"Severus..." Lily raised a hand to wipe away the tears of fear clinging to Snape's face. "Enough... Severus... No one can escape the Killing Curse..."
Lily looked toward the door. She knew James must have left just moments ahead of her. Then she turned her gaze back to baby Harry in the crib.
Baby Harry had no idea what was happening. He only knew his mother was looking at him, and he should reward her with a sweet smile.
Lily looked at the tear tracks still wet on the child's frightened face, yet even now, he was trying to cheer her up.
And then there was Severus, already weeping bitterly. She knew him so well; he was always so stubbornly relentless. If she died, would Severus survive? What about Harry? He was still so tiny.
The spell had stopped for a moment, but Lily could feel the Killing Curse rapidly devouring what little life she had left.
As her life ebbed away, those almond-shaped, emerald eyes lost their former luster, still brimming with reluctant tears as she gazed upon the world.
*Drip—* A tear fell onto the bead Lily held in her hand.
The bead seemed to sense something. It slowly rose, emitting a soft halo of light. As time passed, it gradually transformed into a baby girl with red hair and green eyes.
She gently fell into Snape's arms.
Snape's thoughts were thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of the infant. The child looked even younger than baby Harry.
Dumbledore, standing nearby, hurried forward to inspect her. Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, Dumbledore would have thought this child was also Lily's, so striking was the resemblance between them.
"Severus, I think you should explain what is happening here." Dumbledore looked the baby over from every angle; she appeared entirely normal, save for her pale little face, which made her look even more fragile than a Muggle child.
Snape buried the pain in his heart, slowly laid Lily down, and walked toward the crib with the child in his arms.
After placing the two children side by side, he softly recounted the events to Dumbledore.
"The Life-and-Death Reversal Curse? Severus, I believe this child is what was meant by the 'chaotic consequence'." Dumbledore stroked the heads of both children. "Beyond the prophecy... this child was grown from your blood and Lily's. You have become a father, Severus."
Snape shook his head violently, as if terrified by Dumbledore's conclusion, and stumbled back step by step. "No... Her father could be anyone... Anyone!" Not someone who caused Lily's death, not a notorious Death Eater.
Dumbledore saw through Snape's hesitation. "She and Harry have eyes identical to Lily's. Especially this little one—her hair is just like Lily's, too."
He paused, looking at Snape, who had retreated into a corner and blended with the shadows. "Won't you touch her? Her hair is very soft."
"No!" Snape roared, his eyes filled with despair. "Lily is gone... She's dead..."
"Is this remorse, Severus?" Dumbledore said softly. His brilliant blue eyes gazed at Snape, as if able to pierce into the deepest secrets of his heart.
"I wish... I wish I had died..."
"What is done is done, Severus," Dumbledore said coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then you must live."
Snape raised his head, looking somewhat dazed. "You... what did you say?"
"You know how she died, and why she died. Do not let her sacrifice be in vain. Help me protect Lily's son and this child of the prophecy."
"They need no protection. The Dark Lord is gone—"
"—The Dark Lord will return. When that time comes, Harry Potter and this child will face terrible danger."
After a long silence, Snape slowly regained control of himself, his breathing steadying at last. Finally, he said, "Very well. Very well. But whatever you do—never speak of this, Dumbledore! Only you and I must know! You must swear! Today's events... and this child... I want your oath!"
"You want me to swear never to reveal the best of you, Severus?" Dumbledore looked down at Snape's agitated and tormented face, sighing. "If you insist..."
The house trembled, and Hagrid's mountain of a body squeezed inside.
He was cradling James Potter in his arms. "Oh... Dumbledore, Severus, I think we need to leave. Ministry people will be here soon." With that, Hagrid turned and walked out.
Snape picked up Lily, while Dumbledore gathered the two children and walked out of the house, leaving the heartbreaking place behind.
In Godric's Hollow, Hagrid had already dug a deep, deep grave and lowered James into it. He turned to Snape, gesturing for him to place Lily inside as well.
Snape held Lily tight against his chest. He desperately did not want to leave Lily behind in this lonely valley, but neither could he bear to deny her peace in death.
Not far away, a crowd of Ministry officials was clearing the battlefield, and reporters from the *Daily Prophet* lingered nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy who lived.
Snape gently placed Lily into the grave, his eyes filled with endless grief and lingering affection. He stood silently, gazing down at Lily's mortal remains as if trying to etch her appearance forever into the depths of his soul.
At that moment, a breeze swept past, carrying a hint of a chill. Only then did Hagrid notice that Dumbledore was holding two children.
"This little one is Harry, but who is this?" Hagrid reached out to playfully tickle the two babies. "Poor little thing, you must be freezing." With that, he reached over and took the red-haired infant in his arms, careful not to wake baby Harry, who had just fallen asleep.
Dumbledore pondered for a moment before looking at Snape, who was still crouching beside the grave. "Hagrid, this child is named Allie... Allie Evans, Harry's twin sister."
Allie opened her emerald eyes and reached out her tiny hands to grab at Hagrid's thick beard.
"Allie~ Allie is such a sweet child." Hagrid looked at Allie's pale little face and the bloody scar on Harry's forehead. "Dumbledore, we need to get the children back quickly. They don't look well."
Hearing this, Snape stood up and looked at the two children as well. "Madam Pomfrey is still in the hospital wing."
Hagrid cradled Allie in his arms as he, Dumbledore, and Snape hurried back to Hogwarts with the children. All the way, Allie lay quietly in Hagrid's arms, occasionally looking around with curious eyes. Upon returning to the school, they headed straight for the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to other students, but seeing them enter, she immediately rushed over.
"Good heavens, what happened here?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Allie in the swaddling clothes and the pale-faced Harry. "Quickly put the children on the bed, let me examine them."
Snape followed closely behind, his gaze never leaving the two children for a single second. Madam Pomfrey began a thorough examination of both babies.