Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 134 Look Forward, Don't Look Back
The smoke and dust rising from the ruins of the old house have not yet completely dissipated.

Snape cautiously looked around: though the tremors nearby were unavoidable, the birds on the distant branches were still hopping merrily.

This means that the explosion, which was loud enough to shake the entire village, was perfectly contained within this area by his spell.

As the wand spun, tracing intricate patterns, a new protective spell formed a transparent halo around him, this time incorporating more advanced anti-curse and magical detection abilities.

After picking up a branch from the bushes he had knocked down, he slowly approached the pile of rubble.

Every step felt like walking on thin ice; every step made a screeching sound as the soles of my boots rolled over the rubble.

The interior was in far worse shape than the exterior. Sunlight streamed through the broken roof and walls, casting golden beams of light through the dust and illuminating the mess inside—torn wooden planks, broken utensils, scattered stones… The last dwelling of the Slytherin descendants was now nothing but decay and ruin.

Snape carefully made his way down the corridor, his eyes scanning every detail like a hawk's, searching for any possible clues.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of an unnatural reflection out of the corner of his eye.

He abruptly turned to the side, his wand pointing directly at the light source—an unnatural depression in the center of the ruins. That was where the old house's living room should have been, right next to the armchair where Morfin Gaunt had sat, as he remembered.

Now, only a few broken planks and rubble remain, but something seems to be hidden beneath them.

He carefully used his wand to gently pry open the broken planks and rubble.

As the covering was removed, an exquisite gold box was gradually revealed.

It is only the size of a palm, with lifelike snake patterns carved on its surface. The snake's eyes are inlaid with two tiny green gemstones, which shimmer with an eerie light in the dim light.

“Found you,” he whispered, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement. But he didn’t touch it rashly.

Holding his breath, Snape's wand tip glowed with a ghostly blue light as it slowly moved above the box. A series of complex detection spells, like invisible tentacles, probed this potentially deadly treasure.

Then, he took a few steps back and took out a small square lead container from his bag—it could block most magical fluctuations.

He slowly and carefully used a twig to push the gold box into the container.

The instant the golden box left its place, a plume of black smoke rose from beneath it, twisting and coalescing in the air before finally taking the shape of a venomous snake. The snake opened its gaping maw, revealing gleaming fangs, and lunged straight at Snape.

"Step back!" Snape reacted swiftly, his voice low and Parsleyan as he shouted, his wand flashing a silver light.

The beam of light, like a sharp sword, cleaved the black smoke in two.

The smoke quickly reformed, but this time no attack was launched.

The venomous snake hovered in mid-air, emitting a piercing hiss.

Snape remained motionless, his wand still pointing straight at him.

"Leave," he hissed softly.

Finally, the venomous snake seemed to have confirmed something and slowly dissipated into the air.

Snape breathed a sigh of relief, quickly closed the lid of the lead container, and then cast several sealing spells on the outside.

“Now, it’s time to clean up the scene.” He looked around, considering his next move.

He had no intention of leaving a fake in the old house. That would be too risky and unnecessary.

On the one hand, it was impossible for him to imitate the protective magic set up by Voldemort.

On the other hand, unlike non-continuous, instantaneous spells such as the Wand Glowing Charm, the Explosion Charm, or the Repairing Charm, the traces left by complex protective or offensive magic are easily recognized by Professor Dumbledore.

Moreover, from his perspective, it would have been more reasonable for Tom not to put the Horcrux here.

He decided to take a simpler and more direct approach: restore the entire scene to its original state, as if nothing had happened, except for the disappearance of the magical traces.

After putting away the lead box, Snape raised his wand: "Restore to its original state!"

With a slight clicking sound, the entire ruins began to shake.

The scattered stones and rotten wooden beams began to move, as if an invisible hand was pulling them back into place.

The walls were built up piece by piece, the roof tiles flew back to their original positions, and even the moss, cobwebs, and stains returned precisely to where they belonged.

