Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 10 This is War
Snape was completely unable to move.

He could only look up at the ceiling of the carriage and listen to the footsteps and voices around him.

Just as he was pondering how to defend himself in the Wizengamot Wizarding Court and how Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, the Knight Bus suddenly started moving with a deafening bang.

The car was going too fast, and his body slid a distance towards the back of the car.

“Mom, Severus is still lying on the ground.”

He heard Marlene's voice.

Then he felt someone use magic to lift him from the ground and gently place him on a bed.

Lying on the feather mattress, he thought to himself, "At least now I don't have to endure that annoying vibration in my back anymore."

The passage of time is often imperceptible.

With another deafening "bang," the bed frame beneath Snape slid about a foot forward toward the car.

Hogsmeade has arrived.

As he floated on his back off the Knight Bus, a vast starry sky came into view.

Accompanied by the hissing sound of wooden legs being pulled out of the mud and the clattering of footsteps on the cobblestone path, they entered a dimly lit room.

A familiar smell of mutton wafted into Snape's nose.

"Pig Head Bar?"

He secretly guessed.

“Aberforth, it seems you received my message.”

"Moody said in a gruff voice."

"Has Albus arrived? Also, could you please find a place for Ern to rest?"

After hearing a soft hum from his nose, Snape felt himself being slowly lifted up.

After the creaking of the wooden stairs ended, he heard a knocking sound at the door.

"Come in." It was Dumbledore's voice.

“Good evening, Albus,” Moody said.

"Good evening, Alastor. Tell me about what happened today."

"Dumbledore asked seriously."

"What happened to this child?"

Snape was placed on the floor.

He could feel something being dragged, making a screeching sound on the floor.

Moody seemed to pull up a chair and sit down heavily.

"Let McKinnon tell you about it. I rushed over after receiving his signal."

So Mr. McKinnon recounted everything he knew in detail.

Marlin then added some details about what happened after he fell into a coma.

"Are the bodies all kept downstairs?" Dumbledore asked.

They went downstairs.

The room was quiet.

After a while, Snape heard footsteps again, and someone entered the room.

A flash of red light, and the curse on his body was lifted.

He sat bolt upright, looked up at Dumbledore, and said urgently:

"Professor, could you send a letter to my home?"
"Just tell them I ran into you in Diagon Alley, and you have something to talk to me about regarding school. I'll be back later, okay?"

Dumbledore's bright blue eyes peered at Snape for a moment through his half-moon-shaped glasses.

He then nodded and summoned an owl, along with paper and pen, with his wand.

A moment later, the owl flew out of the window into the dark night sky.

"Give me back my wand—uh—"

Snape hesitated for a moment, then quickly said.

"No need. But there is a spell that can prevent conversations from being eavesdropped on—'Close your ears and plug your ears,' I suggest you use it."

Dumbledore waved his hand to cast the spell, then lowered his hands and looked at Snape.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Severus?"

"Yes, Professor."

Snape nodded.

"The Knight Bus was stopped by old Avery. He stunned Ernplain and killed Todd Sandpark with the Avada Kedavra curse."

He continued speaking in one breath:

"Old Avery was a Death Eater; he wasn't under any Imperius Curse."

“He recognized me from the start and even wanted me to kill Marlene with the Unforgivable Curse.” “Anything else?” Dumbledore asked.

Snape hesitated for a moment, then continued:

“There is a small group in Slytherin called the ‘Wolpugis’.”

"We—they hold regular gatherings. At these gatherings, the Death Eaters teach some dark magic."

"The Unforgivable Curse was taught by Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Wolpugis?"

Dumbledore murmured the name.

“Professor,” Snape responded to his confusion, “this is the name the Dark Lord… um… Voldemort gave to the Death Eaters in his early years.”

"Later, when they stopped using it, they handed it over to the prospective members still in school."

Some people around shuddered in fear, seemingly unable to breathe from the shock of the name.

Do you know why the Death Eaters are looking for McKinnon?

"Dumbledore asked calmly."

Snape shook his head:
"I don't know. Is there anything special about him?"

Dumbledore placed one hand on the bridge of his crooked nose, clearly deep in thought.

"So you killed both of them?"

“No, Professor,” Snape met Dumbledore’s gaze without flinching, “it’s two Death Eaters.”

Dumbledore got up and paced back and forth in front of the dark fireplace.

"If the first one was due to circumstances, why did you take action against McNeil?"

"This is war, Professor."

Snape gave a brief reply.

"That's not enough to convince me not to hand you over to the Ministry of Magic after daybreak."

Snape took a deep breath, thinking, "You forced me to say this."

He decided to use Dumbledore's spear to attack Dumbledore's shield.

"Do not pity the wicked, Professor."

Have compassion for the more innocent victims, and for those who are willing to fight for them.

"The appearance of Death Eaters is accompanied by death; they—"

He pointed to the McKinnon family.

What will happen if we are taken away?

Before Dumbledore could answer, Snape continued:

“There are more people outside, and they dare not call out Voldemort’s name.”

"What they fear most is returning home to find the Black Mark hovering above their house. Because they know what they'll see once they go inside."

“I am a member of Volpugis. To Death Eaters, a traitor is obviously more attractive than an enemy or an innocent.”

“I also have family, and I’m just as afraid of seeing the Dark Mark when I get home.”

He stared intently into Dumbledore's blue eyes and said emphatically:

“Professor, I don’t want to lose my most important family members for the sake of so-called procedures, justice, or some other ‘greater good’.”

“He will be tried and imprisoned in Azkaban, and he will not have the opportunity to harm your family.”

Dumbledore's voice seemed a little hoarse.

A mocking smirk crept across Snape's lips:

Azkaban?
"You mean that prison guarded by Voldemort's natural allies?"

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore spoke:
"Severus, sometimes change brings good results, but sometimes it doesn't."

"We can keep today's events a secret."

"But I hope you can carefully consider your actions and your future path."

"Thank you, Professor, I will."

Then, Snape deliberately asked, "I used magic today, is that alright?"

“Oh, you don’t need to worry, the trail can’t track the specific user of the magic,” Dumbledore said.

Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"And one more thing."

He suddenly remembered another question.

“After daybreak, could you have Mr. Moody, or someone else, take me to Diagon Alley and then take me home?”
"I'm going to Diagon Alley to buy an owl."

(End of this chapter)