Moody's gaze lingered on the staircase for a few seconds before returning to Snape.

"Filch is patrolling in the middle of the night, what about you? Snape ......," he said hesitantly, "how did you hear that?" ”

"That doesn't matter." Snape said coldly.

"On the contrary," Moody yelled in a gruff voice, "it's very important!" ”

"Hmph - I'm just going to my office, what's the problem?" Snape snorted coldly, turned and left.

"Wait!" Moody shouted, "Let me see your shoes!" ”

Snape paused, didn't even look back, and walked on.

"Stop!"

Moody took a few steps forward, and with a flick of his crutches, he unceremoniously stopped Snape.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Holding back his anger, Snape turned around sharply and lifted his trouser leg to reveal his shoes, "Want to see my shoes?" What's there to see? Will my shoes still be some kind of black magic prop? ”

Beneath Snape's trousers, a pair of clean boots were revealed, but the little dirt was gone.

"I just didn't find my slippers when I got out of bed, is that okay?" Snape asked.

Moody stared at his boots for a long moment, then looked up and said, "You don't have anything else hidden in your office, do you?" ”

By this time, Snape's gray face had turned an unsightly brick red, and the vein in his temple was beating faster.

"Are you endless? You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a deep voice, "didn't you search my office yourself?" ”

Moody's face contorted, squeezing out a smile.

"It's the Auror's prerogative, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye on me--"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape said through gritted teeth, "I don't believe he ordered you to search my office!" ”

"Of course Dumbledore believes you," Moody roared, "he's a very gullible man, isn't he?" I always think that people should be given a second chance. But I--I don't think there's some stains that can't be washed off, Snape. Some stains will never be washed away, you know what I mean? ”

Snape suddenly did something very strange. He jerked his left arm with his right hand, as if it were suddenly painful.

Moody burst out laughing.

"Go back to sleep, Snape."

"You don't have the right to get me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm, as if annoyed with himself, "I have the same right as you to patrol this school at night!" ”

"Then go on your patrol," Moody said, his voice menacing, "I knew I was going to run into you in the dark hallway one day...... By the way, you've lost something ......"

Both Snape and Filch subconsciously looked down, only to find a piece of parchment.

Snape reached for it, and a terrifying, thoughtful expression slowly appeared on his face—

"Parchment flying!"

The map swooped into the air, slid past Snape's outstretched fingers, flew down the stairs, and landed in Moody's hands.

"I was mistaken," Moody said quietly, "and it's mine--I think I must have lost it earlier--"

But Snape's dark eyes looked at the box in Filch's arms, and at the parchment in Moody's hand—he connected the two.

"Potter." He whispered.

He still remembers it clearly--no way, it's hard not to remember! Because he found out that the parchment belonged to Harry, the night he bumped into Maca and Hermione face to face.

"What do you mean?" Moody asked calmly, folding the map and putting it in his pocket.

"Potter!" Snape said angrily, he turned his head sharply and looked straight at the spot where Moody's gaze had just rested, "That box is Potter's, and that parchment is Potter's, I've seen it before, I recognize it!" Potter is here! Potter, in his cloak of invisibility! ”

Snape walked up the stairs with his hands outstretched like a blind man.

"There's nothing there, Snape!" Moody yelled, "But I'd love to tell the Headmaster how you suspect Harry Potter at every turn!" ”

"What do you mean?" Snape turned to look at Moody again, his hands still open, but his movements slowed.

"I mean, Dumbledore was interested in knowing who had bad intentions toward that boy!" Moody limped a few more steps toward the stairs, "And, Snape, I'...... Very interested......"

The light of the torches swept across his twisted and broken face, making the scars and the gaping hole in his nose seem deeper and more eerie than ever.

Snape looked down at Moody, his brow furrowed.

For a while, no one moved, no one spoke...... Then, Snape slowly lowered his hands.

