The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 681 The Returning Half-Blood Prince
Just then, Ada and Snape returned to Hogwarts.

The two passed through the barrier covering the school and appeared in front of the Aurors, the Order of the Phoenix, and many teachers and students.

Even though there were still dense Dementors floating around outside, people first saw Snape in a black robe and saw the murderer of Albus Dumbledore.

Angry and hateful glances were cast at him like sharp blades. Some people's hands moved faster than their brains. They chanted spells without thinking. Colorful spells fell on Snape like raindrops.

Sirius and Harry threw down their wands and rushed straight towards Snape, wanting to punch the nasty face of the snot. Fortunately, Kingsley and Lupin were quick-witted and each grabbed one of them, thus preventing them from rushing over.

The magic barrier, like a goldfish bowl, covered Ada and Snape upside down. No matter how the spell was cast, it could not break through this layer of protection.

Seeing Ada protecting Snape, the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic all stopped.

They didn't know why Ada did this, but since she did it, there must be a reason for her.

The teachers and students of Hogwarts, as well as members of the Order of the Phoenix, were puzzled and did not understand why Ada wanted to protect the murderer Snape.

"Get out of the way! Drizzt!" Sirius yelled, "Let me kill this snotty guy!"

Like father, like son. Harry also shouted, "Snape, how dare you show up at school? I will never forget how you looked into his eyes. He trusted you so much, and you killed him!"

Snape drew his wand, and Lupin, who was holding Harry, immediately blocked Harry behind him.

Remus Lupin pointed his wand at Snape and said coldly: "I will never allow you to kill anyone in Hogwarts again!"

However, Snape did not point his wand at Harry, nor at the barking dog. He turned to face the outside of the school, raised his wand, and whispered: "Expecto Patronus!"

The pure white silver light circled above Snape's head and turned into a doe. She landed lightly on the open space in the campus, jumped through the crowd, and flew out of the wrought iron gate.

The doe was once again galloping through Hogwarts, as if it had never left.

Severus Snape, with his back to the crowd, had tears already welling up in his dark eyes.

Sirius stopped shouting, and Harry stopped questioning. Others might not know what the doe Patronus represented, but they knew. Everyone who was familiar with Lily knew that Lily's Patronus was a doe.

"Is this still the case after all this time?"

"Always will be."

Without asking any further questions, Ada also raised the Elder Wand, and a thin silver gauze appeared at the tip of her wand.

The cute Chow Chow did not appear, and the Elder Wand just kept on glowing silver, creating ripples like a stone thrown into a lake. The silver ripples spread out layer by layer, impacting every Dementor that tried to approach Hogwarts.

Overturned and expelled, in a blink of an eye, more than a hundred Dementors surrounding the school were dispersed and no longer dared to come near.

Ada raised her empty left hand and held both hands upward. The silver light at the tip of the old wand and other patronuses were all integrated into the protective magic protecting the school.

The magic shield protecting Hogwarts became more solid, and the school seemed to be shrouded in a huge glass cocoon.

The Death Eaters' offensive was stopped, and they would not launch another attack for a while. Ada turned back to face everyone, she knew that everyone needed an explanation, an explanation about Snape and Dumbledore.

"Come with me." Ada said a little tiredly.

After saying that, Ada and Snape walked towards the castle together. This matter had to be explained as soon as possible, as they didn't have much time left.

Harry was the first to follow towards the castle, followed hurriedly by Sirius and Lupin.

Mr. Weasley and Kingsley did not leave immediately. After giving some instructions to the Aurors, they turned back and walked towards the castle.

Professor Sprout hesitated for a moment, but ultimately she did not leave with them. Instead, she decided to stay and take care of the students guarding the school gate.

The group walked non-stop towards the eighth floor of the castle.

Wherever he went, Snape could feel people's hateful gazes. Everyone was applauding and cheering for the murderer who killed Dumbledore being "caught".

When they reached the long corridor on the eighth floor, Sir Cadogan appeared in the portrait and chased the marching team to verbally abuse Snape. Obscene and dirty words kept pouring into people's ears.

Amid the curses, the ugly stone statue guarding the principal's office appeared in everyone's sight. It did not fight like the other statues, but just guarded the principal's office firmly.

Professor McGonagall, who arrived halfway, gave a command, and the stone statue jumped to the side, revealing the stone steps that spiraled upwards behind it.

