bacchusnovels Chapter 290 Malfoy's painstaking efforts
Chapter 290 Malfoy's painstaking efforts
Chapter 290 Malfoy's painstaking efforts
Harry was about to speak, but seeing Professors Sean and Lupin sitting nearby, he seemed to realize it wasn't appropriate to discuss what he originally intended to say, so he changed the subject: "I meant to talk about Hogsmeade Village..."
"Do you know a lot about Hogsmeade?" Hermione interrupted Harry, asking with interest. "I've read in books that it's the only place in England completely free of Muggles—" "Yes, I suppose so," Ron said casually, "but that's not why I'm going there. I mainly want to see Honeyduke!"
"Honey Duke? What's that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's that famous candy store," Ron said with a dreamy look on his face. "They have all kinds of candy there—Peppermint, which will make you puff out smoke, and those big, chubby chocolate balls filled with strawberry jelly and cream! And those really great candy stick quills, you can pretend to be thinking in class while secretly eating them, and everyone will think you're figuring out what to write next—"
Hermione was clearly not very interested in the candies and continued to press, "Hogsmeade is really interesting, isn't it? The Magical Landmarks says that the Three Broomsticks pub was the headquarters of the goblin rebellion in 1612, and the Shrieking Shack is known as one of the most haunted places in England—"
"—And there's such a huge ball of juice pudding, your feet will lift several inches off the ground when you take a sip," Ron interjected, clearly not having heard a word Hermione was saying.
Hermione turned to Harry, trying to find some common ground. "It would be fun to occasionally leave school and visit Hogsmeade, wouldn't it?"
Harry lowered his eyes and replied sullenly, "Yeah, but you'll have to tell me later if it was fun or not."
"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked, looking puzzled.
"I can't go," Harry said in a muffled voice. "The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge won't give me special permission either."
Ron looked shocked and incredulous. "What? They won't let you go? That's impossible—Professor McGonagall or someone else would definitely approve it—"
Harry chuckled dryly.
Given Professor McGonagall's stern demeanor, such a request was nothing short of delusional.
As he was speaking, something suddenly occurred to him, and his gaze unconsciously shifted to Professor Sean sitting to the side.
At the same time, Ron and Hermione seemed to have the same thought, and their eyes also fell on Sean.
Sean was looking out the window, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, but when he felt several pairs of eyes staring at him, he turned around, smiled, and asked, "What's up?"
Harry hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to speak: "Professor Phillips, do you think you can help me with the Hogsmeade matter? I don't have the Dursleys' signature, and Fudge won't give me special permission."
Sean raised an eyebrow slightly. "Harry, do you want me to sign your permission form?"
Harry nodded, and Ron and Hermione looked at him expectantly.
Sean pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, "Harry, this isn't that simple. Hogsmeade Village is fun, but it's still an off-campus activity, and Hogwarts' rules are for the students' safety."
His words dampened Harry's spirits; clearly, the chances weren't high.
"However," Sean changed the subject, a mysterious smile appearing on his face, "I could try talking to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster to see if they could make an exception. After all, every student at Hogwarts should have the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade Village."
Upon hearing this, Harry's eyes lit up, and Ron and Hermione couldn't help but show expectant expressions as well.
"Professor Phillips," Lupin suddenly spoke up, his voice soft yet tinged with seriousness, "are you sure this is really a good idea?"
Sean turned to look at Lupin, seemingly somewhat surprised.
He didn't answer immediately, but waited for Lupin to continue.
“Hogsmeade is indeed a wonderful place,” Lupin said slowly, a hint of worry in his eyes, “but you know the situation. Black is still outside, and he clearly has ill intentions towards Harry. Under these circumstances…”
Perhaps strictly following the rules is the safest option.
Lupin's words immediately made the atmosphere in the carriage heavy, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione all fell silent.
When Harry heard Sirius Black's name, his heart suddenly tightened, as if the hope that had just been ignited had instantly dimmed.
"I understand your concerns, Professor Lupin," Sean replied slowly. "We cannot ignore the danger posed by Black."
That's beyond doubt. But Hogwarts is already a heavily guarded place, and security at Hogsmeade will be strengthened, especially for Harry's safety. We can't let Black's threats deprive the children of their normal lives and experiences.
