Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 67 The Seamless Stretching Spell

The Unseen Stretch Charm is indeed a spell, but in practice, it's not as simple as just chanting a spell and waving a wand a few times.

To paraphrase something Dumbledore said in a casual conversation:

"There are many factors that can affect the outcome of a spell. In addition to the wizard's own strength, the material of the container and other auxiliary magic can also change the range of spatial extension."

……

What kind of container should I choose?

Logically, a larger package, such as a suitcase made of magical materials, would reduce the difficulty of casting the Seamless Stretch Charm and increase internal volume. However, the problem is that such a package is not suitable for carrying around, and one even needs to cast a Lightness Charm during travel to avoid it becoming too cumbersome.

(Objects already affected by the Unseen Stretching Charm cannot be shrunk or subjected to other spatial magic. Consider Newt Scamander's briefcase and the tents used by the Quidditch World Cup spectators; these items each have their own reasons for being shrunk for portability, but no wizard can do so.)

"Use this."

Snape seemed to sense Harry's hesitation. He took a small cloth bag from his robes and took the several jars of potions inside, saying:

“Your box is too small; it can only hold unimportant things besides serving as a spare bookshelf. This bag is made of bird-snake skin and is well-suited for modification with the Seamless Stretch Charm.”

Logically, Snape should have said a few more words, such as, "I've been using it for all these years," or "You must make good use of it," etc.

But Snape is Snape. After giving Harry a rather valuable item for free, he turned to look at the scenery without saying a word.

“I remember that bird serpents are also protected magical creatures, right? And even among flying reptiles, bird serpents hide their skin under their scales... In other words, unless a bird serpent goes insane or violates its own physiological habits by deliberately enlarging its body before dying, wizards cannot obtain enough bird serpent skin to make a package without poaching.”

(Oripodes can change their size according to their surroundings, but according to Scamander's book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," their true size always remains the same as when they are still in their eggs.)

Hearing the hint of doubt Harry had about Snape, Mo Ran sighed and said:

"Hey... don't you think Professor Snape has been too adept at dealing with issues in the gray areas like underground transactions and dark wizards lately?"

"Yes, that's right. And I'm a little curious about what kind of relationship he had with my father and Sirius Black."

"..."

Mo Ran fell silent.

Time seemed to rewind to the moment before the two crossed over and confronted each other in the Screaming Shack.

The fact that Severus Snape deeply loved Lily was one of the few stories that Mo Ran shouldn't reveal to Harry. Similarly, Mo Ran absolutely couldn't mention the part about how Snape overheard the Fable of the Savior and relayed it to Voldemort.

Unlike many movie fans who were unaware of this part of the story, Mo Ran actually went online to research and learn about the plot of the novels before she transmigrated because of her love for the character Snape.

Unlike the second half of the story familiar to most Harry Potter fans, when Snape was still a Death Eater, he inadvertently overheard half of Trelawney's prophecy at the Hog's Head. Was Snape trying to prove himself? Or was he genuinely and wholeheartedly supporting Voldemort's grand scheme? Rowling didn't elaborate on these questions. Importantly, after Snape shared this information with Voldemort, his former master, who harbored extreme hatred for Muggles, coincidentally chose Lily's son as the savior.

Yes, Snape was not a champion of justice; he certainly did not turn back from the darkness for a greater cause. Even Dumbledore once denounced him as disgusting because he didn't care about the lives of the Potters.

However, both the world's greatest white wizard and the most terrifying dark wizard underestimated the power of love at that moment.

Mo Ran was only 18 years old when he died, but despite his tragic life, he was not an extreme young man who believed only in black and white.

As the saying goes, one should judge by actions, not intentions, because no one is perfect when it comes to intentions.

As the seven-year story comes to an end, the character that leaves the deepest impression on most readers and viewers is not the one who stands on the side of justice from beginning to end, but rather Severus Snape, who interprets his life with the single word "Always".

"No one... can know."

"Don't you want others to know your best side?"

"You must swear an oath."

Even if you risk your life every day to protect this child?

As the movie lines from his memory finished playing, Mo Ran stopped reminiscing.

He had always wondered if Snape had survived the final battle and become a hero, would he have started a new life?

It seems highly unlikely now.

Snape disliked James Potter, that's true, but he never thought Lily was foolish or stupid for choosing James. The word "Mudblood" that he shouldn't have uttered became a lifelong regret and source of remorse for him.

He deeply loved Lily, the real Lily, and it was this love that guided him from darkness to light and redemption.

"In other words, although he didn't have an obsession with changing history, he still trapped himself in the past?"

As he muttered to himself, Mo Ran seemed to have grasped the essence of something.

Remember when Dumbledore told Harry that Snape couldn't forgive James for saving him? This could be interpreted as Snape being unable to forgive himself for losing to James in their rivalry.

