bacchusnovels Chapter 145 Hermione Gets Searched
Chapter 145 Hermione Gets Searched
Chapter 145 Hermione Gets Searched
9:50.
Hogsmeade Village.
Three Brooms Bar.
Even at night, the Three Brooms Bar is packed with people, the air filled with the aroma of butterbeer and the laughter of its patrons.
The lights cast warm shadows on the wooden tables, chairs, and stone walls, creating a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.
Compared to the Pighead Bar next door, this place is simply paradise.
There was no bald old man Aberforth, no dirty and messy environment, and no black wizard wearing a black cloak.
There was only one voluptuous and extremely charming woman, whose long, wavy blonde hair shimmered mesmerizingly in the sunlight, and whose green eyes seemed to see right through people's hearts.
Every time she walked by carrying a plate, she would gently sway her hips, revealing a captivating curve that was impossible to look away from.
She was Lady Rosmerta, a socialite in the British wizarding world.
When Sean entered after disguising himself, Rosmerta naturally came forward to greet him, pressing her body against him—so much so that Sean could see the white, bottomless cleavage with just a slight tilt of his head.
But Sean knew that he shouldn't think he could take advantage of her like that... Whenever you tried to do something, she would slip through your fingers like a slippery eel.
In Britain, to his knowledge, it seemed that no one had ever managed to take advantage of this woman.
"What would you like to order, sir?" Rosmerta asked with a beaming smile.
"A butterbeer, please," Sean replied curtly, his gaze never leaving the other patrons in the bar.
The people here are all different; there are young wizard couples whispering to each other, and older wizards discussing the latest developments in the magical world.
Ms. Rosmerta smiled and nodded, then turned to prepare.
Soon she came over with a glass of bubbly butterbeer, gently placed it on the table, and said, "Enjoy."
About seven or eight minutes later, a woman walked in and went straight to Rosmerta.
"I need a room."
Ms. Rosmerta glanced at the woman, her professional smile remaining unchanged. "Of course, Ms. Skeeter."
As he spoke, he took a key from the drawer and handed it to Rita.
Rita looked around the bar, then weighed the keys in her hand and went upstairs.
Sean quickly downed his butterbeer, placed the Galleon on the table, and tiptoed after him.
As he went up to the second floor, Rita opened the door and went inside. Sean quietly approached, then pounced on her, covered her mouth, and slammed the door shut with his foot.
The entire movement was completed in one smooth motion.
"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" Rita struggled desperately as Sean covered her mouth, but she couldn't break free from the control of this seemingly weak man.
While holding Rita's body tightly, Sean quickly glanced around.
The room on the second floor was simply furnished, with only a large bed and a dressing table.
"Don't move, be quiet," Sean whispered in Rita's ear, his tone full of threat.
Rita finally stopped struggling, her eyes wide with horror, and let Sean release her.
"What—what do you want to do?" Rita's trembling voice revealed her inner fear.
"It's me." Sean snorted and removed his disguise.
"Mr. Phillips," Rita exclaimed, then quickly lowered her voice, realizing her voice might attract attention, "You've arrived."
"Hmm." Sean nodded slightly. "So, what's the matter that you asked me out this time?"
Rita composed herself, trying to keep her voice steady. "Mr. Phillips, someone you'd never guess recently came to me asking me to write something for him. I think it might be relevant to you, so I invited you over..."
"Oh?" Sean raised an eyebrow, a hint of impatience flashing across his face. "Stop beating around the bush, go on."
"It's...Lucius Malfoy." Rita cautiously uttered the name while observing Sean's reaction.
A flicker of surprise crossed Sean's eyes, but he quickly masked it. "Malfoy? What does he want you to write?"
"It's about...the recent Chamber of Secrets incident at Hogwarts," Rita said, a troubled look on her face. "He made me point out Dumbledore's negligence...and the incompetence of several professors at the school..."
"I'm worried that publishing this article will damage your reputation..."
Sean snorted coldly and remained silent.
He knew Fudge and Lucius had already made their move, but he didn't expect them to target Rita... However, this didn't seem surprising at all.
"Then... what should we do?" Rita asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, I have a plan." A sly glint flashed in Sean's eyes. "Since Malfoy wants to play games, we'll play along to the end. Go back and tell Malfoy that you agree to write that article, but before it's published, you need more evidence to support his claims."
2
"More evidence?" Rita asked, puzzled.
