days at Hogwarts

Chapter 492 Memory Interaction
Harry withdrew his gaze and walked towards the office without looking back. There was only a short corridor away, and within a few steps he saw Professor Snape clearly in dark green robes.

He stood upright at the door of the office, his hands hanging naturally on the sides of his robe, his eyes as cold and indifferent as the water of the black lake, as if he was using Legilimency at any time.

Harry was stunned for a moment, paused in his steps, thought about it carefully and realized it was impossible, and then continued to step forward.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape."

"You're late, Potter."

The corners of Harry's eyes twitched slightly. It was clear that there were still ten minutes before the scheduled time, but he very wisely did not argue, but admitted his mistake in a low voice: "I'm sorry, sir."

Snape glanced at him: "Come in."

The office was as dark as usual. Except for a lamp on the desk that didn't match the whole room, the rest of the room was hidden in looming shadows. The hundreds of glass bottles displayed on the shelves were full of eerie things. Horrifying specimens of flora and fauna.

The door to the storage room was ajar, and Harry subconsciously glanced towards the storage room.

On the console, a strange-looking toad jumped into the box, attracting Harry's attention. His back was covered with bumps and bumps, his eyes were scarlet, and he had an E grade in Potions. He recognized it at a glance as being in the Potions class. The black wart and red-eyed toad used on the Internet loves to prey on all kinds of flying insects. Its tongue is the main ingredient in household insecticides...

The toad's body was sunken and dry, like a dried specimen that had lost water.

How can a dead thing that has been taxidermied move?

Doubts arose in Harry's mind, and he suspected that Snape was doing some vicious potion experiment with the living toad to turn it into that ghostly form, or that he was researching dark and vicious black magic...

"Let's see how well you're doing with Occlumency."

Snape's cold voice came from behind. He waved his wand, and the doors to the storage room and office closed with a sound, which scared Harry's heart.

"Okay, Professor."

This was not the first time he had done a similar test. Harry put all the thoughts in his mind to rest and skillfully walked to the chair opposite the desk and sat down.

Snape walked silently, floated to a chair like a ghost, sat down, and stared directly at Harry, with a cold chill in his black eyes.

Harry felt that the coldness had condensed into something invisible and substantial. The cold touch fell on his eyeballs and penetrated into his dazed brain, cortex, frontal lobe...

Resist, close your brain, and fool him!
A voice in Harry's head whispered. He imagined that he had built a thick iron wall in his mind, which was more sealed and secure than the underground vault of Gringotts, in an attempt to block all prying eyes. outside.

But he failed. The cold chill was a slippery poisonous snake at first. The moment it touched the wall, it turned into a lake in the depths of winter. It poured into his mind pervasively, not just in his eyes, but in every orifice of his brain. It became a loophole, and his ears seemed to hear a low echo in the dark underground classroom, and the breath between his mouth and nose was also cold.

Snape's deep and cold gaze was reflected in his mind, and it was clear even if he closed his eyes.

The familiar feeling reappeared, and the office swayed and disappeared in front of his eyes. Memories that were as erratic as mist unfolded in front of his eyes, and pictures flashed through his mind like a movie.

Just now he peeked at Karkaroff rolling up his sleeves to show Snape something on his arm... Yesterday during the duel training, he was knocked back by Loren's disarming spell... In the afternoon, he and Jin Ginny was looking back on the glory of the past few years in the trophy room. He pointed at the Quidditch trophy and the House Cup trophy and kept talking. Ginny smiled until her cheeks turned red, and their eyes converged...

No, you can’t watch this!
Subconsciously, Harry cast the Iron Armor Curse, which he was not very proficient in yet: "[Armor Protection]"

He was suddenly separated from countless memories that had been watched by others. He looked at Snape in a daze. Suddenly, a strange thing escaped from his eyes. They were not cold at all, but haha. Lee instantly understood that this was Legilimency.

He has basically never understood this magic. He heard that it involves various advanced techniques involving magic power and souls, and requires a deep understanding of people's hearts and emotions in order to be able to use it in practice.

