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"No, thanks. I've got some things to take care of later."
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Patrick Abbott's face seemed to flush a rosy hue.
After parting ways with Abbott, Severus Snape hurried toward the Hogwarts library on the fifth floor of the castle. In just over an hour, the library would close for the night.
"Good evening, Madam Pince."
It took Snape considerable effort to locate Irma Pince, who was dusting off the narrow aisles between the towering bookshelves.
"What is it, child?" she asked.
"I'd like to know where the copies of The Daily Prophet from 1940 to 1950 are kept," Snape said.
"Follow me." Madam Pince draped her feather duster over her arm and led Snape through the maze of shelves.
They reached a secluded corner deep within the library, where she pointed to a neatly stacked pile of newspapers.
"Here they are, the complete Daily Prophet archives from the 1940s. Make sure to put them back properly, or you know what'll happen."
After thanking Madam Pince, Snape hurriedly carried a hefty stack of newspapers to a nearby table and began flipping through the issues, arranged by date.
The light filtering through the windows had grown dim, and the candles, encased in protective shields, flickered to life beside the desk.
At last, in the June 15, 1943, edition of The Daily Prophet, he found what he was looking for—a headline that read:
"Hogwarts Shocked by Mysterious Death, Chamber of Secrets Rumors Spark Panic":
Investigations into the bizarre death at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on June 13 continue. Reports indicate that several students had already been injured in mysterious attacks prior to this incident.
Headmaster Armando Dippet stated that the victim died in a freak accident and dismissed rumors of a Chamber of Secrets monster as pure fiction. He assured that the school has implemented enhanced security measures to ensure student safety.
However, school governor Cassius Malfoy revealed to this reporter that all known victims of the attacks were Muggle-born witches and wizards.
"I'm not here to criticize the headmaster or the school's policies," Mr. Malfoy told The Daily Prophet, "but for the safety of all students, unless the culprit behind these attacks is apprehended, the board will consider closing the school if necessary."
Reliable sources confirm that the Ministry of Magic has dispatched officials to the school to assist with the investigation.
We urge all readers to remain vigilant and prioritize their safety.
May this poor girl rest in peace in the next world.
Snape continued leafing through the remaining papers.
In the June 22, 1943, edition of The Daily Prophet, he found a follow-up story:
"Investigation Confirms: Hogwarts Serial Attacks Caused by Giant Spider."
For his outstanding contribution to resolving the incident, a fifth-year Slytherin student was awarded the "Special Award for Services to the School" for demonstrating "extraordinary courage and wisdom."
Meanwhile, the Ministry and school officials confirmed that the student responsible for the incident has been formally expelled, and their wand was destroyed on the spot.
This was exactly what Snape had been searching for.
He discreetly tucked a few relevant pages of the old newspapers into his robes, then neatly restacked the others.
At that moment, Madam Pince's magically amplified voice echoed through the library.
"Closing time is approaching! Please gather your belongings and leave the library within five minutes."
At precisely eight o'clock, Madam Pince extinguished all the lights and ushered the students out.
The crowd streaming out of the library consisted mostly of Ravenclaws. Among them, Snape spotted Gilderoy Lockhart, with his distinctive mop of golden curls and diminutive stature.
Back in the Slytherin dormitory beneath the lake, Snape read a bit of Practical Potions Mastery before drifting off to sleep.
Even as he slipped into a hazy slumber, it seemed Abbott still hadn't returned.
In the Potions classes that followed later that week, Professor Slughorn couldn't stop praising Snape's abilities.
He remarked that, in all his years of teaching, he had rarely encountered a student with more natural talent for potion-making than Snape.
So, after the fourth Potions class, Snape told Abbott to go ahead without him and deliberately lingered, slowly packing his bag.
Soon, only he and Slughorn remained in the classroom.
"Professor, I was wondering—where are some of the more gifted students you've taught now working? I'd love to meet one of them someday."
"Well," Slughorn said with a wistful sigh, "I'm not sure where he is now. Many years ago, I tried to recommend him to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but he turned me down.
"I still don't understand why he chose to work as a shop assistant at Borgin and Burkes. I haven't heard anything about him in years."
"Borgin and Burkes?" Snape's eyes widened, his voice tinged with surprise. "Isn't that a Dark Magic shop in Knockturn Alley?"
"Yes, such a shame," Slughorn said, gathering his things and heading for the door. "A young man with such remarkable talent.
"Well, Severus, I'll see you at the party on Saturday. Don't forget to bring Abbott along."
"Professor," Snape called after Slughorn's retreating figure, "what was his name?"
"What? Oh, right. His name was Tom Riddle."
On Saturday at noon, Snape shared his findings with Abbott.
Though he didn't want to drag his friend into anything dangerous, some inexplicable impulse compelled him to be honest with Abbott.
"So, just like you, Riddle was old Slug's golden boy?" Abbott said, not looking up from the essay he was writing, titled The Principles of Ghostly Manifestation.
"Keep your voice down," Snape said quickly, worried that the name might bring trouble to Abbott. "Do me a favor as a friend—don't mention his name, alright?"
"But it's not like it's—"
"I know it's not that name," Snape interrupted, "but humor me on this one. Let's just call him Little Tom from now on. I don't need another rival for Head Boy."
"Fine," Abbott agreed, though he didn't seem entirely convinced. "Let me take a look at that essay of yours. It's giving me a headache."
Snape pulled a roll of parchment from his bag and handed it to Abbott, then dove into his own Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.
Sixth year wasn't the carefree time Snape and Abbott had hoped for. Instead of freedom, they were buried under a mountain of homework assigned by their professors.
Despite the students' complaints about the workload, every teacher insisted their assignments could be completed in just a few hours—as if the students could somehow stretch the same hours to cover multiple subjects.
By dinnertime, Snape had only managed to finish about half of his assignments.
"Maybe we should pick this up tomorrow," he said, setting down his quill and turning to Abbott. "Slughorn's party is about to start."
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