HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

He muttered something under his breath, and the tip of his wand tapped across several bricks in turn. The wall silently slid open a narrow crack, just big enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Inside was a small, dry, hidden compartment containing several locked boxes and rolls of parchment carefully wrapped with waterproof spells.

Ian took out the black velvet bag, put it into an empty copper box, and closed the lid.

The lid automatically snaps shut, a dull sheen appears on the surface, and then the light goes out.

"All done." Ian stepped out, the wall was restored to its original state, the wardrobe was moved back, and the whole process took only a few minutes.

When they came downstairs, Leah was baking gingerbread, and the whole house was filled with a warm and sweet aroma.

She insisted that they take a large jar of freshly made strawberry jam and several thick knitted scarves back to school.

"It's winter, and the cellar is even colder," Leah said, wrapping the scarf around Severus's neck and smoothing it out carefully. "Keep warm, and don't just focus on brewing those potions."

Severus stood stiffly, letting her do as she pleased, and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Aunt Leah."

The two then returned to Hogwarts via the Floo Network.

They walked back along the familiar path, the torches on the stone wall casting long and short shadows.

The cellar was quieter than usual on a weekend evening, as most students had not yet returned from Hogsmeade or their homes. This quiet did not last long.

Someone was waiting at the corner of the last corridor leading to the Slytherin common room.

It was Limia Caro. He was leaning against the wall, seemingly pausing casually, flipping through a thin book in his hand. When he saw them, he closed the book.

"Bock, Snape," Carroll nodded in greeting, his expression indifferent and aloof. "Have a nice weekend?"

"I'm fine. Is something the matter, Carol?" Ian stopped and spoke calmly.

Carlo's gaze swept over the cloth bag Severus was carrying before returning to Severus's face.

"Professor Slughorn mentioned that your interesting project from before has been cancelled?"

His tone sounded like a casual question, but his eyes didn't leave his face.

Severus raised his eyelids, his expression cold and hard. "The theoretical foundation is flawed, and the interpretation of ancient texts is incorrect. Continuing is a waste of time."

"Oh?" Carlo raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's rare. At Professor Slughorn's tea party, Nott even thought it was a pity, saying that the direction you choose is usually correct."

"So it exploded three times," Ian chimed in. "And it even damaged my workstation. Professor Slughorn's point is clear: in NEWTs, it's better to play it safe. Right, Severus?"

Severus pursed his lips, as if acquiescing, or perhaps too lazy to say more, and simply said, "If you're going in the wrong direction, cut your losses."

Carlo looked at him, as if weighing the weight of his words.

Severus Snape was known for his strictness and obsession with potions. His personal judgments of "going in the wrong direction" and "wasting time" were practically the final conclusion to those in the know.

Ian Burke's attitude further lends credibility to this conclusion.

"That's true, NEWTs are important." The deliberate probing look on Carlo's face faded, returning to its usual calm. "Then I won't bother you any longer."

He stepped aside, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Ian, nodded, and then walked in another direction.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief only after his footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor. "This should be the last wave."

Back in the common lounge, there were already some people around the fireplace.

Kevin was excitedly gesturing to Aris about the new Honeydukes product when he saw them return and immediately waved.

"You're finally back! Try this, the new licorice stick! It's amazing—"

Aris stopped him before he could shove the candy at him. "Considering you've already consumed too much sugar, and the known side effects of this stuff, including temporary tongue discoloration and bubbly burps, I suggest you enjoy it yourself, Kevin."

Ian smiled and shook his head, then sat down with Severus next to them.

The warmth and familiar atmosphere slowly dispelled the tension brought by the Flying Net, as well as the brief tension in the corridor just now.

The test seems to have truly passed.

The next few days were uneventful. In Potions class, Slughorn expressed his satisfaction with their "pragmatic" shift towards improving the blood potion. When he encountered Nott again at the tea party, Nott merely nodded indifferently and there was no further conversation.

The first Tuesday night of December was cold and gloomy, and the patrol duties were heavy.

After Ian and Lily finished inspecting the West Tower, they returned to the main castle and saw Regulus waiting for them in a corridor on the seventh floor, which was covered with faded tapestries.

He stood alone in the shadow of a tapestry depicting a war of giants, his figure almost blending into the gloom. His face was as pale as a ghost in the light of the distant torches, and his eyes were a deep, unyielding bluish-black.

Lily paused, looking at Ian.

"I'll be right there," Ian said softly, walking toward Regulus.

Lily nodded, without asking any further questions, and continued to examine the empty armored corridor ahead, leaving room for conversation.

"Regulus." Ian stopped in front of Regulus, a few steps away.

Regulus looked up, his grey-blue eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse: "Lucius asked me to deliver a message."

Ian didn't respond, he just looked at him.

"He heard... about you giving up that research." Regulus spoke slowly. "He said... it's a pity, but he understands. With NEWTs imminent, choosing a safer path is the wise thing to do."

He paused for a long time, so long that Lily's footsteps could barely be heard in the distance, before continuing, his voice even lower: "He also said that if you encounter any practical difficulties in your research—materials, Galleons, or... certain documents that are not convenient to access publicly—Malfoy Manor or the Black family can provide assistance. Pure-blood families value promising young people, especially... those who know how to assess situations."

Ian paused for a few seconds before speaking, his voice steady: "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Malfoy, but it's not necessary for the time being. Our current direction is clear, and we need to focus on the research direction provided by Professor Slughorn."

Regulus nodded, unsurprised by the answer.

"He believed it," Regulus suddenly said, his voice as soft as a whisper, his gaze fixed blankly on a spot on the opposite wall. "He really believed you gave up... He felt sorry, but that's all he felt was sorry."

When he said this, his face was expressionless, only a fleeting glint of something extremely quick passed through the depths of his eyes, like a sense of relief, or like something even deeper sinking away.

"That's good," Ian said, his gaze sweeping over the man's thin wrists and overly pale face. "Are you alright?"

Regulus gave a brief, unsmiling twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Very well," he replied curtly, then turned to leave. "The message has been delivered. Goodbye, Ian."

He didn't look at Ian again, turned and walked into the deeper shadow cast by the tapestry, his footsteps quickly absorbed by the heavy fabric and stone walls and disappeared.

Ian stood there for a moment before turning around and walking toward Lily, who was waiting in front of him.

"Regrus?" Lily asked softly, glancing back at the empty corridor. "He looks... not right."

"Maybe he's under a lot of pressure," Ian said casually as he walked alongside her. "The Black family has high expectations for him."

"Sometimes having too high expectations isn't necessarily a good thing," Lily sighed, and didn't press further. The two then finished the rest of their patrol route.

Back in the cellar, the fireplace in the common room was burning brightly, and Severus, Aris, and Kevin were sitting in their usual spots.

Kevin was fretting over a trapped knight on the chessboard, Aris was reading a notebook, and Severus had a book on his lap, but he looked up as soon as Ian came in.