[SSHP] End of life

Days of heavy snow and cold have formed a thick layer of ice on the lake.The ice surface was like a mirror, shining cold and hard in the moonlight.

Standing at the edge of the forest, Harry saw the doe again.When it leads the way for him, its steps are light and cheerful, and there is no trace on the snow.Now it not only runs and jumps on the snow layer, but also rises into the air with a gorgeous silver flame tail from time to time.Then it reached its destination, wrapping affectionately around a tall man in a thick black cloak.

"Snape...Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly.

The man turned around and it was indeed Severus Snape.The moonlight shone obliquely from above on his left side, and the edge of the hood of the cloak cast a shadow on his face, which blocked most of his face.His nose was too big, and there was a piece of moonlight on the tip of his nose.

For a moment, Harry felt like laughing.But at the same time, a strong soreness rose from the base of his nose.He stared at the man in front of him.

The man looked at him, his black eyes were not cold, but rather strangely warm.Perhaps, Harry supposed, it was the moonlight softening his expression.He took a few steps forward, stepped out of the shadow at the edge of the forest, and was bathed in the moonlight as well.He stopped two or three steps away from Snape.

Snape took out a long thing - it shone brightly in the moonlight.Its bottom is inlaid with a huge red gemstone.It's the sword of Gryffindor.He handed the sword to the silver doe, and the deer, strangely materialized now, took the sword in its mouth, took a step forward, and stretched its neck toward Harry.

Harry held out his hand, and the deer put the sword in his hand.The sword seemed heavy, but Harry couldn't really feel the weight.The man in front of him turned and walked towards the forest.

"Professor Snape!" Harry yelled.He had too many questions to ask, too many things to say—and yet the man wouldn't even pause.

"Snape!" Harry called again.He expected the man to turn around and give him points, but Snape didn't stop.Harry finally started running quickly, trying to reach for Snape's cloak.But he couldn't keep up with the man's footsteps, Snape was too tall and wearing boots - he wouldn't sink his ankles into deep snow with every step Harry did.

Harry stumbled after Snape, the distance between them growing further and further.But Snape hasn't Apparated yet, there's still a chance - "Don't go!" Harry yelled hoarsely, he had never made such a loud noise with such a hoarse and sore throat in his life, as if in a dream All the things he had thought difficult to say could be said smoothly, "Don't go! Snape - Severus! Severus!"

Harry snapped his eyes open and saw the top of the tent.After a while, he realized vaguely that he was dreaming just now, maybe he woke himself up, maybe he didn't make a sound at all.But he seemed to hear the last syllable he uttered—in real life.The voice was so hoarse that it frightened him.

His throat was burning, and he felt his heart beating very fast, anxious and angry, obviously the dream was still affecting him.He lay flat on his back and allowed himself to calm down for a while.

He looked aside, the tent was no longer dark, and there was an orange flame dancing in the stove.Ron was holding a cup of tea, not knowing what he was thinking, his expression switching back and forth between panic and fear, and as Harry watched him, his face flushed.Hermione wasn't there.

It seems that he hasn't said anything in his sleep that he shouldn't have said for the time being-Harry immediately retracted the thought.Because Ron noticed he was awake.At that moment, Ron's face turned redder, and Harry was sure that wasn't the reason for the reflection of the flames.Ron looked at him, hesitant and terrified, hesitating to speak.

This sleep made Harry's head a lot easier.He sat up and reached for his glass.The tea in the cup was completely cold, and it felt comfortable sliding down the throat, but it was still difficult to swallow.Ron hesitated and didn't speak for a while, and Harry didn't want to say more.With the flames on his right, he put the cup on the blanket and looked down at the half-shadowed water.He thought of Lysnape's moonlit cloak in his dream, with most of his face covered in shadow.

It now appears that Snape may have had a much deeper influence on him than he realized.

