Hogwarts: This Wizard is Unscientific 33
by adminChapter 33: Someone Always Wants to Surprise You
“You two!”
Madam Pince appeared behind Andy and Hermione, seemingly out of nowhere. She planted one hand on her hip, her tone stern. “I’ve been watching you two. This is the library, and if you continue talking, I’ll have to ask you to leave!”
Hermione’s face instantly paled, her eyes slightly reddening, and she looked on the verge of tears. As a model student, she had never been reprimanded so severely by a teacher before.
“Sorry, Madam!”
Andy said sincerely, “It’s our fault. We promise we won’t talk in the library again. Please give us another chance.”
“Just this once!” Madam Pince glanced at them before turning and leaving.
“It’s alright!” Andy shrugged casually after Madam Pince left.
With enough cheek, even a mortifyingly embarrassing incident could be treated as if nothing happened, let alone just a mild scolding. Andy was used to it.
But the young witch clearly didn’t think so. She didn’t even look at Andy, her eyes fixed on her book, her mouth seemingly sealed by magic—forget acknowledging Andy; it was as if he didn’t exist in her eyes.
Andy poked Hermione with his finger.
“…”
Hermione swatted Andy’s hand away and continued to ignore him.
Fine!
Andy didn’t want to stir up trouble and risk the young witch’s later wrath. Since no one was paying him any attention, he might as well continue reading.
Humph! There’s beauty to be found in books.
…
Near midday, Andy and Hermione left the library.
“Are you going to visit the Weasleys?” Hermione suddenly asked.
Andy: “Huh?”
Am I crazy? Why would I go see them?
“You finally spoke. I thought Madam Pince had silenced you with a curse,” Andy teased.
“Madam Pince was right; we shouldn’t have been chatting and joking in the library. It’s a public area, and we shouldn’t disturb other students.” Hermione said seriously, then continued, “I heard you’re friends with the Weasleys, so I told you about their point deduction.”
So that’s it!
Andy figured Hermione had suddenly become gossipy for a reason.
“Forget it.”
Andy thought for a moment. “I think what they want most right now is for no one to notice them.”
Of course, that’s probably difficult.
When Andy and Hermione arrived at the Great Hall, the news of Harry and Ron’s nighttime escapade had already spread throughout Hogwarts.
Who is Harry Potter?
He’s the savior of the British wizarding world, a superstar whose name is etched in magical history. Not just in Hogwarts, but throughout the entire British wizarding world, no one doesn’t know his name.
In the minds of the young witches and wizards, such a superstar coming to Hogwarts should have become the best among them, breaking all sorts of school records, and graduating with honors.
But who could have imagined that Harry Potter, having just broken a record by joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a first-year, would then get Gryffindor fifty points deducted?
If you include the Savior’s sidekick, that’s one hundred points.
It hasn’t even been a week since school started, and Gryffindor doesn’t even have one hundred points to deduct.
It’s also worth mentioning that, thanks to the tireless efforts of a certain Potions professor, Gryffindor’s points were already at the bottom of the four houses.
Now, they’re in the negative.
If Harry and his sidekick had lost points for fighting Slytherin, the little lions would still hail them as heroes.
But they were caught sneaking out by Filch.
A squib! (A person born without magical abilities to a magical family)
In the little lions’ value system, there’s nothing more shameful than being caught sneaking out by Filch.
As soon as Andy entered the Great Hall, he heard the entire Gryffindor house discussing the matter. Slytherin was gloating, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were quietly observing and occasionally commenting on the situation.
At the Ravenclaw table, Andy even overheard someone quietly questioning – given Harry Potter’s abilities, how could he possibly have defeated You-Know-Who? That’s the Killing Curse – instant death, and no counter-curse.
Andy didn’t want to discuss it. He picked up a fork, speared a sausage, and turned to Hermione, asking, “So, have you thought about it? Want to practice flying?”
“No!”
Hermione shook her head. “We still have a year of flying lessons; we can practice slowly. I’d rather read more books and practice magic. Besides, I hate flying.”
“You’re actually afraid of heights…”
Under Hermione’s glare, Andy’s voice gradually softened. Blinking, Andy cleverly changed the subject, “By the way, I have some private business this afternoon and might go out.”
“Where are you going?” Hermione asked curiously.
“You’ll know in a few days; I can’t tell you now.” Andy adopted a mysterious air. “It’s a big deal. If anyone asks, just say I was with you all afternoon.”
“Cut it out! I don’t care.”
Hermione proudly lifted her chin, then suddenly turned to Andy, “You wouldn’t be with Mal…”
“Of course not! If it weren’t to get a reliable professor, who’d bother with him?” Andy quickly assured her, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to the fourth-floor corridor.”
“Humph!” Hermione snorted and turned away.
After dinner, Andy reminded Hermione again, and after receiving her repeated assurances, he finally left with peace of mind. He first went to the Owlery to send a letter to Malfoy, then Andy stealthily went to the third floor of the castle.
“This must be it!”
Andy stood in front of a statue of a one-eyed witch and tapped it lightly with his wand, saying, “Left and right, separate!”
Click, click!
The hump of the statue slowly opened, revealing a downward stone slide.
This was important intel Andy had obtained from the Weasley twins in exchange for Snape’s secret – a passage to Hogsmeade.
“Those two are real geniuses!”
Andy sighed, sliding down the stone chute.
The slide was long, and it took Andy about ten minutes to reach the bottom. Andy looked around. In front of him was a staircase of more than two hundred steps, at the end of which was a trapdoor. From there, he could reach the cellar of Honeydukes.
Andy walked up the steps and pushed the trapdoor open a crack.
“Good, nobody’s in the cellar!” Andy breathed a sigh of relief.
It was Saturday, and Honeydukes was very busy. Andy came out of the cellar without alarming anyone.
“A perfect passage!” Andy gave a thumbs-up.
“Hmm…”
Andy silently calculated the date in his mind.
Today is September 7th, 1991, Saturday. So September 19th is… Thursday!
(End of Chapter)
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