I'm back with a slightly shorter chapter than usual. It's mostly made up of passages copied directly from the book. However, I think it's important for the rest of the story.

Happy reading!

Chapter 12

Mio woke up to a strange sound, something like static. Blinking and trying to see more clearly, she sat up. Slowly, her surroundings came into focus. It became evident—she wasn't in her own quarters. Suddenly, the memories of the previous night flooded back: the Carrows had attacked her, and Amycus had tried to assault her… But Snape had come to save her and taken her to his quarters, where she had clearly fallen asleep. Now, sitting on the sofa, she took a moment to observe the room around her.

Far from being cold, it had an almost warm atmosphere. Contrary to expectations, green wasn't the dominant color. There were a few touches of green, notably on the sofa, but the overall tones were more neutral. The stone walls were occasionally decorated with tapestries featuring various patterns. In addition to the sofa, the room was furnished with an armchair positioned across from it and a low table in between. Extending from the sitting area was a table with two chairs on either side. Behind the armchair, a massive dark wooden bookcase covered an entire wall. At the back of the room, beyond the table and chairs, there were three doors. Probably leading to a bedroom, a bathroom, and maybe an office, she thought.

Finishing her observation, Mio turned her attention back to the noise. It was coming from the rightmost door—the supposed office. She stood up and approached the slightly open door. Suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with the owner of these quarters.

— Oh. Mio took a step back, looking slightly embarrassed.

— I see you're awake. With how deeply you were sleeping, it's a good thing it's Sunday. I couldn't wake you.

— Oh, um… Thank you for letting me sleep, Professor.

Mio's gaze landed on the source of the noise—a small radio that Snape was holding in his hands.

He placed the radio on the table, tapped it with his wand while saying, "Albus," and then sat down in his armchair. The radio's words became intelligible. Mio took a seat on the sofa across from him.

— … Our apologies for being off the air for a while due to a few lovely visits from the Death Eaters.

— That's Lee Jordan! Mio exclaimed.

— I'm well aware, Snape replied in a calm and measured tone.

— … We've now found a safe location, Lee explained, and I'm pleased to announce that two of our regular contributors have joined me tonight. Good evening, friends!

— Hi.

— Good evening, River.

— River is Lee, Snape clarified. They all have codenames.

— However, before we hear from Royal and Romulus, Lee continued, we'll take a moment to talk about the deaths that Witchcraft News and The Daily Prophet didn't find important enough to mention. With great sadness, we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell.

Mio felt a pang in her heart. She already knew who had died. She tried to keep herself regularly informed, and the Death Eaters were never shy about boasting to each other about their victims.

— A goblin named Gornuk has also been killed. It is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, who had been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone knows his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperately waiting for news.

— Meanwhile, in Gaddley, five Muggles from the same family were found dead in their home. The Muggle authorities are attributing their deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix inform us that they were, in fact, killed by the Killing Curse—yet another proof, if we needed one, that Muggle massacres have become a sort of sport under the new regime.

— Finally, we regret to inform our listeners that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. Initial findings suggest that she has been dead for several months. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body bore distinct marks of Dark Magic.

— I would now like to ask all our listeners to join us in observing a minute of silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed Muggles whose murders by Death Eaters we deeply mourn.

Mio and Severus remained silent, waiting for the broadcast to continue.

— Thank you, Lee's voice resumed. Now, we turn to Royal, a regular on our show, who will bring us the latest news on how the new wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world.

— Thank you, River, said a deep, steady, reassuring voice, unmistakable to anyone who had heard it before.

— Kingsley! Mio gasped.

— Muggles still don't know the source of their misfortunes, but they continue to suffer great losses, Kingsley stated. However, we still hear inspiring stories of witches and wizards risking their own lives to protect Muggle friends and neighbors—often without their knowledge. I would like to urge our listeners to follow their example, for instance, by casting protective spells around Muggle homes in their area. Many lives could be saved by taking such simple measures.

— And what would you say, Royal, to those who argue that in these dangerous times, we should prioritize wizards first? Lee asked.

— I would tell them that there's a very short step from "wizards first" to "Purebloods first." And from there, we head straight to the Death Eaters, Kingsley replied. We're all human, aren't we? Every human life has the same value and is worth saving.

— Well said, and I'd vote for you as Minister of Magic if we ever get out of this mess, Lee assured. Now, I turn to Romulus for our very popular segment, "Potter's Pals."

