Chapter 19: The Unfortunate Harry and Ron
Chapter 19: The Unfortunate Harry and Ron
Harry and Ron were far from the happy and carefree boys they had been during the day.
They had no idea if the other students at Hogwarts had a new respect for them.
But when Snape caught them, he made it abundantly clear that he had a very different kind of respect.
"Indeed, it's the talented Harry Potter and the troublemaking Ron Weasley. Did you really think you could escape punishment by ending up in this state?"
Harry and Ron were in a truly pitiful condition.
Their clothes were tattered and torn, barely hanging together in shreds.
Ron's wand had snapped in half, with only a few splinters of wood holding it together.
His arm was bent in an unnatural shape, the pain of the fracture making his face pale and his lips quiver uncontrollably. Small moans of pain escaped his throat despite his efforts to remain silent.
Harry was supporting Ron, but he was in no better shape.
Blood streamed down his face from a wound on his head, making him look even worse than Ron.
The car had lost control as it approached Hogwarts, crashing into the Whomping Willow behind the castle.
The magic tree, sensing a threat to its life, went berserk and attacked Harry and Ron.
Though they managed to escape, they were now in this miserable state.
Harry felt dizzy and nauseous, his stomach churning.
The wound on his head wasn't from the Whomping Willow, but from the impact of the car crash, which had slammed his head against the windshield.
He spoke weakly.
"Professor, I think we—"
"Shut up!"
Snape coldly cut him off.
"Wait here! Don't move an inch!"
He settled them in a small room next to the Great Hall and hurried off. It wasn't long before he returned with two vials of potion.
"Drink it!"
He placed the potions in front of Harry and Ron.
Seeing the potion Snape offered, Harry instinctively felt suspicious and resistant.
But the look on Snape's face made it clear that if he didn't drink it immediately, Snape would use force to make him. Harry steeled himself, closed his eyes, and downed the potion in one go.
The potion worked quickly. Harry's pale lips turned a healthy pink, his dizziness subsided, and the pain in his wound lessened.
Seeing Harry drink the potion, Ron extended his uninjured arm and shakily drank his own dose.
Soon, his pain began to ease, though his broken arm remained untreated. Overall, he was in much better condition than before.
When Harry and Ron realized Snape was actually helping them, they felt a rare sense of gratitude.
But this feeling of gratitude was quickly shattered by Snape's next words.
"Arriving at Hogwarts in an illegally modified car, being seen by countless Muggles, and even making it to today's newspapers. Then damaging a very precious Whomping Willow upon arrival. What a splendid performance, Potter!"
"Too bad you're not students in my House; I don't have the authority to expel you. However, I'll go fetch the person who does have that delightful privilege. Wait here!"
With a satisfied smile, he left the compartment, leaving Harry and Ron to look at each other in disbelief.
"That tree was completely insane! It tried to kill us!" Ron exclaimed.
Harry, meanwhile, was carefully wiping the blood from his face with a cloth.
"It wasn't trying to kill us; it thought we were trying to kill it."
"Why has our luck been so bad today? The wall at the platform malfunctioned, the car broke down, and we almost got beaten to death by a tree!"
"You forgot one more thing: we might very well be expelled from Hogwarts next."
At this, both of them fell silent.
They both felt a deep sense of despair, guessing that this time they had truly committed a grave mistake, one that even Professor Mcgonagall and Dumbledore might not forgive.
Dumbledore, of course, wouldn't expel them.
Upon arriving at the compartment and learning the details from them, he handed the authority to punish them over to Professor Mcgonagall.
He then returned with Snape to continue the ongoing opening feast in the Great Hall.
In the Great Hall, the students had already filled their bellies, and Sherlock had finished his casual chat with Professor Flitwick.
While it was called a chat, most of the time the small professor was giving him advice on how to deal with the mischievous students at Hogwarts, with Sherlock only nodding in agreement a few times.
"I know you're all very tired and eager to return to your warm common rooms for a good night's sleep, but please allow this old man a few more words."
Dumbledore stood up, his voice reaching every corner of the Great Hall.
"Fortunately, we have a new teacher joining our ranks this year. Professor Forrest, who has graciously filled the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, will begin teaching you from tomorrow."
The applause from the students was not particularly enthusiastic, but it wasn't tepid either.
Sherlock's excellent appearance won him the initial goodwill of many of the girls at Hogwarts.
As the headmaster, Dumbledore didn't go into long-winded speeches.
After a brief introduction of Sherlock, he reiterated a few points he made every year and then declared the feast over.
The students chatted as they left the Great Hall and returned to their House common rooms, while Sherlock was led by Caretaker Filch to his new living quarters and office at Hogwarts.
"Professor Forrest, I remember you well. Even before you graduated, I considered you one of the most promising students. It's no surprise you've become a professor at Hogwarts."
Filch's words were filled with flattery, but Sherlock remained unperturbed, responding coolly.
"I said at graduation that I would return to this castle. Now, I'm simply fulfilling my promise."
Then, as if in passing, he asked, "Will you be patrolling the castle tonight?"
Filch, who usually only showed his authority to the students, became the most polite person in the castle when dealing with a real professor.
"During the first night of the new term, some unruly students might wander around, so after I take you to your quarters, I'll do a quick check of the castle."
Sherlock nodded lightly, speaking casually and calmly.
"I'll join you for a walk around the castle. It's been three years since I left, and I want to reacquaint myself with the surroundings."
(End of Chapter)
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