For 17 years, Harry had only a few acquaintances.Among the professors at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall is a staid and serious old lady who is extremely fanatical about Quidditch, Professor Flitwick is a bit timid and neurotic, but knowledgeable, and Professor Sprout is gentle, honest and amiable.Obviously, they all have their own lives, and what they show to the students is only a small part, but the rest doesn't seem to be able to unearth anything beyond imagination.Their lives are on the right track—the most generally right track known to the world.Among the familiar professors, only Snape and Dumbledore were the most vague. He could only tell the impression they left on him, but he never knew how much they were hiding.Those things come from their life experiences - they try to hide them in the routine of everyday life, but they are very unusual.These unusual things have left an indelible imprint on them.

Harry intuited that these hidden experiences of them were likely to be the grand adventures that Gryffindors like, or they fly recklessly, or experience the most exciting tension in the world in depression.They're more likely to be downright scary.Perhaps the reason why the unpleasant memories are more unforgettable, Harry found that the memory of getting along with Snape was actually a little clearer than the memory related to Dumbledore.He could hardly wait to ask, to find out, to press everyone, to know everything about Snape.The reasons for all his actions, which side he is on, and why.

Why did he provoke him while protecting him.Why can he calmly continue his hatred for his father on him, but at the same time continue his friendship for his mother.Why--

Harry scrambled on his clothes and shoes, and almost rushed out the tent door.Hermione was sitting on a tree stump just outside the door, her hands tucked into her sleeves.There was a flash of light as the curtain was raised, and Hermione jerked her wand up with her right hand.She saw it was Harry and stood up in surprise.

"Hermione, give me the portrait of Phineas!" Harry tried his best to suppress his excited voice.

The memory and behavior patterns of the portrait are instilled by the person—if the person is unwilling to teach his own portrait, then the portrait will only continue the artist’s impression of the person being portrayed, and it will know nothing else.But Phineas confirmed that Dumbledore's portrait knew something.The portrait's memory may not extend to the night before his death, but at least the portrait must know what happened before the second half of the sixth grade.Dumbledore would not stand by and watch the Order of the Phoenix be leaderless after his death.He will let the portrait inherit all his thoughts and wisdom, and he will be ready.Harry remembered the night he lost Sirius, Dumbledore telling him that Snape had sent them to the Ministry of Magic immediately.It's just that he was too angry and sad at the time, and kept throwing things to vent, and didn't listen to any advice.After that, not mentioning that night almost became an unspoken agreement between them, and Dumbledore never said the real situation at that time again.Too much time has passed, and now he is not even sure if this sentence is his fantasy, he has to find Dumbledore to verify it.Dumbledore won't answer many of his questions, and he can only prove this now-Dumbledore once revealed that this proves that this matter was allowed to be known to him.

"Harry, you're supposed to be in the tent, it's too cold outside," said Hermione, walking towards Harry. "What do you want his portrait for?"

"I'll tell him to call Professor Dumbledore! Gryffindor Sword—the man who brought it! I'll ask him about that man!" said Harry, "this time anyway— No, I know he can't call, but he can pass on our questions!"

"Harry! He won't!" bellowed Hermione. "Get into the tent now! Professor Dumbledore refuses to see us, he won't talk to you—even if he does, Phinya Nigellus is a Slytherin! He won't help you! He might even misinterpret Dumbledore! The headmaster's treaty doesn't stop him from misleading you!"

Harry stared at Hermione.Seconds later, he confirmed that Hermione would never back down.He lowered his head in frustration and slowly returned to the tent.

"Leave her alone." Ron looked at Harry, shrugged and smiled wryly.Hermione patted Harry on the shoulder sympathetically for Hermione's attitude towards Harry, which could hardly be called worse.

"Well, who was the one who brought the sword? Whose Patronus is it? You fainted before you finished speaking. How did you know that the sword of Gryffindor was at the bottom of the lake? I don't think you will be at the vigil Watch that place carefully. And your vision...can you give us an explanation?"

Harry flinched.They still noticed the vision.In the past, he didn't believe that Ron could hold back this question for even a minute-his friend had undoubtedly grown a lot.

—but he himself was going backwards.

