Chapter 17 Reputation Trading

"Do you have any evidence?"

Slughorn said calmly.

Severus looked at him in the eyes.

"Professor, whether there is evidence now or not, and regardless of how you evaded Shacklebolt when he came to question you, if the potion incident is investigated thoroughly, he will likely trace it back to you."

These words made Slughorn, who had been resting his hands comfortably on his stomach, grip the arms of his chair tightly.

But he remained stubborn.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Severus! I've never brewed any enhanced Draught of Living Death! If you're trying to use this as leverage to threaten me into returning to Hogwarts, you've miscalculated!"

"This isn't a threat, Professor." Severus said persuasively, "There's no such thing as luck in matters like this. Millicent Bagnold will retire soon, and she won't let this become the final stain on her tenure. She'll definitely find ways to investigate the matter thoroughly. You understand that."

Slughorn slumped in his chair, silent. He neither denied nor admitted anything.

But Severus did not stop talking.

"The Aurors have already narrowed down the suspects. There are no more than five wizards in Britain capable of brewing such a potent Draught of Living Death… You, me, Arsenius Jigger, Libatius Borage. The other two are primarily theorists, focused on writing and compiling books. Their practical skills are far inferior to ours."

"Not only that, but Borage is South American. He spends only a month or two in Britain each year, making it easy to rule him out. Jigger is a rigid, honest man. The Aurors won't suspect him after a basic investigation."

"After eliminating those two, who else could they suspect?"

"Zygmunt Budge? He was indeed the greatest potioneer of all time, but he died in the 17th century."

These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, and Slughorn could no longer remain silent.

He shouted agitatedly, "I am innocent! That vial of Draught of Living Death is just one of my private collection! Someone stole it! How was I to know the thief would use it to harm someone?!"

The reception room fell deathly quiet, with only Slughorn's heavy breathing being heard.

Harry's eyes widened in shock.

He didn't fully grasp the nuances of the adults' exchange, but at this moment, he could certainly see that this fat, walrus-mustached old man who loved sweets had just admitted his connection to the potion-poisoning case.

When Severus heard Slughorn finally admit that the potion had come from him, there was no smile on his face. He simply nodded seriously.

"I believe you, Professor. No matter what, you would never willingly harm anyone."

Slughorn didn't say anything. He stared at Severus and remained silent for a long time.

After nearly a minute, he spoke irritably, "Well, whether you believe it or not, this is the situation now!"

"Just as you said, the Aurors will soon eliminate the other suspects and focus on me. If this gets out, what will people think of me? Even if I didn't sell that potion, what rumors will spread behind my back?"

Severus just looked at him quietly, and only spoke again after Slughorn had completely calmed down.

"I can resolve this for you, Professor."

"You?" Slughorn's voice rose slightly in disbelief.

"I'll handle the trouble. And afterward, Dumbledore will publicly invite you back, minimizing the damage to your reputation. All you have to do is agree to return to Hogwarts."

Now, Slughorn hesitated.

He avoided looking directly at Severus and began to weigh the terms of this exchange in his mind.

"How exactly do you plan to resolve it?" Asking this question meant he was already considering the offer.

"Pin the potion on me."

Severus said, "When Shacklebolt questions you again, just pretend to admit that you were covering for me, and you knew that I was the one who brewed it."

Not just anyone could take the blame for this, but Severus happens to meet all the requirements perfectly.

He is also a renowned Potion Master in the British Wizarding World, with his skills arguably surpassed even Slughorn's. So brewing such a Draught of Living Death would be well within his capabilities.

However, when Ghost Snape heard Severus say he would take the blame, his face darkened noticeably.

Slughorn also realized this, and he certainly knew that as long as Severus was willing, he would be the best scapegoat!

He didn't agree immediately but instead studied Severus carefully.

"Why are you so eager to leave Hogwarts temporarily? What are you planning to do?"

As a man of the same era as Dumbledore and having lived to such an old age, Slughorn is no fool.

He could tell that Severus's personal visit to persuade him to return to Hogwarts was motivated by his own desire to leave.

Having Slughorn take over Slytherin might very well be a challenge Dumbledore had set for Severus.

Slughorn had already pieced together most of the truth, but Severus didn't mind him knowing.

