A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 626: Infiltration - (1)
Chapter 626: Infiltration
This was truly an awkward moment.
In hindsight, Harry thought that if he had knocked a bit slower, even just a second, they could have slipped away quietly or hidden in the pumpkin patch until Professor Slughorn left. But the reality was that, before his mind could weigh the pros and cons, his hand had already slammed heavily on Hagrid's wooden door.
The room fell suddenly silent.
Then they heard Hagrid's rough shout, "Who's out there?" Harry looked back, Ron awkwardly turned his head, staring at a string of drying mushrooms on the cottage wall, and Hermione avoided eye contact, fidgeting with her feet on the ground. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
In the end, Harry had to grit his teeth and say, "It's me, Hagrid. And Ron and Hermione, we've come to see you."
There was the sound of a breaking cup inside the house, followed by an exclamation of "Oh, Merlin!" This made Harry realize that Professor Slughorn was as surprised as they were, and Hagrid hadn't made a sound, either angry or possibly just unprepared for such a situation.
"Hagrid, we need to talk," Harry shouted from outside.
Hagrid finally opened the door, though he still looked furious and had a grim expression. Ron cleverly brought up the funeral – Harry wasn't sure if that was accurate, as Hagrid suddenly burst into tears, mourning not only for the poor Aragog (the eight-eyed giant spider Hagrid raised from a young age) but also because none of the three had chosen his advanced class.
"You heartless lot... after eating so many rock cakes... Oh, Aragog..."
Hermione tried to console the teary-eyed Hagrid forcefully. Harry and Ron, in their attempt to help him up, ended up being pressed breathless by his two overly broad arms. Harry's glasses were askew, and Ron rolled his eyes in an attempt to cope.
"Professor, do something quickly," Hermione sternly said to Professor Slughorn. The professor seemed to have been in an awkward situation from the beginning, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief several times. In hindsight, Harry thought that when Hagrid was scolding them, Slughorn's vocabulary was so rich that he alone couldn't have come up with it.
It's not hard to guess that Professor Slughorn must have provided quite a few "beautiful words" before their arrival.
Professor Slughorn stood up somewhat at a loss, waving his wand aimlessly. "Oh, oh, right... Haggardum Leviosa!" He raised his wand, pointing it at Hagrid. The pressure on Harry and Ron lifted, and they managed to push Hagrid, who was a bit dizzy, back onto the bed, while they sat on the floor gasping for breath, rubbing their aching ribs.
Hagrid sniffed, opened his wet eyes, and stared at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Slughorn in turn.
"I know... maybe you didn't have time..." Hagrid choked twice, his face reddening, "I'll go get some rock cakes." As soon as he sat down, Harry and Ron jumped up, desperately signaling to Professor Slughorn. Slughorn fumbled with his handkerchief, cleared his throat, and said, "Hagrid, we'd better go check on Aragog."
"You're right." Hagrid paused and stood up.
They went to the pumpkin patch behind the cottage, where there were sobs. Harry saw a creature as large as a carriage, the black hard fur now turned into soft gray, and its eight thick legs twisted strangely. Two horrifying large pincers pointed at the sky – it was Aragog, the eight-eyed giant spider. Harry had forgotten that Professor Snape had cast a spell on the Spider King. Seeing its appearance, he felt a bit uneasy.
Hagrid stumbled forward, knelt down, and accidentally crushed a pumpkin. Ron struggled not to laugh, shaking all over. Harry understood Ron's thoughts; his good friend had no liking for spiders. So, Harry stepped forward, cleared his throat, and thought about saying a few words of condolences. However, one of the large pincers suddenly twitched, startling Harry almost to jump.
"It's not dead?" Harry couldn't help exclaiming.
"Of course not," Hagrid said hoarsely, giving Harry a glare and muttering, "But it's about time. It hasn't eaten anything these past few days." As he spoke, he couldn't help shedding tears again. "Th-thanks to Professor Slughorn. H-he said he had seen similar funerals and was willing to help. Can... can you come when the time comes?" He looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione with clear eyes, asking soberly.
"Of course," Harry swore.
"That's great..."
Returning from Hagrid's cottage to the castle, Professor Slughorn walked ahead, turning back several times, seemingly wanting to say something. When they stood in the entrance hall about to part ways, Professor Slughorn finally turned around.
"Uh, kids," he fiddled with the last button of his vest, hesitatingly said, "I think I owe you an explanation... It's not right to speak ill of people behind their backs, but... Hagrid is really upset, and I thought, since you weren't around..."
"Forget it," Harry said, "We should have visited Hagrid long ago, and I really haven't written to you."
Professor Slughorn looked somewhat embarrassed, waving his hand. "It was just a joke... But misunderstandings are cleared now, right?" He became friendly and smoothly continued, "I'm planning a small gathering, only inviting some promising students, including Malfoy, the Greengrass sisters, McLaggen, Shacklebolt, Bones, and the charming Melinda Bobbin – don't know if you know her, she runs a large chain of apothecaries. And, of course, I would be honored if you three could grace the occasion."
"Well, I'm not sure if we have the time..." Harry racked his brain for an excuse. Perhaps scheduling a Quidditch practice on that day would be a good choice; he didn't want to endure another night of sweets and random celebrity stories.
"Don't even think about declining," Slughorn pretended to put on a stern face. "I'm counting on you three. If I let the three youngest Order of Merlin winners slip away, I'll be the laughingstock!" Then he played with the tip of his walrus-like mustache, smiling knowingly. "Don't worry; I've also invited Professor Flitwick. He taught you for five years, right? I've read some valuable papers he published in recent years..."
Harry listened with a blank expression; he really didn't want to go.
"...And Felix, the cunning little fellow, tried to decline like you, but I told him, given his schedule, he couldn't refuse this time." Slughorn patted Harry's shoulder, speaking with depth, "I understand; talented people are usually proud. But, how should I put it?" He twiddled his thumbs, "It's good to make more outstanding friends; you never know when they might come in handy... It's a deal."
Humming a tune, he disappeared down the stairs in the entrance hall.
"What do we do?" Harry stared at the shining bald head
until it disappeared, then asked in a hushed voice.
Hermione didn't speak, but after a moment of contemplation, she said gloomily, "I think Luna only wanted to express the concepts of 'liking' and 'focus.' If you can't do it like her, you can only study hard and practice diligently to become proficient."
"...Which is the same as saying nothing."
...
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