Chapter 23: Jokes and Secrets

With an official name now, the group that had once merely gathered by chance suddenly felt formal. They spent some time discussing additional rules—any new member needed unanimous approval, no one could damage another’s belongings, and SSC Members were expected to stand by one another when facing professors or other students.

Wade had initially thought it all felt a bit childish—what was the point of rules for a handful of people who could just as easily split up at any moment? But everyone else was taking it seriously, and that made Wade feel strangely unsettled.

It was as if he’d truly joined some secret society.

…

Sweet Annie was used as an antidote in ancient Greece. It was discovered in the 16th century—up to now, its medicinal properties have been identified as follows: the extract from its stems and leaves can neutralize toxins; its pollen offers resistance against the poisonous gas emitted by Serpent creatures. Due to this, Sweet Annie has been widely cultivated. The cultivation method is—when growing, one must pay attention to—

Wade dipped his quill and finished the final letter of yesterday’s Herbology assignment on parchment. As for the other subjects, he’d already completed those the same day the class ended. He double-checked the grammar, waited for the ink to dry, then rolled up the parchment.

"Wade, did you finish your assignment?" Hermione asked, leaning over.

"Yeah."

"I have something to tell you." She lowered her voice.

They moved to the far corner of the classroom. Wade waved his wand. "Silence Charm."

Now, no matter how loud they spoke, others would only hear a faint buzzing.

Wade studied Hermione’s anxious expression. "What happened?"

"It’s like this—two days ago, Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel at midnight in the Prize Display Room. I immediately knew he had ulterior motives—he doesn’t have the guts to actually do it!" Hermione said, frustrated. "But Harry and Ron wouldn’t listen to me! They just wanted to save face—so selfish! They didn’t even think about how many points they’d lose if caught, or how it would shame Gryffindor!"

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before continuing. "Of course, that’s not the main point—we were lucky. We weren’t caught, though we were just barely."

"—You two?" Wade caught the key detail.

"Yeah. I tried to stop them from doing something stupid, but ended up locked out of the Common Room. So I had to follow them." Hermione grimaced, clearly disgusted. "Turns out Malfoy never showed up at the Prize Display Room. He actually told Filch about it—such a cowardly sneak! And when we were running away, we accidentally broke into a locked room—"

Hermione suddenly lowered her voice. "Wade, do you remember what Professor Dumbledore said when we first arrived?"

Wade thought for a moment. Dumbledore hadn’t said much, but one line stood out vividly in his mind.

"Idiot! Crying! Trash! Twisting?"

"Ugh, no, not that!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was—Anyone who doesn’t want to suffer unexpected misfortune or a gruesome death—"

"—shouldn’t go to the Fourth Floor Corridor?" Wade remembered. "You went to the fourth floor? What did you see?"

"Yeah. We accidentally ended up there. And we saw—"

Hermione swallowed hard, her face still pale with lingering fear. "A dog… as tall as a house!"

"—How did you survive?" Wade was speechless.

He’d long since forgotten the details, but he hadn’t expected Hermione and the others to be diving into such dangerous adventures so early. He said, "I remember reading about this creature in books. The modern Three-Headed Dog may not be the legendary Hell Hound from myth, but its teeth can crush a skull in one bite. And they’re coated in corrosive poison—wounds from it barely heal."

"It didn’t react at first, but then it roared and charged at us. We were nearly eaten!" Hermione clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly. "How could the school keep such a dangerous creature in the castle? It’s unbelievable! Even if it’s guarding something, what about the next reckless student who wanders in? Doesn’t the school care at all about ordinary students’ safety?"

Wade made a lighthearted joke. "Maybe magical schools have a death quota? Every year, a few students dying is no big deal—it just serves as a warning to others not to ignore professors’ warnings!"

"—Really?!" Hermione gasped, clutching her face in panic. "But I never saw that in Hogwarts: A History! Oh right—of course it wouldn’t be in the books! This is terrifying! How could the Ministry even allow—?"

Wade hadn’t expected her to take it so seriously. He raised his hands in apology. "Sorry! Hermione, I was just kidding! Don’t take it seriously!"

Hermione stared at him, her brown eyes suddenly glistening with unshed tears.

Now, Wade felt genuine guilt. He spoke again, earnestly: "I’m sorry. I just saw you were scared, so I made a joke. But it backfired—turned into a terrible one. I’m such an idiot. Please don’t be mad—"

Hermione stayed silent, her face tight with anger, refusing to look at him for a long time.

Only after everyone else had left and they were alone did Wade finally manage to apologize properly, earning a reluctant nod from her.

Hermione lowered her head, her voice quiet. "I know… everyone’s been mean to me. But I consider you my friend. Please don’t treat me like the others do—don’t mock me."

Wade’s heart ached. The guilt washed over him like a wave—so intense it felt like something he’d carry into the next morning, even in his dreams. He knew how hard things had been for Hermione in Gryffindor lately. That was why she was so sensitive, so fragile. He raised both fingers like a vow. "I’m sorry. I promise it’ll never happen again."

Hermione looked into his eyes for a long moment, then whispered, "A joke should make both people happy to be funny. Otherwise, it’s not a joke at all."

"I remember," Wade said, ashamed.

How could he, a man who’d lived a lifetime, have forgotten such a simple truth—only to be reminded by an eleven-year-old girl? Had he really become such a carefree, thoughtless boy again, just because he’d been reborn?

She looked up at the swirl in his hair and smiled faintly.

"Alright, I’m not mad anymore." She cleared her throat. "Back to the Three-Headed Dog—actually, I was wondering… should I tell Professor McGonagall about the safety risk?"

"You’re thinking about telling Professor McGonagall about the danger of the dog?" Wade instantly understood.

"Yeah," Hermione rubbed her messy hair, frustrated. "They locked the room, but it’s easy to unlock with a simple charm. What if some curious student wanders in? I want to suggest using a powerful magical concealment to hide the room… but that would expose us for breaking school rules—"

Wade paused, then said, "Why not think about it differently, Hermione? Maybe that door was left so simple on purpose—just so someone could open it."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end