Chapter 936: Snape's Memory
Chapter 936: Snape's Memory
Kyle and the Weasley brothers' voices were loud enough to attract the attention of others nearby.
"Oh, Kyle..." Mrs. Weasley rushed over and hugged him tightly, sobbing, "Dear, we were just looking for you... but there were too many people in the Great Hall."
"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley," Kyle said, "How are you all?"
"We're fine, just..." Mrs. Weasley glanced at Bill unconsciously and let out a trembling whimper.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Bill walked over and said, "Mom always makes a big fuss."
Kyle noticed that his right ear was missing... not like Fred's external injury, but his entire ear had shrunk to the size of a grain of rice, as if it had disappeared.
"Is this Dark Magic?"
"Yeah, a dangerous curse," Bill nodded. "Fortunately, the potion Fleur and Kanna brought from France contains a broad-spectrum curse antidote. Otherwise, I might have lost more than just an ear."
"Right..." Bill glanced at the corridor behind them and asked, "Where's Kanna? Did you find her?"
"Yes, I did," Kyle replied. "She's fine, just knocked out by Snape's surprise attack. She might need to sleep for a few more hours to wake up, or I'll go find Professor Slughorn later to ask if he has an antidote for the Drink of Despair."
"Phew, that's good," Bill quickly guessed the situation with his intellect.
It was probably that Snape didn't want Kanna involved in his affairs, but he didn't want to hurt her, so he fed her the Drink of Despair.
"I think it's better if you don't go to Professor Slughorn for the antidote," Bill sighed, "Having your only relative suddenly become the enemy of all your friends is undoubtedly torturous for Kanna."
Bill tried to put himself in Kanna's shoes... imagining if Mrs. Weasley or Fleur had turned their wands on them during the battle...
No, Bill shook his head vigorously.
He couldn't bear to think about it; the image flashed through his mind, and he felt like going insane.
"Especially that damn traitor, Snape, who saved Voldemort at the last moment!" Charlie added from the side, his face turning red.
He didn't want to speak ill of Snape in front of Kyle, but he couldn't hold it in.
If asked who he hated the most right now, Snape would definitely be in the top two, even surpassing the Death Eater who left a scar on his chest, second only to Voldemort himself.
And there were certainly many others who shared this sentiment; almost everyone in Hogwarts wanted Snape dead.
So, at this moment, it was better for Kanna to keep sleeping, sparing her from facing the overwhelming hatred directed at Snape.
"Don't worry, I know what to do," Kyle smiled and didn't continue the conversation.
"Do you want to get something to eat? I just saw the house-elves heading back to the kitchen."
During the battle last night, the house-elves had fearlessly joined the defense of Hogwarts, and as soon as the war ended, they promptly returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Neither the pain left by the battle nor the joy of victory could dampen the house-elves' enthusiasm for work.
It seemed that in their minds, work was everything, and the current task was to prepare breakfast.
However, this was a good thing; after the intense battle, most people were already starving, and having a hearty breakfast would undoubtedly be a happy occasion.
This was evident from Fred and George.
They practically flew down the stairs, and if it weren't for Mrs. Weasley being there, Kyle felt they would have jumped down from the second floor.
Even Bill and Fleur stopped arguing.
When they arrived at the Great Hall, the professors had restored it to its original state.
Those who had sacrificed themselves in the war were placed at the front, where the original teacher's seats were, facing the four long tables below.
It was just the tables, with no distinction between houses... at least not today.
Students, professors, and alumni who came to help all sat together.
The house-elves had already served hot buttered toast, but not many were eating.
Perhaps they had no appetite; for most wizards experiencing war for the first time, even though their stomachs were empty, they couldn't bring themselves to eat anything.
They only forced themselves to eat a few bites of bread, mixed with a Vitality Supplement, under Madam Pomfrey's stern insistence.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Fred and George, for example.
They were also experiencing war for the first time, but at this moment, they weren't affected at all. They sat there, enthusiastically devouring toast, fresh sandwiches, and boiled potatoes.
When they saw Kyle, they waved enthusiastically.
"Come and have breakfast..."
"Don't be shy..."
"More is coming..."
For a moment, seeing their enthusiasm, Kyle felt like he was in the shabby hut instead of Hogwarts Castle.
In comparison, Cedric was much more normal, sitting there motionlessly, mechanically stuffing potatoes into his mouth, looking as if his soul had been sucked away.
Kyle walked over and sat down among them.
This scene reminded him of a few years ago when they had not yet graduated and were having breakfast together like this.
