Chapter 492 Memory Interaction

Harry retracted his gaze and walked towards the office without looking back. It was only a short distance from the corridor, and after a few steps, he saw Professor Snape in a dark green robe.

He stood straight at the door of the office, his hands naturally hanging on both sides of his robe, his eyes as cold and indifferent as the surface of the black lake, as if he was using Legilimency at any time.

Harry was stunned for a moment, and his steps paused. After thinking carefully, he felt that it was impossible, so he continued to walk forward.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape."

"You are late, Potter."

The corner of Harry's eye twitched slightly. It was obviously ten minutes before the appointment time, but he was very wise not to argue, but whispered to admit his mistake: "Sorry, sir."

Snape glanced at him: "Come in."

This office was as dim as usual. Except for a desk lamp on the desk that was out of tune with the whole room, other places were hidden in the looming shadows. The hundreds of glass bottles displayed on the shelves were filled with gloomy and terrifying animal and plant specimens.

The door of the storage room was half-open. Subconsciously, Harry glanced at the storage room.

On the operating table, a strange-looking toad jumped into the box, attracting Harry's attention. Its back was covered with bumps and pits, and its eyes were scarlet. He, who had an E in potions, recognized it at a glance as the black-warted red-eyed toad used in the potions class. It loved to prey on all kinds of flying insects, and its tongue was the main material for household insecticides...

The toad's body was sunken and dry, like a dried specimen that had lost water.

How could a dead object that had been made into a specimen move?

Harry was puzzled, and guessed that Snape was doing some vicious potion experiment with the living toad, turning it into that ghost, or studying dark and vicious black magic...

"Let's see how well you have learned the brain block technique."

Snape's cold voice came from behind him. He waved his wand, and the doors of the storage room and office closed, which frightened Harry's heart.

"Okay, Professor."

This was not the first time that he had done a similar test. Harry gathered all the thoughts in his mind and walked to the chair opposite the desk skillfully and sat down.

Snape walked silently, floating to the chair like a ghost and sitting down, staring straight at Harry, with a cold chill in his black eyes.

Harry felt that the chill condensed into some invisible substance, the cold touch fell on his eyeballs, seeping into his trance brain, cortex, frontal lobe...

Resist, close the brain, deceive him!

A voice in Harry's mind whispered, and he imagined that he had built a thick iron wall in his mind, which was more closed and secure than the underground vault of Gringotts, in an attempt to block all prying eyes from the outside.

But he failed. The coldness was like a slippery venomous snake at first, but it turned into a deep winter lake the moment it touched the wall, pouring into his mind without any holes. Not only his eyes, but every hole in his brain became a leak. His ears seemed to hear a low echo in the dim underground classroom, and his breath from his mouth and nose was also accompanied by coldness.

Snape's deep and cold eyes reflected in his mind, and it was clear even with his eyes closed.

The familiar feeling appeared again, and the office swayed and disappeared in front of his eyes. A series of memories that were as vague as fog unfolded in front of his eyes, and pictures flashed in his mind like a movie.

Just now he secretly saw Karkaroff rolling up his sleeves to show Snape something on his arm... Yesterday during the duel training, Loren bounced back his disarming spell and knocked him flying... In the afternoon, he and Ginny reviewed the glory of the past few years in the trophy display room. He pointed at the Quidditch trophy and the house cup trophy and kept talking. Ginny smiled and her cheeks flushed. Their eyes converged...

No, you can't look at this!

Subconsciously, Harry used the armor charm that he was not very proficient in: "[Armor Protection]"

He suddenly pulled himself out of countless memories that were open to everyone. He looked at Snape in a daze. In a trance, a strange thing escaped from his eyes. It was not cold at all, but Harry understood instantly that this was Legilimency.

He basically didn't know about this magic. He heard that it involved various advanced techniques of magic and soul, and it also required a deep understanding of human heart and emotions before it could be used in practice.

Wizards who have just learned Legilimency can only simply judge other people's emotions, judge other people's thoughts through verbal induction and physical pressure, and identify whether others are lying. Only senior Legilimency masters can spy on other people's memories.

