When the savior is no longer the savior

He slammed a series of spells at the closet that locked the Boggart aside. Amidst the loud noise, the closet fell crookedly to the ground, and the Boggart inside jumped out in panic. Before seeing its original image clearly, it made a "bang" sound at the moment it met Harry, but before it completed any—any little—transformation, "funny funny" was connected with a "cutting curse" ’ and hit Bogut.

So this Boggart, who lived on fear, finally turned into a clue and disappeared.

After doing all this, Harry didn't stop. He turned around suddenly with a sullen face, and walked out in a hurry, almost in a panic.

And behind him, Sirius' voice was still chasing him, that lazy, half-surprised, sneering tone—Harry swore he had never felt such an annoying, angry tone for a moment ...and hate.

He tried to quicken his pace, but the voice followed him like a shadow.

He tried to cover his ears, but the sound penetrated everywhere.

So he could only listen.

He listened to Sirius mercilessly deducting fifty points from him for his "contempt for class".

Comparable to night tour, aha.

He also heard Sirius tell him to go to confinement at night.

It turns out that [-] points for a class is not enough?

He ended up listening to Sirius telling the others - the other students - that he would advise Dumbledore to dismiss him because he was "cocky" and "defiant".

Dropped out of Hogwarts?What a good idea, if Sirius knew what it meant to him, he would be proud now, wouldn't he?

But how could he know.

Who will know.

It's class time.

The whole of Hogwarts was silent, and Harry walked aimlessly. When he finally woke up and finally got rid of the voice of Sirius that he had dreamed about before—it now seemed more like a nightmare—he I found myself in a hidden, empty classroom.

And there is a mirror in the middle of the classroom.

It's the Mirror of Erised.

Harry was in a daze for a moment.He looked up at the surroundings, carefully identified, and finally overlapped the classroom in front of him with the classroom in his memory many years ago.

Yes, at that time, and during Christmas time, he wore the invisibility cloak given to him by Dumbledore, and went on night tours every night, immersed in the happiness created by the Mirror of Erised.

What does such happiness contain?A complete family, smiling parents - James and Lily.There are also James and Lily's parents, they are together, living together, everyone is smiling, with kind eyes...

He was almost in it.

An unknown force drove Harry towards the mirror that peered into people's hearts.

At this moment, he felt that the present was so similar to the past—when he came to Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore was still kind and funny, Professor Snape was still gloomy and indifferent, and Quirrell was still teaching magic in the first year. There are still trolls making troubles on Halloween, and he saw the Mirror of Erised as usual after Christmas...

Harry's fingers touched the golden frame of the Mirror of Erised.

He looked at the inscription on the top:

"erisedstraehruoytubecafruoytonwohsi."

—— "Ishow not your face but your heart's desire. (I show not your face but your heart's desire)"

So, what is his desire now?

...is there any doubt?

Those things he longed for, relatives, friends, peace, stability...

He's done everything he can.

Finally, his legs could no longer support the weight of his body, and Harry slowly slid to his knees.

He has done everything he can.

Harry buried his face in his palms.

But in the end, the distance between happiness and him is still as far away.

that far.

Time is passing slowly.

Harry sat leaning against the huge ornate, ceiling-reaching mirror, unwilling to move.

get out of class is over now, right?

One class was deducted [-] points...

The evening confinement conflicted with Professor Snape's teaching.

Will Sirius have something to say to Professor Dumbledore?

What would Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape think when they heard about this?

Harry was thinking wildly, the original impulse had left him, he had already begun to regret and reflect on his impulse, and had to think about how to deal with the aftermath.

Oh, Harry, you're really not a kid anymore.He sighed to himself inwardly.

There is no more Voldemort in this world, and the people in this world - the ones you love - are doing very well.That being the case, and since you've made up your mind, you shouldn't -- you don't have to -- act like you're sorry.

No one is sorry for you, Harry.

That's up to you, Harry.

You are willing.

He thought slightly sourly, raised his hand and patted his cheek, he was about to stand up and face the next thing with vigor, but the door in front of him was pushed open all of a sudden.

Walking in was Snape, still in black robes from head to toe.

