Arthur rubbed Hermione's head and said, "Alright. This kind of thing can be thought through slowly. For now, it's time to perform Snape's conversion ritual."
Hermione nodded and followed Arthur out of the Gryffindor common room.
Ranni remained silent the entire time. She had no interest in these matters at all.
To her, whether it was Barty Crouch Jr. or anyone else made no difference.
The three of them, along with one bird, arrived at the open-air balcony on the west side of Hogwarts.
Arthur took out the materials and began drawing the magic circle for the conversion ritual.
This magic circle, incidentally, was something Arthur had specifically sought out from Sorceress Sellen to learn.
After all, before he obtained the Source Crystal Blade, there had been no need for such a ritual.
Not long after the circle was completed, Snape arrived with Lia.
Arthur greeted her. "Good evening. Didn't you bring Lillian along?"
"Good evening," Lia replied. "I've temporarily left Lillian at your place."
Arthur nodded. What was about to happen would be rather bloody—bringing the child along would have been a poor idea. Leaving her behind was the right call.
Arthur turned to Snape. "Are you ready? If you are, we can begin."
Hearing that they were about to start, Lia instinctively tightened her grip on Snape's hand.
Snape gently patted her hand, signaling her to relax.
"I'm ready," he said. "What do I need to do?"
Arthur pointed at the magic circle. "Simple. Step into it."
Snape followed the instructions and walked to the center of the circle.
Arthur took out the Source Crystal Blade, gave it a casual twirl in his hand, and asked, "Do you want to do it yourself, or should I help you?"
Snape's already tense nerves were rendered utterly speechless by that line.
He would like to do it himself—but the problem was that he couldn't bring himself to.
No normal person could calmly stab a blade straight into their own heart.
Just as Snape was about to say something, Arthur moved.
Before Snape could even react, Arthur drove the Source Crystal Blade straight into his heart.
Arthur added casually, "Just kidding. I knew you wouldn't be able to do it. I was just trying to distract you."
Clenching his teeth against the pain, Snape forced out, "Then I really must… thank you."
"You're welcome," Arthur replied cheerfully.
By then, Snape could no longer hear what Arthur was saying.
With his heart pierced, his consciousness rapidly faded, his body tipping backward as life slipped away.
Seeing this, Arthur immediately activated the magic circle.
The circle flared to life. Beams of starlight in various hues descended from the night sky and converged upon it.
The ritual was drawing upon the power of the stars to help condense Snape's soul into a Source Crystal.
Above Snape's chest, a brilliantly colored stone began to form.
Although the commotion wasn't particularly large, it still caught the attention of certain individuals.
For example—Dumbledore, who couldn't sleep and was gazing at the stars from the Headmaster's office.
And "Moody," who was lurking in the Forbidden Forest, anxiously checking whether he had left behind any traces.
When Dumbledore saw starlight falling to the ground, curiosity got the better of him and he headed toward the source.
"Moody," having just killed someone, was jumpy and suspicious. He suspected it might be a trap meant for him, and chose not to investigate.
When Dumbledore arrived, he saw Snape lying before a strange magic circle, a blade buried in his chest.
The scene looked eerily similar to the dark sacrificial rituals he'd seen described in certain books.
His face changed instantly.
"Arthur! What are you doing? You've killed Severus! He's your teacher!"
Arthur replied calmly, "Don't talk nonsense. He's not dead yet."
Dumbledore was still furious. "The blade pierced his heart, and you say he's not dead? I may be old, but I'm not senile!"
"Relax," Arthur said. "I'll wake him up in a moment."
At that point, the Source Crystal hovering above Snape's chest had finished forming.
It was an uneven, crystalline stone composed of yellow, red, white, and blue hues.
At its core lay a deep, unfathomable black.
Arthur examined Snape's Source Crystal. It was different from Sellen's.
Sellen's crystal had been dominated by deep reds and blues, with a gray-black mist coiled at its center.
