Harry Potter and the Burnt Badger

Cedric pursed his lips, pulled Qiu farther away, and then continued: "It's different, um... I couldn't explain it for a while. In short, Yaerlin and I discovered Things have been a little off with Moon this semester, he's been feeling really low and it's getting more and more low."

"In addition, I took the opportunity to ask Hesper and Quaid yesterday before going to training. Moon's condition was very poor for most of the summer vacation. He was often listless and couldn't rest well at night. Even sometimes My face has been pale all day, and once again I fell asleep in the garden in broad daylight."

"The most important thing is that when he woke up from a nightmare last night, he stood sluggishly beside the bed, looking at the rain outside the window. He stood there for half an hour without saying a word. It's like... I lost my soul. To be honest, I was frightened. If he hadn't taken a drink of water and then went back to bed and lay down, I would have gone straight to Professor Sprout. .”

Seeing the worried look on Cedric's face, and after thinking about these words carefully, Qiu's expression gradually changed from confusion to worry. She gently grabbed Cedric's hand and whispered: "Then What do you think now?"

"It's like this. I discussed it with Arlin, because Munn had a similar situation before, and it lasted for a long time. We both felt that we couldn't sit still and wait for death." Cedric looked to both sides. Then he continued: "That's why I said before that the girl in your academy doesn't have to wait for recruitment. I directly asked Munn to add her. Of course, you don't need to help me with this matter, but I want to Go and talk to Violet more."

"Huh? You want me to get some information from Violet? But shouldn't you just tell Violet about this? She won't help, right?" Qiu was stunned again. Some people didn't understand Cedric's thinking.

"You are right, but Violet and Moon are too close." Cedric said with a wry smile: "If we directly tell Violet what we are doing, if she shows it, Mu En will find out soon. By that time, I'm afraid that Moon will deliberately pretend to be fine in order not to worry Violet. Believe me, he is very likely to be able to do it."

"Okay..." Qiu smoothed her black hair down on her shoulders and was about to say something else when Gal's voice suddenly came from the other side of the large classroom. Although the voice was not loud and it didn't sound very real, it should be. Calling Cedric's name.

Cedric turned around quickly, responded loudly, and then looked at Qiu. "Anyway, I'm leaving it to you, Violet. Qiu, just ask to see if Moon behaved strangely during the summer vacation." That’s good.”

Qiu nodded solemnly, and immediately returned to the door of the large classroom with Cedric.

…………

Compared to the previous semester, there were significantly fewer people participating in the Duel Club assessment this semester.Of course, this is not because the duel club has "fallen out of favor", but because most of the current students who are interested in the duel club have already passed the assessment last semester. Most of those who came to participate this semester failed last semester. , and some relatively confident second-year wizards.

In addition to Ginny, Neville and others, there is also a familiar face of Munn present today to participate in the assessment, that is Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw, and the assessment she chose is exactly that of Munn. one.Unfortunately, although she was not deceived in Munn's assessment, she also failed to avoid the box that suddenly appeared next to her, resulting in failure.

However, the little girl herself didn't care at all about this. She just smiled and said that she probably still needed a little training. Then she thanked Munn, turned around and skipped out of the big classroom.

This made Moon's terrible mood today a little more interesting.

Luna was the last group of people to come in to take part in the assessment, and she was also the only one - I don’t know if it was because no one wanted to take the assessment with this little girl who was always nervous, or if she just happened to be alone. that one.

After she left, Moon quietly removed all the boxes, and then took down the surrounding curtains.Sirius and Professor Flitwick were standing next to him, waiting for him to go out together to announce the end of the assessment. He glanced out the window and saw that the rain had not stopped, but had become lighter.

As a result, my mood dropped a bit further.

Rainy days are rainy days.

Last night's dream was also a rainy day. He stood on the roof of the hospital and was stabbed forcefully from behind by his father again and again until blood spattered everywhere, even staining his father's white shirt red.

