bacchusnovels Chapter 341 Fishing by Black Lake
Chapter 341 Fishing by Black Lake
Chapter 341 Fishing by Black Lake (Bonus Chapter)
Harry went straight back to his dormitory, packed up his Firebolt and Hermione's birthday present, "The Flying Broomstick Care Manual," and took them downstairs.
He was thinking of doing something to the fire bolt, but after a closer inspection, he found that it was perfect, and the broom tip was so smooth that it didn't need any trimming or polishing.
He and Ron sat there, admiring the flying broom from every angle.
Just then, the portrait hole suddenly opened, and Hermione walked in, followed by Professor McGonagall.
Although Professor McGonagall is the Head of Gryffindor, Harry has almost never seen her in the common room unless it is to announce something very important—such as when Dumbledore left the school last semester because of the Chamber of Secrets.
He and Ron stared wide-eyed at the fire bolt, wondering what would happen next.
Hermione circled around them, sat down quietly, picked up a book, pretended to read, but hid her face behind the book.
"This is the broom, isn't it?" Professor McGonagall's eyes gleamed as she walked to the fireplace and stared at the fire bolt. "Miss Granger just told me that someone sent you a flying broom, Potter."
Harry and Ron both turned to look at Hermione and saw that her forehead was starting to turn red and that she was holding the book upside down.
"May I take a look?" Professor McGonagall asked, but without waiting for an answer, she took the fire bolt from their hands and carefully examined it from start to finish. "Hmph, no markings at all, is that it, Potter? No cards? No information whatsoever?"
"No," Harry replied calmly.
"I understand—" Professor McGonagall continued, "I'm afraid I must take it away, Potter."
"What—what?" Harry jumped to his feet. "Why?"
“We need to check it to make sure it hasn’t been enchanted,” Professor McGonagall explained. “Of course, I’m not an expert in this area, but Mrs. Hodge and Professor Flitwick can take it apart.”
"Take it apart?" Ron repeated incredulously, in his eyes Professor McGonagall had gone mad.
"This could take a few weeks," Professor McGonagall said. "We'll return it to you once we've confirmed that there are no problems with it."
"But it's perfectly fine!" Harry said urgently, his voice trembling slightly. "Professor McGonagall, please—"
"You don't know, Potter," Professor McGonagall said calmly but firmly, "you'll only discover the problem once you're airborne."
"We absolutely will not let you ride it until we are completely certain that no one has tampered with it."
I'll let you know if there's any progress.
After saying that, Professor McGonagall prepared to turn around and leave with the fire crossbow bolt.
At that moment, the portrait cave opened again, and Sophia led Sean in.
As soon as the two entered the common room, almost everyone's attention was drawn to them.
After all, seeing Shaun in the Gryffindor tower was even rarer than Professor McGonagall's sudden appearance.
Sean remained relaxed and natural as always, his eyes quickly scanning the room before noticing the fire crossbow bolt in Professor McGonagall's hand.
He raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the situation.
Sophia, arm in arm with Sean, appeared relaxed and at ease. She smiled and greeted Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who was blushing and secretly watching everything from behind her book.
"Oh, looks like the atmosphere here is a bit tense," Sean said casually, with a hint of teasing in his tone. "Is it because of this broom?"
“That’s right, Professor Phillips,” Professor McGonagall said seriously, “this fire bolt has suddenly been delivered to Potter, and we need to make sure it hasn’t been enchanted with any dangerous magic.”
"Oh, I see," Sean nodded thoughtfully, then took a few steps closer and looked at the fire bolt in Professor McGonagall's hand. "Indeed, it's best to be cautious with such gifts, especially when they don't have any markings or instructions."
Harry watched all this with growing anxiety, feeling that everything was spiraling out of control.
Ron's eyes widened, his face full of dissatisfaction.
He muttered under his breath, "This is just not fair. Harry just got the broom, and they want to take it apart?"
Hermione put down her book and reassured him, "Don't worry too much, Ron. It's just a routine check. Maybe you'll be able to ride it in a few days."
