Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Dizzy, exhausted in both mind and spirit, Suer stumbled out of the fireplace. Black soot accumulated over years in Snape’s chimney clung to his hair and face, while his stomach rumbled loudly.

He swayed against the red bricks beside the fireplace, located the nearest sofa with considerable effort, and collapsed into it with a sigh of relief.

Then he weakly raised a hand in greeting to the formally dressed woman sitting opposite him.

“Good afternoon, Aunt Amelia. Is there anything to eat?”

Earlier at Snape’s house, the professor had shown no understanding whatsoever of how to make a guest feel welcome. Perhaps he simply never ate lunch.

In any case, Suer’s breakfast had already been consumed by his “evenly matched” magical duel — that was, the one-sided beating. After that, he had endured Snape’s equally one-sided mental assault. His energy was now completely exhausted.

The fireplace in Snape’s house was connected to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. Once Snape had thoroughly vented his anger, he wasted no time in driving his excellent student away.

“I brought you a gift. I’ll leave it here, Professor.”

Suer was accustomed to this treatment. Snape had always thrown him out of the office in the same fashion at school, and Suer had always returned the following day.

Study truly had to be combined with practice. Snape might strike hard, but he was an excellent professor. Most people could not endure his teaching methods. More accurately, Snape preferred to weave instruction directly into combat.

In simple terms, his method was: watch how I do it. Whether you learn anything is your own concern.

As for the endless venom he poured out during Potions, that honour belonged to Harry. At other times, Snape preferred to stand silently behind students and watch them with eyes colder than a snake’s. In private, taciturn silence was his normal state.

“Wait.” Snape glanced at the envelope on the table and lowered his book. Just as Suer was about to step into the fireplace, he spoke. “Use the fireplace directly next time. I trust you will not enter the wrong grate like that idiotic fool?”

“That fool was fortunate. A wrong fireplace here could cost you your life. Consider this a warning.”

Suer knew at once which idiotic fool Snape meant. He nodded repeatedly and promised that he would never make such a basic mistake.

Snape had no interest in listening to his nonsense and merely waved a hand.

Not long after Suer vanished into the emerald flames, Snape finished his book and stood to return to the brewing room and continue his unfinished potion. His gaze fell upon the envelope left by his “excellent student”.

By temperament, Snape had never cared about such things.

For some reason, however, he bent down, picked up the envelope, and opened it without expression.

His hand stopped. For a long time, his gaze remained fixed upon Harry’s humiliated and furious face as the boy hung upside down in the photograph.

…

After hearing Suer’s account of where he had gone that day, Amelia Bones set aside her papers. Her expression became extremely grave as she looked across the dining table at Suer, who was devouring a sandwich.

“You went to Cokeworth alone?”

Amelia rarely returned to this residence after purchasing it, so naturally she kept no food there. Fortunately, her secretary always prepared something for her to eat, though today it was only a sandwich. It was just as well that Amelia had not found time for breakfast.

Suer did not mind that there was no drink to accompany it. He was desperately hungry, and anything would have tasted delicious, although the sandwich was rather dry.

He loosely clenched a fist and tapped the food lodged in his chest before nodding.

Amelia had a reason for being there. Her secretary had reported that Suer had violated the regulations governing underage magic that morning by casting a spell in Spinner’s End.
As Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia was normally far too busy to concern herself with such a minor matter. Her secretary, however, was perceptive enough to report it immediately.

Employees of the Ministry of Magic became remarkably efficient whenever their superiors were involved. A secretary’s purpose was to spare a leader unnecessary trouble, so Amelia’s secretary gathered all the information at top speed, delivered it to her, and quietly erased the record of the violation.

Having the right connections made matters easier in any age.

That explained why Amelia was waiting for Suer.

“Did you not know what sort of place Cokeworth is? How could you go there alone?” Rare anger entered Amelia’s voice. She was furious that one of her own family had visited somewhere so dangerous.

“I didn’t know, Aunt Amelia. What’s wrong with it?” Suer stuffed the final piece of bread into his mouth and shook his head as he mumbled.

“Of course. You grew up in a Muggle family, so naturally you wouldn’t know.” Amelia shook her head with self-reproach. “I should have explained it to you earlier.”

Seeing Suer’s confusion, Amelia gave him a careful explanation.

“The magical world is not as peaceful and safe as Hogwarts castle. Many dangers are hidden beyond the school. Knockturn Alley is not the only perilous place.”

“Apart from Knockturn Alley, Cokeworth is the other location marked as extremely dangerous. Many Aurors do not dare enter alone, because it is a gathering place for Dark wizards.”

“Many notorious Dark wizards hide there, especially…”

Amelia stopped halfway through the sentence and breathed out gently. “Fortunately, you went in the morning. If it had been at night…”

“It is only through Merlin’s protection that you returned alive.”

Only then did Suer understand why Snape had warned that entering the wrong fireplace could cost him his life, and why the town was so filthy, chaotic, and dark.

Looking back, he now understood the attention he had felt on the streets. Those gazes had contained naked greed and malice.

“You didn’t speak to anyone else there, did you? Anyone other than your Potions professor?”

Suer froze. For some reason, he remembered the old man he had met at the mouth of an alley while searching for number twenty-three, Spinner’s End.

After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head.

“There was one person, but I don’t think he meant any harm. He showed me the way to Spinner’s End.”

“Impossible. You are far too naive.” Urgency entered Amelia’s voice. “You have no idea how evil people become after living there for years.”

Suer stared blankly as Amelia pulled him aside, drew her wand, and swept it repeatedly over his body.

Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. She used several spells, but none produced a reaction.

“Tell me about the person you met. Do you remember what he looked like?”

Suer nodded. As his description continued, Amelia’s expression grew increasingly grave. At last, she drew her wand and gave it a light flick. Silver dust assembled into the image of a man before Suer.

“Was this him?”

“Yes.” Suer examined the image several times. The man formed from silver dust wore neat clothes, but his wooden leg and sparse hair were unmistakable. Suer nodded with certainty.

“He should not be there.” Amelia waved her wand, dispersing the silver figure, and muttered under her breath.

“I must return to the Ministry at once. Little Suer, remember this: you must never tell anyone that you saw this man.”

“Anyone. That includes your Potions professor.”