Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Azeroth

Chapter 4. Snape scolds Dumbledore
[…After the author’s investigation, the boy who was the only one to survive the mysterious man’s curse and who was also the direct cause of the mysterious man’s death did not actually live very well during these years. Not only was his body thinner than other children of the same age, but his clothes and appearance were also - please forgive the author for being too direct, that boy, our boy who survived, was dressed like a poor house-elf…]

[…Not only did he have to get up early every morning and stand on a stool to make breakfast for his Muggle relatives, but all the chores at home were also piled on this poor child early on, and he would even be scolded and punished for any slight mistake…]

[…The long-term abuse by his Muggle relatives made the boy who survived live in an extremely depressing environment, and in the few days when he was about to turn eleven, everything finally broke out - of course, from the author's interview with officials from the Ministry of Magic, we can know that our little boy did not become an Obscure. ]

['Magic riot' - at least that's how the Ministry of Magic officials explained it. It's like every little wizard would burst out with power to protect themselves in a critical moment. As a child who defeated that man when he was born, Harry Potter's magic riot is far beyond that of his peers. The author thinks this is very reasonable... I have to say that the rock giant does look magnificent. Perhaps many adult wizards cannot achieve this level.]

[…We must reflect on what kind of environment the heroes who brought us this kind of life lived in all these years while we were enjoying a peaceful and stable life? Is it all worth it?]

[In other words, in these eleven years, has the Ministry of Magic fulfilled its responsibility after the Potters sacrificed their lives for peace? Has Dumbledore fulfilled his responsibility for the boy who lived? This makes people think...]

I can only say that the entire report seems to be a rational analysis from a neutral and objective perspective, but in fact, there is an intention to excuse the Ministry of Magic between the lines, a kind of covert inducement.

"Well... Rita's writing style is quite good." After a moment's silence, Dumbledore said, "At least the stories she wrote are very attractive. Oh, this photo is also very well taken, especially when little Harry and I looked at each other across the ruins - I don't know how she took the photo."

"I don't care what kind of image that woman has created for herself, Dumbledore! What a journalist who dares to tell the truth, what it means to uncover the mystery - I don't care!" Snape said viciously: "I only care about what she said in it - Harry Potter - under the bullying of his Muggle relatives, he is about to become an Obscure?!!"

"If this is the kind of care you promised me to take of the child, then you should have given him to me eleven years ago! Let me take him to Spider's End!!"

Spinner's End is Snape's home, which means that the child is left to his care. Well, it can be seen that Snape is very angry.

The so-called Obscurus, well, it should be said that this unique black magic creature is born from a little wizard. When a little wizard suffers physical or psychological abuse, has trauma related to the use of magic in his heart, hates and consciously suppresses his own power in his heart, the Obscurus will be born, and the little wizard who gives birth to the Obscurus will be called the Obscurus.

Obscurials experience extreme emotional pain, and when they are emotionally broken, they transform into Obscurus form, creating an almost invisible wind that is extremely destructive and can even tear apart everything around it.

Obscurus will not be controlled by the Obscurus, as the lives of the two are connected. However, Obscurus will continue to plunder the life of the Obscurus until it kills the host and kills itself at the same time.

It was rare for a child who became an Obscurial to survive past the age of ten, which was why the Ministry of Magic was so nervous after monitoring an extraordinary outburst of magical power at number 4 Privet Drive.

The Ministry of Magic could not accept a future in which Harry Potter became an Obscurus, because eleven years ago, it was the sacrifice of Harry's family that ended the Dark Lord's reign of terror and brought peace back to the British wizarding world.

Even Harry himself didn't know that he was not unknown in this world, but actually possessed a very wide reputation.

It was this kind of reputation that had pushed the Ministry of Magic and the Minister of Magic to an extremely nervous level, because if Harry really became an Obscurial, not only would the Minister of Magic have to step down, but some people might even be sent to Azkaban in response to the calls from the majority of wizards.

Well, this is why Dumbledore was also bombarded with Howlers. After all... he is really more than just a headmaster.

"Calm down, Severus," Dumbledore repeated again, "I have watched little Harry. Although his life is indeed a bit hard, it is definitely not to the extent that he may become an Obscurial. Harry cannot live in the wizarding world. The fame and praise are not something a child can bear. He will be spoiled."

This is the wisdom of an old man.

"Likewise, you and I both know that, don't we? Severus," Dumbledore said softly, staring into Snape's eyes, "He is not dead yet."

It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured over Snape's fiery and passionate emotions, and his excited movements suddenly froze.

Subconsciously, he covered his left arm.

The mark is there, and it has never changed over the years, it just faded...it has never disappeared.

"Rita said in the newspaper that it was the newborn Harry who defeated Voldemort," Dumbledore continued, "but you and I both know that it was actually Lily's magic that defeated Voldemort—"

"Don't mention that name!!", Snape rudely interrupted Dumbledore and said through gritted teeth.

I don't know which name he didn't want to hear, but anyway, Snape calmed down.

Perhaps for him, the excitement just now was abnormal.

"Okay," Dumbledore nodded slightly and said, "In short, it is because of that magic that little Harry needs to live with his blood relatives - you know, many people have escaped the trial, and no one knows what they will do."

