Hogwarts: I am Snape

As the sensation of his navel being yanked by a hook disappeared, Snape and Coban Yaxley, whom he was holding tightly, fell heavily onto the soft carpet.

Snape nimbly rolled to the side, raised his wand, and warily scanned his surroundings, preparing for any possible attack. But he realized his movements were unnecessary.

The Hogwarts Headmaster's office was empty.

A familiar scene comes rushing in:

The strange silverware that spun and spewed silvery mist on the long-legged table, Dumbledore's large desk and the high-backed chair behind it, and the cabinets along the walls piled high with books and strange instruments...

Everything seemed to freeze at the moment he left; even the faint scent in the air, a mixture of lemon sorbet, parchment, and old wood, remained unchanged.

It was as if he had just closed the door and left; the footsteps of Professor McGonagall and the others still echoed on the spiral staircase not far from the door.

This eerie sense of familiarity made him feel momentarily disoriented.

At that moment, the portraits of the former principal who were dozing on the wall were awakened by the sudden noise.

They rubbed their eyes, yawned, and stared in astonishment at Snape and Yaxley, who had suddenly appeared in the center of the office and were bound like dumplings.

"Merlin's beard!"

How did he get back?

"that is……"

The portraits buzzed with discussion, and several curious principals even began to weave through the adjacent frames, squeezing closer to get a better look at the unexpected scene.

But Snape ignored the curiosity and discussion surrounding the portraits.

He quickly went to Yaxley, who was still unconscious, and used his wand to untie the ropes binding him.

Then, he lifted the sleeve of Yaxley's left arm, revealing the ugly and hideous Dark Mark, and grabbed Yaxley's short, thick right index finger, pressing it forcefully onto the skull and snake branded on his forearm.

The Dark Mark instantly became hot and clear, and silently called out to its owner—Voldemort.

After doing all this, Snape used the magic ropes to tie Axley up again.

He straightened up, walked to the closed window, and looked outside.

A thin layer of water vapor condensed on the glass.

Outside the window, Hogwarts was shrouded in a somber, dim light of dawn.

The area was empty and deserted, silent and still. Mist swirled around the edge of the forbidden forest in the distance, and even the volatile, swaying willow tree drooped listlessly.

Everything seemed unusually quiet.

In that instant, gazing upon this familiar yet silent scene, a powerful desire welled up within Snape. He wished he could continue watching, watching the castle awaken in peace.

However, he had more important things to do.

Snape didn't allow himself to linger too long. He turned and strode toward the office door.

The spiral staircase seemed to be covered with a thin layer of dust. When he stepped onto it, the staircase creaked slightly and began to slowly descend, taking him to the exit below.

At the same time, the wall slid open, creating a hole.

As soon as he stepped out of the cave, he heard the familiar, deep sound of the dripping stone beast.

"Hey kid, long time no see! How did you get out of there? Where's Dumbledore?"

“That’s a long story, Mr. Sweetskeeper,” Snape said quickly to the stone beast without stopping. “I’ll tell you more about it when I have time. Now, please allow me to take my leave; I have urgent business with the headmaster.”

After giving a slight nod to the stone beast, he quickly walked down the corridor toward the main staircase.

Just before he turned a corner, he suddenly heard a clanging sound coming from ahead.

At the same time, a very unique, slightly sweet floral scent wafted into his nose.

Snape immediately slipped into the shadow of a stone pillar in the corridor.

He saw several house-elves struggling to carry several huge wooden barrels in another direction.

Behind the elves was a blonde, graceful figure with long, flowing hair.

“Madam,” Snape called softly, cautiously peering out with his wand in hand, “what are you doing here?”

The figure jolted and quickly turned around. It was Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks bar.

When she saw Snape, she was so shocked that she covered her mouth with her fingers.

“West…!” Ms. Rosmerta exclaimed, her voice barely audible, “You’re not…you should be…”

She seemed startled and quickly turned around, using her tall figure to block the gaze of the curious little elves who were looking back, urging them on:

"Stop dawdling! Hurry up and take this mead to Principal Malfoy's office. Don't waste any time!"

Once the elves obediently rounded the next corner and their footsteps faded into the distance, Lady Rosmerta turned around, anxiously trying to grab Snape's arm:

"How could you be here! It's too dangerous! Quick, come with me and leave Hogwarts..."

