bacchusnovels Chapter 404 Mom, I won this time.
Chapter 404 Mom, I won this time.
Chapter 404 Mom, I won this time.
No need to think.
Almost instantly, Sofia identified the visitor.
Who else could be the person who followed her here at this time, besides her?
The unspoken understanding between mother and daughter compelled Sofia to make a decision.
She looked up at Sean and pointed to Peter Pettigrew, who was standing to the side, still fuming.
"Dad, let him go."
"ah?!"
Little Pettigrew has lost his magic.
He pointed tremblingly at himself, looking utterly incredulous.
Merlin above!
You know, he hadn't done anything at all... because of this, he almost died from holding his breath.
But I never expected that even if I did nothing, I would still be targeted.
Sean raised an eyebrow. Although he didn't understand his daughter's intentions, he had no room to hesitate in the face of such a small request before she left.
He slowly raised his wand and pointed it at Pettigrew.
"Now go to Albania, don't forget our promise."
The next second, a blue light flashed from the tip of the wand and struck Pettigrew.
This was the first time Sean had ever used Apparition on someone else.
There shouldn't be any problems, right?
Little Pettigrew felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and then the scene before him began to distort rapidly, as if the whole world was being stretched and compressed in an instant, and even the air itself seemed to freeze.
His body seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, the ground beneath his feet disappeared, and everything around him became blurry.
Little Pettigrew desperately opened his eyes, trying to grasp something, but no matter what, he still couldn't resist the powerful magical pull.
Suddenly, he felt a violent tug pulling him from this unfamiliar space to another place.
Then, "Pfft!"
Little Pettigrew stumbled and fell onto a patch of soft, damp grass. His entire body trembled violently from the apparition's leaps, and before he could even catch his breath, he was immediately transported to another location.
"Albania." Looking at the familiar scene before him, Little Star murmured to himself, a hint of surprise and unease appearing on his face.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint outlines of some buildings in the distance.
There are no bustling markets or vibrant streets here, only this desolate grassland and scattered rocks.
Before this, Little Pettigrew was moved by Sean's words, but he did not quite believe in Sean's strength.
After all, that was the Dark Lord who had reached the end of his rope.
Now... he's convinced.
Apparition is a relatively advanced spell, and its difficulty increases as the distance of the apparition increases.
He had never even heard of using Apparition on someone else.
He was truly impressed by the combination of these two factors.
On the other side, footsteps approached from the doorway.
Finally, the door was suddenly pushed open, and hurried footsteps stopped behind her.
Seeing Hermione suddenly barge in, Sean was somewhat surprised.
Having saved Sirius Black, she should be resting in the infirmary now.
Although Sean had considered many possibilities, how could he have foreseen that a bet Sophia made on a whim would lead to Hermione appearing here?
Unlike Sean's differing opinions, Sophia's reaction was completely opposite.
Upon seeing Hermione appear, Sophia's face lit up with undisguised joy.
This happiness might be because she saw her mother again before leaving.
Perhaps it was because she successfully won the bet—and with her father's help.
Sure enough, when it comes to beating Mom, Dad's help is essential.
Sofia's smile held a hint of slyness, but more than anything, it was one of contentment.
At the same time, her figure began to fade slowly, gradually blurring into the air.
Hermione stood in the doorway, panting, her rapid breathing particularly clear in the silent air.
Her gaze swept quickly across the room, landing on Sean, Filch, and Sophia's disappearing figure. An indescribable anxiety welled up inside her, as if she had just missed something of paramount importance to her.
Immediately realizing what was happening, Hermione ran towards Sophia while reaching out her hand.
That feeling... is like the most precious thing in life is slipping through your fingers, never to be retrieved.
Seeing Hermione's anxious appearance, Sophia's expression became extremely complicated.
Before her figure completely disappeared, she slightly raised the corners of her mouth and said something in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
As she finished speaking, Sophia's figure completely disappeared from this space-time.
