The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 634 Spider End Alley
The emergency meeting of the Order of the Phoenix has ended, and Number 12 Grimmauld Place is no longer the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, but this old house has not yet withdrawn from the stage of history, and it will be given a new meaning.

A few days later, late at night, Ida appeared beside a dirty river, with weeds and garbage piled up on both sides. There was a narrow cobblestone lane beside the river, and rows of old brick houses looked particularly gloomy in the night.

Walking down the alley, Ada entered a street called Spinner's End and stopped at the last house that the law enforcement team had searched during the day because it belonged to Severus Snape.

In recent times, the Ministry of Magic has been searching for Snape with all its might, but he, like the rest of the Death Eaters, seems to have hidden in a gutter. There is no news about him at all, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.

After disabling the alarm measures left by the Ministry of Magic, Ada opened the door and walked into the house which had been searched and turned into a mess: old black or brown books were scattered all over the floor, and tables and armchairs were also overturned on the ground.

The room was pitch black, with a lit candle floating in the air. Ada waved her hand and lifted up the sofa. Sitting on the worn and fuzzy sofa, Ada crossed her legs, as if she was the owner of the place.

When the candle was half burned, footsteps were heard in the dilapidated house, and Ada, who was dozing off, opened her eyes.

A man walked into the small living room. His long black hair draped on both sides like curtains. In the middle was a grayish-yellow face and a pair of black eyes.

"Long time no see, Professor."

"I'm not a professor anymore." Snape said self-deprecatingly, "I'm just a murderer."

By the dim candlelight, Snape looked at Ada quietly. This was the first time the two had talked since their "farewell". It was only a few months, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

"I have to say, this meeting is quite risky. Your master won't find out, will he?" Ada asked, "Do I need help choosing a cemetery for you in advance?"

"Thanks to Dumbledore and you, the Dark Lord trusts me now." Snape said, "You don't need to worry about my situation for the time being. You might as well think about what to do next."

Ada stood up from the sofa and walked around Snape twice.

She said: "Professor, I have always wondered why Professor Dumbledore trusted you so much that he entrusted his life to you."

Even though Dumbledore's death was inevitable, his level of trust in Snape was still surprising. The Order of the Phoenix had asked Dumbledore more than once, and he always hinted that he had unbreakable reasons to trust Snape.

Trust is a luxury, and trusting someone to the extent of Dumbledore is even rarer. If Grover Cecil knew about this, he would probably jump out of his grave.

"You don't need to know." Snape ignored Ada's gaze and sat on the vacant sofa. "I thought your curiosity would decrease with age, but it... has not decreased at all."

Snape has mentioned the issue of curiosity about eight hundred times, and Ada is tired of hearing it. It is one of those cases where she cannot change despite repeated teachings.

Snape's facial expression did not change, and his black pupils were as deep as ever.

As the king of spies and a master of occlumency, almost no one could peek into Snape's inner world. Not Voldemort, not Ada, but only Harry Potter.

Ida paced in the living room with her hands behind her back. As she walked, she said, "If you don't want to talk about it, forget it. I don't have to know. My curiosity has indeed not diminished, but I have learned to restrain myself."

"What an amazing growth!" Snape said sarcastically, and the smile at the corner of his mouth made the sarcasm level reach the maximum.

Ada stopped and looked at Snape with dissatisfaction. She was so considerate but he responded with a sarcastic remark. Wasn't that too much!
"What are your friends doing lately?" Ada asked. Now was not the time to be upset. "They are too quiet. So quiet that it makes people feel uneasy."

"Apart from those disturbing attacks, there won't be any major actions for the time being," Snape replied. "Although Dumbledore is gone, you are still here. Your presence makes the Dark Lord very wary."

Dumbledore was once known as "the only person You-Know-Who fears". After getting rid of Dumbledore, without the biggest threat, Voldemort should have been able to do whatever he wanted, but the appearance of Ada forced Voldemort to continue to endure. If Ada was just one person, her threat would not be that big, but she not only controls the Ministry of Magic, but also has a certain influence on the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort, who has been repeatedly frustrated, naturally has to treat her with caution.

"Can we force them to move?" Ada continued to ask, "Before the final decisive battle, I want to cut off the wings of the Dark Lord as much as possible to reduce the casualties of our own people."

Ada's idea was to set a trap while protecting Snape, in order to inflict as many casualties on the Death Eaters as possible, minimize their harm to the wizarding world, and turn Voldemort into a lone man.

If necessary, Ada could also sell some information to Snape, such as certain people in the Ministry of Magic, or 12 Grimmauld Place.

Snape looked out the window. There were no stars or moon outside, and it was pitch black.

Snape shook his head and said, "It's difficult. The Dark Lord's target is Potter. Now, only Potter can make him move."

Persistence! Very persistent! Voldemort's first downfall was because of Harry, because he wanted to do it himself. More than ten years later, when he came back, Voldemort was still obsessed with Harry Potter and had to kill him personally. He was really stubborn.

Although a Saint Seiya will not be defeated by the same move twice, Voldemort is a wizard. Doesn't he know what "repeat the same mistakes" means? Is he really brave and not afraid of difficulties?

"Harry Potter is not in danger of death before the protective magic fails." Snape continued, "But I can't guarantee when the Dark Lord will choose to attack him."

It is possible that they would kidnap Harry directly from Privet Drive when the Order of the Phoenix was not prepared; it is also possible that they would wait until Harry turned seventeen and kill him halfway when the Order of the Phoenix was trying to transfer him away.

Ada nodded as she fiddled with the candlelight. Both the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix had been prepared for this. Not only was there a lot of protection around 4 Privet Drive, but even if Harry went out for a walk, there would be someone to protect his safety.

"Also, you must be careful in the Ministry of Magic." Snape continued, "The infiltration of the Ministry of Magic by the Death Eaters has made the Dark Lord very satisfied, which means that there may be danger around you and Arthur Weasley."

The same method was followed, and Minister Arthur Weasley (or Ada) was assassinated, and this was used as an opportunity to launch a coup and occupy the Ministry of Magic. Once the Ministry of Magic became Voldemort's pawn, the Order of the Phoenix would be unable to support itself, and the trend of the war would greatly lean towards Voldemort.

"I know. I will be careful." Ada said, "You should also be more careful. If things are impossible..."

"Take care of yourself and protect Harry Potter. You don't need to worry about my safety." Snape did not appreciate it. He was not in danger of exposing his identity for the time being.

Then, Snape thought of something else and said, "Has the Order of the Phoenix evacuated 12 Grimmauld Place?"

"We have already evacuated." Ada flickered the candlelight very brightly. "But we will return there for the last time tomorrow. If you want to bring people with you, I'm afraid you will have to delay it for another day."

Snape's expression changed for the first time tonight. He was puzzled. Why did they go back when they had already evacuated? Was the barking dog so reluctant to leave?

"There will be a wedding there tomorrow." Ada saw Snape's confusion, "The bride is Nymphadora Tonks, and the groom is your old acquaintance, Remus Lupin."

In such a difficult time, the Order of the Phoenix will usher in a joyous wedding, which will hopefully be a good omen for future struggles.

Snape laughed meaninglessly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "I have some prepared wolfsbane potion. You know where to find it."

After saying this, Snape sank back into the darkness, his footsteps gradually becoming quieter.

(End of this chapter)