Snape instinctively dodged Rosmerta's hand.

Seeing the astonished look on her face, Snape gave a clear smile, even though his hand was still gripping his wand tightly.

“Madam, don’t be nervous,” he said gently. “I have a funny joke for you. Would you like to hear it? A witch, a healer, and a Mibumibo walked into a nice little bar…”

Ms. Rosmerta stomped her foot, interrupting him.

“Severus!” she whispered, her voice tinged with anger and urgency. “What are you doing? What time is it?”

But then, she seemed to remember something, blinked her blue eyes, and realized—this was an agreement they had made together.

"Are you sure?" She looked around and said reproachfully, "Here? This is no time for jokes!"

Seeing that Snape was still staring at her, Mrs. Rosmerta glared at him fiercely, then quickly glanced left and right in the corridor before giving him a dry, almost gritted-teeth laugh: "Ha, ha."

“Satisfied now?” she said, taking a step closer and grabbing Snape’s wrist, trying to pull him downstairs. “Hurry up! Most people aren’t up yet. Follow me, and once we get to Hogsmeade, you can Apparate away…”

“Madam,” Snape gently but firmly pulled his hand away from hers, and seeing her turn back with a puzzled and anxious look, he explained, “Thank you for your kindness. But I cannot go with you. I have important business to attend to here.”

“It’s none of your business if something happens!” Mrs. Rosmerta glared at him, both angry and anxious. “Even if Dumbledore is missing, they shouldn’t let you take this risk!”

Snape hesitated for a moment, then moved closer to her and said in a voice barely audible to the two of them, "Professor Dumbledore is coming back."

"What?" Mrs. Rosmerta's already large eyes widened even more. "He...you...are coming back?"

Seeing Snape nod affirmatively, she let out a long breath, her brows furrowing a few times as if processing this astonishing news before slowly relaxing.

“Okay…” she looked at Snape, “I understand, I’ll pretend nothing happened. You…you have to be careful!”

After saying that, she turned around and quickly walked down the stairs without waiting for Snape's reply, soon disappearing around the corner.

Seeing her leave, Snape also walked down a few steps to a platform halfway down the stairs.

He raised his wand, pointed it at a tall, arched window, and whispered a spell.

A dazzling beam of light, like silver fireworks, shot from the tip of the wand, clearly outlining the silhouette of a magnificent sailing ship in the gray dawn sky. It flashed for more than ten seconds before slowly dissipating.

After giving the signal, Snape continued downstairs, easily reaching the floor where Professor Slughorn's office was located, and knocked on his door.

A moment later, the old professor's sleepy, mumbling voice came from inside the door: "Who is it? So early... disturbing my sweet dreams..."

The door creaked open. Horace Slughorn, dressed in a magnificent green velvet morning gown and wearing a matching nightcap, appeared sleepily in the doorway.

When he blinked and finally saw who was standing outside the door, he shook his head violently, as if he couldn't believe his eyes, and then slammed the door shut.

Then, the door was suddenly pulled open again. Professor Slughorn's chubby face was no longer sleepy, but filled with anticipation and tension.

After confirming it wasn't a hallucination, he dragged Snape into his hot, cramped study, which was filled with all sorts of books, candy boxes, and strange collectibles.

"Is it about to begin?" Professor Slughorn asked hurriedly, his voice trembling slightly, beads of sweat forming on his round face. "Wait...wait for me!" He rolled into the adjacent bedroom like a ball.

A few seconds later, when he came out again, he had squeezed his chubby body into a formal wizard's robe, although the collar was still a little crooked.

"Let's go!" He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and walked towards the door, waving his wand as he spoke with a hint of pride, "I'm ready!"

Snape saw a plump, shimmering silver seal emerge from the tip of Professor Slughorn's staff. It nimbly swung its body in the air, then slipped out the window and flew into the faint morning light outside. It was there to send a signal to the other professors remaining at the school.

“Wait a moment, Professor,” Snape said. “There’s something I almost forgot to do.” He took the newly acquired golden cup from his robe pocket, and then pulled the gleaming silver dagger from his bosom.

Under Professor Slughorn's bewildered gaze, Snape placed the golden cup on the table, raised the dagger high, and plunged it down without hesitation.

After a venomous scream, the golden cup quickly lost its luster, becoming dull and old, as if it had undergone years of corrosion in an instant.

