Chapter 70

Walking along the path by the Thames River, I confirmed that the building not far away was our destination. The row of apartment buildings we passed looked very nice, and with the beautiful river scenery, it was pleasing to the eye. But at the moment, I was preoccupied with worries and couldn't appreciate the view.

This place was mentioned to me when Petunia moved in long ago, but I had never come here. We stood in front of a white-painted wooden door and rang the doorbell.

"Hello, sorry to bother you, may I speak with Miss Evans?"

"She's here, I'll get her for you." A girl with thick glasses, looking sleepy, opened the door. "Excuse me, thank you."

I then noticed the girl in front of me was carrying a small bag and holding a few books, looking like she was about to go out.

"Oh, sorry." I stepped aside to let her pass, watching as she left with a sleepwalking-like demeanor until her figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

"Sawyer? And Severus?" came a surprised voice, slightly hoarse. I turned back to see Petunia standing at the door, her eyes red and swollen beyond recognition.

Holding a steaming cup of tea, I pondered what to say to break the somewhat cold atmosphere.

"Petunia, we haven't met for a long time, how have you been?" Unexpectedly, Severus spoke first.

"I'm fine. This place is close to school, making it convenient for studying and living. My roommates are also very friendly. The girl you just met at the door is Leah." Petunia sat on a single sofa, sipping her tea lightly. She looked much better, no longer as despondent as when we first met, seemingly having tidied herself up while preparing the tea.

"The magical world hasn't been peaceful in recent years. Over the past year, we've been hiding and constantly moving, unable to contact you to avoid bringing you any danger..."

"I know," Petunia interrupted me, her expression calm. "Lily told me that wizards are at war. She mentioned it in the last letter she wrote a year ago."

I initially thought the news of Lily's death would deeply sadden her and feared mentioning Lily would touch her wounds. But now it was Petunia who brought up Lily first.

"Petunia, I'm so sorry for Lily's death..." I couldn't say more comforting words, as Petunia's expression clearly indicated she didn't want to hear them.

"Your headmaster came to see me yesterday. He told me Lily is dead, and James is dead too. Some Secret Keeper betrayed them. I don't understand all this; I only know the end result is my sister is dead—" Petunia's voice grew louder, her expression losing its calmness, "Lily is dead! Dead in your magical world!"

I sensed something was wrong. Petunia's tone was full of resistance, and she practically spat out the words "magical world."

"I'm very sorry..." I didn't know what I was apologizing for—perhaps because I felt helpless, unable to do anything but cry over Lily's body. But beyond apologizing, I didn't know what else to say.

"From the beginning, Lily shouldn't have gone to that damned school to learn magic, and she shouldn't have married that damned wizard! What did James Potter say at the wedding? He promised my parents and me that he would take good care of Lily, letting us trust him with her... And now! She's—dead!" Petunia's voice trembled, and the last few words were squeezed out through gritted teeth.

"Petunia... calm down!" I tried to soothe her, but it was futile; Petunia ignored my voice, her eyes filled with tears, the pain in them so familiar, just like what I felt the night before.

"And you, weren't you Lily's best friends? Why didn't you protect her? Why is Lily dead while you're sitting here unharmed?!"

Petunia's words cut deep. My words of comfort stopped, and as Petunia's hysterical outburst ended, the room fell into silence.

Why were Severus and I unharmed despite being hunted, without even a fight, while Lily had no chance to call for help... If I had insisted more on the Secret Keeper issue, no... If from the beginning I hadn't cowardly avoided confrontation but stood with Lily, would everything be different?

A large hand covered mine, and I came back to my senses to see Severus looking at me with concern. Forcing a smile at him, I looked up at Petunia, who had unknowingly stood up in her agitation, now sitting weakly on the sofa after her outburst.

I looked at her sorrowful eyes, seeing her gradually regaining clarity, realizing what she had just done, her face turned pale. Petunia's eyes widened, her lips trembled, and she collapsed back onto the sofa.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She buried her face in her hands, her broken apologies continuous, "I didn't mean it, I didn't want to hurt you... I just—I'm just..."

Petunia's vulnerable and helpless appearance made me step forward and hug her, "I know, we all understand, you're just heartbroken..."

"She was... my only... sister... my last family..." Petunia cried uncontrollably in my arms, and I sighed softly, gently patting her back to comfort her.

When Petunia gradually calmed down, I released her. She smiled awkwardly, her eyes red and swollen like walnuts.

"Yesterday, Mr. Dumbledore mentioned Harry's custody. Harry is my nephew, and I will certainly take care of him. He's Lily's child; I'll love him like my own." Petunia, who had just returned from the bathroom, still looked somewhat worn out but had perked up a bit.

