Chương 55: Chapter 54 - A Serious Conversation with Dumbledore.

[Chapter Size: 3300 Words.]

Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

...

...

Severus returned to Hogwarts. He placed the book and the box directly into the ring, and they distorted as if they were Apparating before disappearing inside it.

'This ring is already at its limit. I'll need to build a new one,' he immediately thought, looking at his own finger before turning his eyes toward Hogwarts in front of him.

He was sitting on one of the shores of the lake and couldn't help but sigh as he settled down right there. For the first time that night, he truly seemed relaxed beside his two phoenixes. And they were certainly quite exhausted as well, with that adventure having been more than enough for a single night.

'And who do you think that old man was? He was very suspicious...' Articuno asked, settling onto Severus's lap.

'I don't know... But something tells me I'll find some clue in that coverless book or inside that box. Just imagine how many places like that still exist. It seems the Ministry never managed to explore all of Great Britain.' Severus remained deep in thought.

That place was far too strange. He knew the map of the island perfectly and didn't remember any lake like that after studying it so thoroughly. Either that place was protected by magic so powerful that not even the Ministry's wizards could find it, or it was located outside the island. But the old man had confirmed they were still in Great Britain, and they certainly hadn't traveled that far to get there.

'It doesn't matter. I'm back. Now I just need to get some sleep... and find out what my situation at this school is.' He sighed while Fawkes remained perched on his shoulder. At that very moment, a presence appeared beside them.

Severus didn't even need to look to know who it was. Fawkes herself had sensed the Headmaster's presence before he even approached. Dumbledore calmly walked to the lakeshore, stopping beside him with a curious look.

"Mr. Snape..." the Headmaster began. "Fawkes and I had a long discussion last night."

Fawkes let out a soft trill.

"We've disagreed many times over the years, but this time the discussion was about you."

"..." Severus did not reply.

He simply continued gazing at the lake and the castle before him. With a simple flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a velvet armchair in lemon yellow and pumpkin orange, terribly outdated in Severus's opinion, making him glance sideways at it. Dumbledore sat down beside him and seemed to relax.

"She defended you quite firmly, you know?"

Severus merely snorted. "At least someone is on my side at this school."

"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Snape. Not when you've had only one day of classes and practically all the professors spent our entire meeting praising you. Do you have any idea how many times your name was mentioned? I don't know what happened to you, Severus, but I believe this change has been for the better."

Severus remained silent for a few seconds before replying. "It doesn't matter, Headmaster. We disagree on many things, and I'm certain we'll never have a good relationship as long as we continue defending such different ideals."

He had already accepted the possibility that perhaps it would be better to leave Hogwarts. Dumbledore remained silent for a few moments before asking:

"You disagree quite a lot with the way I handle things... don't you?"

Severus did not return his gaze. He continued staring at the lake before him. "You give people reasons to keep acting the same way, even when they're wrong, Headmaster. What message do you think you sent when you decided to punish me the same as the others, even though I was only returning to my dormitory? I was just defending myself. What kind of message does that send to my attackers? That perhaps it's worth repeating those exact same actions."

Severus then finally looked at Dumbledore. "You say I acted violently toward Pettigrew. But don't you think he had already acted violently toward me before that? Or that he wouldn't do something even worse if he had the opportunity? He's nothing more than a coward who hides behind his friends. Even his Animagus form says everything."

"And how do you believe I should handle it, Mr. Snape?" Dumbledore asked, despite Severus already knowing the Marauders' Animagus forms. There was no anger in his voice, only curiosity.

"Attacking a student as a group, in another area of the castle where they weren't supposed to be, is not something that should be treated lightly, no matter the excuse. Who would truly believe that Potter and the others were simply trying to help Lupin with some Slytherin matter and just happened to find me, out of everyone else, in a dark corridor without any portraits? I'm sorry, Headmaster, but not even you believe that. Potter and the others lied to you, and one of them is a prefect. That alone shouldn't be treated as something insignificant. The Marauders have been acting this way for a long time, and continuing to let them get away with it won't change that. On the contrary, you're only contributing more and more to the growing divide between the houses."

