Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 160 Owl Messenger

"This voice..."

Moody's one good eye narrowed, his anger rising.

He slammed his cane down hard and roared toward the door in his signature rough, hoarse voice:
"Sevich! You spineless coward! Are you sure you want to fight me, Alastor Moody? Do you want to see if my wooden leg can give you a cut on the head?"

The shouts from outside the door immediately stopped.

Then, another slightly hesitant young voice rang out. Although the owner of the voice was trying to maintain his authority, the tension in his tone betrayed his lack of confidence:

“Alastor, listen, old buddy, we…we’re just doing a routine check based on the alarm! We don’t want to be your enemy, really, but…”

"No buts!" Moody's roar forcefully interrupted his explanation. "Let's start the war!"

A brief, awkward silence fell over the passageway.

At this moment, Frank Longbottom stepped forward, nudged Moody's arm, and gently shook his head as Moody turned to look at him.

“Prout,” Frank shouted at the iron gate, “if you and Savage are determined to attack me and Alice, then bring it on.”

“But you know why we and the others in this prison were put in here. As former colleagues, we didn’t have to be like this.”

Silence fell again outside the door, with the faint sound of two people talking hurriedly in hushed tones.

A moment later, Prout's voice rang out again, this time deliberately raised, as if he were speaking to his companions or as if he were making sure the people inside could hear him clearly.

“Damn it, Sevich!” Prout muttered in a low voice. “We thought things would be easier here, which is why we didn’t go to London with the director, but who would have thought… What are we supposed to do now? Frank and Alice, and Moody, who’s on our wanted list!”

“If a real fight breaks out… with just the two of us?” Sevich’s voice responded. “Think about it, Prout. They’re tough guys. With just a few Galon, are you sure we can get back alive to write a report?”
"It's normal that the two of us can't beat them, right? There's nothing shameful about it. The higher-ups should understand, since we did our best."

“But…but…okay, you’re right!” Prout’s voice was hesitant and struggling, as if he had finally been persuaded. “Then how do we write the report? Hmm, encountering fierce resistance from a large enemy force, we fought valiantly but were ultimately defeated and forced to retreat to protect our remaining strength? Sounds good…”

Immediately afterwards, he raised his voice and shouted into the doorway:

“Alastor, Frank, Alice, and everyone else! Let’s step back! Step back a bit! Come out now!”

"We promise...we won't stop you! For...for the sake of our past relationship?"

Inside the door, Snape, Moody, and Frank exchanged glances quickly.

The two outside were clearly putting on a show with their "discussion." How much could they really trust two Aurors who were holding back? But regardless, the wand count was seven to two. Snape nodded decisively and whispered to the others:
"Stay alert, Ironclad Charm ready. Once we're out, move to the shore immediately."

The group maintained a defensive stance, with the outermost group, including Snape, Moody, and Emmeline, glowing with the light of the Ironclad Charm.

They pushed open the heavy iron gate, and the gray morning light shone in.

In the distance, in the dim light, two figures dressed in black robes were indeed standing behind a rock about fifty yards from the shore.

Upon seeing the large group emerge, the two noticeably shrank back behind the rocks, as if afraid of being affected by the curse. One of them, seeing Snape and the others' wary posture, even raised his hand and waved, a rather large gesture, with a friendly air, without making any attempt to stop them.

"Quick!" Snape hissed, his eyes fixed warily on the rock.

Guarded by the magic wands of the escort team, the rescued group helped each other up and stumbled backward toward the stone steps leading to the small pier on the coast.

Upon reaching the shore, Snape pointed his wand at the small raft they had come on, while simultaneously chanting complex transfiguration and amplification spells.

One after another, magical spells were cast, and the raft rapidly expanded and grew wider and longer as if it were being inflated, transforming in the blink of an eye into a rough but sturdy large ship capable of accommodating everyone.

The rescued prisoners, supporting each other, quickly boarded the ship with Emily's assistance.

As the last survivor stepped onto the raft, Snape's gaze swept toward the shore.

There was a slightly smaller wooden boat at the mooring, probably the one the two Aurors had come in.

"Tear it apart!" Snape casually swung his wand backward, precisely cleaving the bow of the small boat.

With a loud crash, wood chips flew everywhere, the small boat disintegrated, and the broken planks scattered helplessly in the black seawater. Some parts even sank directly into the ocean.