His face was strange, a little gloomy, a little annoyed, with a little contentment and pleasure that was not too much but enough to be recognized - which made him less dignified when he glared at Harry: "Raven Mr. Si, what are you doing here?" He glanced at the Mirror of Erised next to Harry, and then frowned fiercely, "I have to make a guess—are you blatantly and high-profile? Turned the other end—" He smiled noncommittally, and didn't continue to say that obviously wouldn't be a good title, "—after your class, you still want to continue skipping your dean's Potions class?"

"I—" Harry was about to say I'm sorry, but fortunately he woke up just in time, "Wait, Professor, potions tuition is at night!"

"Since you know that it is a tuition at the expense of your professor's spare time," Snape said in a slippery tone, "then, I now inform you that the time has been changed, dear Mr. Ravens."

Harry was dumbfounded, and then—well, he felt a little incredible, but it was true, the haze in his heart was blown away, and he suddenly wanted to laugh—dear Mr. Ravens?Merlin, he could never believe that when Professor Snape, that bastard who was only willing to throw him a disgusted look of contempt, would call him 'dear'...

Dear Ravens?

Dear Potter?

Oh, that's a nice try, isn't it?

"Come with me now, I think we need to talk about your performance in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Seventy points were deducted from a class, huh? Mr. Ravens is really not easy." However, Sne Pu didn't care what Harry was thinking, he finished speaking with a hint of sarcasm, then walked out with a flick of his black robe.

"Wait, Professor!" said Harry, hurrying to follow.

Ornate mirrors in classrooms stand alone in place.

From the beginning to the end, Harry didn't really look at the mirror that was enough to peek into people's hearts.

That didn't make sense to him -- it didn't make any sense.

He always knew what he wanted and what he expected.

always knew.

It was still the potions office in the cellar.

Harry felt that he really stepped into this place that belonged to Snape more and more often: look, he could tell the furnishings of the room with his eyes closed now, where was the chandelier for lighting, where was the office? Where is the desk, and where is the glass cabinet containing the specimens.

And the book on the small coffee table next to the glass cabinet—his textbook; the potted plant (devil’s net for viewing) that quietly occupied a small space on the large desk—his contribution; The fruit left in the kitchen cabinet—he couldn't eat all the fruit and scratch the pear on the painting on the first floor, could he?

So, when exactly did his and Snape's lives...well, intersect so much already?

The blue-eyed former savior was a little tangled up. He remembered the messy textbooks that Snape had used in his dormitory—yes, those textbooks signed with the name "Half-blood Prince"... Merlin, did he remember the way Snape angrily tried to confiscate his - well, Snape's own - textbooks...

"Sit down," Snape said.

Harry sat down one command at a time.

After Snape didn't sit back at his large desk, he sat across from Harry, with one hand on his chest and one hand on his lips, looking at Harry with his deep, thoughtful eyes.

Harry felt a little uncomfortable: "Teach...Professor?"

"I've heard it all," said Snape. "An excellent scene in Defense Against the Dark Arts, wasn't it, Mr. Ravens."

"About that," Harry swallowed, "I think I can apologize and explain..."

"Apologize?" Snape naturally showed mocking and contempt on his face, "Oh, who are you apologizing to? I don't need such a thing, as for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—" He didn't continue.

"As for explanations, I think I do need some. Like," he paused, "—why your worst fear is the death of a professor you just met."

All sounds in the potions office fell silent.

The beginning of the search for truth

After a long time, Harry's stuttering voice sounded:

"Teach, professor?"

"Should I repeat the question just now?" Snape raised his eyebrows.

"No, no, no," said Harry with sweat on his brow, "I mean, I don't understand what you mean, Professor..."

"Don't understand?" Snape smirked, "I remember someone once said 'All my secrets, I'll answer you if you ask, Professor...'."

"That's about that night!" the Gryffindor cub retorted quickly, before realizing that something was wrong.

Sure enough, Snape narrowed his eyes: "So you still remember, it's really hard for you," he said softly, "Dear Mr. Ravens."

Harry shuddered, gritted his teeth and said, "Professor, you refused at that time, so..."

"So?" Snape repeated.

Harry closed his eyes and made a desperate decision: "So don't wait for the time, Professor."

Snape didn't speak.

The potions office was silent.

