Inside Snape's office, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Marcus Flint and several members of the Slytherin Quidditch Team stood in a line with their heads lowered.
Not one of them dared speak.
Not one of them dared move.
Because everyone could tell that Professor Snape was furious.
"How impressive."
Snape's voice was soft.
Dangerously soft.
"You gather together as a group."
His black eyes swept across them.
"And then decide to bully a first-year student."
Marcus visibly flinched.
"To be fair—"
The Quidditch captain immediately regretted speaking.
Snape's gaze snapped toward him.
"To be fair?"
Marcus swallowed.
"He challenged me to a duel."
His voice grew smaller.
"And technically, I'm the one who lost."
The explanation sounded weak even to him.
"Technically?"
Snape repeated.
His expression became colder.
"Marcus."
The Potions Master slowly folded his hands.
"You seem to have forgotten something."
Marcus's stomach sank.
"I am a master of Legilimency."
The room became silent.
Marcus immediately wished the floor would swallow him.
He genuinely couldn't understand why Snape was reacting this way.
Over the years, he had earned House points.
Won Quidditch matches.
Helped secure championships for Slytherin.
Normally, Snape was supportive of talented students from his House.
Yet the moment Liam became involved, everything changed.
What Marcus didn't know was that the situation was far more personal than he imagined.
Liam wasn't merely a student to Snape.
He was the first genuine friend Snape had made in decades.
Perhaps the only one.
And certainly the only one still alive.
Naturally, Snape wasn't pleased when someone tried to intimidate him.
"If you hadn't attempted to order him around," Snape continued coldly, "there would never have been a duel."
Marcus lowered his head.
"You studied at Hogwarts for five years."
Snape's voice became sharper.
"And you lost to a first-year."
The silence became even more uncomfortable.
"You should be embarrassed."
Nobody dared respond.
Eventually, Snape made his decision.
"For the next week, Quidditch training will be doubled."
The team collectively groaned.
Snape ignored them.
"And if I discover any of you bothering Liam Hale again..."
His eyes narrowed.
"Detention will be the least of your concerns."
The threat was clear.
Marcus immediately nodded.
"We understand."
The truth was, after experiencing Liam's Blasting Curse firsthand, Marcus had absolutely no desire to challenge him again.
Snape's warning was unnecessary.
If he saw Liam coming down a corridor, he planned to walk the other way.
Once the students finally left, silence returned to the office.
Snape leaned back in his chair.
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The capture of Voldemort had changed everything.
On one hand, it was an extraordinary victory.
Even Snape had never suspected that Voldemort was literally attached to Quirrell.
On the other hand, the situation created new dangers.
Fortunately, Liam had reported Voldemort to McGonagall and Dumbledore rather than confronting him directly.
That meant Voldemort likely hadn't connected the discovery to any deeper secrets.
If the Dark Lord returned someday, there was still a chance Snape could intervene.
Still, one question continued to haunt him.
How had Voldemort survived?
Even Dumbledore had failed to discover the answer.
Every useful memory had been erased beforehand.
The mystery remained intact.
Unable to solve that problem, Snape shifted his attention to another.
If Voldemort returned, Liam would need additional protection.
The boy already possessed exceptional offensive abilities.
Marcus's memories had confirmed that much.
His spellcasting.
His magical control.
His combat instincts.
All were far beyond normal students.
Perhaps it was time to teach him something more advanced.
The following day, after Potions class ended, Snape stopped Liam before he could leave.
"Liam."
The boy turned.
"Yes, Professor?"
Snape studied him for a moment.
"The material taught in first-year Charms is too easy for you."
It wasn't a question.
Liam nodded.
"More or less."
He attended Flitwick's classes primarily for magical theory.
The actual spells were rarely challenging.
"Good."
Snape folded his arms.
"Then perhaps it's time you learned something useful."
Liam immediately became interested.
"Useful?"
"Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Snape's expression darkened slightly.
"You know as well as I do that Voldemort isn't gone forever."
Liam fell silent.
From a practical standpoint, offensive dark magic generally possessed greater lethality than conventional spells.
There was a reason Aurors had once been authorized to use Unforgivable Curses against Death Eaters.
Sometimes overwhelming force was necessary.
The problem was that Liam already knew a considerable amount of dark magic.
What he lacked were specialized countermeasures.
Seeing his interest, Snape continued.
"There are several spells I'm willing to teach you."
Liam's attention sharpened.
"Such as?"
"The first is Sectumsempra."
A faint hint of pride appeared in Snape's voice.
"A curse I created myself."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
Creating original magic was no small accomplishment.
"The second is the Patronus Charm."
"The third is the Fiendfyre Counter-Charm."
Snape continued.
"A highly specialized spell used to extinguish Fiendfyre."
"Which would you prefer to learn first?"
Liam considered the options carefully.
Sectumsempra was interesting.
The counter-charm might be useful.
But one choice stood above the others.
"The Patronus Charm."
Snape nodded immediately.
"I thought you might choose that."
The decision seemed obvious.
After all, Liam had spent time in Azkaban.
Most people would assume Dementors were the motivation.
The irony was that Dementors had never truly frightened him.
Unlike most prisoners, Liam possessed very few pleasant memories for Dementors to consume.
The creatures found him remarkably unsatisfying.
Furthermore, his understanding of soul-based magic had advanced considerably over the years.
If necessary, he could deal with Dementors through entirely different methods.
No.
The real reason he wanted the Patronus Charm was something else.
Something far more dangerous.
Lethifolds.
Those horrifying magical predators resembled living shadows draped in black cloth.
Almost no conventional spell affected them.
The Patronus Charm was one of the few known counters.
Years ago, a dark wizard had once used a Lethifold to hunt Liam.
For nearly a month, he had slept inside elaborate defensive formations.
Every time the creature approached, he Apparated away.
The chase ended only when Liam located and killed the wizard controlling it.
It remained one of the more annoying experiences of his life.
If Snape was willing to teach the Patronus Charm, Liam had no intention of refusing.
High-level magic of that caliber wasn't available in ordinary spellbooks.
"Excellent."
Snape looked satisfied.
Then his expression became slightly more serious.
"However, I should warn you."
"The Patronus Charm is an exceptionally advanced spell."
He paused.
"Many adult wizards never manage to cast one."
Liam nodded.
"I understand."
Snape almost smiled.
Almost.
"For most students, mastering it could take months."
His dark eyes met Liam's.
"Possibly longer."
Liam simply nodded again.
Inside, however, he was already curious.
Not whether he could learn the spell.
But how quickly.
....
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