However, Harry still looked at Sean hopefully, seeking his help: "Professor, the Firebolt is really fine, I've checked it. It—it's perfect!"
Sean hesitated for a moment, his eyes scanning back and forth between Harry, Firebolt, and Professor McGonagall, as if weighing something.
Then he suddenly smiled slightly and said to Professor McGonagall, "Professor McGonagall, since you are going to conduct an examination, I have a suggestion."
"If you don't mind, I can inspect this fire bolt for you, and even supervise Harry's flight training on it, and help him get used to the broom's functions in advance."
Professor McGonagall frowned, looked at Sean, and said, "Professor Phillips, while I respect your judgment, do you really have the time to deal with this matter specifically?"
Sean shrugged. "That's not a problem. Actually, I happen to have some free time from my research lately, and I think Harry would feel more at ease. If it's examined here, at least it won't be disassembled, right?" He winked at Harry.
A faint smile was on his face.
Harry's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Sean gratefully: "Professor, is it really okay?"
Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, seemingly seriously considering the proposal.
Finally, she nodded slightly: "Alright, since Professor Phillips is willing to step in, then you will be in charge of inspecting this broom. However, the inspection must be thorough to ensure there is no magical threat whatsoever."
Sean smiled and took the fire bolt. "Don't worry, Professor McGonagall, I will handle this matter seriously."
Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied with the outcome.
Hermione remained seated to the side, her expression complex, seemingly still conflicted about her decision to report the Firebolt.
"Very good." Professor McGonagall nodded, turned to leave, and said, "I hope to hear the results as soon as possible, Professor Phillips." With that, she strode out of the common room.
With Professor McGonagall's departure, the tension in the air finally eased.
Sean, holding the fire bolt, smiled and said to Harry:
"Don't worry, Potter, this broom will be back in your hands in a few days when we train with the Patronus Charm. As long as there are no dangerous issues, you'll be able to ride it within a few days."
Harry nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful. "Thank you, Professor!"
"Don't thank me," Sean laughed. "You should thank Hermione; after all, she did it to ensure your safety."
Harry and Ron turned to Hermione at the same time. Hermione then put down her book, looking somewhat embarrassed but also a little stubborn: "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't get hurt, Harry."
Harry sighed. Although he understood Hermione's worries, he still couldn't completely shake off the feeling of helplessness.
He forced a smile: "I know, Hermione."
At this moment, Sophia broke the silence, saying cheerfully, "Alright, problem solved. Harry, I'm sure you'll be enjoying your new broom very soon!"
The atmosphere in the common room gradually returned to normal, and Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
Sean then left with the fire crossbow bolts.
In fact, he had no intention of doing any "inspection" work.
He had ordered the fire bolt from the Quidditch shop for Sirius a few days ago, so how could he not know if there was something wrong with it?
Therefore, he now only has himself when he goes back to the office.
That is to sleep, to sleep soundly.
Last night, Tonks suddenly contacted him in the middle of the night...: He's exhausted.
Afternoon, by Black Lake.
The winter wind howled from the distant mountains, and the icy air swept across the surface of Black Lake, creating ripples. The lake water already appeared somewhat heavy, as if it would soon freeze into a silvery-white mirror.
Despite this, the sunlight still tried to penetrate the gray clouds, casting a few warm rays, but that faint warmth could not ward off the biting cold.
The grass by the lake was covered with a thin layer of snow, which made a slight "crunching" sound when stepped on.
Right there by this tranquil lake, Sofia somehow found a fishing rod and was sitting on a cold rock, leisurely fishing.
She wore a thick wizard's robe and a warm scarf, the robe casually rolled up at her knees, revealing her booted feet.
Despite the cold weather and the thin layer of mist floating on the lake, Sofia appeared very relaxed. She gently cast her fishing rod, and the fishing line drew a beautiful arc in the air with her movements before landing precisely on the lake surface, creating tiny ripples.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over from a distance and looked somewhat surprised when they saw this scene.
