"What!, did that sniveling git give you trouble again?"
"Oh, no, Sirius, I just—"
The words emerged hesitantly from Harry's lips, his face contorting unnaturally as he struggled to conceal the truth from Sirius. The reason for his deception was simple - if Sirius were to learn of Snape's scathing words and actions during the recent Potions class, he would definitely go and cause trouble for Snape. Harry would certainly be happy to see Snape in misfortune, but absolutely not at the cost of Sirius being reprimanded by Professor Dumbledore.
"It's just that Neville had a bit of an incident while brewing the Confusing Concoction," Harry lied, showing Sirius the red marks on his arm that had been splashed by the potion.
"So, I snapped at him a few times."
Sirius looked suspicious. He glanced towards Hermione and Ron, but the two kids were avoiding his gaze.
"Alright, I'll go ask Snape to clarify—"
Sirius was no fool. Seeing this situation, how could he not understand what was going on? Moreover, he probably guessed the reason why Harry had lied to him.
Sirius's expression was calm, not showing much anger, but Harry noticed the veins popping on the back of Sirius's clenched hand. He grabbed Sirius's wrist urgently and said,
"No! Sirius, it's not a big deal, I'm used to it."
"Used to it!??"
Harry's attempt to calm things down through those ill-chosen words proved to be the spark that ignited Sirius's complete rage. With a snapping sound, he shook off Harry's arm and strode towards the dungeon. His terrifying expression startled Neville and the others who had just emerged from the gloomy underground passage. One by one, they leaned against the wall, not daring to obstruct Sirius's path.
"But! I'm not used to watching my own godson be bullied by that sniveling git."
"I'll go stop him. You guys find someone who can resolve this!"
Finally realizing what was happening, Harry shouted urgently over his shoulder as he gave chase to the underground corridor.
Hermione's voice rose in panic, "Resolve this... But, oh, Professor Dumbledore is away from school for a few days!"
"Are you stupid?" Ron grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her towards the marble staircase. "Apart from Professor Watson, who else can stop those two?"
Alas, Sirius was destined to make a wasted trip, as the person he intended to cause trouble for had already come through the office fireplace to Bryan's office.
To be honest, although the two had good relationship, and were now colleagues, Snape rarely visited Bryan's office under normal circumstances. It was Bryan who, when free, liked to stop by Snape's office for a chat, and incidentally, to visit his ex-professor's personal storage room.
The sudden glow of hot, red embers flickering in the fireplace caught the attention of Bryan, who was hunched over his desk, deep in thought about something. Immediately after, Snape emerged from a brilliant spiral of green flames.
Among the Hogwarts faculty, Bryan's office was the humblest, and he was the only one who kept a bed in his office for sleeping. Looking around and confirming there were no other visitors, Snape glanced at the camp bed by the window in the corner and said flatly,
"Why don't you get yourself a proper bedroom?"
"You know I don't care about that—" Bryan answered casually and bent his head back to his own business.
"What are you doing?"
Snape's footsteps carried him towards Bryan's desk, his gaze falling upon what appeared to be ancient manuscripts, their pages yellowed and brittle with age. Bryan seemed engrossed in calculations, the parchments before him were covered in obscure formulae and complex arcane spell patterns. Even Snape's considerable magical knowledge could decipher only a fraction of the intricate workings laid bare before him.
A wizard's research was an extremely private and precious matter, but Bryan did not mind Snape prying into his work. His mind was occupied by his own business.
"An ancient form of meditation that can enhance one's perception of the ebb and flow of magical changes in the surrounding environment. But the entry threshold to grasp it is exceptionally high. As far as I can tell, Luna Lovegood may be the only one at Hogwarts with the talent to potentially master it. I'm trying to see if I can simplify it—"
"Luna Lovegood?" Snape frowned slightly, quickly recalling the person corresponding to the name in his mind. "The odd second-year girl from Ravenclaw? Her Potions grade are average, and she's easily distracted in class. I fail to see how she possesses the talent you mentioned."