Then begins the endless fall, fall, fall.

Someone was calling his name, and it was the voice that could not be heard clearly, and there were all kinds of messy sounds - the harsh beeping of instruments, the disorganized voices, the crisp "Grangle" sound, There was also inexplicable laughter.

This time, he remembered his dream, even the pain at the end of the dream when he fell to the ground and turned into a bloody mud.

However, the feeling that something very important had been forgotten became stronger.

He rubbed his temples in silence, and then forced a smile on his face, "Let's go, Professor Black, Professor Flitwick, it's time for us to go out."

The two professors looked at each other, but neither of them responded directly. Instead, they both took two steps towards Munn. "Are you okay, Munn? Your face doesn't look... very good."

"It's okay. I didn't sleep well last night. I just have a little headache." Moon sighed. "It rained too hard and it was very noisy."

It sounds like a reasonable explanation, of course, after all, he has used it several times during the vacation that just ended.

Seeing this, the two professors said nothing more and took Moon out of the large classroom, officially announcing the end of the assessment to the young wizards.

When friends gathered around, Moon's slightly pale face naturally attracted their attention. After all, when he first came out in the morning, his face even looked better.Fortunately, the same rhetoric can be used a second time. After a brief explanation, Moon took the initiative to tell the others that he was going back to catch up on his sleep, and then took the lead to return to the common room alone and got into the dormitory. .

The so-called not sleeping well was not just prevarication. He did not sleep well. In fact, he had not fallen asleep since the nightmare, which started around two o'clock in the morning.

Slowly leaning on the soft pillow, Moon waved his hand and lowered the bed curtain. Then, after much hesitation, he opened the buckle bag on the bedside table and took out the box containing the Horcrux.

"Click-" The box was slowly opened, and the hinge used to connect the box body and lid made a slightly dull sound.

Moon looked at the ring uncertainly - the familiar desire and greed were constantly emerging in his heart, and became increasingly stronger, even stronger than the day he first saw the Horcrux. After all, the distance between the two parties was too close at this time.But the problem is that Munn still has no urge to wear the ring, and this temptation has not completely overwhelmed Munn's head.

He couldn't help but wonder whether his abnormality in the past few months was due to this Horcrux, or whether it was because he was emotionally unstable due to nightmares during the vacation and was taken advantage of by the Horcrux. entry, causing this instability to continue until now, and even triggering various more intense problems.

But now, facing this ring in person again, he was almost completely sure: his abnormality had nothing to do with this Horcrux. What existed on this Horcrux was pure desire and temptation, not pain and torture.

Let alone let him have this kind of lingering, lingering... haze in his heart.

Chapter 39 The Crow Party Reappears

Before they knew it, as the little wizards were rushing to class day after day, a full two weeks had slipped away.

It's another brand new Monday, September 9th. A piece of "Daily Prophet" suddenly dropped a huge boulder on the water that was gradually calming down——

After two months, the wizards of the Crow Party launched another large-scale attack.They brazenly broke into a Muggle town inhabited by several wizarding families, and attacked without any scruples. Most of the wizarding families did not escape, and they were all killed in the attack.What's more important is that most of the Muggles in the town died in the big explosion caused by the Crow Party wizards before they left. Only one or two out of ten people were lucky enough to survive.

The Muggle government was unable to find a reasonable explanation, and ultimately could only characterize the incident as a chain reaction caused by a pipeline explosion.The "Daily Prophet" wrote out the incident exactly as it was, and even the number of dark wizards who took action and what they did were restored one by one.

Because those dark wizards did not flee and disappear after the attack. Instead, they went directly to the nearby wizard tavern and started drinking.There is no doubt that within 10 minutes, they were all traced by the Aurors who arrived as early as possible and were arrested directly.

But this is obviously not something to be proud of, and not only is it not something to be proud of, it actually feels like a slap in the face of the Ministry of Magic.

