Homecoming from Hogwarts

Thick clouds covered the ceiling above the auditorium, and the phantom of cold rain falling from the clouds disappeared on the way down.

"Just today, someone broke into my office and took a top-secret document.

If this document is leaked, it will cause great losses to the British wizarding world. Therefore, the faculty and staff will search the castle, including the common rooms of the four colleges and the exchange group’s base. Please be patient--"

Professor Brian's voice echoed back and forth in the auditorium, drowning out the noisy discussions of the young wizards.

After asking the prefects and the head boys and girls to maintain order in the hall, Amosta went up the stairs in the entrance hall.

He slowly climbed the stairs all the way back to his office.

Minerva and Severus both went to direct the search operation, leaving only Dumbledore and four young wizards in his office awaiting the results.

"I'm afraid it will take some time--"

After serving hot tea to everyone in the office, Amosta added a few more flames to the fireplace, then walked to the bookcase and took out a snack box from the drawer.

"Want some cookies, guys?"

Amosta asked with a friendly smile.

"That's all very well, Amosta--"

Dumbledore nodded happily.

"Before you called me to the hospital, I was enjoying an apple pie. Oh, it was delicious—"

Harry and Hermione watched as Professor Dumbledore picked through the box of snacks that Professor Not Hungry Reynolds handed over, then took a few pieces and held them in his palm.

"Come on, you're welcome, guys—"

Professor Brian brought the box to the four little wizards sitting on the sofa.

Not to mention the evening, Harry didn't eat anything the whole day.

But he didn't have as big an appetite as Professor Dumbledore, so Harry took a symbolic piece out of politeness and then stopped.

Hermione and Pansy only took one piece, but Malfoy did.

He, who was currently the biggest suspect, seemed to have a good appetite and he also took a lot of biscuits for himself.

"Thank you, Professor Blaine--"

Draco said thank you to Professor Braine in a depressed tone, and Professor Braine smiled meaninglessly, then turned and left to chat with Professor Dumbledore about a new paper published in "Transfiguration Today".

Every minute and every second that passed was so torturous.

Harry, sitting side by side with Hermione, pricked up his ears to listen to the noise outside the office.

He desperately hoped that someone would rush into the office the next second and tell them loudly that under Malfoy's bed, they found the wand that Malfoy had stolen, as well as his own dagger and Hermione's Felicity Potion. Oh, and there was also a spare wand that Malfoy had prepared in advance for all this!

Unlike Harry, Hermione squinted her eyes and stared at Professor Blaine and Professor Dumbledore who were warming themselves by the fire in front of the fireplace.

She looked at their backs, confusion in her clear brown eyes.

From time to time, Hermione would glance at Malfoy and Parkinson.

Different from the fearless look they showed in Professor Snape's office just now, Hermione could vaguely sense that Malfoy and Parkinson were a little nervous?

What are they nervous about?

There is no doubt that the ongoing search in the castle made Malfoy and Parkinson nervous. They had not expected that Professor Blaine would order a school-wide search in order to retrieve the wand?

Hermione turned her attention back to the backs of the headmaster and vice-headmaster of Hogwarts.

And her confusion about Professor Braine and Professor Dumbledore also came from this. Since she knew that if the staff fell into the hands of Vitia Cliona, the mysterious man would immediately have a new "warrior".

But Professors Blaine and Dumbledore didn't show any worry?
"Ahem, Professor Blaine—"

It is not a good habit to keep questions in your heart. After a little hesitation, Hermione put the biscuits on the coffee table and cleared her throat.

All eyes immediately fell on Hermione.

"Hermione?"

Amosta asked gently,

"Do you have any new clues to offer?"

"Oh, no--"

Hermione shook her head and bit her lower lip a few times.
"Do you think we can find the lost staff?"

Draco secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Granger was different from Potter and Weasley. Her brain had always been very useful.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I can't give you an answer until the search is over—"

Amosta said. "Oh, sure. But but--"

Hermione looked at the two professors carefully, her eyes showing intelligence.

"Oh, you and Professor Dumbledore didn't seem... er, I mean, you didn't seem too worried about the staff getting out of Hogwarts. I thought you thought it would be found."

"Oh, because my long life experience has taught me that--"

Professor Dumbledore laughed in a vicissitudes of life voice.

"There is no need to worry about things that haven't happened yet, Miss Granger -"

But the facts make the words of Professor Dumbledore, who is trusted by Harry, ridiculous.

The first to come in were Professor Snape and Professor Slughorn.
"Severus and I turned the Slytherin common room and the children's dormitories upside down, Albus, Amosta—"

Slughorn looked at them both worriedly and said,
"But nothing was found!"

Harry's face suddenly turned livid.

"Mr. Potter seems to think that we haven't checked carefully enough—"

Professor Snape saw the change in Harry's expression at a glance. He looked at Harry with a sarcastic smile.

"Perhaps, I should invite Mr. Potter to visit the Slytherin dormitory in person."

Harry stood up with a bang and told Snape with a look that showed no sign of weakness that this was exactly what he meant!

"I don't think Harry meant that, Severus -"

Amosta said calmly,

"In that case, I'd like to trouble you and Horace to ask the Slytherin students in the hall to go back and rest. It's so cold, if these children stay in the hall all night, Poppy will be busy tomorrow—"

Harry could only sit down again dejectedly.

Not long after, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout came in one after another.

They came with the same answer as Severus and Horace.

Finally, Filch limped in and said that he had checked many places in the castle, including the trophy room, the broom shed, and the owl shed, but still found nothing.

Harry didn't react at all, he had already expected this.

Malfoy and Parkinson also breathed a sigh of relief, as if celebrating that the suspicion on them had finally been cleared.

"In that case——"

After sending Filch away, Amos looked at the dark sky outside the room and said to the silent students,

"You guys go back and rest first. When Ron and Lavender wake up tomorrow morning, they may be able to provide us with some valuable clues—"

Several people stood up from the sofa and walked out of Professor Brian's office silently.

They walked for a while and entered a corridor with hollow corridors on both sides.

The drizzle still falls all over the world, and the chill of early winter is as sharp as a knife.

Harry suddenly stopped, and as if he had sensed something, Malfoy, who was walking quickly in front of him, also stopped, turned around and looked at Harry.

"Harry--"

Hermione thought Harry was going to explode, so she grabbed his sleeve and shook her head slightly.

But to Hermione's surprise, although his face turned a little pale, Harry did not get angry again.

In the dark wind and rain, the emerald green eyes and the light gray eyes reflected each other's expressionless face.

"You disappoint me, Malfoy—"

After a long silence, Harry said softly,

"I thought Professor Brain would change you a little bit. I thought you would be a little better than your Death Eater father--"

The gentle wind suddenly became fierce, and the tsunami-like gale ruffled the hair of several young people.

"Draco!"

Pansy screamed and subconsciously reached out her hand, but Draco rushed out like a wild horse and was in front of Harry in the blink of an eye.

"You understand nothing, Potter!"

Draco roared, his face flushed and his grey eyes sparkling. (End of this chapter)