Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 164 The Brave Headmaster of Gryffindor

Upon hearing the question, McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and others who were talking in hushed tones simultaneously held their breath.

The soft clinking of cutlery on the teachers' table ceased. Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed intently on Grindelwald, their faces filled with barely suppressed anticipation.

Returning to Hogwarts and ending their wandering is their deepest desire at this moment.

With a leisurely pace, Grindelwald put down his napkin, picked up the stemmed glass in front of him filled with deep red wine, and gently swirled the glass, letting the wine cling to the glass in a beautiful arc.

In the flickering candlelight and amidst the convergence of several tense gazes, he finally raised his head and met Snape's eyes.

“Severus,” Grindelwald said calmly, taking a sip of his drink, “those who try to grasp both the sky and the earth often lose both. The most important thing in life is to be content.”

A hint of disappointment flashed across Snape's face, but he quickly accepted the fact. After all, it was indeed a bit much to expect an old man who had been sitting in the tower for decades to defeat the Dark Lord, who was at the height of his power, as soon as he came out of the mountains.

“Oh, I see.” He pressed on with concern, “So, did you see Voldemort in person? In your fight, who came out on top?”

“An interesting question.” Grindelwald put down his glass, looked at Snape, and said encouragingly, “It seems you’ve completely gotten used to calling him ‘Voldemort.’ Very good, Severus. I think with that kind of courage, you’re ready to face him.”

Snape understood. It seemed Grindelwald's trip hadn't been a complete victory; he might even have suffered a minor setback. But the fact that his opponent returned so calmly, even though it was much later than expected, was the best possible outcome.

Regardless of Grindelwald's motives, he did buy valuable time and opportunities for his group, and also provided the greatest guarantee for the safety of the Founders' Ship.

“Courage is valuable, Mr. Green.” He nodded slightly and gave Grindelwald a smile. “However, when facing the fangs of a viper, we should take a more strategic approach.”

Snape put down his knife and fork and stood up. He cleared his throat and lightly tapped his wand against his throat: "Loud voice!"

His voice was instantly amplified, clearly resounding throughout the restaurant and echoing in the brightly lit cabin, drowning out the whispers and the clinking of cutlery.

"Happy Halloween Eve, everyone! Students, teachers, and friends!" He looked around, and the restaurant fell silent again as everyone looked at him.

“On this special night,” Snape paused briefly, then turned to Grindelwald, “let us raise a glass to Mr. Grindelwald!”

His gaze swept across the room. Nymphadora nestled between Ted and Andromeda, her hair now a vibrant violet, a color that had returned from the ashes of prison life, though her face was still somewhat pale. Not far away, Reese Polk sat close to her aunt, Kate. On the other side, the Longbottoms sat among the members of the Order of the Phoenix, looking tired but relaxed.

“Especially our new friends who joined us today,” he continued, “Mr. Green’s actions today provided crucial assurance for their safe arrival.”

Everyone raised their glasses. The Tonks and Mrs. Kate were clearly moved; they, along with the Longbottoms, immediately stood up, their faces filled with genuine gratitude.

Most of the students were still a little confused and didn't quite understand the specific amount of the toast, but seeing how solemn the professors and the new adults were, they obediently picked up the glasses of chilled pumpkin juice in front of them.

For a moment, the raised arms were not neat and strong, appearing somewhat sparse, especially compared to the standing people.

"To Mr. Green!" Snape raised his glass first.

"Greetings, Mr. Green!" came a chorus of mixed responses from the restaurant.

Grindelwald remained seated, not even lifting his eyelids. He picked up his glass and took a small sip.

After the toasts were finished, Tonks and the others sat down again.

Snape didn't immediately tell everyone to start eating. He put down his glass, stood still, and continued in a voice amplified by the spell:
“Today, under Mr. Green’s cover, we went to Azkaban.” He paused, pleased to see the shocked expressions on the faces of many students.

“We’ve rescued some people,” Snape said, pointing to the new recruits. “Many of you may have noticed these unfamiliar faces sitting with us at the table tonight. They are the survivors of Azkaban.”

