Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 326 Harry: Snape is a good person!

Harry lay in bed, curled up in the blankets, lost in thought for a while, until the light grew brighter and brighter, casting the pure white of the world through the window. Only then did he fumble for his glasses and get up.

Leaving the warm bed, the air was dry and cold. My arms, exposed outside my bathrobe, felt like they were being scraped with a knife. Ron next door was completely buried under the covers and could not be seen. On the other beds, Seamus, Dean, and Neville were all in similar positions.

Harry rubbed his arms, got out of bed, grabbed his wand, and lit the fireplace.

The fire blazed up, gradually warming the dormitory. Several roommates, still asleep, groaned contentedly. Even Banban, curled up in its cage beside Ron's bed, straightened its legs and occasionally twitched.

Harry sniffed, warming himself by the fire, his red eyes behind his glasses reflecting the flames.

He didn't get much rest all night. Whenever he closed his eyes, it was as if he were back in the dungeon, seeing Snape summoning the wind, and seeing the glance Snape gave him just a second before he escaped into the maze.

He couldn't help but wonder what would happen to Snape after he and Malfoy left.

Will I see them again today?

Although Malfoy told him that Snape might be alright, for some reason Harry was still very worried, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped and lifted by an invisible hand.

After squatting in front of the fireplace lost in thought for a long time, as the sky brightened, I finally heard the sounds of other people behind me.

Ron: "Hey Harry, good morning. How was yesterday?"

Harry turned around and saw Ron stretching lazily in a seductive pose, his eyes still half-closed with sleep.

His expression was somewhat complicated. He longed to confide his anxiety to his best friend, but in the end, he kept his promise to Malfoy and slowly shook his head: "Nothing special. Just like the past few days, the board meeting has made no progress."

"Hmph, not surprising at all. I've figured it out now. Voting is supposedly the most democratic, but actually the most ridiculous thing in the world. If the adults don't discuss it properly, even if you vote for 100 years, the vote count might still be exactly the same!"

Perhaps it was the intense back-and-forth between the board members during this period that provoked Ron to have such strong opinions about the politics of the wizarding world.

His loud voice woke up the entire dormitory. Seamus, Dean, and Neville also asked Harry about what happened last night, and then followed Ron in criticizing the Board of Governors.

To avoid his friends noticing his unusual behavior, Harry joined them. However, when everyone had finished washing up and were getting ready to go to the Great Hall for breakfast, Ron pulled him back and asked him in a low voice!

"Did something else happen last night?"

Harry panicked a little and widened his eyes: "No, why do you ask that?"

Ron quipped, "Stop pretending. Look at your face; it's like you're wearing a million hats on it."

Harry, of course, vehemently denied it: "You must be seeing things!"

As they were talking, two girls caught up from behind. They were Ginny and Luna. Luna greeted them in her mesmerizing voice, "Harry, Ron, good morning."

Good morning, Luna, Ginny.

"Harry, are you alright? You look troubled," Luna asked curiously. Ginny, who was still shy around Harry, hid behind Luna and looked at him with concern.

Harry: "————"

Harry casually dismissed the two girls, his ears slightly red. Under Ron's winking and gesturing, he selectively recounted some of what happened last night.

Of course, Malfoy was omitted, otherwise Ron would probably have exploded on the spot.

By the time they finished speaking, they were almost at the Great Hall. Harry let out a heavy sigh and said with regret, "If only I had stayed a little longer, or if I had gone to find Professor McGonagall immediately—although I dislike him, I must say I've never seen him wave his wand and cast such powerful spells on anyone."

But Ron's reaction to his anxiety and rambling was calm: "Well, I don't know how powerful the magic you're talking about really is, but I'm sure Snape—Professor, is perfectly fine."

"Hmm? How are you sure?"

Harry's response was a groan forced from Ron's throat: "Because he's right in front of us!"

Harry looked up in surprise and saw Ron biting his lip, staring straight ahead without blinking.

Following his gaze, a few steps away at the entrance of the auditorium, there was a very limited shadow in the corner where the light from the skylight and the light leaking from inside the auditorium passed each other.

Snape stood there like a ghost, his lifeless eyes staring in their direction.

The young wizards passing by were terrified!

'

""

"Harry Potter!"

Under Harry's gaze, which shifted from sudden joy to growing terror, Snape drawled out each word: "Come to my office after breakfast!"

Harry spent the entire breakfast time absentmindedly.

Although today's breakfast was unusually varied, Christmas is just a week away. As the holidays approach, the mysterious Hogwarts kitchens prepare some dishes that people don't usually see.

It's probably a kind of ritual for the arrival of a holiday!

Noticing this, the long tables of the four houses began to discuss it with great interest. As is customary, in two days, Professor McGonagall would arrange for the student council to collect the young wizards' holiday plans. Those who were going home had to have their parents send their signatures as soon as possible, while those who were staying at school also had to register their names.

Just like last year, Simon and Dean are preparing to go home for the Christmas holidays.

