Chapter 505: Solving the Problem
Chapter 505: Solving the Problem
“Professor Mcgonagall——” Seeing the elderly Professor Mcgonagall with a thin layer of snow on her hat and shoulders, Liam immediately stepped forward to greet her. However, before he could finish, the professor interrupted him.
“This isn’t the time for pleasantries. Bring Katie and follow me.” Professor Mcgonagall turned sharply and walked briskly across the grounds toward the castle. Liam and the others exchanged glances and hurried to keep up. Fortunately, most students were either in Hogsmeade or inside the castle due to the weather, leaving the grounds empty. Otherwise, Katie floating in the air would have certainly caused a panic.
Once they reached the Hospital Wing and placed Katie on a bed, Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office. “Minerva, what on earth has happened to this girl?”
“Liam said she seems to be under the Imperius Curse,” Professor Mcgonagall explained briefly. Madam Pomfrey’s expression immediately turned serious. She quickly drew her wand and muttered a spell, causing a twisted wisp of smoke to appear on Katie’s forehead.
“It’s indeed the Imperius Curse. Poor girl,” Madam Pomfrey muttered, then went back to her office. She returned a moment later with a small bottle of sky-blue elixir and gave it to Katie, then promptly lifted the binding spell. “Better than I expected. The person who used the Imperius Curse isn’t very skilled. After she finishes this restorative potion and gets a good night’s sleep, she should be fine.”
“That’s a relief.” Professor Mcgonagall and Liam breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Liam and the others were led to Professor Mcgonagall’s office. The rain-splattered window glass rattled in the frame, and despite the fire crackling in the grate, the room was still chilly. Professor Mcgonagall closed the door, quickly circled around her desk, and sat down, looking at them expectantly. “Now, tell me what happened.”
Leanne stammered out her story, pausing several times due to nervousness. She recounted how Katie had gone to the bathroom at the Three Broomsticks Inn and returned acting strangely, holding an unmarked package. She described their argument, as she believed Katie shouldn’t agree to deliver an unknown item. Finally, she explained how Liam and Hermione used a spell to quickly subdue them both.
“Thank you,” Professor Mcgonagall’s expression softened, and she spoke in a gentle tone. “Leanne, you can go rest now. A good night’s sleep will help you recover. If you still feel unwell, you can visit Madam Pomfrey for some medicine.”
After Leanne left, Professor Mcgonagall turned to Liam and Hermione. “What did you two discover?”
Liam recounted how they overheard Leanne and Katie’s argument during their date, and out of curiosity, they investigated. He explained that they unexpectedly found Katie under the Imperius Curse and managed to subdue her before bringing her back to the castle. After finishing his account, Liam placed a lead box on the desk. “This is what the person who released Katie from the Imperius Curse told her to bring into the castle.”
“What’s inside? Have you checked it?” Professor Mcgonagall asked, putting on her glasses.
“A beautiful silver necklace with an opal,” Liam opened the box, revealing the necklace. “However, it’s cursed. Touching it without gloves or wearing it around the neck will result in immediate death. Additionally, it has a charm that tempts people to touch it. Fortunately, I stopped Katie just as she was about to pick it up.”
“Good heavens, Liam, I must say you and Hermione have done a remarkable job,” Professor Mcgonagall said with a relieved tone. “If this necklace had been discovered during the return to school, everyone in the entrance hall would have been in grave danger. I will award both of you 30 points each.”
“Thank you, Professor. By the way, this necklace——” Liam asked as Professor Mcgonagall was about to write something on a parchment.
“I’ll be handing it over to Professor Snape. Do you have any concerns about it?” Professor Mcgonagall looked up, her stern gaze fixed on Liam as if trying to read any ulterior motives from his face.
"This necklace would be very useful to me. The composite curse formed by the dark magic on it is highly valuable for research. I can develop a targeted defensive alchemy item based on my studies of the dark magic", Liam explained seriously to Professor Mcgonagall.
"Hmm—sorry, Liam, but I can't give you this item", Professor Mcgonagall said after a moment's thought. "Considering your current situation in the castle, surrounded by so many classmates, it wouldn't be safe for you to possess this item."
Liam felt a bit disheartened, as he couldn't tell Professor Mcgonagall about his dimension. However, Professor Mcgonagall noticed his disappointment and smiled, comforting him, "Of course, Liam. You can go to Sirius Black's house during the Christmas holidays. I'll have Professor Snape bring the item to you then, and you can study the necklace to your heart's content."
"Alright, thank you", Liam adjusted his emotion and gave Professor Mcgonagall a slight bow before leaving her office with Hermione. It was almost lunchtime, so they decided to head down to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Liam, who do you think was behind today's attack?" Hermione asked after taking a spoonful of curry seafood soup.
"It's hard to say", Liam said, swallowing a piece of roasted chicken and frowning. "But I think the most likely suspect is a Death Eater informant hiding in the school."
"Why do you think that?" Hermione asked curiously, wanting to know the basis for Liam's conclusion.
"Because the attack was too amateurish to be the work of an experienced Death Eater", Liam summarized. "A real, experienced Death Eater wouldn't use an unskilled Imperius Curse to bring such a dangerous item into the school. The package wouldn't even pass the security checks at the school gates."
"What about a random terror attack?" Hermione pressed. "Like creating panic?"
"No, while the Dark Lord's fragmented soul might lead to unstable emotions and irrational thoughts, all previous attacks have had specific goals. As long as Professor Dumbledore is here, such a crude attack would be a joke. He wouldn't waste so many resources on something with minimal gains."
"Was this attack really that resource-intensive?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "It's just a dark magic necklace, right?"
"Is it just a dark magic necklace?" Liam looked at Hermione. "You can't assume that just because I'm good at making magic items, they are common. For example, I once saw this necklace in Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley, and it was valued at 1500 Galleons."
"Alright, that is a significant investment", Hermione conceded. In the wizarding world, where 1000 Galleons could open a shop in Diagon Alley, 1500 Galleons was indeed a large sum. "So, who would spend so much just to carry out an attack that is almost certainly meaningless?"
"Someone who is wealthy but inexperienced", Liam said firmly. "They might be trying to prove themselves to the Death Eaters. A well-off individual could use this method to pass the test."
"Sounds a lot like Malfoy", Hermione said with a smile, but her smile faded when she saw Liam's serious expression. "You don't really think it was him, do you? That's randomly killing an innocent person. Is Malfoy that bad?"
"Very likely", Liam warned. "Think about what Harry experienced on the train and the information he heard. Don't forget, Malfoy comes from a pureblood family, and with his father in prison, he needs to support the entire clan."
"Damn!" Hermione exclaimed, at a loss for words, and finally let out a curse in frustration.
(End of Chapter)
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