Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0181 Unexpected Visit

"What's going on?" 

Lupin looked at the door in the direction of Bryan's alarmed gaze, and he repeated his words in confusion, "What do you mean?" 

Bryan did not answer, he adjusted his sitting posture, leaned on the back of the chair, and smiled and waited for the wooden door that was about to be covered to be knocked on, but what actually happened was much more intense than expected. 

Boom! 

As if someone had detonated a bomb at the door, the fragile door panel of Bryan's cozy residence instantly turned into flying debris in the violent roar, the rapidly expanding air wave wrapped in smoke and dust raged from the entrance hall and rushed into the living room, Instantly sweeping over Bryan's face. 

Buzz! 

The milky-white barrier that appeared out of thin air blocked the bullet-like sharp wood chips and rolling dust. Bryan was shocked and stood up from the stool. He really didn't expect that his old Professor would be so furious. 

"Sorry, did I interrupt the reunion of old friends, Lupin!" 

Ignoring the equally surprised Dumbledore's obstruction, Snape sneered and stormed into the room, and when he walked out of the dust and saw the faces of the two people who seemed to be dining in the living room, Snape's expression, as if he was about to take revenge, was instantly frozen! 

The dust floating in the air slowly fell, and the half-moon lens cut through a fleeting light. Dumbledore shook his beard helplessly, carefully stepping on the rubble and rotten wood that was wet by the rain, and followed into the living room. 

One second, two seconds, three seconds. Silence became the main theme in the living room. 

Remus was stunned by Snape's impulsiveness, Dumbledore's hands crossed and pressed his beard on his lower abdomen, staring at the enchanted crude storm on the ceiling with interest, Bryan with tight lips and Snape with red cheeks looked at each other, the atmosphere in the room was weird and awkward. 

Cough cough-

Looking at Professor Snape's face, who looked as ugly as if he had swallowed a few juicy slugs, Bryan blinked innocently, and then, a bright smile appeared on his face, 

"Long time no see, Professor Snape, are you here to celebrate Halloween with me?" 

"Bryan Watson!" 

Snape clenched his wand, his face twitched slightly, he looked at Lupin for a while, and then looked at his proud student who hadn't seen him for more than half a year, and finally couldn't help but 'roar', 

"Tell me, why are you here!" 

"Now you understand, Severus?" 

Dumbledore took out his wand and restored the damage caused by Snape one by one, and looked at him kindly and said, 

"Remus did not help Black break into the castle, he stayed with Bryan all night, I think, you don't think Bryan is also Black's helper, do you?" 

Dumbledore's short sentence has told everyone the most important information. Lupin, who was stimulated, turned pale on his cheeks that were red from drinking, and the knuckles of his hand pressed on the table were also white. He opened his mouth and stared at Dumbledore, his lips seemed to want to say something, but he didn't make any sound. 

"Yes, Remus," 

Dumbledore answered the question in Lupin's eyes in a calm tone, 

"Just tonight, Black broke into Hogwarts, he tried to get into the Gryffindor common room and do something." 

Hearing this, Bryan's eyelids trembled. The mark he planted on Harry during the summer vacation still exists, which means that Harry has not been kidnapped or had left the area around Hogwarts. 

"–Fortunately, Black did not succeed, no young wizard was injured, only a portrait was severely damaged." 

Dumbledore continued, "We launched a search in the castle, but we haven't found Black's trace yet, Lupin, if you don't mind, I hope you can go back to the castle now and help Minerva and others continue their search for Black." 

Lupin left without saying a word, and he didn't even have time to say anything to Bryan. He grabbed his cloak and ran out of the door, leaving behind a trail of regret and guilt.

The thunderstorm that raged for several hours finally stopped, and above the sky, the gale swept away the clouds, and the moon that was about to be full was looming in the clouds. Its pale light cast a shadow on Lupin's face, making him look more haggard and restless.

"You knew it a long time ago–" 

As soon as Lupin left here, Snape, who felt he had been fooled, burst out the anger in his heart. He moved his gaze away from Bryan, who had always been innocent, and stared at Dumbledore with a blue face. He clenched his fists and his voice trembled with rage. 

"You knew Bryan was in Hogsmeade a long time ago, Dumbledore, but you didn't tell me anything!"

"Oh, sorry, Severus, are you angry that I hid Bryan's whereabouts from you?" 

Standing in this living room with a low ceiling from the ground, Dumbledore's head was almost stuck into the rolling thundercloud. 

To avoid embarrassment, he sat directly on Lupin's seat. Hearing Snape's question, a smile appeared on his old face. He stroked his long silver beard and looked at Snape with a gentle and calm expression. 

"If that's the case, Severus, I have to defend myself a bit. Although my memory is not as good as before, I don't seem to remember that you asked me to pay attention to Bryan's whereabouts?"

Snape was breathless, and his expression felt like he had swallowed a few more juicy slugs. He glared at Dumbledore, who seemed to be playing with him, and felt a surge of resentment in his chest. 

"What about you, Bryan" 

Snape gasped and stared at Bryan who had an 'innocent-me' face, he pursed his lips and burst out word by word, "You obviously left Hogwarts, why did you come back, and how did you get together with that-!" 

"Uh, actually it's like this–" 

Bryan scratched his cheek, showing a clear smile, but before he could make up some ghost stories such as Hogsmeade is surrounded by mountains and rivers, the environment is quiet, and he has been fighting outside for many years and he is tired and wants to settle here, he was interrupted by Snape's angry tone. 

"I need you to tell the truth, Bryan!" 

Bryan blinked and continued to put on an innocent face. In a daze, he seemed to have returned to the scene of conversation he had after Snape caught him for secretly boiling forbidden potions in school. 

"For money-" Bryan said succinctly, "Black's bounty, fifty thousand Galleons!" 

How to say, regarding this answer, Snape was not too surprised, he didn't know Bryan for the first time today, when he was in and out of school, this guy did everything to get himself some Galleons. 

"Ha, fifty thousand Galleons–" 

Snape stared at Bryan, as if teaching a younger generation who had gone astray, and said angrily 

"Do you think you can get this money, Bryan, huh? Black. That dirty, annoying-…. , traitor, but since he can escape from Azkaban, do you think you can handle him?!" 

"What do you mean by that, Professor Snape?" 

Bryan smiled, he responded to Snape's angry eyes, his tone was relaxed, but he showed a very strong confidence, "I'm afraid you have a little misunderstanding about my current ability, professor, in today's wizarding world, except for the old man outside who is eavesdropping on our conversation, I don't think there is any wizard worthy of my serious treatment. In fact, what you should care about is, can Black handle me?" 

Bryan's almost arrogant words stunned Snape, he looked up and down at Bryan, looking at the young wizard in front of him who was both his most admired student and like his younger brother, and he suddenly felt that he was a bit strange. 

"The growth of young people is so dazzling, Severus"

Dumbledore looked up at the pure and flawless starry sky after the thick clouds dispersed, and smiled and continued, "So that we always tend to ignore it subconsciously." 

Bryan lowered his eyes and smiled, without uttering a single word. 

But Snape was confused by Dumbledore's sincere praise. Indeed, Bryan was the most outstanding young wizard he had ever seen in his teaching career, and even in his thirty years of life. He even thought that he might not be able to suppress the current Bryan, but-

'Except for Dumbledore, no one can deal with me'

That was what Bryan had said, with a confident and arrogant tone, as if he was stating a fact. And Bryan's arrogant self-evaluation actually got the recognition of the greatest wizard of their generation, which confused him.

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