For a moment, Harry, with his eyes closed, heard the sound of Snape standing up, and then a soft click... Was something opened?Unable to restrain his curiosity, he opened his eyes a little, and saw Snape walking back from the glass cabinet at the foot of the wall with a bottle of potion.

Harry immediately closed his eyes, pretending to be dead.

Snape put the potion on the table, and said with a moderate "snap": "Open your eyes, Mr. Ravens. Do you think that doing this will make me think I was alive and kicking a moment ago?" You, who quarreled with me, have already fallen into a sleepless sleep?"

"Or do you think," he sneered, "that being lethargic will help you escape our conversation?"

Harry couldn't pretend to be dead, so he had to open his eyes again: "...we didn't quarrel, professor."

"Then there isn't any." Snape was a little impatient, he pointed to the small crystal bottle on the table, which contained a clear and transparent potion, "Does Mr. Ravens know what this is?"

"I don't know." Harry said after glancing twice, but then he had a flash of inspiration, "... Veritaserum?"

"It seems that our Mr. Ravens is not lazy," Snape said with surprise, although he did not contain praise, but he did not mean to be angry, "Since you know the name of this potion, you should also understand that it only takes three Dip, this little gadget can let you tell all the shady and self-righteous little secrets in your heart..."

"But there are strict rules for its use, Professor." Harry quickly picked up what Snape had said to him - and it was exactly what Snape had said to him back then, "and I trust that you won't shake your hands so much that you will It dripped into my pumpkin juice because..."

Snape's sallow cheeks were tinged with a blush, and he looked about to be angry.

Harry went on: "Because you know, I've been drinking milk more than pumpkin juice lately, Professor."

The corners of Snape's already twisted lips turned into twitches - Harry swore it was the first time he'd seen such an expression of near-crying and resigned indulgence on the face of Slytherin's "greasy old bat" .

Although this expression disappeared so quickly that anyone who was not familiar with Snape would think that he had just had an illusion, Harry was still almost stunned in surprise—he never thought that this gloomy and withdrawn Snape would have such a soft expression...

Wait, no, the point is not this, the point is what was he thinking just now?

'Anyone who wasn't familiar with Snape thought they were just delusional'?

...So, since when did he consciously know Snape?

Well, well, Snape taught him potions, and he showed up in Snape's office with dignity; Snape took him in on Christmas Eve, and he was taken in willingly and with another breakfast; he The things of Snape entered Snape's private space, and Snape's things also appeared in his territory...

Harry Tangled Savior shook his head, for some reason, he felt that the direction of his thinking seemed rather strange.

But then Snape spoke, and he smirked: "Perhaps as a professor, I should applaud my students' sense of humor?"

His train of thought was interrupted, Harry didn't think much, and replied casually: "Professor, just don't get angry, other things are not important..."

"It's not important?" Snape said in a slightly weird tone, "Since 'I don't need to be angry, other things are not important' - if you don't give a reasonable explanation, I'm afraid I have to feel angry, after all ,” he rolled his eyes over Harry’s face, “it’s about me.”

Harry fell silent.

"Mr. Ravens," continued Snape, "I'm afraid I must warn you: my patience is limited."

"But there's nothing - nothing - worth knowing about," Harry couldn't help saying.

"Your expression doesn't tell me that." Snape hit the nail on the head, "I'm not that idiot Black, don't think you can get away with me." He paused, his voice lowered, and his tone was unbelievably soft Come down: "Harry."

Harry couldn't help looking up, he couldn't believe what he had just heard - what did he hear?Snape called him Harry?It's better than Voldemort... oh, come on, forget about Voldemort, that's almost becoming synonymous with bad luck.

Harry thought a little disturbedly.He tried to refuse Snape, but then found that he didn't even seem to have the courage to do so - after the other party called out his Christian name so comfortingly and intimately.

Yes, that's right, comforting and intimate.

Such a title might not be easy for Snape, right?He has always been a man who likes to call others by their surnames more than their first names. He has never been so friendly, habitually keeps a distance from others, and only follows his own pace to walk on the inherent path...

He was trying to break down the barrier that stood between them.

Snape was trying to reach out, toward him.

But what about him?

Reject, or accept?

The silence in the Potions Office did not last long.

Snape had already said, "This matter has something to do with me." His tone was firm.

Harry was silent and made no rebuttal.

