I found that I simply couldn't shake off Draco's hand with my own strength. Just as I had managed to reach for the wand in the right pocket of my robe with my left hand with great difficulty, he turned around and said to me, "This is a great opportunity."
"Sorry, what?" I looked at the four huge hourglasses lined up behind him. They were used to record the scores of each house. Just this morning, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were neck and neck in the lead. However, while we were standing there, gems kept flying upwards, and the number of gems in the lower half of the hourglasses was getting fewer and fewer. Only the green gems in the Slytherin hourglass seemed to remain unchanged – it seemed that Umbridge had forgotten the privilege of awarding points to them.
"Professor Umbridge is a reasonable person. She's willing to give you another chance – of course, it's because I spoke up for you," Draco said in a cheerful mood while we were waiting for the stairs. But I didn't pay much attention. I looked up at the huge chandelier. It seemed that Filch hadn't been able to remove all the withered mistletoe that Peeves had stuffed into the openwork patterns of the chandelier during his prank before. Now they just looked like unrecognizable clumps of withered grass. Where there had originally been berries, there were only protruding dry stems left. They were all in a mess, blocking the light overhead and making the shadows at our feet fragmented – perhaps this was exactly why Filch had been constantly shouting these days that he wanted to expel Peeves from Hogwarts. It didn't seem entirely impossible, I thought sarcastically in my heart. Who knew how many Educational Decrees could still be posted on the notice boards of Hogwarts?
Draco tapped lightly three times on the door of Umbridge's office. The sign that used to read "Senior Inquisitor of the Ministry of Magic and Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts" had already been replaced in a hurry with a shiny golden one that said "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts". At that moment, I remembered what Ernie had loudly said in the morning, "The stone gargoyle at the entrance of the Headmaster's Office simply ignores her!" I almost burst out laughing when the door opened.
"I've brought Iris here as you ordered, Madam," Draco said respectfully.
I had never been to Umbridge's office before. To be more accurate, I had been brought here by the fake Moody, but it had completely changed its appearance. Everything was covered with frilly covers and tablecloths. Even under the vase with dried flowers, there were small lace coasters. On the decorative plates on the wall, there were cats with bright bows around their necks. A large wooden sign was placed horizontally in front of the desk where Umbridge was sitting, with the word "Headmaster" written in golden letters on it. If Ron were here, I thought he would suggest that Umbridge might as well just print the word "Headmaster" directly on her face, so that she wouldn't have to spare no effort to emphasize her new status. After all, she had the means to carve words onto people's skin.
At this thought, I instinctively touched the back of my own hand. Umbridge seemed to be busy writing something on those pink pieces of parchment. She was wearing a vivid pink robe today, and she looked as if she was about to blend in completely with the whole office. I caught a glimpse of an extremely sturdy iron bolt nailed to the wall behind her. Three broomsticks were firmly fastened to the iron bolt with chains, and I recognized Harry's Firebolt.
"Thank you, Draco," she carefully rolled up the last scroll of parchment before saying kindly to Draco, "I'm afraid I wouldn't have had time to reply to the Minister's letter today without your help."
"It's our pleasure." I had never seen such a smile on Draco's face before, but the tone of his voice reminded me of the conversation I had overheard between them in the hospital wing that day.
"Come, take a seat," she said softly with a beaming smile, pointing at a chair. "I don't think you have any classes this morning, do you, Miss Snape?"
"No," I replied stiffly. I stumbled and almost fell to the ground as I walked towards the chair. Draco reached out and grabbed my arm. I had anticipated that he would do that. Under his cover, I quickly swallowed the small vial of Veritaserum antidote that I had been holding in my hand before entering the office in the blink of an eye when I lowered my head. A lie is a knife that hurts both others and oneself. At that moment, I deeply understood the meaning of this ancient maxim. I felt that what I had just swallowed was not a liquid, but something sharp, something that was sharp enough to cut open my entire throat. I felt that tears were almost welling up in my eyes.
"What's the matter, dear? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Umbridge widened her eyes in an affected manner, making her look even more like a toad that had spotted a plump fly. However, judging from her expression and Draco's, they didn't seem to have noticed what I had just done. I stuffed the empty glass vial I was holding deep into the pocket of my robe as I sat down.
Could it be that Dad had foreseen this day? I thought inappropriately as I looked at the tray that Umbridge had pushed in front of me. That's why he had used the excuse of detaining me to make me prepare the antidote for Veritaserum.
"What would you like to drink, hmm?" Umbridge asked me with a beaming smile. "Tea? Coffee? I also have pumpkin juice here. Does Draco still like his coffee without milk, just like before?"