"We are living in difficult times, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said.

Severus shook his head, continuing to look at him. "Do you truly believe that every Slytherin wants to become a Death Eater?"

"I believe they do not," Dumbledore replied, though a sad look passed through his eyes.

"That's right. But in the end, the school doesn't give them much of a choice. And I'm not talking only about the Marauders. Slytherin House itself does whatever it wants. Slughorn is, in a way, too cowardly to act. He prefers to ignore problems rather than face them."

"Meanwhile, the rest of the school begins to see Slytherin as the house of future Death Eaters. And the members of the house themselves pressure one another to follow that path. Those who want absolutely nothing to do with the war end up being forced into it, whether through the school's negligence, by being turned into outcasts, or by the pressure from their own classmates within Slytherin."

Severus took a deep breath before continuing. "As long as Hogwarts fails to take fair measures to deal with the problems within its own walls, it will continue allowing cruelty to flourish. And those who seek nothing more than a safe place will end up finding refuge in the darkness, seeking revenge and feeding their hatred. I know that because I used to be like that too, Headmaster. And you contributed greatly to me becoming that person."

"You condemn cruelty when it wears Slytherin colors, but tolerate it when it wears Gryffindor's. That is the hidden cruelty of the righteous, Headmaster. The very same magic that, in Gryffindor's hands, is called a prank becomes a sign of wickedness when it is in Slytherin's hands."

The two held each other's gaze for a few moments. Severus's green eyes shone intensely as they met Dumbledore's blue ones without the slightest hesitation.

"I remember perfectly the time you reprimanded me and praised Potter as a hero. Black tried to kill me. Potter had to save both Black and Lupin because, if I had been bitten or died, the blame would have fallen on his own friends. Even so, Black received only two weeks of detention."

Severus let out a brief laugh, heavy with irony. "And Potter was treated as a hero by everyone. The Gryffindor who even saved his dark Slytherin enemy."

He shook his head, mocking the situation. "Meanwhile, the Slytherin... well, the Slytherin will always be the villain of the story. Always wandering where he doesn't belong, always causing trouble or practicing Dark Magic..."

He was tired of that place. A place filled with hypocrisy. He hadn't thought about it during the holidays, but it had taken only a single day at Hogwarts for him to understand the absurdity of everything that place represented.

Severus simply stood up. "Fawkes, return to your owner. Thank you for everything tonight."

The two phoenixes let out a melancholy song. Fawkes took flight and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder.

"Anyway, Headmaster, I'd like to ask one last favor of you. Take Heloísa out of Slytherin. That girl won't survive there. Have the Sorting Hat sort her again. I'm sure she can go to Hufflepuff. She only chose Slytherin because of me. Now I'm going to my room to pack my things. I'm quite tired."

The Headmaster, who had remained silent until then, let out a long sigh. "I didn't expel you, Mr. Snape. I certainly don't approve of your behavior yesterday. In all these years, no one has ever told me to... well... go fuck myself. And certainly not to my face." He smiled faintly.

"By the way... that gesture with your finger. I believe it's a form of Muggle insult, isn't it? The middle finger isn't exactly something wizards usually use."

Severus could detect a faint trace of humor in the Headmaster's voice.

"Yeah... It seems it's not used very much around here. It was the first thing that came to mind at that moment. I apologize if you didn't understand what it meant, but I can assure you that's exactly what I meant." Severus replied without the slightest regret. To his surprise, Dumbledore let out a small laugh.

"Well... I can't deny it. In a way, it was actually rather funny."

