Chapter 49 - Forty-Nine: Snape, Are You Insane?

Chapter 49: Chapter Forty-Nine: Snape, Are You Insane?

Chapter Forty-Nine: Snape, Are You Insane?

Harry had no intention of arguing with Vesey over whether she was a coward or not.

After making sure that Vesey was really fine, he solemnly pulled her into an empty classroom.

"Vesey, you might not believe what I’m about to say, but you have to be careful around Snape.

"Someone just told us that Snape had been watching us from the window upstairs for quite some time. He might even have tampered with the broomsticks that Malfoy and I were riding!"

"How could that be?"

Vesey immediately shook her head.

How could I not know who did it?

It was that old fox, Dumbledore!

Seeing that she didn’t believe him, Ronald immediately joined in.

"They said Snape was staring straight at us. I read in a book that when you cast a curse on something, you have to keep your eyes on it."

Vesey still shook her head.

"That’s really impossible. Professor Snape was probably just curious, so he looked over there. And if he were a bad person, why would he have rushed over and taken me to the hospital wing so nervously just now?"

Harry and Ron were speechless.

They couldn’t figure it out either.

Why would Snape, who obviously hated Vesey and Harry so much, rush over so desperately to save Vesey?

"Brother, believe me! Professor Snape isn’t a bad person. He’s just a little strict!"

A little?

Harry and Ron stared at her in disbelief.

They wondered when Vesey had become blind.

Was Snape merely "a little" strict?

"No matter what, he’s biased! He just doesn’t like students from the other houses!"

Vesey still shook her head.

"No! Professor Snape is very strict with everyone. It’s true that he doesn’t deduct points from Slytherin, but he’ll give them detention and punish them in other ways. Sometimes he can be extremely harsh!"

Harry and Ron wanted to point out that it was rather annoying that Snape never deducted points from Slytherin.

But when they thought about Snape’s detentions, they couldn’t help shuddering.

They didn’t even know whether they should sympathize with the Slytherins.

"Let’s go eat! Brother, I’m starving!"

Vesey said with a smile.

Harry rubbed her head, unable to bear the thought of refusing her.

"Let’s go!"

---

At the same time.

Snape kicked open the door to Dumbledore’s office.

He pointed his wand furiously at Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, what exactly are you trying to do? Do you want to kill Lily’s two children?"

Dumbledore saw him enter and smiled calmly.

"I knew you’d come. Sit down."

Snape sneered.

"Do you remember what you agreed to before? I told you not to plot against Vesey. What exactly did you promise me?"

He appeared in front of Dumbledore almost instantly.

Everything Dumbledore had placed on the desk exploded.

The fragments struck the portraits on the walls, sending them scrambling into neighboring frames.

"Snape, are you insane?"

Phineas Black’s portrait shouted angrily.

Snape ignored him and stared directly into Dumbledore’s eyes.

"Dumbledore, I don’t want things to reach this point."

Dumbledore maintained his gentle smile.

"Calm down, Severus. I don’t believe this matter has caused any serious consequences. You’ll have to forgive an old man for making a poor decision in haste."

Snape scoffed.

"If something happens to Vesey—"

"Severus, nothing will happen to Vesey. Not only are you there to protect her, I’m there as well. You need to trust me. I can guarantee the safety of several children."

Snape’s expression remained cold.

Dumbledore’s expression then became serious.

"Severus, have you ever considered that the thing might also fall into Voldemort’s hands?"

The hand holding Snape’s wand trembled slightly.

Of course he had considered it.

If that thing fell into the Dark Lord’s hands, Vesey would be in terrible danger.

"It said that Vesey blocked the Killing Curse for Harry. What do you think Tom would do if he found out?"

Snape’s face turned livid.

What would he do?

He would torture Vesey.

He would kill Vesey.

He would do anything to her.

For a moment, Snape was almost unable to speak.

After a long while, he finally found his voice.

"What does that have to do with you plotting against Vesey?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"Severus, you’re still as calm as ever. I’m relieved that your feelings for Vesey haven’t caused you to lose your reason..."

"Shut up and answer me!"

Snape suddenly roared.

Dumbledore closed his eyes.

Then he stood, walked over to a Pensieve, and used his wand to draw a silver strand of memory from his temple.

"Watch."

He pulled Snape into the memory.

At that moment, Vesey was watching Neville fly into the sky.

"What’s the problem?"

Snape looked at the worried Vesey and instinctively walked toward her, his expression filled with concern.

Dumbledore motioned for him to keep watching.

Snape then saw Vesey cast a spell that produced transparent wings on Neville.

But the wings didn’t last long before shattering.

His expression darkened further.

"I don’t understand, Dumbledore. I don’t think Vesey did anything wrong!"

Dumbledore sighed.

"Severus, you’re not calm enough. If you looked at Vesey the way you look at Harry, you’d feel the same way. Very uncomfortable.

"For a suspicious old man like me, Vesey didn’t behave the way she should have at that moment."

"For example?"

Snape asked coldly.

"For example, the Vesey we know would have immediately mounted her broom and flown up to save Neville.

"The Vesey we know wouldn’t have forgotten that those wings wouldn’t last very long.

"She obviously had many ways to protect Neville, yet she didn’t use them."

Snape scoffed.

He even spoke with a hint of ridicule.

"Dumbledore, you always say that I shouldn’t treat Harry Potter with such an attitude. But what about the way you treat Vesey?

"Can’t you trust her a little more?

"You can see so many doubts, but you can’t see the unhappiness on her face as she holds that broom.

"You can’t see that she’s afraid of sitting on a broomstick.

"And you can’t see how she struggled to keep hold of that broom when that idiot Longbottom flew into the sky.

"Dumbledore, you don’t deserve Vesey’s admiration!"