Chapter 16

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Chapter 16: Malfoy Manor, Greasy Snape

In Wiltshire, England, outside Malfoy Manor, a number of horse-drawn carriages appeared on the road. The unusual sight was the house elf, no taller than mid-thigh, driving the carriage. A black carriage suddenly appeared nearby, and two English draft horses galloped over. Standing on the carriage, Kreacher's face was full of pride. He had not looked so dignified in a long time. Thinking about the glory of the Black family, Kreacher couldn't help but tremble.

Pure-blood families, for banquets like this, pay great attention to dignity, always arriving in carriages driven by house elves. If a family lacks house elves, they are deemed unworthy of attending such events. After all, what pure-blood family doesn't have a house elf? Kreacher was proud to serve the Black family, and many elves envied him for it. The carriage stopped, and Kreacher jumped out, kneeling on the ground respectfully.

"Master Cole, here we are." Cole opened the curtain, spotting Lucius chatting with a wizard nearby, and prepared to disembark. Surprisingly, Kreacher quickly bent down, looking at Cole with excitement. Cole was confused, as Kreacher's presence made it inconvenient to get out. When Cole was about to speak, he noticed a wizard nearby stepping on a house elf to leave his carriage. Cole could only sigh; these wizards were skilled at enslaving, yet they still had these issues. Although uninterested, when he saw Kreacher's eager eyes, Cole understood that house elves' thoughts couldn't be comprehended using normal logic.

After lifting the wizard's robe, Cole stepped on Kreacher's shoulders and got out of the carriage, then turned back to help Meera. Surprisingly, Meera wasn't shocked by Kreacher's behavior. It seemed that in her world, enslaving other races was normal. This piqued Cole's interest in the world of mages. With Meera's descriptions, he could imagine the power of mages and the existence of the God of Defeat. It seemed his own strength was insignificant in that world.

The construction of a mage tower had to be prioritized, relying on the Black family's continuous flow of gold galleons and what he could exchange through his own system. Cole eagerly anticipated the magic of the mage tower, hoping it could change the world. While Cole was deep in thought, Lucius approached.

"Cole, you're here, and Miss Meera, you look beautiful today." Meera accepted Lucius's compliment with ease. The dress she wore, custom-made by Cole from the Diagon Alley Clothing Shop, combined with her aura, was both noble and mysterious. "Lucius, congratulations," Cole said. "I plan to have a good drink today. The wine I treasure is brewed by Malfoy Manor itself."

With a smile on his face, Cole could understand this social butterfly of a pure-blood noble in the wizarding world. Not all families are wealthy. Take the Weasleys, for example, with so many members they're far from rich. Many families struggle with daily expenses. It's remarkable that Lucius managed the Malfoy family to the level it is today. Lucius remained outside, waiting for guests, while Cole and Meera ventured into the hall under the guidance of the Malfoy family wizard.

There were many people in the hall at this time, and as soon as I noticed it, I saw Narcissa chatting with the guests. Cole could recognize that it was a member of the Shacklebolt family. After all, Shacklebolt, who was wearing a wizard's robe and a small hat on his head, was also famous in the wizarding world. Most members of the Shacklebolt family work in the Ministry of Magic. They are known for their rigor and take their work seriously. At the same time, members of the Shacklebolt family also joined the Order of the Phoenix and made great contributions in the fight against Voldemort. It seems that Lucius invited people from the Shacklebolt family just to showcase them at today's banquet.

Cole turned his head and looked not far away. The greasy man with long hair was the same Professor Snape who never buys shampoo. Even today, Snape had a cold face, sitting alone in a corner, paying no attention to anyone. Meera took Cole's arm and, under Cole's leadership, walked towards the wizard, Mr. Bat. Approaching Snape, Cole didn't comment on the odor. It seemed that Snape was very good at personal hygiene, but didn't wash his hair. Cole has begun to consider whether he should let Meera develop a new shampoo. Maybe Snape can support a store by himself. Snape wouldn't use Potter's shampoo anyway.

"Snape, long time no see." 

"Cole, it's you. I heard you were back before, and I was wondering when I could see you." Snape's expressionless face became a little more excited, and Cole didn't expect that this top master of Occlumency would have an expression on his face.

It seemed that he and Snape had a good relationship at the beginning, but in Cole's memories, the two of them had always been the targets of bullying. Of course, Snape would fight back, but Cole was in a terrible situation. He was at the bottom of the school bully list and didn't even have the ability to fight back. "Back, this is Meera, my wife." Cole introduced Snape, and Snape noticed the charming Meera next to him. There was a hint of disbelief in his eyes. Cole just wanted to laugh. It seemed that Snape, who had been single for ten thousand years, still refused to believe it. "Hello, Miss Meera."

Meera just smiled, and Cole asked Meera to talk to Narcissa, but only opened her door. Meera was also obedient. She was comfortable with this kind of scene. As a noble lady, she would not show timidity at such a social banquet. Looking at Meera's back, Cole smiled and said, "What? Are you envious? Who made you fail to live up to expectations in the first place." Cole knew Snape's temperament from his memory, so the friendship between the two didn't need to worry too much about other things. There was no need to worry that what Cole said about Lily would irritate Snape, after all, they were all in the same school.

It's been a few months, and if Snape hasn't adjusted, he won't come out. Back at Hogwarts, Snape would hide in a tree hole alone when he was in a bad mood. Of course, that's where I met Lily. "What's next? What are you going to do?" 

"I agreed to be a professor at Hogwarts." Snape returned to his unconcerned demeanor. 

"It must be Dumbledore's idea. He really refuses to let you go." Cole's sigh did not attract Snape's attention. In his heart, he might still believe Dumbledore. Cole didn't want to say anything, although his guess was similar and he understood Dumbledore's plan. But he didn't want to get involved in Snape's affairs, otherwise Dumbledore would have warned him. Even if Snape didn't go to Hogwarts, where could he go?