"I believe you will, but you're still in college, graduating next year and possibly continuing your studies. Raising a baby is no easy task." Especially without magic.

"I've already planned to sign a contract with a magazine. My parents' house is still there; this is just a rented place I share with Leah. I can move back with Harry. I have some savings left; I can afford to raise Harry." Petunia thought I was worried about the expenses.

"It's not just about money. We have three children, and I know how difficult it is to care for a child. Trust my experience on this. Besides, a child needs a complete family to grow up in. Do you have plans to get married in the next few years? Can your boyfriend accept a sudden baby? Especially a special baby, a little wizard."

"...I hadn't thought about that," Petunia frowned. "I don't have anyone I'm seeing right now, but these will indeed be issues in the future."

"Sirius Black also wants to raise Harry," the usually silent Severus suddenly spoke, "but Mr. Black himself is quite unreliable. As a reckless single man, he probably can't even take care of himself. Although he's Harry's godfather, leaving Harry with him would be a disaster."

I couldn't help but laugh, "Indeed, not very reassuring."

"I think it's suitable and reliable for you two to care for Harry," Petunia hesitated. "But Mr. Dumbledore mentioned some protective magic tied to Lily's blood, saying my blood can protect Harry. If that's the case, even if raising a child alone is difficult, I must do it. I'm Lily's only blood relative left, and if my blood can protect Harry, I must protect him."

"In theory, that's correct. But maybe we can find a way to have the best of both worlds," I pondered. "How about we co-parent Harry? When you are busy with work and can't take care of him, let Harry stay with us, along with my children."

Initially, I thought of having Petunia move in with us. Our house, designed for two families, was large enough. But on second thought, the neighborhood's environment and security were not great. Petunia, unlike us, couldn't travel by fireplace or Apparate, making it unsafe and inconvenient.

Moreover, Petunia might not want to live with us. Even if we were close, living under someone else's roof isn't ideal for an adult who values independence. We were also used to our way of living and might not be comfortable with another adult in the house. A child's presence was different; we already had three and wouldn't mind another.

Considering all this, co-parenting Harry seemed the best solution. Petunia's place and our home would both be Harry's home, ensuring he felt the warmth of family and had peers to grow up with.

"...Alright, that sounds good," Petunia seemed to agree, "but what about the protective magic tied to my blood?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Dumbledore will explain it all tomorrow. I just hope you can trust us. We genuinely want to take good care of Harry and give him a complete family in place of Lily."

Petunia's expression softened, and she smiled slightly, "I do trust you. We are good friends, aren't we?"

"Let's discuss the details tomorrow. We might need to appease a certain godfather," I said, seeing Petunia's agreement and lightened mood, making me feel much better.

"Why!? How can James's son be raised by Snape?!"

As expected, the next day, Sirius lost his temper when he learned that Dumbledore also agreed to let us raise Harry. Dumbledore, sitting at one end of the table, held a cup of overly sweet honey tea, seemingly not intending to intervene. Remus and Dam were also there, sitting with Sirius and watching his outburst with sighs. Petunia, sitting beside me, rolled her eyes, probably thinking—while she, the aunt, hadn't spoken, Sirius was already making a fuss.

"Why not?" Severus sneered, "If you're worried that my past disagreements with James Potter will make me mistreat Harry, you can rest assured. Harry is Lily's child; I'll take good 'care' of him for her sake."

The word "care" was emphasized, reminding me of Severus's threat to Sirius before capturing Peter—raising Harry to be a proper Slytherin. I glanced at Severus, whose expression was serious, suggesting that his words were more than just a threat.

Sirius also seemed to recall this, nearly losing his composure, appearing ready to jump up and hit Severus.

Severus, however, continued calmly, "Moreover, James and I had no deep-seated hatred, just youthful conflicts. The deceased are gone; there's no point in dwelling on it."

Severus's words indicated that he wouldn't mistreat Harry because of his past with James.

"And you're currently living in Diagon Alley, right? Renting a place, if I recall correctly? Are you sure it's suitable for Harry to live in such a busy area?" I tried to sound sincere.

"I'll find a better place..." Sirius was struggling.

"Do you know how to take care of a fifteen-month-old baby? Preparing suitable food, keeping him clean, comforting him when he cries at night, treating him when he's sick... Do you know how to do all this?"

Sirius was rendered speechless by my barrage of questions, so I added, "If you were married and had a meticulous wife, maybe Harry would be well cared for. But as a single, reckless man, how could you possibly take care of a baby? You probably aren't even familiar with household magic."

Sirius now looked like a withered eggplant, slumped in the armchair.