Prout and Sevich on the shore screamed in shock at the sudden explosion and instinctively crouched down, covering their heads. When they looked up again, they saw that the large ship had already sailed some distance away.

At the stern, Snape slowly lowered his wand. His black hair fluttered in the sea breeze as he waved goodbye to the two dumbfounded figures on the shore.

The wooden boat, carrying the rescued people, cleaved through the waves amidst the turbulent sea, sailing away from the suffocating shadow of Azkaban.

The icy sea breeze was still biting, but the atmosphere on the deck was filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster and a touch of warmth.

After a brief silence, the rescued people found an outlet for their pent-up emotions and began to talk in hushed tones, their voices filled with bitterness and confusion.

“After all these years, they still call us Mudbloods,” a gray-haired man said hoarsely. “Our magic was stolen, how could that be?”

“Our magical abilities are, of course, innate!” a younger woman beside her added excitedly. “I’ve been able to bend spoons on their own since I was little. But those people from the Ministry of Magic still demand proof of our magical origins, asking us to prove we have wizard relatives in our ancestors for eighteen generations!”

“Yes, this is completely different from what the Daily Prophet said. They promised that registration was only for security, but in the end…” Another voice, filled with deep weariness, said, “Where are we supposed to find those certificates? Because of this, they actually called us thieves and locked us up in Azkaban.” As he spoke, he shuddered again.

“And we were caught by them coming to our door,” Ted said helplessly, holding his wife and daughter tightly. “Compared to us, you’re actually doing well.” A mocking smile appeared on his face. “Our whole family has been locked up. Even though my wife is pure-blooded and my daughter is mixed-blood, they can still find a reason to say that we’ve tainted the noble and pure bloodline of wizards…”

“You,” Snape interrupted their conversation, “actually believed the Ministry of Magic’s propaganda? And obediently went to register?” His gaze swept over these people who had just escaped their misery. “When the headmaster and vice-headmaster of Hogwarts, half of the professors, and all the Muggle-born students chose to go into exile, you actually naively thought the authorities would protect you?”

His words left everyone speechless for a moment, their faces showing shame and realization.

Just then, a woman who had been silent and looked to be in her forties suddenly raised her head, her eyes bursting with intense joy.

“Hogwarts in exile!” she cried excitedly. “Rice! Rice Polk! Is she with you?” The woman pressed forward, pushing through the crowd. “Sir, Rice Polk! She is my sister’s daughter, and I am her aunt, Kate Prundgast!”

Snape immediately recalled the somewhat careless little girl who had earned her first badge of merit.

“Yes,” he nodded. “Miss Polk is living and studying at the real Hogwarts. She’s adapting quite well.” “Oh, thank God! Thank you all!” Kate let out a long sigh of relief, tears welling up instantly. “Those days, when I saw in the Daily Prophet that Professor Dumbledore and his group were being slandered as traitors and madmen, and that they were fleeing with their students, I was so worried, afraid something would happen to Reese. I didn’t even dare tell my sister…”

“And then,” she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, letting out a self-deprecating laugh tinged with sobs, “I’m the one who should be worried the most! I’m so stupid, so stupid.”

"I only knew that the Ministry of Magic represented the government and authority, but I didn't know they could be so depraved... What's even more ridiculous is that I actually suspected that a good person like Professor Albus Dumbledore would 'kidnap' students. How stupid I was!"

“Mrs. Prendgast,” Emily looked at the woman with some curiosity and asked, “So, your family has two wizards? That’s quite rare in Muggle families.”

“That’s right,” Kate looked up, giving a bitter smile that was a mixture of pride and sorrow. “After me, this ‘freak,’ everyone was overjoyed to have this little witch, Reese, in the family. They thought she was a gift from God.”

“Who could have predicted that everything would change so drastically in just a few years? Being born a Muggle… has become a sin.” She wiped away her tears, looking at Snape, Moody, and Emily, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Knowing that Reese is safe and sound and being taken care of by you all puts my mind at ease. That’s more important than anything else. Thank you…”

The journey didn't seem so long during the conversation.

As the greyish-white coastline came into view again, the large ship slowly approached the shore.

The group trudged through the cold seawater and sand onto solid ground, the sea breeze ruffling their thin prison uniforms.

