bacchusnovels Chapter 136 Wet Temptation
Chapter 136 Wet Temptation
Chapter 136 Wet Temptation
There seems to be some inexplicable, mysterious bond between Filch and his annoying cat.
He suddenly appeared from behind a tapestry, rushing swiftly to Hermione's right side, panting heavily, frantically looking around, eagerly searching for any trace of violation of school rules.
His head was tightly wrapped with a thick checkered bandana, and his nose was unusually swollen and red.
"Absolutely outrageous!" he roared, pointing to Hermione's dripping robes and her shoes stained with grass clippings and mud.
His eyes were wide open and frightening, and the fat on his double chin trembled with anger. "A complete mess, utterly lawless!"
I've had enough, Granger! Come with me!
With a hint of sadness in her eyes, Hermione waved goodbye to Nick, who was nearly headless, before following Filch down the stairs, leaving a trail of muddy footprints.
Filch's office was an unknown place for Hermione:
In fact, most students avoid this place. The room is dark and dirty, with no windows, and only a dim oil lamp provides faint light.
The air was filled with the strange smell of fried fish. Neatly arranged wooden filing cabinets lined the surrounding walls, their labels indicating that they contained detailed information about every student punished by Filch.
Fred and George's files filled an entire drawer. On the wall behind Filch's desk hung various instruments of torture, such as chains, hands, and feet.
As is well known, Filch had always longed for Dumbledore's permission to hang his students upside down from the ceiling.
Filch pulled a quill pen from a jar on his desk and trudged heavily around the office.
Searching for parchment.
"Utterly despicable," he muttered angrily, "disgusting slugs, frog brains, rat intestines—I've had enough. They must be killed to deter others. Where's the form? Found it—."
He pulled a thick roll of parchment from the drawer, spread it on the table, and then picked up the long black quill pen and dipped it in the inkwell.
Name: Hermione Granger. Crime:
"It was just some mud splashed on me!" Hermione explained.
"What's just mud to you, means another hour of cleaning for me!" Filch roared, a drop of nauseating snot hanging from his nose. "Crime—defilement of the castle. Recommended punishment—"
Filch wiped his nose, squinted, and stared at Hermione with ill intent.
Hermione held her breath, awaiting the verdict.
However, just as Filch was about to put down his pen, a deafening crash came from the ceiling of the office, and the oil lamp shook violently.
"You little devil!" Filch roared, angrily slamming his quill to the ground. "This time I won't let you get away with it; I'll catch you!"
Mischievous Ghost, the mischievous ghost in the school, is always darting around in the air, causing trouble.
Although Hermione didn't particularly like him, she was genuinely grateful for his timely appearance.
Whatever Peeves did (judging from the sound, he seemed to have smashed something big again), he at least managed to divert Filch's attention from Hermione.
Hermione thought she should wait for Filch to return, so she sat down on a worm-eaten chair.
Besides his incomplete form, there was a bulging purple envelope on the table with silver lettering printed on it.
Hermione quickly glanced at the doorway, making sure Filch hadn't returned yet, then curiously picked up the envelope to examine it:
Hermione was puzzled, so she opened the envelope and pulled out a bundle of parchment. On the first page were some silver, cursive writing:
Do you feel out of place in the modern magical world?
Do you find yourself constantly making excuses for not casting simple spells?
Have you ever been laughed at for your clumsy wand-waving skills?
The answer is right here!
Rapid incantation is a foolproof, fast-acting, and easy-to-learn new course. Hundreds of wizards have already benefited from rapid incantation!
The annoying lady from Top Mountain wrote:
"I couldn't remember the spells, and my family laughed at my potions! Now, after a course on quick spell-recitation, I'm the center of attention at parties, and my friends are all asking me for the recipe for the Glittering Potion!"
The troublemaking wizard of Ditsbury said:
"My wife used to always laugh at my foot magic, but after a month of learning in your amazing rapid spell-chanting class, I successfully turned her into a yak! Thank you, rapid spell-chanting!"
Hermione was captivated, and he flipped through the remaining parchment in the envelope with his fingers.
Why would Filch want to take a course on rapid mantra chanting?
Does this mean he is not a legitimate wizard?
Hermione had just read "Lesson One: Hold Your Wand (A Few Helpful Pieces of Advice)" when she heard footsteps outside.