Remus tried to console him, "Sawyer and Severus are as capable as you, if not more so, in protecting Harry. Besides, their household includes a healer and a potions master, so you needn't worry about Harry's health."

"But Sawyer is a healer at St. Mungo's, working every day. How will she have time to care for the children?" Sirius looked at me hopefully.

I smiled helplessly, "That's true, but with the children being so young, and Severus at Hogwarts, I couldn't possibly leave them behind. I've decided to resign, maybe working part-time as a family healer or helping with finances at a potion shop, staying home primarily to care for the children."

Seeing Sirius's resentful look, I couldn't help but smile sympathetically.

"Haha, that's a good arrangement. Sirius, don't be so disheartened. Even if you can't raise Harry, you can visit him often. As Harry's godfather, you have every reason to be close to him, so you don't have to worry about your bond with Harry weakening." Dumbledore tried to mediate with a cheerful tone. "Also, Severus's house has three children around Harry's age, so he won't be lonely growing up."

Dam spoke up, "We actually wanted to adopt Harry too, given that Remus and I can't have children. We've been friends with the Potters for many years, so adopting Harry would have been ideal. But now, hearing all this, it seems Severus's place is indeed better for Harry."

"Since the Daily Prophet reported yesterday, many wizarding families have expressed a desire to adopt Harry, but most are attracted by his fame as the savior of the wizarding world. Even those who genuinely care for Harry can't escape the influence of his title." Dumbledore sighed. "If Harry grows up with such a reputation, he might become spoiled and arrogant."

"Just like his hero father in his youth," Severus remarked neutrally.

"James was indeed spoiled by his family, which led to his arrogance," Dumbledore agreed, preventing Sirius from erupting. "Harry will face more challenges than ordinary children as he grows up. Arrogance and pride could bring him unforeseen dangers. So, I'd rather have him grow up with Miss Evans in the Muggle world, away from the influence of fame."

Sirius fell silent, and we all listened quietly.

"Furthermore, Lily's protective magic requires a blood bond, making Miss Evans the most suitable guardian. However, given her situation, she can't raise a baby alone," Dumbledore winked at Petunia. "Considering everything, the best solution is for Severus and you to jointly care for Harry. As long as you live under the same roof often enough, and Harry considers your place home, the protective magic will remain effective until his seventeenth birthday."

Petunia, who had been listening intently, now spoke seriously to Dumbledore, "Thank you for considering Harry's well-being. Even if I were alone, I would take good care of Harry; he's my family. But this arrangement is better for Harry, so I have no objections."

Everyone agreed, and Sirius grumbled a bit, "For Harry..."

So, it was decided that night to bring Harry home.

The children, being about the same age, quickly started playing together. Harry, who hadn't seen his parents for days, had cried a lot and was listless. With new playmates, he finally started to smile after a while.

Watching the children play joyfully, I felt a warmth in my heart. Such a peaceful and happy life is precious. But Harry's identity as the savior of the wizarding world means his life won't be ordinary. The revenge of the Death Eaters and the possible return of the Dark Lord, the pressures and benefits of fame... So many challenges await him. Perhaps Dumbledore's idea of growing up in the Muggle world, safe under the protection of blood ties, away from the wizarding world, would allow Harry to have a carefree childhood.

But I couldn't let go. Leaving Harry with Petunia and walking away was impossible for me. I only knew that until the last moment of her life, Lily was protecting Harry, her beloved child.

In my heart, I decided that Severus and I would protect Harry for Lily, at least until he could handle these challenges himself.

My gaze returned to Severus, who was sitting on the sofa, reading a potion journal, occasionally glancing at the children. This silent care was so typical of Severus. No sweet words, no courtship, but quietly settling into my heart.

Now, the Dark Lord is gone. With the Ministry's efforts, his followers can't cause much trouble. After our marriage, we finally have some peace. Maybe it's just temporary, and in a few years, there might be another storm. But as long as Severus is by my side, with the children around, I have strength.

"Severus, we have one more child."

Severus turned a page and responded softly, "Yes."

"Now I'm practically a housewife, so you'll have to earn the money for the children's milk."

He turned another page, "Alright."

"Are you going back to school tomorrow?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'll miss you."

Finally looking at me, his obsidian eyes smiled, "Are you being coquettish?"

Blushing with embarrassment, I stubbornly glared at him, "Is that not allowed?!"

Severus's eyes filled with more amusement. He didn't answer, just leaned over to kiss me.

"Mm... Hm—"

Just as things were getting intense—

"Waa..." Harry's cry interrupted. I hurriedly pushed Severus away and went to comfort the child, hearing Severus grumble behind me.

"Brat, crying at the perfect time. Just as annoying as his father, Potter's brat."

The End