Severus's words left Ghost Snape somewhat silent.

A long time passed before he finally spoke coldly from within Severus's body.

[You want to get rid of me now? You talk about being inseparable, but in reality, you already want to monopolize everything!]

Severus was unperturbed by Ghost Snape's accusation. He simply shrugged and poured the freshly brewed potion from the cauldron into a vial.

His hands continued working as he replied mentally, 'You always assume I'm as sinister and despicable as you are. You've witnessed me do so much. Do you still doubt my initial words and the promises I made to you?'

'I'm trying to help you break free from this body to release yourself. You died, and me occupying your body is an established fact, right?'

'And throughout magical history, there has never been a case of a ghost being resurrected or completely passing on.'

'Even if I don't mind us remaining in this state of two souls in one body, what about you? After Harry is completely safe, your former master is utterly destroyed, and the obsession keeping your soul in this world dissipates, will you stay in this body forever?'

After listening quietly to Severus's words, Ghost Snape's expression remained cold.

His hollow eyes just stared intently at Severus as he said indifferently, [Then wait until you fulfill everything you promised before saying this to me!]

Severus wasn't surprised by his reaction and reply.

Ghost Snape was like this. Whether he truly trusted Severus now, truly believed he could protect Harry, he needed to witness everything with his own eyes until all danger was eliminated and everything was settled.

But having this promise from him now was enough.

'Are you making a promise to me now? That after everything is settled, you will come out of this body?'

Ghost Snape just sneered.

[You're still impatient, single-mindedly wanting to sever ties with me. If you really can't wait, that teacup is in your hand. I have no ability to resist whatever you do. So why not just act against me now!]

Severus said calmly, 'It's precisely because I respect your opinion and sincerely believe we are inseparable that I am asking for your thoughts.'

'But then again, you can't keep using this point to coerce me just because I am a sincere and kind person.' He blinked, 'After the necessary troubles are resolved, our lives won't end there. The road ahead is still long, and I always have to plan for some things in advance.'

After Severus's words fell, Ghost Snape fell silent again. He said nothing more, because he clearly knew these last words were no longer a question.

The now-quiet Ghost Snape felt somewhat bewildered.

As Severus had said, after everything was over, they still had a long road ahead. Severus certainly had his own considerations, plans, and future.

But what about him, the ghost?

…

France, Paris

Yuma, who had been busy at the Ministry for three days without returning home, finally had a chance to rest this afternoon.

In the Head Auror's office, Girard rubbed her temples, finished reading the latest report Yuma had personally delivered, and said tiredly, "The search mission is concluded for now. Take a day off to spend time with your wife and child."

"Subsequent work I will hand over to Stewart and the others. The Death Eaters who kidnapped the Flamels in France have either gotten what they wanted and escaped France, or are lying low for now. Further progress will require communication and cooperation with Britain."

Yuma nodded and comforted her, "You should also rest. No matter what, in this incident, aside from Sister Aimee, no one else was harmed. We can finally give the public an account."

Girard's brow remained furrowed, her voice heavy, "Any more news from Snape?"

Since Severus had quietly left France, public opinion in the French Wizarding World had been in chaos.

Coupled with Nicolas Flamel closing his doors and his wife refusing interviews with any newspapers, reporters hungry for a big story but lacking firsthand information were like headless flies, unable to find any information to dig up.

So, they turned their spearheads towards the French Ministry of Magic.

Many commentators on the Wizarding Wireless Network made speculations.

The reason Severus disappeared without a trace after rescuing the Flamels was that the French Aurors couldn't stand a British wizard stealing the spotlight in Paris, so they squeezed out the hero who saved the Flamels.

Even the two boys who defended the French Ministry and Lupin left with Severus.

Such speculation was very popular among the French wizarding public. Many felt this was the truth, and quite a few sent Howlers daily, angrily denouncing the incompetence of the French Aurors.

The Auror Office's reputation plummeted, giving Girard a massive headache. She just wanted to contact Severus, to ask if he could make a public statement clarifying the matter to salvage the French Aurors' reputation.

Among the French Aurors, the one most likely to know Severus's whereabouts and be able to contact him was obviously Yuma.

However, faced with her question, Yuma just shook his head affirmatively, "This is the fourth time you've asked me this. Aside from saying goodbye before he left, I truly don't know where they went."

Girard could only sigh. She didn't press further, just waved her hand and said, "Go get some proper rest."

Yuma nodded, turned, and left the Head's office.

He arrived at the Ministry's main atrium. He glanced at the time on his watch, then didn't immediately use the Floo Network to return home. Instead, he went to a wizarding commercial street in Paris.

There, he bought the toy broomstick his son had always wanted, and for his wife, the [Super Witch] brand magical household cleaning set she had been reluctant to buy.

After purchasing these gifts, he used Apparition to return to his doorstep.

Strictly speaking, Yuma was a half-blood wizard. His grandmother was a Muggle, but his grandfather had accumulated considerable wealth passed down to him. This house, located in a Muggle village on the outskirts of Paris, was the largest part of that inheritance.

