Hogwarts: The Savior's Strong Cousin

They approached the shelter carefully, and Hermione unlocked the lock of the protection spell. The door of the shelter slowly opened, revealing the scene inside. Snape was lying on the ground, his face pale, obviously seriously injured.

"Professor Snape!" Harry rushed in and knelt beside Snape, "We are here to save you."

Snape opened his eyes slightly and saw Harry, Hermione and Ron, a hint of gratitude and exhaustion flashed in his eyes.

"You... shouldn't be here," Snape whispered, his voice weak, "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"We won't let you face this alone," Hermione said firmly, "Your safety is very important to us."

Ron quickly checked Snape's injuries and found that he had suffered multiple serious magical attacks. "We must take him back for treatment as soon as possible."

Harry nodded, "Let's go, Professor."

They carefully helped Snape up, quickly left the Forbidden Forest and returned to Hogwarts. Along the way, Harry was still in a heavy mood. He knew that Snape's injuries needed to be treated as soon as possible, but more importantly, they had to get more information from Snape to reveal the truth about the dark power.

Back at Hogwarts, they took Snape to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey immediately began treating his injuries while Harry, Hermione, and Ron waited anxiously.

"He'll be fine," Hermione soothed, a determined glint in her eyes, "We won't let anything happen to him."

"Yes, we will do our best to protect him," Harry said, full of determination, "Professor Snape must know some key information, and we need this information to fight against the dark forces."

A few hours later, Madam Pomfrey finally came out, with a tired but relieved look on her face.

"He has stabilized, but needs to rest and recover," Madam Pomfrey said, "You may go in and see him, but don't disturb him for too long."

Harry, Hermione and Ron walked into the hospital wing and saw Snape lying on the bed. Although his face was still pale, he looked much better. Harry walked to the bed and held Snape's hand.

"Professor, we need your help," Harry whispered, "Please tell us, what is the truth about the dark power?"

Snape opened his eyes slightly, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He knew that now was the time to tell Harry and his friends everything he knew.

"Dark forces are reviving, and their goal is to destroy Hogwarts and the entire wizarding world," Snape whispered, with a hint of weakness in his voice, "We must find an ancient magic seal. Only it can completely seal these forces."

Harry felt a surge of determination in his heart, "We have found clues about the Sealing Magic, we will do our best to learn and master it."

Snape nodded, hope in his eyes, "You are the hope of Hogwarts, Harry. Don't give up."

"We won't give up," Hermione said firmly, "We will unite to protect Hogwarts."

Ron also nodded, his eyes full of determination, "No matter what difficulties we face, we will face them together."

Harry felt the support and determination of his friends, and his inner uneasiness and anxiety gradually turned into determination and courage. He knew that the real battle was still ahead, but they were fully prepared.

However, this night was not peaceful. The door of the library was suddenly pushed open, and Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley rushed in. Hermione's face was pale, and she was holding a parchment scroll in her hand.

"Harry, we're in trouble," Hermione gasped, "The protective wards around Hogwarts are wearing off."

Harry raised his head suddenly, with a flash of shock in his eyes. "How could this happen? How could the barrier disappear?"

Ron took over the conversation, "Yes, we don't know the specific reason. But we found a strange magic mark that seems to be related to black magic."

Harry quickly stood up and put the ancient book back on the shelf. "We must investigate immediately. This matter cannot be underestimated."

The three of them quickly left the library and ran to Dumbledore's office. Although Dumbledore had passed away, his portrait was still hanging on the wall of his office, ready to provide advice and guidance at any time. When they arrived, Dumbledore's portrait was quietly watching them, as if he had already anticipated their arrival.

"Professor, we have an emergency," Harry said, "The wards around Hogwarts are wearing off, and we suspect dark magic is at work."

Dumbledore's portrait nodded slightly. "Indeed, this is a very serious problem. The barrier of Hogwarts was built by generations of powerful wizards and should not be easily destroyed. You must find the source of that magical mark."

Hermione unfolded the parchment scroll in her hand, revealing a complex symbol. "This is a sigil we found at the border of our school. It looks like an ancient dark magic."

Dumbledore's portrait frowned. "This is the Mark of Malachis, a long-lost symbol of dark magic. It absorbs and weakens the magical power around it. If this mark spreads, all of Hogwarts will be in danger."

"What should we do?" Ron asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"You need to find the source of the mark and try to destroy it," Dumbledore said, "In addition, you need to contact other magic schools and ask for their help. Hogwarts cannot deal with such a powerful threat alone."

Harry nodded. "We will act immediately. Hermione, you will be responsible for figuring out how to destroy the mark. Ron, let's go inform Professor McGonagall and organize the students to prepare for defense."

In the next few days, Hogwarts fell into a tense atmosphere. Students were asked not to act alone, all classes were cancelled, and the whole school was preparing for a possible crisis. At the same time, Harry and his friends worked day and night to try to solve the mystery of the Mark of Malachis.

One cold night, Harry walked alone on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He felt a strange magic lingering around him, as if something was watching him. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed out from behind a tree, and Harry quickly drew out his wand and pointed it in that direction.

"Who's there?" he asked sharply.

The shadow slowly walked out, revealing a familiar face - Professor Snape. Although he had passed away, Snape still looked so real at this moment.