"Miss Granger, what brings you here?" Sean looked at Hermione with some surprise, but Hermione, unusually, did not respond to his question. Her gaze remained fixed blankly on the spot where Sophia's figure had disappeared, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Because, just now, Sofia's lips moved slightly, and she clearly said those words to her:
Mom, I won this time.
Hogwarts Castle.
Harry and Ron quietly slipped into the corridor behind them and went down the narrow spiral staircase.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they heard a sound ahead. They immediately leaned against the wall, holding their breath to listen. It was Fudge and Snape, their voices hurried, walking quickly down the passageway.
"—Let's hope Dumbledore doesn't cause any more trouble," Snape said coldly. "That kiss, it'll be happening soon, won't it?"
"We're just waiting for McNeil to bring the Dementors back. Black is a real handful, and I'm really looking forward to telling the Daily Prophet that we've finally caught him. I bet they'll want to interview you. And Snape, once Harry's senses are back on track, I think he'll be willing to tell the Daily Prophet how you saved them—"
Harry gritted his teeth as he noticed Snape's smug expression as the two men passed by their hiding place.
The footsteps faded into the distance.
After waiting a moment and confirming that the two had gone far away, Harry and Ron quickly ran in the opposite direction.
They went down one flight of stairs, then another, and rushed into a corridor.
Suddenly, a burst of giggling laughter came from ahead.
"Peeves!" Harry whispered, grabbing Ron's wrist. "Get inside!"
They rushed into an empty classroom on the left.
Mischievous was clearly overjoyed, jumping and laughing hysterically in the corridor.
"Oh, he's awful," Ron whispered. "I bet he's so excited because the Dementors are coming, or because Sirius has something going on—"
Once the laughter of the mischievous ghosts had faded into the distance, they quietly slipped out of the classroom and quickened their pace to run again.
Before long, they arrived at the infirmary.
"Yes—I hear Dumbledore's voice!" Ron said nervously. "Quick, Harry!"
The two quietly ran down the corridor, and the door opened, revealing Dumbledore's back.
"How is it?" he asked softly.
"It's done!" Harry gasped. "Sirius escaped, riding Buckbeak—"
Dumbledore looked at them with a smile.
"Well done. I think—" He listened carefully for any sounds from the school hospital, "Oh, right, I think you guys escaped too—go inside—I'm going to lock you all in there—"
"But," he paused, his blue eyes behind his crescent-shaped eyes filled with doubt for the first time, "where is Miss Granger?"
3
Harry, panting, quickly explained, "Hermione—she'll be here soon." He said in a low voice, glancing warily at the door as if Hermione could appear at any moment.
Although Dumbledore seemed somewhat hesitant, he nodded, as if he believed Harry.
"Yes, all right," Dumbledore said gently, stepping aside to make way for them. "But I still need to make sure everything is safe. Go on in, quickly."
Harry and Ron quickly entered the infirmary, and Dumbledore immediately closed the door, blocking their way.
The air inside was still, except for the night outside the window, where the Hogwarts campus was shrouded in darkness.
"What will happen if Hermione and Sophia don't come back on time?" Ron asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed nervously on the clock on the wall, its ticking sound particularly clear in the quiet infirmary.
Harry didn't answer, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes.
He didn't know how to explain it, because he wasn't sure if Hermione would actually come back on time.
At this moment, time was passing before their eyes, and every second felt like it was pressing them on.
Ron's voice broke the silence again: "Do you think they can make it back? They're over there—"
Harry shook his head, his mouth dry and his mind a jumble of thoughts.
He remembered Hermione telling him she would come back before she left, but seeing Dumbledore's expression now, he knew it wouldn't be easy.
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside, breaking the silence of the infirmary.
Harry looked up abruptly, his eyes fixed on the doorway.
"Did I hear the principal left? Can I take care of my patients now?"
Oh no, it's Mrs. Pomfrey.
There were still three minutes left, why did she arrive early?