"Yes, you just say you need some internal documents or testimony from insiders to make the article more convincing," Sean explained. "That way, Malfoy will definitely provide you with some so-called 'evidence' to get you to write that article. And then we can..."
"You mean, intensify the attacks on Dumbledore?" Rita looked at Sean in disbelief.
Sean shook his head and said earnestly to Rita, "How can this be called slander? This is called being factual!"
"The Chamber of Secrets was indeed opened during Dumbledore's tenure, and some students were injured as a result. So, the person primarily responsible is none other than Dumbledore."
"As the headmaster, Dumbledore failed in his supervisory duties and bears primary responsibility... How can we wrongly view his past mistakes just because he's trying to make amends?" So Sean paused, then continued righteously, "Therefore, we must report this matter with an objective and fair attitude."
He specifically emphasized the words "objective and impartial," saying, "We must truthfully reflect the situation."
Let the public know the truth.
After listening, Rita remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand, Mr. Phillips. I will report on this matter from an objective and neutral standpoint, please rest assured..."
Similarly, she emphasized "objectivity and neutrality".
Clearly, the experienced woman understood what Sean meant.
She even... deduced some of Sean's thoughts.
It seems that Hogwarts is about to undergo a major change.
Rita thought to herself.
The next day.
Hermione woke up very early and put the hair she had collected from the Burstd robes the day before into a test tube.
Then I put it in my suitcase.
Double insurance.
Today is Potions class, and she needs to make some necessary preparations for stealing materials from Snape's private storeroom—they also need a horn from a two-horned beast and the skin of an African tree snake, things that can only be obtained from Snape's private storeroom.
When she entered the auditorium in the morning, Professor McGonagall, as usual, came to collect the list of students who were staying on campus for Christmas.
All three signed the list; they were very suspicious when they heard that Malfoy intended to stay.
The holiday season is the perfect time to use compound decoctions to coax the truth out of Malfoy.
“We need to use a feint,” Hermione said in a low voice, her tone growing increasingly urgent as the afternoon Potions class approached. “Someone has to create chaos so that another person can sneak into Snape’s office and get what we need.”
Ron watched her nervously, but Harry was in no mood for that; he was still immersed in what had happened at the Duel Club yesterday afternoon—Justin's terrified look.
"I think it's best if I steal it," Hermione continued in a businesslike tone. "If you two cause any more trouble, you'll be expelled, and I have no prior record. So, you just need to create a huge disturbance in the classroom and keep Snape busy for five minutes."
Harry forced a wry smile.
Disrupting Snape's class was like waving a red flag in front of a sleeping dragon—extremely risky.
Potions class was held in a spacious underground classroom.
The afternoon classes proceeded as usual, with twenty crucibles standing among the wooden tables, and copper balances and ingredient containers neatly arranged on the tables.
In a misty environment, Snape paced back and forth, offering harsh critiques of the Gryffindor students' actions, while the Slytherin students watched with gleeful laughter.
Malfoy would occasionally cast mocking glances at Ron and Harry with his fish-like eyes.
However, Ron and Harry knew that if they returned the same look, they would be immediately locked up without even a chance to appeal.
Harry's swelling potion was brewed too diluted because his mind was completely focused on more important matters.
He barely paid any attention when Snape stopped to mock his work.
Finally, Snape turned to criticize Neville, at which point Hermione and Harry exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
Harry quickly bent down and hid in the cauldron, pulled a string of Fred's Felix Pulsefires from his pocket, and tapped them lightly with his wand.
Fireworks began to hiss and sparks flew. Harry knew he only had a few seconds left.
So he straightened up, aimed carefully, and threw the firework with all his might. The firework landed precisely in Gore's cauldron.
The medicine Gao Er had prepared exploded instantly, and the splattered liquid covered the entire classroom.
The students screamed as the splattering swelling potion hit them. Malfoy was soaked in the face, his nose swelling rapidly like a balloon; Goyle, clutching his eyes, stumbled around, his eyes already swollen to the size of a dinner plate.
Snape tried his best to quell the chaos and find out the truth.
Amidst the commotion, Harry noticed Hermione quietly leave the classroom.
"Quiet! Quiet down, all of you!" Snape roared. "Anyone who got splashed with the potion, come here and get your anti-swelling medication. I'll find out who did it—"
Harry suppressed a laugh as he watched Malfoy rush toward Snape's table.
