Morning

Snape was genuinely frightened, and nearly furious enough to die!

He never would have imagined that Cyberlina would use such an extreme method to teach Harry. From the moment Cyberlina began forcing Harry, he had wanted to step in and stop her, only to discover that he could not move at all! All he could do was curse Cyberlina's stupidity inwardly while worrying that the two people only a staircase away were going to get themselves killed.

But then—but then, how were these two treating it like a game?!

He was the only one worrying himself sick!

The more Snape thought about it, the angrier he became. He glared viciously at Cyberlina.

Cyberlina looked innocent.

After going through all that, being given a calming potion, and listening to Snape's sarcastic remarks, Harry was completely awake. He even felt clearer-headed than before he had gotten angry. He crouched down to pick up his wand, raised a hand to wipe his face haphazardly, then adjusted his glasses. Finally, he lowered his head, gripped the inside of his robes, and thanked Snape with a mixture of uncertainty and earnestness.

"Th-thank you, Professor Snape..."

For your calming potion, and even more for standing up for me.

Snape paused. He merely glanced at Harry before immediately looking away and glaring at Cyberlina again.

"Oh, how surprising. The boy who lived can actually say 'thank you.' But save it. I don't need your gratitude. I didn't do it for you. I simply—can't stand watching some reckless old troll." Snape folded his arms and gave Cyberlina a malicious sneer. "Just wait until you explain this to Dumbledore, Professor Sekerei!"

"I will." Cyberlina lowered her head and patted the book in her hands. Then she held it behind her back with both hands and smiled at Snape. "If Albus comes looking for me over this."

So I'll keep doing what I was doing.

She was neither troubled nor angered by Snape deliberately revealing her identity in front of Harry.

Snape moved his mouth, feeling stifled. He snorted coldly and swept down the stairs.

"I hope I won't have to carry two corpses out of here!"

"I won't, will I, Harry?" Cyberlina looked at the hesitant Harry. "You look like you have something to say to me."

"So..." The earlier incident had been terrifying, and after sweating through his clothes, Harry understood what Cyberlina had meant. "If someone isn't evil, then using dark magic won't work at all?"

"That depends on the specific circumstances." Cyberlina straightened her back and tilted her head slightly as she smiled at Harry. "You're still an innocent child, Harry. Your heart is clean, and you're very kind. Perhaps confusion and pressure have given you a darker side... but ultimately, you're still a good child. So even though you have excellent talent, your Crucio is very weak. Combined with the fact that I'm exceptionally powerful, your Crucio is essentially nothing to me."

Hearing Cyberlina's utterly unabashed words, Snape, who had already descended the stairs, turned back and gave her a deeply complicated look—only to see the book behind her back vanish from her hands.

Cyberlina's words about "confusion and pressure" startled Harry. He held his breath, then let out a long sigh after hearing her out.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Sekerei."

At that familiar form of address, Cyberlina raised her eyebrows slightly. Snape closed his eyes speechlessly for a moment.

"What are you thanking this senior sister for?" Cyberlina looked at Harry with a smile full of teasing. Unfortunately, Harry failed to notice it at all.

"Thank you for teaching me." Harry looked up at Cyberlina with shining eyes. "Actually... I've been troubled lately because I really don't know how to face my Parseltongue... I'm sorry. I know you've already advised me, and your words did make me feel much better, but those things still trouble me.

"But now, after what happened, I finally understand what you meant—so long as I don't want to do anything bad, I'll never be able to do anything bad!"

Parseltongue was far too sensitive a subject. The Sorting Hat's initial intention to place him in Slytherin was also rather delicate, and there was no way he could tell Ron and the others. He could only keep it bottled up inside.

On top of that, people kept calling him "the boy who lived." He had become so anxious about it that he could barely sleep. What sort of boy who lived would belong to the evil Slytherin?

He was irritated, but he couldn't take it out on those people. Most of them meant no harm when they called him that—except Malfoy. So he and Malfoy had already argued several times.

Nearly Headless Nick, who was similarly troubled, had noticed how preoccupied he was and talked with him about it. In the end, however, Harry had only listened to Nick complain about his own troubles, because when Nick asked what was bothering him, Harry had run away like a coward.

"You said something, Harry." Cyberlina raised a hand and rubbed his messy hair. "So you're not angry that I brought you here to come into contact with dark magic?"

Harry's face immediately flushed red, and he stammered, "I-I... I just... oh... I'm sorry, Senior Sister Sekerei. I didn't mean to. I was just—acting impulsively."

Harry suddenly realized that he might have vented all the irritation and anxiety he had accumulated lately on Senior Sister Sekerei.