The entire top management of the Ministry of Magic was furious because of this incident. Ms. Bones immediately issued a death order, requiring the Aurors to find out why these dark wizards acted and what was hidden behind them, no matter what means they used. What a conspiracy.Unfortunately, for some reason, after the interrogation began, the wizards responsible for the interrogation were shocked to find that the memories in the minds of these dark wizards were all fragmented, with no possibility of recovery.

Then there is naturally no way to investigate.

Words like this would almost certainly not have been published in the original Daily Prophet.But this time, the article published in the "Daily Prophet" not only talked about this thorny problem, but also openly issued a reward to the entire magical world to solicit useful clues.

There is no doubt that Ms. Bones intends to put aside the face of the Ministry of Magic, and give the highest priority to solving the problem.

This method cannot be said to be good or bad: if the Ministry of Magic can solve the problem within a certain period of time, then this approach is a good thing. It will not only restore the credibility of the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet, but also allow everyone to see what is happening today. The determination of the Ministry of Magic on these matters; but if there is no final conclusion on this matter...

At that time, what awaits the Ministry of Magic will be another collapse of credibility, and a hat with the word "trash" written on it will be placed on the Ministry of Magic's head.And at least in the next few years, they won't be able to pick it off again.

Moon closed the copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand, put it aside, and then quietly ate breakfast.

He thought of the letter he had received last night - the letter sent all the way by the emerald green bird.

In fact, it was not so much a letter as it was just a piece of paper. There was no signature or address on it, just a small piece of parchment that said "Our opportunity has come."

But whether it was the familiar handwriting on the note or the emerald green bird, it was clear to Moon that the owner of this message was Rodriguez, who had been out of contact for some time.

He slowly put the last piece of pie into his mouth and sat up straight.

"Moon, that news in the Daily Prophet..." Cedric also put down his copy of the newspaper at this time, and then said to Munn worriedly: "If it is really a member of the Crow Party, Then will they think of ways to take revenge on your family?"

The other little wizards also looked over, curiously waiting for Munn's answer, but Munn just shook his head slightly, and then sat there without saying a word, seemingly lost in thought.

Cedric, Gal and Arlin looked at each other, and they all saw a bit of worry in each other's eyes.

Moon was getting worse and worse. In the past two weeks, he had had nightmares three times, and each time the movement was loud.He has become more and more taciturn at ordinary times. Although when others take the initiative to talk to him, he seems to be normal, talking and laughing, but once he quiets down, he becomes inexplicable...

Cedric couldn't think of any accurate words for a while. Perhaps, indifference was a very appropriate adjective, but Cedric didn't want to associate this word with Moon.

And based on the several years of getting along day and night, he could instinctively feel that Moon was not deliberately showing indifference, but rather seemed to be restraining himself.

His investigation was temporarily at a deadlock. Violet could not give any useful answers. She only said that everything was normal when Moon corresponded with her during the summer vacation, and there was nothing unusual about the day he went out to play. There was nothing new for Hesper and Quaid. After all, they had already told everything they knew about Moon's summer vacation from the very beginning.

For a short time, Cedric could only hope that his method of keeping Moon social would have some effect.He knew that this method would definitely not make Munn better, but even if it could just give Munn more life, he felt it should be good.

As for the rest...if he still couldn't make any progress, Cedric felt that he might need to ask the professors for help.

The first class on Monday morning is History of Magic. I have to say that maybe it’s because the upcoming OWLs have given the fifth-grade Hufflepuff wizards a little more sense of crisis, or maybe they are just simply dissatisfied with Binns. The professor's hypnosis created a certain resistance.In short, in this year's History of Magic class, the number of people still sleeping on the table dropped sharply, even to less than half.

If Munn, who had always been unable to sleep well, had not suddenly joined in and became a member of the sleeping army, Cedric would be happy to call this a major improvement for the academy.

After the History of Magic class ended, they had to pack their backpacks in a hurry and rush to the greenhouse to start their Herbology class.