"They are almost all the 'masterpieces' of the Ministry of Magic's 'Wizard Registry'," he said sarcastically. "For centuries, Azkaban has been a fortress used to imprison the most evil dark wizards and the most despicable criminals."

"However, when we arrived at that terrifying prison, what we saw was a mockery of its original purpose. Its cells held not criminals, but the innocent."

"What is their crime? It's nothing more than being born into a family without magic, even though they possess magical abilities. Yes, Muggle-born. Just like most of you here."

“If you’re curious about the specifics,” Snape paused, turning his gaze to Reese and her aunt, “you might be able to ask Reese’s aunt, Ms. Kate, later. She’s just recovered from that nightmare. She registered with the Council because she trusted the Ministry and obeyed the law.”

"And in return for her obedience, she was branded a thief and accused of stealing magical power from pure-blood wizards. This was their promised 'safety'."

Among the seats, some young wizards who knew Rhys exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and sympathy. Their gazes, in unison, turned to Ms. Kate.

Ms. Kate's lips remained tightly pressed together. She gripped Reese's hand tightly, met everyone's gaze, and nodded heavily, silently confirming Snape's words.

“There are others in that prison.” Snape’s voice rang out again, this time turning to the Tonks family. Andromeda was standing next to her daughter, and Ted was holding his wife’s hand tightly. “The Tonks family was imprisoned for defiling the pure blood.”

"Mrs. Andromeda Tonks, born into the old Black family, did not have good fortune. She chose her true love and married Mr. Ted Tonks, a fine man who happened to be a Muggle."

"They started a family and had a lovely daughter, Nymphadora. The Tonks, along with their four-year-old daughter, were considered eligible for the 'privilege' of close contact with Dementors."

Just then, Tonks, who was sitting next to Andromeda, suddenly broke free and stood on the chair.

"That's right!" she shouted, waving her little fist. "They're all bad people, absolutely wicked! They locked me and my mom and dad in a dark, cold place, and there were scary monsters too!"

Andromeda lovingly patted her daughter's back and gently pulled her back to her seat, her eyes still filled with lingering fear.

The restaurant fell silent. Snape waited a few seconds, making sure everyone's attention was back on him. "The reason our operation today was successful, the reason we were able to bring these innocent people back from hell," he said, "was because of Mr. Grindelwald." He pointed again to Grindelwald, "He went alone to intercept that man whose name cannot be mentioned—Voldemort."

The moment the name was uttered, a suppressed gasp and gasps of shock filled the restaurant. Many of the older students, along with the adult wizards, wore expressions of instinctive fear.

Snape was not surprised by this reaction. He remained upright, his gaze slowly sweeping across the dining hall. His eyes lingered on the students and adult wizards whose faces showed fear.

Gradually, under his gaze, the terrified commotion subsided, leaving only the sound of suppressed breathing.

“On this Founder’s Ship,” he said again, gesturing with his wand to the deck beneath his feet, “you need not worry about the Death Eaters using any magic to sense that you are calling out the mysterious man’s name, nor do you need to worry about your spies telling anyone because you’ve mentioned that name.”

“If anyone is foolish enough to do that,” he shrugged, “we would be more than happy to ask him to leave and hand him back to his master. I believe,” he pronounced the name clearly again, “Voldemort would warmly welcome his loyal servant and gladly grant him a special cell overlooking the Dementors, so he could experience firsthand the comforts there.”

A few dry, tense laughs echoed through the restaurant.

“We should be calling Voldemort by his full name,” Snape continued. “All this talk about the Mysterious One is utter nonsense. If we keep calling him the Mysterious One on the Ship of the Founders and don’t even dare to mention the enemy’s name, everything will fall apart.”

“I don’t think he’s ‘Mysterious Man,’ nor ‘the one whose name can’t even be mentioned.’ To fear that name? That’s an insult to Hogwarts, and an insult to Professor Dumbledore. There’s no reason to be afraid to call him by his full name. Anyone want to start something?”

A brief silence was broken by a firm voice.

"Voldemort!" Lily stood up, her face filled with hatred, and shouted loudly.

