Old Residence

Cyberlina's former residence was a dark, three-story house surrounded by giant trees. These trees, tens of meters tall, enveloped the house so tightly that only a faint light could be seen from the courtyard in front, making it as dim as night.

"Apologies, Professor, my lover is blind, and my eyes aren't very sensitive to light, so it might be a bit dark." Cyberlina stood at the door, turning to Snape, who was still at the courtyard entrance, with an apologetic look. "If it's inconvenient for you, you can use Luminescent Flicker to light the way."

"No matter." Snape stepped into the dim courtyard.

Even with his dark pupils, he was someone accustomed to darkness, having spent so long in it that he wasn't used to bright light.

Cyberlina smiled and pushed open the door.

Although the house had three stories, the area of each floor wasn't very large, with the largest floor being only about fifty square meters.

Because of magic, the house remained clean and tidy despite being unoccupied for decades. The dim environment couldn't hide its warm and comfortable layout.

But it was strange.

The bookshelves were empty, the tabletops were clean, the cabinets were open, and there were signs of furniture having been moved from underneath.

--This place had been "ransacked."

Snape, a first-time visitor, could see the clues. Cyberlina, who was intimately familiar with the place, must have also noticed something was amiss. Snape observed her falling silent for a few seconds in the first-floor living room, then taking a deep breath before going upstairs. She repeated this action on the second floor but said nothing more.

Snape could understand her silence. After all, both he and she knew who was responsible for this--those who researched her, and some opportunistic scavengers.

The wizarding world was small, and it wasn't uncommon for the decline of one family to lead to others picking at its remains. Although Snape didn't know Cyberlina well, he could glimpse her extraordinary achievements from Dumbledore's brief remarks. Moreover, there was the "special ability" they were using to communicate without words in front of him.

Therefore, her former residence would naturally bear the footprints of those prominent families.

Could anything be left in places that had been searched by those people?

Snape sneered inwardly and followed Cyberlina onto the third floor.

The third floor was small but had a pointed roof higher than the first two floors. Opposite the stairs, there was a closed window on the wall. The floor was clean, but there was no furniture, only two or three old wooden crates.

Just as Snape was wondering if the place had been so thoroughly ransacked that nothing was left, or if it had always been this way, Cyberlina had already reached the window and raised her hand.

As she waved her hand, Snape felt a gust of wind pass by him, heading straight for Cyberlina. He didn't detect any magic, but beyond the window in front of Cyberlina, the scenery changed--from the branches of towering trees to a room whose details were unclear.

Snape then noticed that the window was floor-to-ceiling and slender. When Cyberlina opened it, it looked just like a door.

There was no magic involved, so this must be the ability she and Dumbledore used to communicate without words.

Snape tightened his grip on the wand hidden in his robe, only to see Cyberlina smile at him, elegantly step aside, and gracefully extend an invitation. He paused, then nodded, gripping his wand tighter, and stepped into the room before Cyberlina.

At first glance, Snape thought he had entered Slytherin's common room. The place was overwhelmingly green, and even the throw on the sofa bore the Slytherin crest.

In the center of the room hung a kerosene lamp, clearly lit and maintained by magic. Yet, Snape still felt no trace of magic, a realization that darkened his expression.

Besides the sofa covered with a throw bearing the Slytherin crest, the room contained two high stools, a table, and three bookshelves.

Cyberlina's wand lay on the table, which was covered with a black tablecloth with green stripes--a black wand about thirteen inches long with a light green handle.

Cyberlina picked up the wand, her fingers caressing it with a nostalgic look, and sighed softly, "Long time no see."

She pursed her lips, her eyes half-lowered. After a moment of silence, she slowly raised her head.

Snape scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the bookshelves for a moment before turning to find Cyberlina staring blankly at the wall with a vacant expression. He walked a few steps towards her and saw what was hanging on the wall.

It was a black and white Muggle photograph in a metal frame--Cyberlina with short hair and a man with light hair and eyes. The man's eyes lacked light, and he was looking slightly down in Cyberlina's direction, a gentle smile on his face. Cyberlina, looking a bit more mature than she did now, was arm-in-arm with the man, leaning affectionately against him, smiling radiantly at the camera.

Behind them were a black and white sky and the small courtyard Snape had seen just a few hours ago.

"I'm sorry, that was rude."

Noticing Snape's gaze, Cyberlina suddenly lowered her head, supporting herself on the table with one hand, and hastily wiped her face with the other before also resting it on the table. The young woman, who had maintained an elegant demeanor, ungracefully braced herself on the table with both hands, hunched over with her head buried, her shoulders shaking. After a couple of seconds, her shoulders slumped heavily. She then straightened up, turned to face Snape, and was already smiling, her back straight.

"Thank you, Professor. I have my wand, we can leave now."

As her light brown eyes lifted, Snape's eyes suddenly became vacant. It wasn't until Cyberlina finished speaking that his dark eyes regained their depth.

Cyberlina didn't react to Snape's silence. Smiling, she took a few booklets from the bookshelf where Snape had been looking.

"Were you looking at these? These are some research notes that Professor Sharp left behind when he was brewing medicine for Omi... my lover, at my request. I'm terrible at Potions, so I kept them here. I don't know if they're still--" Cyberlina trailed off, realizing from Snape's increasingly subtle expression that the person before her would, in a few days, become her new Potions professor. She immediately tried to recover, "Don't worry, Professor, my Potions skills were fine during my student days!"

"That's wonderful to hear. So, you're saying my humble self as a Potions professor won't have to see you making simple, foolish mistakes, is that right--Professor Sekri?"

Hearing the strangely sarcastic tone, Cyberlina blinked with a smile, "Yes, I promise."

She was just not as proficient in that subject compared to others, not that she couldn't do it. Simple student assignments were absolutely no problem.

Therefore, her words were spoken with confidence.

Snape glanced at Cyberlina and sneered, "I hope so."

Finally, Snape left the cottage hidden among the trees, holding the stack of notes.

As for Cyberlina, who had said she would leave with him, she hesitated as they were about to depart and ultimately chose to stay in her former residence. Snape said nothing, as he had no obligation to take her with him.

Cyberlina stood at the courtyard gate, watching the black figure gradually disappear as he Apparated away. A smile spread across her face. She lowered her head, clasped her wand, and waved it casually--the blue runes at the courtyard entrance dissipated, and traces of Ancient Magic flowed into the house along the direction of the wand.

Cyberlina walked into the house with a smile. The carpet reversed with her steps, and the sofa and cabinets shifted and transformed under her casual wand movements. The warm and comfortable house gradually changed its appearance. Green flames erupted, extending up the stairs and illuminating the dark, ornate decorations on each floor.

The third floor was no longer bare. The hidden door connected to the dark room vanished. The dark green walls were covered with Muggle photographs framed in gold thread.

In the photographs, there was only one person.

Cyberlina sat on the sofa, her fingers caressing her wand. Her light brown eyes, like molten gold, reflected the shimmering green flames. She gazed absently at the photos covering the wall.

"Omi... Omi..."

The corners of her mouth curved upwards. She closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and sank into the sofa.