Harry gets taken to a better place, far away from the Dursleys.
Harry starts his tenth birthday celebrations by opening presents and viewing a memory.
Anything underlined is what I have changed
The modified Pensieve glows brightly before projecting above itself a screen. The Ravenclaws are intrigued about the new magical object and how it works. But, at the same time, everyone else wants to know if they can have one.
[It is nighttime in Surrey, we see an owl on the street sign "PRIVET DRIVE," and the camera pans to the street with identical-looking brown bricked houses. The owl flies away, and an older man with crimson robes and a long silvery white beard named Albus Dumbledore walks out of a forest near the street, past a tabby cat standing next to what looks like a shed. He takes out his deluminator and activates it. Dumbledore zaps all the light out of the lampposts. He puts away the device, and a cat meows. Dumbledore looks down at the cat.]
"What is Dumbledore doing?" A Gryffindor student asks quietly, not wanting to interrupt the projection.
"Something he had no right to do and was very illegal." Harry and Snape mutter to themselves.
Dumbledore: I should have known that you would be here...Professor McGonagall.
[The cat silently looks at him, and the camera turns towards a wall. Then, the cat's shadow turns into a woman with a tall hat. Then, there are footsteps, and Minerva McGonagall is revealed.]
"Minnie!" The Marauders yell out, getting a glare from the woman.
McGonagall: Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true, Albus?
Dumbledore: I'm afraid so, Professor. The good and the bad.
Lily stares at the screen, 'This is what happened to James and me, isn't it...'
McGonagall: And the boy?
'Yup,' Lily thinks. 'This is definitely about James and me.'
Unfortunately, she's the only one who realizes this fact.
Dumbledore: Hagrid is bringing him.
McGonagall: Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?
Dumbledore: Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life.
Hagrid blushes, chest puffing up with pride.
"With my life, yes. With my secrets; no." Snape and Harry said at the same time.
Hagrid deflates slightly but then realizes that what they said is true.
[There is a motor sound, and the two professors look up to see a flying motorcycle coming down from the air. It skids on the street and halts. A large man with shoulder-length black hair and a beard named Rubeus Hagrid takes off his goggles.]
"I want that bike," Sirius yells out, practically bouncing in excitement.
Remus looks at him with fond exasperation. "No, Padfoot." Sirius pouts at Remus' response.
Hagrid : Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall.
Dumbledore: No problems, I trust, Hagrid?
Hagrid: No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There you go.
[Hagrid hands a baby wrapped in a bundle over to Dumbledore.]
McGonagall: Albus, do you really think it's safe, leaving him with these people? I've watched them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really are...
Dumbledore: The only family he has.
[They stop outside a house which is 4 Privet Drive.]
Lily and Severus stand in a rage, both shouting at the Headmaster. "How dare you send Harry to Petunia! She despises magic and wouldn't hesitate to hurt Harry for accidental magic!"
Snape stands and faces both his past self and his former friend. "Please sit down; you'll see what happens." The two take some deep, calming breaths before retaking their seats.
Many are confused about what is happening, but they can tell it isn't good.
McGonagall: This boy will be famous. There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.
Dumbledore: Exactly. He's better off growing up away from all that. Until he is ready.
[Dumbledore places the baby on the ground slowly. Hagrid sniffles, he is sobbing a little. He clears his throat.]
Dumbledore: There, there, Hagrid. It's not really goodbye, after all.
[Hagrid nods. Dumbledore takes a letter and places it on the baby, who is now at the foot of the door.]
Dumbledore: Good luck...Harry Potter.
Snape scoffs, "Oh yes, because who wouldn't love being famous for his parents dying and him being the only one to survive?" His words make everyone either gasp in shock or stare at Snape or Dumbledore in incredulity.
[The baby has a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Once Dumbledore and McGonagall apparte away from Privet Drive, another person apparates near the house where the boy is on the doorstep.
"You left my son on a doorstep in the middle of the night!" Lily screams in outrage.
Peter speaks up for the first time, "Who's that, though?"
Snape smirks faintly.
[The person is wearing a black robe, the hood covering his face. He strides towards the child.]
Mystery Man: That man is a fool for thinking that a blood ward would be around this house when that rotten woman doesn't share the same blood as Lily.
"Wait-" Lily trails off, looking at Snape with wide eyes.
[Severus Snape picks the sleeping child up, holding him close to his chest]
Severus Snape: You will stay with me and my aunt May. At least with me, a blood ward will activate.
A Gryffindor student raises their hand. "What's a blood ward?"
Before Dumbledore can say anything, Severus answers, "A blood ward is just that, a ward. A blood ward must be around where a person who shares the same blood as the caster lives. So it means that Lily sacrificed herself for Harry and created a blood ward to protect him."
"Then why would he be safe with you?" James sneers at Snape.
Snape raises an eyebrow. "You know that Lily and I performed a blood sibling bond, and therefore we share each other's blood, correct?" James' eyes widen at that, and he shuts his mouth.
[The two apparate away from Privet Drive, the screen turning dark for a moment before the words "Nine Years Later" appears on the screen]
Snape waves his wand over Harry, undoing the Mulfiato spell around the boy.
