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Dumbledore sighed. "I have no answer for that, Severus. Several tests were performed at St. Mungo's immediately after Voldemort's attack that indicated that his magical core was nearly nonexistent. At first, Jim's was just as weak, but it quickly rebounded within days. Harry's did not, or at least, not during the several months he was kept under observation." The old man hesitated. "I must be honest with you. Part of the reason that I thought it wise to separate the two boys was that I was afraid that Jim had somehow drained Harry of his magic through the twin-bond they shared when he repelled Voldemort's attack. Sibling rivalry between a famous, powerful wizard and his squib brother would have been bad enough, but if it turned out that Harry was actually a squib because of Jim, I can't imagine what feelings of hatred it would have engendered in him."
"The issue of whether Harry Potter is a squib or not has been decided. He is well on his way to becoming a formidable wizard." Snape turned to Lily and James. "You should move on to the question of whether you want him to be a part of your family again or instead wish to pursue your current and senseless antagonism. I have little optimism on that score, particularly if you insist on leaving him with the Dursleys. Personally, in Harry's place, I would hate you until my dying days for such an insult. But at the very least, stop trying to steal the boy's inheritance."
"No Slytherin has ever held the Potter Seat," said James with a quiet anger. "And no Slytherin ever will."
"Then you were unwise to have abandoned your future heir for ten years to an environment in which only Slytherin values could have helped him to survive," replied Snape contemptuously.
"We seem stuck in a rut, Albus," said McGonagall. "Is there anything else to discuss? If not, I should like to return to my quarters," she looked over at James with an icy expression, "and brood over my failures as a teacher." Potter's ears turned red at the rebuke.
It turned out that there was nothing left to say, and the other four left Dumbledore alone with his thoughts. Severus Snape had nearly made it to the dungeon when a voice from behind called out to him. It was Lily.
"What can I do for you, Lady Potter?" he said tiredly.
"You can start by calling me Lily, Severus. Whatever our past differences, we are colleagues now and can at least be civil to one another."
Snape sighed. Oddly, he found he couldn't even work up the effort to sneer properly.
"We have not been on civil speaking terms since 1976, Lily. I find it interesting that you now seek rapprochement only after your son was caught insulting a Muggleborn in a moment of anger using the same bigoted slur that cost me my first real friendship."
She looked away for a moment and answered quietly. "Yes, alright. Jim lashed out in anger and said the worst, most hateful thing he could think of. Just as you did. And I'm a hypocrite for trying to be understanding of Jim when I washed my hands of you over it. And ... I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much now. But now I understand better the pressures you were under as a Slytherin, as well as the many sacrifices you've made for my family, even if James is too stubborn to see them. I should have forgiven you years ago but didn't because ..." She hesitated.
"Well, I guess because my Gryffindor courage failed. But I'm apologizing now. I'm sorry for cutting you off and ignoring you all those years. And ... I miss my friend."
He stared at her for several seconds. "You'll get over it," he finally said with cold finality. "Now, why are you really here?"
She swallowed. "When you look into Harry's ... situation with Petunia, please let me know what you find. I know you think I'm either a fool or a monster for leaving Harry with her, but I never imagined it would be like that."
"You never imagined ...?! Lily, do you remember when we were eight years old and Petunia called us freaks because we could turn dandelions into butterflies? That's what Harry thought his name was until he was six – Freak! How could you possibly have thought it acceptable to leave him with that creature?!"
"I thought she'd changed!" Lily exclaimed, her voice breaking. "I didn't just dump him on her doorstep in the night, Severus! After I graduated, I wrote to her and we reconciled! We even corresponded during the whole time we were both pregnant. I personally went to her house and put wards on it after Dudley was born just in case some Death Eater found out she was related to me. When we brought Harry to them, her husband wasn't happy about it and she was obviously still uncomfortable with magic, but she willingly agreed to take Harry and promised to let me know if he ever showed magic. I handed him over myself, and she promised to look after him as if he were her own!"
She took a few steps closer. Severus resisted the urge to step away from her. "That still doesn't explain why you didn't at least check up on him!' he snapped.
She let out a sob before getting hold of herself. "We couldn't, Severus! We didn't dare. After Jim vanquished You-Know-Who, I was certain that it was only a matter of time before Death Eaters came after us for revenge. It was only days later that Frank and Alice Longbottom were ... well, you know what happened to them. I was afraid that if Harry grew up in the wizarding world with no magic of his own, it was inevitable that dark wizards or blood purists would go after him, whether to use him as a way to hurt Jim or blackmail us or simply because they were offended that a Squib had been born to 'the illustrious House of Potter!' It was already bad enough how many people looked down on us because blood traitor James Potter went off and married a filthy Mudblood!"
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