After a prolonged wait, two figures gradually materialized in the once desolate corridor—Harry and Ron.

I observed Harry, now kneeling on the ground, his eyes reddened with evident distress.

Ron stood steadfastly behind him, clutching Harry’s waist tightly with one hand while the other covered Harry’s mouth.

A rhythmic “Tick! Tick!” resonated through the empty corridor, punctuating the tense atmosphere.

If one traced the source of the sound, Ron’s hand covering Harry’s mouth was revealed to be dripping with blood.

It was revealed that moments earlier, Harry had an instinctive urge to retaliate after witnessing Snape confiscate his mother’s thousand paper cranes.

“Please, Harry… I know how you feel right now, but hold it in…” Ron whispered.

To complicate matters, Harry had recently discovered that Professor Snape was once a Death Eater, the loyal follower of the notorious Voldemort who had claimed Harry’s parents’ lives.

Snape’s act of seizing his mother’s Paper Crane felt like a personal affront to Harry.

Enraged by the blatant disregard for his family’s sentiment, Harry prepared to confront Snape.

However, Ron, anticipating the brewing confrontation, swiftly intervened.

He embraced Harry from behind, simultaneously muffling any potential outcry by covering Harry’s mouth with his other hand.

Had it not been for Snape’s peculiar behavior, which drew heightened attention from Quirrell and Filch, and Snape losing composure at the sight of Paper Crane, Harry’s recent transformation might have already garnered notice from several onlookers.

While tightly embraced and silenced by Ron, Harry could only watch helplessly as Snape departed with his mother’s precious artifacts.

Harry slowly knelt on the ground when the coast was clear, and everyone else had dispersed.

At that moment, Harry’s invisibility cloak slipped off, gradually unveiling the figures of Harry and Ron.

As Harry regained composure, he remained on his knees, tears streaming down his face.

Sensing Harry’s need for solace, Ron gently released his embrace and withdrew his hand from Harry’s mouth.

Patting Harry’s shoulder tenderly, Ron offered words of comfort, saying, “Stay strong, Harry! I know how you feel about avenging the death of your parents, but trust me, that’s not the right time.”

In response to Ron’s consoling words, Harry shook his head slowly, his voice choked with emotion as he declared, “I will certainly avenge my parents, but before seeking justice for them, I will reclaim my mother’s precious belongings! I won’t allow the accomplices of my mother’s murderer to retain what rightfully belongs to her!”

Upon hearing Harry’s determined words, Ron gazed at him with a touch of sympathy and responded, “But, Harry, you can’t take on Professor Snape alone. Even with me, Hermione, and even that idiot, Draco, joining forces together, we’d still be no match for Snape.”

After a moment of silence, Harry stood up and fixed his gaze in the direction Snape had disappeared. He spoke deliberately, “Then add Wentworth! Include Wentworth’s friends! They’re not your average Hogwarts students.”

“Professor Snape isn’t Professor Dumbledore! I refuse to believe that we can’t stand up to him with all of us together!”

In response to Harry’s determination, Ron, with an embarrassed expression, covered a wound on his hand and remarked, “Harry, even if you and Wentworth are friends, Wentworth might hesitate to intervene in something like this! Remember, you’re dealing with our Hogwarts professor.”

Acknowledging Ron’s cautionary words, Harry nodded and declared, “We have to try at least. If he’s willing to help, I’m ready to pay any price.”

Observing Harry’s resolve, Ron refrained from further objections. He simply patted Harry on the shoulder and asserted, “Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll stand by you no matter what happens.”

Harry turned his head, casting a glance at Ron’s palm as a gesture of apology.

Ultimately, he locked eyes with Ron and expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thanks, Ron. It meant a lot to me.”

Subsequently, the two donned invisibility cloaks and discreetly exited the scene.

“What?! Are you out of your mind? He’s a Hogwarts professor!” Hermione vehemently objected when Ron informed her and Draco of Harry’s intention to reclaim his mother’s relics from Professor Snape.

On the contrary, Draco wore a spectral expression, his gaze fixed on Harry and Ron across the room. He commented, “Brave move, typical Gryffindor—reckless as always!”

Reacting to Draco’s words, Hermione shot an angry glance at Harry and Ron, rolled her eyes, and remarked, “It’s their choice, not ours. They don’t represent Gryffindor!”

With that, Hermione sat down, pointedly leaning against Draco.

Observing Hermione’s response, Ron leaned in to explain to Harry, “We’re not deliberately provoking Professor Snape. He took the only thing possibly left by Harry’s mother! You all know Harry’s parents died at the hands of Voldemort, and Snape used to be a Death Eater. We can’t just stand by and let Death Eaters hold onto her belongings!”

Upon hearing Ron’s explanation, Hermione cast a glance at the silent Harry beside her, and she reluctantly acknowledged that, for a moment, her heart softened.

Even Draco couldn’t help but feel sorry for Harry as he slowly approached him and gave him a gentle pat on the back, “I am sorry, Harry…”

Harry looked at Draco and gave him a slight smile before nodding. “That’s fine, Draco.”

After pondering for a while, Hermione voiced her concerns, saying, “Why are Death Eaters allowed to be professors at Hogwarts? Shouldn’t they be in Azkaban? If we inform Dumbledore about this…”

Before Hermione could complete her thought, Draco, standing nearby, interjected, “I know what you’re about to say—it’s useless! The true Death Eaters are likely already in Azkaban or hiding in some foul ditch.”

“And those who now parade around in the wizarding world as so-called former Death Eaters are mostly wizards who were once under the Imperius Curse, forced to join the Death Eater ranks. The Wizengamot often wrongly accuses innocent wizards,” Draco added with a note of cynicism.

Upon hearing Draco’s remarks, an angered Ron retorted, “How can they be innocent? Is that what they did? Are the wizards in Wizengamot getting paid?”

Initially intending to vent his frustration, Ron was taken aback when Draco nodded in agreement and stated, “Ron, you’ve finally grasped something! In fact, I don’t know if the wizards in Wizengamot are receiving bribes, but my father once mentioned that the entire Ministry of Magic is just another extension of Diagon Alley!”

Draco’s revelation left Ron no choice but to slump back into his seat.

In the midst of the conversation, several observers noticed Harry lowering his head and rubbing his forehead. When he finally raised his eyes, they were red as he declared, “Regardless, I will retrieve my mother’s paper crane. I’m going to ask for help from Wentworth now. If he can rally his friends, we might stand a chance going against Professor Snape!”