[HP] Being a problem student at Hogwarts

Tom wisely said goodbye to the nearly headless Nick.

He walked alone through the corridor lined with candles burning with blue cold fire, passed the auditorium, and saw that the party was over. He grabbed a still warm hamburger from the table and went upstairs while eating.

As soon as he reached the second floor, Tom found that the road was blocked. A large group of students in front stood silently, not knowing what they were watching around.

what happened? He thought, could it be that Professor Snape just lost his temper?

Other than that, he had never seen so many students stay so quiet together.

In the silence, he heard someone in the back raise his voice and say excitedly: "Those who are enemies of the heir, be careful! You are next, Mudblood!"

It was Malfoy's voice.

alright. Tom thought he knew what was going on inside. It must be his three little friends with troublesome physiques who encountered new difficulties just after they separated from him. After all, according to past experience, wherever there is trouble for Harry, there is Malfoy who is watching the fun or coming to provoke him. The reverse is also true - wherever there is a particularly excited and trouble-making Malfoy, there is an unlucky Harry.

"Excuse me, give way." Tom had to apologize politely to his classmates while squeezing in.

But there was one man who reacted even faster - Mr. Filch, shouting "Something's going on here". While pushing through the crowd with an adult's physique, he easily squeezed through the crowd.

Then everyone heard a scream of grief.

Tom had never heard such miserable, resentful, and helpless screams. He squeezed into the middle and was stunned when he saw what happened.

Facing the wall, half-dried blood was smeared crookedly: "Those who are enemies of the heir, beware." Each stroke of the letters had a small stream of blood flowing down, and Luo Mrs. Liz was standing in front of this terrifying background, her body hanging stiffly upside down on the torch holder, her eyes that used to be bright and alert were wide open, staring straight ahead.

"My cat! My cat!" Filch's voice was too miserable to sound like a human voice. He stumbled forward, then took several trembling steps back, slipping on a large puddle of water on the ground.

But he didn't care about his own embarrassment at all. He sat on the ground and wailed: "Mrs. Loris! Mrs. Loris! What's wrong with you, Mrs. Loris!"

He twisted his face, glanced at every student with hateful eyes, and screamed; "Who is it! Who is it! You hate me, you all hate me, I know you all hate me! Come at me! Face it!" I cast a curse! Kill me! Why do you do this to my cat!"

His dirty yellow nails scratched at his neck, as if excessive grief was choking him and making it hard for him to breathe.

At this time, he saw Harry standing aside blankly.

"You!" he said through gritted teeth, "It was you! You killed my cat! It was you!"

Harry shook his head quickly: "No, it's not me, Mr. Filch, I just-"

He tried to explain, but Filch wouldn't listen.

"You evil son! You incarnation of disaster!" Filch screamed, "You killed my cat! I will kill you! I swear I -"

"Filch!"

Dumbledore rushed to the scene and interrupted Filch's curse with a loud shout.

The silent crowd parted, allowing Headmaster Dumbledore and the many other teachers following behind to pass.

Dumbledore went straight to the torch and unhooked Mrs. Norris from its bracket.

"Come with me, Filch," he said to Filch, "and you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger."

Tom took a step forward and asked softly: "Mrs. Norris...is she still alive?"

Only then did he realize that he was crying.

Dumbledore paused, and for a moment Tom thought that Dumbledore was studying the tears on his face expressionlessly, but this feeling soon faded.

"Come along, Mr. Locke." Dumbledore nodded at him.

Lockhart suggested hurriedly: "My office is nearest here, the Headmaster - it's upstairs, if you don't mind you can -" His charming blue eyes lowered melancholy.

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

Then Lockhart raised his eyebrows in surprise, his dazzling beauty under the firelight seemed to have a halo, and followed Dumbledore excitedly. Professors McGonagall and Snape also followed.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office, there was a sudden commotion on the walls. Several Lockharts on the photo wall hid in a panic, with curlers on their heads; there were also several Lockharts who were taking pictures of themselves in the mirror and hurriedly hid their small mirrors and faced the guests. Show your signature smile.

The real Lockhart lit the candle on the table and retreated silently to the back.

It's not like Peacock to be so sensible... Tom glanced at him one more time, and Lockhart's face was hidden in the darkness, showing him a vague smile.