"I just think," Snape seemed to be trying to make his tone calmer, "if Potter was hanging out in the middle of the night again...... That's one of his regrettable bad habits...... He should be stopped. For the sake of - for his own safety. ”

"Ah, I see," Moody whispered, "you have Potter's interests at heart, don't you?" ”

A moment of silence.

Snape and Moody were still staring at each other, and Lady Loris meowed, still probing her head into Filch's lap, as if sniffing something.

"It's time for me to go to my office...... There are potions waiting for me to prepare. Snape said suddenly.

"You only have this idea that makes the most sense tonight." Moody said, "Alright, Filch, can you give me that box--"

"No way!" Filch said, holding the golden egg firmly as if he were holding his own son, "Professor Moody, this is evidence that Peeves stole something!" ”

"This is what he stole from a warrior, the warrior's stuff." Moody said, "Take it." ”

Without saying a word, Snape hurried downstairs, past Moody, and toward the basement. Filch smacked her lips at Mrs. Loris, and the cat stared blankly for a few more seconds before turning and following its master.

Filch handed the box to Moody, and as he left, he whispered to Mrs. Loris, "It's all right, dear...... We went to find Dumbledore early in the morning...... Tell him about the good things Peeves did......"

Not long after, a door slammed, and it seemed to be shut.

Only then did Moody put his crutches on the very bottom of the staircase and struggled up the stairs towards the edge of the staircase, which seemed to be empty. With every step he took, he made a hollow sound: Wow...... For...... For.

"It's dangerous, Potter." He whispered.

……

On the other side, Snape's office.

"Bang!"

The door to the office was violently pushed open and slammed shut, and the oil lamp in the room was lit.

"Is anyone here today?" Snape wasn't at all surprised by the fact that Maca was sitting behind his desk, he just asked with an annoyed expression.

"It's coming, it's tonight." Maca straightened her back and leaned back in her chair, calmly.

"That's fine--" Snape didn't ask for details about Barty Jr., he just said impatiently, and sat down on the single couch next to him, "You can go back to sleep." ”

"I'm afraid it won't work," Maka shrugged, "there's still potions in there, and I'm afraid I won't be able to walk until it's stable......"

"I'm almost your private alchemy room here......" Snape said, but he clearly didn't mean to drive Marka away.

Since Maca came back from a spin at Voldemort's place, his relationship with Snape had become noticeably closer. Now Maca would often come to Snape if she wanted to prepare some potions or do some research.

But Marca vaguely understood in his heart that the biggest reason why Snape had a reaping attitude towards him was probably not this relationship.

As for why...... To be honest, he still hasn't figured it out!

"McLean ......"

"What?"

Snape called out to Maca abruptly, but before he could get to the point, he shook his head slightly.

“…… No, nothing. ”

Maca, though a little baffled, didn't continue to ask—if Snape didn't want to say, he asked in vain. It's better to save some effort and wait until the other party feels that it is time to say it, then it will naturally be said.

At the very least, Snape didn't have any conflicts of interest with him, and he didn't have to worry about what other people would think of him.

Afterwards, Maca and Snape casually chatted about Potions, and it wasn't until the sky was bright that he put the lid on the cauldron and went out of Snape's office.

For Maca, staying up late is almost a daily routine. He usually catches up on sleep the next morning before moving on to something else.

But today, he didn't.

As the start date of the second project approached day by day, he had to rush to deal with all sorts of things.

The plan has been slowly unfolding, and progress on all fronts is steady. At such a critical moment, he didn't want to drop the chain because he didn't pay attention to something.

"When everything is settled, you must rest for a while......"

As he spoke, he pulled out a bottle of potion and poured it down.

"Woohoo!" He shook his head, and his originally sleepy face glowed again, and even his eyes were bright again.

"The formula this time is really good, you can try to push it into the market......" Maca pinched the empty bottle and pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Since the formula has the gallbladder of the bicorn, let's call it 'Rainbow Cow Elixir...... Anyway, the two-horned beast (1) looks like a bull......"