The Return to Hogwarts

"Wait for me here, Ron."

Having figured things out, Harry jumped up and ran towards his dormitory without looking back. He was going to get his Invisibility Cloak, and it was clear that he and Ron would be spending a little longer at the university hospital tonight.

It wasn't curfew yet, and there were still a few young wizards wandering around the castle, but Harry and Ron had already put on their magical invisibility cloaks. As they walked, their eyes would occasionally sweep across the ceiling of the corridor, as if pairs of hidden eyes were staring intently at them.

"What's your opinion on this, Harry?"

Strangely, Hermione didn't rush to express her opinion after hearing this shocking news. She sat on the bed with her arms crossed, speaking in a cautious tone.

Harry kept his head down and didn't speak, hesitation flickering in his emerald eyes. After a long while, he finally spoke in an uncertain tone.

"I don't think it's hard to accept."

"Are you crazy, Harry!" Ron, who was already brimming with complaints, stared at Harry in astonishment.

"Or did you not hear what Fred and George said about Blaine secretly monitoring everyone without prior notice? If such an infringement on freedom shouldn't be stopped, then I don't understand what 'despicable' means. By the way, I think Fred and George are very likely under control. They actually think this is funny?"

“There are plenty of things you don’t understand, Ron,” Hermione retorted bluntly. “Why can’t you try to see things from Harry’s perspective?”

From Harry's perspective?

Ron's eyes gleamed with a peculiar stupidity. He glanced at the annoyed Hermione, then at the troubled Harry, and suddenly felt his intelligence was falling short of the team's average.

"Can't someone please have some compassion and explain this to me?"

After a long while, still no one had offered an opinion, and Ron grumbled in annoyance.

“Is that even a question, Ron?” Hermione tapped the black hair on her face with her fingertips—a new and peculiar quirk she’d recently developed.

"Monitoring all the young wizards' daily activities without prior notice is certainly not a noble act, and it even violates the law, but Ron, you can't deny that it is indeed a very effective method, can you?"

If they could capture the heir to Slytherin, all the rumors surrounding Harry would instantly disappear, and he would no longer have to face those foolish accusations. Besides, do you think Mr. Blaine would resort to such methods without Dumbledore's and the heads of the houses' permission?

“At least, next time someone gets attacked, this stuff can at least prove my innocence,” Harry muttered, ashamed of his selfishness.

"I really don't want to have anything to do with this anymore."

Chapter 37 Doubts

Time always flies by silently, and in the blink of an eye, the first month of the second semester has come to an end.

No matter how thrilling or exciting the topic, it couldn't compare to the mundane routines of daily life. Amosta, who entered Hogwarts as a special investigator dispatched by the Board of Governors, did indeed cause quite a stir at the beginning.

However, due to his extremely low profile and the fact that two months had passed since the last attack, the topic of him was quickly abandoned, and some people even forgot that the school had gained a new investigator from Slytherin.

Of course, some believe that the reason the attacks did not continue was because the undercover investigators played a key deterrent role.

This couldn't be better for Harry.

People gradually stopped looking at him with suspicion. In fact, Malfoy, who had been arranging for Crabbe, Goyle, Daphne, Pansy, and others to take turns reporting Harry to Amos Tower's office since the second week of school, seemed to realize that his behavior was boring and began to back down.

Another piece of good news is that Hermione has finally gotten rid of her embarrassing black fur, and Madam Pomfrey told them that she is ready to officially discharge Hermione over the weekend.

Fred and George haven't been having a good time lately. Ever since they learned about Mr. Blaine's methods of monitoring the academy, they haven't dared to wander around the castle at night without restraint. Although Mr. Blaine seems like an easy person to talk to, that doesn't mean he can tolerate repeated provocations.

On Thursday evening at eight o'clock, Amosta was in his office watching Harry and Ron return to the Gryffindor common room and disappear from the images on the wall.

Now, nearly three weeks have passed since he posted that announcement, and even Amosta himself has to admit that this initial probe has almost officially failed.

