novelcrest Chapter 364 Miss Daphne is a Good Dog
Chapter 364 Miss Daphne is a Good Dog
Chapter 364 Miss Daphne is a Good Dog
When Hermione and Daphne reached the door of Sean's office, they couldn't help but exchange a glance.
Hermione gripped her backpack strap tightly, took a deep breath as if to encourage herself, and then, mustering her courage, gently knocked on the door.
A moment later, the door opened, and Sean was sitting behind his desk, seriously considering the feasibility of adding goji berries to honey lemon black tea.
He looked up at the two of them upon hearing the sound.
"Miss Granger? Miss Greengrass?" Sean seemed somewhat surprised to see the two of them appear before him at the same time.
Is there something you need?
Hermione swallowed nervously and said, "Professor, I... I actually wanted to discuss Buckbeak's case with you."
She paused, glanced at Daphne standing beside her, and continued, "Hagrid's hearing failed, and Buckbeak is about to be executed. I'd like to know... is there any way to delay or change this decision?"
Upon hearing this, Sean's expression turned serious.
He put down his teacup, nodded slightly, and gestured for Hermione to continue.
Hermione continued, "I know this might sound difficult, but I know you worked at the Ministry of Magic for a while, so you might be more familiar with the hearing process... Is there any procedure or... loophole that can be exploited?"
For Hermione, this suggestion, like "seducing Professor Phillips," was not something she wanted to see; in other words, it didn't align with the principles she held dear.
But she is undoubtedly a flexible person.
She also changes her thoughts and behaviors when circumstances force her to take such action.
Sean paused for a moment, looking at Hermione thoughtfully.
He spoke slowly, "Miss Granger, you are indeed very clever to think of finding a breakthrough in the procedure... However, even if there is a loophole, the Ministry of Magic's procedures are very complex, and this is not an easy task."
Sean paused, glanced at Daphne, and continued, "However, I am gratified by your courage and determination."
This statement was pointed, but only to Daphne.
In her ears, those words were Sean's affirmation of her "keeping her promise"—"You did a great job bringing Hermione here."
So, Daphne's face turned pale and then red, but... these things didn't hurt her as much as she had imagined, as a Slytherin.
She didn't care at all about what happened to Hermione afterward.
She only cares about her own dignity...::... whether she can salvage and piece together her dignity in front of this despicable man.
After a moment, she forced a smile and added, "Professor, Hermione has gone to great lengths for this matter. She truly doesn't want to see innocent creatures harmed because of such injustice."
Sean nodded, looked at Daphne, and looked very satisfied.
Miss Daphne is a good dog, no, a competent hound—Sean Phillips Gold Certification.
"Alright," he said. "In that case, I'll see if I can buy you some time, at least give Buckbeak a chance to reconsider, but—I can't guarantee success."
Hermione's face lit up with hope, and she quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Professor! Your willingness to help is already the greatest help you can give!"
"Thank you, Professor," Daphne said with a smile, then turned slightly to Hermione and suggested, "Hermione, would you like to schedule a time with the Professor to discuss the next steps of the plan in detail?"
Hermione nodded, her anxiety lessening slightly.
She looked at Sean cautiously, a hint of expectation in her eyes, and asked, "Professor, when would be a convenient time for me to come and discuss this with you again?"
Sean smiled and nodded. "Next week, then. Easter is coming up, and we'll have plenty of time during the Easter holidays to study the details of the case carefully."
"Yes, Professor." Hermione's face showed a relieved expression.
Daphne stood to the side, secretly relieved.
It seems... the task Phillips gave her has ended so easily...?
night.
Filch—or rather, Sirius Black disguised as Filch—walked slowly into Sean's office with his characteristic indifferent expression.
He glanced around, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Looks like your office's quite lively today, Phillips."
Sean sighed, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and wondered if he should put up a ticket collection box at the entrance.
The number of visitors today has almost exceeded his expectations.
He asked in a slightly helpless tone, "Sirius, what brings you here? I don't recall having any plans to meet you today."
Sirius shrugged and said in a low voice, like Filch, "I heard you're involved in Buckbeak's case, so I came to see if there's anything I can do to help."
Sean raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Who spread the news? Let me guess, was it Ron?"
Sirius smiled noncommittally, a hint of cunning in his expression.
Sean nodded. "I guessed that was it. But I'm curious—as Filch, how exactly do you plan to help?"
Sirius leaned closer and whispered, "I'm not just someone who can impersonate Filch. If needed, I can—skillfully 'interfere' with certain document processes at the Ministry of Magic, or 'disappear' some crucial evidence in their archives, giving Buckbeak a greater chance of winning."
Sean narrowed his eyes slightly, considered for a moment, and then said, "This is indeed a plan, but we must proceed with caution. If anything goes wrong, I'm afraid Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic will not let you off easily."
Sirius nodded, his expression growing increasingly grave. "I understand, Phillips. I won't let anyone have any leverage over me. But I really hope to secure a way out for Buckbeak. However—I came to see you today about something else."
"Oh?" Sean raised an eyebrow slightly, revealing a curious expression.
Sirius lowered his voice and said, "Do you remember the two times I impersonated you and infiltrated the castle?"
"Of course I remember," Sean nodded.
A cold glint flashed in Sirius's eyes, and his tone was heavy: "I suspect that person is 'him'."
"What makes you think that way?"
Sirius Black moved closer, his voice barely audible: "He possesses superb disguise and deception skills, capable of evading Hogwarts' security system—something few can do. Moreover, his methods and objectives subtly point to that possibility."
Sean smiled slightly, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.
He lowered his voice and asked, feigning doubt, "Really? If it really is him, we might have to resort to some unconventional methods."