"Good, Harry. Now let's talk about some other properties of dark magic."

Harry: "?"

"It affects your emotions and your mind. It may intensify your emotions, or it may alter the way you think."

Cyberlina's finger touched the scar on Harry's forehead again. This time, aside from the cold, Harry also felt a slight itch. But because he felt guilty about suspecting Cyberlina's intentions, he did not retreat. He merely frowned and endured the discomfort.

"So you must be firm of mind, Harry. Otherwise, you can easily be corrupted by dark magic and become an evil wizard—a... madman consumed by dark magic."

Harry stared into Cyberlina's eyes and felt that they held many things he could not understand.

"But, Senior Sister, when I suddenly became angry just now... I wasn't using dark magic."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that." Cyberlina withdrew her hand and smiled at him. "This study is already filled with dark magic."

Harry: "!!!"

"See, Harry? You were only affected a little, so you're undoubtedly a strong-minded person. I'm very happy to see that." Cyberlina's smile was sincere. "I hope you'll remain this steadfast and kind from now on."

The redness that had just faded from Harry's face rose again. His voice was as faint as a buzzing mosquito. "Mm-hm!"

The three of them then returned to the quiet routine they had followed when they first entered the study, each doing their own thing, until—

"Sekerei, do we return the way we came when we leave the study?"

"No." Cyberlina stood before the strange stone statue on the mezzanine, her eyes never leaving the book in her hands. "We'll use the door beside us."

"Is it far from the Slytherin common room?"

"Not far. It's just—ah." Cyberlina stopped reading and raised her head, discovering that Harry, leaning against the bookshelf, and Snape below were both looking at her.

"Heh. So even the all-knowing Sekerei can be careless about something like this." Snape gave a cold laugh. He raised his wand and conjured a string of time, glanced at it, then immediately closed the book and put away his notebook. He rushed up the stairs like the wind and returned the two books in his hands to their places.

Cyberlina smiled helplessly and likewise returned the book in her hands to the shelf. Harry did not understand, but he followed their example and put back the book he was holding—a straightforward book on magical theory.

Only after the three of them turned the stone door did Harry understand why they had suddenly decided to leave.

That door was far too conspicuous when it turned!

If they had really come out during the day, they would certainly have attracted the students' attention—especially the Slytherins'.

"Fortunately, the timing is perfect. Whether it's students or patrols—"

Cyberlina suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Snape let out a cold laugh. After Cyberlina took out her wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself, he did the same.

Harry stared wide-eyed as the two of them disappeared.

"Don't speak. It's a Disillusionment Charm," Cyberlina whispered in his ear.

Harry nodded. The next second, he felt his own figure grow insubstantial as well. At the same time, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and then—the person beside him began sprinting!

To avoid falling, Harry could only run along with them.

They had just rounded a corner when Harry saw McGonagall standing there with her wand raised, her face wary.

Harry: "!!!"

Hearing the chaotic running grow louder, McGonagall felt somewhat angry. She had patrolled all night and was preparing to make one final round before returning to rest. How had she failed to notice these students sneaking around at night? And why were they running so quickly? Weren't they afraid of falling? It was utterly reckless!

Yet when the footsteps rounded the corner, McGonagall saw no one at all. She only felt a gust of wind pass beside her.

She froze for a second, then turned and raised her wand again.

"Stop right there, all of you!"

But it was useless. The footsteps raced farther and farther away at an undiminished speed.

McGonagall immediately transformed into a nimble tabby cat and chased after them. No matter how quickly she ran, however, she remained a distance behind the footsteps ahead.

At last, McGonagall stopped on the sixth floor. Aside from being unable to catch up, there was another reason—above this point was only the Gryffindor dormitory!

Fine. This group of children had better never let her catch them!

The three runners stopped one corner away from the Gryffindor common room.

Snape angrily shook off Cyberlina's hand. He truly felt that he had grown senile. Why had he cast a Disillusionment Charm? Why had he run? He wasn't a student sneaking around at night. He was a professor!

The rapid running and his anger left Snape panting. Leaning against the wall, he pointed a trembling finger at Cyberlina. "You—you... cough, cough—you old troll with a brain full of snot! I assume you never once considered that I'm a professor! An—an elderly professor who has no need to be dragged by you on a chase through Hogwarts just because you're afraid of being caught!"

He completely omitted the fact that he had cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself first.

Snape, who rarely exercised, looked utterly disheveled.

