"The one we've been searching for."
Dumbledore's words caused Snape's expression to change slightly.
He hastily diverted his gaze.
"What about Marcus Flint?" Snape mentioned a student from his house. The scene here was too terrifying, and he suspected that one of his students might be among the corpses.
"The person who cast the Imperio on Mr. Flint wasn't a Death Eater. I left him in Hogwarts Village, under the care of someone I trust deeply but who may harbor hatred towards me."
Dumbledore's response made Snape inwardly breathe a sigh of relief. At least Hogwarts' headmaster wasn't ruthless enough to clean up even the school's students.
"It seems you've dealt with the murderer of Ronnie Ehrlich," Snape frowned slightly, speaking in a low voice. However, he was surprised to see Dumbledore shake his head.
"I used some tricks, but that person is cunning and didn't show up. Waiting for me here were only Riddle's minions sent to die."
Dumbledore's voice carried a hint of frustration.
He was just a powerful wizard after all.
"I remember you warned me that the mastermind wanted to frame me. Given that we haven't found the desired target, how can you be sure it's not those Death Eaters who hate me to the bone?" Snape's frown deepened, "Aren't the Death Eaters waiting for you here proof enough?"
Upon hearing this.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I've already checked the memories of these people. They originally wanted to start a massacre to lure me here, but they didn't expect I'd arrive before them."
His voice was somewhat gloomy, "From a certain angle, perhaps the Imperio user we're searching for spared Hogwarts Village from a needless calamity."
The profound words made Snape's eyes flicker.
"Are you sure your old friend is where he should be?" Snape couldn't help but think more deeply. He preferred to believe it was all just a coincidence.
Otherwise.
Thinking in detail was terrifying!
"Certainly."
Dumbledore nodded confidently.
"Then you should go and check Little Grindelwald's memory. I still believe only Little Grindelwald could have made Ronnie Ehrlich consume the poison!"
"Aflisson Carlo was just cannon fodder, temporarily recruited from the descendants of Death Eaters. He definitely couldn't be the rat who poisoned Ronnie Ehrlich."
Snape insisted on his initial judgment.
"Aflisson Carlo is dead, right?" Dumbledore didn't respond but gently inquired, clearly aware of who Voldemort was manipulating.
"That's what I wanted to tell you. He attacked Ian on the eighth floor of the castle. Ian had no choice but to use Fiendfyre to turn him to ashes."
Snape's heart was tense at the moment.
However.
"You let that child deal with Aflisson Carlo?" Dumbledore's eyes suddenly focused, his attention surprising Snape somewhat.
"I just asked him to keep an eye on Aflisson Carlo in the Great Hall. He acted recklessly, foolishly daring to follow Aflisson Carlo all the way to the eighth floor!"
Snape felt his scalp tingling under Dumbledore's gaze.
"Fortunately, he had some skills, and Fiendfyre killed Aflisson Carlo, leaving him unharmed." Snape noticed Dumbledore's gaze no longer seemed as sharp.
He conveyed his prepared defense for Ian, "It was Little Grindelwald, can you believe it? She must have taught Ian Fiendfyre!"
Snape was outraged.
The emotions were both genuine and false.
He truly disliked Aurora Grindelwald, the Slytherin student. Perhaps it was because he felt that the girl from a bad family was leading astray Ian, who was born in the Muggle World and had a deep yearning for magic.
"A first-year Little Wizard knows Fiendfyre, haha, this must have been beyond Aflisson Carlo's expectations. It's fortunate nothing unexpected, which we all dread, occurred." Dumbledore's leniency surprised Snape, who didn't think Dumbledore was someone who would condone students using Fiendfyre to kill.
After all.
Just two years ago.
A student tried to learn the Killing Curse but was expelled from Hogwarts by Dumbledore before even mastering it. Everyone knew Dumbledore had almost zero tolerance for those evil spells.
"What's wrong?"
Dumbledore was somewhat puzzled by Snape's sudden silence.
"I'll put him in weekend detention for a while so he realizes that some magic shouldn't be learned or used." Snape thought perhaps Dumbledore's reaction was out of consideration for him.
He should demonstrate something.
"The danger of Fiendfyre stems from its difficulty in controlling. It's not an unforgivable curse, Severus, you shouldn't be too harsh on a Little Wizard who protected the school and fellow students."
"After all, Mr. Prince controlled the Fiendfyre well; I've personally examined this point." Dumbledore even smiled slightly, encouraging Snape.
"???"
Snape always thought Ian lied about Dumbledore knowing he could use Fiendfyre. However, how absurd and unfathomable, did Dumbledore truly praise him?
"But..."
Snape didn't know what to say, although he didn't want Ian expelled or sent to Azkaban. Dumbledore was being overly lenient.
Was this the same Dumbledore sensitive to Dark Arts?
Since when did learning Fiendfyre not warrant excessive punishment!
Surveying the surrounding corpses.
Snape seemed to comprehend.
Perhaps.
Dumbledore indeed had a problem with his mind.
"Saint Mangos Magic Injury Hospital is open at night, accompany me there." Snape wanted to grasp Dumbledore's arm but was dodged by Dumbledore in confusion.
"I just asked you to pretend to be injured, did you really hurt yourself?" Dumbledore scrutinized Snape from top to bottom but found no injuries.
"..."
Snape's expression was extremely twisted.
"Miss Grindelwald will be back at school tomorrow, you need to keep an eye on Miss Grindelwald for me."
Suddenly.
Dumbledore instructed unexpectedly.
"Didn't you say it wouldn't be Little Grindelwald?" Snape's attention was successfully diverted, his brow furrowed, unable to understand Dumbledore's thoughts.
Indeed.
The mind was broken.
Speaking in a jumbled manner.
"I already have some suspicions."
Dumbledore looked towards Hogwarts' castle, his tone ambiguously low, "But I want to know whether Miss Grindelwald is aware."
His words left Snape utterly bewildered, giving Snape no time to think.
"You should go back."
Dumbledore's tone offered no room for argument.
"What about you?"
Snape didn't move.
"I need to make some arrangements just in case."
Dumbledore had just planned to leave but thought of something else. He turned and handed Snape something, leaving under Snape's incredulous gaze towards the distant horizon.
...
The ancient and towering high tower stood next to the cliff, waves lapping against the rocks.
The air trembled slightly.
Dumbledore's silhouette appeared in front of the tower.
His robes gently swayed in the breeze under the newly risen sun, as Apparition concluded, he calmly looked up towards the top of the tower.
Before the dim window.
A figure stood there.
Eyes met.
An old friend seemed to have awaited for some time.