What should I do next?

Should we release false information that the attacked wizard has regained consciousness, or should we continue to wait?

Amusta stared at the photo of him and his grandmother Ferrena on the table, and hesitated for a moment.

The glass mirror reflected a blurry but still recognizable young face that looked much more haggard than before. Amosta had to admit that he had underestimated the difficulty of the mission and the patience of his opponent.

Amosta's gaze shifted to the open letter above the notebook filled with complex spell models lying on the table. The letter had been delivered that afternoon, and the writer was Kakus Foley.

Dear Mr. Blaine,

I'm very sorry to bother you while you're completing your commission, Mr. Blaine, but there's something I think you might need to know.

Recently, an unknown force has suddenly appeared in the underworld. They are inquiring about the whereabouts and true identity of the 'Golden Viper'. Out of curiosity and vigilance, I conducted a little investigation and found that their leader is the same person who previously issued the mission to explore the magical ruins. At present, I have not yet figured out their purpose in finding the 'Golden Viper'.

Furthermore, as far as I know, Lucius Malfoy has been quite active recently and seems to be plotting to expel Albus Dumbledore from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Your faithful

Kakus Foley

Amosta stroked his fingers, his expression cold and his deep gaze sweeping back and forth over the brief words on the letter.

There's a group of people investigating 'Golden Viper?', that's really interesting!

Who could it be? Amosta pondered quietly. In the three years he had been operating in the underworld under the name 'Golden Viper', he had, to be honest, offended quite a few people for various reasons.

But if it's someone with whom you have a life-or-death grudge, it's nothing more than that pack of big, unruly dogs that rely on their tough skin and thick fur.

But since even Kakus couldn't figure out their identities, the people investigating the Golden Viper probably aren't those annoying werewolves, because those guys never bother to hide their identities.

Kakus provided too little information, and Amosta couldn't determine who had taken an interest in him. Aside from reminding himself to be vigilant, he didn't have a good way to deal with the situation for the time being.

As for the second point mentioned by Kakus, concerning Lucius Malfoy's plot to drive Dumbledore away, Amosta wasn't too concerned. Anyone with a brain would be unlikely to believe that Malfoy could do such a thing. The reason Kakus brought it up in the letter was simply as a subtle reminder.

Because the Malfoy and Greengrass families had strongly opposed sending investigators, if Lucius Malfoy had successfully managed to temporarily expel Dumbledore from Hogwarts, it would have meant that he himself would have been expelled immediately, and the mission to find the 'Slytherin Chamber of Secrets' would have been a complete failure.

After a soft sigh, Amosta rose and went to the bookshelf, pulling out a copy of the Daily Prophet delivered by owl on Monday morning from the bottom shelf.

The newspaper's main pages were mostly filled with news of peace and prosperity, with only one article, Rita Skeeter's sharp critique of the Muggle Protection Act, enacted last summer and now in effect for over half a year, being somewhat interesting.

However, Amosta did not take out the newspaper to savor the interesting remarks of the journalist who was famous for his acerbic, sarcastic, and nonsensical statements. He turned to page seven and stared at the announcement in the lower right corner, which occupied only a small space, lost in thought.

"Currently, upon the recommendation of the director of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Wounds and with the approval of the hospital's board of directors, Adaline Foley has been appointed as the head of the Department of Strange Bacterial Infections. It is understood that Ms. Foley joined St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Wounds as a therapist in September 1975 and has worked in the department for nearly eighteen years as of the date of this report."

Is this why Karkus Foley was so determined to take on the commission to find the Slytherin treasure?

Amostah's gaze deepened. At first, he thought the person who issued the commission was just a wizard or dark wizard from the underworld who coveted the Slytherin treasure, but now it seemed that things were not so simple.

Who could have issued this commission?

Amosta's mind raced through the names of a string of powerful officials in the Ministry of Magic, but he still couldn't find the answer.

Tap-tap--

A sudden knock on the door interrupted Amostella's thoughts. He glanced at the monitor and saw that the visitor was Professor Snape.

