Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

065 A Long Memory

Bryan stepped out of the school hospital, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as he saw that the students who had been attacked by the inferi were all safe and sound. He walked along the dimly lit corridor towards the stairs, but to his surprise, he saw a group of red-haired boys waiting anxiously at the corner of the stairs. They were the Weasley brothers, and they seemed to have been expecting him. As soon as they saw him approaching, they looked at him with hopeful eyes that sparkled in the darkness.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, Mr. Weasley?" Bryan asked, eyeing the prefect Percy and his three younger brothers behind him. He noticed that they were all wearing their Gryffindor scarves and badges, as if to show their solidarity. "Or are you planning to have a family reunion here?"

"Well, actually, Professor Watson—" Percy began, clearing his throat nervously. The Weasleys, who were rarely all present except for Ginny, exchanged uneasy glances before the eldest one stepped forward and explained, "Professor McGonagall won't let us visit the hospital wing, but we're really worried about Ginny."

"Ah—" Bryan smiled sympathetically and nodded. He could understand their concern for their sister's well-being,. "It's understandable that you're concerned about your sister's well-being, but there's no need to fret, boys. Your little sister is perfectly fine, in fact, none of the young wizards suffered any serious injuries. Madam Pomfrey said they just need to stay overnight in the hospital wing for observation, and they can leave tomorrow morning."

His reassuring words seemed to lift a weight off their chests, as the brothers let out a collective sigh of relief. Ron, who had been lucky enough to be assigned to the second half of Bryan's trial today, blinked eagerly and asked, "Professor Watson, could you please let us go and see Ginny? Harry and Hermione are there too."

"Sorry, kiddo—" Bryan walked past them down the stairs, shaking his head. He knew that they were curious about what had happened in the trial, but he also knew that they needed some rest. "I think you'd better follow the doctor's orders. I told them not to disturb their rest. Now go back to your dormitory and get some sleep. If I come back to my office and find you still lurking here, Gryffindor's chances of winning the House Cup this year might be ruined."

"Actually, I wanted to ask Professor Watson what he has prepared for the advanced practice class." Percy muttered regretfully as he watched Professor Watson's receding figure. He was always eager to learn more from the brilliant young professor who had impressed everyone with his magical skills and knowledge.

"Don't bother, Percy. Professor Watson's lips are sealed. We tried it already, and he wouldn't spill a single word!" Ron snapped at his brother, his disdain obvious. He thought that Percy was too uptight and boring for his own good.

"I'm not like you, Ron. I'm a—" Percy started to say, but was interrupted by the twins who chorused gleefully, "Prefect!" They loved to tease their brother for his pompous attitude and strict adherence to rules.

"Go back to sleep, you three!" Percy shouted at the twins and Ron who had already walked away. He was annoyed by their lack of respect and discipline. "If you don't learn to play by the rules in the next few months, I'll write to Mum!"

"Is everything normal?" Bryan asked as he pushed open the door of his office, only to catch a glimpse of Professor Snape sitting on a chair with his hands covering his face and his shoulders slightly trembling. This strange expression vanished as soon as the door was halfway open, and Snape got up and strode out of the office without a word. His black cloak billowed behind him as he disappeared into the shadows.

"Did the Inferi scare him into tears?" Bryan wondered as he walked to the stool in the middle of the room, staring curiously at the few drops of water that had not yet evaporated on the floor in front of the stool's legs. He raised his eyebrows and waited until there were no traces of tears left of Snape, before he slowly lifted his head and let out a baffled chuckle.

Maybe I should find an opportunity to talk to Professor Snape before I leave Hogwarts. He thought as he waved his wand downwards, closing the curtains and veils with a swish. To ensure that he wouldn't be spied on by some nosy old man or any other unwanted visitors, Bryan kept drawing with his wand in mid-air, casting powerful protective spells that shone brightly in the dark. The intricate patterns were engraved into the void, isolating his office from Hogwarts on multiple levels of magic and space.

Bryan felt like he was on a floating island in the middle of the ocean, isolated and unreachable by anyone except himself. He had spent a long time studying the memory magic he had learned from Lockhart's collection, using his deep knowledge of the spells to master the technique of extracting and viewing memories without the aid of the legendary 'Pensieve'. He was eager to uncover the memories hidden in his own mind, secrets that he had forgotten or repressed.

He extinguished the fire and the candles, and cast a spell to block out the moonlight and starlight from the windows. His office became a pitch-black void, like a dark abyss in the cosmos.

In the eternal darkness, a faint silver light appeared, like a drop of ink falling into a clear pool. It rippled and pulsated, as if it was breathing. Gradually, it expanded and formed a beautiful galaxy in front of Bryan's eyes.

"Is this the memory that I can't recall?"

Bryan had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He wrapped himself in a cloak, and without any hesitation, he dove into the silvery mist.

He felt like a fish swimming in the river of time, gliding through the forgotten memory. The images that had once been real were etched in his mystical eyes, and his brain worked at full speed. His emotions fluctuated, rising and falling with the scenes.

"Do you think we can really do it?"

The hospital wing was dark and silent. All the young wizards were lying quietly on their beds, but not because they were sick or injured. They were there for one reason only: to ensure that nothing would go wrong tonight, when so many underage wizards were gathered in one place. Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout had joined Madam Pomfrey to watch over them personally.

It was a rare occasion for the two professors to spend the night in the hospital wing. They were sitting in the small office, chatting animatedly with Madam Pomfrey under the dim moonlight.

But the young wizards were not so easy to tame. They had been ordered by Professor McGonagall to sleep well, but they did not dare to disobey. However, they secretly sent paper cranes to each other, exchanging messages and gossip.

Harry's partner was not Hermione - his partner was lying on the opposite bed, glaring at him sulkily. He had no choice but to talk to Hermione about topics that were 'not forbidden'.

"I don't think Professor Watson would lie to us."

A paper crane flew discreetly into Harry's bed, and he opened the note. It was Hermione's neat handwriting:

"But I've been thinking about all the classes that Professor Watson taught us, and I don't remember him mentioning anything about that thing in the maze -"

Harry crumpled up the note impatiently, turned over and closed his eyes.

That night, when Professor Watson said that he had given them a clue, Harry felt a flash of insight in his head. He was so close to figuring it out, but he couldn't break through.

It was a frustrating feeling, to be so near and yet so far.

Seeing that Harry was no longer interested in chatting, Hermione's bright eyes clouded over. Her thoughts became muddled and confused.

She pulled up her blanket and tried to sleep, but she tossed and turned for a long time. She couldn't fall asleep.

The quiet ward became a symphony of snoring in different styles. Hermione only left her forehead outside the blanket and entrusted her body to the warmth of the bed.

"What did Professor Watson do before he came to Hogwarts?"

On the first night, Professor Watson had told them that he had encountered some dark creatures in the maze during his travels. He had kept some of them because they had research value. What kind of adventures did he have with these dangerous creatures?

Hermione's mind was filled with questions that might never be resolved. She felt a heaviness in her eyelids, and soon she drifted into a deep slumber. On the other side of the castle, Bryan dismissed the silvery mist with a flick of his wand and sank back into his chair behind the desk. He was lost in thought, pondering the meaning of the memory he had just witnessed.