[HP] Astringent

Every professor was assigned to watch the night, and they took Blake's photo to remind each portrait not to put it anywhere, and all known secret passages were blocked.

Scabbers was never found, and Ron got into a fight with Hermione again. He found ginger cat hair on the sheets and under the bed, so he insisted that Crookshanks took Scabbers away.

"You can't lock it up first, at least until I find Scabbers." Ron growled, holding up the big cage Vanessa gave him, "This cage can hold even Big Black, let alone Crookshanks Woolen cloth?"

"I can't abuse my cat like this! It doesn't want to be locked up."

Not to be outdone, Ron said, "Then teach it not to eat other people's pet mice!" He probably never was so stubborn.

Fred and George kept urging him to buy another pet and stop fighting with Hermione, and Vanessa repeatedly promised to help him take care of it.None of this helped, and the only thing that would make him happier was the fact that he could go to Hogsmeade soon.

Ron couldn't be more looking forward to showing Harry to the shops he didn't go to last time.Hermione said angrily, "How did you get him to come with you, Ron? Soon after Sirius Black nearly turned against you! I mean it, Harry, if you ever get to Hogsmoor again Decun, I will tell Professor McGonagall about the map!"

"Okay, so you're going to get Harry fired! Haven't you messed up enough this year?"

She cast a terrified look at Ron's face, picked up Crookshanks, and hurried back to the girls' dormitory.

On Saturday morning, Vanessa had a rare good night's sleep.In recent days, she has been thinking too much, always tossing and turning.An owl landed on the window, leaving a note that Dumbledore invited her to sit in the headmaster's office for a while.

After she got dressed, she came to the headmaster's office. Snape was not there, and he was there when most of the tasks were assigned, which made her concerned.

Dumbledore explained: "Severus has been more willing to contribute to the security of the school these days."

Vanessa nodded in understanding, for Snape's top priority should be keeping Harry safe.

"Is there any new mission today?" Vanessa asked.

"I wish you could pay a visit to Horace Slughorn this weekend."

"Why do you suddenly want to visit him? Does he have anything to do with Horcruxes?"

"He has taught at Hogwarts since a long time ago, and Tom Riddle used to be his favorite student. There have been many academic exchanges between them. And Horace is also a knowledgeable wizard, His theoretical research on black magic surpasses many scholars today." Dumbledore used to call Tom the Mysterious Man, as if Tom was not a real threat in his eyes.

"No problem, when will I go? Shall I write him a letter to make an appointment first?"

"No, there is a small banquet at his house tonight." Dumbledore said with a smile, "The invitations are all his favorite students, I think it would be inappropriate for me to visit, but you can go directly to see look."

Vanessa hesitated and said, "I'm not suitable either. I was never invited to a slug club party when I was in school."

"I haven't missed a party before the sixth grade." Vanessa corrected.

Slughorn was Head Slytherin and Potions Master while teaching at Hogwarts.He loves to manage personal relationships, and every year he holds a party, and the invitations are either from a prominent family or powerful magic.When You-Know-Who tries to take control of the wizarding world, he quits his job to avoid trouble and goes into hiding.It was not until three years after the mysterious man was defeated by Harry that he began to gather the best students of the year again.

Naturally, Vanessa was not invited, but she always had to bring a female companion to the banquet, and someone always invited her to attend the banquet two months in advance.It's just that after she got into trouble with Snape, she deliberately avoided being in the same place with him, so she never accepted invitations from others since the sixth grade.

"Would you like to see Horace?"

"Yes, yes, but in what capacity should I go?"

Dumbledore said: "I remember that you visited many respected scholars for the pretext of planning a special topic on Voldemort. It is not obtrusive for you to appear at the party, but you must be careful not to bring up Voldemort on your own initiative, so as not to arouse his suspicion."

Vanessa listened intently for a while: "You want me to trap him, don't you? But don't you think this task is more suitable for Severus? He was very much like Professor Slughorn when he was in school." Favor."

"No, no. I know Severus is trustworthy, but I don't want him to know everything," said Dumbledore.

"What do you mean by that?"

Dumbledore's eyes slid down the crooked bridge of his nose, his ice blue eyes sharper without the glasses: "I'm ashamed that I'm a suspicious person, and Severus has other tasks."

"I can ask Severus directly," Vanessa said, but she wasn't quite sure that Snape would tell her the answer.

"He won't know until it's necessary, and you'll all know then." Dumbledore waved his hand. "Let's go back to the original topic. Have you figured out what to do, Vanessa?"

She pondered: "Do you think it would be more effective if I dress up as Lily Potter and go to him in the middle of the night?"

Dumbledore didn't smile: "Don't bother, you go and have a casual chat with him first. We still have time."

Vanessa went around the cellar but couldn't find Snape, so she went to Hogsmeade alone to buy gifts.She was also not sure what kind of wine Slughorn liked, so she bought a few more bottles.

She returned to the cellar with a case of wine with a floating spell, and the bottles made a crisp sound when they collided.It's been a long time since I've had a drink, and she feels happy just hearing this voice.

"Porcupine quill." Vanessa said the password mechanically to the door of Snape's office. She found this new password boring.The door swung open, and she pushed it open and said, "Severus, I..."