Malfoy's nose was so swollen that it was the size of a small watermelon, causing his head to droop.
Half the students in the classroom rushed noisily toward Snape's desk. Some had arms so swollen they were as thick as sticks and couldn't lift them; others had mouths so swollen they were afraid of heights and could barely speak.
Just then, Harry noticed that Hermione had quietly returned to the underground classroom, and there was a noticeable bulge in the front of her clothes.
The plan was clearly a success.
The three of them smiled at each other, a feeling of indescribable joy welling up inside them.
However, this joy did not last long, because at that moment, an uninvited guest broke out of the underground classroom.
"Miss Granger, come out with me for a moment." Sean stood at the door of the Potions classroom like a ghost. His voice was cold and firm, irresistible.
Snape wanted to say something, but seeing the classroom full of wolves and foxes, he remained silent.
Hermione's face turned pale instantly. She glanced nervously at Harry and Ron, then silently walked towards Sean.
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.
They didn't know why Sean wanted to see Hermione, but their gut feeling told them it was definitely not a good thing.
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Harry whispered to Ron, his eyes fixed on Hermione and Sean's departing figures.
Sean led Hermione out of the underground classroom, through a dark corridor, until they reached a secluded corner.
He stopped, turned around, and stared at Hermione with eyes as sharp as knives.
He never expected that his little witch would do such a thing without his knowledge.
Stealing is undoubtedly a shameful act.
Even if that person is Snape.
To prevent the little witch from developing this bad habit, Sean deliberately gave her a profound lesson.
"Miss Granger, I noticed your little antics during Potions class." Sean's voice echoed in Hermione's ears, cold and authoritative, like a chilling wind piercing through a thin mist, sending shivers down her spine.
Hermione felt her heart sink, as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
She had already considered the possibility of failure before taking such action.
But she never expected that she would be exposed by her most respected Professor Sean.
If Professor Sean knew about this, he would be so disappointed.
Hermione's mind flashed back to Professor Sean's longing gaze, and her heart ached as if it had been pierced by needles.
She didn't want her beloved professor to work hard, and she didn't want him to misunderstand her.
However, the situation was beyond her ability to explain.
Hermione tried to keep herself calm.
So Hermione took a deep breath, raised her head, and met Professor Sean's scrutinizing gaze. However, those eyes were as deep as the sea, as if they could see into every corner of her heart.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Professor Sean." She tried to make her voice sound calm and firm, but the panic in her heart was like an undercurrent that she couldn't calm down.
Now she has no choice but to go down this dark path.
Sean's lips curled into a cold smile, as if he were watching a poorly made play.
He hadn't expected his little witch to still be so stubborn.
Well done, you've got some of his style now.
No wonder she's the little witch he taught.
"Oh? Is that so?" he asked casually, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.
Hermione felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet, and her palms began to sweat slightly. She knew that every word she was about to say could be the key to her fate.
"So, what's that you're hiding in your clothes?" Sean's question was like a sharp sword.
It goes straight to Hermione's heart.
She instinctively covered her clothes, as if that would protect the secret.
However, she quickly let go, knowing full well that such an action would only make her appear more suspicious.
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm her agitated emotions.
She knew that she couldn't reveal any flaws in Renxiang's plans, otherwise everything would be for naught.
"These are just my personal belongings, unrelated to the course." She tried her best to make her voice sound natural and fluent, without a trace of nervousness.
However, the inner struggle and entanglement were like a tangled mess, swirling around her mind.
Sean stared at Hermione for a while, seemingly weighing something.
His gaze lingered on Hermione's face, as if searching for any possible flaws in Renxiang's demeanor.
However, Hermione's expression remained firm and hopeful, without revealing any panic or unease.
This is his little witch!
A barely perceptible hint of admiration flashed in Sean's eyes.
If a lie is told without any evidence to disprove it, then it becomes the truth.
Sean was overjoyed... but he had evidence.
It wasn't that he was too soft-hearted to let the little witch go; he wanted to teach her a lesson.
So he pointed to Myrtle's private bathroom next door, gesturing for Hermione to go in with her.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat; she knew what this meant.
Although she was filled with unease, she maintained a calm demeanor and followed Sean into the Ning Shu room.
Ning Shu's room was dark and damp, with an indescribable eerie atmosphere permeating the air.
Sean first checked if Myrtle was in the washroom. After not finding her, Sean gestured for Hermione to stand by the wall so he could search her.