Good or bad, does it matter?{HP}

As the two wizards settled into their seats across from Severus, a glimmer of surprise passed fleetingly over his face, quickly followed by an almost imperceptible smile.

"An unexpected encounter..." Severus murmured internally. "It's no wonder his magic felt so strangely familiar from the start... I may have underestimated the necromancers of this world."

Xardas, subjected to the stranger's penetrating gaze, felt a growing discomfort settle over him. The subtle shift in Severus's expression didn't escape his notice, and it only intensified the uneasy feeling crawling under his skin. Yet, he refrained from breaking the silence, unwilling to be the first to speak.

Across the hall, members of the necromancer community shifted uncomfortably, exchanging puzzled glances as the heavy silence stretched between the two figures.

The young necromancer, on the other hand, felt a gnawing anxiety and tension building within him. Frantically, he tried to recall anything he might have said or done over the past decade that could bring him under such scrutiny. The words of Xardas' warning echoed ominously in his mind. If this stranger's accusations held merit, then he knew the leader of their community would not hesitate to forsake him, for the wizard seated before him was evidently someone formidable—someone who was not to be trifled with.

Finally, when the weight of the silence had grown almost unbearable, Severus's voice cut through it, devoid of any warmth or emotion. "I don't have much time to waste on you." The gathered necromancers bristled at his dismissive tone, irritation flaring in their eyes.

The man before them was a stranger, yet he dared to address their leader with such audacity. Unfazed, Xardas responded with a calm steadiness, "May I inquire as to the accusations against Robin?"

"He attacked and annihilated a family under my protection." Severus replied, his words heavy with accusation. The necromancers closest to the accused blanched visibly, shock widening their eyes. Panic flickered in the depths of their expressions.

'Could those feeble magicians really have been the ones...?' Robot thought to himself, remembering a recent experiment. About three months ago, he had decimated a small wizard family in the Muggle world, their bodies becoming unwilling vessels for his dark arts. His thoughts raced frantically. 'If they were the ones, I'm as good as dead.'

Sandro, catching the frightened reaction of his fellow necromancer, felt the weight of realization settle on him, his gaze narrowing as he discerned the truth. Robin's guilty expression grew more pronounced as Sandro's frown deepened, goosebumps prickling along his skin. An involuntary glance toward his mentor yielded no comfort, for Xardas's face remained impassive, giving no indication of support.

"Do you have any evidence that he committed this act?" Xardas asked, maintaining his composure under Severus's unyielding stare.

With a slight motion, Severus produced a vial of memories and a stone vessel inscribed with ancient runes, their edges glowing faintly. The vessel radiated an otherworldly silver light.

"Allow me to examine it," one of the necromancers in the hall volunteered, suspicious that it could be a trap. But a gloved hand raised, silencing him.

"There is no reason for me to distrust this man," Xardas stated, his voice betraying a hint of something almost approaching respect. He knew the stranger could dispatch every necromancer in the hall without so much as flinching, yet he had opted for dialogue instead. Xardas placed the memory pool before him and uncorked it, unleashing a gaseous, luminescent substance that poured out like liquid silver, casting eerie shadows across the room.

"I'll take a look then," Xardas said with a slight nod before leaning in to study the memories. For several tense minutes, he remained silent, his brow furrowed in concentration. Robin's expression grew increasingly desperate, sweat slicking his forehead as he fought to maintain his composure.

Thoughts of escape flitted through his mind. 'If it's true, I need to flee immediately... Good thing I convinced my teacher to add me to the exceptions list. By the time they take down the wards, I'll be long gone.'

Meanwhile, Severus's expression remained impassive, but his thoughts churned. 'Robin's demeanor is far too emotional, uncertain. He doesn't resemble the person I dreamed about—calm, unflinching, calculated.' His suspicions flared. 'Someone must have used the Reversible spell to impersonate Robin or perhaps the Imperius curse.'

Either way, Severus knew that if a spell were cast on him, he'd feel it immediately. Still, he decided to let his plan unfold; five years of strategic patience had taught him to bide his time.

When Xardas finally raised his head from the memory pool, he began stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It wasn't them," he stated at last, his words lifting an invisible weight off Robin's shoulders. Relief blossomed across the young necromancer's face, but it was short-lived. "But," Xardas continued, "I assume you wouldn't simply take my word for it?"

Severus's eyes narrowed. "No. I need to review his memories from the last six months myself and verify they haven't been altered."

Before Xardas could reply, one of the necromancers attempted to interject on behalf of his leader as he shouted "How dare you?" But his words were drowned in a wave of scarlet flame that engulfed him. His body disintegrated instantly, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

The gathered necromancers, shocked into silence, could only watch in horror. All of them instinctively raised their wands in response, only to have their leader's voice cut through the panic.

"Lower your wands," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "Robin, step forward and let him examine your memories." With his face drained of color, Robin obeyed, moving toward Severus as though every step took a monumental effort.

'If he's already this powerful, then what kind of beings is his master under whom he studies?' the leader of the "Diamond" department thought, swallowing nervously.

Severus looked down at the quivering young talent before him, feeling an almost overwhelming urge to end him on the spot. But a voice within him held him back: "Severus, stick to the plan…" Beside him, Nagini seemed to read his mind, her gaze both understanding and cautionary. Her unspoken warning seemed to calm him, though his face betrayed nothing.

"I remember," he murmured, stretching out a gloved hand to rest upon Robin's head. He began to probe his memories, allowing Robin to observe his own actions while subtly planting a mark deep within his psyche, concealed beneath layers of memories.

A few seconds later, a disappointed sigh escaped Snape. "Teach your student the ritual of severing ties," he muttered, and in an instant, he was engulfed in scarlet flame, vanishing from the room. For a brief, breathless moment, the gathered necromancers were left blinking in stunned silence.

Robin, realizing Snape's unexpected departure, felt his heart skip.

'He can Apparate despite the anti-Apparition wards,' he thought, the revelation striking him like a blow. He staggered, collapsing in a pale heap on the floor as the full weight of his predicament set in. Severus knew his plan. There was no escape.

Xardas, observing his student's pathetic state, simply took him by the scruff, and they too vanished. He had much to teach Robin, especially considering that someone had likely impersonated him using Polyjuice Potion. Xardas intended to find the person responsible for this deception, for they had used necromancy to implicate his protégé in the murder. But first, he would have to probe the boy's mind further, for Robin was not just any student.

The memories Severus had shown were fake, yet cleverly crafted, borrowed from a seller in Diagon Alley and altered to implicate Robin. In the fabricated recollection, a necromancer bearing Robin's face could be seen unleashing dark magic upon a small, remote house and slaughtering its inhabitants. The ease with which Xardas accepted the authenticity of these memories underscored the general belief in their community—that such deep tampering was impossible. Yet Severus's plan had worked precisely because no one expected such deception.

Meanwhile, Severus reappeared on the rooftop of a nearby building, feeling the mark he had placed on Robin blink out of existence momentarily before reappearing far to the north. "Time to pay them a visit," he said to himself, a grin playing across his lips. The kitten perched on his shoulder as he, too, disappeared once more into the shadows, his sights set on his next target.

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