Knowing Filch had returned, she quickly stuffed the parchment into the envelope and tossed it back onto the table.
Just then, the door opened.
However, when the door opened fully, what appeared before her was not the stern face of Filch that she had imagined, but a familiar figure that made her heart race instantly, almost leaping out of her chest—Professor Sean.
This sudden turn of events left her mind momentarily blank.
She stared wide-eyed at the figure standing behind the door, as if trying to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.
"Professor Sean?" Hermione murmured to herself.
Sean also looked at Hermione in disbelief.
He wasn't surprised that Hermione was in Filch's office. In fact, he had seen Nick in the corridor and learned from his conversation with Nick that Hermione had been brought here by Filch, so he came looking for her.
What surprised him was Hermione's current attire.
Sean had never seen Hermione like this before; her long hair was slightly damp and clung to her cheeks, making her look a little messy but still charming.
Hermione's once clean and tidy wizard robes were now soaked through by the rain and clung to her body, outlining her petite and delicate curves.
Her breasts, small enough to be grasped in one hand, were faintly visible beneath the fabric, their pert peaks tempting one to reach inside and explore; while her waist, though slender, had beautiful lines and was full of youthful vitality.
Her skirt had been slightly lifted from sitting on the lawn, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white skin that made one's blood boil.
In his memory, Hermione was always a meticulous and studious girl who always wore a neat school uniform. But the girl in front of him now had an unprecedented fragility and wolfishness, yet she unexpectedly displayed a unique beauty.
"What's wrong with you...?" Sean's tone revealed a hint of concern.
"I..." Hermes felt a surge of panic as he felt Sean's intense gaze upon him.
She seemed to realize her blunder, straightened her disheveled robe, lowered her head shyly, a slight blush rising on her cheeks, and her voice trembled as she tried to explain her current predicament, "I just..."
"Returning from outside the castle...we encountered a heavy rain...so..."
Sean looked at her, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes.
He took off his coat and gently draped it over Hermione's shoulders, saying softly, "Don't catch a cold. Wear this for now, and I'll take you to change your clothes later."
Hermione's ears turned slightly red from Sean's gentlemanly gesture. She felt her whole body heating up, as if she had been ignited by Sean's gaze.
She stole a glance at Sean and found that he was still watching her, which made the feeling of being noticed even stronger.
So she gently bit her lower lip, trying to calm herself down, and said, "Thank you, Professor Sean."
Just then, the untimely sound of clattering footsteps came from outside.
Filch is back.
He looked like he had won a great victory.
"That vanishing cabinet is incredibly valuable!" he exclaimed excitedly to Mrs. Lorris. "Now we can finally get rid of Peeves, my dear!"
However, when he withdrew the light from the cat and turned into the house, he noticed Sean standing in front of him, along with the rapidly chanting envelope that had clearly been moved.
Filch's face went from pale to flushed red, clearly a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.
"Professor Phillips...you..." he stammered, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Hello, Mr. Filch," Sean said gently, breaking the awkward silence. "I'm here to see Miss Granger; I need to confirm some things with her."
Filch paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, though his face was still slightly flushed. "Yes, Miss Granger...she's here..."
As he spoke, he limped toward the table, grabbed the envelope, and threw it into the drawer.
After doing all this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he turned to Hermione, who was standing to the side, and said, "Miss Granger, since Professor Phillips needs to see you, you should go now."
Halfway through his sentence, Filch suddenly paused, a hint of tension and unease flashing in his eyes.
He swallowed hard, then stammered, "But... just now... did you... read my letter?"
Hermione dislikes and is not good at lying, especially in front of Professor Sean.
So she stammered, "I...I..."
Filch, observing Hermione's reaction, already knew the answer.
He twisted his two knuckles together, his fingers trembling slightly with tension.
"Excuse me, what kind of letter was that?" Sean asked, noticing Filch's expression, as if he'd just remembered something. "Was it about the 'Rapid Spellcasting' correspondence course?"
Hermione seemed somewhat surprised, because Professor Sean hadn't arrived yet when she read the letter.
Filch's face turned even redder, his expression filled with embarrassment and awkwardness. Clearly, Sean's directness had made him feel extremely embarrassed and ashamed, and he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
"Mr. Filch," Sean said earnestly, "if attending 'Speed Spellcasting' classes doesn't work, you can come find me. I've recently developed a new potion..."