Arthur guessed that the overall color of a Source Crystal was related to the color of the starlight drawn during the ritual, while the core reflected the nature of one's soul.
But this was not the time to dwell on that.
The priority was returning Snape's Source Crystal to his body.
Arthur pulled the Source Crystal Blade out of Snape's chest and pointed at him.
"Heal, restore as before."
Dumbledore said incredulously, "You don't actually believe a repair charm can heal a punctured heart, do you?"
Arthur sighed. "Which ear did you hear me say a repair charm with?"
Only then did Dumbledore realize that Arthur had said Heal, restore as before—not Reparo.
This incantation was a healing spell Arthur had created by combining restorative prayers from the Lands Between with healing magic.
In theory, as long as the caster's power was sufficient, even severed limbs could be restored.
Under Arthur's magic, the fatal wound in Snape's chest rapidly healed.
Moments later, not a trace of injury remained.
If not for the large pool of blood on the ground and the hole torn through Snape's robes, Dumbledore might have believed Snape had never been wounded at all.
Arthur took Snape's Source Crystal and pressed it straight back into his chest.
Had it been any other body, some modification might have been necessary.
But this was Snape's own body—perfectly compatible with his Source Crystal. No adjustments were needed.
As the Source Crystal returned to its place, Snape slowly awakened from unconsciousness.
Arthur reached out and pulled him to his feet.
"So," he asked, "how did death feel?"
Snape steadied himself and replied hoarsely, "Absolutely terrible. I never want to experience that again."
Arthur laughed. "At least you got to experience this great adventure earlier than a certain old man."
Dumbledore, still reeling, immediately understood that Arthur was taking a jab at him.
He coughed awkwardly. "Could someone explain all this to an old man?"
No one obliged him.
Arthur couldn't be bothered. Hermione and Ranni naturally followed Arthur's lead.
Snape hadn't fully recovered yet, and Lia remained silent as well.
She wasn't part of the wizarding world. Snape had told her that bringing her into Hogwarts already violated school rules.
She didn't want to cause him any trouble.
Her silence didn't mean Dumbledore failed to notice her.
Earlier, his attention had been entirely on Snape.
Now that he knew Snape was fine, he turned to the unfamiliar woman.
"Madam," Dumbledore asked, "I assume you are not affiliated with this school?"
Lia shook her head.
"Then may I ask," Dumbledore continued, "why you are here?"
Snape stepped forward. "I brought her."
Lia retreated behind him, leaving the conversation to Snape.
Dumbledore frowned. "Severus, school rules prohibit unrelated individuals from entering the grounds."
Snape fell silent, unsure how to refute that.
Arthur interjected, "That rule doesn't include faculty family members, does it?"
Dumbledore looked surprised. "Oh? Are you saying this lady is Severus's family?"
"Yes," Arthur replied.
Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Severus, why didn't you tell me you had such a grown daughter?"
"Pfft—hahahahaha!"
Arthur burst out laughing.
Hermione and Ranni both covered their mouths, unable to hold back their chuckles.
With Snape dressed head-to-toe in black and looking perpetually severe, standing beside the young and beautiful Lia, it really did look like a father and daughter.
It took Arthur a good while to calm down under Snape's murderous glare.
"You should dress a bit younger from now on," Arthur said, finally catching his breath. "With how old-fashioned you look, anyone would think you and Lia are father and daughter, not husband and wife."
Snape nodded expressionlessly.
Once they got back, he would have Lia take him shopping for clothes that made him look younger.
Arthur's words also clarified Lia's identity for Dumbledore.
"My apologies for the misunderstanding," Dumbledore said to Snape and Lia. "That said, could you explain why you were all gathered here so late at night?"
Snape didn't answer immediately. He looked to Arthur first.
"Is it alright to explain?"
The Source Crystal Blade belonged to Arthur, after all. Snape wanted his consent.
Arthur shrugged. "Up to you."
For him, having one more person know about the blade's effects made little difference.
Especially when that person was Dumbledore—someone who wouldn't go around spreading others' secrets.
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