Snape had borne witness to Bryan's growth and development; this young man possessed magical talents that Snape had rarely encountered in his lifetime, and to gain Bryan's recognition meant that Snape could not help but harbor a flicker of curiosity.
"The girl is indeed exceptionally gifted, but her talents have not been properly guided, and she herself lacks the right understanding of her own abilities, so... By the way, what brings you here?"
Research required an undisturbed environment. The normally uninviting Professor Snape's visit could not have been merely to pass time. Bryan put his quill back into the ink bottle and rubbed his brow. He gestured for Snape to sit, while he himself went to prepare tea by the fireplace.
Indeed, there was no need to conceal anything between the two of them. Snape sat on the sofa with a somber expression and asked directly,
"Was it you who gave Potter that wristwatch?"
Bryan's movements froze. He squinted, turning his head to look at Snape on the sofa. In an instant, his mind raced with thoughts.
'Did Professor Snape notice that something was wrong with the watch?'
Theoretically, it was impossible. Bryan had very cleverly concealed the true capabilities of the watch with alchemy and magic, and there were many interlocking spells protecting it - Dumbledore could tell something was off about the watch, but even he should not see be able to see through those veils without outright destroying it.
'Could it be on Dumbledore's private instructions?'
Given Dumbledore's attention towards Harry, he must have noticed that watch. Bryan had planned to feign ignorance when Dumbledore inquired about it, So Could it be that Dumbledore anticipated this possibility and sent Snape, who had a closer relationship with him, to inquire covertly?
'But that old man had been away these few days, hadn't he?'
"Indeed, I gifted it to Harry as a token of gratitude for his, Ron's and Hermione's help in the search for the Chamber of Secrets last year. Is there anything wrong?"
Bryan brought the steaming cup of tea over to the sofa, seeming nonchalant as he asked.
Professor Snape was a trustworthy person, but sometimes he was too involved and wanted to get to the bottom of these matters.
"I just came to confirm," Snape said flatly. "You may not be aware of, Bryan, but Potter and his two inseparable friends have a habit of stealing. I have clear evidence that some precious ingredients from my private storage went missing last year, and they were involved in that."
This lie was obviously used to divert attention, and Bryan couldn't fail to see it.
Just then, the fireplace that had just gone out lit up again. Bryan had just turned around when a silver phoenix, swiftly emerged from the swirling flames and hovered in midair.
"Oh, Severus, you're here too—" Dumbledore's aged voice carried a hint of surprise. "I have an important matter to discuss with you in person, Bryan, but since you have a guest, I can come another time."
Snape made a subtle move, as if to take his leave, but Bryan stopped him with a gesture.
"Stay, Professor. If any trouble comes up later, I'll trouble you to help me deal with it."
The corner of Snape's mouth twitched, while Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus looked resigned, leaving the words "Wait a moment" before dissipating like a sand painting, its magic depleted.
After about ten minutes, Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace. He was in a hurry, wearing a purple travelling cloak, It seemed that he had just returned to Hogwarts and had rushed over to Bryan's office without resting.
"Have a seat, Headmaster—"
Bryan gestured for Dumbledore to sit on the sofa. He walked over to the fireplace, picked up a jar, shook it vigorously, and poured out some tea leaves and crumbs.
"What's the matter, Severus--"
Dumbledore noticed the gloomy expression on Professor Snape's face and blinked curiously.
"Is it because of my untimely visit interrupting your pleasant conversation with Bryan? If so, Severus, I can come back another time."
A faint sneer appeared on Snape's lips as he gave a couple of mocking snorts, but did not speak.
"No need—" Bryan came over with a cup of tea topped with a layer of crumbs and smiled. "A few days ago, I gave Potter a wristwatch - as a token of gratitude for his help in finding the Chamber of Secrets last year. Professor Snape was curious about it, as due to some unpleasant past incidents, he mistakenly thought Potter had stolen it from me. In any case, the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
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