HP: At the beginning, I influenced Snape's childhood.

"I remember, what's wrong?" Lin Mo asked Chang Feng again, but he had some guesses in his mind.

If Bai Ze had been sent to deliver the message to Grindelwald, there was almost a 100% chance that Grindelwald would have tampered with Bai Ze.

But later, Lin Mo carefully examined Bai Ze and found nothing, which puzzled him greatly.

"The gifts for Xiao Bai Ze are twofold: one is the ability to defend against all spells, and the other is the ability to... transform into a human!" Chang Feng's voice was cheerful; he was looking forward to seeing how handsome the cool Bai Ze would become.

"That's great! When will Bai Ze be able to turn into a human?" Lin Mo was somewhat surprised by Chang Feng's second gift.

"Um... probably in the next day or two." Changfeng scratched his head sheepishly. He should have told Lin Mo earlier, but he forgot.

"Then let's go to the Room of Requirement. Otherwise, it's not good to turn into a human right here at Hogwarts. That old bee Dumbledore will keep asking all sorts of questions," Lin Mo said to Changfeng after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, I look forward to seeing how Xiaobaize changes." Changfeng was very excited.

A——L——W——A——Y——S

As curfew approached, the door to the headmaster's office was pushed open. Dumbledore, head down, fiddled with the new candy in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black shadow, and his hand trembled as he tried to hide the candy.

"Headmaster, if you don't want me, this poor Potions Professor, to be so busy that I have to stop making someone's Tooth Strengthening Potion, then please don't waste your time on these useless syrups every day, to the point that you made the decision to make someone like Lockhart the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." Snape sat down directly opposite Dumbledore, interrupting his little activity.

"Severus, my child, I don't think you would be so cruel to a centenarian." Dumbledore smiled and very tactfully put the candy away.

"First, I've already told some centenarian with failing hearing and memory that I'm not your child; second, if some headmaster even knows he's over a hundred, he shouldn't be eating candy every day like a stupid troll," Snape continued expressionlessly.

Troll: I could tolerate it in previous years, but this is the deepest hurt I've ever suffered! I! Won't! Eat! Candy!

"Oh, well. Severus, my... your words are still so hurtful..." Dumbledore was interrupted by Snape's sharp glare before he could finish speaking.

"Ahem, Severus, you just mentioned Mr. Lockhart, didn't you?" Dumbledore quickly changed the subject.

Snape didn't bother arguing with Dumbledore; he'd gotten used to it over the years. "I didn't expect the headmaster's hearing and memory to be so poor. I'd only been speaking for less than two minutes."

"Yes, I admit it." Dumbledore had no choice but to confess first. "But Severus, you seem to have a lot of issues with Mr. Lockhart. I know you're angry that I didn't make you the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, but you should know that they say that position is cursed, and I didn't want you to..."

Old Bee was interrupted for the nth time. Snape's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Annoying brat. If it weren't for keeping you out of Lockhart's class, I wouldn't have spent the whole day criticizing garbage and then having to talk to this old "dragon" over and over again, making me dizzy.

"Mr. Headmaster, have you misunderstood, or is your brain so sticky with sugar that you can't understand what I mean?" Snape said mercilessly.

Snape was indeed annoyed by his years of unsuccessful attempts to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but that wasn't what he came for. Now that Dumbledore had brought it up, Snape felt inexplicably mocked.

"Severus, just tell me what you want to do. I'm too old to understand the way you young people talk. Is this how you young people communicate with others these days?" Dumbledore said helplessly.

Youngsters: No, we are not! Snape belongs to a planet of his own, and we can't understand him.

"Even if the headmaster is so indifferent to school affairs, he must know about Mr. Lockhart's classes this afternoon, right?" Snape finally began to reveal the purpose of his late-night visit to the headmaster's office amidst his venomous words.

"Oh, you mean that matter? I've heard about it. Severus, if that's what it's about, then I also think Mr. Lockhart didn't do a very good job today," Dumbledore said, echoing Snape's words.

Thinking of Lin Mo, another protagonist of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class this afternoon, Dumbledore looked at one of Lin Mo's headmasters and tried to ease the atmosphere: "I must say, Mr. Lin's performance was truly outstanding. Severus, you have taught a very good student."

Dumbledore guessed correctly. Snape's expression softened slightly upon hearing his words, but he didn't offer any comment on Lin Mo's performance.

"Since you say so, Headmaster, then I agree with you. So I don't think Lockhart can teach Mr. Lin properly." Snape raised an eyebrow and stated this fact to Dumbledore.

"Severus, I know you're angry, but you can't joke about Mr. Lin's year of schooling. If Lockhart doesn't teach him, he'll miss a year of lessons." Dumbledore was somewhat puzzled. In his mind, even if Snape encountered something serious, he wouldn't joke about his students' studies, let alone something so trivial.

"Who says no one taught him? In fact, his poor, exploited headmaster, after much pleading, reluctantly agreed to teach him this school year," Snape paused, then continued.

"Besides, you know he defeated a troll all by himself in his first year, and his defense against dark magic has been recognized by the Order of Merlin." Snape was determined to win today; he couldn't let a promising student who was always hanging around in front of him be corrupted by that idiot Lockhart.

"What?" Dumbledore was incredulous, almost tearing his own beard off. "Severus, you actually agreed to teach Mr. Lin Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Dumbledore was well aware that the exceptional Potions Master before him was equally accomplished in defense against and against the Dark Arts.

To Dumbledore's astonishment, Snape actually agreed to give the little trolls, whom he hated the most, their own rest time for lessons.

This seems rather interesting. A strange light shone in Dumbledore's wise eyes.

Author's rambling: Going to high school for registration tomorrow. (✽＾㉨＾)