A ruined Hogwarts

The lights in the corridor were dim, and there were a few stars hanging in the dark night sky outside the window. The time had not yet reached nine o'clock, and there was no student in the corridor. The surroundings were so quiet that only the slight sound of Peeves amusing himself downstairs was left.

Another attack stimulated the sensitive nerves of the students, and this time the person who was petrified was a professor who had disappeared before. The school required all students not to leave the common room before six o'clock in the evening, postponed all Quidditch practices and games, and asked teachers to escort students to each class.

Professor McGonagall’s cats and cats can be seen everywhere in the castle. These little guys who are very good at avoiding danger patrol the castle responsibly. From time to time, they will also act cute to the passing students to ask for snacks, and after eating Turn around and leave without acknowledging anyone.

Even so, they are loved by almost all students. Now that there are dangers lurking in the castle, they can at least give people a sense of security. Moreover, the little wizards are afraid to go out for night walks recently, so they don't have to worry about being caught by them and giving them to the professor.

Plop——

A cat with orange fur jumped out from behind a suit of armor, shook off the dust on his body, and called softly at Owen who walked out of the principal's room.

"Good evening, Lulu. You've worked hard these days, and I see you've lost weight..." Owen touched the cat's head distressedly, and took out Melete's snacks for it to eat. The fattest orange cat has lost weight, which shows that the little cuties are really trying their best.

"Meow--" the orange cat civet raised his face and called out, then gulped down the snacks. After eating a few bites, it licked its paws leisurely, rubbed its head against Owen's palm, then turned around and disappeared into the corner.

Owen smiled and continued walking downstairs, also distractedly analyzing the principal's attitude tonight.

From the perspective of answering questions and resolving doubts, the other party was really dedicated and not perfunctory at all. But from the attitude point of view, it doesn't look like the attitude towards students, but more like cultivating a trusted subordinate, with appreciation and respect, but not closeness.

Irving didn't quite understand the other party's purpose of doing this. After all, the other party certainly didn't lack followers, and it wasn't cost-effective to train him. But apparently the new principal has no intention of falling out, which is a good thing.

In any case, following this man has a much better future than following Voldemort, but if Owen wants to cause trouble, he should be more cautious.

He played with his wand and slowly entered the dungeon along the stairs. The surrounding environment suddenly became a lot colder and damper, and the lights in the corridor became even dimmer. Owen, who was wearing a black robe and a pale face, walked lightly here. His footsteps were regular and gentle, and he seemed to be living in a deep ancient place. The vampire in the castle has a mysterious and elegant charm.

Nyx in the pocket had just woken up and let out a crisp cry, and Owen also heard another footsteps not far from him.

"You should stay in the lounge now, Shafiq." A deep voice came from afar.

"Good evening, Professor Snape." Owen said, looking at the figure striding towards him. "I just came back from the principal's office and asked Mr. Dumbledore some study questions."

Snape frowned and looked at him with lowered eyes, his greasy hair reflecting the dim candlelight. This was the first time he had trouble with a student. Why did this kid always like to deal with suspicious guys? He had a severe headache when he thought about Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore has a lot on his plate. It's not a good idea to disturb him all the time, Shafiq." He suppressed the annoyance in his heart and said indifferently.

"Mr. Dumbledore told me that he is willing to answer my questions every Friday night." Owen raised the corners of his mouth, looking innocent and a little proud, "Isn't it true that Harry also answers questions every Friday night?" Are you going to see him all Saturday night?"

Snape's brows furrowed even more tightly, the corners of his mouth twitched, and his expression was gloomy with a hint of undetectable anxiety and panic.

Recognizing the dean's extremely complicated micro-expression, Owen's smile deepened. Judging from Professor Snape's attitude, it was obvious that Dumbledore had not vaccinated him, otherwise he would not be so panicked now. From this point of view, the current situation may not really be Dumbledore's arrangement.

Tsk, poor Professor Snape. Owen suddenly wanted to tease him.

"Professor Snape," he said with a confused and hesitant expression, "do you feel that Mr. Dumbledore has changed a lot recently?"

"What did you find?" Snape was silent for a moment and then said.