According to Loren, only Dumbledore and Snape can do it in Hogwarts.

But when this strange magic escaped from his eyes, he instinctively knew how to use it. Just like drinking water and eating, he naturally knew how to control this magic to float, invade, and spy.

He seemed to have become another person and entered another perspective. Although it was still the same body, Harry clearly felt that something was different.

In the past, his youthful body did everything quickly and actively, and he could fly on a broom at any time. The restless magic was eager to release cool spells, but now, everything has become quieter, but more controlled.

Harry felt that he could control every inch of muscle on his cheeks, make the most appropriate and elegant smile, and conceal his emotions without any flaws. He was calmer and more rational than usual.

Under such circumstances, Harry had an inexplicable urge - to take a look inside Snape's mind!

Although another voice in his head told him that he should stop now, apologize to Professor Snape, and talk to him about Potions...

Hey, full of Slytherin's smoothness, is he still a Gryffindor?

Exerting instinctive control, Harry manipulated Legilimency to probe into Snape's mind.

It twists and drills like a snake, penetrates like flowing water...

Snape didn't even raise his eyelids, a hint of secret surprise flashed in his eyes.

Groups of mist with floating light and shadow surrounded Harry, and every memory in it had Snape's face.

The first time he peeked into someone else's memory, he felt an awkward and strange feeling. Before he could figure out what it was like, his consciousness had been dragged into a recent memory scene.

This place seems to be underground, because there are no windows around it, but there is enough light in the room. The torch on the wall bracket may be enchanted, and the flame is stronger than the firewood pile in the fireplace.

The room is surrounded by circles of stepped seats, with wizards sitting in rows on stools that rise step by step. The wizards on the innermost floor are wearing neat uniforms of the Ministry of Magic. There is a hill piled up in front of everyone. parchment volume.

Vaguely aware of the situation in front of him, Harry couldn't help but breathe quickly. He glanced at the wizard next to him. Although he was wearing a large wizard hat to hide his face, Harry recognized him at a glance and almost screamed.

It was Snape in his youth, and the one before him was Headmaster Dumbledore, who looked almost the same as he does now.

This is probably a court hearing scene, because in the cage in the middle of the room is a person with a familiar face—Igor Karkarov!

Karkaroff looks much younger than he does now. His hair is still black and his goatee is still very short. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are not obvious, so he still looks young. Based on this, it can be judged that this memory is probably a little old.

There were no sleek, expensive fur coats, just thin, torn robes.

Taking this opportunity, he also saw clearly what was on Karkaroff's arm, a black devil's mark that looked like a tattoo. The terrifying skull spit out poisonous snakes. It seemed that a long time had passed since the tattoo, the ink had faded and the mark was somewhat dim.

"Igor Karkaroff." The young Mr. Crouch was full of energy and said in a deep voice, "The Ministry of Magic will take you out of Azkaban at your request and provide evidence to the committee. If you Your testimony has some value, and this committee may be able to reduce your sentence, but you are still a criminal Death Eater, do you agree?"

"I accept, sir."

In addition to fear, Karkaroff's voice was also mixed with a kind of unsettling veiled banter, and his tone was glib.

Crouch raised his eyebrows and glanced at him: "What are you willing to provide?"

"Give me a name, sir."

Harry stared at Karkaroff, wondering if it was his imagination, but he saw a smile flash across that embarrassed face.

"There are Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rozier, Ludo Bagman, Travers, Mulciber..."

Someone among the wizards at the Ministry of Magic had heard of this name and quickly pulled out the relevant information from the pile of files and confirmed that Antonin Dolohov had been arrested and the Death Eater named Evan Rozier had been killed. Ludo Bagman was caught red-handed while delivering intelligence...

In short, this list of names is of little value.

