I'm Not Your Damn Father!

Harry was thus forcibly dragged into the house.

Compared to the filth outside, the interior was much cleaner, and the decorations were more unexpected for Harry.

They're more like a Muggle family than a wizarding family.

After passing through several hidden doors, we arrived at a small study.

The room was dimly lit, like a soft-walled prison, with several walls lined with books, most of which had old, black or brown leather covers.

A lamp with a lit candle hung from the ceiling, casting a dim circle of light.

Within the aperture, a worn-out, frayed sofa, an old armchair, and a wobbly table were crammed together.

This place has a desolate and lonely atmosphere; it seems that very few people come here.

"What are you doing here?" Snape gripped Harry's arm, glaring at him fiercely. "Answer me, Potter!"

Snape's force was so great that Harry grimaced, wanting to say something to him:

"Professor, you're hurting me!"

Harry didn't answer, but instead asked with a curious look:

"Snape... Professor, how did you find me?"

Snape, enraged, immediately threatened to deduct fifty points from Gryffindor.

But in a flash, he realized that this wasn't Hogwarts, but his home.

Damn it, Potter's dad's always been so good at deducting points.

However, as for how Harry was discovered, that's too simple:

He had set up a lot of magic nearby to detect when a wizard approached.

Snape was busy with something important, but out of caution, he still glanced out the window.

Unexpectedly, I saw Harry walking over there with a swagger.

He was furious. Was this kid asking for it?!

So, how did Potter get here, and what was his purpose?

Snape needs to know.

Seeing Snape staring at him, seemingly using Legilimency, Harry suddenly stiffened his neck and said defiantly:

I came to visit my mother's old house, and somehow ended up here.

Why, is that not allowed?!

Snape was momentarily stunned.

No... is that alright?

The way you're talking to me, with that rebellious teenage tone and arguing with your parents... who do you think you're talking to?!

Laozi 'm not your father, I have no obligation to spoil you!

But Snape's heart skipped a beat. Had Petunia really revealed everything?

His mouth was so loose it was almost as loose as a belt, almost as loose as Hagrid's.

Harry was still staring into Snape's eyes, seemingly developing an unprecedented interest in those black pearl pupils.

Under the intense gaze of Harry's dark green eyes, Snape was at a loss and completely at a loss.

If you were to cover Harry's ugly face, you would see the same eyes Lily once looked at him with.

For the first time ever, Snape avoided Harry's burning gaze and took a half step back.

This timid and hesitant demeanor is just like... going to the house of the woman you love for dinner, only to be fiercely questioned at the table by her son from her previous marriage, wondering if you want to be his father.

I really want it, I dream about it all the time. Who would lie about having a son? Nobody would dare to lie!

But let's not be so direct, okay? Calling him "uncle" first isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Harry casually asked, "I just went to my mother's room. It's very clean; someone has cleaned it."

Professor Snape... do you know who did it? I'd like to thank him in person.

Snape's emotions were somewhat complicated, and he took a step back.

"Also, I went to that house six years ago. Aunt Petunia said there should still be a lot of clutter in Mom's room."

They've all disappeared now; we don't know who "took" them.

Do you know who did it? I want it back.

Snape took two more steps back, his subtle emotions becoming complicated.

He vaguely recalled that year, when the apricot blossoms were in bloom and the rain was light, Lily had asked him the same arrogant question.

And then there's Potter, who asked the same question when he first enrolled. It's true... what goes around comes around.

Just as Snape was pondering whether or not to alter Potter's memories, his expression suddenly changed.

Snape quickly dragged Harry toward a hidden door.

Harry was confused, but he saw Snape point his wand at the wall of books behind him, and with a bang, a hidden door opened, revealing a narrow staircase.

"Put on the Invisibility Cloak, take out your wand, and get inside!" Snape whispered. "Don't come out unless I'm coming, and hurry!"

Harry nodded hastily; he now understood why Snape had been so terrified when he first saw him.

It turns out that Snape wasn't the only one in this house; there were other wizards as well.

The other party was clearly not a member of the Order of the Phoenix, but rather... Death Eaters.

If he hadn't been discovered by Snape, but instead by Death Eaters, he probably would be dead by now.

Harry immediately broke out in a sweat again; he had acted rashly.

After Snape closed the secret door, he cast several more spells.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

But Snape didn't open it; instead, he ignored it and continued setting up the magic.

After a while, the sound grew louder and louder; it was no longer knocking, but banging.

Snape then leisurely sat down in his chair and picked up a book.

The door was forced open, and a man with a stooped posture walked out and into the room.

He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and an unnatural, fake smile plastered on his face.

He touched his right hand with his left hand, which looked as if he were wearing a shiny white glove.

"Severus, is there a guest? I think I just heard a noise!"

He spoke in a squeaking sound, while his eyes darted around furtively.

"Looks like I need to teach you a lesson in manners, Wormtail!" Snape said coldly, putting down his book.

"I... I knocked on the door for a long time, thinking something had happened to you... that's why I forced my way in... Since you were here, why didn't you open the door for me?"

"If I won't open the door for you, it means I don't want to see your ugly face," Snape said.

"I don't want a next time where you wander around this house without my permission."

You should stay where you belong!

The Wormtail avoided Snape's gaze and squeaked:

"I am not your servant, you have no right to restrict my freedom!"

"Is that so? I thought the Dark Lord had placed you here so I could train you," Snape scoffed.

"But it's not about cleaning your room, washing your underwear, or restricting your freedom like a lowly House-elf!" Wormtail said, but his tone had already been suppressed.

Snape subtly changed the subject, chuckling as he said:

"Wormtail, it seems you're tired of the work I've given you. I can assign you more dangerous tasks."

He said it in a slick tone.

"That's easy to do. I'll talk to the Dark Lord and suggest, for example, that you go infiltrate Hogwarts as an undercover agent... and go back to your old profession that you've been doing for over a decade."

"If I wanted to, I would tell him myself!" Wormtail exclaimed in panic.

"Of course you can," Snape said with a sneer. "As for now, get out of here!"

(Thanks to "Xiao Shizi Ya" for the generous donation.)