Chapter 581: Potion and Candy
Chapter 581: Potion and Candy
In the headmaster's office, the conversation continued.
Dumbledore paused and said to Snape, "Voldemort has restrained his temper. He still needs you. Ever since I discovered that Umbridge's mind was muddled, I knew this... How does the saying go? Those who seek help must be humble. Clearly, Voldemort is no exception."
"I have no interest in hearing you share trite proverbs."
"Oh, Severus, these subtle phrases are thought-provoking and worth savoring... You know, I have always tried to help you rediscover the joy of life", Dumbledore said kindly.
Snape shook his head sharply, as if trying to shake off something dirty.
"Since Voldemort wants you to poison me while treating my injuries, he will likely wait for some time, perhaps deciding the duel based on my condition?" Dumbledore mused. "This way, I can influence his judgment. I just need to give a few interviews and have some pale-looking photos taken... Ah, I have an idea. The Wizengamot, the wizard trial... I need to talk to Madam Bones."
"Severus, your role is too unique. Even if Voldemort suspects you, as long as you are still useful, he won't act rashly. Besides Umbridge, there is another weakness, and that is Harry. Fortunately, his Occlumency is quite good, and Voldemort seems to have severed the Connection. However, nothing is absolute, so don't be complacent", he warned in the end.
"Speaking of Potter", Snape suddenly said, "Dumbledore, you deceived me. Harry Potter... he is one of them, a Horcrux."
A moment of silence.
"When did you find out?"
"Is it true?" Snape whispered, standing up and staring across the table at Dumbledore. "I spied for you, I fabricated lies for you, I risked my life for you. All of this was supposedly to protect Lily's son. Now you tell me that his fate was sealed from the beginning? Like a pig waiting to be slaughtered—"
"How touching, Severus", Dumbledore said. "Have you really started to care for the boy?"
"Care for him?" Snape shouted. "Expecto Patronum!"
A silver doe sprang from the tip of his wand. It landed on the floor, leaped lightly to the other side of the office, and flew out the window. Dumbledore watched it as it vanished into the distance, his eyes filled with tears. He then turned to Snape.
"Still like this after all these years?" he asked softly.
"Always has been", Snape replied.
Dumbledore sighed, closed his eyes, and the room was left with only Snape's heavy breathing. He murmured, "You deceived me, Dumbledore." After a long while, Dumbledore opened his eyes, his gaze calm, looking at Snape over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
"I don't want to make excuses, Severus. But I did prepare for the worst—when it came to it, the boy had to die once, so I trained him, tested him, observed him, like a craftsman carefully sculpting his masterpiece."
"Die once?" Snape looked up. "Dumbledore, be clear."
"On the night Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the killing curse rebounded onto himself. A fragment of his soul was blasted away and attached to the only living soul in the collapsing house, Harry Potter..."
"A part of the Dark Lord lived inside that infant? Became a Horcrux?" Snape asked eagerly. "So Parseltongue, the Connection to the Dark Lord's thoughts, were all due to the soul fragment?"
Dumbledore nodded slightly. "To be precise, Harry is not a complete Horcrux."
Snape was somewhat perplexed. His understanding of the Horcrux was still very superficial, limited to the most basic information, and some of it was even deduced from various pieces of intelligence. He had no knowledge of the method to create a Horcrux, let alone the numerous taboos surrounding it. This is why he could easily connect Harry to the Horcrux, accidentally uncovering the truth.
At the moment, he strained his ears to listen carefully.
"… The true process of creating a Horcrux is extremely complex and incredibly difficult. Perhaps this is why Voldemort has yet to connect Harry to the Horcrux—Harry is not even as complete as that snake. However, he does serve the function of a Horcrux: as long as that fragment remains within Harry, Voldemort will never truly die."
"Then, can the fragment be separated?" Snape racked his brain. "It was attached unintentionally, right? Like a stain on a wall, if we find a way to clean it—” He held his breath, looking at the old man before him. "Have you found a way?"
Dumbledore slowly shook his head.
Snape's body swayed, and he braced himself on the table, his eyes vacant as he stared at Dumbledore.
"Any matter involving the soul must be approached with the utmost caution", Dumbledore said softly. "We cannot draw wisdom from the writings of our predecessors; we must rely entirely on ourselves. Moreover, Harry's situation is even more perilous: Voldemort's soul fragment was attached directly to Harry's soul without any processing. Over the years, their connection may have become far more intimate than either of us can imagine. This connection also grows stronger as Harry ages, like a parasitic life form."
"Have you heard about Harry's remarkable progress this year?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape's expression was unreadable as he looked at Dumbledore, who returned the gaze.
"I assumed it was the result of his hard training."
"I do not deny that is part of it. However—aside from the differences in knowledge and experience, Harry is not much weaker than you now. This is not normal, Severus."
"Is there no other way?"
"Felix and I—both of us are working to find a solution. Felix discovered a lead in books about Horcruxes: repentance can reunite a split soul. Felix's achievements in Memory Magic are astounding", Dumbledore said. "He wants to capture Voldemort and immerse him in a vat filled with feelings of repentance, for a day, two days, even a year, two years."
Snape was shocked by the boldness of Felix's idea.
"… But I have little hope for this method. The conditions are too stringent: you must first capture a living Voldemort—ironically, this might be the easiest step compared to the others. You must also make Voldemort genuinely repent for his actions. To be honest, I do not believe he has a single shred of remorse. He could suddenly cast a Patronus in front of me, and I would not be surprised… Even if Voldemort were forced to repent, what effect would removing the soul fragment have on Harry?"
"No one knows."
Snape froze in place.
After a long pause, he asked with difficulty, "You only mentioned Felix's efforts. What about you? What have you done?"
"Oh, I cannot disclose that yet", Dumbledore said apologetically. "That method might be even more elusive and fantastical than making Voldemort genuinely repent… and I cannot verify it for now, so mentioning it would only add to your worries."
He placed the onyx ring back in the drawer and fiddled with the intricate silverware on the table. The conversation seemed to have come to an end. Snape stood up and walked towards the door. "Oh, by the way, Severus?" Snape turned around, meeting the blue eyes beneath the half-moon spectacles.
"Could you add a bit more sugar to the potion?"
Snape nodded and left the room.
(End of Chapter)
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