Godric's Hollow.
Complete pitch darkness stretched all around, blinding and oppressive, breeding a sense of endless dread and terror. Vague shadows drifted through the gloom—Dementors. These dreadful creatures wore black cloaks, faceless save for hollow skulls, and emitted an eerie, hissing sound that made one's skin crawl.
The Dementors seemed to be searching for something, drifting through the dark and occasionally extending long, withered fingers as if trying to grasp at phantoms. The entire scene was heavy with a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere, chilling to the bone.
"You promised me!" Snape growled in a low voice, his breath ragged. "You swore an oath to me, Dumbledore! You said you'd keep her safe..."
"She and James placed their trust in the wrong people," Dumbledore said. "Just like you, Severus. Did you not also expect Voldemort to spare her life?"
"Severus, we must hurry and find Lily now, before tragedy strikes." Dumbledore glanced at the floating Dementors surrounding them.
Severus Snape's pale face was etched with deep anxiety. He gripped his wand tightly and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
With the final syllable of the incantation, a dazzling silver light burst from the tip of his wand. Instantly, the brilliance condensed into an ethereal shape—a silver doe slowly emerged from the light. Its entire body radiated a soft glow, as though woven from moonlight.
The doe charged at the Dementors, its hooves ringing sharply against the ground. When it collided with the wraiths, a violent wave of energy erupted. The Dementors let out a soundless, agonizing shriek as their shadowy bodies twisted and deformed...
Suddenly, a series of explosions echoed from a house not far away, and the flock of Dementors swarmed toward the sound like cats catching the scent of fish.
"Oh no, Severus, I believe we must make haste." Dumbledore clearly recognized that the site of the explosion was none other than the Potter cottage.
The two men hurriedly mounted their flying broomsticks and sped toward the Potter cottage, Snape's heart heavy with dread and anxiety.
As they drew near, they found the surroundings shrouded in smoke and flames. The front door of the ruined cottage stood ajar, as if intruders had broken in long before.
Snape felt a paralyzing terror, as though the surrounding flames were about to consume him along with everything else.
Dumbledore turned his head, catching a fleeting glimpse of Hagrid's figure flashing past the corner—Hagrid, whom he had instructed to retrieve baby Harry, the only boy in the prophecy destined to vanquish Voldemort.
Why did he appear to be chasing something while riding Sirius's flying motorcycle?
Dumbledore cast a glance at Snape, who stood frozen in place, and instantly decided to follow Hagrid and investigate.
Snape made up his mind, shoved the half-open door wide, and strode inside...
Upon entering, muddy footprints covered the floor, silent witnesses to the intruder's brutality. Snape followed the tracks toward the second floor.
James Potter lay sprawled in the hallway. If not for the faint, shallow rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked entirely dead.
Snape hurried over and knelt to support James. Though they had loathed each other for years, at this moment, he wanted nothing more than for Potter to live.
Gathering his last shred of strength, James whispered weakly, "Snape... save Lily..." With those words, James's body grew cold.
Snape gently laid James down and bounded toward the nursery two steps at a time.
Lily must be in there; he could hear a baby crying.
Snape burst into the nursery to find Lily curled in a corner, holding the crying baby tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide with terror and helplessness, and blood welled uncontrollably from her lips.
There was no sign of Voldemort or Death Eaters. Were it not for the shattered door and broken windows, it would have seemed as though nothing had happened at all.
Snape quickly scooped baby Harry from her arms and placed him in the crib, then carefully knelt to support Lily.
Lily slumped against the floor, clinging to her last breath.
"Lily, don't be afraid. I'll save you, I swear it," Snape muttered, half-convincing himself as he reached into his wizard's robes and drew out a bead the size of an infant's fist.
The bead was milky white, covered in patterns resembling animal scales, and emitted a cold, silvery light.
Snape had discovered this artifact while deciphering a tattered text of ancient magic.
A small marginal note on the ancient scroll read: *The Life-Death Reversal Curse*—a dangerous and forbidden spell in which the caster transfers their entire life force to the target, achieving resurrection. The ritual must not be interrupted, and the caster must willingly and unregretfully offer their own life, or the balance will be broken with catastrophic consequences.
And this nameless bead was the essential catalyst for the resurrection spell.
Snape placed the bead in Lily's blood-stained palm, then used a shard of glass from the floor to slice open his own palm, pressing his hand against hers.
Without a moment's hesitation, he began to chant the incantation. The light from the bead grew brighter and brighter, gradually enveloping them both in a luminous cocoon.
Looking closely, one could see their blood circulating between their joined palms, interwoven with delicate, pure white threads of light.
Within the radiance, Snape's face grew deathly pale as his life force poured continuously into Lily's body.
Lily began to revive. She understood all too well the price Severus was paying to bring her back.
For a fraction of a second, she felt as though Voldemort's Killing Curse had failed and she had returned to life.
Yet she knew the curse had not vanished.
Trembling, Lily tightened her grip on Snape's hand and whispered weakly, "Stop, Severus... you can feel it too. No one escapes the Killing Curse."
Her feelings toward Severus were complex; she had loved him and resented him, but she refused to let her grievances be paid for with his life.
As if he hadn't heard a word, Snape held Lily tighter, continuing to murmur the incantation:
"You will understand that tonight you shall be born anew."
"Even broken and battered, I will remain by your side."
"Even if I am torn to pieces, I refuse to endure that agony again."
"So cry no more... my love."
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Dumbledore arrived, taking in the scene within the room with a heart full of grief.
Seeing Snape holding Lily and casting some powerful enchantment, Dumbledore dared not interrupt rashly. He glanced into the crib at baby Harry, who had stopped crying and was staring wide-eyed at his mother.
Baby Harry, too, was waiting for a miracle.
Suddenly, as if his strength had entirely failed him, Snape vomited a mouthful of dark blood, and the chant broke off mid-sentence...
"No! No... Lily, don't refuse me, I... I can save you." Disbelief crossed Snape's features as he realized Lily had deliberately severed the spell channeling her life force, forcing the interruption.