— Thank you, River, replied another familiar voice—one Mio immediately recognized as Remus Lupin's.

— Romulus, do you still stand by your belief, as you have on every appearance on our show, that Harry Potter is still alive?

— I do, Lupin said firmly. I have no doubt that if he were dead, the Death Eaters would make a great spectacle of announcing it, as his death would deal a devastating blow to those resisting the new regime. The Boy Who Lived remains the symbol of everything we fight for—the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the necessity of resistance.

Mio thought about Lupin's words and how life carried on, even without Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Hogwarts. She also reflected on the recent news she had heard: Lupin was living with Nymphadora Tonks and apparently expecting a child.

— … And now, the latest on Harry Potter's friends who have suffered for their loyalty, Lee continued.

— Well, as our most loyal listeners already know, several outspoken supporters of Harry Potter have been imprisoned, including Xenophilius Lovegood, former editor of The Quibbler…, Lupin responded. We've also heard in the past few hours that Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts' well-known gamekeeper, narrowly escaped arrest on the school grounds themselves, where, according to rumors, he hosted a party in his home themed Support for Harry Potter. However, Hagrid was not captured and is believed to be on the run.

— When you're trying to escape the Death Eaters, I imagine it helps to have a five-meter-tall half-brother? Lee remarked.

Mio snickered! What had she missed while she was sleeping?! Her gaze met Snape's, and she could almost detect a hint of amusement at this last bit of news. But maybe she was just imagining things.

— Indeed, it does provide a certain advantage, Lupin admitted in a grave tone. May I just add that, while we here at Potterwatch fully support Hagrid's spirit, we still advise Harry Potter's most fervent supporters not to follow his example. In the current climate, throwing a party in support of Harry Potter may not be the wisest thing to do.

— You're right, Romulus, Lee continued. So we suggest that instead of throwing a party, you show your support for the lightning-scarred man by tuning in to Potterwatch! And now, let's move on to news regarding the other wizard as elusive as Harry Potter. We commonly call him the Chief Death Eater, and to give us his perspective on the most absurd rumors about him, I'm pleased to introduce a new guest: Scab.

— Scab? repeated another familiar voice.

— Fred! Mio exclaimed.

— Wouldn't that be George instead? Snape questioned.

— Hmm, I think it's Fred, Mio confirmed, leaning toward the radio where one of the twins' voices was coming from.

— I refuse to be called Scab, no way. I told you, I want to be called Rapier!

— Very well. So, Rapier, can you share your thoughts on the various stories going around about the Chief Death Eater?

— Yes, River, I can, Fred replied. As all our listeners surely know—unless they've been hiding in a pond at the bottom of their garden or some similar place—You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows creates a lovely little atmosphere of panic. If every witness claiming to have seen him somewhere was telling the truth, we'd have at least nineteen You-Know-Who's wandering around.

— Which, of course, is very convenient for him, Kingsley pointed out. By maintaining the mystery, he spreads more fear than if he showed himself openly.

— Exactly, Fred agreed. So let's try to keep our heads straight. The situation is already bad enough without adding new nonsense. For example, the idea that You-Know-Who can now kill someone with a single glance. Let's remind our listeners that Basilisks are the ones with that power. Here's a simple test: check if the thing staring at you has legs. If it does, you can look it in the eye. But if it really is You-Know-Who, chances are it'll be the last thing you ever do.

Mio burst out laughing, feeling the weight of tension lift off her shoulders. Severus was watching her reactions and almost felt relieved to see her spirits lift.

— And the rumors that he's often seen abroad? Lee asked.

— Who wouldn't want to go on a little vacation after such a hard job? Fred replied. But the most important thing is not to lull yourself into a false sense of security just because he might have left the country. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, but one thing remains: when he wants to, he can disappear faster than Severus Snape faced with a bottle of shampoo!

Mio tried to stifle her laughter and shot a teasing glance at the man, who seemed to sulk at the remark.

— So just because he's far away doesn't mean you should feel safe if you plan to take risks. I never thought I'd say this, but safety first!

— Thank you for your wise words, Rapier, Lee concluded. And that's it—we've reached the end of another Potterwatch broadcast. We don't know when we'll be able to air again, but rest assured, we'll be back. Keep searching for the frequency; the next password will be Mad-Eye. Look out for each other, and keep the faith. Good night.

The radio dial turned by itself, and the light illuminating the frequencies went out.