The Silent Witch of Hogwarts

Chapter 41: Severus Snape

Soon, following in Dumbledore's footsteps, Royla walked deeper and deeper into the staircase.

Where are we going?

As Loila watched the surroundings grow darker and darker, she couldn't help but purse her lips... Could it be that Dumbledore was involved in some kind of wizard trafficking business?

Just as Loila was having doubts, the stairs came to an end: this was the Hogwarts basement, which was somewhat cold and damp, and Loila had to wrap her robe tighter, even though she was already wrapped up tightly enough.

Do people actually like this kind of place?

She watched Dumbledore's retreating figure, pursed her lips, and wanted to ask Professor Snape again if he was really human, but she didn't know how to start the conversation and just opened her mouth.

"We've arrived." Unaware of what was happening, Dumbledore stopped and gently knocked on the door in front of him.

"Severus," he said slowly, "is me."

"...Please come in...Professor Dumbledore." It was a somewhat deep and cold voice, as if he had thrown Loila into the lake by Nurmengard in the middle of winter and then pulled her out.

Loila trembled slightly, but Dumbledore had already pushed open the door and gone inside.

"This is Miss Loila Hamilton." Dumbledore turned slightly to reveal Loila hiding behind him.

Loila cautiously raised her head and glanced at the owner of this gloomy office.

It was a man wrapped in a black robe, exactly like the surroundings. His medium-length black hair gave off a damp feeling, and his eyes were deep and cold... with a slight sense of disgust.

"You...you...hello!" Loila said in a trembling voice, pulling Dumbledore's robe tighter to keep her legs from giving way and sitting on the ground.

"Hello..." Snape said slowly and then stood up. Loira could feel him scrutinizing her... from head to toe.

"Is she the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts?" Snape asked slowly.

"Strictly speaking, there's also Mr. Lockhart," Dumbledore said with a slight nod. "Won't you invite us to sit down?"

"This is...of course..." Loila could feel that he was practically squeezing the words out of his mouth one by one, as if each letter was a murderous spell.

If this were true... he would have killed himself hundreds of times over.

Loila didn't know why Professor Snape had such inexplicable hostility towards her, but that didn't stop her from feeling afraid and timid.

"We now have two 'qualified' Defense Against the Dark Arts professors." Snape watched the two sit down and gave them a slightly sarcastic smile. "That's wonderful."

"Yes, Severus." Dumbledore shrugged as if he couldn't hear the sarcasm. "Miss Hamilton is the most suitable person I could find."

"..." Snape was silent for a few seconds, then his cold eyes glanced at Royla, who was looking down, a few more times: "It had better be that way."

"Then let's get down to business," Dumbledore said, looking at Loila. "As I mentioned before, our Miss Hamilton wishes to brew a few vials of wolfsbane potion."

"Hmm..." Snape paused, then asked, "So, Miss Hamilton... what ingredients are needed for the wolfsbane potion?"

Ah! Why are you suddenly talking to me?!

Loila shuddered, gripping the edge of the chair tightly, stammering as she tried to answer, "Wolfsbane...wolfsbane aconite...and..."

"Miss Hamilton, did you eat datura before you came?" Snape interrupted her, frowning.

"No...no..."

"Then why do you look like you haven't slept properly..." Snape said slowly, "...dazed..."

"Miss Hamilton is just a little shy," Dumbledore explained softly, "but she is absolutely capable of making wolfsbane."

"And the ability to serve as a professor?" Snape asked slowly.

"That's right." Dumbledore nodded.

"Ha..." Snape chuckled coldly, then shook his head. "Since Professor Dumbledore trusts you... then please come with me..."

As he spoke, he stood up briskly and walked past Loila, the gust of cold wind making her shiver again.

"Don't misunderstand Severus," Dumbledore said softly. "He's actually a very kind person."

"Ah...is that so...is that so?" Loila wanted to say that this "helpful" Professor Severus Snape had scared her so much that she felt cold all over.

He's even more terrifying than Hagrid! He's almost as terrifying as Dumbledore! No… in some ways, he's even more terrifying than Dumbledore…

Loila followed behind Dumbledore, clutching her sleeves tightly, somewhat frightened.

"Just to clarify... Miss Hamilton." Snape, standing in the materials room, turned his head slightly, and his cold eyes made Loila stiffen.

"I can only provide enough materials to make three bottles of wolfsbane potion."

"In other words... if you want to give it to your loved one..."

"Heh." He suddenly sneered, "A furry friend who likes to cause trouble makes wolfsbane potion."

"He...he really didn't have anything happen between him and Mr. Lupin?" Royla instinctively wanted to ask, but Snape flicked his robe and said, "You'd better use it sparingly."

"Okay...okay..." Loila's words immediately turned into a weak agreement.

"Also... you'll need to buy datura on your own." He paused, then continued, "I presume you've eaten it before and know where to buy it, right?"

"Hmm!" Loila nodded vigorously and took out her Space Expansion Book from her bosom.

"Please...please put it...here..."

Listening to Loila's mutterings and glancing at the book a few more times, Snape raised an eyebrow. His gaze towards Loila changed slightly, from looking at a parasite to looking at a human being.

"Miss Hamilton is an expert in magic arrays," Dumbledore nodded slightly. "She has helped the Ministry of Magic collect a great many dark magic items."

"Then she'd be perfect as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Snape scoffed, placing the prepared herbs into the book Loila had opened.

"More suitable than me," he said through gritted teeth, as if he wanted to bite the words that had just escaped his lips.

Finally… Royla understood where Professor Snape’s hostility towards her came from… Could it be that he really wanted to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?

Absolutely!

Dumbledore, please! Let Professor Snape take the job! I only need to be a cleaner at Hogwarts... I'm sure I'm better at that than those house-elves!

Royla, who had extensive cleaning experience at Durmstrang, looked at Dumbledore with pleading eyes, but all she got in return was a blink from him.

"Thank you for your help, Severus." Dumbledore then smiled gently at Snape.

"It's nothing." Snape snorted and lowered his head slightly, getting close to Royla's face, which startled Miss Hamilton, who had just closed her book, and she immediately stood up straight.

"Just a heads-up, Miss Hamilton."

"The formula for the wolfsbane medicine is wolfsbane, aconite, white dictamnus powder, the top of the cap of the Northern Irish mushroom, and datura."

"Furthermore, if we could obtain fire dragon blood to replace wolfsbane and aconite... the effect would be even better."

"What?" Royla was stunned. She had thought Snape would say something sarcastic, but he was actually talking about the recipe for wolfsbane potion... and that dragon blood could actually...

Snape frowned when he saw Royla's stunned expression.

"Miss Hamilton, open your ears next time... I will only say this once." Snape's voice grew deeper and deeper, making Loira, who had just thought Snape was a decent person, tremble all over.

Terrified, she stammered, "Use...use to open my pores?"

"Do wizards hear sounds through their pores?"

"No...no need..."

"Then don't say such nonsense again." Snape's words were almost squeezed out one by one, and along with his words, spittle sprayed onto Royla's face.

"I'm...sorry!"

Looking at Loila, who was almost huddled in the corner, Snape shook his head, wanting to say something more, but suddenly, he saw the silver hair under the brim of her hat and her pointed ears.

His lips twitched slightly, and then he looked at Dumbledore with a puzzled expression.

"That's all..." He nodded to Dumbledore and said, "I still have my research to do."

"Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore."

"And...Miss Hamilton."

It wasn't until more than a minute after Snape left that Royla, after wiping her face, felt like she had come back to life... She swore she would never come to Professor Snape's place again!

Never again!