"Oh, no, Sirius, I was just——"
Harry's face turned unnatural. He did not want to tell Sirius the truth, for a simple reason. If Sirius knew what Snape had said and done in the Potions class, he would certainly look for trouble with Snape. Harry would love to see Snape in trouble, but absolutely not at the cost of Sirius being reprimanded by Professor Dumbledore.
"Just that, there was a bit of a mishap with Neville's preparation of the Confusion Potion——"
Harry showed Sirius the red mark on his arm, which had been burned by the spilled potion just a moment ago.
"I scolded Neville a little."
Sirius looked skeptical, his gaze shifting to Hermione and Ron, but the two young ones were both avoiding his eyes.
"Alright, I'll go and ask Snape to clarify——"
Sirius was not stupid. Seeing the situation, how could he not understand what was going on? Moreover, he probably also guessed the reason why Harry lied to him.
Sirius maintained a calm expression, giving no indication of his anger. However, Harry noticed the veins on Sirius's wrist bulging visibly. He grabbed Sirius's wrist in a firm grip and said anxiously,
"No! Sirius, there's nothing serious, I've already gotten used to it."
"Habit!"
Harry's attempt at pacification completely angered Sirius. He slapped Harry's arm away and strode towards the basement, his terrifying expression scaring Neville and the others who emerged from the dark underground passage. They clung to the walls, too afraid to block Sirius's path.
"I am not accustomed to just watching my godson being bullied by a snotpot."
"I will stop him, you two go find someone who can solve this matter!"
Realizing the situation, Harry shouted and turned back towards the underground passage.
"Solve this matter," Hermione called out in haste, "but... oh, Professor Dumbledore isn't at school these days!"
"Did you lose your mind!" Ron grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her up the marble steps, "Who else can stop them besides Professor Bran!"
Sirius was destined to make a futile trip because the person he was about to confront had already arrived in Professor Amos's office through the fireplace in the office.
To be honest, although the two have an unconventional relationship, and now are colleagues, Snape usually doesn't visit Amos. On the contrary, Amos often visits Snape's office for a chat and, of course, to check out the old professor's storehouse.
The glowing red light from the extinguished ashes in the fireplace suddenly caught Amos's attention, who was deep in thought over something. Then, Snape appeared amidst a whirlwind of blinding green flames.
In the Hogwarts faculty team, Amos's office was the most modest. Moreover, he was the only one who put his sleeping bed in the office. After looking around and confirming that there were no other visitors in the office, Snape glanced at the camp bed by the window corner and said casually,
"Why don't you find a room just for sleeping?"
"You know I don't care about that –"
Amos casually replied and lowered his head to deal with his own affairs.
"What are you doing?"
Snape walked up to Amos's desk and looked down at the seemingly old documents on it. Amos appeared to be calculating something, and the scratch paper he was using was filled with complex equations and spell configurations. These were very profound, even for Snape's exceptional magical abilities, which he could only understand a small part of.
Wizards' research is very confidential and valuable, but Amos doesn't mind Snape peeping at his research findings. His thoughts are tangled up in his own studies.
"It's an ancient meditation technique that can enhance the awareness of magical fluctuations in the surrounding environment. But the entry threshold is extremely high. In my opinion, at Hogwarts, only Luna Lovegood might have the talent to master it. I'm trying to simplify it..."
"Luna Lovegood?"
Snape frowned and quickly found the person corresponding to this name in his mind.
"The odd second-year girl in Filch's house? Her Potions grades are average, and she tends to be distracted in class. I don't see any talent of the kind you're talking about in her."
Amos has almost watched this person grow up himself, and the magical talent he possesses is something he has never seen before. To receive Amos's recognition like that, Snape can't help but feel a bit curious.
"This young lady is indeed gifted, but her talent hasn't been properly guided, and she lacks a proper understanding of her own abilities. So... what brings you here?"
Research requires an undisturbed environment, and Professor Snape's visit was clearly not for a casual chat. Amos inserted the feather quill back into the inkwell, massaged his brow, and invited Professor Snape to sit down while he went to the fireplace mantel to make tea.
The relationship between the two was indeed no need to hide anything. Snape sat on the sofa, his face serious, and asked directly.
"Was that watch for Potter?"
Amos's hand paused for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at Professor Snape on the sofa, and for a moment, his mind was bombarded with various thoughts.
Professor Snape noticed something was wrong with that watch?
Theoretically, it was impossible. Amos's magic and alchemical craftsmanship to conceal the true function of the watch were very clever. Moreover, there were numerous interlinked spells protecting it——Dumbledore could see something was wrong with the watch, but he couldn't unravel the camouflage without directly destroying it.
Could it be that Dumbledore had given a private instruction?
With Dumbledore's close attention to Harry, he certainly would have noticed that watch. Amos originally planned to dismiss it by giving a vague answer when Dumbledore asked about it. So, Dumbledore foresaw this possibility and decided to let Snape, who was closer to him, ask instead?
But, the old man wasn't on a business trip these days?
"That's right. I was away to express my gratitude to Harry, Ron, and Hermione for their help in finding the Chamber of Secrets. What is it? Is there something wrong?"
Amos carried the steaming teacup to the sofa and asked seemingly indifferently,
Professor Snape was someone to be trusted, but some things were too complicated for him to let go.
"I'm just coming to confirm," Snape said without expression, "there are some things you may not be aware of, Amos. Potter and his two inseparable friends have a habit of thieving. I have clear evidence that last year, some precious ingredients in my private storage were stolen, and they are involved."
This lie was clearly used to divert attention, and Amos wouldn't miss it.
Just then, the fireplace, which had just gone out, flared up again. Amos had just turned around when a silver Phoenix, as small as a swallow, shot out of the whirling flames and hovered in mid-air.
"Oh, Severus, you're here too——"
Dumbledore's voice, which was old and frail, sounded somewhat surprised.
"I have something important to discuss with you in person, Amos, but since you have a visitor here, I can make another time."
Snape rose to leave, but Amos stopped him.
"Stay, Professor, if there are any trouble in the future, I'll still have to trouble you to help me reject it."
Snape's lips twitched, while Dumbledore's Phoenix Patronus's eyes flashed a hint of helplessness. After leaving a phrase of "Wait a moment," the guardian spirit that had lost magical support dissipated like sand painting.
About ten minutes later, Dumbledore emerged from the fireplace, in a hurry, wrapped in a purple travel cloak. It seemed he had just returned to Hogwarts and hadn't had time to rest before coming to Amos's place.
"Please, sit down, Professor Dumbledore –"
Amos guided Dumbledore to sit on the sofa, and he went to the fireplace to take a jar, shaking it hard before pouring some tea leaves and fragments out of it.
"What's wrong, Severus?"
Dumbledore noticed the hint of melancholy in Snape's forehead and asked curiously,
"If it's because of my intrusive visit interrupting your pleasant conversation with Amos, Severus, I can reschedule it—"
Snape's lips curled into a faintly sarcastic smile as he hummed and laughed twice without speaking.
"It's unnecessary --"
Amos brought over a tea with a layer of bits on top, smiling, he said,
"A few days ago, I gave Potter a watch—as a token of gratitude for Harry's help in finding the Chamber of Secrets last year. Professor Snape is curious about it because of some unpleasant past events; he mistakenly thought Potter had stolen it from me. In any case, the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
(Chapter completed)
