bacchusnovels Chapter 188 Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
Chapter 188 Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
Chapter 188 Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
"Phillips, I do know a little bit about the locked room..."
Upon seeing this, Sean immediately dropped his tearful expression. As if by magic, his face instantly transformed into one of surprise—his eyes widened, his eyebrows slightly raised, and his lips slightly parted, as if he had heard unexpected news.
It's here! It's here! The heart-to-heart talk he's been waiting for is finally here.
Now, all that's missing in this scene is a glass of wine.
Unfortunately, Helena is a ghost and cannot drink alcohol.
"My name is Helena Ravenclaw..." Under Sean's gaze, Helena took a deep breath and slowly began to tell her story.
"I was born into a family bound by magic and ancient traditions. From a young age, I was expected to become the pride of the family and inherit the name of Ravenclaw's wisdom."
"I've always felt like I'm trapped in a glamorous cage; the outside world seems both distant and alluring to me."
As the story unfolds, the atmosphere in the room becomes increasingly subtle.
Sean's hand had somehow already climbed onto Helena's shoulder. Although he couldn't directly touch Helena's body, this gesture undoubtedly made Helena feel at ease.
Helena gently rested her head on Sean's shoulder. When she got to the emotional part, tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffed hard, trying to control her emotions.
Logically speaking, the tears of ghosts like Helena are not physical entities; they should be like illusory mist, untouchable and unable to leave any trace.
Strangely, when Helena's tears fell, they soaked Sean's robes just like real raindrops.
But neither of them noticed that as Helena's tears fell, the surrounding air seemed to become heavy, as if time itself had stood still at that moment.
Sean was so focused on comforting Helena that he didn't notice anything unusual in his pocket.
And at this unusual moment, the Ravenclaw tiara in his pocket emitted a faint blue glow amidst the fog.
The next day.
The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.
A new day begins at the Hogwarts infirmary.
Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains of the medical room, dappling the clean and tidy floor. The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs and the distinctive smell of alcohol found in hospitals.
Rows of medicine bottles and medical instruments are neatly arranged on the shelves, gleaming with the luster of metal and glass, and they shine even brighter in the morning light.
Mrs. Pomfrey got up exceptionally early today.
She was wearing a neat white robe and looked more radiant than usual.
The reason for all this is that the newly appointed headmaster, Phillips, is coming to inspect the place today... Of course, Phillips alone is not enough to make her pay such attention. Sometimes even Dumbledore eats here, not to mention Phillips, the little guy who always came to her for energy drinks when he was in school.
Yesterday, she received a reminder from Professor McGonagall that Phillips would be coming today with a reporter from the Daily Prophet to report on the incident and offer condolences to the injured students. This was intended to send a message to the concerned parents and wizards who had been following the case:
Hogwarts remains safe, and despite the challenges, the school is doing everything it can to protect every student.
Therefore, all of this was not done for Phillips's benefit, but for the outside world, to make them more at ease with Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey knew the importance of this inspection during this special period.
This is crucial to whether Hogwarts can continue to operate normally.
She has dedicated most of her life to the school, from a young apprentice to a seasoned school doctor. She has experienced the Wizarding Wars, witnessed too much bloodshed, and seen Hogwarts rise and fall during these periods.
She knew what Hogwarts meant to the entire British wizarding community.
Therefore, she understood the significance of this inspection tour better than anyone else.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Mrs. Pomfrey made thorough preparations in advance.
She not only carefully inspected every corner of the infirmary to ensure nothing was overlooked, but also prepared extra herbs and potions in case of emergency.
These herbs and potions are the culmination of her years of experience; each has its unique therapeutic effects and can deal with various sudden injuries and illnesses.
After checking for the third time and finding nothing wrong, Mrs. Pomfrey breathed a sigh of relief and began her work for the day.
Besides the few students who were petrified, several other unfortunate individuals have been admitted to the infirmary in the past few days.
Some had fevers, and some had broken bones.
The person who suffered the fracture was a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team a while ago.
He unfortunately fell off his flying broom during practice two days before the Quidditch match.
Fortunately, he did not die on the spot.
Unfortunately, few of his bones were intact.
Therefore, if Hermione and Susan hadn't been petrified and their Quidditch match hadn't been stopped, Gryffindor would most likely have won the match easily, and Wood would have been one step closer to realizing his dream.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing.
Lady Pomfrey applied a special potion to the unfortunate man's wound and then gently used magic to hold it in place, ensuring the bone would heal quickly.
