At the door of the Potions classroom, Linden Miller stood there holding a document, facing Professor Snape’s even gloomier face.
“You say… what do you want to do?” Professor Snape asked slowly.
“Linden Miller, Ministry of Magic Financial Oversight Office.” Linden handed over the document, “Here to audit Hogwarts’ procurement and usage records of potion ingredients.”
Professor Snape took the paper, glanced down, his eyes slowly moving over the text and finally landing on the seal below.
The document, of course, had no issues; every process was legal and compliant.
Professor Snape asked, “Since when did the Ministry of Magic get interested in Hogwarts’ stockpile?”
“It’s not about interest, it’s about responsibility.”
Linden said matter-of-factly, “Hogwarts receives a large sum of funding from the Ministry of Magic every year, a significant portion of which is used for potion ingredient procurement. As the Financial Oversight Office, we have the responsibility to ensure this money is spent where it should be.”
Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, “I thought you were here for student safety? How is potion ingredients related to that?”
Linden said, “Of course it’s related. Any seemingly inconspicuous factor can potentially harm students.”
“Potions are something, Mr. Snape should know best; used well, they can cure, used poorly, they can be deadly.”
“I’ve heard there have even been cases of misuse of Love Potions at the school, causing serious harm to some students’ bodies and minds — isn’t that a safety concern?”
Professor Snape let out a cold laugh, something seemed to quickly flash in his black eyes.
“Come in!”
He stepped aside to make way.
The door closed behind Linden, and Professor Snape walked towards the row of cabinets by the wall, opened a cabinet door, revealing piles of parchment, all neatly tied together.
“They’re all here, you can audit them slowly,” Professor Snape said gloomily, “but you can’t take them away, lest someone… maliciously alter my records.”
He slowly glanced at Linden, it’s obvious who that ‘someone’ referred to.
“Alright.”
Linden appeared easygoing, he walked over, picked up the top bundle, untied the string, and opened the first page.
Procurement date, ingredient name, quantity, supplier, handler’s signature… all the information was clear and meticulous.
Linden flipped through page by page, occasionally recording the usage quantity of some ingredients.
Professor Snape folded his arms, leaning against the wall, watching him with a gloomy expression, eyes seeming to peel the skin of the person before him layer by layer.
Linden, oblivious, continued flipping through the records. After about ten minutes, he suddenly spoke on a completely unrelated topic:
“Most of the professors at Hogwarts are quite amiable — McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, including my former Potions professor Slughorn, are so.”
He looked up at Professor Snape, who wore a derisive expression, saying, “But Mr. Snape seems different from them?”
“Is that so?” Professor Snape said expressionlessly, “Perhaps because my purpose here is to teach them potions, not to let students idle around with empty-headed smiles all day.”
Linden suddenly asked, “Including with Harry Potter? Is that the reason?”
“Potter?” Professor Snape frowned distastefully, completely unwilling to hear that name.
“Hmm, I’ve heard that Mr. Snape is very harsh to Harry Potter.”
Linden seemed oblivious to people’s expressions, bluntly said:
“He’s the ‘Boy Who Lived,’ the Magic World’s Star of Salvation, why can’t Mr. Snape treat him kindly? Even if it’s for his parents’ sake.”
Muscles on Professor Snape’s face twitched slightly, he said coldly:
“What? Ministry of Magic officials also want to curry favor with the Savior? That self-centered, stupid, pompous boy merely survived by luck… My attitude toward him has nothing to do with who he is, it’s solely based on his performance in class, is there a problem?”
Linden looked at him, suddenly smiled.
“No problem, Mr. Snape, you can certainly teach students in whatever way you like. I just don’t quite understand…”
He dragged his tone, slowly speaking: “You hate him so much, no… even loathe him. But why…”
Linden met Professor Snape’s profoundly deep gaze, the smile on his lips under the light appeared slightly distorted.
“Why is he still alive?”
Professor Snape’s gaze turned heavier, after a moment, he softly said, “What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you kill him?” Linden asked, “He’s been under your nose for five years, Severus Snape, have you never thought of killing him?”
Professor Snape silently stared at him, saying nothing, suddenly pulled out his magic wand with a swipe!
Linden didn’t resist, watching his sleeve being rolled up by an invisible force, revealing a scar that seemed branded into the flesh—
A skull with a thin snake extending from its mouth.
Professor Snape looked at the mark for a moment without speaking, his black eyes devoid of any emotion.
“You see, I stand in the same position as you.”
Linden lowered his sleeve, saying, “So, can you answer my question without reservation, Snape.”
“— You didn’t kill Harry Potter, could it be you’ve already betrayed the Dark Lord?”
Professor Snape raised his eyes, looking at him: “If you are too… then you should know, Harry Potter is someone the Dark Lord wants to kill personally, only the Dark Lord has the right to kill him.”
Linden raised the corners of his mouth, laughed, “Ah, I know, I just wanted to confirm your stance again. Seeing your hatred for Harry Potter, I feel almost assured.”
Professor Snape looked at him indifferently, the gaze from above seeming to say—what qualifications do you have to confirm my stance?
Linden said softly, “I came to Hogwarts this time to execute the Dark Lord’s orders. I need your cooperation, Mr. Snape.”
“What did the Dark Lord send you here for?” Professor Snape asked.
“A lot,” Linden said, “First, to create some trouble for Dumbledore, so he’s too busy to deal with other things; second, to confirm Harry Potter’s condition, figure out the secret of his apparent resurrection; last is Vid Gray…”
“Bang bang bang bang!”
The door to Professor Snape’s office was suddenly knocked on forcefully, so hard that the entire door shook, outside came students’ urgent shouts:
“Professor Snape! Professor Snape!”
Linden immediately closed his mouth, Professor Snape strode over, pulling the door open.
“What’s the matter?”
Outside were several Slytherin students, led by Malfoy, whose face was ashen, expression fearful, like he’d seen a savior, grabbing Professor Snape’s sleeve, trembling and saying:
“Professor, quick, quick look! Black Lake… Black Lake seems about to flood!”
Professor Snape frowned, suspecting he’d secretly used a Daydream Quill and hadn’t woken up yet, but the surrounding students’ expressions told him—they weren’t joking.
He strode to the first floor, seeing many students staring blankly outside, as if they’d been cast with a Petrification Spell.
Outside came countless panicked screams, students were frantically running toward the castle, and behind them, the entire Black Lake was boiling, water continuously rolling upward, already forming a several-meter-high water wall.