Chapter 297: Homework
Chapter 297: Homework
When Hermione emerged from the office, her head was still spinning.
Although the professor hadn’t explicitly stated it, the implication was clear: Sirius Black was innocent, or at least harmless to Harry.
She wasn’t sure whether to tell Harry, but without knowing the full truth, she felt that divulging her suspicions would only add to the stress she was already under. With the Easter break approaching, professors from all subjects had increased the homework load, and Hermione felt as busy as a spinning top.
She had pushed the Time-Turner to its limits, but even so, she couldn’t avoid missing some classes.
Hermione was somewhat relieved that the Duelling Club had been temporarily canceled. Harry’s entire focus was on the daily Quidditch training, and he often discussed various tactics with Wood during breaks, leaving him to complete his homework in whatever spare moments he could find.
This had led to a noticeable decline in the quality of Harry’s essays, but he wasn’t the only one getting reprimanded.
Harry and Draco Malfoy were called to Professor Mcgonagall’s office. “Gentlemen, I know you’re preparing for the Quidditch final, but that’s no excuse for submitting subpar work,” Professor Mcgonagall said sternly.
Yes, the Quidditch final, Harry thought absently. Tomorrow was the first day of the Easter break, and the first Saturday after the break would be the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
He snapped back to reality and stared at Draco Malfoy, whose pale face was marked with obvious dark circles and a defiant look. This was just a small reflection of the tension between the two houses and their teams. Recently, the conflicts between Gryffindor and Slytherin had become more overt.
A shadow of worry crossed Draco’s eyes. The pressure on him in the team was immense, as he was seen as a distraction to slow down Potter’s offensive speed. This had left him feeling resentful, though the thought of the Firebolt’s speed quickly dampened his anger.
He had written to his family to inquire about the price of the Firebolt, but his father had unusually refused. The broom was more expensive than the entire team’s seven Nimbus 2001s combined, which left him incredulous. Who could have given Potter such a gift?
It couldn’t be one of Potter’s foolish admirers.
“... This has never happened before, with two students in the hospital, their ears continuously sprouting chives, and seven students serving detention...” Professor Mcgonagall’s voice seemed to serve as the background to the hostile glares the two boys were exchanging, and it was clear that she had noticed.
She fumed, “Go on, and I’ll only say this once. If you don’t improve your behavior...” She flushed with anger, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “I’ll give you detention, and yes, it will be before the final! I’ll discuss it with Severus.”
Harry quickly assured Professor Mcgonagall, and Draco’s expression softened. He managed a forced smile and extended his hand, which Harry reluctantly shook, holding back any sarcastic remarks.
As they left the Transfiguration classroom, the two boys quickly separated, Draco sneering as he walked away. Harry returned to the common room just in time to hear Seamus shouting, “This is what you call a holiday? We’re nowhere near the exams yet!”
He moved closer and saw them tallying up the homework from each subject.
Dean Thomas, counting on his fingers, had been at it for a while: “... History of Magic, three two-foot essays; Potions, three essays, one of which is three feet long. Snape must have water in his brain! The topic is—let me see—‘An Appreciation of the Improved Wolfsbane Potion Formula...’”
Dean muttered a curse, complaining, “The final exam doesn’t even cover this. Why are we writing about it?” He grumbled, “Something about understanding the latest developments in potion-making... He just wants to show off his research.”
Harry couldn’t agree more. Dean continued, “... Transfiguration, two essays and Inanimate-to-Animal Transfiguration Practice; Astronomy, twelve star charts...”
He heard a sound of gagging from beside him and turned to see Neville, who looked pale and said, “Sorry, I’m a bit queasy…”
The twins came over and asked, “Want some pick-me-up potion?”
Harry looked puzzled and said, “Isn’t that for colds?”
The pick-me-up potion was one of Madam Pomfrey's specialties, effective for colds and flu, with the only drawback being that the ears would emit smoke for a few hours after drinking it.
“We’ve improved it to live up to its name,” Fred said with a smile. “Let me show you.” He pulled out a candy and popped it into his mouth. “We turned it into a solid form for easy carrying, so you can take it in class. It’s a bit bitter, George, note that we can change it to a fruit flavor…”
“Got it, mate,” George grinned, taking over the explanation for the young wizards. “You’ll feel energetic for the next few hours, with just a little side effect…”
“Hoot hoot!”
Fred seemed to have been hit by something, smoke coming out of his ears, and a loud whistle sounded from his mouth. He said energetically, “See? Instant energy, no worries, just seven sickles.”
Dean was interested, and Harry, looking at the stack of homework on the table, was also tempted. By now, several young wizards had gathered around, pushing him to the outside. After waiting in line for five minutes, he noticed that Fred would let out a whistle every two minutes, as if he were mimicking a train.
After much consideration, he stepped back and found Ron and Hermione in a corner. Hermione’s eyes were a bit red, and she yawned softly. Harry felt that Hermione needed the pick-me-up potion, or at least a pick-me-up candy.
She was scribbling on a piece of parchment. Harry glanced down and saw an end-of-term revision plan.
After a while, Hermione finished her task and bit her quill. “We should make the most of the Easter break. I’ve already completed the History of Magic and Astronomy homework—”
Ron was surprised. “Don’t you usually finish the Ancient Runes homework first?”
“The Professor excused me from it, saying it was unnecessary to waste time,” Hermione said.
Ron groaned. “How can that be… I was counting on your essay for reference!”
“Actually,” Hermione said sternly, “the top ten on the Answer Parchment Leaderboard were excused from the homework.”
Ron’s eyes turned to Harry, filled with hope. Harry shrugged. “I’ll be training most of the holiday. We have an advantage, but we could still be overtaken. It’s the worst-case scenario—Wood has finally lost it.”
“Alright, I’ll do it, and I’ll lend it to you,” Ron sighed.
Hermione huffed but didn’t say anything. She stood up and walked out of the common room, returning a short while later, looking even more tired.
Harry continued the previous conversation. “It’s a bit strange, Professor Mcgonagall is no longer forbidding me from going out…”
Hermione shuddered and became fully alert.
“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Harry looked at her curiously. “Do you know the reason?”
“No, it’s something else, I’m not sure yet,” Hermione hesitated. “After the Quidditch match, I have something to tell you.”
…
The next morning.
Felix dressed neatly and went to the award ceremony.
The third-year plot is winding down, and the writing has slowed. I’m not sure if I can finish the third update today, so you might want to wait until tomorrow; there should be several chapters.
Additionally, I’m quietly mumbling: Please support with your monthly votes~
(End of Chapter)
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