The corridor fell silent once more.
The gloomy sky was covered by dark clouds.
After the Carrows and the Death Eaters disappeared around the corner of the corridor, the only figure left in sight was Snape, standing where he was.
His expression was dark.
His gaze had drifted.
Without saying a word, Snape stood blankly in the dim corridor as if lost in thought, like a wizard statue that had been petrified.
No one knew how much time had passed.
It was not until footsteps sounded behind him that the distracted Snape suddenly snapped back to himself.
He drew his wand and spun around swiftly. "Who is it?!"
"Don't be nervous, Severus."
"Minerva..."
"What's wrong with you? You look awful. And this isn't like you."
Only then did Snape realize that he seemed to have been lost in thought for quite some time.
He had not even noticed Minerva McGonagall approaching from behind. If it had been a wizard with hostile intentions toward him, things would have been extremely bad.
And that was not at all like the Professor Snape people knew.
Naturally, Minerva McGonagall had also noticed something unusual about him.
Faced with Minerva McGonagall's worried gaze, Snape drew his black robes around himself and pretended nothing was wrong. "This is not the time to worry about me, Minerva."
"I know. We need to talk about this."
"....."
"Listen, Severus. We badly need the intelligence you have."
"...Tsk. This is not the place to talk. Follow me!"
After hesitating for a moment, perhaps because he had figured something out, Snape left that sentence behind and walked in the opposite direction.
And that direction was precisely where the Hogwarts Headmaster's Office was located...
The eighth floor of the castle.
That was where the Headmaster's Office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was located.
Strictly speaking, the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts should have been an extremely secure place.
On the way to this room, a stone gargoyle blocked the entrance, and one had to say the correct Password to pass.
And that Password was known only to the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Unless one used force, there was no way to get through without the Password.
In other words, as long as Snape did not give the new Password to the Carrows, the Headmaster's Office was undoubtedly the safest and most secret place in the entire castle.
Of course, Draco's Draco Constellation Base did not count...
Following Snape's footsteps, Minerva McGonagall entered the office with him.
But for Minerva McGonagall, the feeling was strange.
This was the first time she had stepped into this room after it no longer belonged to Dumbledore. Before this, she had been a frequent visitor here.
What surprised Minerva McGonagall, however, was that almost nothing seemed to have changed.
It was still the same room she remembered...
Speaking of which, among all the offices in Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Headmaster's Office was definitely the most interesting one.
The moment one walked in, they would discover a spacious, beautiful circular room filled with all sorts of funny little sounds.
On the long, slender-legged table in the center sat many strange and curious magical silver instruments. They spun as they released little puffs of pale white smoke.
The walls on both sides were covered with portraits of former Headmasters.
Those former Headmasters, men and women alike, would softly snore in their respective frames whenever they grew bored.
There was also a massive desk in the room, its legs shaped like claws. On a shelf behind the desk sat a tattered, wrinkled wizard's hat, the very one used during the Sorting Ceremony... the Sorting Hat!
Memories inexplicably surged into Minerva McGonagall's mind.
Filled with surprise and anticipation, Minerva McGonagall looked at Snape before her.
"You actually haven't changed it much, Severus. You..."
"Give up that wishful thinking. Dumbledore is truly dead. He will not be coming back."
"....."
"....."
"Is that so."
Snape had never been good at sentimental moments like this.
So, impatient as ever, he cut her off directly.
"Let's get straight to the point. We do not have time to waste."
"Mm, you're right. Then can you tell me what happened? I could sense a change in those Death Eaters."
"Your instincts are correct. In fact, Hogwarts is about to face a major... problem."
As he spoke, Snape swept his gaze over the empty portrait frames.
Speaking of which, ever since Snape became the new master of this Headmaster's Office, those old Headmasters had never appeared again.
Interestingly, Dumbledore's portrait, which should also have been hanging here, had been cancelled because of the Ministry's fall.
Simply put, compared to the once lively Headmaster's Office, it was now much quieter...
Minerva McGonagall did not interrupt Snape.
Instead, she adjusted her glasses to show that she was listening.
Snape withdrew his gaze from the phoenix feather, where a faint remnant could still be seen, and looked back at Minerva McGonagall. "Cooperate with me as much as possible over the next few days. I will find a chance to send all of you out of Hogwarts."
"Out of Hogwarts... What about you? Are you leaving with us?"
Minerva McGonagall did not doubt his intentions at all. She agreed without even asking the reason.
Not only that, she even began considering Snape's situation.
Perhaps this was the tacit understanding between members of the Order of the Phoenix.
However, Snape shook his head. "No. I cannot leave. If I leave, there will be no one to delay the Dark Lord."
"...You-Know-Who? Is the major problem you just mentioned You-Know-Who?!"
"You did not know? He is already on his way here... along with the dark creatures under his command. Before long, this place will come under attack."
"I see. No wonder those people were acting so strangely. But why? I don't believe this is entirely because of Draco."
At this point, Snape's previously calm expression changed.
At that moment, he was like an enraged troll, beginning to pace restlessly in place.
"Heh. Then we must speak of our... yes... our great Dumbledore, whose heart was filled only with world peace."
"Dumbledore?"
"To be precise, his younger brother, Aberforth Dumbledore!"
"Aberforth? But isn't he..."
"Yes. I have no idea how Dumbledore did it, but our Chosen One was fortunate enough to meet Aberforth and even received help from his brother."
Aberforth Dumbledore.
He was Albus Dumbledore's own younger brother.
Although they were brothers, their relationship was not actually good.
To be precise, because of their deceased sister, Aberforth one-sidedly disliked Dumbledore...
In any case, from what Snape had just said, Harry Potter seemed to have come into contact with Aberforth, and had even received his help.
And this had something to do with Dumbledore's arrangements...
At this point, anyone could sense the resentment and anger pouring from Snape's entire body.
But it was unclear whether that anger was directed at Dumbledore, who was so correct he was almost ruthless, or at Harry Potter, who never seemed to learn his lesson.
However, this abrupt explanation left Minerva McGonagall, who did not know what had happened, completely confused.
"Wait... did you say Harry Potter? What does this have to do with Harry?"
"....."
"Severus?"
"Unfortunately, the Chosen One we are trying to protect has returned to Hogwarts because of that foolish brain of his."
"You said Hogwarts? Harry?"
"....."
Although Snape gave no further response, the black eyes he turned toward her had already given an answer.
That was...
Harry Potter was indeed inside Hogwarts!