Chapter 99: Hurry Up, Will You?!
Werewolves! Terrifying werewolves!
Białowieża Forest, Crabbe family's Flobberworm Farm. Moonlight like water.
Ron, currently alone here, didn't feel lonely at all.
Though his professor and friends were as still as statues, he was absolutely certain they were there!
This lack of loneliness also came from his Patronus Charm. As he cast his Patronus into the sky, he could vaguely feel his friends fighting alongside him.
It was a truly magical adventure. He couldn't see his friends' exact situations, but he could feel their presence nearby.
He didn't know how long had passed—yes, he didn't know how long he had been casting spells on this red cloak—when he suddenly heard a series of panicked squeaks.
He looked down; it was Scabbers, his pet.
At this moment, it looked so frantic, scrambling on his clothes, squeaking loudly at him.
What was wrong?
Ron was puzzled, then quickly got his answer: a large group of adult wizards, all wearing black robes, quietly emerged from the woods. Each one looked grim and cruel.
They seemed to first spot the group of people frozen like statues, then noticed him, who was still mobile, and finally saw the red cloak covering the sky above.
Then these people began to tremble violently, as if in extreme pain, quickly convulsing, their bodies stretching and expanding, growing long black fur and terrifying wolf maws.
Werewolves!
Ron recognized the leading dark wizard among them. He had seen a photo of this dark wizard when he was very young in one of Luna's dad's Quibbler articles, "The 10 Dark Wizards Parents and Young Wizards Should Be Most Wary Of."
Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf!
A dark wizard who looked somewhat like a beast!
Damn it!
Ron knew it. Draco's dad and his two lackeys were no good. Professor Lockhart shouldn't have trusted Crabbe's dad; he was an evil Death Eater who followed the Dark Lord!
All that talk about guarding the family's secret Floo Network fireplace was just to prevent them from escaping, so he could call people to deal with them!
What to do?
What to do?!!!
Ron knew he needed courage now, immense courage, but he also knew he had no ability to fight these powerful enemies.
Anxiously, he shoved Scabbers into his wizard's robe pocket. Taking advantage of the werewolves' transformation and howling, he rushed towards the professor and his friends.
He had to wake everyone up quickly!
Fortunately, the pets Professor Lockhart left behind were guarding them, which gave him a great sense of security.
But he quickly realized he was wrong; the enemies were clearly prepared!
Among the crowd, two figures in grey wizarding robes had not transformed into werewolves. One of them threw a house-elf corpse towards the pets, causing the Bowtruckle to attack the corpse first, only to be easily taken out by a Stunning Spell.
The other brought a jar covered in strange paints and magically transformed it into a large, jar-shaped pool. The pool was filled with purplish-black potion liquid, in which various eyeballs floated, immediately luring the Little Goldie in. Then the potion froze into ice, sealing the Little Goldie.
Finding solutions based on characteristics!
A Boggart is only terrifying when you don't know it's a Boggart!
Ron despairingly realized that Professor Lockhart was right: powerful but obscure magical creatures were most afraid of being targeted. Professor Lockhart's pets, having spent a long time with the Duelling Club's young wizards, had all their information known to everyone. It must have been evil people like Draco who revealed secrets to the villains.
Just then, he finally rushed closer and saw one of the grey-robed wizards pulling a huge harp from a burlap sack, seemingly intending to use it against the Vengeful fairy.' He quickly brandished his wand.
"Incarcerous!"
It worked effectively! He had finally made a difference!
He wanted to cry. He watched the seemingly evil wizard being flung into the air, hanging upside down and panicking, and suddenly felt a sense of "I'm a warrior, not useless."
His help clearly changed the situation. The Dark magical creature, the Vengeful Fairy, floated into mid-air, arms outstretched, a burning pyre appearing behind her, and dozens of fanged mouths opening on her body, humming.
Soon, the ground bled, and one of the werewolves among the dark wizards seemed to be compelled. It suddenly attacked the other grey-robed wizard, its ferocious wolf head instantly biting off the wizard's head along with his shoulder.
The other werewolves were stunned, but the werewolf leader, Fenrir Greyback, quickly reacted, howling and signaling his other subordinates to attack the affected werewolf.
They immediately started fighting among themselves.
Thud!
The grey-robed wizard, who had been levitated by the Incarcerous Charm, fell from mid-air. With a crack, he broke his leg, screaming in pain. Werewolves, attracted by the scent of his blood, ravenously pounced on his leg, tearing at it.
"Professor Lockhart! Professor Lockhart!" Ron rushed to his friends' side, but he couldn't enter that world. He could only frantically shout from the sidelines, "Everyone, wake up!"
Wake up!
Snape's current feeling was a mix of tension and anxiousness, even a vague, inexplicable panic.
The moment that giant red cloak appeared in the sky, he immediately cast a Patronus Charm at it. Lockhart was right; the Patronus Charm was the way to deal with this dark magical creature.
