bacchusnovels Chapter 376 Daphne's Humiliation
Chapter 376 Daphne's Humiliation
Chapter 376 Daphne's Humiliation
"Of course," Sean said softly, taking the first step down. "An adventure should always have an adventure element."
His tone was so relaxed that Cho Chang thought Professor Phillips was inviting him on a spring outing.
Cho Chang took a deep breath, gripped his wand tightly, and cautiously followed.
The light from the wand seemed endless; the darkness, like some living creature, opened its enormous mouth below the steps, waiting to devour everything.
Do ghosts exist in this world?
"No, there are ghosts."
"Are there really no ghosts?"
"Maybe."
"Is there really no danger here?"
"As long as you believe in me."
Sean glanced back at Cho Chang, who was still chuckling incessantly; the two had reached the end of the road.
At the end of the stairs was a low basement, with the wooden beams on the ceiling crooked due to its age, and some parts of the walls even exposing the bricks.
Scattered on the ground were some strange objects—broken pottery jars, rusty ironware, and several yellowed parchment sheets with blurred writing that was illegible.
Cho Chang followed closely behind Sean, her eyes scanning the items. "This looks like some kind of hideout?" she whispered.
Sean nodded, reached for a piece of parchment, and examined it carefully for a moment: "It might be some kind of secret base, or more simply, a place used to hide from people. But—" His voice trailed off, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"But what?" Qiu Zhang held his breath and pressed for an answer.
"Shh—" Sean held up a finger, signaling her to be quiet.
Just then, a soft footstep sound came from upstairs. The sound was very faint, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet basement.
Cho Chang's heart leaped into his throat, and he froze, his palms sweating profusely as he held the wand.
"Someone's coming," Sean said in a low voice, quickly glancing around before his gaze fell on an old wooden crate in the corner.
"Quick, come with me." He grabbed Qiu Zhang's hand, and the two quickly squatted down inside the wooden box, trying to curl up as much as possible.
The cramped space inside the box forced them to huddle together, and Qiu Zhang could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
Sean, however, remained calm and composed.
That's right, the location he told Hermione about three days ago was the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade.
"Don't make a sound," he whispered, and the light disappeared from the tip of his wand, plunging the surroundings into darkness just hours before.
Hogwarts Castle, Great Hall.
After Hermione borrowed the Invisibility Cloak, a weight was finally lifted from her heart.
However, this stone was quite ordinary compared to the boulder pressing down on it.
She couldn't stop thinking about what happened that day...
As Hermione left the Great Hall, she headed toward the common room.
She wanted to review her plans for the evening before heading to Hogsmeade that afternoon, based on the information Professor Phillips had provided.
However, as soon as she stepped out the door, she saw a familiar figure standing in the shadows of the corridor—Daphne Greengrass.
"Hermione," Daphne said softly, her arms around her shoulders, "perfect timing, I have a question for you."
Hermione instinctively stopped and looked up at her: "What is it?"
Daphne took a few steps closer, her eyebrows slightly raised. "What exactly happened in Professor Phillips's office that day? Did the plan succeed?"
Successful.
It couldn't be more successful.
Her revealing outfit completely shattered Professor Phillips's sanity.
But what's the point of that?
To go further...:::: Is she going to tell Daphne about something so shameful?
Hermione made her choice in just three seconds.
She would rather die than tell anyone what happened that night.
So Hermione took a deep breath, suppressed all her emotions, raised her head, and said in her usual calm and rational tone, "We discussed some things, all about lessons and magic."
Daphne tilted her head, looking disbelieving. "A magical question? Hermione, are you sure this is the answer you want me to believe?"
Hermione's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "I'm telling the truth. If you insist on having doubts, that's perfectly acceptable. But I really don't think there's anything special that needs to be explained."
Daphne narrowed her eyes, her smile deepening. "Hermione Granger, intelligent, cautious, and rarely makes a mistake. But I'm curious, what are you hiding?" She paused, leaned closer, and lowered her voice. "Or rather, what special thing did you do that made the professor suddenly look at you with new respect?"
Herman felt his heart racing, but his expression remained calm and composed.
"Daphne," her voice rose slightly, carrying a hint of warning, "there are some things you don't need to know, and they're none of your business. If you're really curious, why don't you ask the professor himself and see what he has to tell you?"
"I already know the answer without even asking the professor—I heard some sounds I shouldn't have heard, like... someone's moans."
Daphne sneered inwardly. Professor Phillips had clearly underestimated her, and also Hermione.
The man thought he could use her to drag Hermione into the mire, but he didn't realize that if she exposed the matter, she would actually push Hermione to his side.
What kind of person is Hermione?
As a Slytherin, Daphne knew better than anyone the behavior of the Gryffindor lion cubs.
She has always been fearless in the face of power, and when faced with injustice, she would rather fight than compromise.
And this time—even if the other party is Professor Phillips?
Indeed, even with Professor Phillips, Daphne believed Hermione would never back down.
"Hermione," Daphne tilted her head slightly, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "you should know that I'm a very curious person, and," she deliberately drew out her words, "I have a very keen ear—"
Hermione felt a sudden tightness in her chest; she almost immediately realized that Daphne's words might be true.
The sounds from that night—she thought no one would hear them—were now exposed by Daphne's aggressive questioning.
But she could not simply admit to anything.
So, Daphne, I don't know where you heard these ridiculous guesses, but I want to tell you that...
This is just a ridiculous story you made up. If you're trying to humiliate me with this baseless tale, you'll have to find another opportunity.
Daphne's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Really? Maybe." Her voice trailed off casually. "But Hermione, you've really surprised me. Those 'moaning' sounds—ah—no—Professor—" She deliberately lowered her voice, as if mimicking a suggestive tone, "It's so unlike you. It surprises me—or rather, the Professor should be even more surprised?"
