Chapter 172: The Night at Hogwarts
“Wait…” George suddenly caught the contradiction. “If that’s true… then the House-elf found Harry because—”
“—he doesn’t harbor malice? He genuinely wants to protect Harry?” Fred finished almost at the same time.
Wade nodded. “He might truly believe Hogwarts is dangerous. That’s why he’d rather see Harry expelled than return.”
“That’s a rather… unique way of protecting someone,” Fred frowned. “If that’s the case, then why are you doubting the House-elf now? His name is… uh…”
“Dobby,” George said. “I remember Harry mentioned he calls himself Dobby.”
“House-elves live and think differently from us,” Wade said. “Just as he believed Hogwarts was dangerous and chose to keep Harry away, perhaps this time he’s worried something bad will happen if Harry stays on campus…”
“—So he sent him straight to St. Mungo’s?” Fred guessed.
George shook his head. “Hogwarts is the safest place around… well, except for—” He paused, suddenly remembering last year’s intrusion by Voldemort. The words stuck in his throat.
“Honestly, the biggest danger this term is the Maze Challenge,” Fred said, glancing back at the towering Maze shrouded in darkness. “Could Harry run into the Dark Lord inside the Maze?”
“Who knows?” Wade said. “Dobby is just one possibility. Maybe it’s a Slytherin student, or a Death Eater hiding their identity, or even just a random accident…”
“Either way,” Wade thought, “I’d rather question Harry about any clues than sneak into the Slytherin Common Room.”
He doubted it was Dobby—but he couldn’t say so outright. After all, his butterfly wings had flapped too forcefully. The world had diverged so far from the original path that his foresight was slowly fading.
But then Harry gave him a clear answer—enough to confirm the world hadn’t veered too far off course.
“It was that House-elf,” Harry said from his hospital bed, voice tight with frustration. “I ran into him in the Maze. I thought it was some kind of rescue sprite from the school. But when I saw his clothes, I realized it was him…”
“What did he say, Harry?” Hermione asked.
“He kept telling me he’d warned me already. He asked why I’d come back to school at all…” Harry’s face twisted with the irritation of someone haunted by a stalker. “Then he said… if I had to be hurt so badly I had to go back home, that would be better than staying here.”
“Did he mention what danger Hogwarts poses?” Wade asked.
“Something… vague,” Harry said, frowning as he tried to recall. “He said… history would repeat itself. That the Chamber of Secrets would open again. I don’t know what he meant—what’s the Chamber of Secrets?”
“The Chamber of Secrets?” George rubbed his chin. “That’s a lot to unpack…”
“I think I’ve seen something like it in a book,” Hermione frowned. “I’ll look it up right away.”
The infirmary door creaked open, and Neville, Theo, and others stepped inside.
“Harry, feel better? We brought you some food from the Great Hall,” Neville said.
The nearby hospital bed groaned. Lockhart, startled awake by the noise, rubbed his eyes and sat up dazedly. “Is it morning already? Why’s it so loud?”
He blinked, then locked eyes with Neville, who was walking past his bed.
Neville forced a polite smile. “Good evening, Professor. Are you feeling better?”
“Much better, Longbottom. You came to visit me? And brought cake? How thoughtful!” Lockhart grinned, snatching the cake from Neville’s arms. He looked around at the students, beaming with false enthusiasm. “Don’t worry, children! Don’t worry at all! Just a little mishap. Your favorite professor—yes, me, Gilderoy Lockhart, Merlin Third-Class Medalist—will be back in class tomorrow, as scheduled!”
The students exchanged awkward glances, then offered polite, strained smiles.
Fred leaned toward George. “Switch his meds. Can we get him to stay in the infirmary a few more days?”
George gritted out, “You want Madam Pomfrey to kill you?”
…
Hogwarts lay completely wrapped in night.
Wade stood by the window, watching Hagrid trudge through the Maze’s outskirts with a lantern in hand. A Night Kneazle followed behind him, occasionally unfurling bat-like wings and flapping them once.
Any students lingering near the Maze were promptly caught and herded back into the castle. Only because it wasn’t curfew yet—otherwise, they’d have earned a week’s detention.
They were like ordinary children just discovering online games for the first time. Even knowing there was danger, they couldn’t resist the thrill of the game.
The night deepened. The castle’s lights grew sparse. But the edge where the Forbidden Forest met the Maze came alive with movement—shadows shifting, eyes glinting in the dark.
Hogwarts had stood unchanged for centuries. Now, it bore a Giant’s Maze. For the creatures of the forest, it was a novelty.
A Unicorn, glowing faintly, strolled through the Maze’s edge with her foal, unafraid. Hagrid even led her inside for a brief walk.
A few Centaurs stood beneath a tree, bows and arrows in hand, their bodies half-hidden in shadow. They were arguing—gesturing toward the Maze, voices low and tense. After a while, they turned and left.
On the forest’s edge, flickering lights danced—beings from the Forbidden Forest, drawn out by the night’s spectacle.
In the Black Lake, the Giant Squid surfaced again. And strange-looking Merpeople peered from the water, their heads like submerged rocks.
The day belonged to students. But the night? It belonged to the animals.
Wade wondered if the professors could ever convince them to take up roles as NPCs in the Maze.
He doubted it.
Yes, there was a Magical Covenant that prevented creatures from harming students. But magical beings were proud. They feared wizards, yet looked down on humans. And wizards, in turn, often felt the same.
Wade watched the Maze sink into darkness, swallowed whole by the night.
Behind him, he heard the soft rustle of a tiny voice—the House-elf cleaning the room.
“Zoe?” Wade turned, looking at the little sprite. “I have a request. Can I ask for your help?”
“Of course, Mr. Gray,” Zoe bowed. “How may I assist you?”
“Someone’s going to sneak into the school soon,” Wade said. “A little sprite. His name is Dobby. He’s wearing ragged clothes. If you see him… bring him to me.”
The night remained still.
(End of Chapter)
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