When the car arrived in Gloucestershire, Severus did not choose to continue driving through the night. Instead, he found a small roadside inn to stay at.
The Cotswolds weren't very far from Bristol, as it was a straight-line distance of about 40 miles. If they took the shortest route by road, they could reach their destination in less than three hours.
But obviously, Severus had no intention of going there immediately.
The enhanced Wiggenweld Potion still needed four more days to finish brewing, which meant they had to ensure they wouldn't be caught by Aurors within that time.
The best way to do that was to avoid staying in one place for too long.
Severus suspected that there might indeed be some clever Aurors who had thought to strengthen their cooperation with Muggles to intensify the search for them.
However, in a country like Britain, which is neither too large nor too small, it wouldn't be easy for them to be caught within four days if they kept moving around.
After arriving in Gloucester, they wouldn't continue east but would instead turn north into Wales, make a wide detour through Birmingham, and eventually return to the Cotswolds.
By nightfall, Severus was still sharing a room with Harry, while Sanguini took care of the unconscious Patty, and Worple, who had to work on his manuscript through the night, preferred having a room to himself for peace and quiet.
Before going to bed, Ghost Snape, who had remained silent for most of the day, finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
[Aren't you afraid that the Aurors might catch you and throw you straight into Azkaban without even giving you a trial?]
Severus lay in the warm, soft bed, the kind that seemed to swallow you whole, and casually responded to Ghost Snape's question in his mind.
'Didn't you see Dumbledore's public statement today? Although he's repeatedly made it clear he wants no part in politics, many in the Ministry would love to see him as the Minister. And if Dumbledore ever wanted the position, he'd have no real competition.'
'His open trust in me ensures that those in the Ministry who dislike me won't dare to break protocol by tossing me into Azkaban without a trial.'
At this point, Severus couldn't help but make some sarcastic remarks about Ghost Snape.
'Honestly, what's wrong with the Aurors wanting to bring you to justice? You did do terrible things and refused to repent. The only reason you switched sides to Dumbledore was because of Lily's death.'
By now, Ghost Snape had developed a tolerance for Severus's taunts.
Since cursing back was futile and resorting to violence would only leave him swinging at empty air, inflicting nothing but emotional damage, he might as well pretend not to hear.
[But why would Dumbledore share such an understanding with you?] He asked coldly.
Severus closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep.
'Do you think Dumbledore is some scheming, sinister old boy? Well, I won't deny he has his cunning, and dealing with him always requires an extra layer of thought about his motives, but he's certainly not some dark figure. On the contrary, he's principled and driven, a rather decent old man.'
'As for this matter, it's simply that he wanted to see what I would do. When I disappeared with Patty, he already knew the outcome of my choice. With that outcome clear, naturally, he had to help tidy up the aftermath.'
'Otherwise, if he'd said nothing, certain people in the Ministry might've tried something underhanded. I'd have been thrown straight into Azkaban, Sanguini and Worple wouldn't have fared any better, and Patty would've faced either death or a life of misery. That's not something he'd want.'
Hearing this, Ghost Snape couldn't help but ask.
[What if Dumbledore really had stayed silent, and the Ministry had ignored the circumstances entirely, just shipping you all off to Azkaban?]
Severus, who was already half asleep, let out a faint snort and murmured, 'If that happened... then they'd have seen... just how dark a dark wizard can be...'
…
Early the next morning, as Severus washed up, he found Harry, who had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he'd barely slept, was staring intently at him.
Severus looked puzzled, and with a toothbrush in his mouth, he asked in confusion, "Is there something on my face?"
Harry shook his head, but his gaze remained odd as he asked.
"Professor, is Azkaban like... a prison for wizards?"
Seeing that his student was diligent and eager to learn about the common knowledge of the Wizarding World early in the morning, Severus taught him everything he knew.
"That place is not just a wizard prison, it can be said to be the hell of the Wizarding World. Isolated out at sea, swarming with Dementors that feed on hope and happiness. Most prisoners don't last two years before dying of despair and cold. The ones who survive are either mad or have some... unique methods."
After hearing Severus's description, Harry swallowed his saliva and looked at him with even more confusion.
"Professor, then what you said in your sleep last night..."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"What did I say?"
"You said… you said, 'Brothers and sisters! For the Dark Lord, for supreme glory, we break out of Azkaban!'" Harry's eyes were wide as saucers.
It can be seen that Severus has already established a lot of trust in Harry's heart, otherwise the boy wouldn't have dared repeat those words to his face.
Severus, who was still brushing his teeth, frowned.
He cursed Ghost Snape in his heart again, believing that it was all his fault for talking to him about those nonsense before going to bed yesterday, which resulted in Harry being scared by his sleep talk at night.
Ghost Snape just stayed silent, after all, he was no match for Severus in an argument.
In reality, Severus immediately rinsed the foam from his mouth, cleared his throat, and explained.
"That was just dream talk. Dreams are strange, anything can happen. Don't take it seriously."
"Now, stop lounging in bed, Harry. Wash up, and let's get breakfast. Eldred and Sanguini are probably already waiting."
Harry's attention shifted at last. He changed out of his pajamas, freshened up, and joined Severus downstairs for breakfast at the inn.
Worple looked just as sleep-deprived, having stayed up late finishing his draft. Even Sanguini admitted he hadn't dared fully close his eyes, worried that if Aurors showed up in the night, he'd need to grab Patty and run at a moment's notice.
After breakfast, Severus didn't leave immediately. He took the manuscript Worple had written overnight and spent an hour carefully reviewing it before nodding in approval.
"Very good. No wonder Slughorn invited you to his club. Even without the rest of the content, this book has the potential to be a bestseller."
Hearing Severus' praise, Worple's face flushed with excitement.
Having his work praised meant more to him than any personal compliment.
"Keep writing, but a manuscript alone isn't enough. We'll need a newspaper or publisher bold enough to print it." Severus said, handing the draft back, "Luckily, I happen to know a rather... unconventional editor who's never shied away from controversy."
He stood and motioned to Harry and Sanguini.
"Let's go. We've got more road ahead!"
They got back into the station wagon and began their journey north.
And not long after they left.
Not long after they left, several speeding police cars roared past the same roadside inn, coming from the direction of Bristol.
In the back seat of the leading police car, the Bristol Police Chief looked at the black man beside him, who had been assigned from London that very morning to oversee the case of the kidnapped duke's daughter, and cautiously suggested, "Mr. Shacklebolt, should we stop for breakfast?"
Kingsley checked his pocket watch and nodded amiably, "Just Kingsley is fine. Yes, let's take a short break."