Severus raised an eyebrow but remained silent as the Headmaster continued. "In any case, I have no intention of expelling you. I need to reflect on a few things, and you've given me quite a lot to think about. For now, continue your routine as normal. I'll speak with Professor Minerva and Professor Slughorn. This situation hasn't been fully assessed yet, and neither of them is to bring up what happened yesterday until I've made a decision."

Although he still had his doubts and dissatisfaction with the school, he decided to accept the Headmaster's decision for the time being. He was just about to Apparate back to his room when Dumbledore called out to him once more.

"Before you go, Mr. Snape... could you tell me how you came by that phoenix? I'm still quite curious about that." Severus looked at Articuno before answering.

"He was frozen inside a glacier for a little over two thousand years." A rare flash of surprise crossed Dumbledore's face.

"That is... extremely interesting. I certainly have many more questions, but I won't ask them now. I hope that someday you'll tell me about that adventure. After all, acquiring a phoenix as a companion is something very few wizards achieve in an entire century." Severus simply nodded.

The next instant, an intense white light enveloped his body, created by Articuno. A moment later, he disappeared completely, leaving Dumbledore alone by the lakeshore, watching the sunrise as he slowly dispelled the armchair.

"So... how about telling me about your adventure last night? I heard you went into the Forbidden Forest, and after that, you simply vanished," the Headmaster asked.

Fawkes answered only with a grumble. "What? You're not going to tell me?" Dumbledore asked, somewhat disappointed, while the phoenix seemed to respond with even greater stubbornness. The Headmaster merely sighed.

"Very well, very well... I won't press the matter for now. But you've always been an excellent judge of character, and now I see that you trust Severus Snape. In fact, you even seem to prefer staying by his side over anyone else's. Fawkes... I'm afraid I might end up losing you if this keeps up..." he murmured in an amused tone before returning to his office.

Once inside the Headmaster's office, he walked over to the Pensieve. Perhaps he should revisit some of his own memories, this time examining everything with a fairer perspective, exactly as Severus had suggested.

He had no idea what had happened to the boy, but there was no denying that he had changed. He was far more mature and possessed a view of the world that, in some respects, even made Dumbledore question whether he himself might be wrong...

Meanwhile, Severus returned to the dormitory. He found Avery still in the room, who jumped in surprise when he suddenly appeared. The two exchanged a brief glance. Avery's expression immediately hardened, but Severus merely shrugged and ignored him completely, walking over to his bed.

He discreetly examined his belongings. No one else had tried to tamper with his things besides Mulciber, who had burned his hand. The traps he had left behind remained exactly as they had been.

His first class would be Defense Against the Dark Arts at eight o'clock. There was still some time left.

As soon as he left the dormitory, however, he did not head toward Slytherin. Instead, he went straight to the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor. With Articuno's help, he teleported inside the room and immediately began working on new rings.

He had obtained a large quantity of silver from the storage of lost items accumulated over more than a millennium. Chains, cutlery, ancient rings, goblets, and various silver objects began melting beneath his flames while he used telekinesis to slowly shape the red-hot metal into the form he desired, creating perfect rings. He then began engraving the runes.

This time, he didn't need to forge nearly a hundred pieces before succeeding. On his third attempt, he managed to recreate a new ring, approximately twice the size of his first one. His understanding of spatial theories had advanced considerably since the first version.

After that, he began writing a few letters. One to Ollivander, another to Newt Scamander, and a third to Professor Xavier, exchanging theories, sharing a few updates, and sending some important warnings.

Finally, he turned his attention to the small box and began studying the spell responsible for keeping its lock sealed.

By the time he gave up, it was almost eight o'clock. He still had twenty minutes before his first class. Sitting down on a bed he had created within that magical room, he once again expanded his mind. This time, he intended to search Hogwarts through the animals. There were still a few rats living in the castle's darkest corners, along with other small creatures brought by the students that wandered freely through its corridors. Even Mrs. Norris did not escape Severus's mind.

He quickly began connecting to every mind, accessing their memories as he searched for traces of places that students normally never visited. He sensed the presence of every creature until one, in particular, completely caught his attention.

