"What do you mean?"
Perkins asked nervously.
Within the former Death Eater ranks, he wasn't familiar with Severus.
Or rather, among those Death Eaters, aside from a few like Lucius, only Voldemort himself was close to Severus.
In the eyes of others, Severus had always been a loner, rarely participating in Death Eater's group activities, only taking orders directly from Voldemort.
By now, Barty had already taken hairs from the two unconscious Aurors on the ground and pulled out two vials of clear potion from his robes.
After placing the hairs into the potion vials, Barty handed one to Perkins.
"A simple meaning. He might want to find Master, but not necessarily to help him. He might be helping Dumbledore!"
Perkins's face clearly showed an expression of disbelief at this conclusion.
As a senior Death Eater, he understood better than anyone the psychology his colleagues had towards their Master.
It should be said that all Death Eaters were the same.
As long as Voldemort was confirmed to be still around, still alive, no one would dare to betray or resist!
The current fragmentation was solely because the general public believed Voldemort had died, as per the legendary prophecy.
Barty, however, didn't care what Perkins thought. He directly drank the Polyjuice Potion in his hand, and his body soon began to change.
His height shortened, his skin color changed, his facial features contorted and remolded, eventually becoming identical to the unconscious Auror on the ground.
Then, he directly stripped the Auror's clothes and put them on himself.
Perkins followed Barty's actions, also drinking the Polyjuice Potion and changing clothes.
After completing all preparations, the two began heading towards the location of the underground ruin, following the route they saw in the Aurors' memories.
The Albanian Aurors had already tightened the original cordon. Soon, Barty and Perkins reached the entrance to the tunnel.
Two Albanian Aurors were also guarding here, but they were just smoking and chatting under the withered fir tree. Seeing their 'colleagues' approach, they paid no further attention.
Perkins's muscles were tense, and he seemed nervous, just keeping his head down and following Barty, finally walking into the tunnel as if no one was there and heading downward.
Just as they reached the underground plaza, they saw an old man carrying a suitcase walking towards them.
The old man looked somewhat surprised to see them, "Are you changing shifts this early today?"
Barty and Perkins had an impression of this old man from the Aurors' memories, knowing he was here from France to assist the Albanian Ministry.
"Good evening, Mr. Williams. Have you finished your research for today?"
The old man didn't seem to show any suspicion. He also greeted them with a smile.
"Two days were enough. I've finished translating the alchemical symbols on that mural. When I go up, I'll also deliver an identical copy of the findings to your director."
"Thank you very much for your assistance to the Albanian Ministry, sir."
Barty smiled, acting just like a real Auror, expressing his gratitude.
Perkins didn't speak from start to finish. He wasn't as calm and collected as Barty, afraid that speaking would give them away.
"It's the least I could do."
After a brief exchange, they parted ways. Watching the old man start ascending the stairs, the two also turned and walked deeper into the plaza.
"Should we take the results of his research?" Perkins whispered.
"Not yet," Barty said softly, "Let's go in first and see what the situation is like inside."
[You deliberately added that potion to the Veritaserum!]
After the truth came out, and before dawn, Harry and Draco, whose hearing had finally returned to normal, went back to their rooms to catch up on sleep.
Draco was fixated on it. He suspected Harry had secretly played a dirty trick on him, making him temporarily deaf so he couldn't hear anything. He was completely in the dark about the black dog's identity and what happened in between.
Even afterward, he kept asking, but both Severus and Lupin were vague and evasive, unwilling to say much.
Lupin also didn't let Sirius stay with Severus. He could see Sirius still held deep prejudice against Severus.
The long-standing grudge from their school days couldn't be resolved with just a few words.
After everything was confirmed, Lupin took Sirius to his own room, planning to have a good talk with him about the old days.
After everyone had left Severus's bedroom, Ghost Snape couldn't help but speak up.
Others might not see anything wrong with that vial of Veritaserum, but Ghost Snape, who had been with Severus the whole time, saw everything clearly!
There was only one drop of Veritaserum inside, and the rest was all the Potion of Invariant Essence Severus had brewed just a few days ago.
And regarding that potion that could solidify magic, Ghost Snape and Severus had discussed it extensively. For ordinary Transfigured objects, the potion only helped them resist counter-charms.
But if it was a wizard's own transformation, especially an Animagus, it was completely different.
The reason Animagus magic is distinguished as a separate branch of Transfiguration is that this magic can alter the wizard's own magic, turning them thoroughly into another animal, not just the false, temporary maintenance of ordinary Transfiguration.
If this transformation, born from the change in the wizard's own magic, was combined with the Potion of Invariant Essence, then the transformed wizard, barring other incidents, would essentially remain in that form permanently, because the wizard's own magic is continuous and unending.
[All that talk about him accidentally bumping into the potion on the table, causing it to take effect on him, was nonsense! That kind of potion needs to be ingested to work!]
Towards Ghost Snape, Severus naturally had nothing to hide. Moreover, he couldn't hide it from the ghost who shared his senses.
'Of course, I did it on purpose. I wanted him to be unable to change back.'
