Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 139 The Value of a Dud

The air seemed to have inexplicably thinned out in Rozier's perception.

He was breathing heavily as he left the Auror headquarters, passed through the black cats that were merely watching him without doing anything to stop him, and arrived at the main hall of the Ministry of Magic.

The place is now lit with dim yellow lights, and the bustling crowds of the daytime are gone.

After the alarm sounded, the employees, who were already close to the end of their workday, were evacuated ahead of time.

Apart from a small number of employees who needed to stay in the Ministry, the vast Ministry of Magic was mostly occupied by black cats, and it was rare to see any human figures.

Rozier stood in the middle of the hall, trying to calm his breathing, and spoke to the air in a trembling voice.

“I’m right here! She told me that on the very afternoon I remembered those things! Right now, at this very moment, something will come to me!”

It was extremely quiet around him, except for the puzzled black cats that gathered around him, blinking and watching the young man with the permitted pass, wondering who he was talking to.

Rozier continued to examine and search his surroundings, as if he were certain he could find a creature that could restore him.

And soon enough, he actually found the creature that shouldn't have been in the French Ministry of Magic.

It was a silvery-white snake coiled around the water pipe in the shadow of the ceiling!

The silver snake was very slender, only about 12 or 3 inches long and as thick as an index finger. From a distance, it looked like a real living creature, raising its triangular head and flicking its tongue at Rozier.

But only upon closer inspection can one discover that this little snake is entirely made of a special kind of pure silver. It is essentially an alchemical creation, yet it possesses a soul like a living creature, just like a normal little snake!
The black cats of the Ministry of Magic did not notice that this was a completely inanimate object in their perception, but Rozier subconsciously swallowed after seeing it.

He said, his voice trembling.

"It's you, isn't it! You're the one who gave me the bracelet! I followed you to get the things, and then, I brought them in."

The silver snake did not answer Rozier's question; it simply slithered along the ceiling pipes, leaving a trail of water, and meandered deeper into the Ministry of Magic.

Rozier resumed his steps, following the silver snake as it led him through many departments of the French Ministry of Magic, the snake even consciously guiding him past some wizarding employees remaining within the ministry.

Finally, they arrived at a large gate!
On the plaque beside the door, Rozier saw the name of the department behind it—

[Minister's Office]

Rozier's body trembled uncontrollably, like a sieve!

He was just a Squib, but precisely because he was a Squib, he had lived for a long time in both magical and ordinary societies, and knew very well what the Minister of Magic's office was like.

And now, he, a dud who doesn't even have a wand and can't even use the simplest levitation spell, is trying to trespass into such a place!
However, before Rozier could hesitate, the small silver snake swam down from the ceiling, coiled around the doorknob, and soon its body seemed to melt, turning into a ball of silver liquid and disappearing into the keyhole.

The next second, with a click, the door, which had been sealed with a reverse-lock spell after being closed, was quietly opened.

The silver snake reappeared from the crack behind the door. It returned to the ceiling and led the way. When it found Rozier standing there in a daze, it turned its head and flicked its tongue as if urging him on.

Rozier gritted his teeth and stepped through the door. The black cats around him stared at him with strange looks, as if wondering how he had the authority to open the door.

Once he had completely stepped inside, Rozier didn't dare to stop for a moment, fearing that if he stopped, he wouldn't have the courage to take another step.

So he followed the little snake through a long corridor and finally arrived at a room at the end of the corridor.

The silver snake repeated the process, opening the door to the room and leading Rosier to the office area of ​​the French Minister of Magic, Russo. The room was enormous, with understated yet luxurious decor, making Rosier hesitant to even step onto the snow-white cashmere carpet!

Rousseau was not there, nor were most of the minister's office staff. Since Auror began his aggressive purge of France, he had been required to attend various rallies and press conferences to provide political support for Auror's actions.

Urged on by the little snake, Rozier finally stepped into the room and saw the fireplace behind the desk.

The fireplace was extinguished, but it was not sealed off, making it one of the very few fireplaces in the entire French Ministry of Magic that were not sealed off!

The silver snake coiled around Rozier's right leg and slithered into his hand, leaving some shimmering green powder in his palm.

That's Floo Powder that has been located and identified. As long as you sprinkle it into the fireplace and say the exact location, you can connect to the fireplace that is not connected to the Floo Network!
Holding the powder, Rozier moved to the fireplace.