"I'd like coffee without milk too," I squinted at her as she waved her wand. A silver long-spouted pot flew over and filled a porcelain teacup with a cat pattern on it. "Exactly the same as his, with nothing added."
"Girls usually prefer sweeter things, don't they?" Her tone became so soft that it was terrifying. "Look, you even stumbled because you're not feeling well. How about adding some milk?"
"She doesn't really like the taste of milk, Professor," Draco interjected beside us.
"No wonder you don't look too well. In my opinion, milk is a good thing," Umbridge nodded at Draco with a smile. "You two really grew up together and know each other well. How about adding two lumps of sugar, Miss Snape?"
"Then I'd rather have milk added," I replied sarcastically. "I've actually been liking the taste of milk recently."
Umbridge stood up and picked up the cup of steaming black coffee in front of me. Pretending to be doing something, she turned her back to me and added something that was definitely more than just milk to the cup. Then she quickly walked around the table with the cup in her hand, and with her short, chubby fingers, she pressed on my shoulder. "Come on, drink it while it's hot, dear."
"I still don't understand why I'm here," I took the porcelain cup, hoping that I looked innocent enough in her eyes. "Have I done something wrong?"
"A lot of unfortunate things happened yesterday," Umbridge returned to her seat and stared intently at me and the cup in my hand. "I'm sorry that your name was on that list, dear. Draco assured me that you, just like Miss Edgecombe, were misled by those so-called friends. He knows you and cares about you, and he spoke up for you a great deal. I have to say, I was deeply touched. Come on, coffee doesn't taste good when it gets cold!"
I glanced at Draco and raised the porcelain cup to my lips, taking a sip.
"Finish it. It's really good coffee. Draco is quite picky about coffee, isn't he?" Umbridge smiled at me. "Do you want some more milk?"
"I don't think so." I drained the hot liquid in the cup in one gulp and my mind started to race, recalling the scene I saw here last year. What was the expression and tone of Barty Crouch Jr. when my dad forced Veritaserum down his throat and he answered the questions? If things went well today, I might be able to take this opportunity to make Umbridge believe some made-up lies. The question was, what exactly did she want to know? But soon I realized that it wasn't going to be that easy. Although I had already taken the antidote, the Veritaserum still had some effect on my thoughts. In my eyes, Umbridge's lips were moving slowly, but her voice reached my ears clearly and in advance.
"Who are you?" I heard this question, and there was a vague voice in my head that was about to answer without thinking. But a louder voice rang out, which was my dad's voice, cold and indifferent, reminding me to think carefully. I was suddenly jolted awake as if I had been poured a basin of ice water, and I heard Draco's somewhat flustered voice, "Professor, what did you give her to drink?"
"Just a little something to make her tell the truth. It's not harmful at all. From now on, don't interfere with us, Draco," I heard Umbridge reply impatiently. She walked up to me and arrogantly lifted my chin, forcing me to look into her eyes. I looked at the ugly cat that kept jumping around in the plate behind her and pretended that my eyes had gone out of focus. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can." I half-closed my eyes and vividly imitated the emotionless tone of Barty Crouch Jr. at that time.
"Tell me who you are," she ordered again. "What do your parents do for a living?"
"I'm Iris Lily Snape," I replied. "My mother, Lily Snape, currently works in the Sports Department of the Ministry of Magic as an ordinary Ministry staff member. My father, Severus Snape, currently works at Hogwarts as a Potions teacher."
"Professor—" Draco tried to interrupt again.
"I've already said it—shut up!" Umbridge turned around angrily and snapped at him. "Do you think Veritaserum is easy to come by?"
I couldn't make any move to defy Umbridge at this moment. Her short, chubby fingers were gripping my chin, and I couldn't see what expression Draco had now.
"Besides, hasn't Dumbledore given them any other positions?" She questioned me. "For example, some secret organization. Dumbledore once had a secret organization. Didn't your parents participate in it?"
"No," I was glad that she was still holding my chin, so she couldn't feel my heart beating faster because of the lie.
"Is it really no, or you just don't know?" She asked suspiciously. "Your parents have a close relationship with Dumbledore, don't they?"
"Dad doesn't like Dumbledore," I said without hesitation. "Because Dumbledore didn't want to give him the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and never told him the reason. He once told Mom that he felt resentful and said that Dumbledore didn't care about his feelings at all."
"In other words, neither you nor your parents know where Dumbledore is now?" She seemed to believe what I said and continued to ask.
"I don't know. I don't think they know either," I replied in that dull tone.
