Back to reality.
Night gradually fell over Hogwarts, but even now, the castle had only won a brief moment of calm.
Voldemort's counterattack had come far too quickly, far too suddenly.
After Tver vanished without explanation and Harry was brought to the Headmaster's office, Voldemort knew his identity had been exposed and did not remain in the castle.
But he did not leave the grounds of Hogwarts either.
Instead, he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opening to gather the last elite Death Eaters in Azkaban, summon the Vampires scattered throughout Britain and the Dark Wizards who intended to join him, and bring in the Dementors that had been spread out across the country.
These people and creatures had been under constant attack from Tver's plans, but the most troublesome thing about magic was that if they were willing to keep their heads down and hide, even Tver himself might not be able to drag them out by walking the streets.
What's more, Britain was not especially large, but considering the wizarding world's sparse population, trying to search the entire land was no different from chasing a fantasy.
So apart from the groups of Dark Wizards who had already been taken down, there were still plenty who could be gathered to attack Hogwarts.
In truth, this would not have been much of a problem on its own. Through the combined efforts of the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, both sides had long since prepared for the final battle.
But Voldemort had chosen Hogwarts as the battlefield for a reason.
According to Dumbledore's speculation, while Voldemort was hiding inside the castle, most of his time had actually been spent studying the castle's defensive mechanisms, and...
Creating his final Horcrux.
Yes. Voldemort had gone mad enough to cut away the part of his last, chaotic soul that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, the final part of him that still belonged to Tom Riddle.
Voldemort had used the castle as the vessel for the Horcrux, and together with that piece of soul, it formed his final Horcrux.
That was also why Tver had failed to sense Voldemort lurking beside him in the Chamber of Secrets.
In a sense, Voldemort and the castle had become bound together, dependent on each other for survival.
Because of Salazar, this so-called Horcrux could not grant him immortality the way his other Horcruxes did.
Even so, it still allowed Voldemort to influence the castle's defenses.
The most obvious example was the stone statues Professor McGonagall had always held so dear.
Not only did she not dare command these ancient defensive systems left behind by the castle, she also had to devote a great deal of attention to guarding against the possibility that Voldemort might turn them against her.
As a result, in this war, the Death Eaters, vast and imposing, gained what looked like a considerable advantage for the first time.
After a night of sudden attacks, the Death Eaters had taken control of the area outside the castle but within Hogwarts' walls.
The Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix were instead trapped farther outside, while the students inside the castle could only remain temporarily safe under the protection of Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
In truth, even without Tver, it would naturally have been easy for Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Marvolio to surround and attack Voldemort together.
The problem was that Voldemort still had one Horcrux left unresolved. One that kept him from dying, and made it impossible for him to die.
Yes. Harry.
This attack had come too suddenly. Compared with Dumbledore's original plan, they had been caught off guard and had never expected Harry to face Voldemort so early.
Under these circumstances, Dumbledore hesitated instead, which was why the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix remained on the defensive, focusing on preserving everyone's strength and protecting the students' lives.
However, Snape knew that one man, now inexplicably missing, had anticipated this situation.
Or rather, that man who spent every day talking about afternoon tea had actually considered a response to every possible scenario.
He had even made thorough preparations.
Sitting in his pitch-black office, Snape was buried in darkness, as if that alone could hide what was in his heart.
His fingers moved over the Resurrection Stone that Tver had quietly slipped to him, while his mind kept turning over the words Tver had said to him that night.
"There is a Curse in Voldemort's mind. A Curse from Peter Pettigrew, hidden very deep."
"This Curse may be the key to Harry defeating Voldemort on the level of the soul. Of course, the greater Harry's disadvantage, the more important this Curse becomes."
"If Dumbledore's plan to train Harry succeeds, then this Curse will naturally be nothing more than a finishing touch."
"But if Voldemort forces us to let Harry face him early before that, in order to increase his own chances of winning."
"Then this Curse will be the most important thing allowing Harry to survive."
"The trouble is, in order to keep Voldemort from noticing the Curse and to let it cause the greatest damage, Peter buried it very, very deep. So deep that it is almost impossible to trigger."
"Unless someone can stir Voldemort's soul..."
At the end, Tver had placed the Resurrection Stone into his palm with an air of mystery.
At the time, Snape had not understood the connection between the two things. But now, with the light of spells bursting outside the window from time to time, the expression on his face, flickering between light and shadow, grew increasingly complicated.
There was a sense of release, mixed with a trace of sorrow.
Even though he had spent these years openly and secretly clashing with Tver, he had to admit that Tver's clear eyes saw through everyone's heart.
Including Snape's own.
"Peter Pettigrew..." Snape murmured to himself.
He had hated that name for a very long time, but after learning that Peter had used his life to leave a Curse in Voldemort, that resentment had become complicated.
Just like his feelings toward Harry.
After a long silence, Snape raised the Resurrection Stone in his hand and looked at the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on it by the faint light.
The person best suited to stir Voldemort's soul and trigger the Curse was none other than himself.
And yet, even as a veteran spy deeply trusted by Voldemort, he could not guarantee that such a strange action would not arouse suspicion.
And for Voldemort now, suspicion meant...
Death.
Snape stared blankly at the Resurrection Stone. His eyes gradually lost focus, and a look of remembrance rose in them.
He was not afraid.
In fact, there had once been a time when he had longed for death more than anything.
He knew that Tver had given him the Resurrection Stone so that, before he died, he could resolve the regret he had once felt so deeply.
So, was he ready?
"Boom!"
Another massive explosion erupted outside the window, followed by a faint tremor through the underground office.
A disturbance like that could only mean that an impatient Voldemort had personally taken action, and had run into Dumbledore and Grindelwald, or perhaps Marvolio and Cynthia outside the school.
But it was precisely that tremor that made Snape suddenly clench the Resurrection Stone in his hand.
He was ready.