The heavy money pouches contained a total of three hundred Galleons.
After a lengthy negotiation, Severus had ultimately agreed to license the formula for the Scar Removal Ointment to the Rainbow Beauty Salon.
Rather than selling the formula outright, he negotiated a twenty-year profit-sharing agreement.
It was the option that benefited both sides the most.
Even without considering the discounted ingredients Severus had obtained from Flynn’s Herb Shop, producing a single tin of Scar Removal Ointment required well over six Galleons’ worth of materials, not including the brewer’s time and expertise.
Rainbow Beauty planned to sell the finished product for thirteen Galleons per tin.
Aside from more elegant packaging and the prestige of the Rainbow Beauty brand, the ointment itself would be identical to the one Severus had brewed.
Yet that distinction alone was enough.
Rainbow Beauty already enjoyed an excellent reputation among wealthy witches throughout Britain.
Customers were willing to pay a premium for products carrying its name.
Before long, the Scar Removal Ointment would likely become one of the salon’s signature luxury cosmetics, affordable only to well-off wizarding families.
Under the agreement, Severus would receive two Galleons and five Sickles for every tin sold.
Profits would be settled once every six months.
Although production had not even begun, Lavinia clearly had considerable wealth.
After learning about the Snape family’s financial situation, she had advanced Severus three hundred Galleons against his future share of the profits.
The advance would simply be deducted from his royalties over the coming years.
Just a few hours earlier, Severus had been carefully counting every last Sickle he earned.
Now…
He was carrying more gold than he had ever imagined possessing.
The sudden change almost felt unreal.
Sometimes, possessing valuable knowledge truly was the fastest path to wealth.
Especially when someone else already possessed the resources and reputation to turn that knowledge into a successful business.
Before they parted ways, Lavinia exchanged addresses with Severus.
She clearly intended to maintain contact in the future.
Naturally, Severus had no objections.
Without Rainbow Beauty, it would have taken him years of brewing, selling, and advertising to earn the same amount of money.
While producing and selling the ointment himself might eventually have generated greater long-term profits, it would also consume enormous amounts of time.
Time that Severus simply could not afford to waste.
In only a few short years, Lord Voldemort would begin his rise to power.
When the First Wizarding War erupted, no amount of money would matter if he lacked the strength to protect himself and those around him.
Compared to wealth…
Magic was infinitely more important.
For that reason, Severus was extremely satisfied with today’s deal.
At the very least, his family would no longer have to worry about food, clothing, or basic necessities.
More importantly…
They could finally leave Spinner’s End behind.
As expected, when Severus returned to Eileen’s sweet shop carrying several heavy bags filled with gold, his mother froze in disbelief.
She stared blankly at the glittering Galleons.
For a long moment, she wondered whether she was dreaming.
“Mum.” “You remember the ointment I told you about?” “The Scar Removal Ointment.” “I’ve reached an agreement with Rainbow Beauty.” “They’re going to sell it throughout Diagon Alley.” Severus patiently explained everything that had happened.
As she listened, Eileen’s eyes slowly filled with tears.
Before he could finish speaking, she pulled him tightly into her arms.
“I’m sorry…” Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
“I’m so sorry, Severus.” “Your father and I…” “We’ve forced you to shoulder responsibilities that no child should ever have to bear.” “You shouldn’t have had to worry about supporting this family.” Severus instinctively stiffened.
Being embraced so suddenly still felt unfamiliar.
But as he heard the guilt and sorrow in his mother’s voice, the tension gradually left his body.
He gently patted her back.
For the first time since arriving in this world…
He truly accepted this family as his own.
“This isn’t your fault, Mum.” “And I’ve never regretted doing any of it.” Money could crush even the strongest people.
The Snape family had struggled with poverty for years.
The financial pressure had gradually worn away Tobias’s patience and Eileen’s hope.
Without change, Eileen might eventually have been forced to sell her beloved sweet shop simply to survive.
Even though Severus had been quietly helping Tobias manage his emotions over the past several months, poverty itself remained the greatest source of conflict.
Eventually, all of that suppressed frustration would have exploded once again.
Their fragile peace would have shattered.
Eileen would abandon the magical world she loved.
Tobias would continue drowning himself in alcohol.
Their future would become no different from the one Severus remembered.
Living in darkness was not the most frightening thing.
The true tragedy was glimpsing the brilliance of magic…
Only to spend the rest of one’s life forced to abandon it simply to make ends meet.
Fortunately…
From the moment Eric Horn awakened as Severus Snape, he had already decided on one thing.
He would never allow fate to dictate his life.
If he had been given a second chance in another world…
Then why would he willingly follow the original tragedy?
Fortunately, everything had gone according to his plans.
Three months of careful preparation.
Three months of relentless study.
Three months of making the most of every opportunity.
Combined with his extraordinary talent, those efforts had finally changed the future.
After Eileen had finally calmed down, mother and son immediately made another trip to Diagon Alley.
Their destination this time was Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Using part of their newfound fortune, they exchanged two hundred Galleons for Muggle pounds.
Although wizards generally had little use for Muggle currency, Gringotts maintained official exchange services for those who needed them.
The amount they received was more than enough.
Within days, the Snape family purchased a comfortable home in Cokeworth, far from the cramped streets of Spinner’s End.
The foul-smelling canal outside their old house.
The overflowing rubbish.
The damp walls.
Everything was finally left behind.
Even though Severus had never allowed those conditions to distract him while studying or brewing potions…
That did not mean he enjoyed living there.
When Tobias returned home from work that evening, he pushed open the front door as usual.
The first thing he saw was stacks of neatly arranged pound notes covering the living room table.
His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
“…What happened?” Three days later, the Snape family officially moved into their new home.
Their new house stood on White Kite Lane, one of the better streets in Cokeworth.
The air was clean.
Well-kept lawns stretched along both sides of the road.
Flowerbeds replaced piles of rubbish.
Aside from the distant factory chimneys rising above the town, the neighborhood felt peaceful and pleasant.
Compared to their old house at Spinner’s End, it was like stepping into an entirely different world.
The interior was spacious and bright.
Sunlight poured through the windows.
The rooms no longer felt cramped or suffocating.
Tobias also resigned from his exhausting factory job.
Instead, he finally had the opportunity to spend his days fishing, returning home each evening with a genuine smile that Severus had rarely seen before.
After renovating the shop, Eileen introduced many new magical sweets alongside her original creations.
Business steadily improved.
More and more children began visiting the little sweet shop in Diagon Alley.
For the first time in years…
Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.
That evening, after every last task had been completed, Severus opened the small black notebook where he recorded each stage of his plans.
With a satisfied smile, he crossed out another completed goal before adding a new line beneath it.
[Head to Diagon Alley and purchase a wand.]