As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, the sound of the stone beast turning came from outside, followed by footsteps. The person outside did not stop at the door, but casually opened the wooden door.
Su Er looked toward the sound. It was Snape.
He was holding a bottle of azure potion.
Snape met his student's eyes. His expression unchanged, he all but ignored him as he strode over to Dumbledore and handed him the blue potion.
Su Er pursed his lips at Snape's greasy hair, which seemed to have gone unwashed for years. At the same time, he guessed what Dumbledore had meant by having him bear witness.
Dumbledore pursed his lips too. At the sight of the potion in Snape's hand, this leading light wizard of their age actually looked like a childish old man, his face showing his reluctance to take it.
Watching Dumbledore reluctantly drink the potion, then hastily pop a sweet into his mouth, Su Er felt a little dazed. He looked again at Dumbledore's hand, which should have withered.
Things had changed, yet seemed unchanged.
At least the ending would definitely be different, though he still did not quite know what Dumbledore's final arrangements were...
Snape seemed to have come only to deliver the potion. Once he saw some color return to Dumbledore's pale face after he drank it, he prepared to leave, having ignored Su Er the entire time.
Just then, Dumbledore spoke up to stop him.
"Wait, Severus. I have something else to discuss with you."
Snape paused.
Dumbledore rose from behind his desk and walked around it. Rather than speaking straight away, he casually conjured a third armchair and motioned for them to sit down and talk.
"About Katie Bell..." Dumbledore settled into a comfortable position and looked at Snape.
"That was