"You can see I'm making changes, Professor. Leaving Hogwarts for a while to travel is part of that change."

When speaking about himself, Severus always had a smile on his face.

"Life shouldn't be confined to that castle forever, should it? The world outside is vast, and I'd like to see more of it while I'm still young."

If the old Severus Snape had given such a reason, Slughorn would never have believed it.

But now, he had little reason to doubt.

Taking a deep breath, Slughorn finally agreed.

"If you can do as you say, I can agree to return to Hogwarts and take over your position."

Severus wasn't surprised that Slughorn had finally agreed.

The potion-poisoning case had stirred significant controversy in the British Wizarding World… Not only because a Muggle had been harmed, but also because it involved breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy.

If it were discovered that the potion had originated from Slughorn, regardless of whether he had willingly distributed it, his reputation would suffer a severe blow.

However, Severus's willingness to take the blame didn't mean he intended to simply accept the accusation.

"Then tell me, what exactly happened with that potion?"

"You want to investigate the case yourself?" Slughorn asked in surprise.

"I'll try." Severus did not deny, "If I can catch the real culprit before the Aurors come for me, then even if the potion is traced back to me, they won't have any reason to suspect me, will they?"

Recalling the scene when he discovered the potion was missing a week ago, Slughorn couldn't help but sigh.

"It must have been stolen on the 13th, during the club's dinner party that evening."

Severus listened carefully as Slughorn recounted the events.

"That vial of Draught of Living Death was indeed an accidental discovery of mine. After modifying the formula and slightly increasing the dosage of sopophorous bean, it could nearly induce a permanent sleep in the drinker."

"But even so, it was just an unexpected discovery. The Draught of Living Death isn't inherently a poison, and eternal sleep isn't exactly groundbreaking. So afterward, I simply stored it with the standard Draught of Living Death without special labeling."

"Then, after the banquet on the 13th, it vanished! I only realized it was missing two days later, and no matter how I searched, I couldn't find it."

"It wasn't until I saw the news in the newspaper and Shacklebolt came to visit me to consult me about this matter that I realized someone had stolen it and had used it to harm others!"

Severus asked at this time, "Who attended the banquet that night?"

Slughorn rocked in his chair, thinking back.

"There are too many people. You know how wide my social circle is, it spans nearly every notable figure in British Wizarding Society."

"Do you at least remember who might have entered the room where you stored the potion?"

"The potions were kept in the cellar. During the banquet, it was temporarily used to store wine. Many people came and went at that time. The Draught of Living Death isn't a rare potion, so I didn't even lock the room where it was kept."

His answers provided little useful information. After a moment of thought, Severus pressed further.

"Were there any people attending the party for the first time that day?"

Slughorn gazed at the ceiling, recalling.

"There were about seven or eight newcomers that day. The editor-in-chief of the Daily Diviner, Yavens Flack. Marlin Mack, the maker of the Comet broom series, and his son."

"Eldred Worple, that popular commercial writer from the past two years, and his vampire friend. Gwenog Jones, the former captain of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team, and Donaghan Tremlett with a few of his friends, who are members of the Weird Sisters band..."

As Slughorn said, his social circle was very wide. Just among the first-time attendees, there were no overlapping professions… editors, writers, broom makers, Quidditch players, musicians.

And the thief might not even have been among them.

Severus shook his head. He wasn't going to find any high-value leads from Slughorn. If he wanted to investigate the matter further, he needed to use other channels.

"Since that variant of the Draught of Living Death was your modification, no one would be better suited than you to brew an antidote. If you have time in the coming days, Professor, you might consider preparing one."

Hearing this, Slughorn smiled wryly.

"After learning about this incident, I've already begun attempting to brew the antidote. It's the least I can do for the victim."

"How long will the antidote take?"

"At least two weeks. The modified Draught of Living Death contains some unique ingredients, so reversing its effects won't be simple."

"Then please work as quickly as you can."

After saying that, Severus prepared to take Harry and leave.

Before seeing them out, Slughorn asked one last question with concern.

"Where will you go next?"

Noticing Harry's reluctance to take any grapes, Severus grabbed two bunches and stuffed them into the boy's oversized pockets.

"To the Ministry."