"Voldemort!" Pandora, Abbott, Barty Jr., and the others jumped up and shouted.

"Voldemort!" Professor Flitwick's shrill voice joined in. He stood on his chair, tiptoeing so the students could see him.

Like a lit fuse, most of the younger students mustered their courage and shouted out the name. Although some were filled with fear or their voices were distorted, their combined voices still formed a small wave.

However, many adult wizards and senior students still wore expressions of hesitation and lingering fear. Their lips were tightly pressed together, their eyes filled with complex emotions as they looked at the shouting crowd around them, their throats seemingly locked. Calling out that name still required immense courage to overcome their deep-seated fear.

Snape's gaze slowly swept over the silent faces, finally settling on the faculty table.

“It seems we still have some ‘stubborn ones’ among us.” He turned to Professor McGonagall, speaking in a teasing tone, “Professor, how about…” he deliberately drew out the last word, “that we throw all those who refuse to utter the Dark Lord’s name off the sky? Perhaps that will quell their fear?”

“Severus,” Professor McGonagall couldn’t help but glare at Snape, “if I’m unwilling to call Voldemort by his name, are you planning to throw me overboard yourself?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the restaurant fell silent again. Even the younger students who had been excitedly shouting earlier were stunned.

Before Snape could respond, a high-pitched, slightly gloating voice floated merrily down from above the crystal chandelier hanging high in the dining room.

“Professor!” Myrtle chuckled. “But you already called his name! You just said ‘Voldemort,’ I heard you!”

“Miss Warren!” Professor McGonagall glared at Myrtle again. Myrtle stuck out her tongue, retreated to the center of the chandelier, and continued to peer down.

"Alright, alright." Snape interrupted the little episode at the right moment, cleared his throat again, and smiled. "It seems that our brave Headmaster of Gryffindor has set an example for us."

“In any case, one thing is beyond doubt,” he refilled the crystal glass, “Let us raise our glasses once more to the wizard who dared to challenge the Dark Lord single-handedly, and to Mr. Green, the warrior who bought us time and safety! Cheers!”

"Respectfully, Mr. Green!"

"Thank you, Mr. Green!"

This time, without any prompting or hesitation, the sound resounded throughout the restaurant.

Whether it was the students who called out their names or the adult wizards who were still feeling lingering sorrow, they all stood up from the bottom of their hearts, raised their cups high, and looked with gratitude at Grindelwald in the center of the long table and Snape standing there.

Grindelwald remained seated. He seemed completely unconcerned about the spectacle before him, even calmly picking up his knife and fork, cutting off a small piece of perfectly roasted pork chop, elegantly putting it into his mouth, and chewing it slowly.

However, if one were close enough, such as in Snape's position, one might be able to observe a barely perceptible flicker of satisfaction and pleasure beneath Grindelwald's slightly lowered eyelids.

Although his expression remained calm and composed, and the corners of his mouth did not turn up, the cold and sharp aura around him seemed to have softened and warmed a bit compared to before.

The banquet finally drew to a close in a complex atmosphere. Led by the professor, the students left the restaurant in an orderly fashion and returned to the lounge, while the elves began efficiently cleaning up the mess.

The group rescued from Azkaban—Ms. Kate, the Tonks family, and the Longbottoms—naturally remained in the restaurant, not following the crowd. Their gazes were all fixed on Grindelwald, who was wiping his mouth. The danger Grindelwald had faced on this mission was self-evident.

Little Tonks was the most eager. She broke free from her mother's hand and ran happily towards Grindelwald with her short legs. But she was running too fast and didn't watch where she was going, and her little feet carelessly tripped over the leg of a chair next to her.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed.

The chair was kicked and tilted to the side. Little Tonks lost his balance and fell flat on his back with a thud.

"It's all this chair's fault!" She sat on the floor, rubbing her sore bottom, and complained angrily, "This is the second time I've tripped over it."

　Thank you to Yi Yun_, 9gqwwp, I am a jellyfish, Pigs can fly, Bai Zhe Shu, and Book Friend 20200214114556764 for the monthly tickets.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)