Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts

Severus looked into Barty's eyes and sneered.

"It seems you've planted a spy among the Aurors through your father's connections."

"Snape! No matter how eloquently you argue, your master will eventually find out what you've done! When he truly returns, he will deliver a fair judgment on who betrayed whom!"

Barty left Severus with his last words, and then without hesitation, he used Apparition to disappear from the spot!

His companions also left without lingering, using Apparition to depart together.

After they all disappeared, the sound of flying brooms outside the window and a series of chaotic and dense footsteps sounded downstairs.

Countless Aurors stormed into Crouch's old mansion. Scrimgeour, Robbazz, and Kingsley, all with dark faces, went up to the second floor.

"Immediately trace the location of the Phantom's landing! Robaz, you lead the team to pursue it!"

Scrimgeour coldly ordered his men.

Severus didn't give these Aurors, who were barely even warmed up by the time they started cleaning the floor, a friendly look.

“I had Kingsley remind you that you can’t completely trust all the Aurors in your office.”

This time, Scrimgeour lacked the toughness and suspicion he had shown when facing Severus. He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and apologized.

"This is indeed our problem. We kept all the suspects in the department, but we didn't expect that there was someone under the control of the Imperius Curse among the people who came."

Upon returning from Azkaban with Kingsley, Severus immediately sensed something was amiss as soon as they approached Crouch's old house.

He discovered that Barty Jr. seemed completely unaffected by the Imperius Curse. Instead, he had gathered everyone he could, obtained the wand, and was going to attack Barty Sr. that very night!

Upon realizing this, Severus did not hesitate for a moment and immediately sent Kingsley back to the Ministry of Magic to call for reinforcements.

All the other scraps are fine, but Barty, who is also a genius graduate of Hogwarts, is not easy to catch.

If he is still under the influence of the Imperius Curse, Severus and Kingsley can solve the problem by subduing Barty the Elder.

Defeating Little Barty isn't difficult now, but capturing or killing him is not an easy task.

Therefore, Severus could only place his hopes on the Aurors, while he stalled for time until a large number of Aurors arrived. Once he could set up anti-Apparition spells around the area, the situation would be basically secure.

The result is now obvious.

The Ministry of Magic will never disappoint you, except in the one thing: disappointing you.

When Severus was wanted, apart from Kingsley, the rest of the group of pigs couldn't catch him. Now that Severus needs their help, they are still a bunch of pigs and can't be of any help at all!

Chapter 91 You need to change your wand

"Even if you send someone to chase after them, it will be very difficult to catch them."

Severus waved his hand.

"If he contacted those werewolves a long time ago, it means he had already made contact with the outside world and wouldn't have had to wait until today to make his move. Since they chose to make their move today, it means they have made thorough preparations and won't let you find him."

Scrimgeour understood that Severus's words made sense, but even if there was only a sliver of hope, he had to send an Auror to try.

Because if Barty actually escapes, the wizards in the Ministry of Magic will truly begin to live in fear!

This is different from the usual Black Magic Mark.

Barty Crouch Jr., despite his young age, is already a notorious and ruthless Death Eater.

Before his arrest, he and the Lestranges used the Cruciatus Curse to drive the Longbottoms insane!

And it was his father, Barty Crouch the Elder, who personally convened the Wizengamo Tribunal and sentenced him to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

This incident caused a huge uproar at the time, and the resulting chain reaction even changed the selection of the next Minister of Magic.

And now, this Death Eater has actually escaped from that prison that no one has ever escaped from in over two hundred years, and it was Old Barty, who sent him in, who personally helped him get out!

After this happened, the Ministry of Magic didn't even dare to interfere with the news media, preventing them from broadcasting it.

Judging from the fact that the Dark Mark was revealed before, it's clear that Barty and his group have no intention of keeping a low profile. Sooner or later, the public will find out what really happened.

If he didn't keep it a secret, Scrimgeour could already imagine the uproar this would cause in the wizarding world.

"Mr. Snape, is there anything else you've discovered that you can share with us?"

Thinking of this, Scrimgeour couldn't help but ask Severus.

His humble attitude was something that others would never have dared to dream of in the past!

It should be noted that this tough Auror office director has always been hostile and suspicious of wizards with tainted pasts.

Kingsley, standing to the side, wasn't surprised; he knew his boss fairly well.

Although Scrimgeour is often headstrong and unwilling to listen to others' opinions, his stance on the issues of Death Eaters and dark wizards is absolutely correct.

Severus, however, didn't care about his stance or position; he still wore a sour face.

If Auror had been more reliable, he should have been able to resolve everything tonight according to his plan.

Now, Barty Jr. has escaped with a group of people. This doesn't affect Severus himself, but Harry, Hermione, and Lupin are still in the hands of those werewolves!

"A new discovery, you think I'm some kind of prophet? That's all!" He turned and went downstairs. "You've missed the best opportunity this time. You'll have to figure things out yourselves from now on. I'm not playing along!"

He hadn't taken two steps down when, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back and stared at Scrinker.

"Now that your internal problems have been eliminated, if you send someone to investigate that group of werewolves, don't send me any idiots!"

After saying that, Severus left without looking back.

Only the silent Scrimgeour and the sighing Kingsley remained.

Since Barty wasn't captured, Severus now needs to find a way to rescue all the children that were kidnapped by the werewolves, together with Lupin Granger and the others.

He didn't have time to waste here with the Aurors.

But actually, it wasn't entirely a bad thing that Barty Jr. gathered the people together. Before Voldemort's return, this group was destined to be nothing.

They're so eager to get out that they'll likely be eliminated prematurely.

I wonder if Lucius and his men will be lured into this trap?

Of course, all of this is contingent on Harry not actually falling into their hands.

