bacchusnovels Chapter 497 The "Prey" Who Came to Our Door
Chapter 497 The "Prey" Who Came to Our Door
Chapter 497 The "Prey" Who Came to Our Door
Looking at the familiar middle-aged man in front of him, Sean's lips twitched slightly.
"Hello there."
"Director Phillips, it's been a long time!"
The other party was quite surprised and delighted by Sean's appearance.
This person was the Ministry of Magic official who had provided him with "trivial" assistance in the first project.
And this time, when he was about to do something again, he unexpectedly ran into the other party again.
What a coincidence!
Sean couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and feeling).
Through the conversation, it was learned that the middle-aged man had been sent to coordinate the second project with the mermaid.
"You wouldn't mind helping me out a little more, would you?"
After a brief moment of thought—
Sean's gaze fell on the other person's face, and he slowly said, "You wouldn't mind helping me a little more, would you?"
A flicker of excitement crossed the man's eyes, and he straightened his back, replying with fervor, "It would be an honor to serve Director Phillips!"
"————"
Before leaving after finishing his business, Sean was invited to have dinner here due to the warm hospitality he received.
only-
His expression stiffened as he looked at the bright green dish that was constantly bubbling.
"Please, Phillips," Neil said happily. "I prepared this especially for you; you absolutely can't get this on land!"
Sean paused for a moment, holding his fork, then forced a polite smile: "It certainly looks unique."
The contents of the plate resembled some kind of luminous seaweed, accompanied by a slightly salty and fishy aroma. Every few seconds, it would twitch slightly, as if it still retained faint signs of life.
"The flavor is very unique, and it's very chewy," Neil said with anticipation.
Sean glanced at his enthusiastic opponent, then reluctantly picked up a small cluster of green objects and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a strange and eerie taste spread across his tongue. He suppressed the urge to frown and swallowed it with difficulty.
"How is it?" Neil asked eagerly.
Sean maintained his smile: "It is indeed very—novel."
Neil nodded in satisfaction, then excitedly took another big bite: "I knew you'd like it!"
Sean stared silently at Neil's engrossed expression, feeling a deep sense of admiration. He secretly resolved that the next time he saw the mermaid, he would personally revise the menu.
When Sean returned to the castle from the lake, the strange taste still lingered in his mouth.
As soon as he stepped onto the steps, he saw Hermione running towards him excitedly.
"Professor!" Hermione gasped, stopping in front of him. "I have good news for you!"
"What's making you so happy?" Sean asked curiously.
Hermione smiled brightly and straightened her back. "There's progress in promoting house-elves' rights! Five house-elves have already responded to my call and are trying to fight for fairer treatment for themselves!"
Sean paused for a moment, then revealed genuine admiration: "That's really not easy, Hermione."
Hermione raised her eyebrows proudly. "Of course it wasn't easy. I spent a whole two weeks talking to them in the kitchen every day. With the help of Dobby and Sparkle, I finally convinced the slightly bolder ones."
"So, how do you plan to begin?"
Hermione was prepared for this question and immediately answered enthusiastically, "They're willing to try a rotating day off system, with people taking turns having one day off each week! Of course, this is just the beginning, but I think it's a very important breakthrough!"
"That's truly remarkable," Sean nodded slightly. "To convince them to take this step is no easy feat."
Admittedly, it takes a talent to wear down a house-elf to this extent just by being persistent—like the American TV series "Young Sheldon" that Sean saw in his previous life.
Hermione, however, was completely oblivious to this: "That's right, Professor, I believe that if we keep trying, one day all house-elves will become brave!"
Sean smiled and patted Hermione on the shoulder, saying earnestly, "I believe you can do it. Let me know if you need any help."
Hermione immediately grinned, her bright eyes practically sparkling: "Thank you, Professor! Perhaps next time you go to the kitchen, you can speak with them yourself?"
When Sean heard the word "kitchen," the eerie experience by the lake immediately came to mind. He subconsciously twitched his lips and mumbled, "Of course—I'll go in a few days."
Sean wasn't sure how many days would pass, but Hermione was quite invested in it—every morning, he would bump into her in various places—even though he enjoyed these chance encounters with witches, even finding them amusing.
However, some people don't like it.
"Sean, there's something I want to tell you."
Sean looked at Tonks in front of him, feeling a little guilty, and forced a smile as he asked, "What's wrong, junior?"
Tonks narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Sean up and down.
"Lately—have you been seeing that unusually lively little girl from Gryffindor a bit too often?"
Since she and Sean became a couple, and their relationship gradually became known, she has become increasingly bold, even acting as if she were his "fiancée"—last time, if Fleur's invitation hadn't involved diplomatic issues between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, she would never have allowed Sean to dance with that vixen in public.
Yes, vixen, that's the label Tonks put on Fleur.
Of course, none of this is why Tonks began to be wary of Hermione.
The root cause is still the Christmas gift Tonks received a few days ago.
That item—a Christmas gift from Miss Granger.
Sean coughed lightly, subconsciously rubbing the tip of his nose to avoid Tonks's sharp gaze: "Really? Maybe it's just a coincidence—Hogwarts is only this big."
Tonks took a step forward, moving closer, his expression slightly tense, a half-smile playing on his lips: "Oh, a coincidence? I heard—Professor Phillips recently made plans to go to the kitchen together?"
Sean froze on the spot, then quickly waved his hand and explained, "I'm just helping out by checking on the house-elves."
"Just helping out?" Tonks crossed his arms, his tone cool. "I've never really noticed before that professor is so eager to help others."
Sean sensed the sourness in her words and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He asked softly, "What's wrong? Jealous?"
