Chapter 597: Master Cauldron Snape
Chapter 597: Master Cauldron Snape
"Come on, stop overthinking it, Harry!" Ivan patted Harry, who was still standing there in a daze, and said.
Harry nodded, his expression conflicted.
On the way, he tried to say something several times but held back each time.
"Just say what you want to say!" Ivan glanced at him and said casually.
"Ivan, you believe me, right? I didn’t put my name in the Triwizard Cup, and I have no idea why that piece of parchment came out of it..."
Harry, who had been holding back for a long time, couldn’t stop once he started. He talked for a while, explaining his schedule over the past two days in detail to convince Ivan that he had no chance to touch the Triwizard Cup.
"Of course I believe you, Harry!" Ivan interrupted Harry to reassure him, then added, "It’s not easy to trick the Triwizard Cup. Only powerful wizards could manage that. Just by that, you’re not a suspect..."
Seeing that Ivan was willing to believe him, Harry’s tense mood eased considerably. However, he couldn’t figure out who would go to such lengths to make him a Champion.
The two of them chatted casually all the way back to the Common Room.
When they said the password and opened the entrance, the noise inside almost deafened Ivan.
Several hands reached out from inside, pulling them both in, nearly making Ivan think he was under attack.
The Gryffindor Common Room was clearly decorated. Colorful lights hung on the walls, and a crimson lion banner floated in the air.
One of the young wizards had even brought out an old bedsheet, writing the names of the two Champions on it with a large pen.
"Ivan, Harry, you guys are amazing! I never thought both Hogwarts Champions would be from Gryffindor!" George grabbed Ivan, excitedly saying.
"You should have told us you signed up earlier!" Fred pounded Ivan’s shoulder.
"Why didn’t we think of taking that cup out back then?" George said regretfully, then turned to Harry and asked, "By the way, Harry, how did you get your name in there? Did you do it like Ivan?"
"Or did you use some other, more creative method?" Seamus chimed in, joining the group.
The other young wizards all looked at Harry, curious about the answer.
"Enough! I swear I didn’t do it! I have no idea how it happened!" Harry shouted in anger, his voice so loud that it shocked everyone.
For a moment, the noisy Common Room fell silent, and George, Seamus, and the others were taken aback by Harry’s sudden outburst.
"Alright, if you didn’t do it yourself, then who did?" Angelina muttered, then turned to Ivan.
"No way! Don’t pass this mess off to me. I already explained the details in the Great Hall." Ivan shook his head; he wasn’t about to take the blame.
"Come on, we all know how skilled you are! Tricking a broken cup is nothing for you, right?" George said casually, "We’re all friends here. We’re just curious and won’t say a word to anyone!"
Ivan rolled his eyes, not believing a word.
He knew these people too well. They couldn’t keep a secret to save their lives. If he made something up tonight, it would be all over the school by tomorrow. Besides, this whole thing had nothing to do with him.
"Why would I lie to you if there’s no one else here? And even if Hogwarts has two Champions, if we win, people will talk. I’m not going to waste my time on that!" Ivan explained earnestly, but from the looks on their faces, he knew few were willing to believe him.
Well, Ivan decided it wasn't worth the effort to explain further.
He had grown used to the occasional misunderstandings. Compared to the Imaginary Monsters in Knockturn Alley, this was a minor issue.
Ah, that's what it means to be exceptional—always causing some unnecessary misunderstandings!
Ivan thought to himself with a sigh, half-heartedly celebrating with everyone over his selection as the Champion.
Harry seemed distracted throughout the celebration.
Once the brief celebration was over, Hermione pulled the two of them aside.
Unlike the others, Hermione didn't question how Harry had entered the competition. Instead, she looked worried.
"Remember that dream of yours, Harry?" Hermione asked with a serious expression.
"Of course, I remember! What about it?" Harry replied hesitantly.
"Don't you see? The Dark Lord must be behind this, trying to get rid of you or plotting something in secret! Even if he's not doing it himself, he might have someone else working for him!" Hermione spoke confidently, her expression grave.
Ivan looked at Hermione in surprise, impressed by how quickly the young witch had pieced everything together.
Harry also found Hermione's theory plausible. After some deep thought, he suddenly said, "I have an idea who it might be!"
"Who?" Ivan asked urgently.
He had almost forgotten that Harry could be a good lead. If Barty Crouch Jr. had infiltrated, he would likely try to approach Harry and gain his trust.
"It has to be Snape!" Harry exclaimed.
Apart from Snape, he couldn't think of anyone else. This semester, only Snape and Malfoy had been hostile towards him.
If someone wanted him dead, Harry was certain it had to be one of them!
Ivan almost choked. He looked at Harry with a strange expression, wondering why he always had to fixate on one person. Snape had already carried enough blame over the years.
But then, he thought, Snape did tend to pick on Harry, so in a way, it was even.
While Ivan didn't take Harry's words seriously, Hermione was very supportive. She immediately suggested that Harry tell Mad-Eye Moody to keep an eye on Snape, or write to Sirius Black for his opinion.
If all else failed, they could go to Dumbledore!
Hermione spoke at length, and Ivan also chimed in, advising Harry to be cautious. If someone suddenly became overly friendly or hostile, it was likely that person had something to hide.
The support from his two best friends helped Harry forget the skeptical comments and realize that people still believed in and cared about him.
"Wait, where's Ron? Where did he go?" Harry looked around but couldn't see his other friend.
"Ron said he was tired and went back to the dormitory to rest. You should ask him yourself for more details", Hermione hesitated, not wanting to reveal Ron's private complaints.
She felt that, as friends, Ron might just have been having a moment of doubt.
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Thank you for the support from the following readers: the Master of Unrestrained Journey, dsf23dd, the Lord of Fables, Bookworm20200405210507708, Light Ink, Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg, the Charming One, Nameless, and kuro Fire Blade.
(End of Chapter)
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