Hermione felt a surge of shame and indignation, but she quickly composed herself.
She knew that what Daphne wanted to see most was her panic, and she absolutely couldn't let her succeed.
"Say what you will," Hermione said coldly. "If spreading these baseless rumors makes you happy, then go ahead and try. But don't blame me for not warning you that the consequences of defamation can be more serious than you think."
Daphne raised an eyebrow, feigning indifference. "Hermione, I was just an observer who happened to overhear something. Of course, I never make up rumors, but if these 'voices' are true—" She looked at Hermione meaningfully, a smile returning to her lips, "then this becomes much more interesting."
After speaking, she gently patted Hermione's shoulder, a gesture of courtesy between friends, yet it carried a hint of threat. "Don't be too tense, Hermione. Some secrets—can't be kept hidden forever. You could consider cooperating with me; aren't our goals aligned? To completely expel that scum who preyed on the students from Hogwarts."
Hermione watched her turn and leave, her chest heaving slightly.
She gripped her schoolbag tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white.
in the afternoon.
Just before departure.
"I just saw someone go to Hogsmeade."
Ron returned to the common room and whispered to Hermione, Harry, and Sophia beside him,
"Who?" Hermione asked instinctively, her voice slightly higher than usual.
"Choo Chang and Professor Phillips."
"Who?" Hermione's voice rose an octave instantly, her brows furrowing slightly, her gaze unconsciously shifting to Ron, as if she doubted whether he was joking.
"Cho Chang and Professor Phillips," Ron repeated in a low voice, emphasizing the word "Professor" to make sure Hermione knew which Phillips it was.
Hermione paused for a moment, her lips twitching slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and casually pursed her lips: "Oh, how interesting."
Her tone sounded calm and even slightly nonchalant, but the fingers holding the book were tighter and stiffer than before.
Harry glanced at Ron, nudged him lightly with his elbow, and muttered in a low voice, "Didn't I tell you? Don't mention Professor Phillips in front of her, it won't do you any good."
Ron scratched his head, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "I was just telling the truth—who knew she'd react so strongly?"
Sophia chuckled to herself, glancing furtively at Hermione: "They're probably just out discussing magic, right? What could be so special about a professor and student?"
"It's a matter of magic, of course!" Hermione interjected immediately, her tone more urgent than expected. She then slowed her speech, adding casually, "You wouldn't understand, Professor Phillips."
She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, as if struck by a sudden thought, and quickly turned her head away, pretending to be focused on organizing the textbook in her hands. However, the blush on her ears betrayed her true emotions.
The forced smile on her lips looked unnatural no matter how you looked at it.
There was a brief, awkward silence, but Harry quickly broke it: "Alright, alright, let's not dwell on that. We should get going." He stood up, grabbed the Invisibility Cloak, and swiftly changed the subject, "Where's the secret passage? Is it marked on the map Professor Phillips gave us?"
"In the second-floor hallway," Hermione quickly interjected, finally seizing the opportunity to change the subject. She stood up, clutching her textbook to her chest, her tone regaining its usual calm. "We have to hurry; we need to get to the Shrieking Shack before dark to avoid arousing suspicion."
The group nodded and quickly checked their belongings.
Hermione pulled out the map drawn by Professor Phillips himself and pointed to a pea-shaped line on it, saying, "This is the entrance to the secret passage. It looks like an old passage leading to the Shrieking Shack; it probably hasn't been used in a long time."
"Hopefully there won't be any spiders," Ron muttered under his breath, a nervous look on his face.
Hermione ignored his complaints and earnestly warned, "The secret passage might have traps or obstacles, so we need to be careful."
"Don't worry, Hermione," Sophia said with a gentle wave of her hand and a smile, "There are two Invisibility Cloaks."
We certainly won't be discovered.
The group quickly donned invisibility cloaks in the common lounge and quietly made their way to the second-floor corridor, following the map's directions.
The second-floor corridor was quiet; few people came here at this time.
Hermione glanced down at the map, then pointed to a blank stone wall and whispered, "This should be the entrance." She tapped the wall lightly with her wand, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound, as if the inside was hollow.
"This—it doesn't look like it can be opened." Ron frowned, raising his hand to touch the wall. "What special spell do we need?"
"No need," Sophia said, touching a protruding corner at the bottom of the wall.
She would visit this secret passage quite often in the future.
As the stone bricks fell, a thin crack appeared in the center of the stone wall. The crack quickly widened, forming a hidden door.
Behind the door was a narrow staircase that descended into a bottomless darkness, carrying a damp and decaying smell.
"I hate these underground things," Ron complained, but at Hermione's urging, he was the first to step inside.
The secret passage was so narrow that it was almost impossible to stand up completely, and the group could only move forward slowly while bending over. The walls were covered with moss, and the slippery stone steps made them walk with great care.
Sophia used an Illumination Charm, and firelight poured down from the tip of her wand, illuminating the path ahead. However, the light was quickly swallowed by darkness, and the end could not be seen.
"I say, I hope this road really does lead to the Shrieking Shack," Harry said in a low voice, leaning against the wall, "otherwise we've really wasted our time."
"The map was drawn by the professor himself, so there won't be any problems," Hermione replied softly, trying to make her voice sound more confident.
If the matter itself is absurd, then wouldn't the effort and sacrifices she made for it seem even more absurd?
"Speaking of the professor—" Sophia's voice drifted from beneath the Invisibility Cloak, tinged with a hint of jest, "Hermione, are you still wondering why he and Cho Chang went to Hogsmeade together?"
"Enough!" Hermione's voice was low, her annoyance obvious. "Focus on walking, don't get distracted."
Sofia smiled gently, but didn't say anything more.