The nocturnal lifestyle was too strenuous, so during these days, Snape would occasionally come over to lend a hand when he had time, allowing Amosta to get some rest. However, he would usually send a message to Amosta beforehand, and never visited him directly like this.

Upon returning to school, Professor Snape displayed a very obvious aloofness towards him, which initially puzzled Amostella. However, after some reflection, he could understand it somewhat.

Professor Snape was probably afraid that if his former master were to return in triumph, he would likely find himself mired in trouble once again.

If too many people knew about his intimate relationship, he would be dragged down with him. Therefore, Professor Snape's deliberate coldness was probably actually a way to protect himself.

Still no new discoveries?

Snape, always in a hurry, strode into Amostella's office. He stared at the listless young man behind the desk, wondering if the subtle change in his perpetually sallow and stiff face was due to inhaling too much toxic fumes while brewing potions.

"It's obvious."

Amosta stood up, stretched lazily, and said in a languid tone, "You're here to cover for someone else?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore wants to see you,"

Snape's lips moved as he sneered, "Perhaps you should prepare to be fired, Amosta—"

Chapter 38 The Dark Lord's Curse

Since entering Hogwarts after Christmas, tonight is Amosta's second time entering Dumbledore's office. It's not that Amosta is so afraid of this greatest white devil of our time, but as the saying goes, it's not the thief you should be afraid of, it's the one who has his eye on you.

Amosta hadn't forgotten how Dumbledore had kept a close watch on him ever since he fought the Dark Witch in the Forbidden Forest in his fifth year.

The circular office hadn't changed much since my visit over a month ago, except that the phoenix, which was a fledgling when we last met, had now grown into a young adult, its entire body covered in brilliant golden-red feathers. At this moment, it was crouching in the brazier, fast asleep with its head hidden under its wings, and even the sound of Amosta's footsteps passing by couldn't wake it.

Dumbledore seemed to be replying to someone's letter, and when he saw the slightly tired Amostella walk in, the light in his blue eyes was much gentler than when they first met.

“Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore. I hope I haven’t disturbed you,” Amostella nodded in greeting. “I heard from Professor Snape that you seem to have something to discuss with me.”

"Ah, that's true,"

Dumbledore gestured for him to sit down, his expression all smiles, but his tone carried a hint of reproach. "I'm sorry, Amostall, I'm afraid I don't have any decent wine to offer you this time, and besides, given your mental state, I don't think you're fit to drink any more alcoholic beverages."

Amosta smiled but didn't say anything. He could tell that the old man was up to no good!

The small talk was nothing new. Dumbledore expressed his heartfelt gratitude for Amossta's noble act of staying up all night and working diligently to protect the young wizards for many days, and subtly expressed his concern for Amossta's current physical condition, as well as asking if Amossta needed to rest for a while.

Why should I rest? Could it be that something unknown has happened that made Dumbledore decide to expel me from school early?

“Thank you very much for your concern, Headmaster Dumbledore,” Amosta said cautiously, unwilling to utter another word.

"Catching the perpetrator of the attack is a task assigned to me by the school board. I must be responsible for my work and the safety of the young wizards. I will not leave my post without authorization until the perpetrator is brought to light."

“Oh, what a noble sense of responsibility. The safety of the young wizards is indeed important, but, Amosta, your health is equally important to me.” Dumbledore seemed moved by Amosta’s reply. He blew his nose, took off his glasses, and wiped the moisture from inside.

“Severus and Minerva have mentioned it to me several times. They have expressed their concerns about your overly dedicated work style. They both hope that you can be less stressed and that even if a new attack occurs, it will not be your responsibility.”

Amosta frowned, somewhat puzzled. Dumbledore had summoned him just to express his gratitude?

"--Millera, in particular, believes that, given the lack of further leads, it's better to... cough cough, she told me she mentioned it to you once during the Christmas holidays. Oh, speaking of which, I'm quite ashamed. She seemed to think the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I found wasn't very competent and was hindering the young wizards' studies."