Draco lay on the floor, staring blankly at Lucius.
As far as he could remember, this was the first time his father had ever hit him.
And he had hit him hard.
The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
Narcissa covered her mouth in shock.
Snape frowned as well.
Even Lucius himself fell into a brief daze after speaking.
Only after a long while did he look down bitterly at his hands, now reddening again as the wounds split open, before reaching a hand toward Draco and saying, "I'm sorry, son."
Draco seemed genuinely frightened by Lucius.
He instinctively shrank back and didn't take the hand Lucius offered. Instead, he climbed to his feet himself and said, "I-It's okay, Father."
Seeing that, Lucius lowered his head and sighed.
"In truth, you don't need to worry about the esteemed Lord Link Flamel making another move against me. Because other than Britain, I have nowhere else to go."
The muscles on Draco's face twitched. It was obvious he still felt unconvinced, but because he was afraid of getting punched again, he held his tongue.
Lucius didn't care and continued, "My situation now is actually the same as Karkaroff's back then. In order to survive, I betrayed a huge number of Death Eaters."
"Now I've become the public enemy of every Death Eater alive. While I'm in Britain under the protection of the esteemed Lord Link Flamel, things are manageable."
"But if I leave Britain, then I probably won't even need the esteemed Lord Link Flamel to act. The remaining Death Eaters overseas would kill me the very next day."
"But if you really compare us, I'm actually better off than Karkaroff was."
"After all, nearly all the Death Eaters captured because of him were sentenced to life imprisonment. They still had a chance to get out someday and kill him afterward."
"Wasn't he murdered after Azkaban collapsed?"
"But I'm different!"
"Hahaha!"
"Because every Death Eater captured due to my betrayal is dead!"
"Every single Death Eater in Britain, wiped out completely!"
"Ha! At least I don't have to worry anymore, right?"
As Lucius spoke toward the end, he seemed to sink into madness again. His whole body trembled violently, and his expression twisted into something hideous.
Seeing him like this, Draco seemed to recall the spotless prison cells he had seen earlier in the dungeons. His face instantly turned deathly pale.
Narcissa hugged Lucius tightly, full of heartache.
They both believed this was a manifestation of Lucius' fear.
So many former comrades had died because of his betrayal. What kind of horrifying experience must that have been?
But what they didn't know was that while Lucius truly was terrified, it wasn't because of the Death Eaters he had betrayed.
He had never felt even the slightest attachment to the Death Eaters.
The real reason was that Link and the Ministry hunters had implanted something far more terrifying into his mind in order to better control him.
It was something based on the principles of Occlumency, forced into his consciousness through Legilimency while his mind was in an extremely weakened state.
Something similar to a mental brand.
Deeply engraved into his subconscious.
Normally, it produced no effect whatsoever.
But the moment anything related to Link or the Ministry of Magic came up, it would instantly activate, causing him to perform certain "abnormal" behaviors.
For example, he no longer dared address Link by name, instead referring to him as "the esteemed Lord Link Flamel."
Or earlier, the instant he heard Draco speak disrespectfully about Link, he exploded into violence without hesitation.
The current Lucius could be described as nothing more than Link and the Ministry's dog.
The kind with an electric shock collar around its neck.
Most importantly, the reason Link had spared his life and released him this time, aside from Snape pleading on his behalf, was because Link had assigned him an extremely special task.
Namely...
"Mm..."
The moment that thought surfaced, Lucius suddenly stopped trembling.
The aura around him changed completely.
The shaky, unstable, almost neurotic appearance from before vanished without a trace, replaced by the refined, courteous, self-assured Lucius Malfoy, with that familiar trace of aristocratic arrogance.
He gently pushed Narcissa away, brushed back his dry white hair that looked like dead weeds, then smiled at Snape and said,
"I must thank you again, Severus. You saved my life. If not for you, the esteemed Lord Link Flamel would never have forgiven my sins so easily."
"There's no need to thank me, Lucius. I didn't help you because I wanted your gratitude."
Snape spoke calmly, though his brows remained furrowed.
He had already sensed it. Though Lucius appeared no different from before at first glance, something deeply unsettling now lingered beneath the surface.
This was likely some countermeasure Link had put in place to prevent accidents.
Still, Snape wasn't dissatisfied with it.
As far as he was concerned, the fact that Lucius had come out alive was enough.
"No, no, no! Severus, perhaps you can think that way, but I absolutely cannot!" Lucius waved his hands repeatedly and said firmly.
"The Malfoy family's reputation may be terrible, but as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, there's one thing I absolutely cannot do. That is repaying kindness with ingratitude!"
Lucius stroked his chin thoughtfully for quite a while before speaking again.
"How about this, Severus? You're not young anymore. It's time you settled down and built a family. What do you think of the girl from the Greengrass family? Astoria, I mean."