"You met Black before," Snape said.

"Yes." Harry pursed his lips slightly before replying.

There was a thoughtful look in Snape's eyes: "Black forgot you? Black didn't find you...?"

This time, Harry didn't answer.

Snape understood what the other person meant, and he tapped the armrest with his fingertips: "The fear that the Boggart has turned into is Black's death."

"Yes," said Harry.

"You are afraid of Blake's death...you used to get along with him...you have a good relationship...that idiot completely forgot about it..." he said, leaning his head on the sofa for a while, "...or Didn't these ever exist?"

Harry's jaw tightened.

"One last question." Snape said, his eyes fell on Harry's face, the deep tunnel eyes absorbing all thoughts and emotions, making him look cold and indifferent: "Is this your first eleven years old? Ray Mr. Vince."

fuse

The flames of the fireplace flickered gently in the corner, and under the bright incandescent light, Snape could clearly see surprise, fear, fear... and relief on the face of the child sitting across the table from him.

Then, the child seemed to be stunned, sitting on the sofa with his back straight, and his small face was blank, showing no expression at all.

The initial surprise had faded, and Snape relaxed back on the sofa, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "Answer my question, Mr. Ravens."

Harry came to his senses, leaning forward as if to stand up - but Snape stopped him with a condescending, menacing look in his eyes.

Harry paused unnaturally: "Teach, professor..."

"Answer me. Mr. Ravens, you only need to answer me with one word." Snape said, the light in his dark eyes was not obvious, but it lit up the whole pair of eyes.He folded his arms over his chest and watched Harry with deliberate deliberation and serious concentration - as if he had been watching him the whole time.

It was as if he was just looking at him.

"Yesorno, Mr. Ravens."

The long silence was almost suffocating.

Snape never felt that he was impatient, but at this moment he was indeed a little impatient, and he was not sure if the brat in front of him would tell him the truth - even though the other party's performance so far had clearly told him the truth what exactly is it.

But since he already knew the truth...why did he have to let this brat speak out?

Is it because you want to know more specific? …No, Severus, you don't have so much unnecessary curiosity, you just want to take the opportunity of this brat—this child—to confess your secret with your own mouth, and make sure of one thing.

What are you sure about...?

Are you sure you're not unusual for this kid?

Are you sure this kid trusts and cares enough about you to share real secrets with you?

Sure--

...Are you sure that what this child thinks, what this child does, what this child was, is, and everything is no longer "other people's business" to you?

He's not just an 11-year-old kid.

He's not just a Hogwarts student.

He's not even just a Slytherin student or your potions apprentice.

You try to get to know him, Severus.

You try to get to know him, after all the affection he has given you—you want to know him, his past, his present.and even……

Even, the future.

"...N, No." Harry hardly knew how he spit out this sentence: he was in a daze, and the past scenes appeared in his mind one after another, and the present scene appeared one after another in his mind, and he no longer knew what he was. Whether he was guarding his secret or trying to show his secret to everyone - yes, of course, he was right, and despite his cowardice, he couldn't deny that he really wanted those people - the former ones - to know His identity, knowing what happened, knowing everything he did... He expected their love, always expected.

And yet it was in the same vein that he had to wonder what, in a world without Voldemort, they would all have known about his past - pasts that were decidedly less wonderful - what they would think... oh, of course, he His parents, Dumbledore... yes, and Sirius, would be sad and sympathetic, wouldn't they?

Their titular child, a poor little one.

Yes, yes, Harry Potter, an unlucky guy, a poor little one, who had to face the Dark Lord due to some accidents, and finally died with the even more unlucky devil whose vitality was comparable to cockroaches... Woolen cloth?

At this moment, Harry was overwhelmed by the spontaneous sadness in his heart.

At no other moment did he realize soberly like now: for some things, the past is the past.

They are still them, Dumbledore, James Lily, Sirius, Snape...

However, he was no longer Harry Potter.

He is no longer their child.

"Then..." Snape's voice woke Harry from his pain.

Harry understood what Snape wanted to say, he almost jumped to his feet, and he didn't even have time to clear up the sadness in his eyes: "Enough, Professor, it's really enough—it's over!" He quickly And said firmly, "That's it - it's really not my first 11 years old, I've been with you - many of you, I was able to come back because of some accident, Siri... Black The relationship between the professor and me is also very good, once." He took a breath, "As for the others... I think, that's just my own business."