"Look into my eyes," Umbridge said softly to me. "Are Potter and Longbottom plotting against me?"
I saw my own face in her drooping eyelids. I desperately suppressed the anger in my heart so that my answer didn't carry any emotion. "No, they aren't."
"Then what are they doing?" Umbridge asked eagerly. Her fingers were pressing hard, and I could feel my neck making cracking sounds.
"Neville is always worried about whether he can pass the O.W.L. exams. He can't remember so many things. As for Harry, besides preparing for the exams, he's down in the dumps because he can't play Quidditch," I stared into her eyes for a long time and almost shed tears because I forgot to blink. It seemed that this wasn't a high-quality Veritaserum. The voice in my head that was eager to tell all the truths had gradually faded away, leaving only an empty, dull pain.
"All right, it seems that you really don't know anything," Umbridge didn't even bother to hide the disappointment in her tone. "However, I need to remind you, Miss Snape. Whether your parents are involved with Dumbledore or not, I have the entire Ministry of Magic behind me. All of you are under my surveillance, including owls and fireplaces—except for the fireplace here, of course. Mr. Filch will also keep a close eye on all the secret passages. As soon as I find the slightest bit of evidence, the tiniest clue..."
Boom!
The floor of the office shook. Umbridge swayed to one side, and I finally broke free from her fingers. I felt as if my chin didn't belong to me anymore.
"What—?" She looked towards the door, and we both heard people running and screaming several floors below.
"Take her back and let her have lunch. She'll be fine when the effect of the potion wears off!" Umbridge shouted at Draco, who had been ordered to keep quiet from the very beginning. I realized that I still needed to do my duty and act like someone immersed in the hallucination of Veritaserum, who shouldn't have any perception of the surroundings except when answering questions. So, instead of standing up immediately, I watched as Umbridge trotted out of the office.
"Liz, can you hear me?" Draco came up to me and asked. "Are you all right?"
"I can hear you," I thought it would be best to let him keep thinking that the Veritaserum was effective, so I still replied in the previous tone. "I don't feel anything unusual."
I thought for a while and decided that Veritaserum wouldn't affect one's ability to move. So, I didn't react in any other way when he pulled me up. At first, I was worried that I would act as if I had been under the Imperius Curse, but it seemed that Draco didn't know what other side effects Veritaserum had besides making people tell the truth unconditionally.
As soon as I walked out of Umbridge's office, I understood that the chaos downstairs was caused by magical fireworks that had been set off by someone (although two names flashed through my mind immediately). They had already rushed up the stairs along the staircase. There was a huge fire dragon made up of green and golden sparks. The corridor we passed through was filled with bright red flames. Accompanied by huge explosions, the rapidly spinning pink Catherine wheels were shooting out flying saucer-shaped flames in all directions as they rose. It was as if the rockets that would never burn out were dragging long tails made up of silver stars and shooting straight to the top of the castle. Each ray of light could form a swear word. Those letters flashed for a while and then turned into stars and fell down, as if the entire staircase was enveloped by a magnificent meteor shower.
I think for today's children, this kind of scene is not at all strange. After all, almost all parents, due to their children's pleading, will buy some Weasley Whizz-Bangs fireworks and set them off in the courtyard during grand festivals. Naturally, it causes a lot of trouble for the Ministry of Magic every year. But who doesn't like the sight of gorgeous fireworks bursting in the night sky? However, in our time, we all only used Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks. Yes, those are the small firecrackers that would produce a rubber duck or a set of wizard chess pieces when pulled apart. My two sons said that only three-year-olds play with those. So, when everyone saw these fireworks that rampaged and exploded on their own for the first time, they were all stunned and just stood there blankly, watching as these fireworks turned Hogwarts into their historic debut stage.
"Iris," I still kept my eyes empty, waiting for the staircase to rotate to the edge of the platform where we were standing. But suddenly, I heard Draco ask me, "Tell me, is the Veritaserum you took still effective?"
"Yes," I lied to him smoothly without feeling any guilt in my heart. If he found out that the Veritaserum had no effect on me, then he would definitely tell Umbridge.
"Then... tell me," he moved closer to me on the staircase platform where the fireworks were fading. The surrounding area was filled with the deafening sound of firecrackers exploding like landmines. Because we were so close, I could clearly hear every whisper of his. "Liz, do you still like me?"
The moment he opened his mouth, I had thought of many questions he might ask, and I thought I had found a convincing answer for all of them, questions about Dumbledore, about Neville, about the Dark Lord, about the Order of the Phoenix, about D.A. I just hadn't thought that this question was only about the two of us.
