After Snape finished saying that, he didn't pay attention to Lawrence, nor did he move the teacup in front of him, but lay down in his chair, his eyes on the ceiling and didn't know what to think,

Lawrence silently drank his tea and left Snape's office in the dungeon, and it was only now that he was able to sort out the information he had received.

He found his shocked and puzzled reaction a little ridiculous, Snape would tell Voldemort half of the prophecy, apparently because the object of his allegiance at the time was still Voldemort,

But in fact, after this conversation, the doubts in his heart were not reduced, but more, Snape was really because of James. Had Potter saved his life to protect Harry so much?

Lawrence did not doubt that Jaime had saved Snape, because it was true or false as long as he asked Sirius or Remus to make it clear, what Lawrence suspected was that such a reason was really enough to support that Snape risked his life and became an internal response to Voldemort's side.

However, Lawrence was sure that he was not wrong in the end, the relief in Snape's eyes was so real, although he knew that Snape's mastery of the heart locking technique was very good, but he did not think it was a false emotion, he believed that Snape did feel guilty and grieved by the death of the Potters,

But he didn't have a clue about it, and it wouldn't lead him to ask Snape any more, and the letter couldn't make it too clear, so Lawrence planned to wait until the Christmas break to ask Sirius and Remus about their school days.

───────

Fred and George were both interested in Hermione's Defence Against the Dark Arts study session, but by the time Monday the saloon bulletin board read "Education Order 24" and their smiles were gone.

Instead of staying at the long tables in their own houses as usual, the other students in the hall were running around, all discussing the order to dissolve all student gatherings,

Fred, George, Neville, and Ginny gathered around the Gryffindor table, and when they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the hall, they shook hands at them, and Harry sat down next to them.

They whispered about continuing the secret meeting, and the other members of the table seemed to be intent on gathering here, which alerted Hermione, who glanced at the teacher's chair, and then hurriedly used her mouth and wave to stop the others from continuing to move closer.

"I think it's not just your party," Lawrence said suddenly after they had finally finished their breakfast, "it's a party for all the students, so the Quidditch team is included."

"What?" Harry looked up, and he just saw Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, Angelina standing beside them with an angry look,

"Lawrence is right," Angelina said in a hurried tone, "we have to go and restructure the Gryffindor team."

"You're kidding." Fred shouted,

"That's." Ron couldn't stand it even more,

"Listen, Harry, please don't lose your temper with Umbridge again, or she might not let us play Quidditch again." Angelina looked like she was about to cry, and Harry hurriedly promised her that he would control his temper,

Neither Lawrence nor the twins expressed any other opinion on Article 24 of the Education Order, nor did Lawrence tell them that under the provisions of the Education Order, the Student Council, which is composed of the president and prefects, is also within the scope of dissolution.

In the evening of that day, Lawrence and Selwyn arrived at Umbridge's office with the application form for the Society, and the office, which changed every year with a new owner, was also furnished in the way the current owner expected.

Anything made of cloth, such as curtains or tablecloths, was trimmed with lace, a few cushioned vases filled with dried flowers, and an entire wall hung with decorative plates painted with kittens tied with different bows,

Umbridge didn't make much trouble, the student council application went smoothly, Lawrence glanced at Selwyn, he guessed that the application would go so smoothly, probably because of this Slytherin,

And the application for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, after a few days of trouble with Umbridge, Professor McGonagall found Professor Dumbledore, so whether Umbridge wants to or not, the Gryffindor Quidditch team can finally start practicing.

In the midst of all this chaos, Harry and his Defence Against the Dark Arts community began their first meeting in a secret connection.

Fred and George provided the base of the "Room of Requirement", but Lawrence still did not participate in this meeting.

At their first official meeting, they named the society "DA", which stands for "Dumbledore's Army", apparently to satirize what the Ministry of Magic had been afraid of, but was not true.

"Lawrence doesn't look good lately?" After the party, Hermione cautiously tested Fred and George,

"It's not good," Fred replied casually, glancing at Hermione, "Uh...... They don't seem to have much time lately...... Chat."

"But it's Lawrence who happens to have something going on today," George explained, "Professor Dumbledore has something to look for him."

Hermione stopped talking, and Fred raised an eyebrow at George,

"I'd love to ask—" Fred asked, "How are Harry and Diggory doing?"

"Oh, they." Hermione said, looking at Harry, who was discussing the next lesson with Diggory,

"I think Harry is glad to have Diggory to discuss what to do," Hermione explained, "but you know—Zhang Qiu, I guess Harry himself is conflicted."

