Chapter 588: The Incident Escalates
Chapter 588: The Incident Escalates
When Felix returned to his office, he was surprised to see a row of owls perched by the window.
"Oh, right, Easter. I forgot to leave the window open", he said, realizing his mistake.
He opened the window, and Valen, who had just emerged from the silver pocket watch, watched with curiosity as the owls flew in one after another. They circled around the office, dropping their packages like bombers, and chirped indignantly, clearly upset about having waited for so long.
Valen climbed up Felix's leg and onto his shoulder, looking down at the pile of packages on the floor.
Felix remembered the Easter candy eggs he had received last year, which had lasted him the entire year. But no matter what, receiving gifts was always a delightful experience. And he could play Exploding Snap with Valen, with the winner getting to open one of the gifts.
The next morning, when he entered the Great Hall, he was not surprised to see students flipping through newspapers and discussing the news.
"Malfoy..." a student whispered, exchanging glances with others.
Felix looked around but didn't see Draco. He sat down and started his breakfast, knowing he would have to head to the Ministry of Magic for the trial later. The proceedings would continue until the end of the Easter break, and Felix suddenly felt a strong urge to skip class.
But even after finishing the last piece of potato, he hadn't come up with a good excuse. The Skiving Snackboxes developed by Fred and George Weasley didn't have much effect on him, and taking sick leave... well, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
In the end, he still went to the Ministry of Magic.
...
On the other side—
"I can't believe it; I still don't understand", Harry said, lowering his head and pretending to gnaw on a tough piece of meat. Ron and Hermione leaned in, and he whispered, "How could Malfoy be... a spy?"
He looked up at the Slytherin table, where Draco was expressionlessly poking at an apple pie with his fork, sitting a few seats away from the nearest Slytherin student.
"It's Pansy Parkinson", Hermione said, glancing over. "She seems unsure about how to handle this complicated situation."
She was right. When Draco's gaze shifted, Pansy immediately turned to talk to the student next to her.
"Well, that's harsh. I was shocked too", Ron said, his conflicted expression proving his sincerity. "I almost thought it was April Fool's Day, but Fred and George Weasley's birthday was a few days ago. I feel a bit regretful about giving them those Joke Hats." He winced. "It cost me five Galleons."
"What are those?" Harry asked curiously.
"You mean the Joke Hats?" Ron enthusiastically explained, "Zonko's new product. I saw an ad in one of Fred's books. It says that when you wear it, your face can transform into a vampire, werewolf, or ghost, with cute fangs and sleek fur and such."
"Sounds a bit like the Emerald Crown from 'Future World,'" Hermione interjected. "One changes your face, the other changes your clothes."
Ron shrugged. "Fred claims Zonko got the idea from the Charm-Resistant Hat, and he feels cheated. But I find it quite amusing."
"Isn't Professor Hup's birthday coming up soon?" Harry said. "I remember it's the 15th?"
"It's the 8th; we got it wrong last time", Hermione corrected.
"So it's today?" Ron exclaimed. "Fred and George Weasley said they wanted to make a big splash", he said with a grin. "Oh, I have to keep this secret; you can't tell them..."
Later, they sent Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, out of the owlery with a package.
"It looks like it's having a hard time", Hermione said, watching the sky with concern.
"There's no other option. Hedwig refuses to go to the professor anymore; she feels embarrassed", Harry said, resigned.
They watched as Pigwidgeon wobbled in the air like a pendulum, finally making a difficult turn and disappearing from sight. But they knew that as long as it cleared a few towers—assuming it didn't crash into a column—it would reach the Ancient Runes Office.
"Do you think the professor will like the telescope?" Ron asked, not waiting for an answer. "I was going to get a pet mouse to keep Valen company. They look quite similar, to be honest... but time was short. The telescope is a test model George asked me to try out. It's a new product, but I never got around to it... Hermione, what did you get?"
"A plant", Hermione said.
"That's a good idea; I should remember that", Ron said, his eyes lighting up.
Harry didn't speak. He stared at the blue sky, his thoughts drifting away with the owl. He had just had a crazy idea, and he was sure he must be insane, but he couldn't help but wonder: When is Snape's birthday? Maybe... but he quickly dismissed the thought. Come on, he told himself, even if Snape is a spy, it's not that big of a deal.
Well, it is a big deal, Harry reluctantly admitted, admiring the courage it must take. He imagined himself facing Voldemort. He wasn't afraid of Voldemort, but the thought of calmly chatting and bonding with Voldemort made his skin crawl.
He hadn't seen Snape in the graveyard. Perhaps he was hiding, or had arrived late?
