Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

Far removed from the bustling heart of London, by countless miles, the murky fog that once clung to the city now swirled above a filthy, winding river. Weeds grew rampant along the banks, intertwined with discarded refuse, painting a picture of desolation. Not far off, the remains of an abandoned mill—a solitary, towering chimney—stood forlornly, its grim facade whispering tales of bygone eras and ill omens.

The silence was so profound that only the river's low, mournful murmur could be heard, as if the very essence of life had been consumed by the barrenness. Only a gaunt fox, slinking down the bank, greedily sniffed amongst the weeds for the remnants of discarded fish and chips wrappers.

Within this deathly quiet, a slender and silent figure arrived unnoticed, without any abrupt sound, like a ghost in the night. The fox, suddenly alert, fixed its keen eyes on this unexpected anomaly.

"Is this the place? Dumbledore, that old codger, couldn't have given me the wrong address, could he!" Jerry muttered to himself, his gaze shifting between the paper in his hand and the appalling surroundings, his brow furrowed in concern.

Jerry waved his hand, shooing away the fox that was huddled in the low bushes, lest it be killed by some crazy woman about to escape from Azkaban.

Then, he strolled towards the riverbank, where a dilapidated old railing silently marked the boundary between the river and a narrow cobblestone lane. His gaze passed through the alley, taking in rows of dilapidated brick houses, their windows like empty eyes staring out from the darkness, radiating an aura of death.

"How can Professor Snape live in this... dump?" Jerry thought to himself, cautiously stepping to avoid the various pieces of trash under his feet, eventually nimbly passing through a gap in the rusty railing. He hurried through the alley and instantly stepped into another seemingly identical, maze-like street.

As he ventured deeper, Jerry felt as if he had entered a forgotten world, surrounded by abandoned brick houses arranged in a chaotic and eerie manner. Finally, he arrived at Spinner's End, where the towering mill chimney, like a silent guardian, pointed straight to the sky, its silhouette particularly stark against the night.

Passing window after window hastily boarded up, each step accompanied by the echo of his feet on the cobblestones, Jerry gradually approached his destination. Until he came to the last house, where a dim, yellowish light seeped through the gaps in the curtains of the downstairs room.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Jerry vigorously rapped on the door, his nostrils filled with the foul odor carried on the breeze from the polluted river. After a moment, there was movement from within.

"Jerry Green? What are you doing here?" Snape, seeing Jerry outside the door, was very surprised. He glanced back at his house, his expression somewhat serious, "I have some things to deal with right now, I don't have time to bother with you, get out of here!"

As he finished speaking, Snape hurriedly tried to close the door and send Jerry away.

"Don't be hasty, Severus, Mr. Green and I have known each other for a long time, we've met many times, and you could even call us 'old friends'. I was able to escape from Hogwarts, from Lupin and Sirius Black, and was forced to go to the great Master. All of this is thanks to Mr. Green's 'help'!" A thin, reedy voice came from inside the house, "Let him in, Severus, Mr. Green is a distinguished guest of the Master, we must not neglect him!"

Jerry looked at Snape with a smile, while the latter's face was ashen, his cold eyes carrying a complex mix of emotions.

"Let me in, Professor Snape," Jerry said, waving his hand lightly in front of his nose, trying to dispel the pungent odor emanating from the surrounding environment, "Your living conditions are truly terrible, this place is simply a garbage dump, and Wormtail is right!"

Snape stood in front of the door, staring at Jerry for a long moment, finally slowly stepping aside, signaling him to enter.

Inside the living room, the four walls were almost entirely covered with books, most of them bearing old black or brown leather covers, revealing the marks of time. A flickering candle lamp hung from the ceiling, its faint light barely illuminating an area where a worn sofa, an old armchair, and a table that looked like it could fall apart at any moment were placed.

"Long time no see, Mr. Green!" Wormtail appeared in Jerry's sight with his watery little eyes and unnatural fake smile.

Jerry didn't respond, but instead looked at his arm with interest, noticing that Wormtail was gently stroking his right hand with his left, the right hand seemingly wearing a shiny silver "glove."

"Isn't it beautiful?" Wormtail raised his palm, as if showing it off, "The Master bestowed it upon me, it's not only beautiful, but also very strong, very perfect!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wormtail's fist, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, shot straight towards Jerry's chest.

"Careful!" Snape exclaimed, almost simultaneously, his wand already tightly gripped in his hand, ready to save Jerry.

But to the surprise of both of them, facing Wormtail's attack, Jerry not only showed no signs of dodging or panic, but instead maintained that gentle smile.

A muffled sound, but not the sensation of flesh hitting flesh, more like hitting empty space.

Wormtail's arm passed straight through Jerry's chest, without encountering any resistance.

"This, this, you..." Wormtail's voice trembled, his eyes wide, staring in disbelief at the scene before him. He hurriedly pulled back his arm, his fist now charred black, covered with shocking cracks, as if it had been burned by Fiendfyre.

