Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 165 Lamb Flag Bar
Just as Ted and Andromeda were about to go over to help him up, little Tonks scrambled to his feet, dusted off his slightly dusty robe, and ran towards Grindelwald as if nothing had happened.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Green!” She stopped in front of him, looking up at him with her small face. “Thank you for saving us!”

Then, Tonks seemed to feel that talking wasn't enough and was eager to demonstrate something. She took a deep breath, her face turning slightly red.

Then, her nose began to deform. First, it stretched forward like clay, the tip protruding and swelling like a bird's beak; the next moment, it shrank back in a flash, becoming short and round, with a red tip, like a newly sprouted little mushroom.

"Isn't this interesting, sir?" Tonks looked at Grindelwald expectantly, trying to control his nose which was moving around.

For the first time, a hint of interest appeared in Grindelwald's eyes as he looked with great interest at Tonks's nose, which could be deformed at will.

“Disguise Magus…” he said softly, “quite remarkable, little one.” He then looked up at Ted and Andromeda, who had followed closely behind, “Such a gifted ability to shapeshift is truly rare, exceptionally rare.” He paused, looked at the couple, and said in an unyielding tone, “Let her learn magic from me.”

Ted was clearly surprised by Grindelwald's words and instinctively looked at his wife, seeking her opinion; Andromeda hesitated. Nymphadora was so young, not yet old enough to formally learn magic, but this might be a rare opportunity...

While Andromeda was still struggling with his decision, Snape had already walked up to Tonks, reached out, and gently patted the head of the little Tonks, who was still grinning foolishly at Grindelwald's praise.

"What are you all standing there for?" he said. "Don't just stand there like an idiot slug. Hurry up and call the teacher!"

Nymphadora immediately realized what was happening, turned around, her little face beaming with a smile, and enthusiastically called out to Grindelwald, "Teacher!"

“Very good.” Grindelwald seemed quite satisfied with the title and nodded reservedly.

Under the watchful eyes of those around him, Grindelwald slowly took an item from his dress pocket. It was a necklace.

The delicate mithril chain gleamed with a warm luster under the lamplight. The pendant, however, was not a common style; instead, it was a uniquely shaped, multifaceted deep purple gemstone. The gemstone wasn't large, but it appeared profound and understated, shimmering with a mysterious luster, as if containing a galaxy within.

Ms. Rozier, standing behind him, immediately understood.

She stepped forward, took the necklace from Grindelwald's palm, knelt down, and gently looped it around little Tonks' neck, fastening it around her neck. The purple gemstone dangled onto the little girl's clothes, complementing her hair color.

Having done all this, Ms. Rozier quickly stood up and stepped aside. Grindelwald, having already put down his napkin, stood up briskly and walked straight towards the restaurant door. Ms. Rozier gave little Tonks a final smile and hurried after Grindelwald.

After Grindelwald left the restaurant, Snape turned to Ted and Andromeda.

"Congratulations," he said.

Ted and Andromeda were both taken aback and looked at him in confusion.

“To have such a teacher is absolutely Nymphadora’s good fortune.” Snape looked down at Tonks. “Mr. Grimm possesses magical skill and vision that are beyond the reach of ordinary people.”

Ted's face showed gratitude, but even more so confusion and a hint of awe.

“Mr. Snape, we are very grateful. But,” he began hesitantly, “who exactly is Mr. Grimm? How could he… how could he…” He hesitated for a moment, then finally uttered the name in a low voice, “fight against Voldemort?”

“Mr. Ted,” Snape shook his head slightly, “sometimes we don’t need to know so much. If you’re willing to trust me,” he changed the subject, his tone becoming mysterious, “though I’m a few years younger than you, I’ve gone further than anyone else in choosing this unfathomable art.”

"Let's put it this way, putting aside all the obscure jargon, you only need to remember one thing: the situation you are in today is the best that fate could have given you as a family of three. If you had chosen to completely stand aside, you might have caused more family members to lose their lives in the future."

Andromeda leaned against her husband, her gaze already turned away from the direction Grindelwald had left.

“This is already very good, Mr. Snape. Thank you.” She spoke before her husband. “This is the second time you have saved us.”