"She's a good girl. She'd make a fine wife too. If you're willing, I can negotiate with the Greengrass family for you. I'm sure they'd be delighted to marry their daughter to a Potions Master and Hogwarts professor like you."
"Father!"
"Lucius!"
"Malfoy, have you lost your mind?"
The moment Lucius finished speaking, Draco, Narcissa, and Snape all shouted almost in unison.
And honestly, no one could blame them.
Narcissa and Draco both knew perfectly well that Astoria Greengrass had originally been the marriage candidate Lucius intended for Draco.
What madness had suddenly possessed Lucius to hand her over to Snape instead?
If Draco and Narcissa were merely shocked and unable to understand it, then Snape was genuinely angry.
He stood up and said coldly, "Astoria Greengrass is my student. She hasn't even graduated yet, and you want me to marry my own student? Malfoy, are you insulting me?"
"No, no, no! Of course not! How could I possibly be insulting you, Severus?" Lucius hurriedly waved his hands.
"I truly think the two of you are perfectly suited! Severus, don't let yourself be shackled too much by worldly conventions."
"Those things are complete nonsense to people as noble as us! Among pure-blood families, forget teacher and student, there are even plenty of blood siblings who marry each other. You can absolutely... oh! Fine, fine! I'll stop!"
Seeing Snape's expression growing increasingly ugly, Lucius quickly changed his tune, "If you don't like the Greengrass girl, then what about daughters from the Wood or Lyon families?"
"Their ages should better suit your preferences, and they're both beautiful with excellent personalities. The only drawback is that their family status isn't nearly as prestigious. Far beneath the Greengrass family, really."
"I don't need one. And I'm warning you, Malfoy, don't bring this up again."
Snape's voice remained icy.
Lucius shook his head, "You're too stubborn. You've tormented yourself for half your life over one person, one thing. Is it really worth it?"
"I think it's time you made a change. After all, your life doesn't belong only to you. It belongs to your mother as well. I doubt your mother would want to see you die alone."
"Don't use my mother to lecture me, Lucius. And I don't want to change anything. No one can persuade me otherwise."
"But haven't you already changed?"
Lucius sat down in a chair and smiled at Snape.
"With your original temperament, you would've helped me plead my case with the great Lord Link Flamel because Narcissa and Draco begged you to, but that's all you would've done."
"There's no way you would personally go to the Ministry to pick me up."
"And yet, you actually did."
"With your temperament, the moment I walked out of prison, you should've cursed me from head to toe, called me a living troll or some pathetic slug."
"But this time, you said nothing."
"And with your temperament, the instant I suggested making Astoria Greengrass your wife, you should've slammed the table, stood up, and walked away!"
"But look at you now."
"You're still sitting right here in front of me."
"Doesn't that prove you've already changed?"
Lucius' words struck like nails driven straight into Snape's heart.
Even his thoughts wavered for a moment.
Had he really changed?
Just as Lucius said, he had done many things he never would've done before.
It really did seem as though he had softened.
But when had this started?
Perhaps... from the moment those strange dreams began?
'I love you. I love you. I love you...'
The gentle voice echoed in Snape's mind once more the instant he thought of it.
That voice sounded so much like Lily.
But... why was there only a voice?
Was Lily still blaming him for causing her death, unwilling to appear before him?
That had to be it.
The past was gone. He couldn't change the fact that Lily had died, but he could still make amends.
'Harry Potter!'
'Lily's only child!'
'That boy absolutely could not die!'
'Anyone who tried to harm him would fail!'
And still, that wasn't enough.
As a mother, Lily would surely want to see her child marry and have children, wouldn't she?
Then what about marrying Astoria Greengrass to Harry Potter?
Lucius wasn't entirely wrong. Astoria Greengrass truly was a good girl. She was worthy of Lily's son.
If that happened, Lily would surely be happy, wouldn't she?
And then perhaps... perhaps she'd finally be willing to appear and see him?
'No!'
'That's wrong!'
'Why would I think something so absurd?!'
Buzzz!
A violent ringing suddenly exploded inside Snape's mind.
Under Snape's control, the cold magic of Occlumency spread from the crown of his head and instantly enveloped his brain, scattering the chaotic thoughts flooding his mind and restoring his calm.
The confusion and haze in Snape's eyes vanished at once, returning to their usual deep emptiness.
But hidden within them was now a trace of gravity.
He could clearly sense that something was wrong with his mental state.
And the source of it was likely the overwhelming longing he carried for Lily.
So after suffering for so many years... was he finally losing his mind?
A bitter smile tugged faintly at Snape's lips. Then he stood up expressionlessly and said, "I should leave. Draco, you're coming with me."
"So soon?" Narcissa hugged Draco reluctantly. "It's still early. Stay for dinner with us."
Snape said nothing. He merely shook his head before turning his gaze toward Draco.
Draco curled his lips unhappily and reluctantly pulled himself free from his mother's embrace.
He knew his professor never changed his mind once it was made up.
