Chapter 60: 7-1

Right after finishing our exams, I parted ways with Harry and the others to meet up with Draco. It was to ask for his help tonight. However—Draco shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Maria. I don't think I can help you tonight."

"What..."

It was incredibly brazen of me, but I hadn't expected to be turned down, so I was stunned.

"Astoria's fever won't go down. You know there was a Quidditch match, right? It's rare for her to show up at places like that... It seems she pushed herself too hard."

"...I see. So that's why."

There was a good reason why he had been looking after her so devotedly.

"Her high fever has passed, but she still has a slight one. If she lets her guard down, she'll relapse. That's why,"

"Yeah—yes, I understand. Please stay by her side."

"I'm truly sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I took it for granted that I could lean on you. ...It's embarrassing."

I clasped my hands behind my back.

It's embarrassing. I had arrogantly assumed he would prioritize me over everything else. Hadn't he clearly declared some time ago that he would choose Astoria?

It's embarrassing.

"Maria, wait. I'm glad you rely on me, it's just—"

"I know. I understand."

I thrust out my arm as if to push away Draco, who was still trying to plead his case.

"Is Astoria in the hospital wing?"

"No, Daphne is watching over her in the Slytherin common room. But if something happens, Daphne won't be able to carry Astoria on her own. So,"

"I told you, I get it. You can be quite stubborn, too."

I lightly punched him in the shoulder. Draco had an incredibly pitiful expression on his face.

"I'll be fine. After all, you were just my insurance anyway. I'm only chasing down a single rat. Don't worry about me."

"Maria."

"By tomorrow, we'll probably hear some huge news from the Minister in the Great Hall."

If things kept going like this, I might have ended up making a weird face myself, so I quickly wrapped up the conversation and turned on my heel. As I did, Draco's frantic voice chased after me.

"Maria, I would never hesitate to help you. Not before, and not in the future. Just believe me on that."

To his sincere words, I replied with just a brief wave of my arm.

How pathetic. To be confronted with my own conceit like this. Just because the "me" inside has managed my own shortcomings somewhat decently, I end up trying to be a smart aleck with my self-analysis.

...I never thought I would be made to feel this way.

"Time to switch gears."

I smacked my cheeks with both hands. First, I have to find Pettigrew.

As long as the prophecy exists—unless someone intentionally tries to destroy it—Pettigrew shouldn't leave Hogwarts before making contact with Harry.

Letting him escape was my fault. I was completely off my guard. I, at least, must constantly keep a grasp on the situation.

Last time, he was hiding in Hagrid's hut, wasn't he?

It might not be the same this time. I need to confirm it. And for that...

"Hello? ...Professor Lupin?"

I knocked on the door and called out to the occupant. No answer. ...He wasn't inside.

"...Alohomora."

I tapped the doorway with my wand. Still no reaction. Was it a problem with my wand, or were Professor Lupin's security charms just that perfect?

"This is a problem."

I crossed my arms and groaned in front of the unyielding door—Professor Lupin's office.

Should I just wait for the professor? But even though Harry had handed it over himself, would a man trying so hard to act like a proper teacher really entrust it to me?

Suddenly, something looking like a green twig appeared in the keyhole.

—Click.

"............Eh?"

It was a Bowtruckle. The very same Bowtruckle we had handled as our test subject in today's Care of Magical Creatures exam was peering out from the keyhole, its eyes rolling around.

"W-why...?"

The Bowtruckle squeaked as if to answer. I didn't understand it at all. I didn't understand—but.

There was one thing I did understand. ...This was my chance.

Even knowing no one was there, I opened the door as quietly as possible. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the living green twig scuttling down the corridor as if its job was done, but I didn't have the luxury of thanking it.

Where is it... Where...

"—Found it!"

In the second drawer of the built-in desk with shelves—that was where the Marauder's Map was kept.

Alright, now I can check for Wormtail... I'll need to have Professor Lupin look at the map too, so I'll leave its secrets revealed and—

"—And what, exactly, have we discovered, Miss Potter?"

"............"

It was an oily, silky voice. ...The man, resembling an overgrown bat, stood in the doorway with a dangerous glint in his black eyes.

"Professor Snape."

"How deplorable. Surely, surely, not even Professor McGonagall could have dreamed that her proud House... would produce a petty thief. You must be quite proud to have achieved such a feat."

His razor-sharp sarcasm was stripping away my avenues of escape. His gaze, which he usually didn't even bother to cast in my direction, pierced me like a knife.

"U-um, it's a misunderstanding, Professor Snape."

"Now, in this situation, should I question the weak security that allows a mere student to break in, or the utter disregard for school rules and common sense displayed by a certain student? What do you think, Miss Potter?"

"...!"

My innate competitiveness flared, urging me to snap back at him, but I suppressed it at the very last second.

Right now, I am undeniably at a disadvantage. Calm down... rein it in... This is already a blunder that would make any former Auror die of embarrassment; don't do anything stupider.

"Show me what is in your pocket."

"Eh?"

"I told you to turn out your pockets."

Professor Snape closed the distance and pointed his wand at me. ...It seemed he hadn't yet realized exactly what I had sneaked in to find.

I handed over... the communication parchment.

"What is this?"

"It's just a spare piece of parchment."

"Oh? To carefully keep a spare scrap of parchment... Miss Potter seems to be quite the penny-pincher."

"I'm virtually an orphan. I don't have the luxury of waste."

Thanks to a certain someone murdering my parents—when I laced my words with that unspoken sarcasm, Professor Snape's eyes darkened chillingly.

...Back when I was Harry, this level of sarcasm wouldn't have affected him. ...At the very least, he used to suppress his emotions enough to hide it perfectly from me, Harry.

Because I'm Maria Lily... this is how he reacts?

"Hand it over."

He snatched the communication parchment from me. Tapping it with his wand, he chanted.

"Reveal your secret."

The parchment remained just a piece of parchment.

"Show yourself."

He prodded the paper with his wand tip, but it gave absolutely no response.

"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!"

The communication parchment didn't respond. Naturally. ...There were no secrets to this paper.

It simply conveyed what was written on it. And once finished, the ink merely vanished. That was all. There was nothing hidden within it.

It was the same as if you cast a spell on a two-way mirror; the mirror wouldn't suddenly start talking.

"...Hmph, very well. I shall confiscate this."

"What!"

"Is there a problem? It is, after all, merely a spare piece of parchment, is it not?"

He scoffed at me adeptly without even meeting my eyes. It seemed that after the incident during the Christmas holidays, he had completely figured out that Legilimency didn't work on me. Is that why he's so wary of me?

Ugh, it actually took quite a lot of effort to make that. I could only pray that Draco wouldn't write anything on it before I had a chance to tell him it was confiscated.

"Furthermore. You will report to my office after dinner."

"Huh?"

"Did you honestly think you could break into a professor's office while they were away and suffer no consequences? Save your naive delusions for your exams."

He shoved the communication parchment into his robes and ushered me out of the room, signaling that the conversation was over.

H-How could this happen... Oh, what am I going to do?