The staircase was still rotating on its own, leading to different corridors. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the fallen fireworks had ignited the remaining mistletoe on the chandelier. But that lonely burning flame was insignificant compared to the fireworks show that was taking place in the entire castle. I thought that even when they burned out, Filch wouldn't have the time to care.
"I—" I had just opened my mouth, and before I could say the next syllable, he silenced me with a kiss.
Even now, I still don't know why he chose to kiss me at that moment, nor do I know why I didn't push him away then. Maybe at that time, I thought this kiss could make up for the half-dance I owed him. When he pried open my lips, I didn't choose to resist. When his fingers slid across the chin that Umbridge had pinched red before, I felt a shudder that made me want to step back, but I realized that I was standing in front of the staircase railing with nowhere to retreat. I felt something cold and hard pressed against my chest, and then I remembered that it should be the shiny badge he had newly put on, a symbol that, just like the golden signs in front of Umbridge's office door and on her desk, was eager to proclaim their new power. It stuck there abruptly, and the suffocating feeling brought by the entanglement of our lips and tongues became blurred instead.
"No," after he finally released me, I looked at him as he pressed his forehead against mine. Looking at the quietly burning mistletoe above our heads and the sporadic falling fireworks, I suddenly felt that this scene was somewhat familiar and remembered that not-too-distant Christmas ball and those little stars slowly falling from the ceiling. The dust and smoke from the fireworks explosion made my eyes sore. Looking at his eyelashes so close to me, I replied softly, "I don't love you anymore."
"You're lying," he actually showed a trembling smile. "You didn't take the Veritaserum. You poured it out, didn't you?"
"I used to feel resentment and anger," at this moment, there was no voice in my head ordering me to speak my mind, but I just looked at his wide-open eyes and started to talk. "At that time, I thought it would be great if the Dark Lord hadn't been resurrected. I wished he would never be resurrected. Then we could still be together. At that time, I thought that your parents didn't like me, and my mother probably didn't like you either. So after we graduated, I would find a way to persuade you. Let's go live in another country... You surely wouldn't like being in a foreign land, but I knew you liked me, and you would agree... We could go and take a look... With a suitcase under an Extension Charm, we could find a place that both you and I liked and stop there."
"You thought about all these?" I wasn't sure if it was an illusion caused by my own tears, but I actually felt that his eyes were also red. "You thought about these things too?"
"I thought about... even more," I said amidst the continuous dull explosions of the firecrackers around us. "But later I realized it wasn't like that. It wasn't because the Dark Lord was resurrected that we chose different paths. Even without the Dark Lord, there would be Umbridge. And even without Umbridge, there would be other things... We're pursuing different things. We were never the same kind of people, so we always choose different paths at every fork in the road... That's why we're getting farther and farther apart."
"So?" he asked viciously. "Just because of all these?"
"I never regret the time we had in the past, Draco," it seemed that a huge rocket shot up through the gap of the staircase behind me again. I shook my head. "I also don't think your choice is necessarily wrong and mine is necessarily right. But I believe that I will never regret taking this path, no matter what awaits me ahead. I will face it. And I also hope— I truly wish that along the path you've chosen, you can get those things you... dream of so much, like this badge, which symbolizes more power than the Head Boy badge."
"Are you forcing me to make a choice?" he gripped my shoulders tightly. This time, I saw clearly that he was really crying, just like me.
"We made our choices a long time ago, Draco. I'm sure that in the future that the path you've chosen leads to, there's no room for me, and I don't want to be in such a future either." In another round of falling silver starlight, I reached out my hand to wipe the tears from his face. How many years had it been since I last saw him cry? I've always been curious since I was a child. This person has cold hands, a cold embrace, and a cold heart. Why can he shed such burning hot tears? "So I think... maybe some dances are destined to be only half-finished, and some people are destined to only walk together for a short while. I won't forget that I still owe you a favor. Of course, if you insist, I will... find an opportunity to finish that half-dance. It's just—"
I heard the bell ringing amidst the sounds of the fireworks explosion. It tolled twelve times unhurriedly in the gaps of the chaos. When it tolled the tenth time, the staircase finally rotated to our feet. The last bunch of burning mistletoe above the chandelier burned into ashes that could be ground into powder. Beyond the dust and smoke, some people were laughing heartily, some were running and screaming, and some were in a panic. Only we were looking at each other awkwardly in the dust and smoke. He didn't stop me when I pushed past him in a hurry and walked down the staircase. I didn't know if he had heard my last words clearly.
"—It's just that I don't love you anymore."