The Prince's Tale

[16] Veritaserum

["Veritaserum, a potion that can make the user tell the truth, the dosage is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. The standard dosage is no more than five drops a day, otherwise the light ones will be insane, and the severe ones will die." —— "European Wizard Pharmacopoeia" (Fourth Edition, 1985)]

I was awakened by a resurrection spell.I opened my eyes to find myself chained to a chair.I looked up, and in the dim light I saw Dolores Umbridge's obnoxious naked face.

"Dear Jane, we meet again," she said in a cloyingly sweet voice.

"Your way of meeting is really special." I said coldly.

"The fire in the medicinal materials warehouse in January has been investigated. Don't you want to know the result? Or, you already knew what would happen today?" She circled around me, looking very happy.

"Is there anything I need to know?" I raised my head arrogantly and looked at her with extremely disdainful eyes.

"I'm absolutely amazed that the herbs that were supposed to be destroyed in the fire reappeared in the basement of Brown's Pharmacy. I just don't know, is Mrs. Jones as surprised as I am?"

"—I'm really surprised, but at the same time very happy," I said in a steady voice, louder than hers, "you're finally no longer wasting time on such thoughtless things as reviewing pedigrees. But While I am relieved, I am still very worried about your IQ. If you allow me, I will be more than happy to give you some advice."

Umbridge said nothing.She stopped and stood in front of me, as if she hadn't seen my intention clearly.

"First, I suggest you go to a Muggle school and study from the first grade. But I can't say whether you can keep up. After all, a six-year-old child can think clearly and distinguish right from wrong better than you."

She suddenly let out a series of cute smiles like a little girl.

"I don't think you've figured it out yet," she poked my neck with her wand. "You're in my hands now. You better keep your mouth shut."

"You probably forgot," I looked at her with a smile, "you asked me to speak. Please forgive me if I said something unpleasant."

Umbridge looked at me, with the same smile on his face.But you never know what kind of dirty and evil thoughts are hidden under this smiling face.This smile makes me sick.

"Cruciate."

There was silence all around, and her voice came to my ears so clearly.But then, the world became noisy and crazy.I felt like I was going to be bitten into countless tiny pieces. The huge pain challenged my limit every second. It seemed that every cell in my body was screaming at me for its own pain... I gritted my teeth , Try not to let yourself scream.I knew it would only make her more smug.

Edward, Edward... I kept chanting his name silently in my heart, and there was an indestructible flame amulet burning in my heart, supporting me to bear the pain that had already surpassed the limit...

"Say, where are the members of the Order of the Phoenix hiding?" she asked sharply, continuing to point her wand at my neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I looked up and stared at her without fear.

"No, you understand very well in your heart. Your assistant has explained to us a long time ago, and we already have the evidence that you secretly provided assistance to them...but it doesn't matter," she smiled, which seemed to me more like It was a smirk, "I think you must know what this is, don't you?" She took out a crystal bottle containing Veritaserum.

"Are you not afraid that I have already drunk the antidote?" I asked calmly.

"I can keep giving you Veritaserum," she approached me with a grim expression, "until you tell the truth."

"Don't waste your time, Dolores," I said, "if you gave me the whole bottle, I wouldn't tell you a word. And, allow me to remind you, Veritaserum The dosage is strictly controlled."

"I'm in control, not you!" The snake-shaped locket hanging on her chest dangled in front of me. The patterns on it were not very delicately carved, like an imitation.

"No, I'm not referring to the Ministry of Magic, but to the Pharmacopoeia's maximum dosage - 'the standard dose is five drops a day or else insanity or death'. Didn't the man who gave you Veritaserum tell You?"

"I did tell you," said a deep voice behind me, and I couldn't turn my head, but I could almost be sure the owner of the voice, "but you never seem to take my words seriously."

"Ah, Severus," she let go of me, returning to her cloyingly sweet voice, "why are you here?"

"I heard that you have a new prisoner under interrogation," Severus Snape said slowly, "I came here to remind you of the dose of Veritaserum. The last time you were interrogated because—"

"Okay, I see," Umbridge interrupted, "you can go out. I'm going to continue the interrogation."

"Interrogation? I don't understand," he said, and I almost suspected that there was something wrong with my hearing. "I'm still wondering why Mrs. Jones lost contact after she left me yesterday. I don't know what she did to make you There was a misunderstanding and I was caught here by mistake."

"Caught by mistake?" Umbridge's voice rose comically.My heart was beating wildly, I lowered my head and didn't look at her face, but I could imagine that the expression on her face must be wonderful. "Do you have proof?"

"No. But I have witnesses."

"Who?"

"I."

There was silence in the interrogation room, but my heart was overwhelmed.Merlin, will Snape kindly come and save me?I can't figure out what the hell is going on here.I kept my head down all the time and remained silent, for fear of revealing a flaw.

"Severus, don't you think you've been meddling a bit too much lately?" Dolores Umbridge actually asked.

"It's none of your business," said Snape in his usual haughty sarcasm, casting a spell that made my chains rattle back, "if the Minister knew you weren't putting all your energy into what you should He won't be happy if it's in the right place. I'm just helping you right your mistake, Dolores."

Ignoring Umbridge's resentment, he grabbed my arm with a pair of iron-like hands and dragged me straight out of the chair.I didn't care about the pain in my body, my tired brain was driven to think about what Snape was going to do.I don't know where he will take me, and I don't know whether what awaits me is light or a darker hell...

In this day and age, it's hard for me to trust anyone.The person I can trust and rely on completely has already left me.I don't know who this is more cruel to.One who was deprived of his life and left the world he loved, and one who endured the pain of his lover's departure and insisted on facing all the difficulties and obstacles alone.I think I am willing to die in his place, but I can't bear to leave him alone in this hopeless world.Sometimes I even feel that this is a kind of luck for Edward.Living is always a more difficult thing.

Snape led me out of the Ministry.I can't imagine that I left here so easily.He apparated me into a forest, pulled a wand from under his cloak and threw it at me.

"Why are you doing this?" I took my wand and realized it was the same one that had been with me for decades.Black walnut, snake's nerve, flexible and beautiful.

His pale face turned to me, eyebrow raised. "I thought you knew," he said slightly sarcastically.

"No, I don't know. I haven't been to your place at all. Why are you lying for me at the Ministry? What the hell are you trying to do?" I looked at him warily.

Severus Snape continued to look at me with his unfathomable black eyes, seemingly finally concluding that I hadn't really understood, but making no attempt to explain.His ignorance annoys me.But before I could think of a word to irritate him, he turned around and started walking.His black cloak was blown by the wind behind him, and after a few steps, he Apparated out of my sight.

It was evening.The setting sun paints a few bright orange streaks on the horizon, and even the flying birds that go home are sprinkled with a little golden.Severus had just left against the backdrop of this magnificent sunset.Standing alone on the edge of the woods, I thought for no reason of William who had resolutely left many years ago facing the sunset by the river.

They all seem to have gone to their own destiny.