Chapter 311: Attempting the Room of Requirement
Chapter 311: Attempting the Room of Requirement
As Sherlock spoke, he couldn't help but cast a glance at Snape.
He began to recall, almost subconsciously, how in the original story, Snape became a spy within the Death Eaters and managed to earn Voldemort's trust. After all, Snape had spent over a decade at Hogwarts, and a simple excuse wouldn't have convinced Voldemort so easily.
However, now wasn't the time to dwell on these thoughts. Mad-Eye Moody continued along the same line of reasoning.
"If what Sherlock said is true, and Karkaroff has somehow returned to the Dark Lord's side, then his plans must be far more complex than we can imagine."
"For someone who betrayed the Dark Lord so thoroughly, to be forgiven must be no small feat", Dumbledore said calmly.
"Let's not jump to conclusions. This is just Sherlock's speculation. So far, the only evidence we have is the vague statements he made to Severus. Besides, since the semester began, you've been keeping an eye on him. Have you noticed any strange behavior?"
Mad-Eye Moody frowned. "No, aside from the usual tournament activities, he rarely comes to Hogwarts Castle. He mostly stays on his ship, and I have no reason to board it. However, I don't think he can do anything that would affect the school from there."
The office fell silent. Dumbledore rubbed his temples, looking weary. He sighed. "Barty's whereabouts are still unknown. He's disappeared without a trace, and the problems in the castle remain unresolved. Alastor, I need you to keep a close eye on Karkaroff. Severus, if he approaches you again, be careful with your responses."
Mad-Eye Moody's expression grew serious. "I'll keep watching him."
Snape nodded expressionlessly.
The two had their respective tasks, while Sherlock remained idle.
After leaving Dumbledore's office, the sky had grown completely dark.
Sherlock didn't return to his own office. Instead, he made his way to the corridor on the eighth floor, stopping in front of the tapestry of "Troll Slaps Barney."
He paced back and forth in front of the blank wall, silently repeating to himself, "I need a room that contains a Horcrux."
A door appeared before him. Sherlock pulled the handle and pushed the door open, but the room was pitch black and empty.
As he stepped into the Room of Requirement, the protective magic mark on his left arm flared up with a strong burning sensation.
Since capturing Fudge here, Sherlock had frequently visited the Room of Requirement, searching for the room that might contain a Horcrux.
However, several months had passed, and he had yet to find anything.
The Room of Requirement theoretically could provide an infinite number of rooms, and the Horcrux could be hidden in any one of them.
Sherlock could only try to think of rooms that might be closer to the answer. This semester at Hogwarts had been eventful, and even without specific tasks, he had little time to spend long hours experimenting here.
After several more failed attempts, he reluctantly left the Room of Requirement once again.
The day of the second task was drawing near.
Finally, about two weeks before the competition, Harry set aside his lingering resentment towards Cedric and took his advice, sneaking into the Prefects' bathroom one night.
Inside was a massive bathtub, a privilege reserved for Prefects.
Cedric had secretly given him the password to enter, as Cedric himself was a Hufflepuff Prefect.
Harry brought the Golden Egg with him, submerged it in the water, and then opened it. Sure enough, he heard a sound starkly different from the previous screeching.
The Golden Egg played a song, the lyrics of which conveyed that something important to Harry had been taken, and his task was to rescue it from where the song originated.
He finally had some idea of what the second task would entail, but this was clearly not enough.
However, his luck didn't run out there. The ghost Myrtle, who wandered the castle at night, helped Harry further unravel the mystery, revealing what creatures he would face underwater.
In the Prefects' bathroom, right in front of Harry, was a painting of a mermaid preening and showing off her fins.
The only creature capable of moving freely in water and singing songs was this one.
With all the clues from the Golden Egg, Harry left the bathroom with a full load. He was wrapped in his Invisibility Cloak, holding the Golden Egg in one hand, about to head upstairs to the Gryffindor common room, when two figures arguing walked right in front of him.
"You should answer me, Severus. After all, we are in the same boat, both of us are on the same rope."
Karkaroff lacked his usual wolfish cunning and coldness. His tone was impatient, urging the person beside him to respond.
Dressed in black robes, Snape's face, illuminated by the torches on the castle walls, looked like a living bat. He seemed uninterested in engaging with Karkaroff.
"We are not on the same rope, Igor. You are a traitor, no matter which side you are on, and I am not. I have never betrayed anyone."
Harry crouched at the foot of the stairs, wrapped in his Invisibility Cloak. He dared not move, fearing that the slightest breeze might alert the two men arguing in front of him.
Even if he could leave, Harry didn't want to miss this secret conversation.
He had always disliked Snape, who seemed to target him both in class and after class.
Although their relationship seemed complicated, Harry had asked Lily about it, but she had never revealed any details.
Whenever he asked about Snape, Lily's face would show a complex mix of emotions: helplessness, sorrow, nostalgia, and relief.
Harry felt there was a story there, but since Lily wouldn't tell him, he couldn't press further. He only listened to her caution that the current Snape was not a bad person.
Well, whether Snape was a bad person or not, Harry didn't know.
What he did know was that, regardless of whether Snape was good or bad, he couldn't muster any good feelings towards him.
(End of Chapter)
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