His face was frighteningly pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat, but having already come this far, he had clearly put all his hesitation and doubts to the back of his mind!
He sprinkled the shimmering green powder into the fireplace, and a cluster of green flames suddenly burst into flames!

The firelight illuminated Rozier's face as he took a deep breath and called out the place name.

“The branch of the Ayme Monastery in Valdmarn!” The green flames leaped, the light quickly turning into a pale green, and then, a few seconds later, a tall figure emerged from the fire.

The elderly witch, dressed in a nun's tunic and robe, and wearing a humpal headscarf, calmly walked out of the green flames and stood before Rozier.

Looking at the figure who had only allowed him to call her "Auntie Aimee" since childhood, and never allowed him to use any other name, Rozier finally had no more scruples this time.

"Aunt! You promised me! If I do it! You'll let Mary and me live a good life! You'll let me completely break away from everything related to witchcraft and magic! You won't use her to threaten me anymore!"

"You promised!!"

Aunt Amy, or rather Vida Rozier, simply looked at him coldly without saying a word.

Behind her, one elderly figure after another emerged from the flames!

"Where are we supposed to look? The French Ministry of Magic is so big, and even Mrs. Rosier hasn't seen where he went!"

As soon as Harry came out of the bedroom, reality poured cold water on him.

He certainly doesn't lack courage and confidence, but after all, he's still just a nine-year-old child. Sometimes, even if he wants to do something, he seems powerless to do so.

Fortunately, even without Severus by his side, Lupin was no useless wizard!
"His actions could not be hidden from the guards."

Lupin stared at the black kittens, then crouched down, waved his wand, and used a silvery-white light to depict Rozier's appearance in front of the kittens.

"You saw him, didn't you? Can you take us to him?"

The black cats clearly had different personalities; some ignored Lupin's words and arrogantly turned away, while others clearly reacted.

They started running ahead to lead the way, and Lupin and Harry didn't hesitate and immediately followed the black cats toward the main hall.

Upon arriving at the main hall, the guards seemed to have exchanged information and replaced Lupin and his companion with several other black cats, who then led them deeper into the Ministry of Magic.

Soon, they were led to the door of the minister's office.

The door wasn't completely closed; it was ajar, and they could easily push it open.

But Lupin hesitated after seeing the plaque for the minister's office.

“In principle, we shouldn’t trespass into such a place. This is France, and we are English wizards.”

Harry seemed to have thought of something, and he continued to rummage through his satchel, quickly finding a commissioner's certificate issued by the International Magical Cooperation Division of the British Ministry of Magic!
Inside that document was Harry's photo and Dudley Dursley's name.

"They invited the teacher to join the Anglo-French Auror joint investigation team, right? I am also a commissioner of the British Ministry of Magic and have the authority to assist the teacher in the investigation. It is perfectly legal for me to come in!"

Lu Ping stared at the commissioner's certificate and gritted his teeth.

"Alright! Even if something goes wrong, we can just have Severus contact the Ministry of Magic to bail us out!"

Having made their decision, the two stepped into the corridor of the minister's office without further hesitation.

But when they entered, the little black cats stopped at the door. They had their own rules: such places were not allowed to be entered.

Lupin and Harry passed by a series of closed doors on both sides of the corridor, and finally they saw that the door to the room at the end was the only one that was open!
The two exchanged a glance, held their breath, and gripped their wands tightly. They moved quietly, already able to faintly hear voices inside the room.

"You promised!!"

"Of course I promised you, Patrick, but do you really think that doing something like this will completely sever your ties with wizards and magic?"

"Your future was sealed the moment you were born into the Rozier family. Why do you think your parents abandoned you in a Muggle city instead of leaving you in some remote forest?"

"Only by killing you completely can we remove the stain on your family. Throwing you into a Muggle city and letting you continue to be raised by Muggles would only be a greater disgrace."

"You survived only because I suggested to them that you be handed over to me, even though you are a shameful Squib, you can still contribute to this noble name."

"Yes, from the moment you were abandoned, to being adopted by me, to finding a job, renting that apartment, and meeting Mary, it was all predetermined."

"That's all for now, Patrick, so that now you can contribute your only value."

(End of this chapter)