Snape nodded slightly, accepting the gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” he said, then looked at Ted. “Ted, once you’re settled, go find Alastor Moody. He’ll arrange some work for you that you can manage. The ship needs manpower, especially experienced adult wizards like yourself.”

“Okay, I understand.” Ted nodded solemnly.

……

The next day at noon, after finishing his substitute teaching of Potions, Snape returned to his room deep inside the ship's cabin.

The wooden cabin was clean and bright. He closed the door, shutting out the sounds of the corridor, and took out the letter from Narcissa Malfoy from the inside pocket of his robe.

With the gentle sound of the wind outside the window, he walked to the small table by the window and ran his fingertips along the sealing wax seal on the letter.

With a gentle push of his fingertips, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.

The letter was brief, written in Narcissa's familiar yet slightly anxious cursive script.

In her letter, she only left a time and place, along with the request that "there are very, very important matters that must be discussed in person."

Snape's gaze lingered on the letter and address for a few seconds: Lamb Flag Bar, 33 Rose Street, London, England.

As far as he knew, this should be a Muggle pub. Narcissa chose to meet there, clearly to avoid the wizarding world's attention.

Finally, he made up his mind. Going there should be an option.

While the possibility of Narcissa's involvement cannot be completely ruled out, the Malfoys lost Tom Riddle's diary. If Narcissa could make it clear that he wasn't the only one who knew the secret, then, given her rationality, she wouldn't do anything drastic.

With a light tap of the wand, a blue flame instantly engulfed the letter.

After doing all this, Snape left the cabin and, after finishing his meal, walked along the passageway to the deck.

The afternoon sun, filtered through the protective shield, shone warmly on the wooden planks.

The towering Hagrid leaned against the ship's railing, enjoying the breeze; his massive body cast a long shadow in the sunlight.

His hound, Tooth, was excitedly running around in circles on the deck, chasing after non-existent prey; while on a pile of ropes higher up, Mrs. Lorris was curled up in a ball, lazily dozing, her tail occasionally swaying contentedly.

Seeing this harmonious scene, Snape felt a sense of relief. He took a small dried fish out of his pocket, walked upwind, and gently waved the dried fish.

The strong fishy smell immediately carried on the wind. Ya Ya, who was running around happily, suddenly stopped, its huge nose frantically sniffing, its head turning towards the source of the smell.

It saw the dried fish in Snape's hand, and its saliva dripped uncontrollably onto the deck.

The hound's moist brown eyes were filled with longing, and it let out a soft whimper as it circled Snape's feet cautiously and anxiously.

The rich aroma also drifted upwards.

Mrs. Lorris, who was curled up, twitched her nostrils slightly, her small ears twitched, and then she slowly opened her yellow eyes, meowed in dissatisfaction, stretched out a long yawn high up, and rubbed her sharp claws against the cable a few times.

After seeing the food in Snape's hand, she lightly leaped down and walked away with elegant cat-like steps.

When the kitten saw that Ya Ya was eyeing the dried fish that "belonged to her," it immediately arched its back and let out a low whimper.

"Woo..." Ya Ya was startled by the aggressive little guy and took two steps back with a pitiful whimper, but her eyes were still fixed on the dried fish, and her saliva was flowing even more fiercely.

Snape gently tossed the dried fish to Mrs. Lorris.

The cat leaped lightly, nimbly caught the food with its mouth, and then gracefully curled its pink tongue before enjoying its meal.

Seeing this, Tooth drooped its tail and let out a louder whimper, full of grievance and sorrow, watching longingly but not daring to approach Mrs. Loris, who was guarding her food.

"Alright, Toothpick." Snape pulled out another dried fish and held it to Toothpick's mouth. "I just wanted to make you a friend."

Ya Ya immediately forgot her earlier grievances, happily swallowed the food in one gulp, her tail swayed like a propeller, and she even excitedly jumped around several times.

"Sit down!" Snape commanded.

Tooth immediately sat obediently on the ground, hind legs together, front paws on the ground, tail still sweeping back and forth on the deck, but his eyes were still looking at Snape eagerly, as if expecting more.

