The dungeon fell silent. Apart from Eliana's hitching sobs, even the Potions specimens on the shelves seemed a little deader.
Snape stared at Eliana, his expression unreadable.
Eliana rubbed her face with both little paws like an otter, then lifted her reddened face and looked at Snape pitifully.
"Professor, say you were Voldemort, and a little girl accidentally called you a couple of names..." Clinging to a shred of hope, she made one last attempt to save herself. "They weren't even that bad, were they? The no-nose thing was just stating a fact... Right? A great Wizard should be broad-minded... Um... Voldemort..."
Her voice trailed off under Snape's strange stare—perhaps because even she knew how absurd she sounded.
Embarrassed and angry, she muttered, "No wonder Voldemort can't measure up to Dumbledore. He's so petty. He deserves to be finished!"
"Miss Richie's astonishing nerve never ceases to amaze me. Gryffindor's unfailing, reckless courage truly is a sight to behold."
Snape's tone gave nothing away as his pale fingertips slid across the covers of the old books.
Eliana looked at him pitifully.
Yes, yes, I'm reckless. I'm an idiot. But given how unlucky I already am, please don't punish me too.
"Professor, I didn't mean anything else by it. I really just wanted to learn how to stay alive—Professor Dumbledore hinted that I should."
Eliana tried once more to fight for a chance.
Snape, whose face had been cold and impassive from the start, looked genuinely shocked for once.
"What did you say?" he asked in disbelief. "Who? Albus Dumbledore hinted that you, a first-year Gryffindor, should study Dark Magic?"
Was the Wizarding World finally doomed?
Eliana nodded confidently and declared, head held high, "That's exactly what happened!"
"Wait." Snape collected himself and fixed his black eyes on Eliana. "Tell me exactly