Because they had started running so abruptly, and because Cyberlina had dragged him by the sleeve, his robes were wrinkled. His greasy black hair was disordered as well. His expression was as unpleasant as ever, but the pallor of his face had been replaced by a healthy flush from running, making him seem far less gloomy. He leaned against the wall, panting heavily, as the rising sunlight shone through the narrow window and gilded his disheveled hair, highlighting the creases in his robes. His disheveled state was even more obvious, but he also looked less severe and gloomy.

At the very least, his cold sarcasm no longer sounded quite so grating.

Harry and Cyberlina exchanged a glance, then laughed together.

Snape had no idea what was going on, but he was furious.

Cyberlina found it amusing. She patted the puffed-up Snape on the shoulder and pulled him downstairs. Only then did Harry belatedly realize that they all lived underground. They had run all the way to the Seventh Floor together in order to escort him back.

Yet the gratitude rising in Harry's heart lasted only a few seconds before it shattered with a sharp crack.

"Because of Mr. Potter's nighttime excursion, Gryffindor loses ten points!" Snape's angry voice contained a hint of triumph. "Mr. Potter is assigned detention for one week, beginning Monday."

Harry: "..."

Harry returned to the dormitory somewhat angrily, only to find Ron sitting on his bed with his arms folded and his legs crossed.

At the sound of the door opening, Ron turned around aggressively. Harry could clearly see the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"...G-good morning?" Harry greeted him guiltily.

"Good morning!?" Ron jumped off the bed, puffed out his cheeks, and planted himself in front of Harry. "Tell me! Where did you go last night?"

"R-Ron..." Harry backed against the door. "Calm down first."

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Ron glared at Harry indignantly.

"I—" Harry sidestepped away. "Someone else invited me, and it wasn't convenient to bring you..."

"Someone invited you?!" Ron's eyes widened as he chased Harry toward the bed. "Who? Who was it? Which house? A boy or a girl?"

Harry gave an awkward, perfunctory laugh twice, then laboriously pulled out the Invisibility Cloak, which had somehow returned to its original state and was bulging from his robe pocket.

"Don't just laugh! Tell me—huh? What's this?" A worn letter slipped from Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Ron snatched it up and read the words aloud. "'I fear that the gap between them and me has become... a thousand, a thousand differences? Not a single person accepts—' Wait, why do some of these words look so strange?"

"Let me see!" Harry snatched the letter from Ron. Surprisingly, despite their struggle over it, the shabby paper had not been damaged.

After spending the entire night immersed in ancient books and learning that some words differed from their modern usage, Harry confirmed that the letter belonged to the Slytherin study.

"Oh... this is bad. I actually brought something out with me." Harry decided that returning the item was the most urgent matter. He hurriedly prepared to leave the dormitory and catch up with Cyberlina and Snape, who should not yet have descended more than a few floors.

"Wait!" Ron spread his arms and blocked Harry. "'Inside' where? Did you find another interesting place?"

"It's not exactly an interesting place." Harry lowered his head to look at the paper in his hand, then suddenly froze—

[I originally thought that Godric and I shared the same heroic insight, and that he also agreed that every student we accepted should be an exceptional talent. But the problem was that he had also been brainwashed by that foolish notion, claiming that Muggle-borns possessed the same potential as pure-bloods.]

"Harry?"

"Wait, Ron."

[When I expressed my displeasure at this mistaken belief of his, Godric flew into a rage.]

Harry suddenly realized that the letter had been written in Salazar Slytherin's own hand!

[I have grown tired of this struggle, and I no longer wish to see those incompetent children shoving one another in the corridors, pretending to be witches or wizards.

I have now realized with great sorrow that I must leave this place.]

"Harry—"

Unable to bear Ron's interruptions any longer, Harry directly read the contents of the paper aloud.

"...

"Next, I shall place that creature into a state of slumber until it is awakened by one who shares my views. That chosen heir will reverse the sins unwittingly committed by the others. Those unworthy of the title will merely defile my legacy, while my heir shall shoulder the great responsibility of purifying Hogwarts."

"I think we can ask Professor Bins. He seems to have been at Hogwarts since its founding, so he must know what this letter is talking about!" Hermione said this after spotting Ron and Harry whispering over something at the table in the Great Hall with exhausted looks, suspecting that they had been out after curfew and interrogating them, only to learn from Harry's stammering that the paper came from an ancient place and have her curiosity piqued.

Harry actually wanted to say that he could simply ask Senior Sister Sekerei, since she would certainly know. But if he said that, he would have to explain everything that had happened. That would inevitably involve Parseltongue, dark magic, and the Slytherin study filled with dark magic... So he chose to remain silent, sleepily expressed agreement with Hermione, and then said that he needed to return the paper himself.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance and agreed.