After finishing speaking, Harry no longer cared about his due politeness, he said to Snape, "I'll go to Professor Black's place for confinement", and hurriedly left the potions office belonging to Snape, in such a state of embarrassment that he even Forgot to close the door.

Snape made no attempt to get up and catch the kid back who jumped away like a frightened rabbit.

The kid always needs a little time to get used to it.Snape said so to himself.

Besides, he thought, and then heaved a complicated sigh.

Besides, he already got what he wanted.

Even if that's not complete.

The unusualness of the night was obviously not just about Snape and Harry, in fact, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, El was angry at his godfather.

"Godfather, I think I've said it, I hope I can—" He emphasized these two words, "Solve it!"

Sirius was a little impatient: "I didn't plan to do anything, Il."

"But you already did, Sirius!" Earl raised his voice.

"I want to be precise, what he did first." Sirius said coldly, "Then, I reacted to his behavior."

Il was short of breath at first, then remembered something immediately, and retorted: "Sirius, everyone knows that Boggarts will intuitively reflect the real fear in their hearts, and it's obviously not Harry's fault!"

"Come on, don't be stupid, Il baby." Sirius frowned and said, "Can't you see it? His fear is mine—not to mention whether that picture is mine or not." In the death scenario, his fear is me—a professor he met for the first time, which is incomprehensible in itself? Reconnecting with what you said..." He stopped, folded his arms and thought.

Yi Er opened his mouth: "Longbottom is also afraid of a professor..." He didn't go on, apparently he also felt that this analogy was absurd.

"The kid you've been thinking about is not a coward." Sirius commented, "At least the last series of spells is unusual...El," he said suddenly, "don't go near that Ravens for a while. "

"What? No way!" Il refused without thinking.

Sirius said with a straight face, "Why? Isn't that what you've been doing lately?"

"I..." He opened and closed his mouth, "Anyway—no, Godfather!"

"If you don't want me to tell James," Sirius gave Il a stern look, "you have no choice!"

"Godfather, I trust you!" Il couldn't help raising his voice.

Sirius quickly answered, "So I need to be responsible for your safety."

"Hey," Il laughed angrily, "Godfather, I bet you and my dad didn't think so. Back then, the robbery foursome, Sirius and James, who visited the Forbidden Forest just like visiting their own back garden, Um?"

"..." For the first time, Sirius felt that a good relationship with his godson is also a problem, "There is no one in the Forbidden Forest who is more dangerous than a person with ulterior motives, Il."

"Are you talking about Pettigrew Peter? Godfather," El asked.

"As long as you know," Sirius said, "he nearly killed James."

"But the acromantula in the Forbidden Forest also almost killed me." Il said quickly, and then he couldn't wake up - because Sirius stood in front of him with a frightened look and almost red eyes: "Acromantula? Forbidden Forest? Il, you dare to enter the Forbidden Forest in the first grade! Do you know that this will kill you!"

"That's not the point." Now that he had said everything, Il continued without fear of death, "The point is that Harry saved me at the last moment—he stood in front of me and led the acromantula away. "

"...You mean he saved your life." Sirius tried hard to control his anger, "Not from the Bludger, but from the Acromantula?"

"That's right." Il coughed dryly.

"I hope that the other little stories you told me about you and your children will not have any problems that shouldn't arise!" Sirius said viciously.

Yi Er lowered his head, feigning repentance, but curled his lips quietly.

Sirius didn't notice, he walked back and forth in the office: "It seems that I can't persuade you to stay away from your little friend now? Even before, you were already hesitating whether to continue to associate with him?"

Il was indeed hesitant, because of the name on the Marauder's Map, and because of Harry's attitude all along.But it is precisely because of Harry's attitude that the Gryffindor lion cub has never had the slightest thought of being completely separated from him even though he has been making troubles all the time—at least until he figured everything out. , the idea will not arise.

Therefore, Yi Er nodded without much hesitation: "Godfather, I am already old, and I understand what I am doing."

"We all thought we were too old." Sirius said lightly. He watched El open his mouth to retort, put up a hand to stop him, and said, "Okay, if you have to do this, I can't Pulling you and not letting you go to him, but I have an idea."

