark Lord's plans. But behind the scenes, they'll definitely still be involved with Little Barty. Just like they're willing to give me money and manpower now, they'll naturally give Little Barty the same support."

"After that, whoever actually brings the Dark Lord back will be the winner."

Lucius felt a chill run through him, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"But even so, is this the kind of behavior you want to see!"

“Of course, why wouldn’t I want to see that?” Severus shrugged. “I never need their absolute trust and loyalty. As long as they don’t cause me trouble and can help me with my tasks, isn’t that enough?”

"Just like the Dark Lord at the beginning, when he first brought you to his side, did he mention that he needed your absolute loyalty?"

Severus laughed, a laugh that sent a chill down Lucius's spine.

"He was also using benefits to gain your loyalty, to build momentum, and to strengthen himself. It's just that he went to extremes later on."

“So why is it unsafe for Draco to stay with me?” Lucius struggled to keep his voice from trembling.

"You and your friends will be hedging your bets, and Barty Jr. will have the resources to do business in the UK. Do you think, given his level of madness, he will be satisfied with the support you provide? And if you are unwilling to increase your investment later, what means can he use to blackmail you?"

Severus said casually.

"Of course, this is just my wild guess. Nobody can say for sure about these things. You are Draco's father after all. The choice is in your hands. I'm not some villain who kidnaps children. It's all voluntary."

Lucius fell silent. He reached out a trembling hand, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

After a long, long silence, he finally spoke again, his voice hoarse, as if he had been walking in the desert for a long time without water.

"If you take him away, how long will it take for him to come back?"

"Don't ask questions like you're going to cut off all contact with him if I take him to some brainwashing camp. Even if he comes with me, you can write to him anytime to ask about his situation and find out what he's been through."

"As for when he'll be back, who can say for sure? The Dark Lord isn't easy to find. He's very weak right now and has hidden himself in a large area. It all depends on how things ultimately go."

Lucius took a deep breath, as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and said this.

"I need to discuss this matter with Narcissa."

“You have one day to decide. I can wait until this time tomorrow at the latest.” Severus rose from his chair. “If you agree, then have that house-elf take Draco to the Leaky Cauldron. I’ll be waiting for him there.”

After saying that, Severus turned and walked out the door without looking back.

"Think about it carefully, Lucius. Think about your family, think about your future."

Lucius remained silent, simply watching Severus's retreating figure until he was completely gone.

Stepping out of the house, I arrived at the Malfoy family's garden.

Severus went to find Harry and Lupin while listening to Ghost Snape asking questions.

"Why would you want to bring Lucius's son along?"

“It seems you haven’t truly listened to what I told you before,” Severus said calmly. “I’ve said it before, old Slytherin, we are no longer separated. Your reputation is my reputation, and the evil you have committed is the evil I have committed. That’s why I can become a respected Potions Master and Headmaster of Slytherin. Therefore, I must repent and apologize for my past in front of the entire wizarding world.”

“I am not the kind of shameless person who enjoys rights without bearing obligations. I told you before I took Harry away from the Dursleys that I was sincere with you.”

Ghost Snape fell silent for a moment; he had indeed imagined Severus to be that kind of person before.

"Lucius is your friend, right?"

Severus found Harry by the fountain, feeding the peacocks with breadcrumbs, and squinted at the ghost Snape.

“Since he is your friend, I naturally inherit that friendship, regardless of whether I choose to maintain it later. Since we were once friends, I don’t mind teaching his temporarily spoiled child a lesson when the opportunity arises.”

Chapter 110 The Gathering at the Breaking Cauldron Bar

As always, the Leaky Cauldron bar was nearly empty in the early morning.

But once August arrives, this bar next to Diagon Alley enters its peak season for customers.

Every day, many parents of young wizards preparing for school this year bring their children through the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley to buy wands and books necessary for school.