“My mother has never been too happy about me coming to Hogwarts,” Dean said. “She wanted to take me to see some public schools during the holidays. In fact, she wanted to do that during the summer vacation, but those public schools were closed and visits were not allowed.”

"Closed school? Is it because there's no one here during the holidays?" Neville asked casually out of curiosity.

But Dean's dark face went blank: "No, it's because they're tutoring students during the holidays!"

The word "tutoring" was so unfamiliar and terrifying that the young wizards around them were dumbfounded, and then they all looked at Harry and Seamus, who had also lived in Muggle society.

Simon muttered "Damn West Side guys" and started stuffing food into his mouth.

Harry initially smiled smugly, then, remembering something, his expression turned awkward—he could never afford to attend those public schools that offered tutoring.

Fortunately, he came to Hogwarts.

This improved his mood a little, but only slightly, as breakfast ended while everyone else was still enthusiastically discussing Christmas plans.

Harry had no choice but to walk into the dungeon step by step with a heavy heart.

"Don't look into Snape's eyes once you're inside. I've heard Vaughn say that Snape is skilled in memory magic, and he might be able to use Legilimency or something."

"Don't drink anything he gives you. He's an undisputed potion master; he might put a potion in your drink."

Amnesia potion or something like that — no, no, no, not drinking beverages isn't safe enough. It's best to filter even your breath. I heard Vaughn talk about the technique of nebulizing the drug —”

Harry finally snapped, "Good heavens, Ron, can you please be quiet for a second? If you keep talking like this, I'd better stay at least 50 feet away from Snape to be safe!"

Ron shrugged. "Yes, I think the best way is not to see him, but to tell Professor McGonagall what happened last night. Even if she might not believe you, at least she won't kill you to silence you!"

"How could Snape possibly kill me to silence me?" Harry retorted instinctively.

Upon hearing this, Ron looked him up and down: "When did you start trusting the Bat so much?"

"I----"

Harry paused, then changed the subject, saying irritably, "And when did you learn to tattle on things to the professor like Hermione?"

"Because this is beyond our capabilities, Harry. The evil Malfoy sneaked into the castle with a strange wizard, and Merlin only found out about their plot then. Snape wasn't missing or injured; he might have joined that evil conspiracy group too!"

Harry was speechless.

Although Ron's words were somewhat conspiratorial, that was exactly what he was worried about; otherwise, he wouldn't be hesitating like this now.

Of course, there's no escaping this.

Since he had no way to escape the castle and also had a need to investigate the truth, Harry would probably have gone to find Snape even if Snape hadn't come looking for him.

Lost in thought, Harry and Ron had already walked up the stairs into the dungeon area.

The heavy snow and drop in temperature outside made the underground of the castle even colder. The lake, covered with a thick layer of ice and snow, seemed to be absorbing the little heat left in the dungeon along the walls.

Walking through the dimly lit and cramped underground passage, the thick, heavy white mist exhaled with each breath gave one the illusion that they might be frozen into an ice cube at any moment.

It wasn't until we walked out of the passage and arrived at the corridor in front of the maze, which was the area where the potions classroom and offices were located, that we could barely feel a bit of warmth from the half-closed office doors and the firelight leaking out from inside.

The two stopped, staring at the flickering firelight behind the half-open door. Ron swallowed hard and gave Harry a shove.

"Go quickly, I'll wait for you here!"

'

A spineless bastard who only talks big but has no sense of loyalty!

Harry gritted his teeth and punched Ron a few times, then took a deep breath, his heart pounding wildly, hesitated for a moment, and gently knocked on the door: "Professor Snape?"

boom!

The door slammed open, startling Harry. Before he could react, the tall, black-robed Snape appeared before him like a gloomy forest, casting a deep shadow over the small Harry.

His expression was like the sky outside the castle.

It was so dark and gloomy, it looked like it was about to fall.

"What is it?"

Harry, trembling and with a dry mouth, stammered, "You—you told me to come after breakfast—"

Harry's stammering words came to an abrupt halt. Snape remained silent, but he could feel the other's cold gaze falling on him like a knife.

For a moment, Harry almost thought Snape would suddenly pull out his wand and, just like last night, summon a whirlwind to tear him to shreds!

Just as Harry was about to suffocate from the overwhelming aura, a slightly amused voice saved him: "Hey, Harry, long time no see."

When Harry first heard the voice, he almost thought it was his imagination. He looked up in surprise, even rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things—

Behind Snape, amidst the blue shimmering waves of the Black Lake outside the window and the flickering firelight of the fireplace, Vaughn, holding a cup of fruit tea, leaned forward, his entire being seemingly radiating a halo, and smiled slightly, waving in their direction.

Harry's eyes widened.

A flood of thoughts rushed through my mind, and I had so much to say, but for a moment I didn't know what to say.

Where did Vaughn go?

Everyone knows that Vaughn has been at Hogwarts all this time, but he's been busy with experiments and is rarely seen.

When asked why he didn't worry about practical classes and club activities, he replied...