Karkaroff then revealed an internal spy from the Ministry of Magic named August Rookwood, but this was still not enough to exempt Karkaroff from punishment. Just when Crouch was about to announce that he would be imprisoned again In Azkaban, panic finally appeared on his face, he clutched the cage rod tightly and shouted:

"No, wait, I also know, I still have information...Severus Snape."

Harry turned around and saw Snape pressing the broad brim of his hat, as calmly as if he was not the one being reported.

Before the Ministry of Magic could react, Dumbledore had already stood up: "I have made a statement to the committee about this situation. Snape is indeed a Death Eater, but he became my informant before Voldemort fell... …”

All disputes disappeared instantly. Crouch rubbed the corners of his eyes to relieve fatigue: "If the witness can no longer provide other evidence to the committee, then you go back to Azkaban first..."

"No no no!"

Karkaroff put his face close to the cage, squinting his eyes with a meaningful expression: "I also know someone who tortured many Muggles and mixed-blood wizards, participated in the round-up, and tortured Auror Long with the Cruciatus Curse. Mr. and Mrs. Barton..."

His voice became higher and higher, more and more passionate, as if he was reciting the climax of a stage play.

"Who is it, say his name?"

"Barty Crouch——" Karkaroff looked straight at the director of the Department of Legal Enforcement and quasi-Minister of Magic, and whispered, "——'s son."

When the voice fell, the whole place was shocked. The screams and discussions were like boiling water, boiling the chief judge Crouch.

The venue was in chaos until Barty Crouch Jr. was escorted in front of Crouch, who was still in a daze.

On his stagnant face, the eyes first came to life and began to move. Crouch looked down at his son, who made him proud through the 12-door O.W.L.s, and pronounced his verdict clearly:

"Because you have committed such a heinous crime, you are brought before the Magical Law Committee to await sentencing..."

Barty Crouch Jr. shouted and argued at his father at the top of his lungs, but none of this could overshadow Crouch's resounding judgment: "Now, on behalf of the jury, I sentence you to life imprisonment in Azkaban!"

As the gavel fell, the entire space suddenly trembled.

Harry felt that he was hit by a powerful spell, and was thrown out of Snape's mind like a flying fly, and fell on the stool in front of the desk, where Professor Snape was sitting opposite.

"Professor," Harry said in a panic, "I know I shouldn't... I didn't mean to..."

"Harry Potter, offended the professor, studied the dark arts without permission, violated school rules..." Snape leaned back slightly, the upper half of his face was hidden in the dark shadow, and his expression could not be seen clearly. His voice was not as angry as expected, but only cold, "Gryffindor will be deducted 50 points for this, and Harry Potter will be confined for a month, supervised by the administrator Mr. Filch."

"Professor..."

"You can go."

"..."

Harry felt his hands and feet begin to sweat. He pursed his lips and looked at the shadow where Snape was. He stood up wisely, bowed and left.

The wooden door of the office opened and closed, and Snape got up and left his chair, slowly walking towards the storage room.

If Loren was here, he might be able to see some joy in his footsteps.

"Dumbledore is really old and confused. What's the point of letting him know about this kind of thing? He actually wants me to do it..."

Snape's eyes swept across the storage room workbench, looking at the unanswered letter lying quietly under the brass crucible, with a glimmer in his eyes.

The letter was sent by Lucius Malfoy. It only had two pages of scribbling. There was no business talk, no mention of Galleons. The first page asked about his son Draco's recent performance and academic performance, and the second page talked about past friends like a casual chat: Rosier, Wilkes, Lestrange, Avery...

"It seems that Igor is not the only one who is anxious."

Snape pressed his left arm with his right hand, and his eyes fell on the black-warted red-eyed toad in the box, and he didn't move for a long time.

Resurrection from the dead, what a longing word...

The dry and dilapidated sign regained vitality, licking the red liquid in the round tin-plated copper dish with concentration. As he continued to lick, the dried body was becoming fuller little by little, and the black warts on the back were gradually swelling.

Snape gently fed a small flying insect to it, but the black-warted red-eyed toad didn't move at all, still licking the liquid with concentration.

His movements were so rigid that they made people despair.