Wormtail took two steps back in fright, only to see a fist-sized hole suddenly appear in Jerry's chest, through which the wall behind Jerry could be clearly seen. Inside the hole, no blood flowed from the wound, nor were any white bones exposed. Looking into the body through the hole, only swirling purplish-black mist could be seen.

In the blink of an eye, mist filled the void that had appeared in his chest. When the mist dissipated, Jerry reappeared unharmed in the living room, even his clothes were perfectly intact, without a wrinkle or tear.

“Are you a person or a ghost?” Wormtail asked, trembling. He took two steps back.

“Heh!” The warm smile on Jerry's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sneer. His figure then disappeared from the living room.

“Apparition? No…” Snape said. Apparition was usually accompanied by a sharp sound, impossible to be as silent as Jerry.

“There are many things in the world that are difficult to understand and beyond your imagination,” Jerry's voice suddenly came from above the second-floor staircase, with a hint of playfulness and arrogance. He looked down at everything in the living room, “For example, this…” Before he finished speaking, he gently raised his right hand, and the crisp snap of his fingers echoed in the quiet air.

Wormtail's body suddenly stiffened, then he fell to the ground as if bound by invisible chains. He now felt as if countless files were drilling into his body, slowly grinding his bones into dust, causing extreme pain.

“Spare… spare… me!” Wormtail curled up into a ball, his voice muffled by the pain. He tried his best to hit the floor with his head, trying to pass out and escape this unbearable pain, but Jerry's methods were not so easily broken!

When Jerry tortured someone, the first thing he did was to make sure their brain was clear, no matter what pain they endured. Only by clearly feeling the pain would they deeply remember the fear.

Using the Avada Kedavra curse directly to kill the opponent instantly might be Jerry's greatest mercy!

Jerry yawned lazily and waved his hand casually. Wormtail's wails stopped abruptly. He knelt trembling by the threshold, his forehead pressed against the cold floor, blood staining his forehead red, his eyes filled with fear, having lost even the courage to look directly at Jerry.

“Wormtail, it's time for you to return to Voldemort's side!” Jerry's voice was not loud, but it seemed to be giving him an order that could not be disobeyed.

Hearing this, Wormtail glanced weakly at Snape, then crawled out of the house.

“Do you know who you looked like just now?” Snape asked, his body tense, sitting on the sofa opposite Jerry, his eyes full of disgust as he looked at Jerry.

“Who? Voldemort? Impossible, I think my nose is still quite good-looking!” Jerry chuckled and confidently touched his nose.

“How did you find this place? The summer vacation has just started, why aren't you with Granger? What are you doing here with me?” Snape took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger in his heart.

“Dumbledore sent me,” Jerry explained, “According to Dumbledore's plan, you've already met Voldemort, right? He should have told you something too, um… it's all true. Many things, I did know about a long time ago, and I did help Voldemort once or twice.”

“Then why are you here to find me? What exactly does Dumbledore mean?” Snape asked, enraged. He suddenly stood up and roared.

“Uh, he asked me to come and explain to you, afraid that you would misunderstand me. I'm not like the Death Eaters, I'm not Voldemort's accomplice!” Jerry signaled Snape to calm down, “Haven't you already joined the Order of the Phoenix? It won't be long before we should meet at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.”

“Heh heh! Don't worry, I won't tell others about what happened here today!” Snape's eyes were icy as he glared at Jerry, “But has Dumbledore ever thought that after Wormtail tells Voldemort what happened here today…”

“Professor, it's too difficult for you to gain Voldemort's trust with your identity!” Jerry looked at Snape speechlessly, “There's no good ending for being an undercover agent, Professor Snape!”

“No, you don't understand,” Snape shook his head and said, “The current Voldemort is an extremely conceited person! So conceited that he believes no one can deceive him! No one dares to betray him easily!”

“As for you, if you are really on Dumbledore's side, then stay away from Potter, stay away from Granger!” Snape stared at Jerry, “You have Dumbledore and Grindelwald protecting you, but they don't, especially Granger!”

“Your concerns about Hermione and me are unnecessary. I'm not you, and Hermione is not Lily Evans!” Jerry put away the smile on his face and looked at Snape seriously, “As for Potter, Professor Snape, so many years have passed, and Potter will be in his fifth year next semester. Are you still… um… still thinking about Lily Evans?”

“Always…”

“You're right, we are indeed different, and you will never understand what love is…”

“Love is… going through spring, summer, autumn, and winter together, experiencing the changes of the world together, witnessing the ups and downs of love together, being able to look into the eyes of your loved one and then say: ‘We have gone through those things together. Among all living beings, we only recognize each other.’”

Jerry took out a bronze medal with the mark of the Apostle on it. He placed the medal in front of Snape, who was sitting blankly and dejectedly on the sofa, still lost in his memories.

“Take this medal, this is what Dumbledore sent me here for today!” Jerry's voice awakened Snape, who slowly raised his head and looked at the medal.

“What kind of medal is this? What is it for?”

“Apostle Medal, it can save your life at a critical moment!”