"Didn't you notice? Mr. Dumbledore's dressing style has changed, he no longer likes sweets, he has organized the principal's office, and he is unwilling to solve the crisis at Hogwarts. Even his phoenix has been missing for a long time. Appeared." Owen stretched out his fingers to count them solemnly, "The most important thing is..." He lowered his voice mysteriously, "He actually washed the Sorting Hat."

Snape's face turned a little dark. He glanced at Owen warningly and said slowly: "At his age, it is normal for some changes to occur."

Does this mean Dumbledore has Alzheimer's disease? Owen suppressed a laugh.

"That's it..." Owen nodded with a look of realization, and then said: "I heard from Harry that Mr. Dumbledore was hit by a very powerful curse before, but it seems to have been completely cured now. Professor, Did you help him cure the curse?" He looked at the other person with adoration with his bright eyes.

"It's not me." Snape's face darkened. He suddenly put away his gloomy expression and squinted his eyes inscrutably as he looked at the little wizard in front of him. He suspected that the other party knew something... No, he was sure that Owen had noticed something.

"What do you know?" He stared into Owen's eyes, his eyes so sharp that he seemed to be looking into his heart.

"I just have doubts... After all, Dumbledore disappeared for a few weeks and then came back, and there were too many changes. So I was wondering, did something happen to him?" Owen tilted his head. There is no martial ethics when using Legilimency.

"Nothing happened to Dumbledore." Snape stared at him for a while, and then looked blankly at the end of the long corridor, "He is the headmaster recognized by the castle." Until a solution is found, it is best to pretend to be nothing. Know.

"I understand." Owen nodded, "Then I'll go back, Professor."

"Wait a minute, Potter told me about the Chamber of Secrets today." Snape stopped him, "He said you were the first to find the Chamber of Secrets."

"Yes, finding more clues based on known intelligence is my strength." Owen said casually.

"Are you concerned about the Chamber of Secrets?" Snape asked.

"Of course, the basilisk in the secret room threatens the safety of every student." Owen said matter-of-factly.

"You are a pure-blood, not the target of the heir." Snape said slowly.

"But I was attacked twice, and something happened to Weasley. I never like to put myself in unknown threats, and I don't want Hogwarts to be shut down because of this." Owen said helplessly. Said, "What's more, the target of the heir is Harry..."

"Who told me to be Harry's friend?" He said softly, like a distant echo that was erratic and hollow.

Snape looked at him with an unpredictable expression. This little wizard always gave him an opaque feeling, making him unable to tell whether it was real or an illusion. He saw his own shadow in Irving, and he had to admit that the two had many similar qualities.

His expression softened a little and he said calmly: "Go back."

"Good night, Professor." Owen nodded politely, then slowly turned around and walked away at a leisurely pace.

Watching the young wizard's thin but upright back disappear at the end of the corridor, Snape paced anxiously. The current situation caught him off guard, making him even more resentful and angry towards Dumbledore. Who asked him to always hide some important things from himself and go out alone, and now the boat has capsized... He really doesn't want to clean up the mess left by Dumbledore.

At this time, a bunch of silver-blue flames suddenly ignited in front of him, as if someone had set off a silent fireworks in the corridor. The firelight disappeared in an instant, and a piece of paper fell lightly from where the flames dissipated, and slowly landed on the ground.

Snape stepped forward and stared at the writing on the note, his brows knitted into knots.

There was only one sentence on the note: "Severus, please come to the principal's office to talk."

There was no signature, and the font was not Dumbledore's slanted font. Instead, it was a bit sloppy and wild, a font that Snape had never seen before.

Snape picked up the note and stood silently for a while, then suddenly sneered. He shook off the cloak behind him and walked straight towards the principal's office.

The stone monster at the door of the principal's office did not stop his steps. When he entered this office that he had never set foot in recently, the changes in the surrounding layout made his expression darken.

"What do you want from me, Dumbledore?" He stared at the unfamiliar principal behind the desk and said word by word, "I think you don't need me to treat you anymore..." He glanced at Glancing at the opponent's uninjured hands, the right hand under the cloak had already tightened the wand.

