bacchusnovels Chapter 345 He never considered himself a hypocrite.
Chapter 345 He never considered himself a hypocrite.
Chapter 345 He never considered himself a hypocrite.
"I heard my dad's voice," Harry whispered, his voice filled with shock and pain. "It's the first time I've ever heard him—he was fighting Voldemort so desperately to buy my mom time to escape—"
Tears mingled with sweat, streaming down Harry's face. He quickly lowered his head, wiping them with his robe, pretending to be fixing his shoelaces so Sean wouldn't see.
"You heard James's voice?" Sean's voice sounded strange.
"Yes—" Harry wiped the tears from his face and looked up. "Ah, do you know my dad?"
"I don't know him," Sean shook his head, a hint of regret in his expression. "When your father graduated from Hogwarts, I had just arrived. To be honest, I really wanted to be in the same year as your father and Professor Snape. I believe there would have been some very interesting things. But none of that matters. I mean, this kind of magic is too profound. I shouldn't have let you experience these things—"
Harry shook his head, exhausted, but his eyes still held a determined look. "No, Professor Phillips,"
I must learn this! It's important to me, and I want to try again.
Sean shook his head and pointed to the clock on the wall; it was almost midnight.
"Harry, it's getting late. I understand why you're so eager to learn the Patronus Charm, but you also need rest. Magic requires focus, and you're exhausted right now. Continuing won't be effective; it will only make it harder for you to concentrate."
Harry remained stubbornly standing there, wand gripped tightly, brow furrowed. "But one..."
"No buts, Harry," Sean interrupted him gently. "You've done very well; we've made good progress today."
"The Patronus Charm isn't something you can master in one or two tries, especially for a young wizard like you. We can continue training next week. Give yourself some time to recover, and you'll find the results are even better."
Harry lowered his head, filled with resentment, but he knew that Professor Phillips was right.
He felt exhausted all over, especially with the repeated sounds of his mother and father in his mind, which brought him to the brink of emotional collapse.
Sean noticed Harry's disappointment and gently comforted him, "Harry, learning magic isn't just about strength and skill; it's also about patience. Trust me, you'll learn, but you need to give yourself time." He paused, a slight smile appearing on his face. "You've already done much better than many wizards on their first attempt. Believe in your abilities."
Harry took a deep breath, nodded, and said softly, "Alright, Professor. I'll take a break."
"Very good," Sean nodded, then walked to the podium, locked the Dementor in the box, and said, "We'll continue next weekend night. I'll have a better way to practice then. You did a fantastic job tonight, don't be too hard on yourself."
Harry slowly put his wand back into his robes, still feeling tired, but Sean's words offered him some comfort.
He looked up at Sean and nodded slightly. "Thank you, Professor Phillips."
Sean smiled and waved, signaling Harry to leave: "Go on, hurry back to the Gryffindor tower and rest. You need to recover."
Harry nodded, turned and left the classroom.
As he walked down the corridor leading to the tower, his heart remained heavy, but a glimmer of hope also settled in.
He knew he still had a chance; as long as he continued to work hard, he could master this powerful spell and one day face Dementors without fear.
However... he felt like he had forgotten something.
Oh, and the fire crossbow bolts!
He forgot to ask Professor Phillips for his own fire bolt.
However, there was still some time before the next Quidditch match, and Harry thought it wouldn't be too late to bring it up when he saw Professor Sean next week.
Although he felt uneasy, he comforted himself that it was just a minor matter.
He quickened his pace, eager to return to the Gryffindor common room and immerse himself in its familiar warmth, forgetting the chill brought by the Dementors tonight.
Meanwhile, Sean returned to his office.
He looked a little tired—which wasn't surprising; if you were also working overtime at night, you might have looked the same way.
As Sean reached the office door, he was about to open it when he suddenly noticed a slender figure standing there: Penelope Crivat.
She stood there, arms crossed over her chest, a hint of anxiety in her expression, her gaze fixed on Sean as he approached.
Her appearance didn't completely surprise him, but the timing and the expression on her face clearly revealed a certain urgency.
"Is everything settled?" Sean asked, his eyes scrutinizing.
Penelope slightly raised her chin and answered decisively, "As you wish, Professor."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, her tone a mixture of nervousness and anticipation: "It's time to keep your promise."
Sean looked at Penelope in front of him and realized that she was eager to hear some kind of assurance or result.
At that moment, his thoughts drifted back to a week earlier, a few days before the start of the school term, to that night during the Christmas break.
That night, Sean was intently observing the stars.
In fact, astronomy and divination are intertwined to some extent, and both are profound and meaningful disciplines.
Different constellations have their own unique influence in the magical world.
The arrangement and movement of every star plays an important role in the grand and orderly laws of the universe, and the connection between magic and the stars is an important area that ancient wizards repeatedly explored.
The reason for mentioning ancient times is that Sean has hardly seen any outstanding papers or researchers in the modern era that have made significant breakthroughs in this field in recent years.
The wizarding education system, especially in Britain, is gradually diminishing the influence of astronomy and astrology.
Take Hogwarts as an example. Many students find these two courses boring and tedious—the profound meaning of astronomy requires patience to understand, while astronomy is often neglected because it is difficult to provide immediate feedback.
For young wizards who seek immediate results, they cannot comprehend the subtle interactions between the stars, nor can they grasp the profound influence these stars have on magical power.
