Chapter 171: Suspicion
Chapter 171: Suspicion
As Ved emerged from the maze area, he saw Fred and George Weasley leading a group of students blocking the entrance, waving their arms and shouting:
"Protest! Protest!"
"Give us back the Ultimate Challenge!"
"This is the fruit of everyone's labor. The school can't just shut it down!"
"We demand freedom! We demand justice! We want the Ultimate Challenge!!!"
A group of teenage boys and girls, regardless of their house affiliations, chanted in unison, scaring the small animals outside, who scrambled for cover in the bushes.
Ved was surprised to see several pearly white figures among the students—
More than half of the school's ghosts had joined the protest, for reasons unknown. Even Peeves was shoulder to shoulder with the Weasley twins, arms linked, howling together in camaraderie.
Ved turned back, expecting to hear something from the headmaster, but Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen.
Professor McGonagall stood before the students, her wand pointed at her throat. The Gryffindor head of house thundered, "QUIET—!"
Her voice boomed with unparalleled volume, like rolling thunder or the roar of a lioness. The sound waves rippled out in all directions, causing ripples on the surface of the Black Lake.
There was a loud "plop" as the giant squid that had surfaced to watch the commotion dove back into the water.
The Forbidden Forest fell silent as well, as if even the insects had stopped fluttering their wings.
The wind died down, and the clouds parted, leaving the students covering their ears, their faces reflecting their astonishment. No one spoke, and the silence that enveloped the maze was so profound that one could almost hear the beating of each other's hearts.
Professor McGonagall lowered her wand and clasped her hands together, looking dignified and elegant.
She addressed the group, "A student has been attacked by a Hippogriff within the maze. We must halt all activities and investigate the cause of this incident."
Fred mustered his courage and spoke softly, "We're not afraid of getting hurt..."
Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes.
Fred quickly amended, "I mean... we'll be careful and won't provoke the Hippogriff..."
"The Hippogriff was not provoked by any student's discourtesy. It was fed a large amount of Catapults."
Professor McGonagall, suppressing her anger, said, "This is a despicable act! Whoever is responsible for this prank had better come forward immediately! Otherwise, if I find out who did this, they can expect to be sent home!"
She glared pointedly at certain mischievous students.
Most students looked at the Weasley twins, though some also eyed a few Slytherins with questionable reputations.
The twins immediately raised their hands and said in unison, "I swear, Professor, it wasn't us!"
George added, "Catapults are expensive, I know that, but I wouldn't waste money on a prank like that."
No one believed the twins' denial, but when George said this, everyone nodded in agreement.
The Weasley siblings, from Percy in his sixth year to Ginny in her first, with two others having already graduated, were well-known to their classmates. They were aware of the family's financial situation. Of the siblings, from Percy to Ginny, everyone used second-hand goods.
The older Percy and the only daughter, Ginny, occasionally had a few new things, but the Weasley twins and Ron often looked as if they had been picked up from the streets, wearing the same old clothes for years.
Of course, everyone also knew that Fred and George had their ways of making money, and they were known to have some savings.
But to think that they would spend a lot of money on a useless plant, perform a meaningless prank, and randomly harm a student...
No one believed the twins could be that foolish.
Percy glared at the twins and raised his hand, asking seriously, "Professor, may I ask who the injured student is?"
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, initially reluctant to answer, but seeing the expectant gazes of the surrounding students, she finally relented, "Harry Potter. He was scratched by the Hippogriff and has been taken to the infirmary."
Ron and Hermione, standing amidst the crowd, paled at the news. They exchanged a glance and took off running towards the infirmary without another word.
A buzz of whispers erupted among the students, many of them directing their gazes towards the Slytherins.
In fact, even the Slytherins themselves suspected that someone from their house was responsible. They didn't voice their suspicions, but they unconsciously looked towards a few students who were known for their constant ridicule of Gryffindor and their advocacy of pure-blood supremacy.
Students like Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott, who had frequently clashed with Harry and his friends in the past.
Or older students like Flint and Yaxley.
As a result, a few Slytherins found themselves suddenly isolated by their peers.
