### Dumbledore: "Orli, she's been delving into dark magic. Before leaving, she even copied notes on the Unforgivable Curses and Fiendfyre."
Dumbledore's voice was heavy, almost a sigh.
### Snape: "And so?"
A faint, almost taunting smile played at the corners of Snape's lips.
### Snape: "Are you planning to expel Waters for this? I see nothing wrong with a student wanting to learn a bit of dark magic for self-preservation."
### Dumbledore: "If it were merely curiosity, there would be no issue."
The light glinted off Dumbledore's half-moon glasses as he continued:
### Dumbledore: "But do you truly believe she's the type to stop at mere curiosity?"
### Snape: "I don't have the luxury of analyzing a little girl's psyche."
Snape's dark eyes locked onto Dumbledore's:
### Snape: "Harry Potter is already enough of a burden, isn't that what you intended?"
### Dumbledore: "No, Severus. I wanted you to stay and protect Harry, but I also have an old man's advice for you."
Dumbledore's tone softened:
### Dumbledore: "You and I have both lost dear friends in our youth. I hope you won't make the same mistake I did—letting a student stray down the wrong path."
Dumbledore's words struck like an icicle, piercing Snape's guarded heart. The flash of green eyes in his mind caused a sharp pang, and his voice turned cutting, dripping with sarcasm:
### Snape: "Are you comparing a thirteen-year-old girl to that person?"
He let out a low, bitter laugh:
### Snape: "Dumbledore, if you're so desperate for an imaginary enemy to keep yourself sharp, the dungeons are full of little Slytherins. Each of them knows far more dark magic than that foolish Gryffindor ever could."
### Dumbledore: "Orli is not foolish. Quite the contrary—she's far too clever. But it's not the academic brilliance of Hermione Granger. It's..."
Dumbledore's gaze seemed to pierce through the room, as if recalling someone long gone:
### Dumbledore: "The Philosopher's Stone in her first year, the Chamber of Secrets in her second, Peter Pettigrew in her third... She gives me an unsettling feeling, yet she always conceals her true thoughts. The last time I encountered such a student was fifty years ago."
### Snape: "You just find her difficult to control."
Snape's retort was sharp and unyielding.
### Snape: "Only a brainless, brawny child like Potter would better suit your preferences. If you asked him to die, he'd probably rush to write a farewell letter before jumping off the Astronomy Tower."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, visibly weary, and closed his eyes.
### Dumbledore: "In any case, Severus. Keep an eye on Orli. I want her to always stand by Harry's side. Do you understand?"
### Snape: "Trust me, you're overthinking Waters. She's not nearly as complicated as you imagine."
Snape rose from his seat, turned on his heel, and left. As he walked away, he couldn't help but recall the small two-way mirror he had received at Christmas. A faint scoff escaped him. Did she think copying potion notes would distract him?
From the moment he received the mirror, he had understood her little, unspoken intentions. What puzzled him was why he hadn't returned the mirror with a scathing, three-thousand-word critique to embarrass her into throwing herself into the Black Lake.
In his mind, Orli Waters' voice echoed with an almost magical persistence, repeating her two sentences:
"You can trust me. I will accept all of you."
"I chose neither of them because I only want to choose you."
Fine. Since she had sensibly kept her distance these past two months, he would pretend not to know. Snape forced himself to push aside these chaotic thoughts and refocus on the Wolfsbane Potion formula. The materials Waters had provided weren't entirely useless; they had sparked some unprecedented new ideas for the potion.
---
### Author's Note:
Originally, I wrote Dumbledore's line as "a lover from my youth," but later changed it to "a dear friend."
For Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore, their relationship cannot be confined to the term "lover." Describing it as either friendship or love feels overly simplistic, so I chose "dear friend." Moreover, it's unlikely Dumbledore would mention a "lover" in front of Snape.
As for Snape and Lily, their relationship was never romantic either. Snape's feelings for Lily were unrequited, so I also categorized it as "dear friend."
Both pairs of "dear friends" ultimately ended in separation, taking opposite paths. That's why Dumbledore brought them up together in his conversation.
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