"Snape. The Patronus is Snape's. The vision is what you see, yes, it's him. Damn I don't know why the vision is him, I can't explain it to you," said Harry, "Snape's Patronus told me the location of the sword, and it led me to the lake. I guess Snape put the sword there too. He must have just wanted to use the Patronus to lure me here. He didn't intend to Show up. But unfortunately, I happened to be in the next tree. He was hit by me."

As Harry imagined, Ron immediately frowned. "You didn't break your brain or anything? I mean, you drowned, didn't you. Or someone tampered with your memory?" He paused, then whispered, "You were calling Severus…? Maybe I got it wrong."

"Memory tampering? That's not possible, Ron. — I know what you're trying to say, and that's not possible. If anyone doesn't want to reveal their identity, they'll just become Lupine or something, and now who doesn't Knowing that I would throw a jinx at Snape first?"

He found that Ron was about to speak, and immediately interrupted: "——don't doubt me! I didn't get all forgotten and stuffed into my brain. He originally wanted to use all forgotten...but Don't know why, but in the end he didn't. Stop guessing, Ron. He wasn't going to see me, he wrapped himself up in a cloak. He didn't expect to be caught by me! I don't think anyone could Put yourself on this double insurance! Besides, who's going to get hair off Snape's head?"

"That's right! Nobody wants to drink that stuff even with their hair! So Harry! What are you trying to say? You're trying to say we got Snape wrong? You're saying he's one of us? Let me tell Come on, you're crazy!"

This was Ron—Harry was surprisingly more at ease before getting angry.Ron hadn't grown up enough to leave him far behind, hadn't grown so close to Hermione that he didn't even have a fight - he was still Ron.But it was this Ron that made it difficult for him to express his thoughts in words.

Harry was silent for a few seconds, still hesitating.If he didn't say it, he could still maintain the status quo. If he said it, there would be no room for change.He didn't want to admit his shameful desire.

"...yes, that's what I mean," he said with difficulty at last. "We all say that Dumbledore believed the wrong people, but maybe he didn't? There are so many things he didn't tell us. He left us relics, but refused to explain what those relics were, and even when we were fleeing, and we might starve to death before being killed by that person, his portrait refused to show us a clear way! If !" He said more and more excitedly, "If he has more things, more plans that he hasn't told us, maybe Snape is the most likely one!"

"That's why I just said you were crazy!" growled Ron.

At this moment, Hermione finally cleared the traces outside and followed the tent.She glared at Ron and said very displeasedly, "If you came back to yell at Harry, then I don't mind if you go out of the tent again!"

"Ask Harry what he said! He believes Snape is good! Who do you think you're talking about? Just in case you forgot - you're talking about Snape! That's worse than Umbridge on our side Impossible! Impossible a hundred times! And you, Harry! You are the one who should believe it! Who the hell made us flee like this in the peninsula of England? Without him, we should be at Hogwarts by now Safely discuss what Horcruxes are, where they are, and use the library or whatever to find information!"

Hermione didn't speak, she looked at Harry in shock.Harry frowned, his long-lost stubbornness rose with unstoppable momentum under his friend's questioning and obvious distrust.

He growled hoarsely: "Dumbledore said that he trusted Snape unconditionally! I just now believe that everything Snape does has a reason, just like I believe in Professor Dumbledore! Isn't that what Deng What did Bullido do to me all these years--believe me, Harry, I won't tell you why, I paved the way for you, you just follow my lead--and Snape was left behind One of the most hidden relics of the world!"

Ron's mouth fell open.Whether it was from anger or fear, his face flushed red.

Harry started to regret it a little.After the impulse passed, he felt that what he said was a bit too much.Did he really trust Snape as much as he trusted Dumbledore?This is of course impossible.But there were times when he doubted Dumbledore, maybe—the two of them could barely equate.Thinking of this, Harry swallowed back the words he planned to remedy.He lowered his head impatiently, not wanting to look at anyone's face.

"Have you seen Snape lately?" Hermione asked cautiously after a while.

"Yes, the day before destroying the Horcruxes," said Harry, a little impatient with his companion's excessive caution, "I didn't get the Imperius Curse."

"The day before the Horcrux was destroyed!" Ron screamed.