In the common room, Fred and George would occasionally visit Hufflepuff, and sometimes Kyle and Cedric would go to Gryffindor.
Kyle took a big bite of his sandwich and casually passed one to Cedric.
"Spare that potato, you're almost grinding it into the floor," Cedric exclaimed, startled, realizing he was surrounded. "Fred, George... when did you guys get here?"
"Before breakfast," Fred mumbled through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "If you had looked up then..."
"You wouldn't be asking such a stupid question," George finished for him.
"Sorry," Cedric said, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say for a moment.
"No need to explain, let's eat," Kyle said, taking another bite of his sandwich and looking at the breakfast on the table. Unconsciously, his mind returned to the question he had pondered in the Screaming Yo-Yo Shop.
Sandwiches, mashed potatoes, toast... He remembered that seven years ago, when he first arrived at Hogwarts, the breakfast options were the same.
Even now, there wasn't much noticeable difference in the taste of the sandwiches, which were still egg and bacon.
Oh, wait, the house-elf seemed a bit rushed today, and the eggs and bacon were a bit overcooked, with a stronger aroma of char.
Kyle felt grateful to Neville for the breakfast, especially now that he was a teacher.
The previous passive options could be turned into active ones, and that didn't seem too bad.
"What's next?" George asked naturally, as if they were still in school.
"Nothing," Kyle replied.
"I just want to find a place to rest," Cedric said, rubbing his pale face.
The battle had ended, and exhaustion dampened the joy. His arms felt heavier, and even the sandwich in his hand felt a bit unsteady.
They had been fighting all night, and it was already a challenge to be sitting here.
George's question was casual, but he was also at his limit, despite his current energy.
Otherwise, given Fred and George's personalities, they would have set off fireworks at Hogwarts to celebrate this hard-won victory.
"Oh, Ron, dear," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, rushing towards the Great Hall and embracing Ron as he entered.
"I've been worried sick, thank goodness you're okay."
Ron was initially embarrassed, but he felt good about this. However, as he reached out to embrace Mrs. Weasley, he felt his body become lighter.
Mrs. Weasley pushed him away and instead hugged Bill.
"And you, Harry, dear... I'm so glad you're alive."
Ron shrugged and put his hand back.
Well, he should have expected this. Regardless, Mrs. Weasley had hugged him first.
Before they arrived, Mrs. Weasley had been worried, but now she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Harry's arrival also brought a renewed buzz to the Great Hall.
Kyle and Harry, one who had defeated the current Voldemort and the other who had killed the former Voldemort, were both saviors present.
This undoubtedly gave everyone more hope.
"Even if the Dark Lord returns, we won't be afraid!" someone exclaimed spontaneously.
But this statement instantly cooled the heated atmosphere in the Great Hall, making it a bit quiet...
It was at this moment that people finally realized a situation they had been deliberately ignoring.
Voldemort had only been driven away and could return at any time, appearing anywhere.
The atmosphere in the Great Hall changed.
Those who had been shouting Voldemort's name suddenly fell silent and reverted to calling him the Dark Lord.
Meanwhile, another name's probability of mention increased.
"That traitor, Snape..."
"If not for that traitor, the Dark Lord would have been defeated this time..."
"The shameful betrayer..."
Like Charlie, most people despised Snape, the man who had saved Voldemort.
Except for Harry, who should have been the one to hate Snape the most, but he hadn't seen that memory.
Now, Harry knew what Snape had done and understood that his actions weren't to help Voldemort but to help them.
To be precise, he was helping Harry.
If Voldemort had been killed, he would have become the sole Horcrux, and no one knew what would happen then.
Every time Harry thought of this, his feelings became incredibly complex.
He struggled to maintain his hatred for Snape while also being unable to convince the enraged crowd. Moreover, when he wanted to say something, Hermione would gently hold his shoulder, shaking her head.
"It's no use, no one will believe you at this point," she would say.
Meanwhile, Kyle noticed Harry's conflicted expression and raised an eyebrow slightly.
He suddenly remembered encountering Harry in the corridor when they had just driven Voldemort away. Harry had said many incomprehensible things to Neville.
Additionally, Harry should have known he was a Horcrux, so when he heard Dumbledore's words in the Shrieking Shack, he appeared confused but not surprised.
Besides Dumbledore, it seemed only Snape knew Harry was a Horcrux.
Could it be that Snape had given Harry his memories...
Kyle was taken aback, but how was that possible? How could Snape give Harry his memories while he was still alive?
