Hogwarts: I am Snape

Dumbledore's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on the werewolf covered in blood, cowering in the corner. His brow furrowed slightly, and then he raised a hand.

In an instant, all the curtains around the cabin snapped shut, and even the huge observation glass in front of the captain's cabin was covered with a thick layer of fog, blocking out the cold moonlight.

“James, Sirius,” the headmaster’s voice remained reassuringly calm, “what happened?”

Before James could even gather his words to reply, Mundungus, who had been ignored, suddenly jumped out and squeezed through the crowd to stand in front of Dumbledore, shrilly and eager to take credit.

“Professor Dumbledore!” He held up a dirty finger, pointing at the tall werewolf. “It was me! I stumbled upon them while patrolling the lower decks of the ship! This werewolf, it killed one of our prisoners!”
"Right in the solitary confinement cell! The scene was quite something..." Mundungus paused, glancing questioningly at the unusually docile, even trembling werewolf, his tone becoming somewhat uncertain, "Don't let its seemingly harmless appearance fool you..." He then raised his voice, "I was incredibly brave back then, and it took me a lot of effort to subdue him!"

"Which prisoner?" Dumbledore's eyes sharpened, his gentle aura instantly transforming into one of intense pressure. He turned to Mundungus and immediately pressed, "Is he still alive? What's his name?"

Mundungus was so intimidated by Dumbledore's imposing presence that he shrank back, almost wanting to hide behind someone else.

“Professor,” he swallowed hard and stammered, “I…I checked, he’s dead as dead as can be…it’s Peter Pettigrew.”

“Peter?” Dumbledore’s usual composure vanished somewhat. “Peter Pettigrew? Why is he our prisoner?” His gaze swept over James and Sirius’s pale faces, finally settling on Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, stepped forward, and her face was filled with sorrow. “Albus,” she called out, “a lot has happened in this time…”

She began to recount the events that had occurred while he was unconscious to the newly awakened headmaster: the departure of James and his two companions from the Founders' Ship, Peter Pettigrew joining the Death Eaters and betraying the Potters, which led to the loss of the Invisibility Cloak and the tragic deaths of James's parents.

When she mentioned the "Invisibility Cloak," Snape keenly observed that Dumbledore's eyes behind his half-moon spectacles flickered, his brows furrowed, and a distinct emotional fluctuation crossed his face. It was not merely surprise, but a mixture of deep worry and solemnity.

Meanwhile, inside the ship's cabin, a suppressed buzz of discussion arose among the Order of the Phoenix members who were learning of the matter for the first time. Whispers of surprise, anger, and disbelief mingled in the air.

Dumbledore raised his hand again, suppressing the commotion.

"Please be quiet." He looked around at everyone and said, "You've all worked hard. I hope you can all go back to your cabins and rest first. I will meet with everyone in the dining room at breakfast tomorrow to let all the teachers and students know that I'm safe and sound."

“As for what I saw and heard here tonight,” Dumbledore said, emphasizing his words slightly, “I hope everyone will keep it confidential for now. I will handle it appropriately.” He turned to Moody, “Alastor, would you please go and see for yourself?”

Although everyone was still full of questions, and some, like Professor Flitwick, still had hesitation on their faces, under Dumbledore's calm gaze, they chose to believe the headmaster and left the captain's cabin one after another, talking in hushed tones. Mundungus, who wanted to say something, was also pushed away by Moody.

Finally, only Snape, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, James, Sirius Black, and the werewolf still with his head down in the corner remained in the room.

“Severus,” Dumbledore’s gaze shifted to Snape, “I’ll come see you privately after I’ve dealt with this.” Seeing that Snape still showed no sign of leaving, the headmaster blinked. “Could it be… that this has something to do with you?”

“Of course not, my dear professor.” Upon hearing the question, Snape’s face immediately showed undisguised displeasure. He didn’t want to let James and the others speak freely in front of the headmaster. He himself should explain the situation.

"I just happen to be able to provide some insignificant 'convenience' for certain causes..." he said, slowly pulling something out of his pocket.

The silver-gray, liquid-like invisibility cloak was unfurled in Snape's hands, revealing the charred hole pierced by the goblin dagger.

“Professor,” Snape held up the Invisibility Cloak, shook it to clearly show the hole to everyone, “look at this.”

"While you were wallowing in self-pity or idly daydreaming, causing Mr. Riddle to abandon his original plan to hide the treasure in the cave because of your reckless actions, and allowing yourself to sleep so comfortably for such a long time."

Seeing the familiar Potter family heirloom in such a damaged state, James couldn't help but gape and instinctively took a small step forward. Sirius Black, standing nearby, immediately reached out and subtly tugged at his robe.

James stopped moving. He looked at the hole in the Invisibility Cloak, then said nothing and silently retreated.

Ignoring James's actions, Dumbledore's gaze was fixed on the Invisibility Cloak.

After a moment, he nodded slowly and said sincerely, "You did very well, Severus, better than I could have imagined."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Snape, Professor McGonagall, and the other three people present: "I want to apologize to you, to Minerva, and to every teacher and student at Hogwarts."

"If it weren't for your loyalty, courage, and exceptional adaptability, my arrogance and unauthorized actions might have led to even more irreparable consequences."

As he spoke, he glanced at Snape and gave a slight bow to everyone present.

Straightening up, Dumbledore turned to James and the others, and said gently, "Children, can you tell me what exactly happened down there tonight?"

“I…” James raised his head, his eyes red beneath his black hair. “I…” He glanced instinctively at Snape, but Snape only returned his gaze with almost indifferent indifference. James quickly lowered his head, his black hair once again obscuring his eyes.