Along the way, it's inevitable that some will stay for breakfast or lunch, especially parents of students who are experiencing the wizarding world for the first time and have the opportunity to enter Diagon Alley because their children have been accepted. They all want to try the special wizarding cuisine at the Leaky Cauldron.

Unfortunately, old Tom at the Leaky Cauldron doesn't know how to do business. He's been running the pub for years, but he's been offering the same few things over and over again.

It was either butterbeer or pumpkin juice; the rest were just regular drinks like cider and rum, which can be bought in various Muggle stores.

The Muggle parents who were trying wizard food for the first time were very disappointed, and it was clear that they were unlikely to continue spending money at this bar if they had the chance to come back again.

"You should get a batch of desserts like Chocolate Jumping Frog and Peppery Rascal from Honeydukes Candy Shop in Hogsmeade."

While having breakfast with Harry at the bar, Severus saw a group of Muggle students' parents complaining to their children that wizards' food was nothing special. He then turned to old Tom, who was wiping glasses, and offered his advice.

But old Tom thought he was coming up with a bad idea.

"Do you want those Muggles chasing a chocolate frog all over the bar? Or do you want to see their kids screaming with fire coming out of their ears and noses after eating Pepper Boy?"

As he spoke, he picked up the milk carton and poured Harry a glass of milk.

"The Ministry of Magic does not allow us to sell overly stimulating items to Muggles, as that would undermine the Hogwarts professors' hard work in appeasing them to allow their children to attend the magic school."

Harry held up the sandwich in his hand and complained to old Tom.

"You forgot a slice of bacon today!"

"Hey kid, that extra slice of bacon yesterday was a bonus because of your teacher. You don't get to eat three slices of bacon every day without spending any money!"

Severus nodded after hearing what Old Tom had to say.

"The Ministry of Magic is right. We can't give these Muggle parents too much excitement right from the start. It won't be easy to persuade them to come back."

"Your room fee is only enough for today. Do you want to stay longer?" Old Tom asked at the opportune moment.

Severus waved his hand.

"We'll be leaving at noon today. Everything's packed. Lupin went to Diagon Alley early this morning to do the final shopping."

“Then there will be fewer customers in the bar.” Old Tom clicked his tongue. “These past few days, quite a few people have come to the bar specifically to see you.”

Severus rolled his eyes at him.

"I didn't see you reduce the room rate by much, and you only gave me a slice of bacon in the sandwich, and only for one day."

"Business is business!" Old Tom, thick-skinned enough, said with a smile, "Although there's no discount this time, I'll give you a 20% discount on all your purchases whenever you come in the future, how about that?"

Severus took an empty glass from the bar himself.

"To show your sincerity, why don't you buy me a butterbeer now, and also fry up a slice of bacon for Dudley?"

Old Tom reluctantly accepted the empty cup that Severus handed him.

"Alright, alright, who told you to be like Nicolas Flamel's Midas touch, making people rich? Butterbeer, and fried bacon, free, no charge!"

"Free? I wonder if we could mooch a meal off them?"

Suddenly, a green flame burst into flame in the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron, and Arthur Weasley, dressed in a burgundy robe, emerged from the fire. As soon as he landed, he heard Old Tom complaining about being forced to deliver drinks and meat.

Behind him, one red-haired head after another kept jumping out of the fire.

Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and finally Molly.

Their arrival instantly made the previously relatively empty and spacious Leaky Cauldron bar feel a bit crowded.

This also added some noise from the children to what was originally a quiet breakfast time.

"Free! What can we get for free!" Ron's eyes lit up.

"Is there something going on at the Leaky Cauldron today? Old Tom has never been this generous before!"

"Ah! It's possible that old Tom's beer barrels were gnawed through by rats, and he couldn't sell them, so he had to give them away!"

George and Fred sang in unison.

Charlie unleashed his powerful muscles.

"If there's a free steak, I think I could accept it."

Percy adjusted his glasses and distanced himself from the four idiots around him. The youngest, Ginny, blushed, embarrassed by her family's excitement about the free offer.

