Chapter 280: Mad-Eye Moody's Discovery
Chapter 280: Mad-Eye Moody's Discovery
"Look! Hermione!"
Harry's eyes were fixed on the door of the pub. He kicked Hermione under the table, signaling her to look at what he had spotted.
Hermione reluctantly shifted her gaze from her book and saw what Harry was pointing out.
At the door of the Three Broomsticks, four people walked in together. One of them had a very noticeable build, so many people in the pub noticed their arrival.
Sherlock had only taken Silke out to stroll around Hogsmeade, as he was concerned that she spent too much time in her office and hardly ever left, except for classes. It wasn't because he had any ulterior motives.
However, shortly after they arrived in Hogsmeade, they ran into Hagrid and Mad-Eye Moody, who had also decided to venture out today. The four of them then headed to the Three Broomsticks.
As soon as they entered, Mad-Eye Moody's magic eye began to spin wildly, quickly settling on the spot where Harry and Hermione were sitting.
"Ha ha." He chuckled, as if he had found something amusing. "Looks like someone doesn't want to draw too much attention. Follow me."
He led Sherlock and the others over to Harry's table and sat down at the empty seats around them.
Sherlock usually didn't waste his mental energy by using Control Magic, so he didn't notice Harry, who was hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. He looked at Hermione with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you here alone? Where are Harry and the others?"
Hermione's face turned red. Just as she opened her mouth to stammer out a response, Mad-Eye Moody chimed in with a smile.
"Harry is sitting right next to you, Sherlock."
Sherlock immediately understood. He looked at the empty seat across from Hermione and asked in a strange tone.
"Are you two up to no good again? Why are you wearing the Invisibility Cloak?"
Harry was still surprised that Mad-Eye Moody's magic eye could see through the Invisibility Cloak. He felt a bit embarrassed to admit that he simply didn't want to see Ron, so he came up with a quick excuse.
"I don't want to be seen. I've been bothered enough by everyone these days."
This excuse seemed reasonable enough, and Sherlock and the others didn't detect anything amiss.
They were all aware of Harry's current situation at Hogwarts. If he were to appear openly in a pub filled with students, he would likely face a lot of disdain and disapproving glares.
Even Sherlock and the other professors didn't have a better solution. Mad-Eye Moody, however, offered a rare word of comfort.
"Don't worry. Once the first task is over and the students see the dangers of the Triwizard Tournament, they won't have much to say about you."
But his words didn't provide much comfort. Instead, Harry felt a chill run down his spine, growing more anxious about the upcoming challenge that would test his courage.
Hagrid, who had been silent, looked thoughtful, as if pondering something.
Sherlock and the others didn't stay at the pub for long. They chatted casually and had a couple of Butterbeers before getting up to leave.
However, they ended up leaving as a group of three, as Hagrid said he wanted to have a couple more drinks and told them to go ahead without him.
After Sherlock and the others left, Hagrid waited until Hermione went to the bar to get more drinks. Then, he leaned close to Harry, who was under the Invisibility Cloak, and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Come to my hut at midnight tonight, and remember to wear the Invisibility Cloak."
After saying this to Harry, Hagrid acted as if nothing had happened and got up from his seat, leaving the Three Broomsticks.
Harry was puzzled by Hagrid's words and didn't hide it from Hermione when she returned.
"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight while wearing the Invisibility Cloak?"
Hermione was also surprised by this.
"Hagrid wants you to meet him at midnight? I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, Harry, but you shouldn't forget that tonight is also the night you agreed to meet Sirius Black, right?"
Harry had recently received a reply to the letter he sent to Sirius Black, and they had arranged to talk tonight using Floo Powder.
Harry, of course, hadn't forgotten about this.
"Well, I'll have to make it quick tonight. I hope Hagrid's not calling me for anything troublesome."
As they continued their conversation, Sherlock, Silke, and Mad-Eye Moody had already left the pub and were walking down the street in Hogsmeade side by side.
"Later, I had vera help me with a divination to try and find any clues about who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire, but we came up empty."
Silke chimed in after Sherlock finished speaking.
"Divination isn't all-powerful. What you see depends not only on the diviner's ability but also on whether fate is willing to reveal it."
Mad-Eye Moody had only learned about Sherlock's close relationship with the witch named vera·Silke after arriving at Hogwarts. He was still puzzled by how Sherlock, who used to be so quiet, had changed so drastically and seemed to be developing a tendency to have a girlfriend.
However, he didn't ask about that at the moment. Instead, he shared his own discovery.
"I've been walking around the school more often, especially at night. A few days ago, I noticed a group of large creatures that seemed to be related to the first Triwizard Tournament task making quite a commotion in the Forbidden Forest."
"During this time, I also spotted a suspicious person coming out of the Forbidden Forest."
Sherlock furrowed his brow and repeated the description.
"A suspicious person?"
"He was wearing black robes and a hat that covered his face. I saw him by the Black Lake. Before I could draw my wand, he noticed me and turned back into the Forbidden Forest, disappearing from sight."
Mad-Eye Moody's expression was grave as he continued.
"Afterward, I mentioned this to Dumbledore. He said that several Romanian Wizards have recently arrived in the Forbidden Forest, and the person I saw could be one of them. However, he wasn't certain and just advised me to be more vigilant and keep an eye on the castle."
(End of Chapter)
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