Harry thought back to Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters that night. He hadn't heard everything, but he remembered the beginning, where Voldemort gloated about his rebirth and threatened the Death Eaters.
"One who lacks the courage to return... will pay the price. The other, I believe, has permanently left me... of course, he will be executed..."
Now, thinking back, the former might refer to Karkaroff, and the latter to Snape.
But Snape is still alive, and Harry has no idea how he managed it.
Harry couldn't help but imagine the scene where Snape met Voldemort, but without a reference point, his mind went blank. In Harry's memory, Snape either lectured in his slow, drawling voice, mocking students in class, or suddenly appeared from behind, gleefully pointing out how poorly Harry's potion had turned out and giving him a low score. Harry didn't think Snape would use these attitudes with Voldemort.
He must be like the other Death Eaters, Harry thought, picturing the group of Death Eaters kneeling before Voldemort, groveling. The image made him feel sick. He would rather Snape stand up to Voldemort.
As they left the owlry, they couldn't help but talk about the Malfoys. Ron mentioned Draco Malfoy's grandfather, "He was a formidable figure."
"Was he a Death Eater too?" Harry asked.
"No one knows", Ron said, but then he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "My dad says he might have been one of the Dark Lord's early benefactors." He seemed pleased to see Harry and Hermione's mouths drop open.
"But he was never caught, and he died a respected man", Ron added. "Compared to him, his son wasn't as clever, I mean Lucius Malfoy."
Harry grinned.
"Let me think", he said, ticking off points on his fingers, "Claimed he was under the Imperius Curse after the first war, became Fudge's piggy bank, lost his position on the school board in our second year, oh, and Dobby! He was on his knees before Voldemort, begging for forgiveness for most of last year, and now he's hiding somewhere—yeah, I get what you mean."
They laughed, feeling a bit schadenfreude as they thought about the Malfoys' misfortunes. But when they entered the common room, they suddenly realized that Malfoy was now on their side.
"I'd rather he was always a Death Eater—"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous."
They sat at a table, rummaging through their bags. The professors clearly didn't intend for the students to have a comfortable holiday, as they had assigned a mountain of homework. This led to a significant number of fifth-year students staying at school, sighing and yawning as they tried to catch up on their assignments.
Ron pulled out parchment and a quill from his bag, muttering angrily, "Those younger students are so noisy, I wish I could take points off them." But as the homework for each subject piled up in front of him, his bravado visibly waned.
Harry lay on the table, idly tapping Hermione's review schedule with his wand. Each subject's tasks were clearly marked. "I added a countdown", Hermione said proudly, "in the top left corner."
Harry stared at the number '59' on the parchment, feeling a sudden urge to tear it up.
"Speaking of which, how did Lucius Malfoy get involved with Professor Hup?" he couldn't help but ask.
Hermione pushed the newspaper towards him. Ron said with disgust, "You believe that? 'Confession'—for crying out loud, how is that possible? If you ask me, he was probably caught doing something illegal and begged the professor to let him off the hook..." Hermione glared at him.
"Ahem, I mean, good work."
"Death Eaters are a mixed bag", Hermione tried to make sense of it, "some are ambitious, others are naturally cruel, and some just want to bask in the Dark Lord's power", she thought for a moment, then added, "a few are truly deceived by the Dark Lord's evil ideology..."
Harry thought of Sirius's brother, Regulus.
"During the Dark Lord's peak, it was hard to tell, but once he started losing ground", Hermione pointed at the photo of Selwyn in the courtroom, "we can see who is who."
Laughter and chatter filled the common room, and they turned their heads—Harry and Ron were eager for some fresh entertainment—seeing Fred and George Weasley each holding a colorful hat. Amidst the cheers of the onlookers, they put the hats on simultaneously. The crowd erupted in screams and laughter as Fred and George Weasley spun around, showing off their new appearances. When they turned to Harry's side, the three of them finally got a good look at their faces.
Harry was startled, almost thinking he was seeing a combination of a vampire and a ghost. Fred's face was as white as paper, with sunken cheeks, looking malnourished, and his eyes were bloodshot. But the most striking feature was his deliberately bared fangs. George, on the other hand, had a different terrifying look—his hair had turned black and trailed on the ground, his face resembled a skull, and it glowed with a greenish light, even more frightening than the vampire.
They laughed with the satisfaction of a successful prank.
After a while, the crowd dispersed, and Fred and George Weasley came over, sitting next to them. They still had their grotesque faces, and Ron instinctively leaned back. Fred and George Weasley grinned.
"Don't like our new looks?"
"Not bad, you seem to really like these hats", Ron said sarcastically, "who said they were unsatisfactory before?"