Wizards who have just learned Legilimency can only simply judge other people's emotions, judge other people's thoughts through verbal induction and physical pressure, and tell whether others are lying. Only senior Legilimency masters can peek into other people's memories.

According to Loren, only Dumbledore and Snape can do it at Hogwarts.

But when this strange magic power escaped from his eyes, he instinctively knew how to use it. Just like drinking water and eating, he naturally knew how to control the flow, invasion, and spying of this magic power.

He seemed to have become another person and entered another perspective. Although he was still the same body, Harry clearly felt that something was different.

In the past, his youthful body was quick and active in everything he did, ready to fly on a broomstick at any time. His restless magic was eager to release cool spells, but now, everything became quieter and more controlled.

Harry felt that he could control every muscle on his cheek to make the most appropriate and elegant smile, and he could also hide his emotions flawlessly. He was calmer and more rational than usual.

Under such circumstances, Harry had an inexplicable urge - to take a look inside Snape's mind!
Although another voice in his head told him that he should stop now, apologize to Professor Snape, and talk to him about Potions...

Hey, full of Slytherin's smoothness, is he still a Gryffindor?

Exerting instinctive control, Harry manipulated Legilimency to probe into Snape's mind.

It twists and drills like a snake, penetrates like flowing water...

Snape didn't even raise his eyelids, a hint of secret surprise flashed in his eyes.

Groups of mist with floating light and shadow surrounded Harry, and every memory in it had Snape's face.

The first time he peeked into someone else's memory, he felt an awkward and strange feeling. Before he could figure out what it was like, his consciousness had been dragged into a recent memory scene.

This place seems to be underground, because there are no windows around it, but there is enough light in the room. The torch on the wall bracket may be enchanted, and the flame is stronger than the firewood pile in the fireplace.

The room is surrounded by a circle of stepped seats, with wizards sitting in rows on stools that rise step by step. The wizards on the innermost floor are wearing neat uniforms of the Ministry of Magic. There is a hill in front of everyone. parchment volume.

Vaguely aware of the situation in front of him, Harry couldn't help but breathe quickly. He glanced at the wizard next to him. Although he was wearing a large wizard hat to hide his face, Harry recognized him at a glance and almost screamed.

It was Snape in his youth, and the one before him was Headmaster Dumbledore, who looked almost the same as he does now.

This is probably a court hearing scene, because in the cage in the middle of the room is a person with a familiar face - Igor Karkarov!

Karkaroff looks much younger than he does now. His hair is still black and his goatee is still very short. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are not obvious, so he still looks young. Based on this, it can be judged that this memory is probably a bit old.

There were no sleek, expensive fur coats, just thin, torn robes. Taking this opportunity, he also saw clearly what was on Karkaroff's arm, a black devil's mark that looked like a tattoo, with venomous snakes spitting out from the mouth of the terrifying skull. It seemed that a long time had passed since the tattoo, the ink had faded and the mark was somewhat dim.

"Igor Karkaroff." The young Mr. Crouch was full of energy and said in a deep voice, "The Ministry of Magic will take you out of Azkaban at your request and provide evidence to the committee. If you Your testimony has some value, and this committee may be able to reduce your sentence, but you are still a criminal Death Eater, do you agree?"

"I accept, sir."

In addition to fear, Karkaroff's voice was also mixed with a kind of unsettling veiled banter, and his tone was slippery.

Crouch raised his eyebrows and glanced at him: "What are you willing to provide?"

"Give me a name, sir."

Harry stared at Karkaroff, wondering if it was his imagination, but he saw a smile flash across that embarrassed face.

"There are Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rozier, Ludo Bagman, Travers, Mulciber..."

Someone among the wizards at the Ministry of Magic had heard of this name and quickly pulled out the relevant information from the pile of files and confirmed that Antonin Dolohov had been arrested and the Death Eater named Evan Rozier had been killed. Ludo Bagman was caught red-handed while delivering intelligence...

In short, this list of names is of little value.