"What do you think?" Yi Er was quite suspicious of his godfather's sudden change.

It turns out that Il does know enough about his godfather, because Sirius went on to say: "Try to figure out what's bothering you, your little friend can't know everything. You can ask him directly, or you can use Another way-"

"Veritaserum? Legilimency?" Il said subconsciously.

Sirius: "...where did you know this, El baby?"

"You taught me, godfather." Yilkan said bluntly, "Also, don't call me 'baby' anymore."

"Oh, come on, that's what Lily and James both call you." Sirius shrugged, "Of course not, the above two things are strictly regulated and difficult to achieve, you need to use other methods, Il. As for which method to use, you need to think about it yourself.”

"Also," Sirius said, "let me remind you, Il. If you don't want to repeat what happened between your dad and Pettigrew. You at least make sure you know him."

"Then, choose to approach or distance."

At the end of the conversation, Il left Sirius' office full of annoyance—even though proactive understanding was a solution to his annoyance, why did it feel so strange?It was as if he was using tricks to get Harry's secret...

But the secret was about him again—why did Harry have the last name Potter?Is he related to him by blood...

"Potter!" The smug voice stopped Il's progress.

Il followed the sound, and saw Draco standing by the corridor, turning something in his hand, looking at him with complacency.He was annoyed: "Oh, Malfoy."

"Where are you going, Potter?" Draco said. "Are you going to do something bad?"

Yi Er sneered: "Where I go is none of your business? As for the bad things - I thought it was your monopoly, Malfoy."

Malfoy's face changed, and he immediately laughed: "Oh, Potter, why do you say that? Even if I have done some things, I have never tried to be friends with others while calculating the secrets of my friends."

"What did you say?" Yi Er's face was ugly.

"What did I say..." Draco threw what looked like a crystal ball in his hand, "Or Potter, you can listen to it yourself?" He smiled, with a vicious gleam in his gray-blue eyes: "Listen Listen to what you just said, Potter."

<...Godfather, I'm old enough to know what I'm doing. >

<We all used to think we were old.Well, if you have to, I can't hold you back from going to him, but I have an idea. >

< any thoughts? >

<Try to figure out what's bothering you, your little friend can't possibly know everything.You can ask him directly, or you can use another method -->

<Veritaserum?Legilimency? >

The sound stopped abruptly here.

The expression on Yil's face had changed from shock to anger, and he clenched his fist tightly: "...What's next? Malfoy? What will I say next?"

"Next?" Draco smiled slyly. "Oh, I thought that was enough, didn't I?"

Il tried his best to keep calm, "Are you trying to sow discord?"

"It's the truth, Potter." Draco said in surprise, "I'm just telling Harry the truth from the perspective of a friend."

"Malfoy," Il suddenly got tired of sparring with the other party, he quickly pulled out his wand and pointed at the platinum-haired Slytherin not far away, "put down what you overheard, immediately!"

Draco clicked his tongue: "I just left my things in front of a certain professor's office. Even school rules can't force me to take back my own things, right? Of course, when I got them back, I was surprised." Some - some nasty evidence. Evidence that some perfect-looking Gryffindor was in fact a lowly, scumbag, a-"

A certain nerve in El's head was broken, and he waved his wand at Draco without hesitation: "Stop standing still!"

But Draco had been prepared for a long time, he dodged and dodged: "Stand up and stop! Potter, do you dare to say that the words I saved are fabricated?"

"Grin-hu-la-la!" Immediately afterward, Yir cast a second spell.

Draco dodged again, and after returning a "front teeth match stick", his mouth was still not idle: "Potter, I am really curious, Harry knows that the person he has protected and regarded as a friend is counting him like this, he How would it feel? I'm afraid he'll never consider you a friend again!—"

El casts a third spell.The spell finally hit Draco, distracted by talking.

Draco staggered and fell to the ground.But the "Frozen Legs Stopping Dead" he then cast also hit Il crookedly.

The anger that had subsided slightly was ignited again, but he suddenly calmed down—this kind of calmness is very strange, on the one hand, he still hated and loathed Draco's actions, on the other hand, he was Carefully assess how to make him pay enough price...

Yes, enough for the price.

Earl thought so.he remembered himself this