But after spying on the board meetings these past few days, Harry has vaguely come to understand that the issues with practical classes and clubs are not so simple. Whether it's those who support them or those who oppose them, the differences between the two represent more than just a simple disagreement on teaching philosophies.

Even if Vaughn intervenes, he'll just be another person arguing at the meeting!

Of course, this analysis was made by Draco Malfoy, and Harry thought Malfoy had a real talent for doing this kind of dirty stuff.

In short, after a brief moment of surprise at seeing Vaughn again after so many days apart, Harry quickly calmed down.

"Yes, it's been a long time, Vaughn."

As Harry greeted her, he glanced at Snape, whose face was grim, then at Vaughn, who was beaming, and cautiously asked, "What are you doing here?"

Vaughn smiled in response to Harry's question.

Children haven't experienced the harsh realities of society, so they can't keep things to themselves. Perhaps suspecting him, she asked him directly.

"Let Harry in, Professor," Vaughn said to Snape. "You found him last night anyway, so he's a witness and it'll be good for him to explain things."

What?

Harry was deeply shaken.

So, the last thing he saw last night, Snape looking at him, wasn't an illusion.

He couldn't help but look at Snape.

But Snepla's long face completely extinguished the flame that had just ignited in his heart.

The old bat even curled his lips and sneered, "I don't think Potter should know certain things. You should know, Vaughn, Potter's brain is like a megaphone. Others don't even need to pry; his own thoughts will spread the information he knows—hmph, he keeps his mouth shut."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Harry's ears turned red, and he glared at Snape.

Unfortunately, Snape had already turned and gone back to his office, ignoring him.

After hesitating for a while at the door, Harry, who was tempted to leave, finally couldn't resist his intense curiosity and reluctantly followed them inside.

In the distance, Ron, who had been watching with his neck craned, saw Harry enter the office, breathed a slight sigh of relief, and then shrank back into the corner.

I'm tired of standing, so I'm taking a break. It's definitely not because I'm afraid of being discovered by Snape—hmm!

Harry had been to Snape's office quite a few times.

Of course, it wasn't something to be proud of. Almost every time I came, I was punished, either by helping Snape process medicine or by assisting with grading assignments.

So in Harry's memory, this office was always rather eerie, cold, full of strange plant and animal specimens and medicinal herbs, and the air was filled with peculiar smells.

It makes you feel like you've stepped into the evil laboratory of a eccentric scientist or a bizarre wizard.

But today, Harry notices that Snape's office is different.

Those medicinal herbs that seemed to be piled up forever, today they no longer wreak havoc on the floor, but have returned to their rightful place on the medicine shelves, arranged neatly and orderly.

Near the center of the office, the fireplace, which always burns with a magical flame, was unusually lit today, with firewood crackling and sparks shooting out, releasing a warm, orange-yellow glow in all directions.

The crucible that used to boil and bubble is now silent. The unprocessed herbs are placed in the treatment box, and the undried decoction is bottled.

It looks very neat and tidy!

Even when Harry came in, he saw Snape waving his wand, lifting a filter cloth that was haphazardly draped over the worktable and hanging it on a rack on the other side of the office.

Harry had never seen Snape so hygienic.

Perhaps Harry's shocked gaze was too direct, because Snape suddenly turned around, his expression as if he wanted to devour someone. Harry quickly shrank back, no longer daring to look around.

Vaughn, who was fiddling with a hanging rack by the fireplace, seemed oblivious to their interaction and chuckled, "Come on, Harry, warm yourself by the fire—you've come at the perfect time. I just arrived and haven't had breakfast yet. I was about to have some morning tea with the professor, why don't you join me?"

As he spoke, he mounted the hanging rack on the fireplace, then opened his satchel and took out a kettle, teaspoon, tea canister, and other items.

"I just got the tea from the headmaster's office this morning," Vaughn said, winking at a clearly surprised Harry. "Dumbledore has many friends in India, and he receives a lot of Sri Lankan black tea every year—"

Oh, Sri Lanka is an island nation bordering India. You can visit it sometime if you have the chance.

Harry wanted to say no, his only knowledge of India came from the Petil sisters.

"I don't actually like black tea; I prefer green tea. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to buy in England, and the only tea I can find is inferior tea from North America. But if everything goes well during Dumbledore's trip to China, I shouldn't have to worry about not having any more green tea in the future."

Listening to Vaughn's words, watching him pick up the kettle of boiling water and take out tea leaves to brew.

Harry looked completely bewildered.

That bewilderment contained both the youthful confusion of not understanding what was so delicious about "tree leaves," and the bewilderment of not knowing what Vaughn was up to with his relaxed demeanor.

Why can't you just say what's on your mind?

But Harry noticed that Professor Snape was quite at ease with Vaughn's pace. After the tea was brewed, Vaughn brought out a plate full of snacks—Harry was certain the snacks were from the Hogwarts kitchens, since he had just eaten some—Snape picked up a scone: "It's good that you brought them out. The old man doesn't deserve these good things."

"Yes, the last time I was in the principal's office, he put three ounces of syrup in his tea. Even though it's been a month, it still feels like a nightmare to me."