"I told you just now, Ron! Why do you think I found the sword all of a sudden? I saw him in person, face to face! He just didn't talk to me, and I beat him!"

"How did you meet him and come back safely? I mean, if he didn't hit you, you'd have to hit him first. And you said you did hit him—you fought him first ?-fight? Didn't he return a spell to you? Even the simplest one? If he didn't say a word to you, how did he convince you that the sword of Gryffindor was in the lake, and Wasn't that a trap or something? You had such a bad relationship, Harry! You saw him kill Professor Dumbledore! I always thought that even if he said the same thing and did the same thing in front of any of us, You should also be the last one to believe! I thought that as long as you meet, you will never die!"

For a moment, Harry felt unable to refute Hermione's barrage of questions.He was supposed to be the one who hated Snape the most, but since that damned night, his hatred had been worn away bit by bit by curiosity and sympathy.By now, he might be the easiest one to trust Snape.He was craving, craving for Snape to do something - as long as Snape did anything in their favor, even if it was just not attacking, he could firmly say that Snape was on their side .

—You're called Stockholm Syndrome, Harry.Harry guessed Hermione was going to want to say that.

Ron glared at Harry angrily, and Hermione remained silent.Harry wondered whether he should step back immediately and keep the matter to himself, or simply brush it off.But he ultimately decided not to hide his thoughts.Trusting Snape, it wasn't easy, but they needed to trust the man.They have to trust him because he's credible, because he's dependable, not as a cornered savior trying to find straws, or deliberately playing against his friends because he's feeling lonely.

Harry couldn't help but smile wryly before speaking.He couldn't blame Ron and Hermione for reacting to his current assertion that it was most likely crazy.Because they were right.If it was him in the past, if anyone said that Snape was on their side in front of him, he would have thought that person was crazy, or directly regarded him as his enemy.Snape wasn't a nice guy, he was a bomb that he had no intention of hiding - and he wasn't alone.

Dumbledore was not perfect.But they agreed that credulity was Dumbledore's biggest shortcoming, and trusting Snape was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made in his life.When Dumbledore was alive, under his coercion, the members of the Order of the Phoenix stayed away from Snape with suspicion, and only reluctantly got along when they had to get in touch.Only a few people tried to be gentle with him.

"In the past few months, I have been thinking about things related to him. Many things that have happened in the past six years may not be what we imagined. I can't tell for a while, but these things have gradually made me feel that I can trust him. "Harry explained slowly, he felt that his vocal cords had been dry and cracked, "I think the Snape we saw may only be part of it, of course I still don't like him, but at least I have reasons to believe He helped us in a lot of ways. The little things. Like—do you remember? My birthday."

"Yeah, he helped Fred's ear perfectly," said Ron.

"But if he wanted to, I'm sure he could kill both Fred and me outright. I don't believe his lack of flying skills would make him give up attacking us with a spell that can go very far, my backpack strap No bigger goal than myself."

Ron said nothing more.Harry thought of Snape's hesitant expression, and those steady, quiet black eyes.

He finds it hard to accept a Snape who isn't mean to him, but he's surprisingly able to live with the fantasy: "I guess I'm just not used to seeing him express anything other than sarcasm and anger. When he's less targeted When I was... I wondered if Professor Dumbledore was right, after all, I always felt that he seldom got it wrong, especially on such a big matter. Snape himself may be really annoying, but I don't think he Must really want us to lose."

He looked at Hermione and Ron, and said seriously: "On the night of Dumbledore's death, I was the only one who saw the whole process in the Astronomy Tower. I was very angry and scared at the time, and didn't think about anything more. Later, I slowly Slowly reminiscing about that day, I realize that the facts may be different from what I think. Snape killed Dumbledore, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. But I think there was a reason for that. I even thought-it was more like Dumbledore told him to do it. And he obeyed."

Hermione was silent for a while, her eyes seemed to reassess whether Harry was joking with Dumbledore's death.Then, she said calmly, "We shouldn't trust him so easily. If he can fool You-Know-Who and Professor Dumbledore, then he must be able to fool us more easily. Maybe he is using the sword to deceive Let's show up. I understand your desire to increase your companions, and I also hope that he is on our side, he is very powerful. But before confirming his identity, we must not trust him rashly."