In fact, Sean had already had a vague suspicion.
What else could Voldemort have wanted to do by infiltrating Hogwarts and getting close to Harry?
Although the current plot has deviated from its original direction, it doesn't prevent him from guessing Voldemort's plan—he's going to be resurrected ahead of schedule.
A while ago, Ayers sent him a letter.
In London, the werewolves who have been cooperating with them on the black market seem to have made some unusual moves recently.
I don't know... whether this has anything to do with Voldemort.
"I have an idea," Sean said, feigning thought. "Perhaps we can turn the tables on them. If their target really is Harry, why not use that to lure them out?"
Sirius frowned, a hint of wariness in his eyes: "You mean, use Harry as bait? That's too dangerous."
Sean shook his head slightly, deliberately slowing his tone: "Not entirely. What if I disguised myself as Harry? Using Polyjuice Potion, I could appear in Harry's bedroom at night and quietly wait to see who would try to approach."
Sirius looked surprised, but quickly realized the feasibility of the plan.
However, he still seemed somewhat hesitant. "How about... we go and discuss this with Dumbledore?"
"And then tell them you're disguised as Filch?" Sean said sarcastically.
Sirius Black pursed his lips slightly upon hearing this, feeling a sting from Sean's words.
He was silent for a moment, then finally shook his head with a wry smile: "Well, Phillips, it seems you had this planned all along."
Sean's gaze softened. He patted Sirius's shoulder and said softly, "Sirius, Dumbledore has his own plans and considerations, but right now we have an opportunity—an opportunity to expose the enemy lurking in the castle. Besides, I will be careful in this operation and will not put anyone in danger."
Sirius's brow gradually relaxed, but a trace of worry remained in his eyes: "Alright, Phillips. But I'll keep watch in the shadows to make sure nothing unexpected happens. If anything goes wrong, I'll intervene immediately."
Sean smiled slightly and nodded in response, "With you protecting me in the shadows, I have even more confidence. However, we need to wait for the right opportunity to take action; after all, the enemy won't expose themselves easily."
"When does it start?" Sirius asked in a low voice, sounding impatient.
"The Easter holidays," Sean replied calmly. "At that time, Hogwarts students are enjoying their holidays, and there are more people coming and going, which is the easiest time for people to let their guard down."
He paused, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Besides—Easter—isn't the word 'resurrection' more fitting?"
The Easter holidays are anything but relaxing, especially for third-grade students.
No one had ever seen so much homework before; the pressure came like a flood.
Neville Longbottom looked like he was on the verge of collapse, and he wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed.
"Is this what they call a holiday?" Simon Finigan couldn't help but complain in the common room one afternoon. "Exams are still a long way off, what are they doing?"
However, no one is busier than Hermione.
Even though the divination classes were canceled, her schedule was still much busier than others.
She was always the last to leave the common room every night, but the first to arrive at the library every morning.
She now has the same dark circles under her eyes as Professor Lu Ping, and looks so haggard that she seems ready to cry at any moment.
Moreover, whenever she wasn't doing homework, she would bury herself in thick books, such as "The Hippogriff's Psychology Handbook".
"Rare Birds or Ferocious Beasts?" and "A Study of the Brutality of the Hippogriff".
Harry's time was compressed to the limit.
In addition to his daily Quidditch training, he also had to squeeze in his homework whenever he had a spare moment.
Not to mention he also had to deal with Wood's endless tactical explanations—the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match was scheduled for the first Saturday of the Easter holidays.
This match is crucial in determining the Quidditch Cup winner, as Slytherin leads by a full two hundred points, meaning Gryffindor must win by at least two hundred points to claim the trophy.
Wood constantly reminded the team of this fact, which meant that almost all the pressure fell on Harry's shoulders, because catching the Golden Snitch would earn them 150 points.
"So you can only take it when we're up by more than fifty points," Wood kept repeating to Harry. "Remember that, Harry."
We can only win if we're leading by more than fifty points; otherwise, we'll win the game but lose the trophy. Understand? You have to catch the thief, but only if we—”
"I know, Oliver!" Harry couldn't help but interrupt him.
All eyes in Gryffindor were focused on the upcoming competition.
Since the era of the legendary Charlie Weasley as Seeker, Gryffindor has never won the Quidditch Cup, and Harry doubts that anyone craves victory more than him.
His animosity with Malfoy had reached its peak.
Malfoy was still upset about throwing mud at Hogsmeade, and what angered him even more was that Harry had escaped punishment.
Harry hadn't forgotten the tricks Malfoy had played on him during the match against Ravenclaw, and Buckbeak's case only strengthened his resolve.
To utterly defeat Malfoy in front of the entire school's faculty and students.
No one can recall a match played under such a tense atmosphere.
After Easter, tensions between the two teams and the two colleges reached a near standstill.
Small-scale conflicts frequently broke out in the corridors. The most serious incident resulted in a Gryffindor fourth-year student and a Slytherin sixth-year student being admitted to the school hospital because chives grew in their ears.
This was a bit of a disappointment for the senior wizards from the academy.
They wanted to eat the chive dumpling recipe left behind by their senior, Phillips—even though the taste was a bit strong.
Harry's days were especially difficult.
When he went to class, Slytherin students would always deliberately trip him. Wherever he went, Crabbe and Goyle would always appear and retreat in tears when they saw him surrounded by people.
Wood ordered that Harry must be accompanied by someone to prevent Slytherin from sabotaging him and preventing him from participating in the competition.
The Gryffindor students eagerly took on the task, so much so that every time Harry entered the classroom, he was surrounded by a chattering crowd, almost making him late for class.