[You...] Ghost Snape started to speak but then fell silent again.
He instinctively wanted to ask Severus why he did this, but before the question was fully formed, he already had the answer in his heart.
Or rather, Severus had already proactively told him this answer a long time ago.
Seeing his reaction now, Severus looked quite pleased.
'I'm glad you didn't ask me why I did this, because I finally don't have to repeat, over and over, that we are one and the same.'
As he spoke, Severus waved his wand at the scattered items in the room, tidying them up.
'Back when we first learned Black had escaped, and I told you he was actually innocent, I said that just based on the fact. Regarding him nearly getting you killed back then, I couldn't possibly let bygones be bygones and warmly welcome him, eagerly helping him clear his name.'
'But he is Harry's godfather and Lupin's friend, isn't he? And he genuinely didn't betray his friends. So, truly wanting to kill him is going too far. But giving him a little payback is acceptable.'
Ghost Snape just looked darkly at Severus.
[Your idea of a 'little payback' is making him a dog for life?]
In response, Severus just shrugged.
'That's slander. That potion isn't an Unforgivable Curse. We discussed during its brewing that it's possible to concoct an antidote. Once he proves himself to be a good dog, we can brew the antidote and help him change back.'
[That could take who knows how long.]
To this, Severus just tutted twice.
'Since when did you start caring about him? I never knew you'd become so magnanimous? I bet the issue isn't really with him.'
Ghost Snape said coldly,
[I'd rather care about the corpses in the graveyard than a dog with no upbringing! I'm thinking, what if Harry later finds out you tampered with it secretly...]
'This, you really don't need to worry about at all,' Severus said offhandedly, 'After tonight's events, do you think Harry will go ask Lupin and the others about why you and those four were so at odds back at Hogwarts?'
Ghost Snape fell silent, not answering. He clearly also realized that Harry would definitely go ask Lupin and Sirius about the past events.
'And with Lupin there, things will be explained to Harry in the most truthful and accurate way. The you from the school days certainly wasn't a good person, but at least you were self-destructively dabbling in dark magic, joining bad circles. You never actively provoked those four, and it was always them who deliberately offended and bullied you.'
Speaking of this, Severus couldn't help but laugh.
'Even Harry, who originally detested you, after learning about those past events, thought his father and his group went too far. Not to mention he's now my student. After learning those things, he will definitely side with us, not Sirius and them.'
'In that case, even if he later finds out I tampered to make Sirius like this, so what? My almost prank-level method of payback, so when Harry finds out, he'll only praise my magnanimity, never think I'm being petty.'
Hearing this, Ghost Snape just said in a cold, hard voice,
[I hope everything turns out as you say.]
By now, Severus was already lying in bed, ready to sleep for the night. He offered one last reassurance.
'After all we've been through, you still lack confidence in me now? Instead of worrying about this, think more about what we should do if we really find your former master.'
Just as Severus was falling asleep-
As he predicted, Harry was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.
His mind was full of the conversations he heard earlier in Severus's room. Although he had learned a lot, his doubts and questions had also multiplied.
Today was the first time he understood that the conflict between his father and Severus wasn't just between two individuals, but between a group of four and one person.
What happened during their time at Hogwarts, and what role his mother played in this relationship, made Harry intensely curious.
After lying in bed for over half an hour unable to sleep, Harry finally sat up again.
He knew Lupin and Sirius probably wouldn't be asleep this early, so he wanted to go ask them now about the truth of those past events.
When he got up for the second time, the Puffskein was still fast asleep. It seemed rather listless lately, sleeping most of the day, almost unshakably regular.
Sneaking out of his room, Harry quietly went to Lupin's door and knocked softly.
If Draco discovered he was out looking for Lupin and Sirius, he'd definitely want to stay and listen too, and then Harry wouldn't be able to ask anything.
He didn't have to wait long. Two or three seconds after the knock, Lupin opened the door from inside.
Seeing Harry, he looked surprised.
"It's so late, shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I can't sleep, Remus!" Harry pleaded with him, "You and my... godfather were my dad's best friends, right? You also had conflicts with Professor back then, right? I want to know what happened between you all! If I don't learn the truth tonight, there's no way I can fall asleep!"
Just as Lupin, hearing Harry's words, was still hesitating, Sirius, who had also heard Harry from behind Lupin, grew impatient.
"Let him in, Remus! He's James's son! He has the right to know! We need to let him know what that Snivellus was really like!"
Hearing Sirius's voice from the radio, Harry couldn't help but frown.
He deeply disliked Sirius calling Severus 'Snivellus'!
Hearing Sirius's words, Lupin could only sigh helplessly, fully open the door, and let Harry in.
Entering Lupin's room, Harry could tell they had been talking for a long time.
On a small side table were two cups of tea, suggesting they planned to talk through the night even if Harry hadn't come.
"As your godfather, I'm very happy you want to actively learn about the past, Harry!"
Sirius's voice from the No. 3 radio was very resonant. Initially, he had disliked the thing Nicholas put around his neck, but now he had to be grateful for it, as it allowed him to speak even in his Animagus form!