Hiding the purchased gifts behind his back, Yuma pushed open the garden gate. He saw the flower bushes in the yard, recently trimmed, with branches and grass clippings yet to be cleaned up.

A smile spread across Yuma's face. He could easily picture the scene: his wife trying to trim the garden while being interrupted by their son, having to go back inside to discipline the little rascal.

"Sara." He called out as he reached the front door, pushing it open while calling his wife's name.

However, his call was met with silence. The house was quiet, almost as if no one was home.

He glanced around the living room. The setup looked no different from when he had left three days ago.

Sara's flat shoes and their son's shoes were neatly placed on the rack by the door, just like always.

On the wall, the portrait of Yuma's father, who had passed away from illness two years ago, was dozing off as usual.

On the side table sat a bowl of grapes, still beaded with water, clearly washed not long ago.

"Sara!" Yuma called out again, louder this time. He set down the gifts he was holding and subtly drew his wand from his sleeve.

His voice echoed through the house, yet there was still no response. Instead, the portrait of his sickly father was stirred awake.

"What's all the racket!" The old black man in the portrait grumbled irritably.

Years of experience as an Auror had honed Yuma's vigilance and intuition. Every muscle in his body tensed. Gripping his wand, he carefully scanned his surroundings and asked coldly, "Where are they?"

The portrait yawned, looking listless. "They were entertaining your friend at noon, you good-for-nothing who's never home! Why did I ever agree to let you become an Auror? No one looked after me at St. Mungo's, and now my daughter-in-law and grandson are left alone at home!"

Yuma's brow furrowed deeply. He said in a low voice, "Old man, you know I hardly have any friends. Even familiar colleagues wouldn't visit my home at a time like this. Did you see who it was? Where did Sara and the boy go?"

His words made the portrait visibly nervous, even letting out a gasp, "Merlin's beard! I... I was dozing off! I only saw Sara letting a man in a grey robe inside. The man was speaking English! After that, I don't know where they went!"

Yuma didn't bother with him further. His gaze was fixed on the staircase, as he had heard a faint sound coming from there.

"You call yourself my friend! I hear you there! Still hiding your head and tail? You took Sara and the child just to see me, didn't you!" Yuma challenged.

In response to Yuma's challenge, the figure at the turn of the stairs finally stopped concealing their footsteps. They slowly descended the stairs, revealing themselves.

When Yuma saw the tall, thin man in grey robes, his pupils constricted.

The messy yet somehow elegant black hair, the cold, fierce, strikingly grey eyes… even in such a disheveled state, it was impossible to miss his handsome features.

"Sirius Black!!"

He practically spat the name through gritted teeth, his eyes locked on the prisoner from Azkaban!

'Girard's speculation was wrong.'

'The Death Eaters' operations in France were far from over!'

Sirius fiddled casually with a small stick in his hand… It was Sara's wand, his trophy for the day.

"Don't look at me with such hatred." He said irritably, "I haven't harmed your wife and child. I just need you to tell me the truth from now on!"

In the living room, the portrait of Yuma's father began shouting. He had clearly realized who his son was talking to. He cursed angrily, wishing Sirius a terrible death.

Yuma, however, had calmed down. He just stared intently at Sirius.

"You kidnapped the Flamels, stole that file from the Ministry, but you still haven't achieved your goal."

Sirius looked impatient. Though he was used to being framed, he didn't appreciate just any accusation being thrown his way!

"None of that has anything to do with me! I just want to know one thing from you: where did Snape go!"

It had been three days since Sirius first arrived in Paris.

In those three days, through various newspapers and by secretly breaking into the homes of several French Ministry employees, all the information he gathered confirmed one thing:

Severus, Lupin, and Harry had all disappeared!

All the media in the French Wizarding World were looking for them but had found nothing. Even the Ministry didn't know where they had gone.

This infuriated Sirius. He felt like Severus had put a leash on him, leading him around by the nose.

After learning in detail about Severus's social connections during his time in France, he had set his sights on Yuma.

This French Auror who had the most contact with him!

Subsequently, he had risked carrying out today's operation.

As Sirius had told Yuma, he certainly wouldn't harm women and children. He wasn't the impulsive, mistake-prone person he had been in his school days. But using this to scare the Auror was feasible.

Hearing Sirius's words, a gleam appeared in Yuma's eyes.

"You want revenge on Severus! Because in Britain, he publicly claimed to have reformed, thwarted the Death Eaters' plans, and rescued the Flamels in Paris!"

"It's all an act! He's fooled everyone! Made fools out of you lot! He's still serving his master! This is all an act he's putting on with his friends, a performance for you!!"

Yuma's words seemed to hit Sirius's rawest nerve. He roared, suddenly raising Sara's wand.

"Stop spouting nonsense! I just need you to tell me! Where is he now!"

Yuma took a deep breath. His distinct black and white eyes looked exceptionally bright against his dark skin.

"I don't know."

"You're lying!" Sirius's breathing became rapid, "Many people saw him only say goodbye to you when he left the French Ministry! You'd better tell me the truth! The truth!!"

"I said, I don't know!"

Yuma looked at him coldly.

"If you want to see my memories, then look! They'll tell you if I'm lying or not!"