Filch didn't want Sean to think he was someone who needed help, and he certainly didn't want to admit his Squib status in front of the students, so he forced a smile and tried to make his tone sound as natural as possible.
"Oh, Professor Phillips, you're so kind. Actually, I did quite well in the 'Rapid Spell Recitation' class, but... there are just some details I still need to work on on my own."
Filch hadn't even started a single lesson yet, but he didn't forget to leave himself an out, so he paused and added, "However, I still want to thank you for your concern. If I really need it in the future..."
I will definitely come to find you.
Then, under Filch's watchful eye, Sean left with his little witch.
However, his words were not unfounded.
In fact, he had been researching the potions produced by the system for a very long time. (See Chapter 34 for details)
He was originally only concerned with two things: potion recipes and potion automation.
Now, he seems to have another idea.
That's right, it's about using potions that enhance magic to help the Squib become a true wizard. (The following content is based on Chapter 29)
From a bloodline perspective, Muggle-born wizards and Squibs are inextricably linked.
Simply put, people believe that Muggle-born wizards and witches are the offspring of Squibs and Muggles who intermarry, thus introducing the potential for magical abilities into their bloodline. Therefore, after several generations, two Muggles will give birth to a wizard.
Compared to the past, the number of Squibs has increased exponentially under the current massive wizarding system.
They are at the very bottom of the wizarding world's hierarchy of contempt, and they are always regarded as "second-class citizens." Even the Ministry of Magic openly approves of this behavior, and they do not keep records of Squibs' births.
This kind of contempt is most prevalent among pure-blood families, such as the Black family, who would sever ties with all Squibs and remove them from their family tree, just as they removed Marius Black; even Orford Umbridge, a narrow-minded wizard who would marry a Muggle woman, would despise his son for being a Squib.
To illustrate how miserable their lives were in the wizarding world, one example is that even the cruel Voldemort failed to eliminate the Squibs, and Filch was allowed to remain at Hogwarts during his reign.
In this context, it's not surprising that some Squibs who choose to remain in the wizarding world harbor resentment towards wizards.
Take Filch, for example. He was unfriendly and very strict with most students. But then again, it's no wonder that after spending so much time at Hogwarts, watching one young wizard after another learn magic each year, combined with his own tragic childhood, it would be hard for most people not to feel envious.
The following qualities perfectly match Sean's vision of an ideal legion: they harbor deep resentment towards the wizarding world and have long been marginalized; their numbers are moderate, neither too many nor too few; and their roots in the wizarding world are not firmly established (therefore they will not betray for family interests).
If Sean gives them the opportunity to become wizards, he will win their most precious quality—loyalty.
In some ways, such an army might even be more influential than Voldemort's Death Eaters.
Compared to the werewolves, goblins, and trolls that Voldemort initially allied with, they have greater potential and a higher ceiling, making them more suitable for missions such as infiltration, incitement, and assassination.
The reason why no one pays attention to the Squibs and no one tries to unite them is because they lack the ability to imbue the Squibs with magic and make them wizards.
However, Sean and his friends are not professional, and they have cheat devices.
Gui also used the magic potion in his hand to find the ability to imitate this kind of cinnamon.
Even if it fails, all that's wasted is a potion, and there's not much loss... But if it succeeds, then... the third Dark Lord could truly be born from Hufflepuff.
Before Sean could even begin to imagine the wonderful days he would have after ruling the wizarding world, a soft, gentle female voice interrupted his daydream.
"Professor... I didn't mean to read Mr. Filch's letters..." Hermione's voice trembled as she lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly, somewhat at a loss.
She was filled with guilt and self-blame, knowing that her behavior was very inappropriate.
Sean looked at her quietly, without responding immediately.
This ethos made Hermes feel even more nervous, and her heart beat faster.
After a moment, Sean spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet serious: "Hermione, I know you're curious, but everyone has their own privacy and space, and we must respect that. Your actions this time..."
This not only violated Mr. Filch's privacy but also broke school rules.
Hermione lowered her head even further; she knew the professor was right.
She said softly, "Professor, I know I was wrong. I really regret it. I shouldn't have peeked at Mr. Filch's letters. I'm willing to accept any punishment and apologize to Mr. Filch."