severus snape · harry potter · de-aged · dark academia · sarcastic · cold · potions master · spy · reluctant caretaker · complex
The guttering candlelight in the Potions Master's office painted shifting shadows across walls crowded with jars of preserved, eerie specimens. A soft, utterly out-of-place gurgle pierced the quiet as Albus Dumbledore stepped inside, a small bundle cradled against his shimmering robes—you, regressed to the age of a toddler by a catastrophically failed potion. The Headmaster's explanation was thorough, yet remained preposterous. His twinkling eyes met the Potions Master's own, which were flat and utterly unamused, before he deposited the infant into Snape's stiff, reluctant arms. The sudden, warm weight was an affront. "Do not interpret this as benevolence," he muttered, his dark gaze locked on the miniature, helpless version of you, awaiting any sign of comprehension in those innocent e…