Mystery Woman: Up, Harry!
[There are a few knocks on the door of Harry's bedroom. Harry is already awake and dressed. He's wearing a pair of navy jeans and a red shirt with a pair of round glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose]
"Woah..." a few younger students voice out.
Lily and James are staring at their son with fondness and faint pride that he is already awake and ready for the day.
Dumbledore, however, is trying very hard to hide his fury. Severus Snape already ruined his plan! Petunia and Vernon were supposed to abuse the boy, and he was supposed not to have any knowledge of the magical world. One Slytherin student has ruined his entire plan.
[Harry exits his room, walking down the hall to the living room where a brunette woman with brown eyes and Severus Snape are standing by a pile of wrapped presents, smiles on both of their faces]
Harry, in shock: These are all for me?
Severus Snape: Of course, they are, and don't forget the promised memory.
"Promised memory?" Slughorn asks.
Snape turns to the man, "Yes, every year on Harry's birthday, I give him a memory of Lily and me or a memory that Remus Lupin had donated of James."
Hearing this, James realizes that Sniv-Severus couldn't have been corrupting his son when he never shared any of his memories. The problem is that Severus could have shown Harry that he was a bully and got him to hate James. But he didn't do that.
[Every present has been opened, and Harry is playing with a rubrics cube. It shows that most presents were books, scientific, colouring, word search, and puzzle solving. It also shows he got plenty of puzzles of many different sizes.]
James dramatically flops back in his seat between Remus and Peter, sighing. "They're turning my son into a bookworm!"
"And what's wrong with that?" Lily addresses him with an icy tone.
The spectacled boy sits straight again, "Nothing, nothing at all!"
Severus Snape: Harry, are you ready to choose a memory?
[Harry eagerly stands, rushing over to Snape and taking his hand. They walk into a dimly lit room and move towards the bottles with swirling white light inside; the memories.]
"That looks so pretty," is said by many in the hall.
Severus Snape: So, which one will you choose this year?
[Severus smiles when Harry motions that he wants to Snape to hold him up. Once in Snape's arms, he points at a memory bottle. Picking it up, Snape pours it into the Pensieve. Still holding Harry in his arms, he allows the memory to pull them in]
"Are we going to see the memory?" A Ravenclaw asks excitedly.
Snape smiles, "Yes, it is also one of my favourites." But, of course, that makes everyone curious to know Snape's favourite memory of Harry's parents. That is, except for Lily and Severus, who smile at each other. They knew they were still siblings even if they had a fallout.
[In the Pensieve, they see a young Severus Snape walking out from behind a tree to see Lily Evans making flowers bloom with a slight touch. Severus Snape smiles and goes to step forward when he steps on a branch, breaking it. Lily turns towards him frantically.]
"How we met," Lily and Severus say softly. Snape nods with a big grin on his face.
Memory Lily: Who are you?
Memory Snape: I'm Severus. Were you making those flowers bloom?
[Memory Severus is grinning wide, excited at the possibility of not being the only magical child nearby]
Memory Lily: I-I don't know, they just started blooming anytime I touched them; I couldn't stop it.
[It's clear she is terrified]
A Slytherin first-year says, "Is this when you found out you were a witch?"
Lily nods with a bright smile on her face.
James radiates jealousy, even though he knows now that Severus never actually had a crust on Lily. He knows it's illogical, but he can't stop himself.
[Memory Severus notices she is terrified and decides to try and lessen her terror]
Memory Severus: You're a witch
Memory Lily: That is rude!
[Memory Lily exclaims in shock that the boy would say such a thing]
A pure-blood Hufflepuff looks confused. "Why would that be rude?"
Lily, Severus, Harry, and Snape all laugh. Harry is the one to respond, "In the muggle world, calling someone a witch usually means 'old hag.' So it's insulting to call someone old, let alone a hag or both."
[Memory Severus laughs a tiny bit before he picks up a blade of grass between his fingers. What happens next causes memory Lily to gasp softly; the blade of grass turns into a bright orange, almost red lily]
Memory Severus: If I just insulted you, then I insulted myself by being a wizard
"I kept that flower; I never got rid of it. How could I when you didn't even know my name yet still made the perfect flower for me?" Lily tells Severus with a smile. He smiles back, happy to be interacting with his friend again.
[Snape and Harry exit the memory; Snape has small tears in his eyes that he wipes away quickly while Harry giggles faintly at the memory, though he has silent tears running down his cheeks]
No one wants to say anything about this happy and sad scene playing in front of them.
Severus Snape: So Harry, are you ready to go to the Zoo?
[At the mention of going to the Zoo, Harry perks up faintly]
Harry: I want to see the spiders and snakes!
Hearing Harry speaks so happy about seeing snakes and spiders makes some smile while others shiver in disgust for one or both options. Harry is a part of the people who shivers due to the thought of spiders, which only Snape notices.
Snape pulls the boy close to him in comfort. Harry smiles at his parental figure, getting ready to reveal how he gained his abilities and how he can talk to snakes.
