Hogwarts i am snape

Dumbledore gently poured the silvery, wispy memories into the faintly glowing Pensieve before him. The shimmering, silvery substance within began to swirl, and a faint, blurred image of a small, old man slowly emerged, growing clearer and more defined within the churning, silvery light. 

Caractacus Burke rotated slowly in the Pensieve, pale as a ghost, yet more substantial. His hair was exceptionally thick and messy, falling over his forehead like a heavy curtain, completely obscuring his eyes. 

"Yes, we acquired it under very special and fortunate circumstances. I was at the shop at the time. A young witch, quite frantic, brought it in just before Christmas. It was many years ago now, you see." 

Burke's voice echoed hollowly from the Pensieve, filling the room. 

"She said she urgently needed money, and it was quite obvious. She was dressed in rags, looking gaunt and utterly lifeless. And, it seemed she was heavily pregnant. 

"She told me the locket had once belonged to Slytherin. Hmph, we hear such nonsense every day, things like, 'Oh, this is Merlin's own, truly, his most treasured teapot.' 

"However, when I examined the locket closely, it actually bore Slytherin's mark. I cast a few simple spells, and the truth became astonishingly clear. It was incredible." 

As Burke spoke, a hint of pride seemed to creep into his voice, though it was hard to say if it was just an illusion. 

"Of course, that thing was priceless. The woman seemed to have no idea how valuable it was. I gave her ten Galleons, and she left quite content. Later, we successfully sold it for a very high price to Hepzibah Smith. It was the most profitable deal we ever made!" 

Dumbledore shook the Pensieve with unusual vigor, and Mr. Burke returned to where he had first appeared, slowly sinking back into the swirling memories. 

"I believe," Dumbledore said calmly, "we now understand why Tom went to work at Borgin and Burkes. From Burke's words, we can deduce that Tom's mother, Merope, was alone and destitute in London during the late stages of her pregnancy, desperately in need of money. Out of necessity, she could only sell the only valuable item she possessed—that Slytherin locket." 

"How did Tom find out that Merope sold the locket to Borgin and Burkes?" Snape inquired. 

"Ah, for that question, we can only venture a bold guess," Dumbledore replied. "Perhaps Borgin or Burke couldn't resist boasting about such a remarkably profitable deal to someone, and Tom happened to overhear the news?" 

"That makes sense," Snape nodded slightly. "Considering Burke only gave Merope ten Galleons, sir, I think letting him stay in St. Mungo's is still a bit too comfortable." 

"Don't be so extreme, Severus," Dumbledore said gently. "Before we act, we must carefully consider the potential consequences. Mr. Burke has always been in good health; if he were to suddenly die, don't you think it would arouse Borgin's suspicion?" 

Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing. 

"The Death Eaters and Borgin and Burkes have quite a few connections. If Tom were to further suspect that someone is investigating his past, that wouldn't be good at all." 

"I understand, sir," Snape nodded thoughtfully. "I heard at the Three Broomsticks that Borgin might have even helped erase Burke's memory. So, what are your plans next?" 

Dumbledore didn't answer directly. He gently pulled open a desk drawer and retrieved a rolled copy of the Daily Prophet. 

"Severus, whatever you do, don't tell Madam Pince I took a newspaper out of the library, like you," Dumbledore said, a smile playing on his lips. "If she knew, she'd ban me from the library." 

At the mention of this, Madam Pince's vulture-like face immediately came to Snape's mind—her hollow cheeks, parchment-like skin, and long, hooked nose, all made exceptionally clear by the lamp she held. 

"It was actually your inspiration that led me to the library to look for newspapers from decades ago," Dumbledore said, spreading the newspaper across the desk. "I must admit, despite its vulgarity, the Daily Prophet occasionally, perhaps unintentionally, yields something of value." 

Dumbledore gently tapped the front page of the newspaper with his finger. "Take a look at this." 

DAILY PROPHET 

HEIR OF HUFFLEPUFF MET TRAGIC END BY HOUSE-ELF'S HAND—ACCIDENT OR CONSPIRACY? 

Hepzibah Smith, renowned collector of magical antiquities and a descendant of Hufflepuff, recently passed away after ingesting poison. Her house-elf, Hokey, collapsed on the scene and confessed to having "poisoned her mistress." 

The Ministry of Magic has ruled that Hokey accidentally put poison in her mistress's evening cocoa, leading to the unfortunate incident. The Ministry stated that Hokey's actions were not intentional murder but rather a result of her failing eyesight—"The house-elf has confessed, and her testimony perfectly matches the physical evidence." 

Hokey, weeping uncontrollably, admitted guilt without reservation. She claimed to recall adding something to her mistress's cocoa but later discovered it was not sugar, but a rare and deadly poison. 

However, Hepzibah Smith's relatives have voiced their dissent, having discovered that some of Ms. Smith's most valuable treasures are missing. They firmly believe a conspiracy is at play and are vehemently demanding a deeper investigation from the Ministry of Magic. 

[Front page illustration] A dimly lit room with no windows, illuminated only by torches mounted on wall brackets. Rows of wizards sit on tiered benches around the perimeter, their faces solemn. In the center of the room is a chair with chains wrapped around its armrests, upon which a small, ancient house-elf is curled up, hugging its knees and trembling. 

 "Sir," Snape said, slowly raising his head to look at Dumbledore after reading the newspaper, "do you believe Tom murdered Ms. Hepzibah and framed Hokey the house-elf?" 

"Hmm, I believe Tom most likely did these things to retrieve his mother's locket," Dumbledore nodded. "We still have an opportunity to verify this ourselves. Hokey should still be in custody. So, Severus, next stop, we're going to Azkaban."