Amelia looked at the group of exhausted and ragged survivors and couldn't bear it, so she turned to Snape and Moody.

“Can we take them back with us?” she asked. “They are victims of the atrocities committed by the Ministry of Magic and have nowhere to go. Can we take them back to the Founders’ Ark?”

Moody crossed his arms, his remaining eyes scanning the crowd, his scarred face taut with muscles. He didn't speak, but his tightly pursed lips and wary posture spoke volumes.

“No.” Snape rejected Emmeline’s suggestion outright, then looked at everyone. “I’m sorry, Emmeline; I’m sorry, everyone. I understand what you’ve been through, but we must be careful.”

"The Founder's Ship carries many students of Hogwarts, and its safety is our bottom line; we will never take any risks."

"Although we chose to rescue you all, we don't know your background or what you're thinking."

The rejected offer did not provoke anger or pleading from the rescued. Surprisingly, they expressed understanding for Snape's concerns.

“You’re right, sir.” The gray-haired man who had spoken earlier nodded first. “You’ve already done us a great favor by rescuing us. We can’t cause you any more trouble or put you in danger.”

“Thank you for your kindness, madam,” Kate said to Emily. “We understand your caution. It is absolutely the right thing to do.”

"Yes, we don't need to go with them."

"Thank you, that's great!"

Others echoed this sentiment, expressing their sincere gratitude and understanding.

“Well then,” Snape said gently, looking at them, “it’s not easy to get by in this world without a wand.”

"Since your wands have been 'temporarily held' by the Wizarding Registry, we will leave you a few spare wands when we leave."

“Oh, right,” Snape suddenly had a flash of inspiration and turned to Kate, “Ms. Prundgast, would you like to meet your niece Reese in person?”

Kate's eyes lit up instantly.

"Are you serious, sir? Can I?" She could hardly believe her ears. "Yes! Of course I want to! Good heavens, can I really?"

“Yes,” Snape nodded. “Your identity and your blood relation to Miss Polk are clear.”

"Once you arrive, you can also tell the students on the ship about your experience, let them see the real consequences of the Ministry of Magic's 'registration system,' and expose their hypocritical propaganda."

The other survivors, though somewhat envious, were mostly happy for Kate and quietly congratulated her.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was immersed in the joy of Kate's impending reunion with her family, Moody, whose eyes had been warily scanning the surroundings, suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the gray sky in the distance.

"Warning!" he shouted, drawing his wand almost simultaneously.

Snape raised his wand instantly.

Looking up, they saw a tiny black dot moving rapidly toward the coastline where they were.

A few seconds later, as the distance closed, the outline of the black dot became clear; it turned out to be an owl flapping its wings vigorously.

Snape remained vigilant, his wand moving slowly in the wake of the owl's flight.

The owl, however, had a clear target. It swooped down directly towards him, circled twice in front of him, landed on the ground, and stretched out a leg with a letter tied to it.

Snape frowned slightly and bent down to untie the letter.

There was no signature on the envelope, but the distinctive cursive handwriting allowed Snape to recognize the sender as Narcissa Malfoy.

He did not open the letter immediately, but instead put it into the inside pocket of his robe.

After he finished doing all that, he noticed that the owl that had delivered the letter did not fly away immediately. Instead, it looked at him expectantly with its big, round eyes, made a quick and aggrieved "coo" sound, and gently pecked his cuff with its beak.

“Eat.” Snape immediately pulled a small oil paper packet from his pocket. After opening it, he handed over the dried fish.

The owl excitedly snatched it in one gulp, tilted its head back, and swallowed it in a few bites. Then it looked up again, cooing more eagerly, and even flapped its wings to urge it on.

Seeing this, Snape simply placed the remaining dried fish on the rocks.

The owl lowered its head contentedly and began to peck at its food.

“Alright,” Snape said, turning away from the gluttonous messenger and addressing the others, “we should go.” He took three wands from his bag and gently placed them on a flat rock. “After we leave, you can collect your wands and then get off this coast as far as possible.”

“Please be careful in the future, protect yourself, and never trust any official statements from the Ministry of Magic again, unless we retake Hogwarts Castle,” he smiled and added, “and perhaps the Ministry of Magic as well.”

　Thanks to PigCanFly for the monthly pass.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)