When the last stone was put back in its place, Gaunt House was restored to its state before Snape's arrival—dilapidated, filthy, and lifeless. Only a few wisps of smoke lingering in the air testified to what had happened there.

Snape did not let his guard down. He backed out of the room, pointed his wand at the ground, and wiped away the footprints and traces he had left behind, restoring the dust from the places he had stepped on to its original state.

Finally, he walked around the house, checking every detail: the cracks in the stone wall, the bird droppings on the windowsill, the shape of the spider web under the eaves... all perfectly reproduced.

After putting the branch back, even the bushes he had knocked down returned to their original state.

"Perfect." After making one last look around to make sure no trace had been left, Snape nodded in satisfaction and prepared to leave the house.

Just then, his diary in his breast pocket suddenly vibrated.

He frowned and took it out.

On the once blank page, ink was spreading on its own, forming a new, blurry line of text: "What enemy have you encountered, Snape? Tell me, perhaps I can help. Sometimes fighting isn't the only option."

Snape's lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn't sure if Tom had sensed something or was simply testing him.

He didn't answer, quickly closed the diary, and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Time is running out," he thought. "I must get out of here before Professor Dumbledore arrives."

He took one last look at the old Gaunt house in the shade of the trees, then, while erasing his traces, retreated from the narrow dirt road to the path leading to Little Hangton. There were many signs of villagers coming and going there, which would effectively conceal his whereabouts.

Once in the sunlight, Snape gripped his wand tightly, and his figure vanished from the country lane, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the bushes and hedges.

The evening breeze rustled through the pine forest, and the candlelight in the Hogwarts tower flickered in the twilight. Snape examined the lead container—it was intact, with no sign of any magical leak.

"I still have time to eat," he muttered to himself, a slight smile on his face, as he carefully stuffed the container inside.

Only a few students remained in the Great Hall, but the four long tables were still laden with sumptuous food. Snape walked to the end of the Slytherin table and quietly enjoyed his dinner.

His gaze kept sweeping towards the teachers' table—Dumbledore's seat was empty, it seemed the headmaster hadn't returned yet.

After leisurely finishing his dinner, Snape left the Great Hall, pondering whether he could handle the golden box alone.

Just as he stepped across the threshold, a tall figure appeared before him. Dumbledore was walking towards the stairs. His expression seemed somewhat somber, and his black robes were still dusty from his journey.

“Aren’t you going to have dinner, Professor?” Snape asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Severus," he said gently, "could you come with me for a moment?"

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Snape asked casually, his heart racing slightly, but he remained calm on the surface, trying hard not to touch the lead box inside his robes.

The principal didn't explain, but simply gestured for him to follow. The two walked silently down the winding corridor and finally arrived at the principal's office.

Snape's mind raced as he walked: Had the professor gone to Little Hangleton? What did he discover? Had he left any clues in his actions?

After closing the door, Dumbledore took a small bottle from his pocket, which was filled with a swirling, pearly substance.

"Is this Morfin Gaunt's memory?" Snape asked, his gaze falling on the small bottle.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said, taking the Pensieve from the cupboard and placing it on the table. Amidst the soft clinking of silverware in the office, he poured the shimmering liquid from the bottle into it. “I went to Azkaban.”

“I understand.” Snape nodded; he was quite familiar with this process.

He approached the stone basin, bent down, and immersed his face in memories.

A familiar feeling of falling washed over him, and moments later, he found himself once again in the filthy living room of the Gaunt family home—only this time, it was decades in the past.

The scene in the memory is vivid: the handsome young Tom Riddle has a “friendly and pleasant” conversation with his uncle, Morfin Gaunt.

Snape watched with detached indifference as Tom skillfully manipulated the conversation and extracted crucial information from the drunken Morfin.

From Morfin, Tom learned that his Muggle father, who had abandoned his mother, and his family lived in the mansion across the street.

