Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 58 I won’t go back
With the help of the kind ghost, Harry got past the stone monster and arrived at the headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

He entered the spacious and beautiful circular room and found that the walls were covered with portraits of various wizards.

The elderly people, who were all quite old, seemed to be perpetually asleep, snoring softly in the photo frames. When Harry looked away from these portraits, the people in the frames would secretly look up at him and whisper among themselves.

The white-bearded old man Harry met yesterday is sitting behind his desk.

Dumbledore was still dressed the same, with crescent-shaped glasses and a silver-white beard. However, during the summer when there were no students at Hogwarts, his attire became more casual, with a long woolen robe and a nightcap, making him look like a disheveled old man who had just gotten up.

"Ah, how did you sleep on your first night at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter?" He put down a letter in his hand and looked at Harry as he walked in, his bright and peaceful blue eyes behind his crescent-shaped glasses.

Harry took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Good morning, Principal.

"You may call me Professor Dumbledore."

As Dumbledore finished speaking, the chair in front of Harry suddenly pulled out by itself.

“Sit down, child. Your stiffness will only give you away. Your teacher must be talking bad about me behind my back.” He smiled mischievously and winked at Harry.

Harry, who had just stuck his bottom to the chair, hurriedly spoke.

"No, no, Professor Dumbledore, he didn't say anything bad about you. He just wanted me to think more!"

“Man must keep thinking.” Dumbledore twirled a finger next to his head. “Our brains are like a tuna; they only show their value when they are constantly moving, and only death can stop them.”

Harry didn't quite understand the strange metaphor, but his attention was quickly drawn to the butter cookies and black tea that had suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Eating sweets first thing in the morning is not good for your teeth, so I usually eat some cookies instead."

Perhaps it was Dumbledore's relaxed demeanor that affected Harry, or perhaps it was the old man's innate charisma that made people instinctively want to get close to him; Harry, who had been tense, couldn't help but relax at this moment.

But he didn't forget why he had come. After hesitating for a couple of seconds to organize his thoughts, he spoke.

"Professor Dumbledore, the teachers will be alright, won't they? The Ministry of Magic won't make things difficult for them, will it?"

Dumbledore put down the letter in his hand. Harry noticed that the letter looked very dirty, and the paper was full of wrinkles. It seemed that the person who wrote it was in a very bad environment. He could even vaguely see a few gray hairs from some kind of animal.

"Let's set aside the trial the Ministry of Magic is going to hold for now, Mr. Potter. Perhaps we can move on to another topic first."

Dumbledore met Harry's eyes.

"You know very well what kind of person your teacher is, right?"

"He is the Potions professor at Hogwarts, the head of Slytherin House, and a renowned Potions Master in the wizarding world."

"You should understand that I'm not asking about these titles."

Dumbledore spoke calmly, and meeting those eyes made Harry feel momentarily flustered. He lowered his head and didn't say anything more.

A brief silence fell over the office, and after four or five seconds, Dumbledore's voice rang out again.

“When he first met you, he told you all the truths he could. I never thought Severus could have such courage, but I also admire his sincerity without any reservation.”

"But for a child, especially a 9-year-old, to have to live and study with an enemy every day and call him teacher is too much of a burden and torment."

Dumbledore's voice was soft, yet his sincerity was evident.

“Now you have another choice, Mr. Potter. You can go back to your aunt’s house and continue your life as before, until you truly demonstrate your magical talent and reach the required age, at which point Hogwarts will send you your acceptance letter as promised.” His words made Harry raise his head again.

The 9-year-old boy no longer hesitated or ran away, but spoke with unwavering determination.

"I'm not going back, Professor Dumbledore!"

His affirmation and decisiveness caused a white halo to flash across Dumbledore's glasses, and he patiently inquired.

"Can you tell me why? You don't want to go back. Is it because the Dursleys have treated you badly, or do you really trust Severus?"

“I haven’t forgotten what my teacher said: he’s my enemy, but he can teach me a lot!” Harry tried to express his thoughts.

Dumbledore clasped his hands together, looking like he was listening intently.

"But during the days he spent with you, he didn't teach you anything, so what did you learn from him?"

“I asked Sinn from the very beginning of the journey,” Harry said in a slightly hurried tone. “I asked him if he loved Patty. That’s what my teacher told me. He told me from Sinn’s memories that Sinn fell in love the moment he met Patty.”

"He would risk everything for that girl, even his own life. I don't understand how the power of love could make someone go to such lengths!"

"It wasn't until last night that Xueni answered me. He said he loves that girl, and they have the most beautiful love! And Elder is willing to give up everything to help him and help him achieve his happiness. They have the most loyal friendship!"

"It was my teacher who showed me all of this, and it was my teacher who taught me how people should get along with each other!"

“This is something I never experienced before at Aunt Penny’s house. Aunt Penny may love me or she may not, but I don’t understand these things, and I don’t get it.”

"I haven't learned any profound knowledge or powerful magic from my teacher yet, but I understand these things. I know that these things still exist in this world, and it's more touching than any story and greater than any work of art."

"I don't know how to say it, how to describe it. But Professor Dumbledore, I've really learned so much since I met him! Even if he were my enemy, I would still want to travel and learn with him!"

Harry spoke very quickly, as if the old man would misunderstand him if he spoke too slowly.

Dumbledore listened attentively to his speech the whole time without interrupting.

Harry finished speaking, his breathing became rapid, and the headmaster's office fell silent again.

A smile finally appeared on Dumbledore's usually calm face, and he spoke under Harry's tense and expectant gaze.

“Even minors should have the right to make their own decisions. If this is what you expect, then no one can stop you, Mr. Potter. You can continue your journey with your teacher.”

Harry finally smiled at this moment. He might not have noticed much, but he could clearly feel that it was his teacher's boss who had given his approval!

"However, there is someone who will be joining your trip later. He is an old acquaintance of your teacher. Although he is down on his luck, you will be happy to meet him."

As Dumbledore spoke, Harry glanced instinctively at the hastily written letter, covered in fur from some unknown animal, lying on the table.

"Will the teachers be found not guilty?"

Although his attention was diverted, Harry's focus remained on the question he had asked at the beginning.

"That depends on how Wisengamo decides to rule."

"Will you speak up for them?" Harry asked expectantly.

“I cannot speak for them publicly,” Dumbledore winked at Harry. “Because as the First Wizard, I must make the final judgment.”

(End of this chapter)