"So, what do you want me to do?" Snape asked, looking calmly at this junior schoolmate.
Foolish, arrogant, haughty—these traits brought the Malfoy family's disaster today. If not for past connections, Snape wouldn't even have opened the door for them.
"See, you can't waffle like them in the future, or the consequences will be dire."
In the blind spot of consciousness, the dragon teased the rat.
"I know I shouldn't come here. The Dark Lord forbade me from revealing these things."
Narcissa picked up her tea and took a sip. The bitterness made her already pale face even more drawn.
"If the Dark Lord instructed you not to say something, then you shouldn't say it."
Snape stood in the shadows holding his teacup, his cold gaze sweeping over Narcissa, making her shiver.
"Cissy, I told you he couldn't be trusted."
Bella walked up, pressing her wand against Snape's throat.
"You traitor, where were you during the fourteen years the Dark Lord was dormant? Did you search for her!" Green light began emanating from the wand tip.
"I must tell you, I truly thought she had passed away. I chose to protect myself, teaching at Hogwarts and collecting intelligence on Dumbledore. Five years ago, the Dark Lord didn't give me her trust. The fact that she hid in Quirrell wasn't revealed to anyone; otherwise, I would have done everything to help. And after she was resurrected, I spent enormous effort to deceive Dumbledore and rush to her side. Also, if not for me, how could you have received word to rush to the Department of Mysteries and severely injure their core member Sirius Black?"
Snape's perfect rhetoric left Bella speechless.
She turned her head and saw the dragon sitting on the sofa.
The dragon's exquisite face wore an alluring smile, his excellent figure unmistakable under the tight suit.
"Bonjour, this is the French Nicolas taught me, though I'm not very fluent."
"Aiden Prewett!" Bella's eyes widened.
"Avada Kedavra." Faster than her own reaction was her hand. A Killing Curse shot straight at Aiden.
Aiden extended his index finger to block the curse. A wisp of green smoke rose from his hand.
Bella, seeing she finally hit him, smiled. However, the next second, her smile froze.
Aiden appeared before her, his index finger pressed against her forehead.
"Bonne nuit."
Aiden pushed. Bella fell. She felt the floor behind her shatter as she entered an endless nightmare.
In the dream, she repeatedly watched her great master being proposed to by a young man with stubble, shyly abandoning them all.
Snape and Narcissa watched Bella convulse on the ground, and both took a small step back.
Aiden turned his gaze on the two.
Narcissa knelt immediately.
"Please, please, Head of House Prewett, spare my son. I'm willing to pay with my life."
Though humble, though the Malfoys had done many terrible things, her maternal love was genuine.
Humans are such complex creatures—good and evil, cruelty and compassion, nobility and humility—coexisting without conflict.
"Stand up."
Magic surged from Aiden's mouth. Words under magic's enhancement became spells.
Narcissa felt her body move uncontrollably. She closed her eyes, preparing to meet her end.
"I ask you, what can you do for your son?" Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"Everything, I can give everything!" Narcissa clenched her fists.
"Very well. From today, you will become my spy within Voldemort's ranks."
Aiden gestured with his finger. A mysterious symbol appeared in Narcissa's palm, flickering before disappearing.
After finishing, Aiden snapped his fingers. Bella furrowed her brow, seeming about to wake.
"In front of Bella, make an Unbreakable Vow with her. You will personally cast the Killing Curse at me and ensure the spell hits me."
Aiden waggled the finger that just blocked Bella's Killing Curse at them, then a passage opened in the air and he walked through.
The moment Aiden's front foot crossed the threshold, Bella woke. She looked around confusedly for a while, not remembering at all what just happened.
The dragon's ability to toy with minds chilled the other two Slytherins present, but they didn't dare expose Aiden.
"What happened?" Bella asked the two.
"You just passed out. Have you been harmed by some Dark Magic recently?" Narcissa seamlessly continued.
"Oh, maybe, but don't worry about me, Cissy," Bella said, standing up.
"Alright, we need to make an Unbreakable Vow. I will ensure Draco's safety, and you will be the witness."
Snape extended his hand, addressing Bella, who stared at Snape in amazement.
"Take out your wand."
Snape commanded Bella in an imperative tone.
Narcissa extended her hand and clasped it with Snape's. Bella also followed Snape's instruction and pointed her wand at their joined hands.
Golden-red threads spread from where their palms touched. The oath was about to begin.
"Will you watch over Draco Malfoy as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's task?"
"I will."
After Snape spoke, the golden-red threads flickered.
"Will you protect him from harm during the task?"
"I will."
The threads flickered again.
"And if Draco fails, will you carry out what the Dark Lord ordered him to do?"
Bella's face had pressed close to Snape's shoulder.
"I will. If he fails, I will cast the Killing Curse at Aiden Prewett and ensure the spell hits him."
Snape looked seriously at Bella. An Unbreakable Vow, along with Snape's own oath, was established between them.
The storm descended from the sky, burying this vow in Spinner's End.
Also swept up by the storm was a subway station somewhere in London.
In a small café beside the subway station, a boy was intently reading a yellowed newspaper.
The headline read: Where Is Our Hope? The Savior Star of the Wizarding World.
The Wizard Daily had poached several writers from the Daily Prophet. They didn't care at all about their previous smear campaign against a young man, instead heaping praise on him.
At the same time, the Millennium Bridge had been blown apart. News across Muggle society was overwhelmingly reporting this sudden accident. The radio in the café was broadcasting this news.
"Harry Potter," the café waitress said, coming over and bringing him a cup of coffee. "Who's that?"
"No one," Harry said, smiling at her.
"It's me," a gentle young voice spoke up beside them.
"Ai!" Harry's eyes widened.
"Shh!" Aiden raised his index finger to his lips while removing them from the waitress's perception.
The waitress, who had been preparing to eavesdrop on their conversation, found they had disappeared and collected the coffee in disappointment.
"Wait, we haven't finished yet," Harry said, wanting to call her back, but she couldn't hear his voice at all.
Harry understood instantly—Aiden must have cast some kind of magic.
"Have you had a good summer?" Aiden said.
"Yeah, I like riding trains. It lets me forget my troubles," Harry said, smiling shyly.
"So, did you come looking for me because you have something?"
Harry looked at Aiden, who was unfolding the Wizard Daily Harry had been reading.
"Rumors are always terrifying, aren't they? They say Dumbledore is old and might die soon."
Aiden shook the newspaper, turned to the page he mentioned, and read with relish.
"Nonsense, how could Dumbledore? He's only..."
"115 years old, Harry. He's already an old man."
Aiden returned the newspaper to him.
"But we're not here to discuss these things. I came here on Dumbledore's behalf. Now grab onto me."
"Grab where?"
"Anywhere."
Then Harry reached out and grabbed Aiden's dragon horn.
"Hey," the carefree Savior grinned mischievously.
"Quite bold," the dragon said, raising an eyebrow, and pulled him into the collective unconscious sea.