He could feel this world beginning to vibrate and crack, and he could also vaguely sense the presence of other powers within this world—they seemed to be Lockhart's mental powers.
What in Merlin's beard was that man up to?
Why was he helping this dark magical creature?
He didn't know; he only knew that now was a good time!
A good time to find Lily!
He quickly flew into the air, looking at the remarkably conspicuous Patronus Charms' light streaks shooting into the dark sky, and began to Apparate rapidly.
He quickly found the students: Neville, Luna, Cedric, George, Fred. He didn't disturb them, continuing his search, high-intensity Apparition plus flying charm, searching like a madman, until he finally found Harry Potter.
When he found him, Harry was standing in front of a small house, shouting excitedly behind him, then looking at the Patronus he had cast into the sky—it was a stag, just like his father's.
Found it!
Snape, who had been rushing like mad to find people, now hesitated to approach because he knew Lily must be in the house behind Harry!
Because that small house was none other than the safe house that foolish Potter had set up in Godric's Hollow, the house where Lily died. Foolish Potter trusted Sirius Black, allowing Voldemort to walk in unimpeded.
Heaven knew how desperate he had been then, chasing like a madman, but unable to enter because of the safe house's Fidelius Charm. He could only watch helplessly as Voldemort burst in, while he himself couldn't enter the real house.
He felt as though he could hear Potter shouting for Lily to escape with the child, and he heard Lily's dying scream, helplessly kneeling outside the house, crying like a child.
And now, at this moment, he stood before this small house again. He still couldn't see anything inside.
He watched Harry calling out for "Mum" to the house, but he couldn't see Lily's figure at all.
He didn't know if it was Lily or Harry who heard his arrival, or perhaps even Potter, but Harry, in front of them or her, excitedly shouted at him, "Look, Professor Snape, I can cast a Patronus Charm now! A full Patronus!"
Snape didn't know how he walked up to Harry then, uttering dry words of encouragement, listening to the boy shouting things like "Professor, let's quickly deal with this dark magical creature, this is an opportunity!" He mechanically waved his wand at the sky.
Then he saw his Patronus, a doe, dash towards the horizon—a doe identical to Lily's Patronus, every detail the same.
His face suddenly turned pale.
He suddenly felt a shameful sense of ugliness, exposing such a secret in front of Lily's husband and son, yet also a subtle exhilaration, as if longing for Lily to understand his feelings through this.
He was so anxiously unsure.
Yet so overjoyed.
So much so that he was panicking.
He didn't know how long he would have to fight this damned dark magical creature, the cloak. Lockhart's damned mental power was empowering the cloak, and getting stronger, making this battle a stalemate.
End it quickly!
His heart wailed, yes, he was that cowardly, afraid to face everything.
He admitted it; he was scared; he wanted to flee, but he couldn't bear to leave.
Over a decade, day and night of longing. This was the first time he had been so close to Lily, clearly feeling her presence, right beside him.
What to do?
What should he do?
He didn't know. He could only wave his wand at the sky, his face pale, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Didn't they say the Patronus Charm was a force for good?
Why did every time he cast it, it felt like a cruciatus curse, a bone-deep agony, so painful it felt like tearing his soul apart?
He seemed to get the answer.
He seemed to see that damned Lockhart standing beside him, murmuring like a devil, "Let Lily go, and let yourself go..."
No!
Never!
Not even in death!
His heart roared, filled with anger, confusion, and sorrow. His heart was so negative, yet the Patronus in the sky grew brighter.
What—
What should I do? "Professor Lockhart!" Just then, Harry beside him suddenly cried out in surprise. Snape quickly cast a cold glance.
It wasn't Lockhart who appeared before them.
It was the image of a dark wizard in a tattered robe, his hood so dark that nothing could be seen inside.
It was the Boggart Lockhart kept.
The Boggart visibly relaxed when it saw them. "Professor Snape, quick! A group of dark wizards has appeared at the Flobberworm Farm! I need your help!"
As it spoke, a spatial rift suddenly appeared behind it.
Emerald green light rapidly spread, revealing a scene entirely different from their surroundings.
In the scene, the Vengeful Fairy and Ron were fighting against the werewolves, and there was an extremely familiar figure among them: Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf!
"I already warned you that Crabbe couldn't be trusted," Snape sneered, looking at him unhappily. "Why aren't you going?"
The Boggart spread its hands somewhat helplessly. "I'm having a bit of a problem with my current state; I can't break away. I could only bother you."
Snape's fists clenched. He knew it; he just knew it. There was no way to protect these students by relying on this guy. He had to rely on himself, he had to rely on himself.
But why now?!
Lockhart, you bastard, this is deliberate, isn't it?!
Lily—students...
Past—present... emotions... responsibility...
Why, why make him choose?!
The Boggart clearly didn't want to humor his internal struggle, pushing him towards the revealed scene. "Hurry up, will you?!"
Snape was just like that, stubborn to the bone. Pushed by Lockhart, unable to make a decision, just being pushed along.
Perhaps—
He had already made his choice.
....
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