"Let's chat with you, Severus." Dumbledore looked at him expressionlessly, "After all, you are the person I trust and respect the most."

"Not now," Snape said sarcastically.

Dumbledore suddenly smiled. He stared into the other person's eyes sincerely and said, "It can be the same now, as long as you want."

Snape said unmoved: "What is your purpose?"

"Ha, that's a good question." Dumbledore raised the right corner of his lips and crossed his hands against his chin, "But I have to ask you first, what is your purpose?"

Snape's eyes moved but he didn't speak.

Dumbledore didn't wait for his answer and said to himself: "Guarding Harry Potter's safety?"

Snape curled his upper lip slightly and said coldly: "I hate him."

"No, at least half of them like it, right?" Dumbledore said with interest, his eyes deep and sharp, "Do you think you can protect him?"

Snape twitched the corner of his mouth. Damn it, Dumbledore didn't keep his promise and told others about him! Dumbledore deserves his misfortune! He said angrily: "I wish he died!"

"He will die if you really think so," Dumbledore said seriously.

"What on earth do you want to do?" Snape gritted his teeth, his sallow face stretched.

"No, Severus, we are talking about your purpose now." Dumbledore raised an index finger and shook it, "Don't change the subject."

"You are not only protecting Harry Potter, you are also protecting the future of the wizarding world." He said with certainty.

"That has nothing to do with me... you have a great imagination." Snape smiled mockingly. His expression was much more real at this time.

"It seems that you yourself have not discovered some kind of... kindness in your heart, or you are unwilling to admit it." Dumbledore looked at him with pity.

"What on earth do you want to say?" Snape said coldly, his eyes filled with uncontrollable anger. "If you just ask me to come and listen to you talk these incoherent nonsense-"

"The future is destined not to be peaceful, and the wizarding world will inevitably break the shackles." Dumbledore said categorically, "Harry Potter will be at the center of the dangerous vortex, and everything will be reshuffled... What will you choose to do, Xi? Fleurs?"

Snape fell silent for a moment, and his expression returned to gloomy and indifferent.

"In the near future, there will be people who will break the old order, there will be people who will establish a new order, there will be people who will protect the new order..." Dumbledore said passionately, as if he had become the most charming speaker, "The threat of Voldemort is actually insignificant. He can be defeated, but the wizarding world trapped in the cage still cannot find a way out. If the root of the problem is not solved, new crises and crises will eventually arise in this fertile soil watered by resentment and hatred. The flames of war..."

"I will create a more perfect world in my lifetime, and your choice will determine what role you will play in the future." His tone suddenly softened, which was refreshing, but also lurking in danger, "You want What kind of character is that, Severus?"

"I don't care." Snape said indifferently, as if he was indifferent.

"So, this is your choice?" Dumbledore was not angry, but the old god was smiling.

"I'll pretend I don't know what to do." Snape moved his lips and said expressionlessly.

"Then everything will be business as usual." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Are you going to stand by and watch what happens at school?" Snape said after a long silence.

"That is the savior's whetstone. I will not interfere." Dumbledore put away his smile and said calmly, "If this kind of thing can kill him, he is not worthy of my training."

Snape had a stern face, looking like a doormat who had to bear the consequences. He said coldly: "Irwin Shafiq is your alternative?"

"He..." Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the table and made a "duh" sound. "He is a variable. He is the key to everything and may destroy everything."

"Really? It's really interesting. Do you want to ask him to toss a coin to decide who lives and who dies?" Snape's tone was full of sarcasm.

Dumbledore just raised the corners of his mouth, and then waved his hand to indicate that he could leave.

Before leaving, Snape said slowly: "Who are you? Grindelwald?" Combined with the time of Dumbledore's return and the time of Grindelwald's death, it is not difficult to make this guess.

The other party just smiled slightly, neither admitting nor denying.

"How is Dumbledore?" Snape asked again.

"What do you think?" The old man sitting elegantly on the high-backed chair snorted, his fingertips gently rubbing the black gemstone ring on his finger.

Snape suddenly turned around and strode out of the principal's office.

