bacchusnovels Chapter 360 I want to stay in the castle to study.
Chapter 360 I want to stay in the castle to study.
Chapter 360 I want to stay in the castle to study.
Neville didn't need to be reminded a second time; he grabbed the envelope and rushed out of the auditorium like he was carrying a bomb.
A burst of laughter erupted around the Slytherin table, and they heard the howling letter ring out in the hallway—Neville's grandmother's scream, amplified a hundredfold, filled with the pain of bringing shame upon the whole family.
Harry was busy feeling sorry for Neville when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his wrist. It turned out that Hedwig had pecked him to get his attention.
Harry tore open the envelope, and Hedwig went to peck at Neville's corn chips.
The note reads:
Dear Harry and Ron:
Would you like to have tea with me around six o'clock this afternoon? I'll come to the castle to pick you up. Wait for me in the foyer; you mustn't come out.
Have a good time.
"He probably wants to hear about Black!" Hagrid exclaimed excitedly.
Deep in the forbidden forest, in a dark and damp cabin, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
The walls of the wooden house were mottled, seeping with the dampness brought by the transition from spring to winter. The dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the gloomy faces.
Seated in the middle was none other than the long-lost Voldemort, whose presence, with his distorted and pale face, made the air heavy.
Fenrir Graybuck stood to one side, his tall stature and wild stubble and filthy clothes making him appear particularly menacing.
"Master, how was your trip to Hogwarts last night—" Greyback mustered his courage and broke the silence.
Voldemort's gaze slowly turned to him, his sharp red eyes seeming to pierce through everything, sending a chill down Greyback's spine.
"I saw him—" Voldemort's voice slowly rose, deep and oppressive, making the air in the entire cabin heavy.
"That boy?" Graybury asked eagerly.
"Hmm." Voldemort nodded, then suddenly chuckled, as if he had just thought of something.
"Why don't you have any?" Graybury asked, a hint of confusion and unease in his voice.
"Do I need to resort to sneak attacks to deal with a mere third-grader, a brat who's barely out of school?" Voldemort's voice suddenly turned cold, and this unexpected turn of events startled Greyback.
As the scrutinizing gaze gradually left him, Graybury gasped for breath, his heart filled with unease.
I wonder who was defeated by such a baby back then.
The thought suddenly appeared in his mind, making him feel incredibly ridiculous and ironic.
"He's still a child, and I'm no longer the person I was then," Voldemort continued, his tone growing increasingly serious. "Dumbledore has placed his hopes on him, and I certainly won't so easily destroy those hopes."
"I will show them that what they expect will never come true," he said in a low voice, his voice like a shadow. "I will show them that the prophecy is nothing but a joke."
"I will gradually drive them to despair."
After a long silence, Greyback slowly spoke: "So you went to Hogwarts for—"
"It's for his blood." Voldemort slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the darkness outside the window, as if he saw a more distant target. "I'll be back soon—"
When Voldemort was the only one left in the cabin, the surrounding silence felt even more oppressive.
He murmured a spell he had once read in a book, his voice echoing like a ghost in the empty space: "Your father's bones, given unintentionally, can bring your son back to life; your servant's flesh, given voluntarily, can bring your master back to life; your enemy's blood, offered under duress, can resurrect your foe."
Every word flashed through his mind, bringing waves of fervent anticipation and uncontrollable longing. At six o'clock in the evening, the four little ones left the Gryffindor Tower, quickly passed the guarding trolls, and arrived at the foyer downstairs.
Hagrid was already there waiting for them.
"Hey, Hagrid!" Ron greeted him excitedly. "You want to hear about Saturday night, right?"
"I've heard about it," Hagrid replied, opening the door and leading them out.
"Oh," Ron replied somewhat awkwardly.
Upon entering Hagrid's cabin, the group immediately saw Buckbeak stretching out his limbs, leaning against Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his huge wings folded at his sides, happily enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets.
"Buckbeak is so cute," Sofia exclaimed sincerely.
Harry gave him a rather strange look, then looked away and noticed an oversized, fluffy brown coat and a shockingly ugly yellow-orange tie hanging on the wardrobe door.
"What are these for, Hagrid?" Harry asked, trying to distract himself.
“Buckbeak is involved in a case with the Dangerous Animals Committee,” Hagrid explained. “I have to take him to London this Friday; I’ve booked two berths on the Knights bus.”
A deep sense of guilt welled up in Harry's heart; he had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's interrogation was imminent.
Judging from Ron's uneasy expression, he was clearly the same.
The two had promised to help Hagrid prepare Buckbeak's defense, but the arrival of the Firebolts made them forget about it.
but.
Judging from Hermione and Sophia's appearance, it seemed that someone had done their job for them.
Hagrid poured them tea and served them a plate of Bartholomew's bread, but they dared not touch it, having experienced Hagrid's culinary skills firsthand.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with you." Hagrid sat between them, his expression serious, unusually earnest.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Regarding Buckbeak's trial," Hagrid began slowly, "the trial date is approaching, and I hope you can help me prepare a defense plan. I don't want Buckbeak to suffer any injustice; he is innocent."
Hermione immediately put down the Barksbread she was holding and nodded seriously: "Of course, Hagrid. We can start by listing Barksbread's good points and the evidence that it hasn't attacked humans."
“Yes, we can also find some witnesses who support Buckbeak,” Sophia added, “such as other magical creatures, or people who have interacted with it.”
Hagrid's eyes lit up with hope after hearing this: "Your ideas are all very good. But the problem is, I might not have enough evidence to prove Buckbeak's innocence during the interrogation."
“We can find evidence,” Harry said firmly. “There are eyewitnesses to the firebolt, and those who were there can also testify.”
