Ever since the news of Voldemort’s defeat and escape had spread, Hogwarts had become a hive of activity. More and more people—some familiar, most not—were pouring in from every direction.
Among them were students’ parents, some just looking for information, and even a few bold enough to come purely out of curiosity. After all, anything involving Voldemort wasn’t the kind of spectacle most people dared to get close to.
But once these visitors arrived and confirmed that the rumors were true—that Voldemort had really fled—they would immediately rush to spread the news further.
This only brought more and more people to the castle, and before long, a large crowd of wizards had gathered, making the place feel chaotic and noisy.
If there was any corner of Hogwarts that could still be called quiet that day, it was probably the Forbidden Forest, where bright sunlight streamed through the thick canopy, falling softly onto a bed of fallen leaves.
Dragons soared overhead, but they didn’t disturb the nearby Hogwarts Castle at all. The people there seemed completely unaware, still chatting, celebrating, and going about their business as usual.
“As you can see, this is the truth.”
In the garden, Kyle looked at Kanna, who was quietly crying, and said gently, “Professor Snape wasn’t a Death Eater through and through. He was actually on our side—and in an even more dangerous position.”
Kanna had woken up half an hour ago. She’d been sitting there ever since, hollow-eyed, lost in thought.
It was then that Kyle had arrived, carrying the Pensieve, and let her see the truth—or rather, part of it.
Before returning here, Kyle had taken time to edit Snape’s memories, trimming out the less flattering parts—like the one he’d nearly witnessed himself.
He figured Snape probably wouldn’t want Kanna seeing the grudges and humiliations of his school years—the darker bits of his past.
At first, Kyle had thought about simply splitting the memory in half, cutting away the school-era drama. But that proved impossible. Too much of it hinged on a single key figure: Lily Evans.
Without the context of Snape’s school life, his later decision to become a double agent would have made no sense at all. It would’ve seemed abrupt and unconvincing, lacking any emotional or logical foundation.
So Kyle had to abandon that seemingly easy plan and settle for a far more tedious one.
It had taken considerable effort, but in the end, he managed to put together a version of the memory that was both coherent and—at least somewhat—respectful of Snape’s dignity as an elder. Otherwise, he’d have returned much sooner.
Honestly, after going to this length, if Snape still held a grudge against him in the future, then there really was something wrong with the man’s character.
Of course… that was assuming Snape survived.
Kyle turned toward Kanna, just as she looked up and met his gaze.
“I kind of already knew,” Kanna said, wiping her reddened eyes. “The first time I saw him at the Astronomy Tower, that’s what I felt. But I didn’t dare believe it. I thought I was just imagining it—what I wanted to believe.”
“Is it possible… that it was just what you wanted to believe?” Kyle asked cautiously, watching her face.
“Professor Snape stayed undercover among the Death Eaters for over ten years without being exposed. Do you really think you could see through him with just a glance?”
“Maybe. I don’t know,” Kanna said quietly, her eyes fixed on the Pensieve. “I didn’t really see through him. I just thought… his eyes didn’t look like the others’.”
“His eyes?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “When he looked at Bill and the others, his gaze was calm. None of the hatred or madness you see in the other Death Eaters.”
“Is that so...” Kyle pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond.
He honestly couldn’t say whether she was right or not.
He hadn’t seen Snape on the battlefield—and even if he had, he wouldn’t have been staring into the man’s eyes. Even back in school, that wasn’t something he made a habit of doing.
Staring into the eyes of a Legilimency master? That was just asking for trouble.
Only people who’d ever done that—willingly or not—were Kanna... and Harry, back in his first year.
“Well... if you say so,” Kyle said with a small smile. “But still, deciding he was a good person and chasing after him based on just one look? What if he was a Death Eater? What if he decided to kill you for the sake of the cause?”
“I wasn’t really thinking at the time. I just wanted an answer,” Kanna replied. “Uncle Snape wouldn’t kill me... and anyway, I was right, wasn’t I?”
“That was just luck,” Kyle said, unable to help himself. “Look at the Crouch family. Barty Crouch Jr. went to ridiculous lengths trying to kill his own father—like it was the only way to prove his twisted loyalty to Voldemort. And in the end, he still…”
Kyle trailed off with a sigh, shaking his head slightly. “When it comes to Death Eaters, family doesn’t count for much.”
“Yeah… I understand…” Kanna’s voice softened, as if sensing Kyle’s mood had shifted. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Kyle said with a shake of his head. “Just feeling a little conflicted.”
“Because of Barty Crouch?”
“Yeah. I always thought he got what he deserved. But when I saw him so broken, trying again and again to die along with Barty Jr.… I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.”
Kanna stayed silent.
She had never met Barty Crouch and didn’t know him well—so she had no idea how to comfort Kyle.
“Forget it, let’s drop the subject.” Kyle shook his head, took a deep breath, and said half-jokingly, “Wizards tend to live pretty long, after all. Bartemius Crouch surviving this time around still makes him relatively young. If he can sort himself out, there’s plenty of time to start fresh with a new identity.”
