Chapter 689: Spinner's End (Edited)

With the Apparition spell, long-distance travels were an easy matter for wizards, and in the blink of an eye, Dumbledore had brought Fish to the riverbank.

Not far from the shore stood an abandoned mill, its chimney still standing.

"Albus, it smells so bad here..."

Fish covered his mouth and nose with his hand and frowned, disgusted. "How could Severus live in a place like this?"

The river beside them meandered, its banks covered in grass and trash. The water was as black as coal, with scattered debris and clouds of white foam floating on it, devoid of any signs of life, and an unpleasant odor emanating from the heaps of garbage on the banks.

"Perhaps..." Dumbledore looked at the massive chimney not far away and said with emotion, "maybe this is a place worth remembering for him..."

At that moment, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes, and a skinny fox emerged, its fur gray and tangled in many places.

"Whoa... whoa..."

The fox cast a cautious glance at Dumbledore and then trotted to Fish's feet with a hoarse but pitiful cry.

Without a word, Fish cast a rejuvenation spell on the fox and gave it a piece of dried meat from his pocket.

When the fox finished the jerky in a couple of bites, Fish gave it some clean water from a water source and wiped the mud off its body, revealing the shiny yellow fur underneath.

Then, using his animal shrinking magic, he reduced the fox to the size of his palm and put it in his pocket.

Dumbledore smiled at Fish's actions before saying, "Come, we should go look for Severus, and remember to keep your ears and tail hidden."

The two climbed up the slope of the shore, an old railing separating the river from a narrow cobblestone alley. On the other side of the railing stood a row of dilapidated brick houses.

"This way."

Dumbledore looked around and found an opening in the rusty railing, through which he quickly passed and catapulted to the other side of the alley.

They entered the alley between the houses, one after the other, zigzagging between rows of ruined brick houses, occasionally seeing one or two unconscious drunks lying on the street, their pockets torn and even their clothes stripped, lying naked on the cold cobblestone floor.

"Fish hates being here."

(ˇˇ)

Fish frowned.

It reminded him of his old vagabond days, but as things were, Fish didn't like it, although he didn't hate it much either because it wasn't like he hadn't been in worse conditions.

The main reason was that it produced an indescribable sense of oppression in Fish, making him resent that place from the depths of his heart.

"I don't like being here either. I've tried to persuade Severus several times, but he doesn't budge." Dumbledore sighed helplessly.

"Is it because of the lack of money?"

?ω?

Once again, Fish remembered what Professor McGonagall had said about "earning money to support the family."

"Of course not!" Dumbledore said firmly, "The salary at Hogwarts is not low! And Severus, as an expert in Potions, cannot possibly lack money."

"It seems that... Severus is also a strange guy!"

┑('ω'≡'ω')┍

Fish did the same thing Hermione did when talking about herself, shaking his head with both hands, a helpless expression on his face, and sighed.

Dumbledore: "..."

The two walked around and around the ruined brick buildings for a while, arriving at a street called Spinner's End.

The street wasn't much different from the others, full of dilapidated houses, most windows without glass but covered with wooden boards. The path under their feet was made of cobblestones, but some were missing or broken, leaving ugly potholes filled with dirt and dirty water.

Dumbledore led Fish to the last house, which had the rare use of curtains and window panes, separating the interior from the outside.

He knocked on the door, and a moment later, it opened slightly, revealing a yellowish-gray face with dark eyes and Snape's characteristic hawk-like nose.

"Severus, good morning, nya!"

(|ΦωΦ)

Fish peeked his head from behind Dumbledore and greeted Snape cheerfully.

"Fish?!" exclaimed Snape, surprised and delighted, unconsciously opening the door halfway.

Then he looked at Dumbledore, who stood behind Fish, seemingly causing a hindrance. Snape pursed his thin lips, made an imperceptible gesture with his head, and said stiffly, "You're here too."

Snape stepped aside. "Come in and talk. It would be a problem if the Muggles living here saw you."

"Excuse me." Dumbledore inclined slightly and walked through the low door.

Fish naturally followed and looked around as soon as he was inside.

(°ω°≡°ω°)

Upon entering, they found a small living room, but since all the windows were covered by curtains, it looked more like a dark cell with soft walls.

Several walls of the living room were lined with shelves that nearly covered them, filled with books, most of them sporting old black or brown leather covers.

A candle-lit lamp hung from the ceiling, casting a dim circle of light where a worn-out sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table were crowded together.

There was an air of desolation and coldness in the place, as if nobody habitually lived there... but it was normal since Snape had spent most of his time at the school.

"Severus, why do you like living in a place like this...? Fish doesn't like it, nya, and it smells so bad outside..."

(?ω?)

The modest furnishings of the room meant nothing to Fish; on the contrary, he preferred the darkness. However, the exterior was unacceptable for Fish, who would have preferred a cleaner place if he could.

Snape remained silent for a moment and said softly, "This is the house my parents left me."

Fish twitched his ears, finally out of their confinement, and thought about how he would have liked to live at Professor McGonagall's house, so he quickly accepted the explanation.

"Alright, then, but if you don't feel comfortable here, you can come to Fish's house! There are a couple of vacant rooms at Minerva's place!"

(ΦωΦ)

Fish earnestly extended the invitation.

Snape's lips twitched a couple of times, and he said, "...Thank you."

"Fish, do you want me to stay at your house then?" Dumbledore approached timidly.

Fish was about to return his usual animosity but reconsidered his harsh words, thinking that the old bad guy might be dying. Reluctantly, he said, "If you want, it's not impossible, nya... as long as Minerva agrees too."

(`ω´)

Fish clasped his hands together and nodded with a serious expression.

Despite Fish's hesitant gaze, Dumbledore was happy.

He didn't even care about healing himself anymore.

"Today you're here, is there something you want?"

Snape interrupted decisively, unwilling to see Dumbledore's smug expression.

Dumbledore stopped smiling, revealed his charred right hand, and said to Snape, "Voldemort has set a trap for me, and I've come to ask if you have a solution... Additionally, our plans may need some adjustments..."