The tip of Dumbledore's long aquiline nose almost touched Mrs. Norris's fur. He looked at it carefully through his half-moon glasses, and groped the cat's body with his long fingers. Professor McGonagall also bent over, frowning, squinting, observing it. And Snape stood behind them, his cold eyes fixed on Harry, making Harry lower his head.

Dumbledore finally took out his strange-looking wand, began to mutter something in a low voice, and tapped Mrs. Norris with the wand. It was a pity that the poor gray cat was still lying there stiffly, like a newly made specimen.

"It must have been killed by a spell - probably the Transformation Torture Curse." Lockhart began to speculate enthusiastically, "I have seen others use this spell many times, and I happen to know the method to undo it. , could have saved it——"

Filch whined.

Tom couldn't bear to look at the cat anymore and turned to look at Lockhart, who looked very happy.

Lockhart noticed his gaze and continued with a weird smile: "I remember something similar happened in Ouagadougou, a series of attacks. You can read my autobiography for detailed records. At that time I We provided various amulets to the people there and solved the problem immediately..."

Dumbledore interrupted - he straightened up and whispered: "It's not dead, Filch."

Lockhart stopped suddenly, but Tom noticed that there was no trace of surprise on his face.

"It's petrified," said Dumbledore.

"Ah, I think so too!" Lockhart said with exaggerated joy.

"But what happened, I don't know yet," Dumbledore said, politely ignoring Lockhart's remarks.

"Ask him!" Filch pointed at Harry, "He's the one -"

"This is impossible." Dumbledore said gently but firmly. "It is impossible for second-year students to do this. It requires the most profound dark magic-"

"That's him!" cried Filch excitedly. "He was writing on the wall—he found it—in my office—and he knew I was, I was—" His face twitched horribly, "He knows I'm a squib!"

Lockhart gasped dramatically.

But almost no one paid attention to him, and Harry was already defensive uneasily: "It's not me! I swear I didn't touch Mrs. Norris -" He looked at Tom with pleading eyes, "Tom likes it so much - how can I A friend who would hurt a friend?”

"And I don't even know what a squib means!" Harry shouted in a broken voice. He couldn't figure it out. That time he found Filch's correspondence letter in the office, which he quickly chanted. Before he understood what it meant, Filch discovered it, and he also agreed to help Filch keep it secret. Secret - he thought this matter was over! Why would Filch think he would harm a small animal because of this?

"Please allow me to say something, Headmaster." Snape said coldly, "Maybe Potter and his friends just shouldn't be in that place at that time -"

Before he finished speaking, Harry shouted aggrievedly and excitedly: "I knew Professor Snape believed in me!"

He threw himself into Snape's arms, buried himself in Snape's black robes and cried in grievance.

Snape froze.

Dumbledore coughed dryly, sounding more like a short, hastily suppressed laugh.

"Go away! Potter!" Snape roared.

He hurriedly pulled Harry out, but Harry, who felt even more aggrieved, cried harder, his glasses tilted to one side, and his hand was still firmly holding the corner of Snape's robe.

Professor McGonagall didn't help at all, and scolded: "Be gentle, Severus, you are going to strain the child."

Lockhart cleared his throat and asked, "Then why didn't you attend the Halloween party?"

Ron was still gaping at Harry and Snape, so only Hermione and Tom replied that they were going to the death anniversary party.

"But what happened after that," Lockhart blinked and asked in a flat voice, "why did you go to the corridor above?"

Tom noticed that Lockhart's expression was calm as he asked these questions, not at all dramatic as usual.

Harry, who was finally pushed away roughly by Snape, sobbed and said, "Because... because... because we are tired and want to go up and rest early."

"Ha." Snape tried to straighten the corners of his robes and sneered with a twisted mouth, "No dinner? I think the food provided by ghosts at the party is probably not suitable for living people.

"

"It's quite disgusting," Hermione replied wittily, "so much so that it kills our appetite."

Snape deliberately glanced at the half hamburger in Tom's hand and said: "My opinion is that Potter did not tell the complete truth. We should probably take away some of his privileges until he learns to be honest - I personally think it is best Take him off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until his heated brain cools down."

"I see no reason not to let this kid play ball - except that you personally don't like it." Professor McGonagall sternly said, "This cat wasn't hit in the head with a broom! And there's no evidence that Potter did anything. Wrong thing.”

Dumbledore listened to the opinions of the two professors calmly and said, "As long as you are not proven guilty, you are innocent, Severus."

Snape's face suddenly turned brick red.