Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 732 Traces Left in Spider's End

The Phantom Appearance landed at Kirkworth.

This is an industrial town on the outskirts of London, but it has been abandoned in recent years. It lacks supporting living facilities, suffers from severe chemical pollution, and is filled with an unpleasant chemical smell. It has long been a gathering place for poor residents. The young people in the town can find no reason to stay here, and the elderly have also left one after another, leaving the town gradually empty.

Outside the town flows a filthy river, its dark waters gurgling by, but there is no sign of life. No fish can be seen swimming in the water, only various kinds of plastic waste floating by. Grayish-green moss covers the rocks on the banks, weeds grow rampant, and garbage is piled up.

The air was thick with gray smoke that lingered and could not be penetrated by sunlight. On a summer morning in July, Loren and his companions walked along the deserted road and felt a strange sense of unease.

"Spider's End Alley..."

Loren looked around, searching for a map that might appear in the streets and alleys.

Although he had never been here before, Loren was able to find his way accurately. The desolate Muggle town was only marked by the bright magical light, and the Felix Felicis was also playing a subtle guiding role.

Following a row of old railings, I entered a narrow cobblestone alley. After navigating through the maze-like lanes, all was silent except for the sound of the flowing river gradually fading away, and the rustling of footsteps becoming clearer.

Beyond the alley stood rows of dilapidated brick houses, most of which had broken windows. Some were boarded up, while others were just dark, empty windows, devoid of light and life.

Their target was the house at the far end of the street.

"Snape..."

Loren stared at the brass plaque above the door, the lettering faded and barely legible: "I told Professor Snape about the situation, and he just replied that he knew, which I suppose means he tacitly approves?"

This was a difficult question to answer, and the others exchanged glances, wisely remaining silent.

Walking inside, we arrived at the door. The old, black lacquered wooden door was half-open, the lock had been broken, and there were footprints left by hard-soled leather boots on the door.

"It looks like it was left by the Death Eaters, probably after Easter..." Loren looked down and analyzed the remaining traces, checking for any possible dark magic traps. "Now we don't need the unlocking charm. If the Ministry of Magic sues us for trespassing, we'll still have a chance to defend ourselves."

Hermione glanced at him.

Pushing open the door, there was no foyer; inside was a living room, dimly lit and cramped, with blurred vision and a damp, musty smell of wood lingering in the air, causing one to instinctively frown.

Loren tried pressing the dusty light switch by the wall, but there was no response. He didn't know if the power was out or if the wiring was damaged.

Hermione shook her wand, and the Illumination Charm shone with silver light.

The room was like a dimly lit, soft-walled prison cell. The bookshelves that had been placed against the wall had been overturned, and books were scattered all over the floor. Most of them were old, thick volumes with worn black or brown leather covers. In the center of the room was a worn and frayed sofa, an old armchair, and an old table, all covered in dust.

A scene of chaos, desolation, and solitude.

Loren sniffed, inhaling the pungent smell in the air, and said to everyone, "Don't touch those books; they're coated with poison."

"..."

The others shifted their feet back, and Hermione quietly tugged at his sleeve, her eyes filled with regret as she looked at the books.

"What we're looking for should be upstairs. Come with me."

Loren cautiously moved forward, leaving footprints on the dusty floor, while the others followed carefully, avoiding the poisoned books.

Due to the limited space, the structure of the house is not complicated. After going up the stairs and turning right, the doors of the rooms upstairs are open, and the footprints on them are still very clear.

Ignoring the unremarkable bedrooms, the first thing you see is the workroom, where bottles and jars are broken all over the floor. The spilled liquid is divided into two parts: the dried part only has color residue, while the not-completely-dried part is sticky and clings to the floor, with a somewhat pungent smell.

"..."

Considering the nature of Professor Snape's work, Loren and his companions did not rush in.

Walking down the corridor, the room at the far end is the study, which is similar to the living room in appearance. The tables, chairs and bookshelves have been overturned, and the books are scattered all over the floor. However, there is no poison on them. It is unknown whether the Death Eaters were impatient or if the amount of poison was limited.

"hiss……"

As soon as Harry stepped into the study, he gasped and covered the scar on his forehead.

"Harry!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine, ouch..."

Harry reached out to stop Ginny and Hagrid, and staggered into the study while groaning softly. He tossed aside the messy potions books and pulled out a plastic-covered notebook.

Upon opening it, the ink marks inside were also very fresh. The handwriting wasn't neat, but it was very beautiful and exuded a noble air.

However, the question above sent a chill down their spines—

Horcrux Crafting Explained

"hiss……"

Harry's forehead scar throbbed with pain when he saw the notes.

This sign also made it clear to others who were the authors of the notes, and their breathing became somewhat sluggish.

"..."

Loren frowned slightly, vaguely guessing the source of the notes.

It was probably left behind by Voldemort during his stay in Spider's End, when he was instructing Professor Snape on how to make Horcruxes. I just don't understand why something so important was left here. Was it left by Professor Snape or Voldemort...?

"Felix Felicis brought us here for this, didn't it?" Harry rubbed his forehead, the pain from the scar gradually fading until it disappeared completely.

Hermione circled the room, peering outside. "This should be the room at the very end of the corridor."

Over the next few minutes, the group explored the other rooms but found nothing further and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Loren looked at the messy old house, pondered for a moment, and waved his wand to begin tidying it up.

A small tornado suddenly appeared in the room, the pages of the book turned slightly, and wisps of dust swirled towards the eye of the whirlwind like smoke. Fine stains fell from the floor and walls, eventually gathering together and turning into a dust storm that shot out of the window and fell into the river outside the town.

The overturned furniture and chairs flipped over again, wobbling as they moved around the room. The intact pieces returned to their original positions and settled down. The missing or damaged furniture rummaged around, finding the broken legs and wooden pegs, creaking them into the holes, and then sat back down contentedly.

Some parts of the body couldn't be found, so Loren used Transfiguration to repair them. The process was a bit rushed and the style wasn't very consistent, but at least they looked new, so we'll make do for now. We'll wait for Professor Snape to come back and fix the rest himself.

In the workshop, bottles and jars that can be restored are restored; those that cannot be restored are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. We dare not touch the chemicals rashly, nor dare we discharge them into the small river outside. We can only burn them with a strong fire, leaving no residue, no waste gas or waste residue. This is also a contribution to green environmental protection.

I don't know the original order in which the books were arranged, so I can only categorize them by cover color, which at least makes them look neat.

The books in the living room that had been smeared with poison were a bit of a problem. In the end, the only solution was to burn the covers and stuff the bare pages back into the books, which looked rather awkward.

"Click!"

By casting a reverse-lock spell and then using magic to erase the footprints on the door, Snape's house was restored to its original state.

Loren turned to the group and said, "Let's go to the next place."