"That's a different story", Fred said seriously. "We think these hats are timely."
"Yes, it would certainly add some sparkle to Professor Hup's birthday party..." George said cheerfully.
The three of them exchanged glances. Ron kept winking at Harry and Hermione, reminding them not to slip up. Fred and George Weasley looked at them curiously.
"Is there something we don't know about?"
"No", Ron said, abruptly changing the subject. "Have you heard? Runic Script Magazine is planning to publish a special issue on Ancient Runes. They're welcoming submissions."
"That's big news", Fred said happily, taking off his hat to reveal his sharp teeth and pale, sunken cheeks. "What part are you planning to contribute to?"
"What about you?" Harry asked cautiously.
"Professional Developments", Fred said without hesitation. "We've created a new profession, George and I. It's called 'Prankster Merchant,'" he winked at Harry. "The requirements are high: Ancient Runes, basic Alchemy, Transfiguration, Charms, and a wild imagination—"
"—and a wild heart", George added with a mix of seriousness and jest.
"Sounds like you're bragging", Ron muttered.
"Have you tried the Punching Telescope yet?" Fred suddenly asked, staring at his brother's face.
"Not yet, uh— I gave it away", Ron tried to dodge, but Fred's intense gaze forced him to tell the truth.
"Gave it away? To who?" Fred and George Weasley said in unison.
"Punching Telescope? Punching?" Harry caught the key words.
Ron's face suddenly turned pale with fear.
Fred and George Weasley stared at his expression and laughed. "Alright, we won't ask", Fred said magnanimously.
"But we'll find out eventually", George added.
"Tell us—what is that thing—Merlin's beard!" Ron shouted. "What is it used for?"
But Fred and George Weasley just looked at him with pity, as if he were doomed... Ron's anxiety grew. He wanted to run to Professor Hup's office and retrieve the gift, but the thought of Crabbe and Goyle's misfortune made him hesitate.
"Tell me! You!" he yelled.
Ron pounced and shook Fred's collar, but Fred refused to speak, wearing a mischievous grin.
"Will they really approve that name?" Hermione asked once things calmed down. "I heard the reviewers are quite old—except for Professor Hup."
"It can't hurt to try", George said eagerly. "From what I've gathered, they're desperate for talent and expanding their reach! It even mentions that 'once the profession is officially recognized, it will be added to the Ministry of Magic's professional directory and receive various forms of support.'"
"—After the war", Hermione added.
"What?" Fred asked.
"That's true, but the support won't be available until after the war", Hermione whispered.
"Why didn't I see that?" Fred and George Weasley were taken aback, speaking in unison.
"It's written on the last page of the latest issue of Runic Script Magazine", Hermione said. The twins couldn't sit still and rushed off. Once they were gone, Harry and Ron exchanged a look. Harry, unsure, said, "Prankster Merchant? It sounds good, but will there really be a new profession like that in the future?"
He had been studying the various career brochures the school had distributed. While he thought he would become an Auror, he still enjoyed reading about the requirements for other professions and discussing them with his roommates late into the night.
"If pranks can be recognized, why can't I create a new profession myself?" Ron grumbled.
"Are you serious?" Hermione asked, intrigued.
Ron was speechless, and Harry, knowing he had spoken off the cuff, quickly asked, "Hermione, do you know how to make the Amulet of Nine?"
"You need to use Fire Runic Script and Protection Runic Script", Hermione said automatically. "You have to combine them, essentially creating two circuits. When they activate simultaneously, they absorb the surrounding fire and release it all at once."
"Sounds pretty useless", Harry said. "Many spells can achieve a similar effect."
"You could give it to children", Hermione said. "And if you're studying fire magic, it could be quite useful. Even against a fiery blaze, it could buy you a couple of seconds—though it breaks after one use."
They started on their homework, but Harry soon felt drowsy. He forced himself to focus on the History of Magic textbook, reading about the Ilvermorny Incident. Was Ilvermorny a person or a place? He yawned and copied the name onto his parchment.
His thoughts drifted to the evening gathering with Sirius and Kreacher, wondering if Kreacher was settling in well in the kitchen...
Meanwhile, Felix sat listlessly on a bench in the courtroom, staring at a Dark Wizard with skin so dark it seemed to reflect light.
Where does Voldemort find these people?
Lucius's words from yesterday echoed in his mind, making Felix want to visit Malfoy Manor to see if it had been reduced to ruins—this would at least prove that Voldemort had read the paper and was furious.
"Bang!" The gavel fell heavily.
"Papastathis Bwasschi Van Broun Papadopoulos Malafie Miguel Alves, guilty as charged!"
(End of Chapter)
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