Seeing this, Lucius burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! You really haven't changed at all when it comes to being petty, Severus. This is naked revenge!"
———
[Hogwarts]
[Headmaster's Office]
Link and Dumbledore sat facing each other on the sofa, drinking tea.
Ever since returning from France, Link had been coming over for tea almost every day whenever he had free time. The Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts was practically turning into a tea room.
This was entirely because Link had finally discovered Dumbledore's exceptional strengths.
It had to be said, the strongest white wizard of the century truly deserved his reputation.
Back when they hadn't formed an alliance yet, Link had constantly been on guard against Dumbledore's schemes, worried that one day he would be used as a sacrificial chess piece.
But now they were allies.
And once they became allies, the advantages of Dumbledore's meticulous mind and overwhelming strength became obvious.
No matter what doubts Link had, as long as he consulted Dumbledore, he would always gain something.
Sometimes it was a direct answer.
Sometimes it was a brand-new direction worth researching.
After spending so much time exchanging ideas with Dumbledore, Link could clearly feel that all the hidden dangers caused by his rapid rise in power had now been completely resolved.
At this point, he had fully integrated those powers and made them truly his own.
As a result, his combat strength had risen by nearly another twenty percent.
Considering how terrifying Link's original combat ability already was, this was an absolutely frightening number.
Link was very satisfied.
He leisurely took another sip of fragrant tea, then leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes, carefully digesting the knowledge he had absorbed from Dumbledore today.
Across from him, Dumbledore cast a slightly pained glance at the tea tin on the table, now more than half empty.
Truthfully, he quite enjoyed drinking tea and chatting with Link.
Link's youthful, unconventional ideas often gave even him fresh inspiration.
Of course, the most important thing was that drinking tea with Link gave him a perfectly legitimate excuse to slack off while tossing all the paperwork onto Professor McGonagall and the others.
The only downside was how quickly the tea disappeared.
They hadn't even been drinking together for a full month, yet the precious tea Dumbledore had treasured for over ten years was nearly gone.
Letting out a long sigh, Dumbledore sadly put away the nearly weightless tea tin and looked at Link.
"Link, things between the International Confederation of Wizards and the French Ministry of Magic have become quite heated recently."
"The mediation meeting will be held in half a month, just before Christmas. I think it's about time you took on some responsibility and properly dealt with that matter, instead of spending every day drinking tea with an old man like me."
Without opening his eyes, Link replied casually, "There's no rush. Besides, I'm sure that for your sake alone, the International Confederation of Wizards won't let us suffer any losses, right? When the mediation meeting actually starts, I'll just go there personally with you."
"You know that's not what I mean." Dumbledore shook his head. "The current situation doesn't allow you to devote so much attention to irrelevant matters."
"Irrelevant matters? What are you referring to?"
Link opened his eyes.
Dumbledore smiled and met his gaze.
"Severus. Your Professor Snape. He's stubborn to an almost unreasonable degree. You can't seriously think sending Lucius Malfoy alone will convince him to let go of his obsession, can you?"
Link smiled faintly.
He wasn't surprised in the slightest that Dumbledore had seen through his intentions.
It really wasn't hard to guess.
The reason he released Lucius Malfoy wasn't simply to do Snape a favor. He also wanted Lucius to persuade Snape.
To ensure Lucius carried out the task with full effort, Link had even placed certain restrictions on him.
Of course, Link himself knew perfectly well that the chances of success were slim.
But...
"There's no harm in trying, is there?" Link said with a smile. "Besides, it costs me nothing. Lucius Malfoy only has this tiny bit of value left to me anyway."
Dumbledore first shook his head, then nodded.
"That's the correct attitude. Make a few attempts at insignificant cost, but don't invest too much energy or hope into it. Otherwise, when everything ends in failure, I'm afraid you'll collapse."
"Heh."
Link stood up laughing and walked toward the door.
"I'm done talking with you. Emily's waiting for me. I'm going to a party with her."
"A party? Horace's party?"
"Who else would it be?"
"Well then, I hope you both enjoy yourselves."
"Though that's probably impossible... still, thanks for the blessing."
The office door closed quietly.
The enormous office was left with only Dumbledore inside.
He stared silently at the shut door, then suddenly burst into cheerful laughter.
Dumbledore knew perfectly well that Link hadn't listened to his final warning at all.
Not answering was the clearest form of refusal.
Link still intended to go all in on trying to pull Snape's life back onto the right track.
Even though the result would very likely still amount to nothing.
But that was fine too.
The reason he valued Link so highly was because deep inside, Link was someone capable of love.
He was a real person.
He carried hatred, and toward his enemies he would use any means necessary.
But there was also love in his heart.
And toward the people he loved, he gave endless gentleness.
That was true for Emily.
True for Madam Flamel.
And Link refusing to abandon Snape was no different.
A child like that... That was the true savior he had chosen.