Tonks blushed, but quickly raised her head, looking at him with a hint of stubbornness: "So what if I am?"
Looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, Sean's heart softened instantly. He smiled slightly and gently ruffled her light pink hair. "Don't worry, no matter how fun the kitchen is, it can't compare to my junior."
Tonks chuckled, but then turned his head away, feigning indifference: "Hmph, you'd better keep your word."
Sean smiled and moved closer, gently pinching her cheek: "Of course, after all, I know very well that the price of angering an Auror is not small."
Tonks finally couldn't hold back, and a smile crept onto his face as he gently nudged Sean: "Good to know, Professor Phillips."
Just as the two were about to go into the office together to discuss philosophical issues—
Tonks suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing past at the end of the corridor, and his expression immediately became wary again.
Sean followed her gaze and immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
Hermione, carrying a thick stack of documents, was excitedly walking briskly in their direction.
Tonks glared at Sean and lowered his voice, "You'd better watch out."
Sean shrugged helplessly, about to explain, when Hermione appeared before him with a bright smile: "Professor, I was just about to look for you! I've compiled the feedback from the house-elves; do you have time to take a look now?"
Before Sean could answer, Tonks spoke up first, "Hermione, you come to see Professor Sean so punctually every day, aren't you afraid of taking up his personal time?"
Hermione paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over Tonks's slightly flushed cheeks and Sean's somewhat embarrassed expression. She immediately realized something and a faint blush quickly rose to her face.
"Ah—I'm sorry, I didn't expect that—" Hermione took a step back in a flustered manner, quickly trying to salvage the situation, "I'll try again later!"
Watching Hermione's hurried departure, Sean sighed helplessly and turned to Tonks beside him, who was pretending to be nonchalant: "Are you satisfied now?"
Tonks smiled smugly, then looked up with an innocent expression: "Oh, I was just giving you a little hint."
Sean looked at her silently, then shook his head and smiled wryly, "Junior, you're getting more and more amazing."
Tonks raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, "Thanks for the compliment, senior. But—"
She suddenly moved closer, her voice low, "Remember what you just promised? Don't let me find you coincidentally appearing there again next time."
Looking at the bright smile on her face, Sean felt a bittersweet headache and could only nod, "Yes, ma'am."
This means the philosophical questions will have to be postponed.
While Harry chose to practice using the Bubble Head Charm to solve problems, the others also received help with the assistance of their respective "friends and family."
For example, Furong went to see Ms. Maxim.
For example, Karkaroff gave advice to Krum and Selena.
In conclusion, everyone has learned how to breathe underwater.
The most common solution is to eat gills that grow on the sides of the face, allowing one to breathe in water.
Even Harry prepared some just in case.
And the one who provided him with this help was, of course, Professor Moody.
That is, Barty Crouch Jr.
To complete Voldemort's mission, he has transformed into Harry's Ring Old Man—whenever Harry has a problem he can't solve, he will appear immediately to provide help and any other assistance he can offer.
As for the series of twists and turns originally caused by the Marauder's Map, they did not happen again because the Marauder's Map was always kept by Sean.
However, occasionally when Sean opened the map and saw Professor Moody's name suddenly change to "Barty Crouch Jr." and then quickly return to its original form, he always felt a strange sense of amusement in this scene.
In these seemingly peaceful yet subtly mysterious days, time quietly progressed to February.
As February arrived, the weather at Hogwarts grew increasingly damp and cold, and a thin layer of frost formed on the Black Lake outside the castle. However, the students' enthusiasm remained undiminished, as the second project was about to begin, and a tense atmosphere permeated the entire school.
Sean stood by the classroom window, looking at the lake covered in frost in the distance, and gently rubbed his temples.
For some reason, Tonks has suddenly increased the pressure he puts on himself these days.
He would spend six out of seven days a week staying at his place, which greatly reduced his contact with Luna and the others.
In fact, he also tried to figure out the reason behind it.
However, progress was unusually difficult, and even when she reached the peak of pleasure, she was still unwilling to admit it.
This greatly troubled Sean and further fueled his curiosity.
He had even considered using a combination of "Soul Capture" and "Emptiness".
Just as Sean was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door.
He turned around and saw Hermione carrying a thick stack of parchment as she hurried in.
"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly as she placed the documents on Sean's desk, "The elf rest system is officially finalized! House-elves will take turns having one day off per week, and the initial results are excellent. Several more elves have even volunteered to join our program!"
Sean nodded in approval: "It seems your efforts have paid off."
Hermione grinned, then added with some concern, "However, the elves are still a bit scared, worried about being blamed by humans. I think we might need to do more publicity."
Sean patted her on the shoulder encouragingly, "You've done a great job, Hermione. Changing mindsets is difficult enough, and this is just the first step. Take it slow."
Hermione listened and nodded gently. "I will continue to work hard."
After saying that, she happily left the room.
After that, the next person to enter the room was someone who wasn't on Sean's list.
The door was pushed open again, and a man with a cane and an eye patch slowly walked in.
"Professor Phillips," Professor Moody said gruffly, "would you mind exchanging a few words?"
Sean stared at the twisted smile on the other person's face, frowned slightly, and already guessed the other person's purpose: "Of course, please sit down."
Moody didn't sit down, but walked straight to the table, stared at Sean with his magic eye for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "The second project starts tomorrow, and I hope you won't tamper with Harry Potter's affairs."
Sean raised an eyebrow, looking at him thoughtfully: "Is this a threat?"
To be honest, Barty Crouch Jr.'s actions were completely unexpected.
Over the years, apart from Daphne, he had never seen another "prey" come to him willingly.