…

On Saturday afternoon, young wizards who had no classes were ordered to remain in the common room. The castle was empty and felt a bit desolate.

The four deans of Hogwarts gathered outside Myrtle's bathroom on the second floor, waiting with serious faces and pacing anxiously from time to time. They all had basilisk-proof glasses on their faces, courtesy of Owen, and were ready to take the basilisk away.

Owen leaned against the wall boredly, waiting for Harry to coax the basilisk up.

"Are you here to see me?" Myrtle poked her pimple-covered head out of the wall and said with a blush, "But... it's not good here, this is the girls' bathroom... Of course, Owen You can come..." She timidly looked at Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick. After Snape gave him an indifferent glance, she cried out "Wow" and turned around in fright. in the toilet bowl.

Harry shouted in the bathroom: "I brought the basilisk out!" He slid off the back of the big snake and followed behind with some shame.

The basilisk stared with big yellow eyes and looked curiously at the professors who were waiting in the corridor. Because of Harry's orders, it showed no aggression.

The four professors exchanged glances with each other and surrounded the basilisk in a tacit understanding. Owen silently stepped back to avoid being affected.

"Basilisk, I hope you can leave the castle temporarily." Harry hissed, trying to persuade the basilisk to leave. "No more people in the school can be attacked. You can't disobey the Heir's orders, so I hope you can Hidden..."

The basilisk suddenly stared at him with bright yellow eyes, shook its huge ferocious snake head and shouted hoarsely: "No! I will not leave the secret room!"

"It's just for a while, okay? After you catch that guy, you can come back." Harry hurriedly reassured.

"No!" The basilisk swung its tail excitedly and turned around to run into the secret room.

"Do it!" Professor McGonagall shouted, a cold light flashing on the lenses of her glasses. She raised her wand and pointed it at the basilisk, and a long golden rope wrapped around it like a flexible snake.

Professor Snape, who also wore glasses, looked weird. He waved his wand coldly, and a gray beam hit the basilisk's head, causing it to sway dizzy.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand rapidly, releasing spells one after another, making the Basilisk's struggling movements become difficult and slow.

Professor Sprout made a lot of devil's nets, and the spreading vines tightly tied the basilisk's body.

"Roar! Let me go!" The basilisk's huge body writhed and struggled, but it was locked and unable to break free. It opened its mouth, revealing its fangs as sharp as a sword, and arched its body to bite the nearest Professor Sprout.

"Shut up! Don't bite!" Harry said quickly.

The basilisk closed its mouth in frustration, rolled its head vigorously, and tore apart the ropes and vines that bound it. But more ropes came and tied it tighter and tighter.

"It's okay, Hagrid found a cave suitable for you to live in the Forbidden Forest..." Harry coaxed.

"Let me go! I want to go back!" The basilisk refused to listen and kept to itself, hissing and shouting. But the professors didn't understand what it said, so they just dragged it outside the castle.

"There's food outside! You can eat every day!" Harry shouted.

"I don't want to leave!" the basilisk whimpered, shaking its head vigorously.

"You don't want to be full?" Harry asked.

"Think!" the basilisk said without hesitation, opening its mouth and biting the devil's net wrapped around its neck.

"Then go outside!" said Harry.

"No!" The basilisk's powerful tail slammed against the wall, causing the dust on the ceiling to fall down.

"You'll be hungry when you go back!" Harry shouted.

"Don't go hungry, but go back!" the basilisk roared decisively.

Harry held on to the wall feebly, giving up trying to persuade him. Owen followed behind at a safe distance, laughing until his stomach ached.

In the end, the professors succeeded in taking the basilisk out of the castle and into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, and handed it over to the eagerly awaited Hagrid. Hagrid pushed up the anti-basilisk glasses on the bridge of his nose and looked at the basilisk as if he were seeing a lover in love: "What a beautiful little guy, right? Don't worry, I will treat him well."

"Ho! Let me go back! You are all bad guys!" The basilisk looked up to the sky and hissed. The grief and anger in his tone made the listeners cry.

"Be well, bye." Harry waved his hand, turned around and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Harry, you are such a scumbag." Owen teased.

Harry:…