12 Glory

Perched outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Callan, Lily, and Snape settled at a table. The curiosity of the Evans parents and Petunia about the wizarding world had not yet waned, so they had decided to explore further, while Lily chose to stay, concerned about Snape's persistently pale complexion.

Callan, ever the gracious host, ordered three ice creams, prompting Lily to finally voice the question on her mind, "Callan, where is all this money coming from?"

Snape glanced at Callan, his eyes a complex tapestry of emotions, as if reluctant to let Lily in on certain truths.

Callan darted looks between the two and said with nonchalance, "So, you really believed I was poor?"

"What else?" Lily responded.

Callan spread his hands, "I'm an orphan with a considerable purse; do you think it's wise to flaunt wealth in Knockturn Alley? It's hardly a place of peace."

He skillfully skirted the issue of his wealth's origins, shifting focus to safety concerns.

How Lily chose to fill in the blanks was no longer Callan's concern.

"Let's drop that subject." At a critical juncture, facing Lily's skepticism, Callan mischievously recounted Snape's recent embarrassment, utterly disregarding his murderous glare.

To Snape's surprise, Lily didn't scorn him; she laughed heartily, curious if the drink was truly that terrible.

"I... I don't remember," Snape stammered, his face flushed, "It's hard to describe the sensation..."

After the laughter subsided, Lily caressed the orange kitten nestled in her arms, a half-kneazle she'd just purchased named Balian, a little girl.

Taking another spoonful of ice cream, Lily hesitated before asking, "Are you guys really not getting pets? The school allows it, doesn't it?"

Callan shook his head, "The school has owls for use, toads are repulsive, and as for cats..."

He glanced disdainfully at Balian, "I'm not keen on serving a master."

Balian returned the contemptuous look.

Human and cat locked in a silent standoff.

Snape remained silent. He could afford a pet, but he had no desire to waste his precious Galleons on frivolous fancies.

He was far from the luxury that Callan, or even Lily, could afford.

"By the way," Callan, after glaring at Balian one last time, turned back to Lily, "When you head back, take Snape with you. He'd struggle with all his things alone."

"What about you?" Before Lily could speak, Snape interjected, "How will you return?"

Callan shook his head, "I'm not going back. I'll stay at The Leaky Cauldron until school starts. It's not long now, won't cost much."

Lily and Snape exchanged looks, ignoring Callan's affluent remark, and asked, "Why the sudden change? What about when it's time to..."

Callan interrupted once more, "I've got my train ticket for school. Guess I'll see you at the start of term. As for why I'm not going back..."

He repeated the words he'd once told Dumbledore:

"Because it's an orphanage."

Snape and Lily fell silent.

For so long, they'd known but somewhat neglected this fact, accustomed to their usual frolics in the woods or engaging in conversation. The abrupt change was hard to digest for them both, including Snape.

After all, he didn't have many friends.

Lily, more emotional, let her sadness show unabashedly, morosely spooning her ice cream, too disheartened to speak.

"Come on now!"

Callan suddenly exclaimed, startling both Lily and Snape, "I'm just not going back to Knockturn Alley. No need to hold a funeral for me just yet!"

Lily glared at him, coughing too hard to protest. Snape moved to pat her back but hesitated, hand mid-air.

Callan watched amusedly, "Alright, I'm off now. Just pass the word to your folks and Petunia, save me the trouble of repeating myself."

With that, he deftly cast a few levitation and moving charms with his wand, gathering his belongings and departing, leaving Lily and Snape exchanging bewildered glances.

"He really left?" Lily asked in disbelief, craning her neck for another glimpse of Callan, who had vanished.

Snape, too, was taken aback by Callan's decisiveness and looked back, "Seems so, he left quickly."

But soon, Snape realized a fact: it was just him and Lily now.

Could Callan have planned this? Snape pondered, suspicious.

Lily's reaction was far bolder; she pouted, then, as if struck by a thought, asked Snape with a hint of petulance, "Dark magic?"

"What?" Snape hadn't fully recovered.

"Dark magic!" Lily tapped the table rhythmically with her spoon, "Severus, your wand, the dragon heartstring."

"Oh, yes," Snape said numbly, "It has an affinity for dark spells, that's true."

"Severus!" Lily scolded, "Are you even listening? Callan said it himself."

The topic made Snape's brow furrow, and he defensively argued, "Dark magic isn't exactly as Callan describes it. Many aspects are just for amusement, and..."

"Power," Lily cut in, "Power, I know, Callan mentioned that. But did you see the charms he just cast? You told me you start learning with feathers, but do you think you can outdo Callan? With that in mind, does dark magic still seem so formidable?"

While Lily's comparison of him to Callan didn't ignite anger in Snape, he replied somberly, "Callan is different."

He repeated, "He's not the same."

"Severus."

Lily's voice softened suddenly, as if something inside her could no longer be contained.

"Do you remember what Mr. Ollivander said?"

"Do you really want... to die a glorious death?"

Snape looked at Lily, as if truly seeing her for the first time.

But he swallowed the words that reached the tip of his tongue.

If it's for you.

I would.