"Besides, we are not qualified to blame the Dursleys, are we? I hope you won't do anything in private...especially to Petunia," Dumbledore stared at Snape's face, "We sent a child to them without their consent, nor did we tell them about the dangers this might bring to them - you may not know since you have never raised a child, Severus, but it is very troublesome to take care of a child from childhood, especially when he is an infant."

"That's enough!" Snape said with a dark face, "As far as I know, you don't either."

"Oh, of course I haven't," Dumbledore shrugged. "But I have lived many more years than you have, so I must have seen it - promise me?"

Snape took a deep breath.

"……it is good."

I can only say that I uttered this word "good" through gritted teeth. "So what did you see this time?" Snape snorted from his nose as if to change the subject: "That Potter... Heh, just like his father, arrogant, lawless, and wantonly venting his power, humph."

"Oh? You weren't like that just now, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Just now you were very nervous about little Harry's life, and you even said that you should have taken him to - OK, OK, I won't say any more, I won't say any more - can you add more sugar to my potion tonight?"

Dumbledore's words were only halfway through when he was deflected by Snape's cold and murderous gaze.

It is never a wise thing to offend a Potions Master at any time...especially when he needs to consume a lot of sweets every day.

"In fact, little Harry is in much better condition than I thought. Well, that's the mental state you're concerned about." Ignoring Snape's words "I don't care about him," Dumbledore recalled, "To be honest, I was really shocked when Cornelius suddenly sent a message saying that Harry Potter had become an Obscurus."

"Ah, just like his father, he loves to show off." Snape snorted again, "Then what? How did he perform that magic? It doesn't look like Transfiguration. That woman Skeeter was right. Most adult wizards can't do that."

"I don't know, Severus," Dumbledore said frankly. "That is a kind of magic I have never seen before, and it is not a Transfiguration. It is very strange, very strange - it is hard to imagine that a young wizard can burst out this level of power in an emergency."

"Do you think I will believe it?" Snape said impatiently, "There is no need to be so hypocritical at this time, Dumbledore, how can there be magic in this world that you don't know about?"

"Oh, Severus, you think too highly of me. I am just an old wizard who has lived long enough." Dumbledore waved his hand and suddenly laughed. "At least the mushroom people and fungus people that little Harry mentioned are people I have never seen or thought about. The world is really interesting, isn't it?"

"You believe such a thing?" Snape said sarcastically, "If he didn't eat something poisonous, then he probably just read too many Muggle story books and got confused."

"Why don't you believe it?" Dumbledore asked in return: "Like I said, little Harry is in much better condition than I thought."

"After getting into trouble, he didn't panic or get scared at all. I can see that his calmness is not fake, but comes from the bottom of his heart," Dumbledore said seriously. "He even started to think about compensating his uncle and aunt, which is basically not something a child would consider."

"He has a cool head, strong logical thinking, and his words are logically consistent. Most importantly, he has extraordinary talent - a very, very outstanding talent," Dumbledore emphasized.

"At first, I treated little Harry as a child, but his performance quickly made me give up this idea," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "It was like talking to a mature soul - I am good at controlling such subtle changes."

"…If you don't know, you might think you are talking about the Dark Lord," Snape said after a moment's silence.

"Of course not. Little Harry still cares about his relatives very much. He not only pays attention to their life safety when an accident happens, but also cares about their spiritual safety," Dumbledore said with a smile.

But this time, Snape was completely silent - he just stood there in a daze.

Because from Dumbledore's words, Snape was surprised to find that Dumbledore had actually compared Harry Potter with that man, and even came to a better conclusion.

"...By the way, Severus," Dumbledore said leisurely, not paying attention to Snape's stunned expression, "Have you ever seen a minotaur?"

Snape: "?"

For some reason, he sensed a mysterious malice from these three words, and felt a chill on his back.

"...Is this also Potter's fantasy?" After really searching his own memory, Snape gritted his teeth and said, "If you are not already senile and confused, then I am very sure that there is no such...magical creature in the wizarding world at present - you'd better not take his crazy talk seriously, or have you finally found a lunatic like you?"

"Yes," Dumbledore muttered with his eyes flickering, "Given the rationality shown by little Harry, this shouldn't happen... Why is this?"

"Do you need me to prescribe some brain-stimulating medicine for you, Dumbledore?" Snape said sarcastically, "No matter how much you think highly of him, he is just a child who grew up in a Muggle family for eleven years. Since he is a child, it is not strange for him to fantasize about anything."

"...Perhaps." Shaking his head slightly, Dumbledore stopped talking. "Are you interested in becoming the guide for that child to enter the wizarding world, Severus?"

In response to this invitation, Snape turned around, his black robe flew up, and only one sentence was left in the principal's office:

"I don't care how a little lunatic walks... Don't bother me with such things, Dumbledore."

As the door of the headmaster's office slammed shut, Dumbledore was the only one left there.

He waved his wand and made the sugar pudding that had fallen on the ground disappear without a trace. Then he took out another bag of candy from the drawer beside him and happily threw one into his mouth.

"...Well, they are all dishonest children." Mumbling, Dumbledore looked towards the door. "What do you think? Fawkes?"

The sound of a phoenix's soft cry answered Dumbledore. Although it was a phoenix, Fawkes did roll his eyes and then buried his head in his wings.

it is more than words.

(End of this chapter)