Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 22 Parchment

“Hmm… Myrtle, thank you for telling me, it’s very helpful.” Snape felt a little regretful; if only her language skills were like Ron’s.

However, he was still quite satisfied with what he had gained. Even if he later needed to ask Dumbledore to be a "doorman," at least he would have a suitable excuse.

"Will you still come to my bathroom to see me?" Myrtle said sadly as she watched Snape walk toward the door. "This is the first time anyone has talked to me so much."

“We’ll meet again,” Snape said. He would definitely come back here; that couldn’t be considered a lie.

"Farewell," Myrtle said wistfully.

Snape gripped the handle and pulled the bathroom door open a narrow crack.

Just as he was about to peek into the corridor to see if anyone else was there, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end, and a strong sense of crisis washed over him.

Without thinking twice, he rolled to the side, completely ignoring the filth and water on the ground.

The moment he rolled away, with a loud bang, the door was slammed open, and a scorching red light shot through the air and into the room.

The curse struck the already damaged mirror. With a crash, shards scattered all over the floor.

"Ah—" A sharp female voice rang out, and Myrtle pressed herself against the wall in terror, her eyes wide open.

"Murder! Murder in the bathroom! Murder!"

"Collapse!"

A gust of wind rushed in, continuing to unleash the spell.

The spell missed slightly, shattering the toilet behind Snape, and a jet of water gushed out, flooding the surrounding ground.

It's James Potter's voice!

But Snape didn't see anyone; James must be wearing that invisibility cloak!
Snape flipped on the spot, quickly got up, and slipped behind the pool, drawing his wand to retaliate.

"Divine Edge - Shattered into pieces!"

With a bang, the candlestick holder near the door twisted and fell to the ground.

The candle stub rolled into the puddle, and with a faint "plop," the flame vanished in a flash.

The bathroom was plunged into darkness.

The spells flew everywhere, whistling and making a noise.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me!" Myrtle screamed, her voice echoing in the dark washroom. "My washroom! Stop! Please stop hitting me!"

"Petrify them all!" Snape waved his wand wildly.

Suddenly, the spell aimed at him stopped, and then he heard something fall into the puddle with a splash.

"Fluorescence."

Using the light from his wand, Snape reached out and groped around on the ground.

Finally, he found an invisible protrusion that was raised above the floor.

Snape ripped off the transparent invisibility cloak covering James and saw that repulsive face.

James lay on his back on the puddle, his mouth agape, completely unable to move.

After kicking the wand that had fallen next to James away, Snape looked down and examined him closely.

"Potter, how dare you come to see me alone?"

“How shall I reward your courage?” He gazed into James’ eyes. “Let me guess how you knew I was here.”

"How did you know before that Lily and I were in Slughorn's office together..." Snape emphasized Lily's name.

He bent down and searched inside James's robe pockets. "What good stuff is this?"

Snape held a blank parchment with only a few creases in his hand, looking at James with amusement.

"Mr. Potter, why do you carry a blank piece of parchment with you?"

He then walked to a working toilet and pressed the flush button on the tank so that James wouldn't hear what was about to happen.

“I solemnly swear that I will not do anything good.” He tapped the parchment lightly with his wand and said in a low voice.

A small black dot is moving toward Myrtle's washroom.

“Prank over.” Snape tapped the map with the tip of his cane again, and the map immediately went blank.

"Alright, it's about time." He put the parchment into his robe and looked at Myrtle. "Myrtle, we're friends, right?"

Myrtle remained hidden in the corner, sobbing softly.

Hearing Snape's words, she looked up in surprise, her face filled with disbelief: "Ah... you'd like to be my friend?"

“Why not?” Snape said.

Just then, the door burst open behind him: Professor McGonagall stormed in, wand in hand.

She was wearing a checkered morning gown, a hairnet, and had a very serious expression.

"Snape, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

She then saw James lying on the ground: "Potter! What happened now?!"

"Professor, I was chatting with Myrtle here when Potter suddenly attacked me—"

“—Yes, I can testify.” Myrtle tumbled merrily in the air. “Severus and I were having a party when he burst in and wrecked my bathroom. Professor McGonagall, look at the state of this place!”

“Shut up,” Professor McGonagall said sternly as she released the petrification spell from James. “You shut up too, Potter.”

"Wandering around in the middle of the night, casting spells on your classmates!" Her lips were deathly pale, her voice filled with icy anger. "You, come with me to see the principal!"

They silently followed Professor McGonagall down the moonlit corridor.

Upon reaching the eighth floor and turning a corner, Professor McGonagall stopped in front of an incredibly ugly, enormous stone monster.

This was Snape's second visit here this year. Last time, besides James, a pale-faced Remus Lupin also came.

“Lemon ice cream,” Professor McGonagall said.

Suddenly, the monster came to life, leaping aside. The wall behind it split in two, revealing a moving spiral staircase. The staircase was slowly moving upwards, like an escalator.

The three of them passed through the gap in the wall and stepped onto the stone stairs, when they heard a loud rumble behind them and the wall slammed shut again.

The staircase spiraled higher and higher, eventually leading them to a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

Although it was nearly midnight, there were voices coming from inside the door, a noisy commotion, as if Dumbledore were entertaining at least a dozen people.

Professor McGonagall knocked three times on the animal-shaped door knocker, and her voice suddenly stopped, as if it had been shut off.

The door opened automatically, and she led Snape and James inside.

This is a spacious and beautiful circular room filled with all sorts of funny little noises.

The room was dimly lit, and the strange silver instruments on the table hummed and emitted puffs of smoke.

The portraits of past principals on the wall are all snoring in their frames, their chests rising and falling gently.

Behind the door, a magnificent bird, as large as a swan, with golden and red feathers, perched on a perch, swaying its long tail feathers and winking at them in a friendly manner.

(End of this chapter)