If it weren't for that series of wrong steps that followed, even if Lily hadn't ended up with him, she probably wouldn't have met such a tragic end.

The self-blame hidden in his heart, combined with the self-esteem he developed in his childhood for self-protection, formed a very complex and contradictory self-destructive mentality. This mentality might even lead him, one day in the future, to give his life without hesitation to protect Harry.

Yes, those who live to protect others are never afraid of death. However, Mo Ran, who came to this world, is a transmigrator, not an author. He does not need to follow the original story's development, nor does he need to use tragedy to highlight the excellence of his writing.

Perhaps this time travel is the opportunity to untangle Snape's inner conflict and rewrite his future fate!

Having finally sorted out his thoughts, Mo Ran spoke again:

"Hmm... I'm not very clear about this either. Whatever the truth is, I think the most important thing for you is not to over-interpret things. Some things are not as they seem."

Hearing this, Harry was a little confused, but since Mo Ran had already said so, the topic of Professor Snape had to end there.

“Alright, so what should we make the inside of this bag look like? To be honest, I’m not very confident that I can make a particularly professional incubation chamber like Professor Scamander.”

"Let's make it look like the Forbidden Forest. Since we'll have to put the Thunderbird egg there sooner or later, we might as well let it get used to the environment first."

Mo Ran's reasonable explanation made Harry nod subconsciously. Little did he know that this slightly strange scene was witnessed by Snape as he turned around.

"what are you doing?"

"Me? I didn't do anything!"

Harry's response was fairly natural, but this did not seem to dispel Snape's doubts, and he continued to ask:

“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you do something like this. I hope you’re not using Legilimency to do something dangerous.”

"Enticing the mind?"

Seeing Harry's somewhat puzzled expression, Snape remained silent. He turned around and continued to admire the scenery as if nothing had happened.

The scene then shifts back to about a year ago.

Inside the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, a man dressed in a black robe was discussing something with Dumbledore, his brow furrowed.

"It's not as simple as dealing with the Basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets now, Dumbledore. The Dark Lord is getting stronger, and he's even getting close to Hogwarts. The school must be closed, and all suspicious individuals must be thoroughly investigated."

Dumbledore stared intently at the Dark Mark beneath Snape's sleeve and calmly said:

“I’m sorry, Severus, I don’t think I can do that right now.”

"why?"

"Because I cannot allow something of vital importance to become unattainable or even disappear."

"But what about Potter? He's not just dealing with the weakened spirit possessing Quirrell anymore; what if the Dark Lord launches a sneak attack..."

Dumbledore extended a hand to Snape, reassuring him:

“Harry has also improved a lot since his first year, and you and I should both be able to tell that.”

Snape, upon hearing this, did not appear relieved. He lowered his rolled-up sleeves again and said with utmost seriousness:

“I understand deeply. Since you also understand deeply, you should understand that a twelve-year-old second-grade student should not have such powerful magic.”

"He is a very talented student."

"talent?"

Snape's expression turned somewhat displeased.

"Didn't your brilliant mind ever consider that this talent might be related to his Parsleyan accent? Hmm? A Parsleyan? A Gryffindor Parsleyan?"

Dumbledore gave Snape a somewhat complicated look, then gently tapped his fingers on the table.

"Please allow me to apologize again, Severus. Given what history has taught me, I am no longer willing to reveal all my plans to others without reservation. It is clearly unwise to put all your eggs in one basket. Your identity is an extremely important trump card, and there are some things I can protect you by not telling you."

A brief silence fell over the principal's office.

The words of the world's greatest white wizard were, as always, irrefutable. Even with a thousand reasons not to, Snape had no choice but to accept Dumbledore's arrangement.

"So what's next? What should I do?"

Having readjusted his emotions, Snape's tone became much calmer. He put on a cold, emotionless expression again, quietly looking at the white-bearded old man sitting at the desk, waiting for his reply.

"Stop tutoring Harry for now. Voldemort definitely doesn't want you getting too close to his nemesis. Oh, and by the way, if I'm ever unable to continue as headmaster, you can show some interest in the position, provided Voldemort doesn't contact you first."

Do you think he won't contact me first?

No, I don't think so.

Dumbledore said without the slightest hesitation:

"Many wizards think Voldemort is cruel, cold-blooded, and ruthless. But in my opinion, the word that best describes him is selfish. Whether it was his thirst for power and knowledge during his student years or his obsession with researching the mysteries beyond death after graduation, it all stemmed from his extremely arrogant and self-centered personality. You are not a pure-blood and have been identified by the Ministry of Magic as my spy. To gain his favor, you cannot rely on loyalty alone. You must act like a Death Eater and show a similar side to him."