Lupin did not respond immediately, but fell into deep thought.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited quietly for his reaction.
They also realized that this seemingly withdrawn stranger was their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, whose tuition would be paid for the new semester.
The compartment was quiet for a moment, with only the slight sound of train wheels sliding on the tracks and the scenery outside the window rushing by.
Lupin finally nodded slightly, but his expression remained somewhat unsettled. Not out of opposition, but because his inner anxieties lingered.
He rubbed his temples and said softly, "I don't disagree with what you said, Phillips. I know Hogwarts' defenses are strong enough, and Hogsmeade will take further measures. It's just that Black is no ordinary fugitive. His intelligence and cunning far exceed our expectations—"
Harry felt uneasy as he listened to these words.
Blake was described as an irresistible force, an omnipresent threat.
Although he had mentally prepared himself for safety, Lupin's words made him feel somewhat nauseous.
After Lupin finished speaking, he didn't expect a response from Sean or Harry; it was as if he was just talking to himself.
He closed his eyes again, leaned back in his seat, seemingly preparing to take another nap.
The atmosphere in the carriage became quiet, with only the regular sound of the train passing over the tracks filling the space.
Sean glanced at Lupin, and seeing that he had settled into a quiet rest, he sighed softly, closed his eyes, put his arm on the table, and slumped down.
The Hogwarts Express is usually reserved for students, and adults rarely ride it. This made Sean somewhat nostalgic, after all, the last time he rode this train was when he was a student.
That youthful period seems to have come with some kind of special "buff," making it easier for him to fall asleep on a swaying train now.
The train traveled north, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from bustling countryside to desolate landscape. The clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, and the sky slowly darkened, as if foreshadowing something that was about to happen.
Around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall, and the undulating mountains outside the window gradually blurred, like a watercolor painting fading.
Just then, soft footsteps echoed down the corridor. Sean's ears twitched slightly, interrupting his light sleep.
Immediately, three figures appeared at the carriage door, their blurry outlines visible in the dim light.
"Hey, look who's here." Malfoy opened the cubicle door and said in his lazy, drawn-out tone, "Potter and the Weasley idiots—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Sean sleeping on the table.
Then, the door was quickly pulled shut again.
The three little ones in the cubicle looked at each other, staring at one another.
"What just happened?"
"have no idea."
"Is it Malfoy?" Ron asked uncertainly.
Harry nodded and shrugged. "I guess he probably doesn't know Professor Phillips is here."
However, this raises a new question—how did Malfoy and his two companions know they were sitting here?
Keep in mind, they were sitting at the very back of the train.
Could it be that Malfoy and his crew came here specifically to mock the three of them, opening up each compartment from the locomotive to see if they were sitting there?
That's really...so much effort put into it.
Harry and Hermione, the only two who thought of this, exchanged a glance, looking somewhat helpless.
The train continued its northward journey at breakneck speed. The rain intensified, blurring the view outside the window into a watery gray expanse that gradually turned dark.
Finally, the lights in the aisle and on the luggage racks suddenly came on. The train clattered, raindrops pattered against the windows, and a fierce wind howled outside.
Despite this, Sean and Lupin remained sound asleep, undisturbed by the noise.
"We must be almost there." Ron leaned forward, trying to see what was happening outside through the pitch-black car window, across from Sean.
As soon as he finished speaking, the train began to slow down.
"That's great!" Ron stood up, carefully moving past Sean to get a better look. "I'm starving, I can't wait to get to the party—"
"We're not there yet." Hermione glanced at her watch, her voice tinged with doubt. "Then why did we stop?" Ron asked, frowning.
The train slowed down until the sound of the wheels gradually disappeared, while the sounds of the wind and raindrops hitting the windows became louder.
Harry sat in the seat closest to the door. He stood up and looked down into the aisle.
Throughout the carriage, many heads peeked out from their respective compartments, clearly everyone was speculating about what had happened.
Suddenly, the train screeched to a halt, and several loud clattering sounds came from afar, clearly the sound of luggage falling from the overhead racks.
Then, without warning, all the lights in the carriage went out, plunging them into complete darkness.