Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Harry slammed the dormitory door shut, the scar on his forehead throbbing as if it were being branded with a hot iron.

The sounds of Ron and Neville playing, the mixed smells of socks and Chocolate Frog cards in the dorm room.

Everything was suffocating him. He needed quiet, he needed to get away from it all.

He donned an invisibility cloak and silently passed through the lounge.

The portrait of the fat lady muttered something, but Harry ignored it and went straight out of the hole.

There were hardly any wizards in the castle corridors at that moment.

Harry quickened his pace unconsciously, as if something was chasing him.

Perhaps it was those blood-red eyes in the Forbidden Forest, or perhaps it was the sound of weeping that kept replaying in my mind.

When he pushed open the iron gate of the astronomical tower, the cold night wind hit him like a bucket of cold water.

Harry took a deep breath, ripped off the Invisibility Cloak, and let the cold wind rush into his robes, stinging his burning skin.

"Feeling better?"

Harry whirled around, his wand instantly pointing towards the source of the sound.

Kane Malfoy leaned against the wall, moonlight streaming through his platinum blonde hair.

He was toying with a small crystal bottle in his hand, the liquid inside slowly swirling like a trapped galaxy.

"Kane? What are you doing here?"

Harry's voice held a hint of surprise, and he immediately put away his wand.

Kane didn't answer directly, but instead walked over to Harry and looked down at the Forbidden Forest with him.

From this height, they could see the silvery surface of Black Lake and the ominous shadows at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Is the scar hurting again?"

Kane finally spoke, his tone so calm it didn't sound like he was asking a question.

Harry instinctively touched his forehead, where the lightning bolt-shaped scar was throbbing.

He didn't want to admit it, but the pain had indeed been getting more and more frequent these days.

Kane handed over the small bottle: "Moon dew and gill stalks, plus a little calming. It should help relieve your headache."

"Thank you, Kane."

Harry took the crystal vial, feeling a cool sensation on his fingertips.

He hesitated for a moment, then uncorked the bottle and took a sip.

Instantly, a refreshing taste of mint mixed with citrus spread in my mouth, and the burning pain in my forehead immediately lessened.

Kane leaned against the wall, the moonlight outlining a silver edge around him.

"Your scar has been hurting a lot since you came to school, hasn't it?"

His voice was soft, but it made Harry look up sharply.

How did you know?

"Because the mysterious person is nearby."

Kane stared directly at Harry with his grey-blue eyes. "And his current state... is quite unusual."

Harry's breath hitched. The night wind suddenly became biting, and he instinctively pulled his robes tighter around himself.

"Your scars."

Kane pointed to Harry's forehead. "It's from that failed Killing Curse. It's not just a scar; there's something else inside."

He paused for a moment, then said, "When Voldemort's emotions are in a strong state, or when he has a physical problem, your scar will hurt."

Harry's hand unconsciously touched the lightning bolt-shaped scar.

He suddenly remembered that when he first saw Professor Snape at the beginning of the semester, his scars had been throbbing.

"You mean...he's at Hogwarts right now?" Harry's voice trembled slightly. "But he's already—"

"Not completely dead."

Kane continued, "His soul resides in this school."

He looked towards the Forbidden Forest. "And he was recently injured, so he's even more unstable... That's why your scar has been hurting so badly lately."

Harry suddenly felt dizzy.

These past few days have been filled with nightmares, exhaustion, and that lingering second feeling.

Everything became clear. His fingers gripped the crystal bottle tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"But you look terrible," Kane frowned. "After drinking this potion, you should be able to get some rest today."

Harry gave a wry smile.

He hasn't been sleeping well these past few days!

Every night when I close my eyes, I see the image of the black-robed man in the Forbidden Forest bending down to drink the blood of a unicorn;

During the day, they also had to deal with Snape's difficult behavior.

Not to mention, they even had to secretly check on Lou Williams' safety without the professors' knowledge...

It would be strange if he wasn't in bad shape.

"Listen," Kane said, "curfew is almost here. You'd better go back and get some rest."

Harry nodded; he couldn't afford to deduct any more points from Gryffindor this time.

As soon as Harry disappeared into the shadows of the corridor, Kane suddenly turned around, his wand silently sliding into his palm.

"Eavesdropping is not a good habit, Professor." His voice was particularly clear in the night breeze.

The shadows on the stone wall suddenly twisted, and Snape emerged like a solidified mass of darkness.

His black robe blended into the night, only his dark eyes gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"I'm curious," Snape's voice was colder than the night wind, "how do you know so much?"

"More than that," Kane interrupted calmly, "shouldn't you explain why you had me deliver the soothing potion you brewed yourself to Harry?"

He remembered that when he received the crystal bottle, it was specially marked on the top: "For that green-eyed troublemaker."

A moment of silence.

The night wind lifted the hem of Snape's robe, revealing his tightly clenched left hand.

"Give him the potion; that's Dumbledore's request."

He finally said through gritted teeth.

Kane's lips curled into a slight smile: "Like when you were 'forced' to break the spell on Harry's broom during the Quidditch match? Like when you were 'unavoidably' protecting Harry in the Forbidden Forest?"

Snape suddenly moved closer to Kane and placed his large hand on Kane's shoulder: "Watch your words, Malfoy."

His voice was dangerously soft, "You think those little tricks can fool me? Harry Potter's Christmas present, the phoenix in the Forbidden Forest, and—"

He pulled up Kane's sleeve, revealing a scar on his arm. "—The wound I sustained that night."

Kane remained unfazed: "I thought you wouldn't ask."

“I don’t need to ask,” Snape said. “I recognized the potion scent on you right away. I just didn’t expect…”

His gaze sharpened. "You'll risk disguising yourself as Quirrell to confront the Dark Lord."

"And they're so stupid that they don't even go to the infirmary for treatment when they're injured!"

The clock tower in the distance chimed the midnight hour.

Kane straightened his disheveled sleeves: "We're on the same page, Professor."

Kane walked towards the stairwell, then paused on the steps. "By the way, Harry doesn't know yet, you're an old friend of his mother's, right?"

Snape's expression froze instantly.

Good night, professor.

Kane's figure was gradually swallowed by the darkness. "Remember to prepare next week's soothing medicine for Harry—don't write such a complicated note this time."

The Astronomical Tower has returned to silence.

Snape stood alone in the moonlight, an old photograph now in his hand—a red-haired girl smiling at him in the picture.

His fingertips gently traced the edge of the photograph, where a line of small words was written in faded ink:

"Lily, my forever friend"