"Bang—Clang—Sizzle—"
The incessant sounds of hammering, crashing, and drilling echoed from the neighboring houses.
How odd, Snape thought. In such a filthy place, Muggles were still willing to move in.
He couldn't make sense of it.
By now, his Silencing Charms had reached a level of mastery.
Grabbing his wand, he gave it a lazy flick, rolled over, and decided to go back to sleep.
"Bang—Clang—Ouch—Hiss—"
Why hadn't the noise stopped?
Had he cast the charm on the wrong spot?
Frowning, Snape waved his wand again—
This time, silence fell.
Closing his eyes, Snape was about to drift off when a thought suddenly struck him—
Wasn't there a faint "ouch" mixed in with the construction noises just now?
His eyes snapped open, and he strained his ears to listen carefully—
Only to realize that the hissing groans seemed to be coming from inside his own house!
Throwing on his robe, Snape bolted out of his bedroom, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight before him—
His fireplace had exploded!
The dirt that had been used to seal it was scattered all over the floor, and the panels and shattered bricks had been flung across the room.
Amid the chaos sat a figure, clutching his waist and groaning. One of the arms of his glasses was broken, dangling precariously from one ear.
His face and robes were covered in brown-black dirt and dust, with several small Chinese Chomping Cabbages clinging to his arms and hands.
It was none other than his boss, Albus Dumbledore!
...
When Jane Yu groggily descended the stairs, she was greeted by the sight of Snape smearing Dittany onto Dumbledore's face.
To her surprise, Dumbledore's face was mottled with bruises, a mix of blue and red, as if he had taken quite a beating.
Who could possibly injure Dumbledore?
Surveying the scene, her eyes landed on the blown-out fireplace.
Mystery solved.
"What a creative way to welcome guests!" Dumbledore attempted to save face with a wry smile. "Quite ingenious—forcing visitors to dig their way in instead of using the fireplace—I must admit, I didn't see that coming!"
Both Jane and Snape looked at him with peculiar expressions.
"Alright, alright," Dumbledore conceded, raising his hands in surrender. "It seems you've been enjoying your time here! But if you don't mind, Severus, I need to take this child to London."
Jane realized that this was the moment she would uncover the mystery of her origins.
"Of course," Snape replied, even offering a slight bow. "An order from our great Headmaster is one I must obey, especially as his humble subordinate has a fireplace to repair—"
Dumbledore awkwardly rubbed his nose, silently marveling at Snape's ever-sharpening talent for sarcasm.
...
After Apparating—
Jane found herself and Dumbledore standing on an old-fashioned street in London.
The area seemed deserted, with only a few Muggles hurrying past. The surrounding buildings were dilapidated, their facades showing the wear of time.
She quickly realized that Dumbledore had cast spells to make them invisible to passersby.
The two walked along the sidewalk until they reached a rusty iron gate.
The gate swung open under the influence of a spell, revealing a barren, lifeless courtyard. Beyond it stood a square, grim-looking building surrounded by tall fences.
Judging by its decrepit state, the building was clearly a safety hazard and was likely slated for demolition soon.
A few Muggle workers, lazily swinging hammers as they sipped on bottles of beer, looked thoroughly intoxicated.
"How long is this going to take? Next month… or the one after that? And then they want to turn it into an office building…"
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore caused the workers' eyes to glaze over. They promptly dropped their tools and drills.
"Let's go! It's still early. How about we grab a pint at the pub?" they muttered, stumbling off.
Dumbledore led Jane up the steps and into the building's entrance hall.
All the furniture had been removed, leaving the space empty. The walls were peeling, with large patches of plaster scattered across the dusty floor.
"It's been a long time since I last came here," Dumbledore said with a deep sigh. "And you, too, haven't been here in ages."
A strange sense of attraction made Jane shift uncomfortably, though she couldn't retrieve any memories of this place from the depths of her mind.
They continued down the staircase, descending into the basement. The feeling of attraction grew stronger with each step.
Stopping before the basement door, Dumbledore hesitated, withdrawing his hand.
"I think… before you see what's inside… you need some mental preparation, Jane."
His blue eyes were filled with conflict, as if weighing the best way to explain. After a moment of silence, he began:
"Do you remember the first time you met Aberforth and what he said?"
"At the time, I denied it. I didn't want you to relive those fears… But…"
"You were indeed an Obscurial."
The revelation hit Jane like a thunderclap, leaving her brain momentarily frozen. After a long pause, she managed to respond:
"So that's why my Boggart… turns into an Obscurus?"
Dumbledore nodded and continued, "Before the summer break, you asked me how I took you from the orphanage. I think it's time I answered that question."
"That day, as usual, I came here to take you to Hogwarts."
He seemed lost in distant memories, speaking slowly as he pieced together the story:
"Just like fifty years ago, this place was as oppressive as ever. The headmistress viewed magic as the work of demons and lunatics…"
"Fortunately, Confundus Charms work wonders in such situations. When I met you, you spoke very little, and your condition was dire."
He shifted to discussing the theory behind Obscurials:
"As you know, very few Obscurials survive past the age of ten. There are no recorded cases of successful treatment."
"But I could see your desire to live… I realized you might have a chance. I wanted to try."
"I had done extensive research… If a sense of belonging and companionship could replace self-loathing, perhaps an Obscurial could be saved."
He paused, his expression heavy with sorrow:
"When I told you about magic and Hogwarts, I saw your longing for acceptance, but also your immense pain."
"I didn't want to hand you over to the Ministry of Magic… When you had an outburst, I reported it as a typical magical surge in a young witch."
"I stayed nearby for some time, visiting you daily and keeping you separated from the headmistress—"
"Your condition improved. The Obscurus rarely manifested anymore. One day, you asked me to save you."
Piece by piece, Jane pieced together the events from his words:
"So… you expelled the Obscurus from me?"
Dumbledore nodded and pushed open the basement door. The room was protected by layers of secrecy and Muggle-repelling spells.
Jane held her breath as she stepped inside. Suspended within a magical containment field was an ink-like Obscurus.
It was eerily quiet, showing none of the destructive tendencies she had read about. Perhaps it was because it was no longer within her…
But her soul felt an overwhelming pull, as if touching it was the only way to feel whole again.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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