"Was it you, Draco?" Pansy whispered to Malfoy, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Don't worry, you can tell me. I'll keep your secret!"
"I wish I had given that scar-faced brat a good lesson!" Malfoy replied darkly. "But no, it wasn't me... I suspect it was some idiot."
"Pansy followed his gaze and saw several Slytherin boys standing together, their expressions equally cold and unreadable, and she couldn't tell who Draco had been looking at.
"Anyway," she said to Malfoy, "I'll always support you, no matter what."
Malfoy nodded absently, still looking glum.
Professor McGonagall, of course, had her own suspicions, but without evidence, she couldn't voice them.
She gave some more instructions and loudly emphasized that certain students were forbidden from sneaking into the maze at night (Professor McGonagall shot another glance at the Weasley twins). Any student who violated this rule would face severe punishment.
The students dispersed, dejected, and as they left, the Bowtruckles scurried away, returning to their tree branches.
"Can I keep it? I think it likes me, and I like it, too," Luna asked Professor Kettleburn.
The old professor didn't refuse directly but smiled and said, "You can ask it yourself. If it's willing, I certainly don't mind."
Luna brightened and quickly sought the Bowtruckle's opinion, but the little creature scuttled into the shrubbery, leaving her with only its retreating back.
"Oh... it doesn't seem too keen..." The old professor added cheekily.
Luna's eyebrows drooped in disappointment, and she stared dumbly at the direction the Bowtruckle had disappeared in, looking rather forlorn.
"Um... do you like Bowtruckles?"
Rolf, who was nearby, walked over and asked, "A lot of people think they look like old men."
Luna glanced at him and said, "They're cute. I think they're like friends. Of course, Snoring Chasers are cute, too, but they're bigger... I think."
"What's a Snoring Chaser...?"
Rolf paused, not pursuing that question, and instead, he pulled out a tiny Bowtruckle from his pocket.
"Look, this is my friend, Ajiel. It's my favorite out of all the Bowtruckles," he said.
Little Ajiel clung to Rolf's finger, its two leaf-like ears twitching slightly.
"That's wonderful... it's willing to follow you," Luna said enviously.
"You can shake its hand if you like. It's very friendly..." Rolf suggested.
Fred and George, meanwhile, found Ved.
"Hey, Ved, I have an idea..." Fred said, putting an arm around Ved's neck.
"What idea?" Ved asked.
"You know the Polyjuice Potion, and everyone seems to suspect us—" Fred said.
"—and to clear our names, we're willing to take a little risk—" George added.
"—and we certainly have the courage to explore any part of Hogwarts—"
"—there's one place we've been curious about for a long time but never had the chance to, er, explore—"
"—so while everyone's heading back, you can use the Polyjuice Potion on us, and we'll sneak in—"
Ved raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me, you want to infiltrate the Slytherin common room?"
"I knew you'd understand!" George exclaimed, clapping his hands.
"Don't you think it's a good idea?" Fred continued. "It's obvious that a Slytherin is behind this... Once they're back in their common room, they won't be able to resist bragging about it—"
"—so if we just sneak in and eavesdrop for a bit, we'll know the truth—" George said.
"What do you think?" Fred asked.
"Not a good idea," Ved said as he walked toward the infirmary. "You're forgetting someone... Don't you remember what Harry said at the start of the term? He mentioned a house-elf that wanted to stop him from returning to school..."
Fred and George exchanged a glance. "That must be some nasty character... Maybe Malfoy... sending his house-elf to mess with him?"
"That's unlikely," Ved said. "If Malfoy could send his house-elf to Harry's place to mess with him, why hasn't he been killed by Death Eaters' remnants all these years?"
"I heard quite a few of them escaped punishment. Surely one of them would want to take revenge on Harry Potter?"
"Hmm..." George thought for a moment, an idea forming in his mind. "You mean...?"
"I guess Dumbledore must have cast extremely powerful protective charms or repelling charms around where Harry lives," Ved said. "That's why no one with malicious intent has been able to find him, and he hasn't been avenged."
(End of Chapter)
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