When the memories ended, Snape and Dumbledore returned to reality.

“Next,” Dumbledore beckoned Snape to sit down, “when Morpheus woke up the next morning, he was lying on the floor alone, and the Slytherin ring was gone.”

Meanwhile, in Little Hangton, a maid was running wildly down the street screaming that there were three bodies in the drawing room of Riddle House: old Tom Riddle and his parents.

Snape listened quietly, maintaining a perfect balance of surprise and contemplation on his face, while his mind quickly analyzed the relationship between this information and himself.

Dumbledore went on to recount how Morfin easily confessed, how proud he was of killing those Muggles, and how terrified he was of losing his father's ring.

“A brilliant frame-up,” Snape commented. “Similar to Hodge’s case. Both cases have scapegoats, and the scapegoats have clear memories of the murders. It seems Tom was already familiar with this process before graduation. It’s a shame he didn’t go to work for the Ministry of Magic.”

“Yes,” Dumbledore nodded, but his tone carried a lingering weariness. “This confirms some of our previous suspicions, such as that Tom obtained Slytherin’s ring and may very well have turned it into a Horcrux.”

"Did you find the ring after that?" Snape asked, his dark eyes fixed on the headmaster.

"After obtaining Morfin's memories, I went to the Gaunt mansion immediately." The headmaster slowly shook his head, his eyes flashing with disappointment. "What discouraged me most was that I didn't find any trace of Tom's magic in that ruin. The dilapidated stone house seemed to have been untouched for many years."

Snape secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but outwardly only frowned slightly. His restoration spells and trace removal work had clearly been successful.

“And,” Dumbledore sighed, “just because I was unwilling to give up so easily, I went to Riddle House in Little Hangleton again.”

"That mansion is now damp, desolate, and dilapidated, not much better than the Gauntlet's. Unfortunately, I still haven't found any trace of Horcruxes there."

Snape then feigned thoughtfulness: "I think Tom wouldn't choose to put the precious Horcruxes in either of those places."

“Riddle House is a symbol of his Muggle father, who didn’t even want that ordinary name, so why would he place a fragment of his soul in Little Hangleton?”

Dumbledore nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

“As for the Gaunt family’s old house,” Snape continued, his voice calm and rational, “it’s unlikely, really. Think about it, Professor, in the memories of Morfin that we just saw, Tom was filled with disgust and disappointment towards that place. How could the supposedly Slytherin descendants of the Gaunt family be worthy of Tom’s ambitions if they were so destitute?”
"In my opinion, Tom is more likely to have hidden the Horcrux in a place related to Slytherin."

“That makes sense, Severus.” Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. “I just thought Gaunt House was the link between Tom and Slytherin, but I overlooked his attitude when he met Morfin.” The headmaster took a deep breath. “Perhaps I don’t know Tom Riddle as well as I thought.”

“It’s alright, Professor,” Snape said sincerely. “Everyone makes mistakes. You have to learn to forgive yourself. Look ahead and don’t look back.”

The conversation fell into a brief silence.

"Did you see anything else strange in the Chamber of Secrets?" Dumbledore suddenly looked up and asked.

“No, there’s nothing there except for the Basilisk and the Slytherin statues,” Snape said, feigning a sudden inspiration. “Perhaps you should check it yourself? After all, my knowledge of magic is far less than yours.”

"The entrance to the secret room is in the dilapidated girls' washroom on the second floor of the castle. There's a dragon head carved with a small snake there. You can open the entrance to the secret room by saying 'open' to it in a Parsleyan accent."

“You know the Parsley phrase, don’t you?” Snape asked, hissing in Parsley before Dumbledore could answer. “That’s it,” he said. “Did you remember it?”

“Thank you, Severus.” Dumbledore’s eyes gleamed with interest. “I will examine the Chamber of Secrets as soon as possible. Hopefully, I will find new clues there.”

　Thanks to book friend 330919 for the reward.

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(End of this chapter)