The only class they seemed to have together was Magic History.
"Then I'll take my leave." Snape turned and prepared to leave.
Harry hadn't expected to run into Snape here, and he was startled when he opened the door.
"Why not say hello, Potter, and what is that expression on your face?" Snape gave him a cold glance, "No manners towards a professor... Gryffindor loses five points."
Harry was so enraged his face twisted a bit; he really didn't expect Snape to be so shameless as to come up with such an outrageous reason for deducting points.
But Snape didn't care about his feelings and quickened his pace as he left.
"Well then, Professor Dumbledore, I also..."
In the Headmaster's Office, Kael was about to leave too, but was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
"You may need to wait a bit longer, Kael." Dumbledore said, "I personally find some memories quite interesting. Just to pass the time. How about it?"
Kael looked at Dumbledore, feeling that he seemed a bit strange... But since he had put it that way, Kael didn't insist on leaving.
"Kael, you're here too?" Harry, who was sulking, became cheerful as soon as he noticed a familiar face in the Headmaster's Office.
"Professor, what are we going to watch today?" He asked Dumbledore.
"As it happens." Dumbledore took out his Pensieve, already filled with memories, the silvery light swimming around like fish inside the basin.
"This time, what we're going to watch includes an episode about Voldemort's mother Merope, and the memory was provided by Caractacus Burkes, who once founded a shop, selling that Opal Necklace a few days ago."
"Borgin and Burkes?"
"That's right." Dumbledore swirled the Pensieve like a gold prospector sieving gold, and amidst the swirling silvery substance, a small old man's figure emerged.
...
Meanwhile, in the castle, after leaving the Headmaster's Office, Snape strode into the Slytherin common room and, ignoring the puzzled looks of everyone, unceremoniously dragged the daydreaming Malfoy away from the fireplace.
The two of them ended up in an empty corridor.
"Let go of me..." Malfoy struggled free from Snape's grasp, "What do you want!"
"I should be the one asking that." Snape said with a grim face, "Putting a charm on a Gryffindor to make her hand over a piece of Dark Magic item to Kael... Do you know what you're doing?
"Don't lie, I know you bought that necklace from Borgin and Burkes!"
"It wasn't me!" Malfoy stiffened his neck and said, "Alright, even if it was me, so what. Whether I put a charm on Bell, what's it got to do with you?"
"I swore to your mother to protect you." Snape pinned Malfoy against the corridor wall directly, "I made an Unbreakable Vow, Draco..."
"Looks like you'll have to break this charm; I don't need protection." Malfoy looked at Snape defiantly, "This is my task, assigned to me!"
"Then you should devise a more comprehensive plan, instead of acting impulsively." Snape lowered his voice, "It's incredibly foolish, even Kael has already guessed it was you!"
"Impossible." Malfoy sneered, "That idiot, he actually thought I helped him and had McGonagall give me extra points."
"You're the real fool. Can't you see his purpose in doing this?" Snape said, his voice tinged with frustration, "Do you think if this gets to the Dark Lord's ears, he'd take it kindly!
"The touching cooperation between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, isn't it?"
Malfoy fell silent, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
...
"I'll help you with this." Snape said after a while, "But remember, don't do anything foolish for the time being, especially don't target Kael anymore. In some ways, I'd rather you direct your efforts against Dumbledore."
"But I almost had it before!"
"You never had a chance!" Snape said coldly to Malfoy, "Perhaps you didn't know, but Kael knows Nicolas Flamel, and his achievements in Alchemy far exceed your imagination."
"Nicolas Flamel? The old wizard who's lived over six hundred years?" Malfoy blinked blankly, "That's impossible... How could he know such a legendary wizard."
"Do you think I'd joke about this?" Snape took a deep breath, "Anyway, he most likely knew from the start what was in that package, and how dangerous it was, do you really think he'd blindly reach out to touch it?"
Malfoy said nothing.
"Fortunately, you wised up in the end and called off that clumsy, foolish plan in time, sparing Kael from coming into contact with that necklace."
"This way, at least on the surface, you helped him." Snape paced on the spot, "Listen to me, Draco, in the coming period, you must avoid Kael as much as possible, especially don't be alone with him, this is crucial."
Malfoy remained silent.
"Moreover, what exactly is your plan..."
"I know what you're up to, you want to take credit for my work!" Malfoy suddenly said.
"Taking credit... You sound just like a child." Snape said coldly, "I'm helping you!"
"I don't need it!" Malfoy forcefully shook off Snape, "I'll find a way myself."
Snape watched Malfoy's retreating figure, his face constantly changing expressions, and only left the corridor from the other end after a long while.
...