He took out another small dried fish, but this time he didn't give it to him immediately. He held the dried fish slightly above Ya Ya's head. Ya Ya stretched its neck, its tail wagging so fast it became a blur.

“This is Tooth,” he said to Mrs. Lorris. “He looks fierce, but he’s actually stupid and cowardly.” He patted Tooth’s fluffy head. “This is Mrs. Lorris. Your master, Hagrid, hopes you can be friends with her.”

Mrs. Lorris scrutinized the large dog before her, which was several times her size but cowered over a dried fish, especially its large tongue sticking out and licking its nose, drool dripping from it. She then looked at Snape.

Ultimately, her craving for the dried fish and her trust in Snape overcame her wariness, and she cautiously approached Toothpaste step by step, her big eyes fixed on his reaction.

When Ya Ya saw the kitten approaching, she was so excited that she couldn't help but want to jump again.

"Sit down, don't move!" Snape immediately pressed down on his large head. Tooth whimpered and tried to stay seated, with only the tip of his tail twitching rapidly.

Mrs. Lorris finally approached. She leaped lightly and landed on the large, furry head. She even used the momentum to adjust her posture, making sure she was in a stable position, and then reached out with one of her front paws to snatch the small dried fish that Snape was holding between his fingers.

She perched on Tooth's head, thoroughly enjoying her meal, and then, oblivious to everyone else, began to use her paws to clean the whiskers and cheeks covered in dried fish crumbs.

Ya Ya was clearly stunned for several seconds, but remembered the command "Don't move," and only made a slight gurgling sound in her throat.

Then, he could no longer contain himself, and disregarding orders, he stood up and began to run around on the deck with the kitten on his head.

"Meow!" Mrs. Loris cried out in surprise, her sharp toenails snapping out and hooking onto the long fur on the top of Ya Ya's head to prevent her from being thrown off.

Her figure bounced and swayed on the dog's head as Ya Ya ran.

Noticing the commotion, Hagrid turned around and looked at the two animals with affection.

“Severus,” he walked up to Snape, his eyes welling up with tears, “you really did it, incredible,” he said excitedly, “they became friends, what a touching friendship…” He blew his nose hard.

Yaya ran around excitedly for a few laps before finally stopping in front of Hagrid, panting heavily with excitement.

Mrs. Liz then released her grip, jumped down with a slight sense of relief, and without even glancing at Tooth, took small steps toward the high spot where it had been sleeping.

Several shallow scratches were left on Ya Ya's head, but its thick skin made it unconcerned, and it continued to wag its tail happily...

A few days later, Snape found Professor McGonagall, told her about the Horcruxes and the diary, and instructed her on how to spread the news.

After giving his instructions, he bid farewell to Yaya and Mrs. Lorris, who were already getting along well on the deck, and then left the Founder's Ship.

In a secluded corner of London, Snape carefully disguised himself.

Through body transformation, his cheeks and chin were filled with some excess fat, transforming him into an unremarkable, even somewhat short and stout, ordinary middle-aged man.

When he arrived at 33 Rose Street in his cheap Muggle coat, he was greeted by the Lamb Flag Bar.

This is a typical Tudor-era building, with a black and white timber frame structure that is slightly tilted, and the protruding half-timbered walls almost touching each other at higher levels.

A colorful sign stands at the entrance of the pub, depicting an adorable white lamb and introducing their "signature spirit - Captain's Remains," while prominently emphasizing in large print that "London's oldest pub, dating back to 1623."

The moment the wooden door closed, the hustle and bustle of the street was shut out. After a brief silence, the unique mixed smells of the bar, along with the soft old-fashioned jazz music, flowed into Snape's senses.

The light was dim, the candlelight flickered, and the air was warm and murky.

Snape's gaze swept quickly across the entire bar.

At a small two-person table partially hidden in the shadow of oak beams, he found his target: a beautiful blonde woman sitting alone, sipping amber liquid from a clear glass.

　Thank you weiwei0900 for the donation.

　　Thank you to kkonoe, weiwei0900, 霊叶, 立夏sq, 灶门.炭治郎, 猪也是飞, and 寅盒卫卫队 for the monthly tickets.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)