Therefore, only a few students are truly passionate about these two subjects, while many more mechanically cope with the courses and engage in rote learning that they have no interest in, simply to pass the O.WL exams.
Undeniably, this is indeed regrettable.
But for Sean, who studied in ancient Egypt for many years, he has unique insights and a deep accumulation of research experience in these two disciplines.
The trajectories of the stars often provided him with secret guidance, and even helped him plan things he would never discuss publicly.
It was through the stars that he was able to foresee certain fragments of the future, thereby gaining better control over the situation and even finding his own balance in the complex network of teacher-student relationships at Hogwarts.
At that moment, Sean's gaze fell upon Orion's belt, those three bright stars symbolizing courage and determination.
But in this arrangement, there is a hint of unease—an impending conflict, or some hidden force?
The volume is brewing.
Just then, a soft knock sounded from behind.
So late...who could it be?
Sean subconsciously thought of Tonks—those who taste the forbidden fruit are often more likely to become addicted in the early stages.
The door slowly opened, and what came into view was someone he had never expected.
"Miss Krivat?" Sean frowned slightly, his tone tinged with surprise and doubt. "It's so late..."
How did I get here?
Penelope took a deep breath, steadied herself, and said cautiously, "Professor, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, is that alright?"
Sean stared at her for a moment, then nodded with slight hesitation.
He pushed open the office door and gestured for him to come in.
Penelope went in without hesitation, and Sean followed her into the office and closed the door.
The room instantly became quiet, with only the occasional sound of wind coming from outside the window.
The dim light shone on the two of them, lengthening their shadows.
"What brings you here so late at night?" Sean broke the silence with a relaxed tone, though he had a feeling that the conversation that was about to begin might be even more unexpected than Penelope's sudden appearance.
Penelope lowered her eyes, as if organizing her thoughts.
A moment later, she looked up, but this time what Sean saw was no longer the calm and composed Ravenclaw prefect, but a blazing, fanatical light.
"Master One"
Sean was slightly taken aback, then he realized that the hypnosis he had put on Penelope a few months ago seemed to have worked, even more successfully than he had expected.
Penelope before him was completely immersed in the logical framework he had constructed for her, surrendering herself to him without reservation.
This is far superior to the Soul-Stealing Curse.
"Master," Penelope's voice was very low, "I have come to report to you on Daphne Greengrass and her group's plans."
Sean raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the news.
"Go on," he replied calmly.
Penelope took a step closer. "They're planning to set you up, especially Daphne."
"She plans to use her charm to lure you into a trap and expose your true colors."
"She thinks you're interested in her and wants to use that advantage to control you."
At this point, a hint of disdain flashed in Penelope's eyes as she pulled out a special recording device that she had always kept in her pocket.
"They've decided that Daphne will be the bait, and the others will assist her in leading you step by step into the trap. They also intend to use this plan to let more people see your hypocritical side and completely destroy your status at Hogwarts."
For some reason, Sean felt something was off when he heard Penelope's account, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Hypocrisy?" he murmured, repeating the word, his gaze shifting from Penelope's face to the night sky outside the window.
The word echoed repeatedly in his mind, and he suddenly felt a sense of unease, perhaps even doubt.
He turned his gaze back to Penelope, asking with a hint of inquiry, "Penelope, do you think I'm hypocritical?"
Penelope was caught off guard by the sudden question. She subconsciously looked up, paused for a moment, and looked somewhat dazed.
After the initial daze came even greater fervor.
"Master, you simply know better than others what you want and how to get it."
Sean smiled when he heard Penelope's flattering words.
If this were a question, Penelope's answer would undoubtedly be an impeccable standard answer.
However... he was still somewhat dissatisfied.
Because he never considered himself a hypocrite. But perhaps that is the greatest hypocrisy.
After putting that philosophical question, which was worth spending time thinking about, on the back of his mind, Sean began to ponder Daphne's matter.
He only had two words to describe Daphne's plan: naive.
No other words could be so fitting.
Look at the three people Daphne found—Penelope, Hermione, and Sophia.
Of the four people in the group, two had already sided with him: one was his servant, and the other was his daughter.
This is the perfect eyeliner.
Hermione may only be a matter of time. Although she is the most hesitant one, her kindness and sense of justice are equally likely to become a force that can be guided.
Poor Daphne, before the war even started, she was already burdened with the "fighting alone" buff.
But then again, perhaps...
Sean tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and the next step of his plan gradually emerged in his mind.
He wasn't in a hurry to retaliate; instead, he hoped to see Daphne sink deeper into the quagmire he had created, until she realized the truth and everything was beyond repair.
This process itself is undoubtedly a good way to relax from the monotony of teaching life.
"Master," Penelope softly interrupted Sean's thoughts, "do you have other plans?"
Sean snapped out of his daze and his gaze returned to Penelope.
"Very good, Penelope, you did a good job." He praised, "Since Daphne wants to play games, I'll play along with her to the end, but... for now, I need you to continue as before and not let her find out that you've reported to me."
Penelope nodded solemnly without hesitation, a glint of fanatical loyalty flashing in her eyes. "Yes, Master."
Sean narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering on Penelope for a moment.
After a moment, he seemed to think of something interesting, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up in a smile.
"Perhaps you can do this—"
"Tell me immediately if they make any new moves."
"Remember, I will not tolerate any oversights."
Penelope leaned slightly closer, licking her slightly dry lips. "Master, after it's done... I'd like to receive some of your [reward]."