“Tonight, I wanted to…” he began with difficulty, “to avenge my parents, to avenge that despicable traitor. I sneaked down there while the house-elves were changing shifts…” He paused, his breathing becoming rapid, “But I didn’t expect… Sirius and Remus, they followed me there.” His body swayed slightly, brushing against Sirius, who was also bowing his head beside him.

Dumbledore sighed, letting out a heavy breath through his nose. "And then?" he asked.

“Then,” James’s voice trailed off, almost inaudibly, “as I opened the prison door and pointed my wand at…at that traitor…Sirius and Remus shoved me from behind. We wrestled, and they tried to stop me…”

“But that compartment had a narrow window,” his voice trembled with a sob, “the moonlight shone right on Remus, and he… he turned into a werewolf… pounced on Pettigrew, bit him… Pettigrew’s cries attracted Mundungus…”

After hearing James's story, Dumbledore calmly looked at the werewolf in the corner who was whimpering when he heard his name.

“Severus,” he asked, “I suppose you have been supplying Remus with the full amount of wolfsbane on time?”

“Of course, Professor,” Snape replied calmly, his tone completely flat. James and Sirius, standing nearby, involuntarily raised their heads slightly, their lips tightening.

“But,” Snape changed the subject, “according to Mr. Damocles’ groundbreaking paper published in Potions Masters, the effects of Wolfsbane Potion are not absolutely reliable; there are individual differences and a small probability of failure, isn’t there, Professor?” He looked at Dumbledore. “I think it’s a matter of probability.”

"Perhaps at the very moment the moonlight pierced through the narrow cabin window and shone on Remus, the active ingredients in his body were at a rather unstable low point, leading to this regrettable and unexpected loss of control?"

Upon hearing Snape's words, James and Sirius breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously, and released their grip on each other's hands.

“Hmm,” Snape tilted his head slightly, as if pondering an interesting academic question, “that’s a good angle. Perhaps I can gather more relevant data and publish an article in *The Practical Potions Master* discussing this extreme case—”

“Alright, Severus, I understand.” Dumbledore timely interrupted Snape’s “academic discussion,” his eyes indicating he understood the unspoken message. “I will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter later and deal with it according to the law—”

“Alright, Professor, I don’t understand,” Snape interrupted the headmaster as well. “What law are you referring to?”
"Is it the law enforced by the 'Ministry of Magic' and 'Wizengamor' that is now firmly controlled by Voldemort and his cronies, used to persecute the innocent and issue warrants for our arrest?"

"If that's the case, why don't we turn the ship around now, take everyone on board, and turn ourselves in to the Ministry of Magic? Perhaps they'll give us a 'fair' trial and a chance to get up close and personal with Dementors, since we're turning ourselves in?"

Dumbledore was taken aback, then waved his hand dismissively, a hint of helplessness and understanding on his face.

“Alright, Severus,” he said. “I understand the situation.”

Snape nodded seriously, following Dumbledore's train of thought, his tone becoming serious:
"Yes, Professor, it's so good that you understand. Your condition was extremely critical during the time you were in a coma."

“During these days, we are like stray dogs, floating in the sky, and we are having an extremely difficult time.”

"On one occasion, the Death Eaters even tracked us down to the Founder's Ship and engaged in a fierce battle with us; many of our companions were captured and taken to Azkaban, where their fates were uncertain."

Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh deeply, his face filled with guilt and pity.

"You..." he murmured, "It's been so difficult. It's me..."

“It’s alright, Professor, we don’t blame you.” Snape didn’t stop, but softened his tone and continued, “These days, for the safety of all the teachers and students, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who risk their lives to protect them, we have had to take some unconventional, even gray-area, measures.”

"Fortunately, the outcome was good," he straightened his back. "I am honored to report to you that, despite the perilous journey, everyone we took from Hogwarts is safe and sound. Uh, except for Peter Pettigrew."

"However, to get back to the point, I think you will understand the special measures we have to take in order to survive and ultimately win during this special period, right?"
"After all, without your support and guidance during this period, everyone was under immense pressure and their nerves were stretched to the limit in the face of an unprecedentedly powerful and evil dark wizard like Voldemort. In the end, everything we did was to protect as many innocent people as possible."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over James and Sirius's lowered heads, over Lupin's disheveled werewolf form, and over the deep shadow in Professor McGonagall's eyes.

“I think I understand what you mean.” Finally, he nodded slowly. “In this critical moment of life and death, we really don’t need to, and can’t, be so pedantic as to follow all the existing, distorted laws and rules.”

"In times of emergency, one must act expediently; necessary flexibility is the wisdom of survival. Don't worry, although I am an old man, I am not so old that I cannot distinguish right from wrong or am rigid and confused. I will understand your difficult choices and everything you have done."

Having received Dumbledore's verbal promise, Snape secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained solemn. After all, the scenario he feared most had not yet occurred.

"Alright." Dumbledore seemed a little tired. He ended the topic and turned to Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, I'll have to trouble you to settle the three of them. Prepare some calming potions for them so they can get some rest."

“Remus,” he said gently, glancing specifically at Lupin in the corner, “we will arrange a private room for you. Remember, even if you take the wolfsbane potion on time, please do not leave your room during the full moon, okay? This is for everyone’s safety.”

Lupin lowered his massive wolf head, letting out submissive, muffled whimpers, and vigorously shook his head up and down a few times.

Just as Professor McGonagall gestured to James, Sirius, and Lupin to prepare to lead them out of the captain's cabin, a clear and steady sound of footsteps approached from the corridor outside.

Immediately afterwards, the hatch clicked open, and a slightly impatient voice followed:

"Why don't I see Dumbledore in the infirmary? Move him to—" (End of Chapter)