“This is…” Professor Slughorn stared in horror at the scene, his face pale, his round body trembling slightly, as he murmured.

“Professor,” Snape said, putting away the dagger and the fragments, “this is the final consequence of your words that day. From now on, you need not worry or feel guilty about it anymore.”

Professor Slughorn's face showed a complex expression, a mixture of shame, relief, and a lingering fear. "Oh, I'm sorry, my dear child… I feel very ashamed…"

“This is not your fault, Professor,” Snape said, his tone softening as he reassured her. “Even without your answer, given Tom Riddle’s character and obsession with immortality, he would have made this choice sooner or later.”

He walked over to Slughorn, who was still somewhat absent-minded, and asked in a low voice, "Professor, are the students all settled in?"

Slughorn snapped out of his daze, slapped his chubby face, and said with a start, "Ah, right! Pomona and Bobby will take them to the Great Hall as planned. Let's hurry over there."

The two then left the office and entered the corridor.

The corridor remained empty, with only their footsteps echoing between the stone walls.

As they passed through several rooms, Professor Slughorn suddenly stopped.

He glanced out the window, a sly smile spreading across his face. He pointed to a closed door beside him and winked at Snape: "Get ready, Severus."

Snape immediately understood, silently waving his wand and casting an earplugs spell to block out all sounds in the area.

Professor Slughorn adjusted his expression, put on his signature amiable smile, and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came an impatient female voice from inside.

“Good morning, Alecto!” Professor Slughorn said in a cheerful tone. “The Felix Felicis elixir that you and Amicusto made is ready.”

A short while later, the door opened a crack, revealing Alecto Carlo's sleepy face.

"All petrified!"

Professor Slughorn pointed his wand forward from behind his back, and a dazzling beam of light shot out, striking Alexios precisely in the chest.

She didn't even get a scream out before she froze like a stone statue that had been suddenly pushed over, falling straight backward and crashing to the floor with a thud.

"Very good!" Slughorn closed the door with satisfaction, patted his round belly, and had a smug glow on his face. "Looks like this old bone of mine is still pretty good!"

Subsequently, they quietly dealt with Alector's brother, Amicus Caro, who lived not far away, in almost the same way.

As Snape and Professor Slughorn descended into the foyer and prepared to approach the Great Hall's massive oak doors, they witnessed a well-dressed, brooding wizard storming into the Great Hall. Immediately following, a heated argument erupted between him and Professor Sprout.

Snape's expression hardened, and he quickly descended the last flight of stairs, pushed open the slightly ajar door, and slipped into the Great Hall.

Hearing the noise behind him, Abraxas Malfoy instinctively turned his head.

"I've said it before, students shouldn't be here at this time—"

When his gaze fell on Snape, his expression changed drastically, as if he had seen a ghost, and he immediately reached for his wand in his robes.

But Snape was much faster than him.

"Except your weapons!"

Abraxas was blasted into the air, his wand flying out of his hand and spinning in the air.

His body slammed heavily against the wall in the distance, then slid to the ground like a sack of potatoes, lying limp and motionless.

The entire auditorium fell silent. All the students stared in disbelief at the scene before them.

A few seconds later, a loud whistle rang out from the crowd, and someone excitedly shouted, "A familiar scene!"

The shout broke the silence, eliciting suppressed chuckles and whispers.

Snape's lips twitched imperceptibly upwards, revealing a wide grin. He then gave the students a slightly dramatic bow.

He then cleared his throat and used magic to amplify his voice, making sure everyone could hear him:
"Dear students, please keep quiet. Professor Sprout has probably already told you that a fierce battle is about to take place in and around Hogwarts Castle—a battle against Voldemort. This is not a game; it is extremely dangerous."

"She and Ms. Pomfrey will be in charge of the evacuation. Please keep order, follow their instructions strictly, and proceed in an orderly manner to the designated safe evacuation point."

After he finished speaking, he nodded to Professor Sprout.

Many students were still shaken, their faces filled with worry. But as Professor Sprout and Ms. Pomfrey began to loudly organize the students, a tall student stood up from the long table and shouted:
"What if we want to stay and fight?"

His words won applause from some people.

Looking at the young faces burning with fighting spirit, Snape hesitated, but considering their thorough preparations for the battle, he finally relented.