"Furthermore, we can have someone defend Buckbeak during the interrogation, find it a good representative," Hermione suggested, "like a professional magical creature lawyer."
Hagrid frowned. "But the lawyer's fees will be very high, and our resources are limited."
"We can ask the other students to see if anyone is willing to help us," Ron said. "Our group of friends will definitely be able to figure something out."
At nine o'clock, Hagrid escorted them back to the castle.
Back in the common room, they saw a large crowd gathered around the bulletin board.
"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" Ron craned his neck, trying to make out the newly posted notice. "What do you think?" he asked Harry in a low voice after sitting down.
"Well, Filch hasn't messed with the secret passage to Honeyduke yet," Harry whispered in response.
"Harry!" a voice called from his right ear.
Harry was startled and turned around to see Hermione sitting behind them, busy clearing a gap in the books that were blocking her view.
"Harry, if you go to Hogsmeade again, I'm telling Professor McGonagall about the secret passage!" Hermione said sternly, turning to Ron. "Ron, how can you let him go with you? After Sirius almost attacked you! I'm serious, I'll tell—"
"Are you saying I should stay home?" Ron interrupted Hermione, his face full of displeasure. "Harry is my friend, I can't leave him out!"
Even though their relationship had returned to normal last time, they started arguing again not long afterward, and Harry had gotten somewhat used to it.
"This isn't about friends!" Hermione raised her voice, drawing the attention of those around her. "This is about safety! Don't you understand? Sirius's situation is very serious!"
Harry felt a pang of unease. He knew Hermione was right, but he preferred Hogsmeade, where he had things he liked and less complicated trouble.
"I'll be careful," Harry insisted, trying to make his voice sound firm.
"This isn't something that can be solved by being careful, Harry!" Hermione said, sounding desperate. "You have no idea how dangerous it is outside..."
Especially now!
Ron's face showed anger and confusion: "You're always so pessimistic! Can't we just enjoy the fun we deserve? Otherwise, are we supposed to keep hiding here forever?"
Just then, Hermione's gaze shifted to the table, as if she had found an opportunity to change the subject. Her voice softened slightly: "Okay, assuming you really go, how do you plan to get in? What if Filch catches you?"
"I have an invisibility cloak," Harry thought for a moment and answered seriously. "We can sneak out without being discovered!"
"The Invisibility Cloak?" Hermione's expression wavered slightly, but she still shook her head. "That sounds too risky."
Ron, however, slapped the table excitedly: "That's it! We've never used the Invisibility Cloak in Hogsmeade before, this will be a huge adventure! We can take it to Zonko's Joke Shop!"
But Hermione still did not agree.
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, quickly nodded, and answered in unison.
"I'm not going! I'm staying in the castle to study!"
"I'm not taking Harry with me!"
On Saturday morning, Harry put the Invisibility Cloak into his backpack and then went downstairs to have breakfast with everyone.
Hermione kept casting him suspicious glances from the table, but he avoided her eye contact and deliberately waited until everyone else headed for the door.
Let her see herself going up the marble staircase.
"Goodbye!" Harry called to Ron. "See you when you get back!"
Ron grinned and winked.
Harry quickly climbed to the fourth floor, crouched behind the one-eyed witch, swiftly drew his wand, and whispered, "Separate left and right!"
He stuffed his backpack into the statue, but before he could climb in himself, a figure appeared beside him.
Neville Longbottom.
"Harry! I forgot you weren't going to Hogsmeade!" Neville exclaimed in surprise.
"Hey, Neville!" Harry quickly moved away from the statue. "What are you planning to do?"
"Nothing to do," Neville shrugged. "Want to play with some explosions?"
"Well—not now—I need to go to the library to write the paper about vampires that Lupin assigned me—"
"I'll go with you!" Neville said happily. "I haven't written it yet!"
"Oh—wait a minute—I finished writing it last night!"
"Great, you can help me!" Neville said, his round face showing anxiety. "I don't understand the garlic section at all—do people have to eat garlic, or—"
He suddenly stopped, took a deep breath, and looked behind Harry.
Snape appeared.
Neville quickly hid behind Harry.
"What are you two doing here?" Snape stopped and looked them over. "It's strange to run into each other here—"
Harry's heart pounded with nervousness. Snape's dark eyes scanned between the doors on either side of them before landing on the one-eyed witch.
"We didn't all meet here," Harry stammered, "we just happened to run into each other."
"Is that so?" Snape said coldly. "You have a habit of showing up where no one expects you, Potter, and there are very few good reasons for me to suggest that you two go back to the Gryffindor Tower, which is where you belong."
Harry and Neville ran away immediately, without daring to say a word.
As Harry reached the corner, he glanced back and saw Snape stroking the One-Eyed Witch's head, examining her closely.
This made him somewhat worried.
Harry finally managed to shake off Neville in front of the Fat Lady, told him the password, and then pretended he had forgotten his vampire thesis in the library.
They turned back again.
The fourth-floor corridor seemed deserted. Harry searched carefully and breathed a sigh of relief.
He dashed to the one-eyed witch, opened her hunchback, crawled inside, slid to the bottom of the stone slide, retrieved his backpack, and ran off.
The Invisibility Cloak concealed his figure as Harry arrived outside Honeydukes' door and gently nudged Ron in the back.
"It's me," he said softly.
"Why are you so late?" Ron asked quietly.
"Snape is wandering around there."
They walked along the main street.
"Where are you?" Ron kept asking softly. "Are you still there? This feels so strange."
Entering the post office, Ron pretended to ask how much it would cost to send an owl to Bill in Egypt, so as to give Harry time to explore properly.
Many owls perched there, calling softly; there were at least three hundred of them.
From great grey owls to Scoop owls ("local mail only"), they had it all, with Scoop owls so small they could fit in the palm of Harry's hand.