The best news right now is that those people don't know that Harry Potter has been captured by them, and that Harry is currently with Lupin, so it's impossible for Lupin not to recognize his former best friend's son.

Severus stroked his chin, deep in thought. At the same time, he borrowed a flying broom from an Auror nearby, Apparated to the closest point to the Isle of Man, mounted the broom, and prepared to meet up with old Lupin Granger and the others.

"You used so much dark magic today, did you notice anything wrong with your spells?"

Just as Severus was on his way, Ghost Snape suddenly spoke up.

This surprised Severus, who rarely saw this old fox actually showing concern for him.

"It still feels disjointed. Didn't you say that this problem would disappear if I used more spells?"

“That’s how I judged it before,” Ghost Snape said calmly. “But after observing your spellcasting today, especially your dark magic, I’ve made some new discoveries.”

These words invigorated Severus, who had always been very concerned about his spellcasting skills.

The ability to take Harry around and fight against die-hard Death Eaters like Barty Jr. is largely due to his strength.

However, improving one's magic quickly is not an easy task; it largely depends on talent.

Severus's current performance and ability are clearly not low, but he has basically reached his limit.

Aside from not being as strong as top-tier fighters like Dumbledore and Voldemort, they were among the best of the Hogwarts professors and the core Death Eaters like Bellatrix and Barty Jr.

If he can make further progress in magic, he can be on par with the Noseless Monster and the Old Bee!

“I thought you had completely absorbed everything about me, including spells, potions, and dark magic, but your behavior today shows that you are still in the process of adapting.”

Ghost Snape's voice carried a rare hint of seriousness.

"Adaptation period? Does that mean my current level isn't your true peak yet?" Severus asked, puzzled.

“No, it’s not that you’re adapting to me, but that your own soul is adapting to magic,” Ghost Snape said calmly. “Magic originates from the wizard’s mind. Things like wands and Patronus Charms vary from person to person. Other spells may not have such obvious effects, but they also have subtle differences in each person’s hands.”

“Your current thinking is clearly different from mine before, but your magic skills and mindset still follow my own experience. This has led to your spells being limited instead of being able to exert greater power.”

Severus understood what Snape the Ghost meant.

The reason is actually very simple: he has now reached the limit of what Snape originally was, but he has not yet reached the true height of his own Severus!

In response, Severus changed his usual attitude of bickering with Snape the Ghost and instead humbly asked for advice.

"So how do I adjust things in the right direction now?"

Ghost Snape was no longer as sarcastic as before; after witnessing the encounter between Severus and Barty Jr. today, his mentality had clearly changed.

He answered calmly.

"First, you need to get a different wand."

I'll update 10,000 words tomorrow, split into three chapters: one 4,000-word chapter at 12 PM and two 3,000-word chapters at 10 PM.

If there are no unforeseen circumstances, the volume and timing will remain the same for the next few days. I will provide further details if there are any changes.

Chapter 92 Whether it's the Sun or the Moon (4k)

"I told you, the teacher is different now!"

After Greyback left with most of his men, Harry secretly boasted to Lupin in the werewolf camp on the Isle of Man.

Lupin did not deny this. After hearing Severus Snape's name again from Greyback, he could indeed vaguely sense that Harry was right.

“Greybuck was pushed to the limit. This werewolf must have something to rely on. The fact that he left with so many people is very likely that he went to seek support.”

“But they can’t beat the teacher, right?” Harry said confidently.

Seeing Lupin's unwavering trust in Snape, even now, Lupin still feels a dreamlike sense of unreality.

James's son, Sirius's godson.

Snape's student?

Lupin shook his head, banishing the feeling of unreality from his mind, and then answered Harry's question.

“Snape was indeed very strong. He was the most talented student in Slytherin during his school days, and he created a lot of dark magic in his later years.”

"If we're talking about whether he can win or not, there are only a handful of people in the magic world who can confidently say they can defeat him on one hand."

"but."

At this point, Lupin looked up at the three werewolves who had stayed behind in the camp.

He didn't say anything more.

From the dark magic mark that Greyback released, it was clear that the person connected to this group of werewolves was definitely a Death Eater of high status!

The Dark Mark is not something all Death Eaters possess; only core members trusted by Mystic and capable enough can have this honor.

If that's the case, Lupin wasn't sure what stance Snape would take after meeting that Death Eater.

He didn't voice this question because Harry clearly trusted his teacher implicitly, but Lupin only knew rumors about the current Snape; he hadn't seen him in person.

Just as Harry and Lupin were whispering to each other, they suddenly noticed that Hermione, who was sitting not far away, had her back to them, her small body trembling, as if she were secretly crying.

Harry and Lupin exchanged a glance, then quietly sat down next to Hermione.

It turned out that Hermione's hair had become messy and long at some point!

Her chestnut hair had grown almost to her waist. As if she didn't want others to notice her abnormality, she simply cried as she coiled her long hair up and hugged it to her chest.

"Hermione! What happened to you?"

Harry stared at her in shock.

Hermione was completely devoid of her usual independence and strength; her eyes were red as she wiped away tears.

"I...I don't know. I was just thinking about my mom and dad. They're not wizards. I was wondering if they still haven't realized I'm lost. Then I started crying, and while I was crying, my hair started growing longer and longer!"

Lupin listened with astonishment to Hermione's description and the long hair in front of her.

“This is a sign of magic, Hermione.”

he said softly.

These words reminded Harry of his time at the Dursleys' house.

“My Aunt Penny used to always want to cut my hair, but it would always be less than a day after she cut it, and my hair would mysteriously turn back to normal.”

Hermione even forgot to cry; she looked up in astonishment and met Lupin's eyes.