"Sophia's fishing?" Ron muttered, his face full of doubt.
"Where did she get that fishing rod?" Harry asked, somewhat puzzled. He had never seen anyone fishing at the Black Lake at Hogwarts; it seemed like an activity brought from the Muggle world.
"She always finds a way to have fun," Hermione said, a hint of envy in her voice. "And—there must be a lot of magical creatures in the Black Lake, maybe she's waiting to catch something special."
"What special thing?" Ron frowned, clearly not happy to accept this explanation. "I don't believe there are fish in the lake, at most some kind of monster."
The three of them drew closer, and Sophia noticed their arrival. She looked up and smiled slightly at them: "Hey, you guys want to try your luck too?"
Ron was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh: "Trying your luck? You mean catching a giant squid in the lake, or some magical creature?"
Sofia chuckled and shrugged. "Who knows? Fishing is all about waiting and surprises. Maybe we'll catch something unusual today."
Harry walked over to her, somewhat curious, his gaze sweeping across the lake and the fishing rod in her hand. "Do you really think you can catch anything?"
"Of course," Sofia said firmly, though her tone carried a hint of lighthearted teasing, her eyes revealed her seriousness about the 'fishing' activity. "There's everything in Black Lake, why can't we catch something interesting? You just need to be patient."
Hermione stood to the side and gently shook her head: "I really don't know how you came up with the idea of fishing, Sophia."
"That's called killing time, Hermione," Sophia chuckled. "Sometimes, it's nice to put down your books and enjoy this slower pace of life."
Just as she was saying this, the fishing line suddenly jerked violently. Sofia immediately sat up straight, gripped the fishing rod tightly, and showed an excited expression on her face.
"Oh! Here it comes! A fish has taken the bait!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Harry and Ron were instantly infected by her excitement, their eyes glued to the lake, eager to see what kind of "fish" had taken the bait.
Sofia gently pulled the fishing rod and felt some resistance at the end of the fishing line, but it didn't feel like something very heavy.
She frowned, carefully reeling in the fishing line. Her movements were very practiced; fishing was not a beginner's challenge for her.
"What is it? What is it?" Ron leaned closer, his eyes wide open.
"Maybe it is—," Sophia said, half guessing and half expectantly.
Just as the fishing rod was being pulled tighter, a small, shimmering silver creature suddenly leaped out of the water, splashing water as it landed on the grass at Sofia's feet.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared in astonishment at the little fish. It was entirely silvery-white, slender, and its scales reflected an eerie glow in the sunlight.
"What is this?" Harry asked, puzzled.
Sophia smiled and bent down to examine the small fish closely. "Oh, it's a lake fish," she said, pointing to the fish, "but judging from its appearance, it's not an ordinary lake fish; it must have been affected by some kind of magic."
Ron blinked in surprise: "I thought it would be some kind of terrifying monster."
Hermione looked curious: "It seems there are not only magical creatures in the Black Lake, but also some unexpected little surprises."
"Want to give it a try?" Sophia winked at them and handed the fishing rod to Harry. "Maybe the next one to bite will be a monster."
Harry took the fishing rod, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. He carefully cast the line into the lake, watching the water with anticipation.
Harry cast the fishing line steadily and felt a slight vibration in the fishing rod.
He stared intently at the lake, anticipating what changes might occur on the water's surface.
Ron and Hermione surrounded him, their eyes following the ripples of the water.
"If only I could catch a giant sea monster, that would be so cool!" Ron said excitedly, imagining himself becoming a legendary angler.
Hermione shook her head, frowning slightly. "We don't want to pull the monster out of the lake. What if it gets hungry?"
Sofia chuckled and interjected, "But just think about it, if we could catch a little monster, we could tell them so many stories about Black Lake!"
Just then, Harry's fishing rod suddenly shook violently.
His heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the fishing rod tightly, feeling a strong pull. A look of surprise crossed his face: "It's here! Something's taken the bait!"