A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Felix knocked on the door of the basement. Snape stood there in his perpetually black robe, his curly black hair tugged behind, his motionless black eyes reminding Felix of the day they had grilled fish in the courtyard amidst the chilly wind.

The door-opener silently made room, revealing Professor Babbling hunched over a table. Her hair was a tousled mess, resembling a pile of straw, and her wide glasses were propped up on a fork stuck in the hay. Professor Babbling was meticulously inspecting a flowerpot.

"Did I miss something?" Felix asked cheerfully.

"You're right on time, Felix," Professor Babbling exclaimed excitedly, her face still glued to the flowerpot. "I told Severus that we absolutely had to wait for you to witness this..."

"There's nothing significant to witness," Snape said curtly.

He slammed the door shut, striding to the table and retrieving a glass vial from his coat pocket. "Excuse me," he said coldly. Professor Babbling hastily stepped aside, holding her breath as Snape carefully unscrewed the bottle cap and dripped a liquid into the flowerpot.

A magical sight unfolded.

The brown soil in the flowerpot swelled into a small mound, revealing a barely noticeable hint of tender green. Under the silent watch of the three, a palm-sized green sprout swayed gently in the flowerpot after a few minutes.

"What's this..." Felix inquired.

"Do we not need a revival potion? I recall that using both concoctions can revive most withered plants," Felix asked curiously.

"No need to waste," Snape replied. "The seeds provided by Babbling are nutritionally sufficient on their own."

"Can I take it back?" Professor Babbling pleaded, her eyes fixated on the sapling in the pot.

"Oh, no," Felix interjected immediately. "We had an agreement."

He intended to take the plant for analysis, primarily to observe changes in soil nutrients and the subsequent plant growth. Professor Babbling understood this but was reluctant. Now, she looked at Snape with a pleading gaze. "Severus..."

"I only brewed this one bottle," Snape huffed, "as per someone's request, using the simplest materials."

"There's no need to rush," Felix reassured Babbling. "Kerri, we've got plenty of time. From germination, growth, blooming, fruiting... For now, we just need to understand the initial step. Compared to the regular growth cycle, we might accelerate by at least half a month?" He asked Babbling.

"We can, definitely," she affirmed confidently.

"That's sufficient," Felix said. "Don't underestimate this; thoroughly studying this process is impressive enough, fully deserving a Merlin's Medal..."

Blushing, Professor Babbling departed, now eager to request a piece of land from Headmaster Dumbledore to set up an experimental greenhouse.

"Sprout will surely help, and she's willing," Snape dryly remarked at the door, hoping she'd bother him less in the future. Turning around, he found the culprit leisurely flipping through a magazine on the sofa.

"What have you come up with now, another 'trump card'?" he taunted.

"I was thinking, can Avada Kedavra kill bacteria in water... Oh, I'm kidding, forget about it," Felix said quickly, seeing Snape's expression. "One thing though, Scamander found a way to stabilize Blast-Ended Skrewt breeding. In his letter, he mentioned an infestation of Skrewt larvae, asking if I needed..."

Snape pondered seriously for a moment.

"Skrewt larvae secretion is corrosive, but if handled properly, it can neutralize specific magical material properties. It's an excellent supplementary ingredient."

"Then you better publish a few articles to promote it," Felix suggested.

Snape nodded; that was what he hoped for. The office quieted down, Snape staring at specimen jars on the wall shelf. "Someone told me you have Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem..."

"Dumbledore told you?" Felix asked.

"Not him," Snape replied.

Felix frowned; only Dumbledore knew about it. He had never displayed it himself, feeling it was too embarrassing, always using it in secret. Valen wore it for a while during the early days of learning, but Valen didn't know what it was, except for that...

"Was it someone from the Ministry?" Felix pondered aloud. "But very few within the Ministry are aware of this. Such crucial record files usually don't draw attention unless someone deliberately searches... Ah, I understand."

Voldemort reached into the Ministry.

"What is it?" Snape asked softly, something he had been wanting to ask. "It can't just be Rowena Ravenclaw's relic. Even though her diadem is said to enhance intellect, Voldemort's focus on it exceeds the legend itself."

Felix fell silent. The fewer who knew about the Horcruxes, the better. But since Sirius knew... He appeared hesitant, mainly concerned that Severus might deduce Harry being a Horcrux. Actually, Sirius posed a threat too, but his knowledge of Horcruxes was limited, especially unaware that living beings could become Horcruxes, while Severus had the opportunity to know about that snake.

"Is it related to his immortality secret?" Snape asked in a hushed tone.

He carefully observed Felix's expression. Though he found nothing, a moment's silence was enough for him to speculate some truth.

Snape didn't press further, shifting the conversation. "Voldemort learned about this through Ministry spies. He hinted at collaborating with me to obtain this information subtly."

"At the school?" Felix found it amusing.

The plan was good, but with Snape present, it seemed absurd. He didn't take it too seriously. If he apprehended the spy now, it might expose Snape's undercover identity. Felix guessed Dumbledore might be fishing for the spy to come willingly, then they'd see who would show up at the school.

He felt strangely eager.

Voldemort now had only one Horcrux with him, feeling extremely insecure. But whether that golden cup was on him or Bellatrix Lestrange was unclear. From various perspectives, Voldemort didn't entrust his entire being to his underlings. So...

Felix tried to simulate Voldemort's thoughts at this moment: If I were him — in Voldemort's situation — what would I do?

Firstly, he had to ensure the safety of the Horcruxes.

'I' am certain that three Horcruxes have been destroyed: the diary, the snake, the ring; the uncertain Horcruxes include the diadem and the locket. The diadem might be at the school, um, 'I' still don't know if it's on Felix Harp. And the locket—"Where do you plan to spend Christmas break, Severus?" Felix asked, lifting his gaze. Snape stared at him, reluctantly replying, "At the Daily Prophet's office..." Felix diverted his gaze. Perfect, understood — so 'I' suspect the locket was stolen by an old servant. Regulus died years ago, and if the Horcrux wasn't destroyed, the highest possibility was in that Black house he couldn't enter.

What else?

'I' also know about the

connection between myself and Harry Potter at the school. I've had to use Occlumency to protect my mind for two months... It's stifling, but currently, it's the best option... because 'I' am unsure if this connection extends to other Horcruxes. Damn, only half of the prophecy! Damn Harry Potter! Right now, 'I' must ensure the only Horcrux is under my nose, must not be separated from the cup unless there's an absolutely necessary reason...

Felix suddenly saw the light.

Is this Dumbledore's plan? To lure Voldemort with the Horcruxes? But this battle seems to exclude me, entirely between Dumbledore and Voldemort...

"What can I do?" Felix asked himself. "Yeah, too simple, I should've known earlier," he said joyously.

Of course, it's to seize the final Horcrux opportunity.

This is the 'necessary' reason — Voldemort and the Horcrux must be separated, no one is foolish enough to take their other life into a life-and-death duel, even if it's against a sickly boy. And the only person Voldemort can trust is Bellatrix Lestrange.

Snape stared at Felix talking to himself, clueless about his complex thoughts.

"Do you want to play Exploding Snap, Severus?" Felix, in high spirits, asked.

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