Karkaroff then revealed an internal spy from the Ministry of Magic named August Rookwood, but this was still not enough to exempt Karkaroff from punishment. Just when Crouch was about to announce that he would be imprisoned again In Azkaban, panic finally appeared on his face, he clutched the cage rod tightly and shouted:

"No, wait, I also know, I still have information...Severus Snape."

Harry turned around and saw Snape pressing the broad brim of his hat, as calmly as if he was not the one being reported.

Before the Ministry of Magic could react, Dumbledore stood up: "I have made a statement to the committee about this situation. Snape is indeed a Death Eater, but he became my informant before Voldemort fell... …”

All disputes disappeared instantly. Crouch rubbed the corners of his eyes to relieve fatigue: "If the witness can no longer provide other evidence to the committee, then you go back to Azkaban first..."

"No no no!"

Karkaroff put his face close to the cage, squinting his eyes with a meaningful expression: "I also know someone who tortured many Muggles and mixed-blood wizards, participated in the round-up, and tortured Auror Long with the Cruciatus Curse. Mr. and Mrs. Barton..."

His voice became increasingly louder and more passionate, as if he was reciting the climax of a stage play.

"Who is it, say his name?"

"Barty Crouch——" Karkaroff looked straight at the director of the Department of Legal Enforcement and quasi-Minister of Magic, and whispered, "——'s son."

When the voice fell, the whole place was shocked. The screams and discussions were like boiling water, boiling the chief judge Crouch.

The venue was in chaos until Barty Crouch Jr. was escorted in front of Crouch, who was still in a daze.

On his stagnant face, the eyes first came to life and began to move. Crouch looked down at his son, who had passed 12 OWLs and made him proud, and pronounced his verdict clearly:
"Because you committed such a heinous crime, you were brought before the Magical Law Commission to await sentencing..."

Barty Crouch Jr. shouted and quibbled at his father, but none of them could overshadow Crouch's resounding trial: "Now, on behalf of the jury, I sentence you to life imprisonment in Azkaban!"

As the gavel knocked down, the entire space suddenly trembled.

Harry felt himself being hit by a powerful spell, and was thrown out of Snape's mind, falling onto the stool in front of the desk, where Professor Snape was sitting opposite.

"Professor," Harry said in a panic, "I know I shouldn't...I didn't mean to..."

"Harry Potter, offended the professor, studied black magic without permission, violated school rules..." Snape leaned back slightly, and the upper half of his face was hidden in the dark shadows. His expression was not clearly visible, and his voice did not contain the expected sullenness. , there was only a solemn coldness, "50 points were deducted from Gryffindor, and Harry Potter was placed in confinement for a month under the supervision of the administrator, Mr. Filch."

"professor……"

"you can go now."

"..."

Harry felt his hands and feet begin to sweat. He pursed his lips and looked towards the shadow where Snape was, stood up wisely, bowed and left.

The wooden door of the office opened and closed, and Snape stood up and left his seat, walking slowly towards the storage room.

If Loren were here, maybe there might be some hint of joy in his steps.

"Dumbledore is really stupid. What's the use of letting him know about this kind of thing? He actually asked me to do it..."

Snape's eyes swept across the storage room console and looked at the unanswered letter lying quietly under the brass cauldron, his eyes flickering.

The letter was from Lucius Malfoy. It had only two scrawled pages. It did not discuss business or mention Galleons. The first page was about asking about his son Draco's recent performance and academic achievements. The second page was about small talk. Talking about friends from the past: Rozier, Wilkes, Lestrange, Avery...

"It seems that Igor is not the only one who is worried."

Snape pressed his left arm with his right hand, and his eyes fell on the black warty red-eyed toad in the box, and did not move for a long time.

Resurrection from the dead, what a longing word...

The dry and dilapidated specimen came to life again, licking the red liquid medicine in the round tin-plated copper dish intently. With constant licking, the dried body is becoming fuller little by little, and the black warts on the back are gradually bulging.

Snape gently fed a small flying insect to it. The black wart and red-eyed toad did not move, still licking the potion intently.

The movements are hopelessly rigid.

(End of this chapter)