"Mm... where am I...?"
No one knew how long had passed before Snape finally woke up. He was not fully conscious yet, lying there and staring blankly at the sky before him, so clean it held nothing but blue.
It was not until something stepped across his arm that Snape finally remembered what had happened before.
No, he should have been in Nurmengard. So where was this?!
Nurmengard could not possibly have such a clear sky, nor could it have snow-capped mountains...
Wait, Merlin's beard—why could he see snow-capped mountains beside a forest...
Snape thought he was seeing things and struggled to sit up, but the moment he moved, pain like needles pierced his entire body. His neck had barely lifted before it dropped back down.
His movement also startled the little creature that had been working hard on his arm.
The Niffler nervously raised its head and met Snape's turned gaze.
Man and Niffler stared at each other.
Though it had been caught red-handed, the brazen Niffler did not stop. Instead, it continued pawing furiously at Snape's wrist.
"Save your strength. Don't bother, you can't get that thing off," another voice said from nearby.
Snape turned his head instinctively and saw Kyle expertly grab the Niffler by the scruff of its neck. He then made a standard throwing motion and hurled it far away like a Quaffle.
"Don't worry, Professor Snape." Kyle walked over and said casually, "The thing Kanna gave you is still fine. That little guy didn't steal it—in fact, it couldn't have stolen it."
Snape's expression darkened. The moment he saw Kyle, he instinctively stood up. The intense pain left him unable to hear what Kyle had said at all.
"Why are you here? And... where is this... what happened to me..."
"You have quite a