Late at night, Hogwarts was vast and silent.
Any small sound made in its deep corridors could travel a great distance.
Snape’s professor robes trailed behind him as his leather shoes struck the stone floor, producing hollow echoes.
Combined with his cold face and that somewhat harsh, sinister hooked nose, he was more than capable of frightening any young wizard caught wandering the castle after curfew into tears.
But tonight, he was not on patrol.
He climbed the winding, rotating staircases, passed through a corridor lined with portraits and suits of armor, and made his way all the way to the tower on the eighth floor.
There, an incredibly ugly stone gargoyle blocked his path.
Behind it stood a moving spiral staircase, and at the top of that staircase was his destination—the Headmaster’s Office.
Snape stared expressionlessly at the gargoyle with his dark eyes as though looking at a pile of garbage.
“Password: Cockroach Cluster.” The gargoyle rotated aside.
Snape ascended the stairs and pushed open the office door.
The circular office was spacious and luxurious, its walls covered with portraits of former headmasters.
It was already very late, and most of them were snoring.
Snape’s entrance woke several of them, earning him a round of irritated scolding.
“Ah, Severus.” Seated behind a massive desk, Dumbledore looked up from whatever he had been reading and greeted him warmly.
“Good evening.
Would you like some Cockroach Clusters?
Or perhaps some Fizzing Whizzbees?” A tray filled with sweets floated over to Snape, only to be impatiently shoved aside.
His voice seemed squeezed out through clenched teeth.
“What is it?
Get to the point.
I don’t want to waste time.” Dumbledore continued smiling.
He summoned the tray back, picked up a lively wriggling cockroach, tossed it into his mouth, and beckoned.
“Then come take a look, Severus.” Snape stepped forward to the desk and saw a letter spread open before Dumbledore.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Ollivander.
“After the feast, I wrote Mr.
Ollivander a letter and asked him a few questions.
I’m pleased my old friend is still willing to reply to me, though his schedule is quite unhealthy.
I had expected to receive his response tomorrow morning…” Dumbledore rambled on.
Snape had no interest in such nonsense.
His eyes quickly swept across the handwriting on the parchment.
Ollivander was explaining the details of a particular wand.
“…I must admit that it is an extraordinarily powerful wand.
Only the most exceptional witches and wizards can earn its favor and affection.
I never imagined it would belong to a child.
Vaughn Weasley has exceeded my expectations…” “…However, Dumbledore, in response to your inquiry, I must still say this: there are no people born fixed and unchanging, and there are no wands born fixed and unchanging.
A wand and its wizard grow together and shape one another.
Regarding your concerns, I cannot provide any conclusive evidence.
I can only hope that you exercise greater caution—” “Yours sincerely, Garrick Ollivander.” Snape immediately caught sight of Vaughn Weasley’s name.
He looked at Dumbledore, and for a brief moment, a trace of mockery flashed across his otherwise emotionless face.
“What now?
Has another little Dark Wizard made it onto your blacklist?” The smile faded from Dumbledore’s face.
He pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I trust Arthur and Molly.” To Snape, that statement meant Dumbledore trusted only Arthur and Molly.
As for the boy named Vaughn…
“Hmph…” The answer was exactly what Snape had expected.
He let out a cold laugh and sneered.
“So?
Do I have another assignment now?
While keeping an eye on our dear Savior, I also have to watch over his evil classmate?” “I never said he was evil, Severus.” “Heh…” Dumbledore sighed.
“The timing is not right, Severus.
We need to focus on Harry’s growth and ensure that events unfold as the prophecy foretold.
This isn’t me shirking responsibility.
None of us know what will happen if fate is distorted.
The result could be better…
or worse.” He gazed into Snape’s pitch-black eyes.
Of course, he had no intention of using Legilimency on him.
He simply wanted to make sure Snape could see his sincerity.
“Help me.
Did you see them?
Harry’s eyes…
just like Lily’s…” “Enough!” Snape’s composure finally broke.
His voice rose sharply.
His nostrils flared as overwhelming emotions crashed against his chest, nearly causing him to lose control of his Occlumency.
It felt like poison.
A torment that had plagued him for ten long years.
Silence filled the office.
Only after a long while did Snape’s voice return to its usual coldness.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to prepare tomorrow’s lesson plans.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
Hopefully your Savior won’t be outshined by his evil classmate.” With that, he swept his robes around himself and strode away.
“Thank you, Severus.
Sweet dreams…” Watching Snape leave, Dumbledore allowed the office to sink back into silence.
Lowering his head, he repeatedly reread the letter.
His thin fingers traced over every word as though trying to engrave them into his memory.
No one knew how much time passed before he spoke again.
“Armando, have you ever wondered what Tom might have become if we had cared more about him from the very beginning?” In one portrait, an old wizard who had been pretending to sleep rolled over and muttered, “Who knows?” “Yes…
who knows…” …
The next morning, Vaughn woke up right on schedule thanks to his biological clock after a day of good food and comfort.
The other two Slytherins sharing his dormitory had proven even more sensible than he had expected.
They had only returned briefly the previous night to collect their belongings before moving into another room.
Having an entire dormitory to himself felt wonderful.
He climbed out of bed.
It was only five o’clock.
The sky was still dark.
After washing up and changing into his robes, Vaughn left the dormitory with Marmalade.
As he passed through the common room, he didn’t see the prefect who had fainted the previous night.
His roommates had probably dragged him away.
The fireplace, however, was still blazing brightly, likely thanks to the house-elves.
Without lingering, Vaughn pushed open the stone door and stepped out of the Slytherin common room.
It was far too early.
Students lacking self-discipline were still sound asleep.
He wandered through the empty corridors and courtyards for a while before finally finding a path that led to the Black Lake.
Bringing Marmalade to the lakeside, Vaughn patted its head.
“Go have fun.” Marmalade immediately began bouncing around the grassy shore, pouncing here and there.
Vaughn sat down on the spot, lazily gazing across the lake’s mirror-like surface while breathing in the fresh morning air.
This was a wonderful place to relax.
If there weren’t too many people around in the future, he could come here more often.
After spending some time relaxing with Marmalade, voices gradually began drifting from the castle behind them.
By the time Vaughn headed back, quite a few early-rising students had already gathered in the Great Hall.
From a distance, he spotted Hermione’s bushy-haired figure at the Gryffindor table.
Marmalade recognized the two-legged creature it had met on the Hogwarts Express and immediately trotted over.
The girl froze for a moment.
Then she seemed to recognize Marmalade.
She quickly turned her head, and when she saw Vaughn, her eyes lit up.