Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 92 is not vigilant enough.

The shadows of the trees stretched long on the ground, and the little girl stood timidly in the shade cast by the oak tree, her fingers gripping the vine handle of the flower basket tightly. She was about seven or eight years old, wearing a faded linen dress, her bare feet speckled with mud.

Beside them followed a man with a vacant stare and filthy clothes. His skin was an unhealthy grayish-white, his arms hung limply at his sides, and he was utterly lifeless.

“It’s so late, sir,” the old woman noticed Snape’s arrival, her eyes lit up, and an exaggerated smile spread across her wrinkled face, revealing her mouth with only three black and yellow teeth left. “Are you lost? Do you need any help?”

“Thank you for your kindness, but no need.” Snape’s fingers quietly slid towards the wand hidden in his sleeve. “I was just… passing by.”

"You look terrible, poor child, you must be starving," the old woman said, stepping forward without waiting for a reply. "Would you like to come to our house for dinner? My granddaughter just picked some fresh mushrooms. I can also give you directions."

The little girl shrank back, seemingly shyly hiding behind the old woman, yet she couldn't help but peek at the stranger from behind her.

Snape noticed that the dazed man subconsciously took two steps toward the little girl.

“Truly…a touching passion,” Snape said slowly, his fingers subtly tightening around his wand.

"Collapse!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The two incantations burst forth almost simultaneously in the twilight.

Snape did a side roll, and the green light grazed his shoulder, burning a charred hole in the tree trunk behind him.

His hastily uttered spell of incantation was so off-target that it didn't even brush against the old woman's robe.

Worse still, he felt an unusual vibration coming from the wand in his hand; the ancient wand he had picked up from the cave seemed to be struggling under the weight.

"Young people these days have no respect for the elderly or care for the young!" the old woman shouted shrilly, her voice suddenly becoming high-pitched and shrill.

Her withered fingers moved nimbly, and a series of evil curses shot out from the tip of the staff.

Snape dodged and weaved amidst the barrage of magical attacks, his robes torn in several places by the branches.

"Where's Nagini..." he thought anxiously to himself, "Why isn't he showing up now..."

The little girl seemed stunned by the sudden battle and stood motionless.

The man standing next to her still had that blank look on his face.

"Grandma, watch out!"

In a flash, the seemingly frail little girl suddenly unleashed astonishing strength, pushing the old woman with all her might.

The elderly witch screamed and fell face down into the mud, her last remaining front tooth knocked out, and her wand spun as it flew towards the bushes.

Snape didn't let this fleeting opportunity slip by. He pounced towards the wand like a cheetah. At the last second, his fingertips touched the wooden handle of the wand.

As the old woman struggled to sit up, she saw him slowly rise, holding her magic wand.

"Goodbye, old lady." Snape grinned, revealing a somewhat sinister smile.

A dazzling red light shot out from the newly acquired wand.

The old woman was struck by the curse; her feet left the ground, and she flew out like a kite, crashing heavily into the oak tree behind her before falling to the ground.

"Thank you, sir!" The little girl's face lit up with surprise, and large tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving two white streaks on her dirty little face. "This old witch killed my mother, tied me up here, boohoo... she even did terrible experiments on me..."

She rolled up her sleeves, trembling, revealing the dense scars on her wrists.

She then pointed to the man who stood frozen in place, sobbing, "This is my father, she turned him into this..."

Snape's expression shifted subtly. He lowered his wand, his voice softening: "Thank you, little girl. Don't be afraid, you're safe now."

Just as the little girl showed a relaxed expression, he suddenly raised his arm: "Tie her up quickly!"

A thick rope appeared out of nowhere and bound the little girl tightly, rendering her arms immobile. The tears on her face froze instantly, replaced by incredulous shock.

"Stay vigilant at all times," Snape said gruffly. "Sorry, I need to make sure I'm safe first."

He flicked his wand, casting two binding spells on the unconscious old witch and the dazed man.

The old witch's wand twirled nimbly in his hand. Although it was still not as good as his original wand, it was much more convenient than the junk he had found in the cave.

He lightly tapped the old witch's chest with his wand: "Quickly revive!"

“Hello, ma’am,” Snape said gently, bending down. “What are you and your lovely granddaughter doing here? Could you tell me how to get out of this forest?”

"Oh dear, young man, why be so rough?" The old witch opened her cloudy eyes, saw that she was tightly bound, and unexpectedly chuckled. "Let go of your grandmother, and I'll take you out of the forest..."

“Do you take me for a three-year-old monster?” Snape looked at her calmly, his wand slowly lowering to her forehead. “In that case, let’s do something exciting. Perhaps the Crucifixion Curse will make you more honest.”

He took a breath and shouted, "Heart-piercing—"

The old witch suddenly let out a strange cry, like the wail of a baby.

"careful!"

Before Snape could finish his spell, a heart-wrenching scream came from behind him, followed by the loud snapping of the rope and a monstrous roar.

Snape only had time to turn halfway around before he was slammed away by a tremendous force.

He tumbled through the air, breaking several tree branches with his back, before crashing heavily into a bush.

When he struggled to his feet, he found that the previously dazed man's mouth and nose protruded forward to form a snout, gray-black hair spread all over his body, and his fingers were bent into sharp claws.

A few seconds later, a fully formed werewolf stood on its hind legs in a forest clearing, drool dripping from between its fangs.

"You're not vigilant enough," the old witch hummed a strange tune.

Under her command, the werewolf carefully used its claws to cut the ropes binding her.

Just then, a familiar rustling sound came from the bushes.

The old witch turned around alertly and shouted, "Who—"

A huge black shadow shot out from the dense forest and crashed into the werewolf from the side.

Nagini's massive body coiled around the werewolf, the scales and fur rubbing together with a teeth-grinding sound.

The werewolf howled in pain the moment the venomous fangs pierced its shoulder, its claws scraping sparks from the snake scales.

Snape seized the opportunity to get up, grabbed his wand, and shouted, "Crunch in the Heart!"

The old witch let out a painful scream.

The spell knocked her to the ground. She tried to stand up, but could only writhe in vain like a fish out of water.

　Thanks to whyhowanddo for the monthly pass.

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　　I'll try to finish this part tomorrow.

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　　It's finally out! What a hassle, the revisions are a complete mess, and I haven't even written today's yet.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)