Facing Aunt Petunia's concerned gaze, Harley paused for a moment before speaking: "I think... this place could actually be converted into a very nice nursery."
Petunia was amused by Harley and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hahaha, you silly little thing with the high nose, how could anyone let a child live in a dirty cupboard—that's practically abuse, the police would arrest them!"
Harley didn't offer any response to Aunt Petunia's mockery.
She simply let Petunia lead her into the dining room to enjoy a delicious lunch with everyone.
It was late when Severus came to pick them up, and before they left, the Dursleys stood at the door, waving at them continuously.
Harley's feelings were complicated; the kind Dursleys left her brain in a muddle. The sense of disconnect and incongruity between the HP world she knew from her past life and the one she was experiencing now was too severe.
Harley shook her head hard, tossing aside useless thoughts and the panic deep in her heart—she was Harley Snape, the daughter of Severus Snape and Lily Snape.
From birth, she was in a different situation than the savior Harry in the original work; they would have completely different lives, and there was no need for her to borrow trouble.
the snape family didn't choose to live in a wizarding settlement in London, nor did they return to Spinner's End in their hometown; instead, they settled in a villa in a middle-class neighborhood in West London.
"Harley, it's late. Go to bed after your bath. Tomorrow, Mama will take you to visit our new neighbors. I heard The Granger Family to our right has a little girl about your age. You two can go to the Notting Hill affiliated preschool together in September, and you'll have a companion."
the snape family's house was right at the edge of the community. The house in front had been empty for a long time, so there was only one neighbor to the right, making neighborhood relations easier to handle.
Harley didn't catch the key information in that sentence, instead frowning in protest: "I don't want to go to a Muggle school. I've already learned to write and do arithmetic; there's no need to waste time in a place like that."
Was this a joke? She had just finished twelve years of hell in her previous life, and before she could even have some fun, she was reincarnated into this world.
She had just left the backwaters of Australia for the bustling metropolis of London, and you want her to keep going to school?
Not even a dog would go!
Severus, standing nearby, quite agreed with his daughter's sentiment.
Harley was so cute; what if she got bullied by the little boys in class!
At the thought of potential future scenarios, Severus felt an irrepressible urge to go to the basement and brew some lethal Potions.
He said in a low voice, "I also think Harley doesn't need to go to some Muggle preschool. She's a Witch."
Lily turned and glared at Severus, saying, "Professor Dumbledore specifically requested this—he also repeatedly emphasized that it would be best for Harley to make more Muggle friends before she's eleven, and you nodded and agreed."
Severus retorted urgently, "I'm just afraid Harley might be bullied by some rude Muggle boy where we can't see—"
"Notting Hill is a girls' school, and the preschool only accepts girls."
"...Oh, then that's fine."
Severus was relieved.
A girls' school was good. With only girls around, there was nothing to fear.
He could rest easy sending his own cabbage—ahem, sending his daughter to school.
With Severus's compromise, the matter of Harley going to school with the neighbor's girl was settled.
Harley spent the whole night sighing under her covers, so much so that she was listless the next morning, following her mother to the neighbor's door with drooping eyelids.
Lily straightened her collar and then rang the doorbell of the Granger home.
Along with the crisp, pleasant sound of the doorbell, a graceful and charming young woman wearing an apron walked out of the house.
"Is there something I can help you with?" the woman asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Hello! I'm Lily Snape, your new neighbor. This is my daughter, Harley Snape. We hope for your kind understanding if we ever cause any trouble!"
Lily introduced them with a smile, handing over a wicker basket as she spoke.
"These are some cookies I baked this morning. It's just a small token from our family; please do accept them!"
Mrs. Granger declined politely a few times before accepting the basket according to social etiquette, her face lighting up with a smile as bright as spring flowers as she responded happily:
"Since we're new neighbors, don't be so formal—my husband went out fishing with his friends early this morning, so it's just me and my daughter at home right now. If it's convenient, Mrs. Snape, why don't you come in for a chat?"
With that, Mrs. Granger gave Harley a loving look and added softly, "Our Hermione is about the same age as your child. If Miss Harley doesn't mind my little bookworm being too introverted, the two of them could be friends."
The girl next door at the Grangers' who is about my age is named Hermione—wait?
Harley became alert. It couldn't be such a coincidence!
In a city like London with over six million people, she actually ran into Hermione Granger just like that?
But some things are just that "coincidental." Harley Snape's only neighbor happened to be the same Hermione Granger who, seven years later, would take Hogwarts by storm and save Harry and Ron from life-and-death crises multiple times.
The exceptionally bushy golden-brown hair, combined with that angelically beautiful face, instantly captivated Harley, who had spent four years looking at kangaroos in the Australian countryside.
This is just too cute!
It took Harley only 0.1 seconds to make up her mind: she was going to be best friends with cute little Hermione for life!
When Mrs. Granger led Harley into the house, Hermione was focused on flipping through a beautifully illustrated book on human anatomy.
At this time, little Hermione had not yet shown the decisive and resolute character of her later years. Seeing her mother bring in strange guests, Hermione hurriedly hid herself like a startled little rabbit, quietly ducking behind the sofa in the corner of the living room.
Watching this, Mrs. Granger couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh.
Since she was little, Hermione hadn't liked going out to socialize, preferring to stay home and look at illustrations in books.
Mrs. Granger was worried that her precious daughter would be bullied by bad students once she started school... she only hoped that little Harley could look after the delicate and fragile Hermione once they enrolled.
(Please treasure this "delicate and fragile" Hermione; she'll be evolving very soon.)