Harry knew Hermione was right.But he found he didn't want to hear it.He thanked Hermione for being calm most of the time, but sometimes—like now, he wished that if he said something, they would believe it unconditionally, instead of first doubting his mental stability and positioning him as a panicked person in the first place. Restless, little boy who wants to lean on something.

He barely restrained his emotions and smiled: "I know. I'm just talking about a possibility. If he is really an out-and-out Death Eater, I will kill him with my own hands. Is there anyone better than me? Does he have a bigger hatred?"

Ron didn't seem to agree with Harry's point of view, but he didn't want to provoke him anymore.He patted Harry on the shoulder.

Harry lowered his eyes.He felt that his thinking became clearer, like a piece of iron that had sunk in the cold lake water for a long time, and finally fell to the ground.Thinking that Snape was on his side, he felt reassured and sure from the bottom of his heart.

Snape was their man, as Dumbledore said he was a spy, so he must have his existence value.What is he doing that no one knows.If he was really still helping them, he would be the only nail they had buried in the Death Eaters camp.He will be decisive.

He trusted Snape.Nothing to do with reason, just because he wanted to believe.This time, he was sure that he was right, if he was wrong, he would just lose.To lose is to die.

"I sometimes think, if I had trusted him a little more... maybe Sirius wouldn't have died. We can't afford to lose any more companions. If you insist, Hermione, then you can reserve your opinion. But from now on, We have to consider two aspects of everything he does. First, we must prevent him from deliberately letting our guard down and setting a big trap for us. But at the same time, we must also consider the possibility that he is our person. If we can infer His real purpose, or what he may be hinting at us, may help us in our actions." Harry paused, but couldn't control the coldness in his tone, "But I insist that he is our man .”

Hermione didn't nod or shake her head, with no sign of agreement.But she didn't run through her hair angrily, looking for something to try to prove she was right.

The freckles on Ron's face turned red.He alternately looked at Harry and Hermione.Harry thought he'd be on Hermione's side, but he just grunted for a moment and said, "If you both insist, then let's get out of this discussion, okay? Whoever he's on, Merlin , I need some time to digest."

This time it was Ron who acted as a lubricant.Harry could barely contain his anger, he knew that today's discussion would be fruitless.Why do they always disagree with his point of view?Either Ron or Hermione, or two-on-one.But he doesn't want to quarrel with his friends.

He smiled back, feeling the pain in his lungs.He took a deep breath and coughed a few times.

He stretched out his hand to rub his chest, and unexpectedly, his hand touched the protrusion under the sweater on his chest.

It's the dragon skin pouch.

Inside—his memory bottle.

"Hermione," said Harry, even though he really didn't want to talk to Hermione right now, "do you know where there's a Pensieve besides Hogwarts?"

"Unfortunately, Harry," Hermione replied promptly. "It's not that common...I don't know. Maybe the Ministry has one, but we can't get in."

"Keep an eye on this thing, then," said Harry.The magic clock glowed dimly, and it was almost dawn.He opened the curtain of the tent and looked at the thick fog in the forest: "If I find the Pensieve, I will re-watch the memory of that night, and it will confirm that I have not been in such a long and desperate period of time because I want to The memory is infinitely beautified by more companions. I will also share it with you, and you will judge. I think that when you see the memory, there is nothing more to say. You will definitely agree with me."

The author has something to say: I originally wanted to double-update yesterday, but after thinking about it, it is not easy to disassemble, so I just put together a big move.laugh.Seven thousand words, how difficult it is for me.

In this chapter, Xiaoha wants to ask Lao Deng what I have actually thought about for a long time.There are many details that can be asked, but in the end I thought, it would be better to verify the Sirius thing.After all, he is my favorite godfather. The first is that Xiao Ha values ​​him, and the second is that if Lao Deng does not change his words or reveals more details, it will be of certain reference value. ... Well, it's just that I like Sirius myself. Even if there is only one name, I want to pull him out hahaha.