Old Tom roared.

"Even if there were rats that had punctured my beer barrel, I wouldn't give them to you two brats for free!"

Then, he placed the full beer bottle in front of Severus and said to Arthur in an annoyed tone.

"You're too late. Tonight's free giveaway ends right after Mr. Snape's."

The children were wailing, and Molly was scolding them, even though they had eaten breakfast at home before leaving the house!

Arthur didn't care; he only saw Severus and Harry sitting at the bar.

"What a coincidence, to run into you here!" He greeted them happily. "I saw the news in the newspaper! When we went to Nottingham together last time, you were going to find those werewolves, right?"

Severus quietly placed a Galleon on the bar, gave Old Tom a wink, and then turned back to look at Arthur with a smile.

“If you choose to come tomorrow, you won’t have a chance to meet us. Last time we went to Nottingham together was indeed to look for werewolves, but that matter needed to be kept secret at the beginning, so please forgive me for not being able to tell you the truth then.”

"There's nothing to apologize for. You managed to rescue seven children, that's more important than anything!"

At this point, Arthur remembered to introduce his family to Severus.

“We’re here today to buy textbooks, school uniforms, and wands for George and Fried. This is my youngest daughter, Ginny, and my youngest son, Ronald, though we usually call him Ron. You’ll know George, Fred, and Percy, Charlie, and this is my wife, Molly.”

George and Fred waved enthusiastically to Severus, Percy bowed politely, and Charlie stared wide-eyed at his Potions professor, whom he had known for many years but now felt both familiar and strange.

Ron and Ginny looked at him curiously, while Molly wasn't very friendly. When Arthur introduced her, she simply nodded and smiled at Severus.

"Alright! Butterbeer for adults and big kids, pumpkin juice for little kids, please!"

Old Tom placed the drinks on the bar with a blank expression, causing the Weasley twins, who were greeting Harry and excitedly asking him about the werewolf case, to stare at him in surprise.

"Didn't you say the beer barrels were gnawed through by rats and you wouldn't even offer us drinks?"

"This is Mr. Snape's invitation!" Old Tom glared at them, clearly the twins had caused him no end of trouble when they came before.

"You're too kind, Severus." Arthur was a little embarrassed, but he didn't refuse the invitation.

The Weasley children cheered, and with Molly's reluctant nod of permission, they all sat down at the bar.

The children, led by George Fred, sat down around Harry, wanting to hear him recount his experiences in the werewolf case.

Charlie and Percy moved closer to Arthur and Severus, who were already sitting side by side, and listened intently to their discussion of the Ministry of Magic's recent actions regarding Barty Jr.'s escape.

They had only been chatting for a short while when...

A boy with light blond hair, gray eyes, bruises still on his face, and red eyes, as if he had just had a good cry, was brought to the Leaky Cauldron by a house-elf.

------

It's been 10,000 a day for a week now.

I originally planned to change from 10,000 chapters a day to 8,000 chapters a day after a week, but because of the guild leader's reward, I'll add 5 more chapters and continue with 10,000 chapters a day for 5 days.

The update will still be split into three chapters, with one chapter at 2 PM and two chapters at midnight.

(This section is free of charge)

Chapter 111 Departure

“Mr. Snape, my master asked me to bring the young master here to you.”

Dobby looked timidly at Severus and said.

Draco also saw Severus sitting at the bar with the Weasleys, and his eyes clearly showed undisguised resentment.

Even now, he still doesn't know what's wrong with his father. He's been sullen and anxious since yesterday afternoon, and this morning he even wanted to send him away!

This is dedicated to Severus Snape, who is about to embark on a long journey!

This infuriated Draco, and he had a huge fight with his parents at home. His mother, Narcissa, just stood by and cried. Lucius's decision was something Draco couldn't refuse.

So Draco was taken to the Leaky Cauldron by the house-elf Dobby early in the morning.