“Let’s talk about you.” Kyle turned back to Kanna. “Do you remember what happened after you followed Snape?”
“Most of it, though I doubt any of it’s particularly useful.” Kanna paused, thinking carefully.
“Looking back now, Uncle Snape could’ve easily shaken me off halfway through, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept just enough distance, like he was deliberately leading me somewhere.”
“Where?”
“The corridor to the North Tower,” Kanna said. “The one we use to get to Divination class—opposite the Quidditch Pitch. It’s really remote. Hardly any students or professors go there under normal circumstances.”
“Even when I was chasing after Uncle Snape, not a single person was around.”
“Meticulous planning,” Kyle muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?” Kanna didn’t catch it.
“I said Snape must’ve led you there on purpose,” Kyle replied. “He wanted you to spend the battle in a safe place. He even risked leaving you with his old rival—Sirius.”
“Though he probably didn’t expect Sirius to run into a few Death Eaters trying to sneak around, and end up getting chased straight onto the Quidditch Pitch nearby.”
“Death Eaters trying to sneak around?”
“Ah, just a minor episode—not important. What matters is that you know Snape isn’t a Death Eater.”
Kyle waved it off and smoothly changed the subject.
“Seriously, a lot of wizards out there have a real problem with him right now. If you hear something unpleasant, don’t let it get to you. They don’t know the truth. All they saw was Snape saving Voldemort.”
“I know what to do,” Kanna nodded.
The memory had come just in time, allowing her to finally let go of a heavy burden. Without it, she really didn’t know how she would’ve faced the others.
“Do you remember anything else?” Kyle asked.
“No,” Kanna said after thinking for a moment. “When I caught up with Uncle Snape, I had a ton of questions I wanted to ask. But before I could say anything, he hit me with a Stunning Spell.”
“When I woke up, I was already here.” She looked around, her gaze pausing on the Romanian Longhorn lying nearby, then drifting to the Ironbelly beside it, missing half a wing.
“This is… your suitcase?”
“Why does it look different?”
Seeing so many dragons, her first instinct was that they were inside Kyle’s suitcase. But something felt off—she vaguely remembered it not being this large, or this plain.
She recalled there being a cliff near the forest where time was reversed—during the day it looked like night, and you could watch the Mooncalves dance.
But now, everything was dense forest—lush and deep, tall trees and short ones stretching endlessly into the distance. It looked nothing like what she remembered.
“Ah, yeah, I did put you in the suitcase at first,” Kyle explained, “but later I found this place and thought it was just as good.”
“Where is this?” Kanna asked, curious.
“The Forbidden Forest,” Kyle said. “After I became a professor, I applied to set up a garden here. The school approved.”
“The Forbidden Forest? No way…” Kanna blurted out, “If dragons are flying over the forest, Hogwarts would definitely see it.”
“Well, it’s a long story,” Kyle said, not bothering to explain. Instead, he led her in another direction—until she could see the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle not far off.
That was more convincing than anything he could’ve said, and Kanna immediately accepted that they were indeed in the Forbidden Forest.
“That’s incredible,” she murmured, her eyes returning to the Pensieve in her hands.
“You’ve already watched it twice,” Kyle reminded her. “Instead of a third time, I think we should head to the Great Hall for lunch. You haven’t eaten all day, have you?”
It was nearing noon on the second day now. Kanna had been unconscious the entire time and hadn’t had a bite to eat. Including the pre-battle preparations yesterday, it had been close to a full day without food.
“Right… okay.”
Kanna actually did want to watch the memory one more time, but after Kyle’s reminder, she realized she was genuinely hungry. Reluctantly, she lifted her head and handed the Pensieve back to Kyle.
Kyle took it, first pouring the memory strands back into the glass bottle, then carefully tucking the Pensieve into his suitcase with practiced ease.
He had no ulterior motives. He simply wanted to entrust this valuable alchemical item to Dumbledore for safekeeping.
Right now, Voldemort had only just been defeated, and Headmaster Severus Snape had vanished. If the Ministry refused to let Professor McGonagall resume her position and randomly appointed some new headmaster, what then?
An item like this had to stay with someone trustworthy. Once Dumbledore returned from Nurmengard, Kyle would give it back.
Yes—he was just holding onto it temporarily. Just to make sure no one else got their hands on it. That was all.
With that justification firmly in mind, Kyle handled the Pensieve with even greater confidence.
Afterward, he led Kanna out of the garden and started walking toward the castle.
Kanna showed a lot of interest in Kyle’s wooden house, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that the furniture looked oddly familiar... Ah—of course. The dormitory.
The setup was identical to their old dorm room. You’d never guess a professor lived there.
"I'm just being nostalgic," Kyle shrugged. "The dorms are pretty nice, aren’t they?"
Kanna smiled softly but didn’t say anything.
