The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 540 Crucial Intelligence

The wilderness was not a place to talk, so Ada invited Snape to her tent and served the Potions Professor a glass of boiled water. It wasn't that Ada was stingy, but that was the only thing in the tent.

The two of them sat down as host and guest. Although Ada was a little curious about what Dumbledore wanted to convey to her, she did not rush to speak.

Fighting Voldemort is the top priority. No one can live well as long as Voldemort is alive. Although Dumbledore's priority is not as high as Voldemort's, the headmaster poses the greatest threat to Ada.

Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can Ada be better prepared when facing Albus Dumbledore.

After drinking a glass of cold boiled water, Snape slowly began to tell about the past of the Gaunt family in Little Hangleton. As Ada knew, the last members of the Gaunt family were father Marvolo Gaunt, son Morfin Gaunt, and daughter Merope Gaunt.

They lived in simple houses in the 20s and lacked the style of the descendants of Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts.

Merope was deeply fascinated by Tom Riddle, a handsome, rich man from Little Hangleton Village, but she did not dare to approach him due to the rules of a pure-blood wizard family. It was not until Marvolo and Morfin were imprisoned for attacking Muggles and Ministry of Magic officials that Merope was able to embrace her lover and elope with Tom Riddle hand in hand.

"The Muggle attacked by Morfin Gaunt was Tom Riddle, and Merope fell deeply in love with him. In the end, the two eloped..." Ada imagined a big drama, "Wizard and Muggle version of Romeo and Juliet?"

Snape said in his characteristic tone: "I don't know who the Romeo and Juliet you are talking about are, but if you think that there is love between Merope and old Riddle, you are totally wrong."

At that time, Merope had dull hair, a pale face, an ordinary appearance, and her eyes stared in opposite directions. She was timid and her magic level was even worse.

In Snape's words, worse than Mr. Neville Longbottom.

Merope, who looks very ordinary and comes from a poor family, naturally would not be favored by the tall, rich and handsome Tom Riddle. But Merope is a witch, and she captured her lover with a love potion.

After eloping, Merope became pregnant, and the baby in her belly was Voldemort.

It was not known whether the love potion had lost its effect or Merope could not bear to give her lover the potion again, but old Tom Riddle left the pregnant Merope and returned to Little Hangleton alone.

The impoverished Merope came to London and gave birth to Voldemort in an orphanage. Before her death, she named her son Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Merope's life was unfortunate. Her father and brother gave her a miserable childhood and shaped her cowardly character. She was abandoned by her lover, leaving her hungry and freezing on the streets of London while pregnant. She gave birth to her son in an orphanage, but she didn't have the chance to hold the baby properly.

It was Merope's unfortunate experience that caused Voldemort's misfortune and brought pain to the whole of England.

Ida was silent for a moment. Then she said, "So Professor Dumbledore wants me to know this about Tom Riddle's past?"

"This should have been your content last semester, but you left early." Snape said, "What you need to know, or what Dumbledore wants you to know, is that two things appeared in this past, both of which were passed down by the Gaunt family and should be related to Slytherin."

"One is a ring, and it has been taken away by Dumbledore." Ada said, "What is the other one?"

"The locket," said Snape. "While in London, Merope, desperate, sold the priceless locket to Borgin and Burke for ten Galleons."

A profiteer! A complete profiteer! Even if the locket was not passed down from Slytherin, this treasure has been kept by the Gaunt family for so many years. How could it be sold for only ten Galleons!

Seeing the indignation on Ada's face, Snape showed a hint of sneer, but this smile concealed many meanings. It is difficult to change a person's nature, and no matter how powerful some people's magic is, it cannot change their money-loving nature.

"That locket could also be one of the Horcruxes?" Ada asked. "Any directions?"

Ada already clearly understood Dumbledore's intention. He wanted to tell her what Voldemort's Horcrux might be.

The ring and locket are both rare treasures in the world, and they were passed down from Salazar Slytherin. So is Voldemort also interested in the legacy of the other three founders?
Snape raised an eyebrow, looking at someone in a familiar way, looking at them as if they were idiots.

Even Borgin and Burke might not know, so how could Severus Snape know where the locket went! A light cough sounded in the tent. This was Ada covering up her embarrassment. Her brain had a short circuit just now, as if her brain was shutting down. Although it was still unclear where the locket went, it also provided Ada with a direction to look for the Horcrux next, so she didn't have to be like a headless fly.

"There is one more thing that has nothing to do with Dumbledore, but I want to tell you myself," said Snape.

"Are you going to wash your hair?" Ada asked excitedly, "Or have you found a shampoo that has nothing to do with the Potters? In fact, you can use a Muggle brand, which definitely has nothing to do with the Potters..."

Before Ada could finish her words, Snape stood up and left with a long face.

Ada was very happy to play a trick, so she had to drag the Potions Professor back, press him to his seat, and say nice things to comfort him. During Ada's comforting process, Snape's black face gradually turned into the normal waxy yellow.

"Narcissa Malfoy came to see me a few days ago. You don't need to know why. Bellatrix Lestrange was also there." Snape said.

Bellatrix Lestrange, Ada had only met this person once, but she left a deep impression on Ada.

The first point is that he is cruel enough, even crueler to his own family; the second point is that he is crazy and madly worships Voldemort, and his own personality is also extreme.

"I had a few arguments with that crazy woman, but she accidentally let out a very important piece of information." Snape continued, "She said: 'In the past, the Dark Lord entrusted me with his most precious things'."

What is Voldemort's most valuable thing? Of course it's his life, it can't be a pile of gold!
Voldemort was so afraid of death that he was willing to slice his soul into pieces. The "most precious thing" that Bellatrix mentioned was most likely a Horcrux!
The diary that Ada first encountered with Horcruxes was kept by Lucius Malfoy. There was a precedent. If Malfoy hadn't taken out the diary, Dumbledore might not have suspected the Horcruxes.

Wow, it turns out that Ada has always wronged Lucius Malfoy. Isn’t this Captain Jia in the British wizarding world!
As for Bellatrix, she, like Lucius Malfoy, probably had no idea what Voldemort had asked her to keep. Given Voldemort's suspicious character, it was almost impossible to explain this.

Thinking of this, Ada thought of another person - Benedict Foley. Foley was looking for something during his time at Hogwarts, something that could revive Voldemort.

I regret killing Benedict Foley!

Even though the unfortunate Welfare didn't know what that object was, there must be some clues at least!

"Professor, do you remember Benedict Foley?" Ada said, deciding to mention him in return, even though Dumbledore might have been searching the school.

Snape thought about it, nodded and said, "I will remind Dumbledore."

"Also, I want to know where Barty Crouch Jr. is staying." Ada said. She has always been a vengeful person, and she has not forgotten the revenge of Barty Crouch Jr.

"Little Barty is very important to him, second only to Bellatrix." Snape said, "If Little Barty is left alone, you will know."

Snape stood up again, and this time Ada did not stop him. Instead, she stood up and saw him off.

After the two walked out of the tent, Snape suddenly asked, "Have you visited the annoying twins of the Weasley family recently?"

"Yes, their business is very good. Professor, you have to be careful next semester." Although Ada didn't know why Snape asked this, she still answered honestly and reminded Snape to be careful.

You know, Snape is not very popular among the students at Hogwarts. The twins' pranks are likely to appear in the Potions class next semester.

"Come back to school more often when you have time."

Finally, Snape said something that puzzled Ada.

(End of this chapter)