Chapter 160: Unforeseen Incidents
Chapter 160: Unforeseen Incidents
There's nothing more delightful than witnessing the misfortune of your rivals.
As the lazy days before summer vacation unfolded, the Gryffindor students were in high spirits, anticipating the long-awaited House Cup. Of course, they never passed up an opportunity to mock their neighboring house, taking pleasure in the frustrated and glum expressions of the Slytherins.
Unsurprisingly, this only served to heighten the tension between the two houses. With their hopes of winning the House Cup all but dashed, a handful of Slytherin students began to act on their malicious intentions, deliberately targeting Gryffindors.
In just one day, three Gryffindor students were sent to the hospital wing due to malicious curses. This prompted the Gryffindors to stick together in groups, wary of being singled out by their Slytherin counterparts.
The frequent quarrels and brawls instigated by the Slytherins caused Gryffindor to lose points, and they suddenly realized that if they weren't careful, Ravenclaw might just overtake them.
It was unforgivable that the Slytherins were trying to rob them of their chance to win the House Cup! Upon realizing the Slytherins' malicious intentions, the Gryffindors, led by their Head Boy, began devising plans to strike back and show their rivals that Gryffindor was not to be messed with! ...
"What should we do with these guys?" A senior student, having removed his Invisibility Cloak, eyed the group of Slytherins he had just sneakily knocked out and turned to the mastermind behind this operation.
"Leave them with their underwear, strip them of everything else, hang them upside down with a spell, and dunk their heads in the toilet," the Head Boy replied coldly, his tone as icy as a glacier.
They had thought the House Cup was within their grasp, but now, Ravenclaw was catching up to Gryffindor in points. How could this not infuriate the Head Boy?
"We won fair and square, and these guys resort to underhanded tactics to pull us down? Well, if they want to play dirty, I'll show them no mercy." And so, he had gathered a group to teach the Slytherins a lesson.
"You want to mess with us? Bring it on!"
This particular tactic had been employed by Albert previously against the Slytherins, and the Head Boy had quickly learned from that incident.
Of course! If they started this, they couldn't blame him for being ruthless.
The "Toilet Incident" soon shocked the entire Hogwarts, as several Slytherin students were found hanging upside down, stripped of their clothes except for their underwear, with their heads dunked in toilets.
But the story didn't end there.
The next morning, at the entrance of the Great Hall, four Slytherin students were found naked except for their underwear, bound together in a passionate embrace, their faces squished together—a sight that was truly an eyesore.
As for Filch, who was supposed to patrol the castle at night, he had been knocked out by a Stunning Spell and placed back in his own bed, with no clue as to the perpetrator.
The "Toilet Incident" and the "Statue Incident" infuriated Snape, but despite questioning the unfortunate victims, he couldn't gather any useful intelligence. After all, these students had been caught off guard and knocked out without a trace.
Eventually, Snape's suspicions fell on the Gryffindors. Given the longstanding rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and the fact that the Slytherins had initially intended to cause trouble for the Gryffindors, it seemed like a likely conclusion.
"Why are you following me? Are you planning to attack me?" Snape questioned a student whom he had summoned to his office.
"What? I was attacked, how would I know who did it? If you think I'm responsible, that's your problem," the student retorted defiantly, refusing to meet Snape's gaze.
Regardless, everyone maintained the same response: "How would I know?"
After being tipped off by an anonymous source, all the students questioned by Snape made sure to avoid eye contact, preventing the Potions Master from discerning their thoughts.
But some people didn't care if their schemes were uncovered.
So what if you see through me? As long as you have no proof, you can't touch me.
What? You want to deduct points and cause trouble? Go ahead and try, but I have witnesses, physical evidence, and an alibi. Don't you dare slander me, or I'll sue you for defamation! And that's how a seventh-year student ended up alone.
With graduation approaching, they weren't afraid of Snape causing any more trouble.
Everyone staying at school was looking forward to the end-of-year feast and the chance to see their house win the House Cup one last time. How dare this group of troublemakers try to ruin it! Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had been particularly excited lately, eagerly seeking out gossip and relishing in the misfortune of others, especially those from Slytherin. They loved hearing about who had ended up in the hospital wing or caused the latest scandal.
Compared to the passive spectators from Hufflepuff, the Ravenclaws were in a dilemma. They were only ten points behind Gryffindor, and if Gryffindor and Slytherin continued their shenanigans, Ravenclaw might just sneak away with the House Cup.
If they could get their hands on the House Cup without lifting a finger, they'd probably laugh in their sleep! The Ravenclaws were eagerly anticipating some major scandal that would result in massive point deductions for both Gryffindor and Slytherin.
However, their wishes seemed to be falling short.
"You've been visiting Professor Babbling a lot lately?" Lee Jordan brought some bad news but didn't forget to remind Albert, "Don't wander alone. There are a bunch of people looking to make trouble for you."
"Yeah, I know. I've been using the Disillusionment Charm on myself lately. Those guys can't find me," Albert said. After witnessing the intense rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, he knew how to protect himself. When he sensed that someone was lying in wait for him, he cast the Disillusionment Charm, effectively disappearing from their sight.
"That's a good idea," Fred suddenly realized that Albert was as cunning as ever, effortlessly outsmarting those who sought to cause him trouble.
"Do you think... we'll lose the House Cup because of this?" George was more concerned about this issue. It had been so close, and it would be a shame if they lost their chance now.
"I don't know. If Slytherin goes crazy enough, we might have to give up on the House Cup," Albert noted as he spotted an owl flying towards them. It held a parcel in its claws, which it dropped, and Lee Jordan caught it.
"A package from Hagrid?" Lee Jordan checked the sender and placed it in front of Albert.
"Are you going to open it?" George eyed the package tentatively.
"Go ahead," Albert said, already guessing what was inside.
Indeed, the package contained a sealed bottle of alcohol and a clean piece of beeswax.
"What are you going to do with these?" Fred picked up the beeswax suspiciously, examined it, and made a gesture as if he were about to pop it into his mouth. "You're not going to eat it, are you?"
"I'm making garlic crosses," Albert said with a hint of annoyance as he shot Fred a glance. He then opened the bottle of alcohol and, satisfied with the strong alcoholic scent, nodded.
"I almost forgot about this," Lee Jordan said, smacking his forehead.
"You didn't almost forget; you completely forgot," Fred muttered. He had actually forgotten about it too, and George beside him had also pushed it to the back of his mind.
"Nonsense, I've been watering the garlic regularly, and I even harvested and dried them myself. Only you two have forgotten about it," Lee Jordan grumbled.
(End of Chapter)
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