Before Professor McGonagall could climb the stairs first, Snape grabbed Harry and dragged him up the stairs. In the astonished eyes of everyone, Ada blocked everyone's pursuit.

"Get out of the way!" Sirius yelled, and he even pointed his wand at Ada, who "could not distinguish friend from foe." "Calm down, Sirius." Professor McGonagall pushed Sirius away. She believed in Ada, but she didn't believe in Snape.

Professor McGonagall asked angrily, "Ada, do you know what you are doing now? You are shielding the murderer who killed Dumbledore, and you are putting Potter in danger! The traitor Snape will take Harry to his master at any time!"

The rumor in the school was that Snape had been caught, so Professor McGonagall rushed over. She didn't know what happened at the school gate.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Professor." Ada said softly but firmly, "I have the same unbreakable reasons as Professor Dumbledore to believe in Severus Snape."

"Just a doe?" Sirius growled. "It was he who revealed the prophecy to Voldemort, and it was he who killed Dumbledore himself!"

Remus Lupin stopped Sirius from continuing to shout in the corridor.

Lupin said: "The Patronus usually does not change. It is only when there is a great shock or a great emotional change that this is possible."

The Patronus Charm is one of the most powerful and oldest defensive spells in the wizarding world, and it is also the most famous defensive spell. Remus Lupin is very familiar with this ancient spell, and he has also seen someone's Patronus change its image.

Tonks loved Lupin so much that her Patronus was changed from a rabbit to a wolf.

"But Sirius is right. We can't trust Snape based on a Patronus alone," Lupin continued.

Lupin was willing to believe in Ada's judgment, but he didn't want to see Dumbledore's pain appear on young Ada. Most other people were the same, they were afraid that Ada would trust Snape wrongly and end up hurting herself.

"Listen to me!" Ada shouted, still standing in front of the stone statue, refusing to move.

She went on to say: "Severus Snape did not betray Albus Dumbledore, everything was planned by Dumbledore, including his own death."

It was unbelievable. What Ada said was too bizarre. It was completely different from what they had seen and heard.

"Ron, Hermione, you should remember that Harry was cursed by Quirrell in his first year and almost fell off his broom?" Ada asked.

Everyone looked at Ron and Hermione who followed.

"That's true," said Hermione. "Snape was chanting a counter-spell to protect Harry at the time..." Ron also nodded, indicating that what Hermione said was true.

Ada turned to look at Sirius, and she continued, "Sirius, Snape wanted to kill you just because you 'betrayed' the Potters. Voldemort was the one who killed the Potters."

"He...he..." Sirius murmured, unable to speak.

Ada looked at Lupin again and said, "Remus, those wolfsbane potions you received on your wedding were a gift from Snape."

……

"And George, George's left ear was injured by the Spell of the Sharp Edge. That was a spell invented by Snape himself. If he hadn't told me the counter-curse, George would still have one ear!"

……

"And Dumbledore?" asked Professor McGonagall in a trembling voice.

Ada raised her head and sighed. She replied, "Even if the Death Eaters hadn't broken in that night, even if Snape... Professor Dumbledore hadn't... he wouldn't have lived long."

……

In front of everyone, Ada revealed Snape's undercover identity. His identity had already been exposed by Voldemort, and there was no need for Ada to keep this secret any longer.

In addition to Snape's undercover identity, Ada also explained the reasons why Dumbledore had to do this and that his life had already entered the countdown.

After telling the secret, Ada felt relieved in her heart. It felt terrible to keep the secret alone.

Ada was quite happy with it, but the others were all stunned, unable to accept it for a moment. If someone else had said it, they would probably think that person was crazy.

Everyone looked at the ugly stone statue, as if they would see it suddenly jump away and see the smart and wise Dumbledore walking out of the headmaster's office.

Dumbledore arranged everything in the last days of his life and calmly accepted the fate of death. Albus Dumbledore deserves to be called "the greatest wizard of our time".

Suddenly, the stone statue really jumped to the side, but the person who came out was not Dumbledore, but Snape.

Severus Snape is also great.

He killed Dumbledore with great pain, endured the condemnation of thousands of people, endured humiliation and went deep behind enemy lines, and almost lost his own life... Such a person deserves the title of great.

(End of this chapter)