While Madam Pomfrey was busy with her examination, Dumbledore asked Hagrid, "Hagrid, what were you chasing earlier? And why were you riding Black's flying motorcycle?"
Hagrid scratched his head, looking a bit nervous. "I ran into Black, and he was going to take baby Harry. I told him about your instructions, so he gave me his flying motorcycle."
Remembering something, Hagrid added, "Then the Potter cottage exploded, and Black turned into an Animagus and ran off. I chased after him, but I lost him..."
Overhearing their conversation, Madam Pomfrey looked over. "Merlin's beard! You two certainly haven't read the latest Daily Prophet." She gestured toward the newspaper lying on the nearby table. "Take a look. It might help clear things up for you."
Snape reached out and picked up the newspaper, unfolding it as he said angrily, "It's him! Damn Black, and Lily trusted him so much!"
The bold headline on the front page read: "Sirius Black Betrays the Potters, Brutally Murders Peter Pettigrew, and Kills Twelve Muggles on the Run—Now Imprisoned in Azkaban."
Dumbledore took the paper. Even he had never expected the traitor to be Black; it came as a complete surprise.
During Madam Pomfrey's examination, baby Harry woke up as well, quietly holding Allie's hand as if he somehow knew she was his only remaining family.
"Thank goodness, Dumbledore. The boy's scar is the mark left by a curse, but it won't affect his health." Madam Pomfrey then turned to look at Allie. "The girl's constitution is very frail, even weaker than a Muggle child's... but I can't find the cause."
"Will she survive, Madam Pomfrey?" Snape clenched his fists. He had anticipated that the child would be weak, but he was still holding onto a faint hope of hearing a different answer.
"Of course, Professor Snape, provided she receives meticulous care. She will grow up..." Madam Pomfrey gently stroked Allie's head.
Dumbledore looked out the window. In the distance, over the village of Hogsmeade, brilliant fireworks were blooming across the sky.
Wizards were celebrating—celebrating the "death" of the Dark Lord.
"Hagrid, the plan remains the same. I'll go ahead to scout out the Dursley family, and you follow behind me with Harry." With that, Dumbledore prepared to head out.
Snape looked at the two children huddled close together. "What about Allie? A Muggle family won't be able to raise her."
"I intend to keep Allie with me for the time being." Dumbledore turned back to look at Snape. "Severus, I trust you will take care of her, won't you?"
This child had been created by magic and was so frail. Dumbledore wanted to observe her longer; he certainly didn't want another Dark Lord to emerge.
Snape frowned. He didn't like children, but this child was his—especially those eyes, which filled him with remorse every time he looked into them.
"I can find someone else to care for her..." Snape tried to refuse.
"I trust you, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. "Besides, I believe you will take good care of Lily's daughter."
Right, Allie was Lily's "child" too.
"Dumbledore, I agree... but you'll have to find someone else later... before she's old enough to remember things." For now, he just wanted to hold her as much as he could before she was old enough to form memories.
Hagrid came over and picked up Harry. Perhaps sensing that this separation would last a long time before they could reunite, the two children began to cry and fuss.Snape picked up Allie. The tiny infant wailed in his arms, her little face flushed a faint red. Unaccustomed to this, he murmured awkwardly to soothe her.
Dumbledore looked at them and nodded in satisfaction.
"Then I leave her in your care, Severus."
Afterward, he set off for the Dursley family with Hagrid and baby Harry.
As time passed, Allie was now nine years old. Fortunately, her health had gradually improved as she grew. After raising her until she was two, Snape had not dared to see Allie again.
Dumbledore had originally intended to send Allie to the Dursley family as well, since that was her aunt's home after all.
He and Snape frequently took turns visiting baby Harry. Although the Dursley family were truly awful Muggles, they had undeniably shouldered the responsibility of raising Harry.
However, Hagrid had begged him and Snape with tears in his eyes.
"Please, Dumbledore, don't send the little one away. She's still so small, and she's just learned to say Fang's name." He remembered Hagrid crying so hard he had nearly choked for breath back then. "Severus, if you don't want to raise the little one anymore, you can give her to me. That way, if you miss her, you can come and see her."
Driven by some unknown emotion, Snape had nodded and agreed.
In truth, Dumbledore had also been reluctant to part with her. When the child had first arrived, she fell ill every other day, and the three of them had basically taken turns looking after her.
Of course, Allie knew nothing of this. As far back as she could remember, Hagrid had been taking care of her, along with a dog named Fang who was an utter coward.
Headmaster Dumbledore would occasionally bring her some sweets, telling her that when she turned eleven, she would receive her acceptance letter from Hogwarts.
That way she could go to school! After all, Hagrid usually kept a very close eye on her, only allowing her to play near the hut; whenever she went too far away, Hagrid would feel there was danger about.
Oh, and she had to mention Professor McGonagall! She was the Head of Gryffindor House and the Transfiguration professor. When they had first met, she thought Professor McGonagall was very stern, but she could transform into an Animagus—a tabby cat—which was simply amazing.
Professor McGonagall would bring her some books, and whenever she ran into something she didn't understand, the professor would explain it to her the next time she came.
Allie thought Professor McGonagall was like an amber drop candy—hard on the outside and soft on the inside.
Lastly was Professor Snape, the Head of Slytherin House and the Potions professor. Before this, she had heard many young wizards talking about how cold, unfeeling, strict, and terrifying this professor was.
That had made Allie feel afraid of Snape in her heart. Later on, there was a time when Fang got playful and dug a huge hole behind the hut.
Allie accidentally fell into the hole and got lots of scrapes all over her body. Hagrid wasn't there, and she had been terrified at the time. Snape was the very first person to pull her out of the hole, carefully apply medicine to her cuts, and then leave.
If it hadn't been for having to drink the potions Professor Snape brewed for several days in a row afterward, she thought she would have liked Professor Snape a lot more.
Today, Allie was playing outside the doorway digging in the mud with Fang—actually, they simply couldn't find anything else to do. From a distance, she saw Dumbledore walking toward them.
"How has your day been, Allie? I brought you some lemon drops." Dumbledore handed a small tin box filled with candy to Allie.
Allie knew this candy; Dumbledore had said before that it was a Muggle food, and it tasted pretty good. "My day has been wonderful, sir. Thank you for the candy, I love it very much."