“If you are old enough, you may choose to stay. However,” he emphasized, “I still recommend that you leave with the professors. We have sufficient resources to handle any potential dangers; your primary task is to ensure your own safety and avoid unnecessary—”

Suddenly, another voice rang out in the auditorium, drowning out his words.

The sound was high-pitched, cold, and clear, and it was impossible to tell where it came from; it seemed to emanate from the walls and dome themselves.

“I know you are preparing to resist.”

Screams erupted from the students, some huddled together, and looked around in terror, searching for the source of the sound.

"Your efforts are futile. You are no match for me."

“I have no interest in killing you. I have no ill will toward the teachers and students of Hogwarts, and I do not want wizards to shed blood.”

The auditorium was completely silent, a silence that weighed heavily on people's nerves, a silence so immense that it seemed the auditorium could not contain it all.

"Give back what you shouldn't have taken," Voldemort's voice rang out again, "and none of you will be hurt."

"Hand over the rebels, and I will ensure the school's safety."

“Bring that ship to me and you will be rewarded.”

You have one hour.

Silence swallowed them all up again.

Everyone turned their heads, and hundreds of eyes, filled with fear or doubt, were all fixed on Snape and the others.

Several students, dressed in significantly more elaborate attire than the others, had shifty eyes and stealthily reached under their robes.

Before Snape could speak, the students had already taken action.

The students in front of him stood up, not facing Snape, but all facing the few restless students.

Snape saw wands being pulled out from all directions, some from under his cloak, some from his sleeves.

"Bulstrode! You're not welcome here, get out!"

"And you, Shafik! Want to make a move?"

Hearing these voices, he was filled with mixed emotions, but looking at the students wearing uniform robes bearing the Slytherin insignia, he also felt a strange sense of pleasure.

Therefore, this time, literally speaking, those who stood in front of him were all Slytherin students. Although this was due to Voldemort's house policy, many of them were also original Slytherin students.

“Mr. Burstrode,” Snape raised his voice, “do no unnecessary movements. You and your friends, now follow Professor Sprout out of the Great Hall immediately.”

The benches made a clattering and rubbing noise.

Burstrode, Shafik, and the others exchanged glances with grim faces. Under the hostile gazes of their classmates, they finally chose to silently get up, lower their heads, and slink towards the door.

However, the vast majority of students chose to stay in their seats.

Professor Sprout and Ms. Pomfrey had no choice but to walk among them and forcibly drive away the underage students.

“Absolutely not, Timo, get out of here! And all of you, those who are underage, leave! Luke, Florence…”

The long table gradually emptied. Most of the lower-grade students and some of the upper-grade students reluctantly headed towards the side door, urged by the faculty.

Seeing that the evacuation was completed smoothly, Snape prepared to leave the Great Hall to check on the readiness of the various squads that had been deployed earlier.

Just as he turned to walk toward the door, he saw Professor McGonagall stride in from outside with a grave expression.

"Professor McGonagall!" the remaining students exclaimed in surprise.

Professor McGonagall nodded to them, then walked straight to Snape and whispered, "Severus, all the squads are in position according to your plan: Forbidden Forest, Black Lake, Astronomy Tower, Main Gate, Station..."

“But,” she glanced at Snape, her brow furrowed and a hint of unease on her face, “although your arrangements are very thorough and have taken all aspects into consideration, I still feel a little empty inside, as if something crucial is missing.”

"What's wrong, Professor?" Snape asked quickly, his heart pounding. He worried he might have overlooked something crucial. "Is something wrong with the deployment? Or have we discovered new enemy activity?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head, her worry undiminished. "I don't know either, it's just a feeling... an intuition. Never mind, maybe I'm overthinking it. Let's go out first."

Snape, Professor Slughorn, and several core members who remained followed her out of the Great Hall, through the foyer, down the stone steps, and onto the open ground outside the castle.

Professor McGonagall turned and gazed at Hogwarts Castle, the castle to which she had dedicated most of her life, standing majestically in the morning light.

Her gaze swept over the tall towers, the solid city walls, and the ancient windows.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, her eyes lit up, and her face showed an expression of sudden realization and immense joy.

“I know!” she said. “I know why I felt something was wrong; we’ve missed Hogwarts itself!”

She raised her wand high, arms outstretched, and in a clear and powerful voice, loudly recited the ancient spell that had rarely been activated in the school's thousand-year history:
"Piertotum Locomotor!!" (End of Chapter)