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Chapter 23: Jokes and Secrets
Chapter 23: Jokes and Secrets
With an official name, the group that had come together by chance now felt more formal. They discussed some finer points, such as how any new members must have the consent of everyone, personal belongings should not be tampered with, and that members of the SSC should support each other when dealing with professors or other students.
At first, Ved felt that this endeavor had a playful nature to it. After all, they were a small group, and he thought, why establish rules that might soon be broken? But the others were taking it seriously, and this evoked a strange feeling in Ved, as if he had truly joined some mysterious organization.
...
"Herbs such as rue were used as antidotes in ancient Greece, and its medicinal properties were discovered in the 16th century. To date, its known medicinal values include—the extract from its stems and leaves can expel toxins, and its pollen can counteract the poison of a Basilisk. Due to these properties, rue is widely cultivated, and its cultivation methods are... One must be cautious during its growth..."
Ved finished transcribing the last letter onto the parchment, completing yesterday's Herbology homework. As for the assignments from other courses, he had finished them on the same day he attended the classes. Ved reviewed his grammar and, after the ink dried, rolled up the parchment.
"Ved, are you done with the assignment?" Hermione asked as she approached.
"Yes."
"I need to tell you something," Hermione said in a low voice.
The two moved to the other side of the classroom, and Ved waved his wand, casting a spell. "Ear-Shutting Curse."
—Now, no matter how loud they spoke, others would only hear a faint buzzing sound.
Ved looked at Hermione's worried expression and asked, "What happened?"
"The other day, that Malfoy guy challenged Harry to a duel at midnight in the Trophy Room. I knew he was up to no good because he's a coward! But Harry and Ron wouldn't listen to my advice because of... boys and their pride. It's so selfish of them! They didn't think about how many points they'd lose if they were caught, completely disregarding the honor of the school!"
Hermione took a few deep breaths to suppress her anger before continuing, "Of course, that's not the main point—because we were lucky not to get caught, even though we nearly were."
"—You? Were you there too?" Ved caught on to the keyword.
"Yes. I accidentally got locked out of the common room while trying to stop them from doing something stupid, and I had to go with them. Hermione frowned, her expression filled with disgust. "As expected, Malfoy didn't show up in the Trophy Room, and he even tipped off Filch—that despicable guy! Then, while we were escaping, we broke into a locked room—"
Hermione suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "Ved, do you remember what Professor Dumbledore said at the start of the school year?"
Ved thought for a moment. Dumbledore didn't speak much, but what left the deepest impression on him was—
"Dunderhead! Nincompoop! Blubbering nitwit! Oaf?"
"Oh, not that!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "He said, 'Those who wish to avoid unexpected, painful deaths should not go wandering in the corridors at night.'"
"—Did you go to the fourth floor? What did you see?" Ved recalled, "You went to the fourth floor? What did you find?"
"Yes. We accidentally ended up on the fourth floor and saw a... a dog as big as a house with three heads!"
"How did you survive?" Ved was speechless. He couldn't remember such details from the book, and he never expected Hermione and the others to embark on such adventures so early on. "I remember reading about this monster in a book.
"The three-headed dog may not be the legendary Cerberus, but its jaws can easily crush skulls, and its fangs carry corrosive poison. Wounds inflicted by it are difficult to heal."
"It might not have reacted at first, but then it pounced on us, roaring. We almost became its dinner!" Hermione clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly. "I can't believe the school would keep such a dangerous creature in the castle! What if more reckless students stumble upon it? Doesn't the school care about the safety of its students at all?"
Ved tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "Maybe there's something like a death quota in magic schools. A few student deaths each year are of no consequence and might even serve as a warning to others to take the professors' words seriously!"
"You don't mean that!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror as she grasped her face. "But I didn't see anything about this in 'Hogwarts: A History'... Of course, they wouldn't write about such things. It's too terrifying! How could the Ministry of Magic allow this—?"
Ved hadn't expected her to take his words so literally and hastily raised his hand in apology. "Sorry, Hermione! I was just joking. Don't take it to heart—"
Hermione stared at him, her brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Ved truly felt remorseful, especially considering how he knew Hermione had been having a difficult time in Gryffindor lately, making her more sensitive and fragile. He felt guilty enough to want to slap himself awake in the middle of the night. With two fingers raised, he swore, "I'm truly sorry. I promise it won't happen again."
Hermione looked into his eyes for a long moment before speaking softly. "A joke is only a joke if both parties find it funny."
"I'll remember that," Ved said, ashamed. He couldn't believe he needed an eleven-year-old girl to teach him such a simple lesson. Had he really regressed into a thoughtless young boy in this new life?
Seeing the swirl of hair on his head, Hermione offered a small smile. "Alright, I'm not angry anymore." She cleared her throat. "Now, about the three-headed dog... I wanted to ask your opinion. Should I go to Professor McGonagall about this?"
"You want to speak to Professor McGonagall about the safety issue regarding the three-headed dog?" Ved understood her concern.
"Yes." Hermione fidgeted with her already messy hair. "Even though they've locked that room, anyone could open it with an unlocking charm. What if a curious student wanders in there? I was thinking of suggesting to Professor McGonagall that the room be hidden with powerful magic, but that would expose the fact that we broke the school rules—"
"Why don't we look at this from a different angle, Hermione?" Ved suggested after a moment's thought. "Perhaps the room was sealed so poorly precisely so that someone could open it."
(End of Chapter)
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