"Merry Christmas, Severus. You know, I'm especially happy this Christmas because I received socks made with dual magic. They change according to body temperature and always maintain a constant warmth. Miss Rhea is truly so thoughtful. What do you think, Severus?" As soon as Snape entered the room, Dumbledore began proudly showing off the plush socks to him.
"If you brought me here for such pointless nonsense, I hardly have time to spare for your boring jokes here," Snape said, grinding his teeth. If he could, he really wanted to hit Dumbledore with a Sectumsempra. It was infuriating.
"Ahem, of course not. Isn't this just an old man sharing his favorite gift with you? Don't be so stiff, Severus. Life needs a little novelty," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"I still have many precious Potion books waiting to be read. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving," Snape said speechlessly.
"It's like this: next year Harry Potter will turn eleven. I hope you can give him help where you are able. After all, this is also our shared wish. Although his last name is Potter, he is also Lily's child, isn't he? He has the exact same eyes as Lily. Of course, your own safety is also very important. I will arrange for Remus Lupin and the others to come to Hogwarts to protect Harry. You and Rhea will have to bear the trouble of brewing the Wolfsbane Potion," Dumbledore said solemnly.
"Dumbledore, just as I promised you years ago, the rest of my life is dedicated solely to protecting this child. I cannot let the tragedy happen again. I will guard him with my life. However, I believe that having a werewolf at the school is a very dangerous matter. During the full moon, he is the greatest danger, even with the Wolfsbane Potion. Clearly, this is not a wise decision," Snape said sorrowfully, though his teeth returned to grinding at the mention of the werewolf.
"Oh, no, Severus, my boy, I think I didn't make myself clear. What I mean is that I hope you protect Harry Potter within your capabilities; your own life is equally important. Things now are far from as bad as you imagine. I learned the trajectory of the future from a prophet whose identity cannot be revealed, and I have already verified the accuracy of one of those items. Trust me, we can completely plan ahead. We cannot afford any more sacrifices, not a single one," Dumbledore said seriously, looking straight into Snape's eyes.
Snape fell into deep thought and did not respond to Dumbledore. He found it hard to believe these were words coming from Dumbledore. To be honest, he had always felt that Dumbledore didn't trust him because he had once served that man, and even though he had turned away from the dark, just like the Dark Mark, the trace of its existence would always remain.
"Severus, Rhea will be starting school at the same time as Harry Potter. I hope they can become friends then," Dumbledore abruptly shifted the topic. He truly hoped they would become friends; Rhea's power was something even he could not fathom.
After a moment, seeing that Snape was still deep in thought, Dumbledore added, "After Christmas, you and Rhea should come by together. That's all for now, I wish you a pleasant Christmas."
"Rhea? What does Rhea Walker know? Tell me, Dumbledore, what does Rhea Walker know?" Snape's thoughts were instantly pulled back upon hearing Rhea's name.
"Why don't you go ask her? I believe Miss Rhea won't keep secrets from you, Severus. Have some confidence in yourself," Dumbledore said mischievously.
Snape had completely lost the desire to continue talking with Dumbledore. He strode swiftly out of the dungeon and returned to Spinner's End with a dark face the entire way, not even sparing a thought to deduct points when he ran into Gryffindor's little Trolls along the way.