HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

After Dumbledore and Grindelwald left, West and Snape decided to leave the ball first.

The music of the Christmas ball drifted faintly from the Great Hall as Snape and West walked side by side on the lawn covered with a thin layer of snow.

Snape's steps were as light as a kitten on tiptoe, and West unconsciously slowed his pace, his gaze quietly falling on the profile of the person beside him.

The moonlight cast a silvery glow on Snape's pale skin, making him resemble a holy god from Muggle mythology. However, West noticed that the tips of his ears were flushed an unnatural red.

They walked around the lawn a few times and bumped into several couples of students who had fallen in love.

Snape's face darkened, and West quickly pulled him away just as he was about to deduct points from the Gryffindor couple in front of him.

As the two walked back to the cellar, the dim yellow light from the wall lamps in the corridor stretched and shortened their shadows.

Standing before the cellar door, West broke the silence first, his voice soft, "I've had a wonderful time tonight, Severus."

Snape paused slightly, seemingly unsure what to say, "...That's good then."

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from above. The two looked up at the same time and found that a small clump of mistletoe was hanging above them.

Snape's breath hitched as he stared at the cluster of lush green plants, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

There was resistance, there was tension, but more than anything, there was an expectation that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

West's heart pounded like a drum; he could hear his blood rushing through his veins. His voice was hoarse: "According to tradition..."

Looking into West's eyes, Snape's defenses crumbled. Reason told him to push West away, but emotion drove him forward.

West grabbed Snape's wrist, blocking him at the door, and went to greet him.

The moment their lips touched, it felt as if an electric current surged through their entire bodies.

The kiss was gentle and slow, brimming with long-suppressed emotions. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sounds of their breaths and heartbeats mingling together.

When the two separated, Snape's cheeks flushed, and his eyes showed a hint of panic.

He turned his head away, not daring to meet West's gaze. "This... is just tradition," he said softly, his voice lacking its usual authority.

West laughed. "Yeah, it's just tradition," he repeated, but the love in his eyes was impossible to hide.

They nestled together, enjoying this rare moment of tenderness in the quiet corridor.

The clump of mistletoe hung in the air, swaying gently, witnessing a tender and innocent love affair.

The day after the Christmas ball, West met with Dumbledore and Grindelwald in the headmaster's office.

After presenting the information he had obtained, Dumbledore concluded: "We have sufficient evidence to prove that Voldemort turned the Slytherin locket into a Horcrux and hid it in a cave by a distant sea."

"That cave has many defensive mechanisms; we need to retrieve the locket ourselves," Grindelwald said slowly.

"Without further ado, let's go now..." West said decisively, but was interrupted by a voice behind him, "I'm going too."

Snape appeared at the headmaster's office door, arms crossed, looking at them with a gloomy expression.

"Severus, you're awake so early?" West coughed somewhat awkwardly. "This might be a bit dangerous..."

"I think I'm capable enough to protect myself." Snape glared impatiently at West. "Now, let's go."

They stepped out of the gate and onto the path leading to Hogsmeade, bathed in the soft morning light.

After arriving in Hogsmeade, the four of them found an inconspicuous corner and used Apparition to travel to another place.

A light mist hangs in the air, making the atmosphere refreshing.

West smelled the sea. The surging waves crashed against the rocks and the shore, making a violent crashing sound.

At this moment, the four people were standing on a black rock, with a steep cliff behind them, and the biting cold wind stung their cheeks.

They had to climb over jagged rocks to reach a cave in the cliff that resembled a huge gap.

West instinctively reached for Rasneap's hand and cast a warming spell on him.

Snape's pale face softened.

Although Dumbledore and Grindelwald were old, they were agile, and soon the four of them arrived at the cave entrance.

Dumbledore went inside. "This is the entrance. We need to go further in. We must be careful. Voldemort's traps are no joke."

Snape frowned, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, his hand gripping his wand tightly. West remained calm, standing protectively behind Snape.

Grindelwald, however, remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the impending danger.

Soon, the four of them groped their way to a solid cave wall.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then said, "It wants blood."

Grindelwald scoffed, "A low-level mechanism."

Snape said, "I'll do it."

West took out a small silver knife. "I'll do it." Without hesitation, he made a cut on his arm, and blood sprayed onto the rocks.

Snape, looking displeased, picked up his wand and cast a healing spell on West's arm, and the wound quickly healed.

The stone wall suddenly burst open, revealing an archway leading into the depths of darkness.

They reached the end, where there was a dark, deathly still lake.

On a small island in the center of the lake, a stone platform can be vaguely seen.

"I believe the Horcrux is inside," Dumbledore said.

"There are only undead below." West withdrew his detection spell, frowning. He was considering the possibility of burning all the undead to ashes.

Dumbledore took a few steps along the lake and triggered a switch, causing a small boat to float on the lake.

"It seems this ship can only carry one person; it detects magical power," Dumbledore said.

"No problem." West waved his wand, and the magic of the four people was concealed by a strange barrier.

As soon as they arrived at the small island in their fancy boat, countless grotesque corpses emerged from the bottom of the lake, their pale hands gripping the edge of the boat.

Grindelwald sneered, waved his wand, and green flames burst forth, sizzling as they burned the Infernal.

Snape acted swiftly as well, his black runes coiling like snakes around the Shadows, repelling them.

"Wait!" Dumbledore's eyes widened, as if he saw a familiar figure. "West, can you control that Inferno?"

West raised his wand, and a black chain shot out from the tip, binding the Infernal that Dumbledore was pointing at and dragging it onto the island.

Dumbledore crouched down, his expression inscrutable in the dim cave. "...Regus?"

Snape looked at her strangely, clearly recognizing this unfamiliar junior.

They had worked together under Voldemort, but Regulus suddenly disappeared. Ironically, fate had other plans, and he was buried in this lake, becoming a mindless corpse.

"What on earth happened?" Dumbledore murmured, letting out a sigh.

West walked to the stone platform, looked at the stone basin containing the potion, and frowned: "This potion... Voldemort certainly has some skill."

Grindelwald patted Dumbledore on the shoulder, and Dumbledore stood up and walked to the stone platform: "I'll drink."

Grindelwald, his face grim, snatched the glass away. "I won't allow it."

West sighed, "None of us need to drink. Let's leave, okay? I have a plan."

"What method?" Snape couldn't help but ask.

West gave a kind smile. "Why don't we just find someone else to drink with?"

Grindelwald raised both hands in agreement. "Now that things have come to this, shall we take him back first?" He pointed to the shadowy corpse trapped on the ground.

"...Okay." Dumbledore nodded.