Professor Sprout still wears her old patched hat, and she smiles most of the time. Unless some little wizard does something outrageous and stupid in class, this gentle wizard can The witch lost her temper a little.Fortunately, everyone's performance in the recent classes has been pretty good.

"I have to say, although I don't know how many of you will continue to apply for advanced courses in Herbalism after the OWLs exam -" Professor Sprout played with the potted plant in front of her to demonstrate to everyone, "But, Please remember that Herbology will always be by your side throughout your future career as a wizard. This is true whether you work as an Auror, or stay at home as a housewife or husband."

"So, don't neglect this course. Even if you don't plan to continue studying herbalism in the sixth and seventh grades, you should still pay attention to the knowledge in this last school year."

Professor Sprout has said these words since the first herbal medicine class of this semester, and even the wording is exactly the same as today.The young wizards of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw looked at the chubby witch and suddenly felt that she was not optimistic about how many young wizards they could keep in the class next year.

But to be honest, herbal medicine is not a popular choice among people’s further education courses.

"Okay, everyone, that's it. Now, you should deal with the shrub in front of you by yourself." Professor Sprout took off her gloves and clapped her hands hard. "Quick, everyone move, we don't want to Too much time should be wasted on shrubs, and there won’t be that much time for us to waste this year.”

The little wizards got busy as instructed, and for a while, the only sounds left in the greenhouse were the sound of people pruning branches, cutting leaves, and playing with plants.

…………

After finally getting through the lunch break, everyone who was exhausted from the bushes said goodbye to Professor Sprout immediately, and then quickly ran towards the auditorium. Naturally, Moon and others were no exception, following the get out of class. A stream of people walked out together.However, just as he arrived at the door of the greenhouse, Hesper suddenly emerged from nowhere.

"Brother Moon! Violet! This way!" She waved her arms, holding several beautiful dark green envelopes in her hands.

After several people walked over, Hesper first smiled and said hello to everyone, and then glanced at Moon with a slightly worried look - according to Cedric's idea, she shouldn't actually do this, but She was indeed worried about Moon, and unlike others, Hesper knew very well that her brother was a natural Legilimency.

As long as she was worried, she would not be able to hide it from Moon.

After noticing that Munn's face was getting paler and that he had lost weight in just over half a month, Hesper sighed quietly in his heart, and then handed the envelopes in his hand to each with a smile. Moon, Violet and Cedric.

"Professor Slughorn asked me to deliver a letter to you. He has prepared a small party tonight and invites you to come and attend."

Arlin's arrogant nature broke out again. He really wanted to ask, 'Why didn't you invite me?', but after glancing at Munn, he swallowed the words back.

Now is not a good time to say that, isn't it?

Chapter 40 The time is coming

The first person to refuse was not Moon, but Violet. She took a look at the envelope and then shook her head slightly, "But we can't go. We have to go to astronomy class tonight."

Hesper shrugged, "It should have been like this, but Professor Sinistra took a leave of absence and seemed to be ill, so there are no astronomy classes in the school this week."

Before anyone else could speak again, Cedric responded first: "Okay, we are sure-"

"I won't go." Moon handed the envelope back to Hesper's hand and said with a smile: "I'm busy with my own things tonight, so I'm afraid I won't have time to attend Professor Slughorn's small party. , remember to say sorry to him for me."

Inexplicably, after just these words, everyone suddenly fell into silence.

A few seconds later, it was Cedric who was the first to say, "Moon, it's time for you to come out to chat and do activities with everyone. In the past two weeks, you haven't even been to the school newspaper office, and you haven't been in the common room with anyone." Everyone sits together, and every day besides the classroom is the dormitory. If this continues..."

"Don't worry, I..." Munn spoke softly, but just after saying a short sentence, he was restrained by the looks of everyone looking at him.

He shook his head slowly, but a hint of warmth was injected into his heart. "Okay, I'll go, but I may have to be late."