They strolled leisurely toward the castle. Along the way, Kanna started to speak several times but hesitated each time. It wasn’t until they passed Black Lake and were nearly at the castle gates that Kyle finally noticed and turned to her.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“No… it’s nothing…” Kanna instinctively shook her head, but after a pause, she looked conflicted and quietly asked, “Those memories you showed me… were they all real?”
“Of course. I’ve told you that plenty of times already.” Kyle kept walking without turning around. “They were the memories Snape gave to Harry. I just stumbled across them and brought them back. Why would they be fake?”
“So…” Kanna’s voice grew even quieter, “Uncle Snape… he really liked that witch named Lily Evans?”
Kyle stopped in his tracks, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Now that’s a question for the right person. Ask whatever you want—I know it all.”
“That’s the question I just asked.”
“It’s absolutely true. No doubt about it,” Kyle said. “Think back to that scene in Dumbledore’s office—Snape summoned his Patronus. Remember what he said?”
Kanna thought for a moment. “Uncle Snape said his Patronus had changed.”
“Exactly. That’s the proof,” Kyle said. “A Patronus only changes in the wake of deep emotional upheaval or trauma.”
“Take Tonks, for example—after she fell in love with Lupin, her Patronus changed from a hare to a wolf. And Lily Evans’s Patronus was a doe—the same as Snape’s. Or rather, Snape’s became the same as hers.”
“But… but…” Kanna looked troubled. “She’s Harry Potter’s mother…”
“They weren’t when they were students,” Kyle said casually.
“…Does Harry Potter know?”
“Of course,” Kyle replied, glancing at her. “Like I said, these were Snape’s memories for Harry. I just found them by accident—they were sitting right in the Pensieve, and it was obvious someone had already watched them.”
“Oh…” Kanna murmured, clearly distracted.
“What’s wrong? Feeling a little unsettled?” Kyle asked, grinning.
“Of course not.” Kanna shook her head quickly and said seriously, “Uncle Snape was an adult wizard. He had every right to choose who he wanted to protect.”
“It’s just… the way he treated Harry Potter always felt so off. He was clearly protecting him, but in the end, everyone thought they were enemies.”
Snape’s dislike for Harry had always been out in the open. Any wizard with half a brain could see it.
And with the number of points Snape took from Harry every year, most students probably didn’t lose that much in all seven years combined—and still had some to spare.
That was what Kanna couldn’t wrap her head around.
“Who knows,” Kyle said. “Maybe Snape didn’t want Harry to know the truth.”
“I still think it’s unbelievable.”
“That’s because you haven’t seen enough of the world,” Kyle said. “I suggest you hang out at the Three Broomsticks more often.”
“Why? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“It broadens your perspective—and toughens your nerves,” Kyle said as he stepped onto the castle’s stone steps.
“If a story like this reached the Three Broomsticks, there’d be a second version circulating in five minutes.”
“A second version?” Kanna blinked. “What kind?”
“Snape and James Potter’s legendary grudge, Lily Evans caught in the middle, stealing hearts left and right,” Kyle said with a mischievous grin. “You have no idea how bizarre the imagination of drunk pub-goers can get.”
“What sounds shocking to you about Snape and Harry? To them, that’s just another Tuesday. Stick around long enough, and you’ll find yourself reacting to the craziest stories without batting an eye.”
“You’re serious?” Kanna clicked her tongue.
“Dead serious,” Kyle replied.
“But how do you know all this?” Kanna looked at him as the two of them entered the castle and paused near the entrance to the Great Hall, which was packed wall to wall.
There were a lot of outsiders inside, and most claimed to be there to help Hogwarts, worried Voldemort might return. So even if Professor McGonagall wasn’t thrilled about it, there was no way she could kick them out now.
It was a matter of etiquette.
Still… the Great Hall was a bit too overcrowded.
“Let’s head to the kitchens,” Kyle suggested. “Or the Hufflepuff common room. Either one’s better than staying here.”
“I agree,” Kanna said almost instantly. She wasn’t too keen on eating lunch surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar wizards either. It felt odd.
“You never answered my question,” she said again as they headed toward the kitchens. “How do you know so much about all these secret things?”
“Secret? I wouldn’t call them that,” Kyle muttered. “I know because I’ve lived through them myself.”
“Lived through them…” Kanna’s expression suddenly grew serious, and she shot Kyle a suspicious look. “What exactly were you doing at the Three Broomsticks…? Is there something special going on there?”
“I wasn’t living at the Three Broomsticks,” Kyle replied. “Who told you that?”
“No? Then what were you saying just now…”
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the Three Broomsticks,” Kyle said with a grin. “I meant another place called the Valley Bar. I stayed there for a month.”
“The Valley Bar?” Kanna frowned, thinking hard, but she was sure she’d never heard of it.
“It’s in Godric’s Hollow,” Kyle explained, still smiling. “A bar in a wizarding village, same kind of place as the Three Broomsticks.”