Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 55 Azkaban
A black sailboat, bobbing on the waves amidst the howling wind, carried Snape and his party toward Azkaban.

They stood on the narrow deck, the cold, salty seawater splashing up from time to time and hitting them hard.

Upon seeing this, Dumbledore immediately waved his wand, and a transparent shield instantly rose above everyone's heads.

As they continued onward, the sky gradually darkened. It was as if a huge black curtain was slowly falling, covering the once azure sky.

An unnatural chill and pervasive fog swept in from all directions, and the three of them couldn't help but wrap themselves tighter in their travel cloaks.

But the chill kept seeping into their bodies. An indescribable negative emotion, like vines quietly growing in the darkness, spread through their hearts.

Snape's body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if an unseen hand had pulled those unpleasant memories from the depths of his mind, causing them to swirl endlessly in his head.

Before Dumbledore could make a move, Snape couldn't help but raise his wand: "Palmtops of Protection!"

A giant, silvery-white python emerged from the tip of his wand.

This time, it was no longer the blurry figure it had been before. Strange patterns shimmered on its solidified body.

The python coiled affectionately around Snape, its forked tongue flicking in and out with a hissing sound.

“Oh, it’s a snake,” Snape muttered to himself. “I thought you’d grow antlers and eagle claws.”

With the appearance of the guardian deity, the feeling of coldness and despair dissipated within the range of its light, and joy and hope returned to their hearts.

“You were able to summon the complete Patronus, Severus.” Dumbledore looked at the white snake, his eyes filled with relief. “That is a real relief. Even though it is a snake.”

"What's wrong with snakes? Aren't they cute too?" Snape said, gently stroking the snake's head.

The sailboat continued to rock on the turbulent sea, the surrounding water growing increasingly dark.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the dark night sky in the distance, and large raindrops pelted the sea.

Lightning briefly illuminated the dark sea, and the group caught a glimpse of several shadowy Dementors. They hovered above the water, emanating a cold and despairing aura.

After an unknown amount of time, the prison, standing alone on the sea and meaning "the realm of destruction" or "the abyss of hell," slowly appeared before them like a lurking beast.

As the waves crashed against the shore, the cold, rough stone walls of Azkaban gleamed with a chilling light.

The small boat came to a stop at the shore. In the swirling wind and rain, the three of them struggled to climb ashore.

"Do you think," Snape suddenly asked after regaining his footing, "that a skinny dog ​​could swim all the way back to the Scottish Highlands from here?"

“Oh, why do you have such a strange question?” Dumbledore waved his wand and cast a few spells on them. “Even a fully healthy, three-headed magical dog probably couldn’t swim back to land from here.”

“It’s nothing, Professor,” Snape said, a sense of admiration for Sirius Black peeking out from his heart.

After enduring twelve years of imprisonment, it's hard to imagine what he was feeling as he crossed the North Sea to reach Hogwarts.

"Aren't there any Ministry of Magic personnel guarding this place?" Snape couldn't help but ask again, looking at the high walls and empty entrance.

“Do you intend for a lowly Ministry of Magic servant to remain here for an extended period, Severus?” Moody tapped his cane and said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go inside quickly.”

The three men officially entered Azkaban. The interior of the prison was no better than the outside. Water droplets rolled down the dark walls; the torches burning on them emitted a dark green glow, devoid of any warmth.

Many prisoners lay lifeless and motionless in their cells. If it weren't for the occasional slight rise and fall of their chests, Snape would have thought they were already cold corpses.

Only a small number of prisoners were still able to sit in dark corners and talk to themselves.

As he passed a cell, Snape suddenly stopped, then quickly turned back.

"What's wrong?" Moody asked in a low voice, his voice tinged with wariness.

“I know him,” Snape said with a somewhat complicated expression.

Sitting in the cell was his former cellmate, Murceber.

Muller seemed to hear some noise. His lifeless eyes scanned blankly beyond the iron bars, and his lips moved silently: "Help...help me..."

It seems that Mursab has not been imprisoned for long and has not completely lost his desire to leave or survive.

“Let’s go.” Snape chose to continue. “When people asked me for help before, I would say ‘okay, okay,’ but I never thought of helping them afterwards.”

"Actually, this is not good. Now, if someone asks me for help, unless we are really close enough that I want to help, I will just say, 'Sorry, I don't want to help,' and then turn around and leave."

"As someone with a people-pleasing tendency, this is how I cultivate sincerity and courage."

“Snape,” Dumbledore leaned closer to Snape and whispered, “I know you have a spell that can shut people up. Why don’t you teach it to me? I’d love to use it.”

“I’ll shut up now, Professor.” Snape quickly made a zipping motion with his thumb and forefinger near his mouth.

Just then, a dementor without eyes drifted by, seemingly sensing a hint of joy emanating from them—a rare sight in this prison. So it glided towards them.

Before Snape could give the order, the silver snake coiled around him seemed to sense the danger and darted away.

It coiled its body into a cage, trapping the Dementor inside.

Black smoke hissed from the Dementor's body. Although it made no sound, the three people seemed to see it screaming in pain.

In no time, all that remained in front of them was a dirty black cloak; the Dementor had vanished without a trace.

“Professor,” Snape looked at Dumbledore in surprise, “wasn’t it said that Dementors cannot be completely destroyed?”

“I think,” Dumbledore said in a low voice, “it’s probably because the light of your Patronus is like the dawn rising in the east, possessing extraordinary power?”

“Then you are the setting sun in the west, Professor.” Snape rolled his eyes at him, disdainfully tucked his cloak away, and continued walking forward.

“This is it,” Snape said, pointing to an old, haggard house-elf behind the railing. “I think this is Hodge.”

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(End of this chapter)