Ottery St. Catchpole.
Despite being a Muggle village, many wizarding families lived in seclusion nearby.
Apart from the Weasleys, the Lovegoods, the Diggorys, etc., the Prewetts and the Fawleys also resided in the vicinity.
After visiting the Grangers for lunch and mooching a meal, Severus brought Sirius along via Apparition to this place.
Even now, Sirius was still troubled by what Severus had said that morning and the truth he himself had heard from Kreacher.
He couldn't articulate why he was so agitated, but his heart felt blocked, like a piece of dry bread stuck in his throat, impossible to swallow or spit out.
"If what Kreacher said is true! And you know it's true! Why not take me to verify the evidence right now!"
Sirius looked up at Severus.
"We can go to that seaside cave! If Regulus really died there, then as long as we find his body..."
"You really want to vindicate your brother?" Severus said softly. "To publicize what he truly did, to let the world know the Blacks aren't just represented by you, a pure-blood traitor?"
Hearing such words, Sirius, for some reason, grew even more irritated. He shook his head angrily.
"Of course, I'm not that bored! He's dead anyway! I just... just can't believe he actually dared to do that! He worshipped his master so much! He was more subservient to him than anyone!"
He seemed to have found a good justification, his voice gaining more conviction.
Severus, however, just watched him quietly. He could see Sirius was deceiving himself.
Everyone knew house-elves couldn't lie to their masters. No matter how much Kreacher disliked Sirius and favored Regulus, it couldn't fabricate such a lie. The real source of Sirius's agitation was that he didn't know how to face himself.
He should feel remorse, offer apologies, but his personality made it impossible for him to admit fault so plainly.
All these years, he had always disdained and scorned Regulus. Only today did he realize what choice his overlooked younger brother ultimately made, in what manner, and for whom, he ended his life.
Severus didn't directly expose his psychology at this moment. Instead, he deliberately gave Sirius an out.
"Originally, I should have taken you to find that cave to verify the truth immediately. But Dumbledore asked me to help look after a patient. Her condition can't be delayed either."
Sirius frowned.
"Patient?"
Severus walked ahead. They had moved away from the Muggle village and were approaching a wizarding dwelling.
"Yes, a patient whose mind has been traumatized."
With that, Severus rang the doorbell at the gate.
Soon, an old woman with a hooked nose, red-rimmed eyes, and a pink feathered hat, looking rather like a bad-tempered flamingo, emerged from the house.
The moment she saw Severus, her loud voice rang out.
"I wondered who it was. The famous Severus Snape!"
She approached the gate, her eyes fixed intently on Severus and the dog at his feet, her gaze clearly filled with distaste.
"I've never heard Hogwarts allows its professors to keep dogs."
"I'm no longer a Hogwarts professor," Severus shrugged.
"But you're still Dumbledore's man! He's secretly re-formed the Order of the Phoenix, hasn't he? You've joined him. Otherwise, how could those matters have been resolved so quickly?"
She spoke gruffly, her gaze still fixed unkindly on Sirius, but she opened the gate nonetheless.
Severus got straight to the point.
"Even though it's not Dumbledore himself, with your reputation in the Wizarding World, you must have some skill! I really don't want any more trouble!"
"How is the girl's current state?"
"Terrible!" Muriel said loudly, leading them inside.
As soon as they stepped through the door, they saw a girl with long brown hair and a pale face standing right there.
Her expression was strange, her eyes vacant, showing no emotion, standing there like a puppet. This startled Sirius, who is already preoccupied, causing the black fur on his back to bristle slightly.
Severus, however, immediately recognized the girl as Meilia Fawley.
He proactively extended a hand in greeting.
"Hello, I'm Severus Snape."
"Meilia."
Meilia stared blankly at Severus for a long time, a full ten seconds, before she slowly extended her own hand.
"This girl's condition is getting worse and worse! I had no choice but to write to Dumbledore!" Muriel kept grumbling beside them.
Severus, of course, realized the severity of the girl's issue from what he saw and what was said. It was clear she had suffered a severe shock.
"Have you noticed her doing anything specific in her room lately?"
"She doesn't do anything! She just reads the newspapers!"
"Reads newspapers?"
Muriel complained.
"Yes! Those newspapers about the Azkaban breakout attempt and those worthless scum being rounded up by the Ministry again!"
"Ever since those two breakout attempts at Azkaban, she's been obsessively following the news! Besides the Daily Prophet, she subscribes to things like the Wizarding Weekly! She hardly ever went out before, and these past few days, she's barely spoken a word!"
By now, Severus had pointed his wand at Meilia's temple. The girl remained in her dazed state, showing no resistance.
The next moment, a silvery thread of light connected the tip of Severus's wand to Meilia.
Soon, he withdrew his wand and shook his head.
Severus closed his eyes. He wasn't deliberately extracting the girl's memories but was examining her mental state from a magical perspective.
"Her mental state is poor, her thoughts are very chaotic."
"Those useless Healers at St. Mungo's said the same thing!" Muriel glared at Severus, looking highly dissatisfied with this conclusion.
Severus didn't mind her attitude. He stroked his chin.
"Perhaps I should invite another specialist in mental fields to take a look... He should have completed his registration with the Ministry by now."