Somewhere within the castle, a mind unlike any of the others responded to his intrusion. There was malice within it, far greater than that of any other animal in Hogwarts.

"What is this...?" he murmured, focusing all his attention on that presence.

The sound of an enormous serpent slithering echoed through his mind. The moment it sensed the intrusion, the creature immediately tried to force him out, projecting hostile intent as it let out a threatening hiss.

"What is this snake?" He quickly tried to learn more about that mind, which was powerful and ancient.

Then, his vision changed completely. He was now seeing through the creature's eyes. It was inside an enormous chamber. Gigantic serpents carved from stone surrounded the entire room, and at the far end stood a colossal human statue. The statue's mouth served as the entrance to the serpent's lair.

As soon as he got a clear look at the creature, Severus recognized it.

A basilisk. And a very ancient one. The serpent continued trying to force him out of its mind, but Severus was far stronger than it. The next instant, it began thrashing nervously throughout the chamber, letting out a shrill hiss that echoed across the entire room.

Severus immediately deepened the mental connection.

"Stop." That single word and command from Severus was enough to make the basilisk cease its movements. Little by little, Severus took control of the connection and began sharing the creature's memories.

It had been created by Salazar Slytherin. Images of the Founder's youth began appearing before his eyes. That was when he found something unexpected. Standing beside Salazar was the same old man he had met as a ghost, only much younger. Severus recognized him immediately. Age was not enough to disguise someone he had met only a few hours earlier.

The young man spoke calmly beside Salazar himself, watching the basilisk with an amused smile. He had been a student of Salazar's...

He also realized that, at some point, the two had quarreled. The serpent did not fully understand the reason, as its mind had absorbed the information like a snake would, but it remembered that Salazar had returned some time later to give it one final command.

'Eliminate all the Muggle-borns at Hogwarts.'

It had been created precisely to fulfill that mission and was then imprisoned within the Chamber of Secrets, waiting for the day someone would return to set it free.

About thirty-three years earlier, a student had opened the Chamber, spoken to it in Parseltongue, and released it to kill.

Since then, it had remained imprisoned once more. Until someone opened the Chamber of Secrets again, it would continue waiting.

Severus did not like that discovery one bit. That creature was far too dangerous to remain alive within the school...

Soon, Severus set the snake aside. He would deal with it another time, but he was pleased to have found yet another secret place within Hogwarts.

Without wasting any time, he resumed searching through the minds of other animals until he found a small bird watching a few students in the gardens. That was when he found his beloved Marauders. They were near the greenhouse where they would have Herbology, chatting animatedly. Severus had the bird quietly perch near them.

"Hey, do you think he really got expelled? He doesn't show up on the map anymore," Potter said, sounding quite excited.

The bird turned its gaze toward the object they were looking at. It was a map of Hogwarts, showing every person currently inside the castle.

'So that's how they manage to find me...' Severus thought as he watched the four of them search for his name throughout the castle.

"Maybe... But that could also end up becoming a problem for us. He certainly knows our Animagus forms. That could cause us trouble," Pettigrew commented, worried.

"That's true, but Snivellus actually said all that right to Dumbledore's face. Even I didn't think that worm was that stupid. In any case, it's better if he really has disappeared," Black replied with absolute conviction.

Severus merely watched the conversation for a few more moments. 'It's a shame the bird watching them is so small. I'll have to steal their map another time...' Severus immediately thought.

He left the magical room as soon as he saw them heading to class. He had one of his own to attend as well.

As he made his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, he couldn't stop thinking about the Marauders... Perhaps he couldn't deal with them using Hogwarts' rules alone, but he could certainly cause them enormous legal trouble by using the Wizengamot itself. After all, those four idiots were violating several laws of the magical world by behaving that way inside Hogwarts. He would make sure they received the proper treatment under this country's laws.

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