Chapter 837: Snape: I Am Truly in a Tough Spot
Chapter 837: Snape: I Am Truly in a Tough Spot
"Will?" Professor Mcgonagall stared at Snape in shock, but quickly regained her composure.
Since Headmaster Dumbledore knew his time was short, he would naturally have made arrangements for the future.
Sirius Black and the others, who had also realized this, visibly relaxed their tense expressions.
Dumbledore's death had come so suddenly that they were left bewildered, unsure of what to do next or how to continue the fight against the Dark Lord.
Now, with the Will, they at least had some direction.
However, this was not good news for Ivan. He couldn't be certain what information Dumbledore had left in the Will, whether it would be to his detriment or advantage...
"How many more things are you hiding from us, Severus?" Mad-Eye Moody glared at Snape, clearly displeased.
"In fact, I know no more than you do..." Snape shook his head and continued, "You would have found out about the Will in a few days, even if I hadn't mentioned it..."
...
After successfully dispelling the doubts of Mad-Eye Moody and the others with Dumbledore's Will, Ivan finally managed to escape the constant questioning from the members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Given the unexpected amount of information Snape had revealed, Ivan temporarily set aside his plans to leave the school. As he bid farewell to Sirius Black and the others, he gave Snape a meaningful look and then headed towards the top of the Tower.
He walked all the way to the Roof and waited patiently. About ten minutes later, Snape entered the room.
"Did you call me here for something, Hals?" Snape asked.
Ivan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he waved his wand, casting a soundproof barrier around them, before speaking.
"I didn't expect you to speak up for me just now..."
"I had no choice, did I? Black and Remus Lupin trust you so much that even if I said something, they might not believe me." Snape narrowed his eyes and explained slowly.
More importantly, he was very clear about the current situation.
Despite the Order of the Phoenix's numbers, Snape was certain that all of them combined were no match for Ivan Hals. Choosing between life and death wasn't that difficult...
"Sometimes, having no choice is the best choice... But you should have told me that you were deliberately speaking up for me. That way, I might have been particularly grateful..." Ivan said with a hint of humor.
"Compared to those intangible things, I prefer concrete exchanges..." Snape replied calmly.
"Does that mean you have some interesting information?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"The Dark Lord... You want to find his hiding place, don't you?" Snape said with certainty. With Dumbledore now dead, the only remaining threat to Voldemort in the British wizarding world was Ivan.
Ivan didn't argue with this point and simply nodded. "Yes, do you know where he is hiding, or who the Secret-Keeper is?"
Ivan had learned about Voldemort's recent activities from Lucius and others a few weeks ago, so he was aware that the Dark Lord was currently under the protection of the Fidelius Charm.
However, due to the spell's restrictions, neither Lucius nor Crabbe could directly reveal the location.
"I don't know yet, but I might be able to find out... After all, the Dark Lord can trust very few people right now..."
Speaking of this, Snape felt a touch of melancholy.
The Dark Lord, once the most powerful Dark Wizard in the British Wizarding World—oh, no, now he should be the second most powerful—had fallen to such a pitiful state.
The Death Eaters under his command had dwindled to just twenty people, and each of them harbored their own treacherous thoughts and plans for rebellion.
"So, you intend to continue being a Death Eater and pass information about the Dark Lord to me, just as you did when you were with Headmaster Dumbledore?" Ivan scrutinized Snape.
"You can think of it that way", Snape said, pausing for a moment before adding, "In exchange, I hope you will clear my name after you kill the Dark Lord..."
"Of course!" Ivan nodded, agreeing immediately. "When the time comes, you will be the greatest hero who defeated the Dark Lord!"
"That's not necessary. I only hope to live a normal life without any further disturbance", Snape said ambiguously.
Ivan smiled but did not respond, instead steering the conversation. "Since you're now working for me, there's something I need you to answer truthfully."
Snape looked at Ivan in surprise, not quite understanding his intent.
"Where was Headmaster Dumbledore during the months he disappeared? And did he leave you any special instructions?" Ivan asked, his eyes fixed on Snape's every move, as if trying to read something from his face.
Dumbledore's behavior had been quite peculiar lately, especially this semester. Apart from the first day of school, he had been nowhere to be found in Hogwarts.
Even the Ministry of Magic's impeachment proceedings against him didn't seem to concern Dumbledore at all. Ivan found it hard to imagine what could make the White Wizard neglect all his important duties.
In the original timeline, the search for Horcruxes could explain his absence, but now that Voldemort had been driven to near isolation, Ivan didn't believe Dumbledore would still be so focused on the Horcruxes.
What puzzled Ivan the most was Dumbledore's strength during their duel yesterday. It was nothing short of outrageous!
Even after voluntarily giving up the Elder Wand and suffering severe injuries, Dumbledore had still managed to maintain a steady advantage over him.
This far exceeded Ivan's highest expectations of Dumbledore's power!
If the most powerful White Wizard truly possessed such terrifying strength, then during the end of the previous school year, when they met Voldemort, they could have easily captured him and brought him to the Ministry of Magic for public trial.
With this thought, Ivan turned his gaze to Snape, the only person who might know the truth!
Under the subtle pressure of Ivan's aura, Snape struggled to speak. "Hals, I've already explained that I don't know where Headmaster Dumbledore has gone. He hasn't contacted me at all during this time!"
"Is that so?" Ivan was skeptical. He knew how much Dumbledore trusted Snape, and if the headmaster had left any contingency plans, Snape would certainly be one of the people in the know.
Ivan's doubtful gaze made Snape feel quite helpless. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he spoke again.
"By the way, there is one thing I can tell you. The potion I regularly brewed for Headmaster Dumbledore had completely lost its effectiveness by the end of the previous summer. Normally, he shouldn't have been able to last this long at all."
(End of Chapter)
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