Harry sat silently in a chair, staring at Snape intently.Snape's hands rested on the armrests of the chair, bent over, and their faces were only a foot apart.When the two heard Vanessa's voice, they turned their heads at the same time, with anger on their faces that they hadn't had time to put away.

Vanessa was stunned, maintaining a walking posture, neither advancing nor retreating.

"Should I give you some time?" She pointed at the two people and said hesitantly.

Snape stood up, folded his arms, and said in a cold voice, "You better be in a hurry."

"Well... there is nothing urgent. How about you continue?" Vanessa tried her best to look innocent and harmless, "I'll sit by the side and wait for you for a while."

She sat down on the sofa by herself, put the wine box at her feet, and turned her back not to look at them.The cellar was always cold and damp, and she spread out the blankets to wrap herself up, trying to make herself look as small as possible.

Snape was distracted and calmed down a lot when he faced Harry again.But his tone was equally full of hatred and disgust, with a terrible smile on his face, and he bit every word extremely hard: "Everyone from the Minister of Magic down has been working hard to keep the famous Harry Potter from Sirius Black's infringement. But the famous Harry Potter is the law itself. Let ordinary people worry about his safety. The famous Harry Potter goes wherever he thinks, without thinking about the consequences."

"Harry..." Vanessa hastily swallowed that word, "Going to Hogsmeade?"

Snape's eyes sparkled: "Ask yourself what he did? Frighten Malfoy with his head floating in the air, and buy a bag of magic tricks!"

Harry, who had been silent all this time, couldn't help retorting, "I didn't." But when he caught Vanessa's gaze, he fell silent.

"Harry, tell me the truth." Vanessa stared at him sternly.

Harry hung his head down, buttoning the seams of his trousers nervously.

Vanessa said lightly: "You really disappoint me."

Snape's thin lips twisted: "Potter, why are you so much like your father? He, too, is extremely arrogant. Even a little talent on the Quidditch field makes him think he is superior. With friends, Worshipers strut around, and you two look terribly alike."

"My dad doesn't strut," Harry was thoroughly exasperated, "and neither do I."

"Your father doesn't follow the rules very much." Snape's thin face was full of malice. "Rules are made for lesser people to follow. His head is so swollen..."

"Shut up!" Harry stood up suddenly, he looked straight at Snape without fear, and then at Vanessa, "You think so too, right? You agree with him. I heard it all outside the office!"

"Harry?" Vanessa looked at him incredulously, and she knew it wasn't a coincidence that the door didn't close properly that day.

"But I know the truth, don't I? My dad saved his life! Dumbledore told me!" Harry stared into Snape's sallow face, "If it wasn't for my dad, you wouldn't be able to it's here!"

"Did the Headmaster tell you the background of your father's saving my life?" he whispered, "or did he think the details were too unpleasant for precious Potter's ears?"

Harry bit his lip, his face frozen.He didn't admit it, but Snape seemed to read his mind.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked.

Snape opened his mouth, but didn't continue: "Potter!" he snapped, and Harry shivered.

Vanessa said reluctantly: "Did it happen before the fifth grade?"

"Potter and his friends made a funny joke on me, if he didn't get cold feet at the last moment, then I would die." He sneered, narrowing his eyes, and staring at Harry's face with dark eyes , "There's nothing he's done to be brave. He saved himself and me. If their joke goes right, Hogwarts will expel him."

"It's too much!" Vanessa trembled with anger.

As she learned about Snape and Potter's past, she hated Potter more and more.She couldn't imagine what was the reason that could make one person hate another classmate so much and use such dirty means.

"Potter, turn out your pockets!" Snape shouted suddenly.Harry didn't move, there was a ringing in his ears.

"Hurry up, or we'll go straight to the headmaster and turn it out, Potter!" Harry shivered with fear, and slowly took out various gadgets and a blank piece of parchment he bought at Zuko's.Snape picked up the bag of ingredients.

"Ron gave it to me," Harry said, praying to himself that he and Ron would be on good terms. "He bought it in Hogsmeade last time." He stole a glance at Vanessa, and her face became pale. As dark as Snape's.Thankfully, Vanessa didn't say anything about his last sneak trip to Hogsmeade.

Snape picked up the parchment, and Harry tried his best to keep his composure: "A blank parchment." He shrugged.

"Of course you don't need a piece of parchment that's been around for a long time? Why don't I just throw it away?" he said, moving his hand toward the fireplace.

"Don't!" Harry quickly stopped.

"Perhaps instructions to allow people to enter Hogwarts without going through the dementors?" Snape's eyes lit up, and a triumphant look appeared on his face.Vanessa also surrounded her and cast her eyes on the worn sheepskin.

Snape tapped it with his wand: "Show your secret!" It was still blank, and Harry let out a long breath.

"The Dean, Professor Severus Snape, orders you to reveal the hidden message!"

This time, writing appeared on the flat surface of the sheepskin: Mr. Moonface saluted Professor Snape and asked him not to poke his abnormally large nose out to meddle in other people's business.

Snape froze, and Harry gaped at the words.Vanessa snatched the parchment quickly and said, "I knew it, I knew it!" She walked towards the few burning fires.