In the great hall of Riddle House, Snape gradually broke free from his memories, his wand clenched in his hand as he prepared to complete the final task Dumbledore had assigned him: kill Nagini the Serpent…
If he was not mistaken, this was the seventh Horcrux that Voldemort was about to destroy!
Apart from Harry, Hufflepuff's golden cup was most likely destroyed by Ivan, as evidenced by the fact that Voldemort was furious when Gringotts was breached by the Dark Lord and asked him to find out where it was.
If Voldemort failed to create a new Horcrux during this time, he would lose his immortality after killing Nagini, and would die an eternal death if he lost the battle!
"What a shame…" Snape sighed. With the right setup, he would have been able to get rid of Lord Voldemort with the help of Ivan Hals.
However, he was very worried that something unexpected would happen, so he did not dare to involve the other party. Now, he could only watch as this opportunity passed.
Sighing to himself, Snape quickly composed himself. He could not afford to push his luck. At the heart of this plan was the removal of Harry's identity as a Horcrux, followed by ensuring the safety of both of them. Too much risk-taking would only increase the likelihood of his exposure…
"It's time to act…" Snape glanced at Harry, who was lying unconscious on the floor. After a moment's thought, he cast a Disillusionment Charm on Harry, took a deep breath, and used his magic to drag Harry down to the basement of the Riddle House.
Ever since the attack on Gringotts over a month ago, Voldemort had been hiding Nagini, although the exact location was unknown to even him.
After all, Voldemort did not have enough trustworthy people to create a second safe house, and Harry had the ability to sense the snake, so even if Voldemort placed Nagini in the mountains, he would be caught by Ivan Hals.
As for why Harry had to be brought along?
Naturally, since Voldemort could return at any time, he would not have the time to move Harry to a safe place and return for the mission. Instead, he might as well take the unconscious Harry with him. It would be easier for him to escape then!
As Voldemort's "most loyal" subordinate, Snape was well aware of the deep connection between Nagini and Voldemort.
Snape guessed that Voldemort would sense his attack, so he had to move fast, kill Nagini and retreat within minutes!
As he tried to come up with a plan, Snape made his way deeper into the house. He could hear a strange hissing sound coming from underground, and with a jolt, he realised that he had been right. Nagini was still in the house.
However, as they drew closer, Snape realised that something was wrong. The low hissing was becoming loud and noisy, and the stone tiles on the ground were slippery with slime.
Tens of thousands of snakes of different sizes were crammed into a room that was hundreds of square feet wide. As far as the eye could see, the snakes were coiling around each other…
… .
Am I dead?
Harry floated in mid-air, asking himself over and over again. He could not feel anything outside, but strangely enough, he was conscious, so he clearly remembered being hit by Voldemort's Killing Curse…
Oh yes, and Snape, he betrayed us all … the thought struck Harry, and a wave of anger washed over him, forcing his eyes open.
All he could see was white. He looked around and felt as if he were lying in a bright mist. Everything around him was hazy, illusory, and ethereal…
Harry sat up quickly, then realised a more serious problem — he was naked!
Even though there did not seem to be anyone else there, he was so embarrassed by the discovery that he forgot to consider whether he was dead or alive, and was desperate to find some clothes.
For some reason, as soon as he had this thought, a robe appeared next to him, and Harry quickly put it on, not wanting to think too much about it.
Could this be what happens after death, Harry thought as he looked around, remembering the robes that had suddenly appeared, and realised that he could somehow control this place …
As expected, as soon as he had this thought, the surroundings changed according to his imagination. The white fog gradually dissipated, and a towering, bright hall soon appeared before his eyes.
It was all as he had imagined, except for the strange object that had mysteriously appeared close to him.
Harry took a few steps closer and saw that it was a small, naked child. The child's red skin was rough, as if it had been skinned, and it was lying shivering under a seat, struggling to breathe.
Harry was terrified. The creature was small and weak, but it still frightened him.
After much hesitation, Harry steeled himself and inched his way over.
The strange baby-sized creature lay curled up on the ground, whimpering, and Harry could feel its pain even though he didn't want to get too close.
"You can't help it, Harry."
A gentle, familiar voice came from behind him, and Harry turned in surprise to see Dumbledore, wearing a dark blue robe, walking towards him.
Harry instantly forgot everything else and began to speak anxiously. "Professor, Snape…Snape betrayed us, he brought me to Lord Voldemort…and Voldemort used the Killing Curse on me…"
"Take your time, Harry, we have plenty of time," Dumbledore reassured him, adding, "In fact, I'm curious about what happened to the wizarding community in my absence."
Harry's excitement subsided a little, and he began to recount what had happened after Dumbledore's death, with emphasis on the fact that Snape had betrayed Harry's trust in Voldemort.
Dumbledore listened without comment, and when Harry finished, he said apologetically, "I hope you will understand his actions, Harry."
"What?!" Harry was taken aback.
"Because Severus did as I instructed," Dumbledore said, raising his eyebrows in mock praise. "I must say, he did well, at least better than I expected!"