"I suppose I should co to you, Dumbledore."
As evening fell over Hogwarts, an unexpected visitor arrived.
After Filch led the elderly wizard, who is dressed in a dark green cloak and wearing gold-rimd glasses, into the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore set down his quill and rubbed his temples.
"Ah, it's been a long ti, Lyall..."
The wizard appeared calm but moved with decisive efficiency. He sat directly across from Dumbledore and spoke in a low voice.
"You know why I'm here."
"Since his mother passed, he hasn't returned. He didn't want to trouble … I understand that. But we had an agreent: he would write to every week. For years, he never broke that tradition!"
Dumbledore replied calmly.
"He was doing so work for the Ministry, but he ran into trouble."
The wizard nad Lyall simply stared at him.
"The last letter he sent said there were many like him around!"
"Correct." Dumbledore neither denied it nor avoided Lyall's gaze, "It's a group of werewolves."
"The Ministry had him infiltrate them?"
"Indeed."
"And now he's missing?"
"That's the situation."
A brief silence fell over the Headmaster's office. The portraits on the walls held their breath, sensing the tension in the air.
"Has there been any action?"
After a mont, the wizard asked quietly.
Dumbledore nodded and said solemnly, "Severus Snape. The Ministry assigned him to handle it."
"That returning prodigal son?" Lyall clearly recognized the na from recent news, but his frown deepened, "Doesn't he have a grudge against him?"
"Tis have changed." Dumbledore steepled his fingers, "He will handle this matter appropriately."
"Where is he now?" Lyall pressed.
Dumbledore stared at him for a mont, then finally pulled out a piece of parchnt. He wrote a brief ssage with his quill, folded it, and slid it across the desk.
"I understand your concern, Lyall. If you insist on going, take this letter to him."
Lyall took a deep breath, picked up the parchnt, and turned to leave. But before stepping out, he paused and said, "Regardless, I've always been grateful to you, Dumbledore. Back then, you were the only one willing to take him in!"
After saying that, he left without another word.
After his departure, the fading sunset cast its glow through the window, slowly creeping across the office until it illuminated the old man's white beard.
Dumbledore sat with his hands folded, lost in deep thought.
...
Just as Arthur had boasted, his understanding and hands-on skill with Muggle technology far surpassed that of most wizards.
Before the sky had fully darkened, the streetlamp was completely fixed, and it was just an ordinary light once more.
"My work here is done, and it's getting late. Molly and the kids are waiting for at ho for dinner." Arthur packed away his wrench and other tools, then bid farewell to Severus, "When you have ti, you must bring Dudley to the Burrow. Fred and George are quite fond of you, and Charlie was also curious and wanted to the 'new you'. And Molly is a loyal fan of the vampire story."
Severus waved back at him.
"I'll definitely visit when I have the chance."
The next second, Arthur used Apparition to disappear from the spot.
After watching him leave, Severus looked down at the ti on his watch, wondering why Harry hadn't co back yet, so he walked towards the Grangers' apartnt nearby.
As a result, just as he approached the door of the apartnt, he heard the sound of a woman crying inside.
Severus frowned slightly and rang the doorbell.
Soon, a pale and frantic man opened the door. Upon seeing Severus, his expression visibly fell with disappointnt.
Behind him, a woman sat on a chair, sobbing, which made Severus realized that sothing had happened.
"I'm Dudley Dursley's teacher. Is he here with you?"
Mr. Granger, who was obviously Hermione's father, answered in a trembling voice.
"They've disappeared! We've looked everywhere and can't find them!"
Severus furrowed his brow, a sense of unease rising in his chest. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
"Where were they last?"
"In my daughter's room. To leave, they would've had to pass through the living room! But my wife and I were watching TV all afternoon, and we didn't see anyone co down!"
Severus didn't linger. He quickly strode up the stairs to the second floor, entering the open door of what was unmistakably a little girl's bedroom.
There was a checkers board on the carpet, the window was tightly shut, and everything around was neatly arranged. There's no signs of a struggle or disturbance.
The only strange thing was the plush toy that had fallen on the carpet with its back zipper pulled open.
At this ti, Mr. and Mrs. Granger also followed him upstairs. Compared to Mrs. Granger, Hermione's father remained relatively composed despite the situation.
"We've already called the police and they're on their way! Do you know sothing? Where could they have gone?"
Severus rely picked up the Niffler plush on the ground. Seeing it, he imdiately realized Harry and Hermione had been dragged into sothing related to wizards!
Holding the plush, he turned to Mr. Granger and asked sternly, "Where did this co from?"
For a brief mont, Mr. Granger's eyes clouded with confusion, as if sothing was wrong with him. After hearing this question, he answered reflexively, "A child's father gave it to my daughter... as thanks... thanks for treating his child..."
Seeing this, Severus knew imdiately that Mr. Granger's mory had been altered with a mory Charm!
Without hesitation, he drew his wand from his sleeve. Then, under Mrs. Granger's anxious gaze, he waved it over Mr. Granger's forehead, casting a counter-charm.
The wizard who had cast the mory Charm was clearly unskilled, as Severus had no trouble breaking such a weak enchantnt.
Soon, Mr. Granger's gaze shifted from confusion to clarity. He began breathing rapidly.
"In the forest! The Sherwood Forest! That man took to a rundown shack! There was a child inside, burning with fever! They forced to prescribe dicine for the child! Then they gave this plush, telling it was for my daughter!"
"But why did I forget all of this before? Why did I only rember giving this to Hermione?"
Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the wand in Severus's hand. Now that his mory was restored, he recognized it all too well.
"You're one of them!"
As he said this, Mr. Granger spread his arms protectively, shielding his wife behind him with a grim expression!
At the sa ti, a greasy-haired ghost inside Severus's body roared furiously.
[A second ti! This is the second ti!!! Potter's gone missing again!!!]
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