However...
Kyle glanced at Harry again, who indeed wasn't cursing Snape along with the others. Even Ron, known for his short temper, was behaving.
This was too abnormal.
Kyle's eyes lit up, and he suddenly stood up.
He realized that to help Kona, finding Snape might not be necessary; there was a simpler approach.
"Where are you off to?" Fred asked, puzzled, beside him.
"To the Headmaster's Office," Kyle replied.
"Oh, go ahead then." Fred immediately lost interest, having expected a grand plan from Kyle.
Kyle ignored him and quickly exited the hall, making his way to the eighth floor of the castle.
Harry couldn't possibly carry memories with him. If his guess was correct, Snape's memories must still be in the Headmaster's Office.
Kyle navigated familiarly to the stone gargoyle with a dripping mouth.
Miraculously, this fixture remained intact and in place after the night's war, a stroke of luck indeed.
"I don't know the password," Kyle said, "but I have something important to attend to inside."
He was just testing; if it didn't work, he'd have to grit his teeth and ask Fox to escort him in.
Hopefully, that wouldn't be necessary.
"Please, proceed. No password is required today," the gargoyle seemed to guess Kyle's thoughts, stepping aside to reveal the passage.
"Thank you."
Kyle took a step forward, ascending the spiral stone staircase to the top, then pushed open the oak door leading to the Headmaster's Office.
"Creak..."
It was as if he'd suddenly entered a noisy bar; upon opening the door, a cacophony of deafening cheers engulfed him.
The portraits of former Headmasters on the walls were celebrating the victory, their cheers and applause filling the air.
Kyle spotted a bearded wizard drumming... beside him, a less frequently seen medieval wizard, also a former Headmaster, was waving his wig in excitement.
Dolores Umbridge had lost her usual composure, laughing and crying simultaneously.
As for Armando Dippet and Phineas, they were even more unrestrained, embracing like old friends, rushing between frames, singing and dancing.
"Headmasters..." Kyle cleared his throat, speaking loudly, "Voldemort has merely been repelled; he'll return. Isn't this celebration a bit premature?"
The atmosphere in the Headmaster's Office chilled instantly, with all eyes turning to Kyle, the mood killer.
"I truly wish someone could create a wand that works on portraits," Armando Dippet muttered, "so I could silence you before you speak."
"Sorry about that," Kyle smiled, "but I'm telling the truth. If you wish to celebrate, you should focus on finding and eliminating Voldemort as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he intentionally glanced towards the portrait behind the chair.
It was Dumbledore's portrait, which seemed to ignore Kyle, diverting its gaze elsewhere before disappearing from the frame, heading who-knew-where.
Fine.
Kyle shrugged, realizing he wouldn't glean any clues from the portrait.
No matter; he approached the desk.
Upon entering, he had noticed the ancient, worn-out Pensieve on the desk, clearly recently used.
Kyle walked over.
Indeed, the Pensieve contained memories emitting a blue glow, which would rapidly swirl into a vortex when approached.
Kyle's hand, poised to grab a bottle, hesitated, his gaze on the Pensieve carrying a hint of temptation.
Snape's memories... just one glance shouldn't be a problem, right?
Just to confirm their authenticity.
Kyle quickly convinced himself, leaning into the Pensieve.
He found himself headfirst in sunlight, his feet not yet touching the warm earth, before the world seemed to flip upside down.
"Bang!"
The next second, Kyle retreated several steps, forcing himself out of the Pensieve, back into Hogwarts' Headmaster's Office.
No need to confirm; this was indeed Snape's memory, likely the worst part, left unfinished by Harry.
Luckily, he had reacted swiftly, covering the magical runes around the Pensieve to forcefully detach himself from the memory.
Otherwise, he might have experienced a humiliating ordeal, or worse.
During the brief vision, he saw several familiar faces, including a much younger Sirius Black, vibrant and unruly.
If Kyle recalled correctly, Snape's falling out with the Marauders was due to them using the Hanging Crucifix curse on him, stripping him of his pants.
Three conditions were met: the Marauders, the Hanging Crucifix curse... Kyle had no desire to verify the third.
Even if it was just a memory.
Kyle glanced at the Pensieve again, wincing, unable to help but think that young Sirius was quite despicable back in school. It was a wonder Snape had tolerated them until graduation.
If it were him... he might have resorted to murder.
Kyle narrowed his eyes, casually drawing his wand to extract the memories from the Pensieve into a glass bottle.
...
(End of Chapter)
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