Seeing the unfortunate fellow grimacing in pain, Mrs. Pomfrey applied a herbal ointment to the wound, which greatly relieved the pain and promoted skin regeneration.
Having dealt with the unfortunate fellow, Mrs. Pomfrey turned her attention to the others and methodically continued her work...
at the same time.
Suddenly, a violent explosion erupted from the fireplace in the Hogwarts Vice-Headmaster's office. Green flames shot up, accompanied by a sulfurous smell. A figure emerged from the flames, his face covered in soot, looking utterly wretched.
Rita coughed, fanning the smoke from her eyes, and looked around. Professor McGonagall had been waiting for her for quite some time.
"Ms. Skeeter, welcome to Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall repeated the words, but with a hint of coldness in her voice.
Her sharp eyes peered through the rim of her glasses at Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet reporter who had just emerged from the flames.
She didn't have a good impression of this famous reporter.
It's worth noting that just recently, this reporter had published a scathing attack on Dumbledore in the newspapers, spreading baseless rumors and malicious slander that infuriated McGonagall when she saw the news.
So when Phillips decided to invite the reporter to interview Hogwarts, she was filled with doubt and dissatisfaction.
She had repeatedly expressed her concerns to Phillips, believing that inviting a journalist who harbored prejudice and hostility towards Hogwarts was inappropriate.
This will undoubtedly bring unnecessary trouble and negative impact to the school.
Not only will it fail to achieve the desired effect, but it will also backfire.
However, Phillips insisted that inviting Ms. Skeeter for an interview was an excellent opportunity to show the true face of Hogwarts and dispel misunderstandings from the outside world.
What could be more convincing than someone who once smeared Hogwarts in the newspapers changing their mind after visiting the school?
Even the most eloquent words from Phillips couldn't dispel McGonagall's doubts.
She didn't think that Sean could easily do what Dumbledore couldn't, but the arm can't twist the thigh.
Although she was also a principal, her title included the word "Deputy," meaning she could only offer advice on Sean's actions; ultimately, it was Sean who made the final decision.
Rita struggled to steady herself, though her body was still trembling slightly from the fiery journey she had just experienced.
She looked at Professor McGonagall, trying to read something from her expression, but the witch's face remained as cold as stone, without the slightest change in expression.
"Hello, I..." Rita began to say something, but was interrupted by Professor McGonagall.
"Ms. Skeeter, I am not surprised by your arrival. But I must remind you that Hogwarts is a place full of magic and miracles, but it is also a place that deserves respect and awe. It will not tolerate any slander or defamation. In particular, we have zero tolerance for baseless rumors and malicious slander."
With that, Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and a piece of parchment floated to Rita's side, listing a series of tasks and notes in neat handwriting.
"This is your temporary visit arrangement, Lady Skeeter. Given your work at the Daily Prophet, I hope you will use your pen to truthfully record everything you see, rather than fabricating lies out of thin air. We believe your writing can bring a different perspective to Hogwarts. But please remember, the rules here cannot be disregarded."
At the end, Professor McGonagall emphasized her words, this being the second time she had warned Rita.
In fact, they met for less than three minutes and exchanged only two sentences.
A shadow crossed Rita's eyes, but she quickly regained her professional smile, as if she didn't care about Professor McGonagall's warning.
She deftly took the parchment, glanced at its contents with feigned interest, then looked up in surprise, her eyes gleaming with false enthusiasm.
“Oh, that’s incredibly detailed, Professor McGonagall! I completely understand your expectations and promise to follow all the rules. After all, truthful reporting is what I strive for as a journalist, isn’t it?” There was a hint of sarcasm in her words. Then, Rita paused deliberately and continued in an almost sweet tone, “Moreover, it is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to delve into Hogwarts and record everything here with my unique writing.”
"Rest assured, my report will be fair and objective, and of course, full of color." She mimicked Professor McGonagall's tone.
The last few words emphasize the point.
After speaking, she bowed slightly and performed an exaggerated gesture of respect.
This disgusted Professor McGonagall. She frowned, said nothing, and raised her hand to signal Rita to follow her.
The two walked through a long corridor, past a series of closed doors, and finally stopped in front of a gigantic, hideously ugly stone beast with a dripping spout.
"Gold will always shine."
Upon hearing the correct command, the dripping stone beast jumped to the side, and with a loud bang, the wall behind it automatically split in two.