Homecoming from Hogwarts

Harry and Hermione were slightly relieved to learn from Professor McGonagall's brief words that Ron and Lavender were not seriously injured.

only--
Looking at Ron, who was lying on the hospital bed with his brows slightly furrowed and his face pale, Harry's veins on his forehead throbbed with anger.

Guilt and regret hit his mental defenses like a hundred-foot-high tide!

Harry's teeth were chattering!

He shouldn't have let Ron and Lavender shadow Malfoy and Parkinson.

Although Ron is a smart man, he is still inferior to Malfoy's cunning!
squeak-
The door of the ward was opened, and Madam Pomfrey walked into the ward. When she noticed that there were two more students in the ward, her face immediately darkened.

"These two children need to rest now, Principal. If you have something important to figure out, you can wait until they wake up tomorrow morning!"

"I'm as concerned for their well-being as you are, Bobby—"

Dumbledore said gently,

"But there are some puzzles I'm afraid I have to figure out now."

Puzzle
Hermione bit her lower lip.

Professor Dumbledore put it mildly.

Professor Brain's office at Hogwarts was robbed and the dark witch's wand disappeared - this is a news topic that will stay on the headlines of the Daily Prophet for several days!
Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Madam Pomfrey was defeated.

"Everyone must leave the wards of these two children in ten minutes."

After feeding Ron and Lavender the medicine, Madam Pomfrey looked at them one by one with dissatisfaction and gave instructions in a stiff tone.

"Mr. Potter—"

As soon as Madam Pomfrey left the ward, Professor McGonagall asked again urgently.

"Malfoy did it!"

Harry's hateful words touched Hermione's expression, but after a flash of thought, she remained silent.

Indeed, it has happened and it is time to make everything clear.

"He also sneaked into the Gryffindor common room and stole a dagger from my dormitory. It was a Christmas gift from Sirius last Christmas. It can open all kinds of locks protected by magic. Malfoy used it to open your office, Professor Blaine!"

Harry told everything, and looked at Professors Blaine and Dumbledore, who were standing in the shadows of the lamplight, waiting for their reactions.

But to Harry's disappointment, both of them looked thoughtful but said nothing.

Professor McGonagall and Hermione showed varying degrees of surprise.

"Malfoy snuck into the Gryffindor common room. Explain that, Mr. Potter?"

The anger on Professor McGonagall's face dissipated a little, but a bit of confusion appeared. She raised her black square-framed glasses and questioned in a serious tone.

"After Professor Blaine's office was invaded last time, we have always suspected that Malfoy was responsible--"

Hermione took a deep breath, and while observing the professors' reactions, she spoke quickly.
"During this period, we have been looking for evidence. When we learned that Professor Brian would lead us to participate in a research activity and Malfoy would not participate, we suspected that he might take advantage of this opportunity to act."

Professors Brain and Dumbledore's true thoughts were still unclear behind their calm faces, but Professor McGonagall frowned even more after hearing this.
"Go on, Miss Granger—"

She ordered in a tone that left no room for rejection.

"--Ron and Lavender are not participating in this study tour either, so we decided to let them keep an eye on Malfoy today."

Professor McGonagall's stern look made Hermione shrink her shoulders, and then she continued,
"After the study session, we saw Malfoy and Parkinson in the Great Hall, but we didn't see Ron and Lavender, so Harry and I immediately went upstairs to find them and then we found out..."

Hermione took a few more breaths and looked at Professor Blaine.

"Both Harry's and my dormitories were robbed. Harry lost the dagger Sirius gave him, and I lost the Felicia Ricci!" After a pause of a few seconds, Hermione added,

"I got the Felicis Felix from Professor Slughorn's class."

Hermione lost the Felicia Riccardo?
Now it was Harry's turn to express surprise at what Hermione had thrown away.

Within one day, the homes of a Hogwarts deputy headmaster and two students were robbed, and the stolen items seemed to be related to each other.

Judging from Professor McGonagall's expression, her worry was greater than her anger at the involvement of students from her own college in the case.

"You suspect that someone has stolen the dagger and Miss Granger's Felicity Potion, and used these two items to open Amosta's office."

From the tone, it seemed that Professor McGonagall was asking Harry a question, but she was facing Amosta when she spoke, with a suspicious look on her face.

"Um--"

Amosta pondered for a moment, his tone calm,
"I cannot judge, Minerva. After all, I have never seen the dagger that Harry speaks of, and I do not know whether it is effective enough to penetrate the wards of my office. Oh, but I will say -"

Amosta smiled and said,
"Using Felicis was a brilliant idea. I mean, if the thief really used a dagger and Felicis--"

Professor McGonagall glared at Professor Brain with dissatisfaction. She simply couldn't understand how such a serious thing that could have terrible consequences could happen, and yet Amosita could still laugh.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger -"

Professor McGonagall turned her head back, looked at the two students, and asked solemnly,
"Whether it was the theft in Amos Tower's office or the loss of items in your two dormitories, we must investigate. You just provided your guess, but I want to ask, do you have any real evidence to show that Mr. Malfoy did all this?"

What evidence do you need? The facts are already before us!
Harry thought angrily.

Hermione was more rational.

Professor McGonagall's request was not wrong. Everything they had just said was just based on speculation.

unless
Hermione looked sideways at Ron and Lavender lying on the bed.

Unless, the two of them saw the attacker's face with their own eyes.

"Harry--"

At this time, Professor Dumbledore suddenly spoke calmly, attracting everyone's attention.
"Have you ever told anyone else about the magical dagger Sirius gave you?"

Harry was confused for a moment, then his green eyes lit up.

"Malfoy knows!"

Harry blurted out,

"I ran into Malfoy in Diagon Alley during the summer vacation. I mentioned it then!"

Professor McGonagall's eyes moved.

As far as she knew, Potter and Malfoy had never had a good relationship. So how could Potter tell him about the Christmas gift Sirius gave him?

Professor McGonagall was about to ask when the door of the ward opened again and Madam Pomfrey's unhappy face peeked out from the crack of the door.

"It seems that we really need to ask Mr. Malfoy."

Professor McGonagall paused and said,

"I'm going to ask the Fat Lady's portrait if anyone suspicious has entered the Gryffindor common room today.

Albus, Amosta, you can take Mr. Potter and Miss Granger to Severus' office first, and we will meet there-" (End of this chapter)