"Ha." Cedric clenched his left hand hard in his pocket, and then said with a smile: "It's up to you, as long as you don't go there for the last five minutes and say goodbye to everyone."

Ya'erlin's blazing fire finally found a direction to spurt out. He blinked and said disdainfully: "It's as if you can accept Munn's arrival on the scene with 6 minutes left."

Everyone, including Moon, couldn't help laughing at his words.Only Cedric was speechless for a while, his handsome face filled with embarrassment.

Fortunately, no matter what, Moon was finally willing to come out and have some social activities with more people. When he thought of this, Cedric suddenly felt that it didn't matter anymore.

Besides, if you really think about it, he was the one who tricked Yaerin first this semester.

I just don’t know how this guy can still talk so much when he already has an extraordinary female dick to accompany him and lift each other up every day... What a magical guy.

…………

Throughout lunch time, including Professor Flitwick’s Charms class in the afternoon, the little wizards of Hufflepuff seemed extremely happy - the news that Professor Sinister had taken a week’s leave spread like wildfire, and it didn’t take long for him to Reached everyone's ears.

Then, as soon as the Charms class ended, everyone immediately transformed into wild dogs, running towards the common room shouting with joy.

"You guys go back and change your clothes first. Don't wait for me. I'm going to get something. Let's meet directly at Professor Slughorn's place." Halfway through, Moon called a few roommates and Violet. He said hello, then turned and walked into the bathroom next to him.

Although they were a little confused, over the past few years, several people had become more or less accustomed to Moon's mysterious behavior from time to time, so they did not force themselves to wait for him outside the bathroom door and walked directly back to the dormitory.

On the other side, after entering the bathroom, Moon washed his hands first, looked at his increasingly unfamiliar face in the mirror, and then entered the side compartment expressionlessly.

Everything is getting more and more wrong, but at this time...

He forcibly suppressed the boiling malice in his heart, activated his teleportation technique, and came to the cave with his statue in the Forbidden Forest.

Someone is waiting for him here.

"Debra, right?" Moon walked empty-handed to the depths of the cave, in front of the stone prison that he had just used the transformation technique to create yesterday evening. He looked quietly into the cage with a calm face, but there was something in his heart. A witch full of fear.

Debra, who was wearing a dark cloak, nodded slowly, and then said coldly: "Are you going to betray your alliance with Rodriguez?"

"Tsk..." Munn sneered, and the wand suddenly slipped from his sleeve into his hand. The next moment, as he waved the wand gently, countless sharp stone thorns suddenly stabbed out of the stone prison. It didn't stop until it was less than 10 centimeters in front of Debra who was hanging in the air.

"Even if I kill you and throw your head on Rodriguez's desk, he will not say 'no' to me." Moon looked into Debra's eyes, the coldness in them Debra couldn't help lowering her head, "If you do this again, I will never let you fly."

For some reason, even though the person standing in front of her was a young wizard who had not even graduated from Hogwarts, Debra felt that he was not simply threatening her, but that he was really...

do as promised.

What Moon said was right, she was just jealous - she knew very well that in the alliance, or in other words, the transaction between Rodriguez and Moon, Rodriguez had more interest in Moon. The one who needs it.After all, so far, all the pressure from the Crow Party has been exerted by Moon again and again. It is precisely because of this pressure that Rodriguez can successfully seize this opportunity and promote the final blow to the Crow Party.

Not to mention killing her, with Rodriguez's enthusiasm for witnessing the destruction of the Crow Party with his own eyes, I am afraid that Rodriguez can agree to all the requests of the young man in front of him before the behemoth completely collapses.No matter how many twists and turns, no matter how many tests, the final answer must be 'yes'.

"Raise your head and look at me." Moon's voice was still calm, but there was an unquestionable toughness in his words.

Debra raised her head again, hiding the fear in her heart as much as possible, allowing herself to keep looking at Moon.

Fortunately, she has done this too many times in front of Rodriguez over the years.Otherwise, Debra doesn't think she can muster this courage right now.