https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-155-Pumpkin-Carriage-Teapot-Birds/13684918/
Chapter 156: Case Rehearing
A dark, slimy body wriggled forward through the damp, shadowed fields, its movements sluggish and deliberate. The familiar spinach and cabbage leaves loomed like castle walls around it. It inched its way through the undergrowth, avoiding the light. The sun was rising—too soon. It didn’t want to be exposed.
Suddenly, the leaf canopy above was parted. A giant child leaned down, peering at it with wide eyes. “Look! A snail!”
“No,” a deeper voice corrected. “That’s not a snail. That’s a slug.”
The taller giant reached down with a clawed hand, pinched the creature’s soft body, and lifted it into the air. “Slugs with horn-like tentacles can be used to brew Pimple Potion. But first, we need to dry them out.”
The giant placed it under the blazing sun. The scorching light seared its back. It felt as if it were being burned alive. It writhed and twisted, gasping for breath, pain clawing at its every nerve.
Wade jolted awake, tearing the blanket from his body. With a flick of his hand, the candles beside his bed flared to life. He pressed a trembling hand to his forehead—drenched in cold sweat. His mouth tasted bitter, like ash. He spat out a leaf—and sure enough, the third Mandragora leaf was missing a horn.
Though Wade knew Professor Mor had only been joking when he called the creature a “slug,” the fact that he’d actually dreamed of turning into one was unsettling.
Could it be… a premonition?
Without hesitation, Wade yanked back the curtains of his bed, glanced around the dormitory, and raised his wand.
Dozens of parchments flew into the air, expanding as they rose, then sticking to the walls. Blank sheets began to fill with vivid images—majestic eagles in flight, soaring in every姿态.
Thud! The candle holder transformed into a great eagle perched on a branch.
Thud! An eagle-shaped relief appeared on the closet.
Thud! Cloud patterns spiraled around the desk legs, while dozens of eagles with outstretched wings burst across the tabletop.
Everywhere he looked—eagles.
Wade let out a quiet scoff.
Go crawl back into your slime, slugs!
He was Ravenclaw. If he were to transform, it would be into a noble eagle, not a crawling, squirming slug.
After ten minutes of this self-hypnosis, Wade finally lay back down.
...
The weekend had arrived—time for Wade’s meeting with Machionni. The weather was perfect, and most students had already rushed to the Quidditch pitch. Someone inside the Great Hall called out, “Wade! Let your Insect Army take the field!”
“Yeah! We’ve prepared multiple strategies—we’re ready to crush them!”
“Tell you what, I’m used to the ugly look of spiders and cockroaches now. I’m not scared anymore!”
Wade glanced at the time. Still a bit early. He gave a quick “OK” sign with his fingers.
This time, Professor Flitwick was the referee. He spotted Wade and beamed. “Ah! Since I became referee, I’ve never seen an Insect Army in action! Everyone says this is the most exciting part of the Deathmatch!”
Wade blinked. Who spread this rumor? When they’d been trembling in terror, did they really think it was fun?
He shook his head, bemused, but didn’t hesitate. He began gathering insects from the leafy battlefield. Just as he was preparing to summon his forces, Fred Weasley handed him a glass jar.
“Already prepped for you!” Fred grinned mischievously. “Give the gullible little ones a taste of real, strange creatures!”
Wade peered inside. The jar wasn’t just full of ants and spiders—it also contained moths that could fly, grotesque Mandragora Mantises, plump, pale silkworm larvae, long, wriggling centipedes… and, unmistakably—grayish-black slugs.
Slugs?
Wade stared at Fred.
The red-haired Weasley winked. “Not bad, huh? Took me ages to find these.”
Professor Flitwick leaned in, took a peek, and nodded approvingly. “Excellent! Only a few students? That’s a waste of such a unique collection.”
He stood, raised his wand, and enlarged the game field fence dramatically. Students gathered outside rushed in—some excited, others screaming in panic. The Weasley Twins were among them.
“Wait—what?! I’m not playing!” Fred cried, horrified.
“Let me out!” cried a few Gryffindors who’d been helping with the prank.
Crack! The glass jar shattered.
The insects swelled—grew larger, then larger still.
A three-meter-tall Mandragora Mantis slammed its forelimbs together, letting out a strange, eerie cry.
Slugs wriggled forward, one instantly flattening a stunned student beneath its slimy mass, coating him in thick, glistening mucus.
“AAAAHHHH—!”
Panic-filled screams echoed across the entire school.
Wade felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
...
When the second match began, far fewer students dared to enter. The insects had returned to their original forms and hidden. A few Hufflepuffs approached Wade, asking again and again if the Insect Army would really not intervene this time—only after receiving confirmation did they cautiously step forward in small groups.
Many students still reeling from the emotional shock lay motionless on the playground, some even whispering through tears. Wade walked through them without guilt, heading back toward the castle.
He was going to Hogsmeade Village—but no one else seemed capable of sneaking out just now.
On the eighth floor, the Room of Requirement was empty except for Harry.
Wade raised an eyebrow.
Harry looked up, sensing his unease. “I wanted to ask Remus Lupin about the progress of his case. That’s why I didn’t go to the game. Good thing I stayed.”
He added, voice trembling slightly.
Wade smiled.
The two stepped through the Vanishing Cabinet—just a blink—and found themselves in Remus Lupin’s home. Machionni was already there, seated on the living room sofa, sipping tea while chatting with Remus.
“Remus! Mr. Machionni!” Harry greeted enthusiastically. “Any progress on the case?”
“The trial is scheduled for next Friday,” Remus said with a warm smile. “Mr. Machionni brought new information. The odds are looking good.”
“Wonderful!” Harry cheered. Then, hesitantly: “I… um… could I…?”
“I’ll ask Dumbledore if he can grant you leave for the day,” Remus said gently, understanding the boy’s hesitation. “I think he’ll understand. That day means more to you than any class ever could.”
Harry’s face lit up with joy.
Machionni smirked, eyes glinting.
The boy who’d survived a curse. The so-called “Savior of the Wizarding World.” The orphan who’d lost both parents to betrayal—sitting in the gallery, his presence alone a quiet, powerful influence. His gaze, his emotions, his love and hatred—all would shape the judgment, subtly but surely.
A righteous gambit.
But he wondered—what would Sirius Black feel, if he ever saw this? The man rumored to be insane, the so-called “godfather,” watching from the shadows…
While Harry and Remus discussed the details of attendance, Machionni nodded at Wade. The two stepped into the study.
Machionni tilted his head, curious. “Wade, you said you had an alchemy artifact ready for me last time. Is it finished now?”
(End of Chapter)
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