Everyone showed a clear expression, and from last year's Santa Ball, it was clear to everyone that Harry liked Zhang Qiu, that is, Cedric. Diggory's girlfriend.

───────

"I'm glad you're here, Lawrence," Dumbledore smiled as he asked Lawrence to sit down, "I thought you'd be a priority for their little party."

"Don't look at me like that, Mongaston followed Harry that day," Dumbledore added after looking at Lawrence's expression, "Well, the owner of the Hog's Head Bar is my brother Aberforth. Dumbledore, he's also a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"But none of these things matter," Dumbledore said, "I think Severus has already told you what you want to know?"

"He told me Jaime. Potter had saved his life," Lawrence replied, "and he hated Jaime. Potter, but feel guilty about it."

"That's right......," Dumbledore nodded, "but you don't believe his reasoning, do you?" Lawrence—"

"No one is born with a hatred for anyone, though they are two very different people who have not liked each other since they were students," Dumbledore whispered,

"When both of them grow up, I think there will be a possibility of reconciliation between them, but unfortunately, they have missed it forever—"

"But I'm looking for you today for something else," Dumbledore regained his brisk tone, "Professor McGonagall told me you're looking for a book called 'Extreme Transfiguration'?" (Note 1)

Lawrence didn't reply, but calmly met Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes, and it was a long time before Dumbledore spoke again,

"I don't think I need to remind you," said Dumbledore, "that playing with the deepest mysteries—the source of life, the essence of the self, will suffer the most extreme and dangerous consequences."

"I know that, Professor." Lawrence replied that there was a knock on the office door, and Professor McGonagall walked into the office with an old book with a dark red cover, which read "Extreme Transfiguration" in Rune,

Dumbledore took the book from Professor McGonagall's hand, he smiled and handed it to Lawrence, Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed with worry, but he didn't say anything more, and turned to leave the Headmaster's office,

"I'm guessing you're looking for this book because of Voldemort's appearance, right?" Dumbledore paused, looked at Lawrence, who still hadn't made any other moves, and said, "I hope you didn't want to read this book in order to gain more power quickly."

"So, let's talk about why I'm here for you today, what I'm going to tell you now is that Voldemort's deepest secret, even Severus doesn't know yet," Dumbledore said solemnly,

"But for you who will have to fight Voldemort head-on someday, I think you should know that first." Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then asked cautiously, "How much do you know about Horcruxes?"

"I haven't heard that word." Lawrence replied, his hand sliding over the rough cover of the Extreme Transfiguration, resisting the urge to open it here,

"Yes," Dumbledore said softly, not paying attention to Lawrence's inattention, "because I rewrote all the books that mentioned 'Horcruxes', or brought them to me from the library shelves."

"That...... What is a Horcrux?" Lawrence asked, his attention away from the book as he could feel his heart pounding, no wonder he had never been exposed to the word, could this be another secret of Voldemort's impotence?

"It's an evil magic that divides one's own soul and stores it outside of one's own body," Dumbledore's voice was a little cold, "as long as a part of the divided soul is not destroyed, then—he won't die."

"Voldemort?" Lawrence took a deep breath, he felt his scalp tingle slightly, Dumbledore sighed, nodded heavily,

"So we're going to find out the part of his soul that he separated?" Lawrence asked, and it occurred to him that the journal that Snape had destroyed in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets when he was in his fourth year belonged to Voldemort when he was a student. Riddle's diary,

"I think you've thought of it," Dumbledore affirmed, "the journal."

"So now Voldemort can be killed?" Lawrence asked,

"I don't think so, Lawrence," Dumbledore replied, "I'm not sure he divided souls into parts, but I believe the journal isn't the only 'Horcrux'."

The clock struck midnight, and Lawrence listened to the regular bell, digesting in his head the news that could not have been worse,

"Voldemort spared himself death, as he claimed—to go further than anyone else," Dumbledore said, "but I believe we can defeat him in the end."

"Because of prophecy?" Lawrence asked, Dumbledore chuckling and shaking his head,

"It's because the people on our side have powers that he can never understand." Dumbledore said, "You should go back to sleep, Lawrence."

When Lawrence gripped the doorknob of his office, Dumbledore opened his mouth again,

"Kill."

"What?" Lawrence turned around and asked,

"The first step in splitting souls is killing," Dumbledore said, looking a little tired, "and then a spell is needed to create a 'Horcrux' - I'm glad you didn't ask me how to split souls at the end."

Lawrence walked down the quiet corridor, and he realized that he might have been tempted by Dumbledore again, but he wasn't upset, for he didn't fully trust what Dunbulidore or Snape said.

───────

Note 1: Apocryphal, this book is not included in the original book.