Chapter 309 Flying Crucible

The school hospital is brightly lit. The Weasley brothers appear to have grown out of their obsession with sour lollipops and are hosting a small, quiet banquet of chocolate frogs - mostly provided by Cedric's hospital bedside table. Colorful paper airplanes folded from candy wrappers flew around the white hospital bed and bed curtains.

Harry had woken up and was half leaning on the bed. Hermione and Ron sat beside his bed, their heads together, discussing something.

"It's Snape." Ron said firmly, swallowing the chocolate in his mouth with difficulty, "He hates you, remember? And I bet he wouldn't care about missing a cauldron."

Hermione pointed out: "But, he is a professor! He also helped Madam Pomfrey confirm that the water in the cauldron fragments is indeed the water of life and death."

"I don't think it's Snape this time," even Harry said.

Ron said: "Seriously, Hermione, you just don't want to believe that professors can be bad people! Remember what Sirius said?" He glanced at Fred and George's beds to confirm that they No longer listening, he retracted his head and said, "Snape is a Death Eater!"

"That's right, Ronald, I just don't want to believe that professors can be bad people." Hermione said sharply, "You must be extremely smart to be able to do more than Hogwarts' background checks, hiring procedures, and multiple reviews. Be wise and know more about the professor’s past experience than the parents who send their children to the school.”

Anthony wasn't sure he should tell her that Hogwarts didn't have those things.

"I must talk to Sirius." Professor McGonagall whispered, walking to Harry's bedside.

Her appearance surprised all three of them. Ron hurriedly hid the empty shell of the chocolate frog behind Harry's pillow, while Hermione clutched a few chewy honey wrappers tightly. Anthony saw Fred and George stuffing several bottles of what looked like butterbeer into Cedric's quilt in the next bed.

"I've heard what happened, Potter." Professor McGonagall said, acting as if she didn't notice the rustling in the school hospital. "But tell me, did you see the attacker?" ? "What's going on?"

The ward fell silent. The students lying on the bed were quietly listening to the conversation here.

Harry hesitated for a short moment and then told Professor McGonagall that just after they visited Hagrid and walked under the castle, he felt something flying towards him.

"I dodged," Harry said, "but it chased me, turned a corner, and hit me." He put his hand into his messy hair and touched the back of his head.

"Wait, George..." Fred said as he lay on the bed, "Does this sound familiar?"

George rolled over, eyes still closed. "Hmm, I don't know. It sounds like a Bludger."

"Like a crazy Bludger," said Fred.

"Like a Bludger going crazy during the Gryffindor-Slytherin game."

Ron shouted as if he suddenly realized: "It's Malfoy! Malfoy wants to kill you, Harry!"

"That's nothing new," said Harry.

Madam Pomfrey opened the door and placed the tray next to the cabinet.

"If you feel that you have recovered, you can leave." She opened the cabinet door and put bottles of potions in without looking at the students. "If you - feel - you - have recovered. ”

The Weasley twins closed their mouths and began to snore long and evenly.

"And you," Madam Pomfrey said to Ron and Hermione, "you have definitely been here for more than twenty minutes. Get out of here quickly."

As they were leaving, Ron said to Hermione, "I knew it was Malfoy!"

"Oh, really?" said Hermione, "I believe I remember you saying that too."

…

Madam Pomfrey seemed much gentler when facing Professor McGonagall and Anthony. She finished arranging the potion cabinet, chatted with them a few words, watched Harry drink another bottle of potion, opened the eyelids of several students to check whether they were still affected by the remaining potion, and confiscated Weasley. The twins had butterbeers and then retired to her little room.

As soon as she closed the door, Harry asked: "Professor McGonagall, hasn't Dobby left Hogwarts yet?" His eyebrows wrinkled slightly in confusion, "I remember he made a fuss during the last Quidditch match. After one scene..."

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips: "No, Potter, according to precedent, students can bring their house elves to school to protect them. The school board believes that the elf just overjudged the situation on the Quidditch pitch. , just the young master who loyally protects him."

Harry couldn't help but sit up straight, raised his voice and said, "But Dobby..."

"So, Malfoy will be punished -" Professor McGonagall interrupted him without any argument, "-after confirming that the attacker is really the house elf. As long as a house elf still belongs to his master, The master should be responsible for what the elf does," she said sternly, "If you don't want Poppi to come in, don't yell at me."

Harry leaned back on the bed, still looking unconvinced.

"Get some rest, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall's tone softened slightly, "We will confirm who did it. All you have to do is recover as soon as possible."

Anthony asked: "Mr. Potter, if I remember correctly, was Dobby the elf who used magic at your aunt and uncle's house during the holidays?"

"Yeah, that's him," Harry said. "I think he's really determined to kick me out of Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall asked: "When did this happen?"

"Just before the start of school." Anthony said, "Mr. Potter even received a warning letter from the Ministry of Magic for this."

Professor McGonagall's expression surprised Anthony.

"Does Albus know?" she asked sharply.

Harry said in surprise and caution: "I didn't tell Professor Dumbledore..."

"I think he knows," Anthony said. "Yes, he knows. But..."

"Excellent," said Professor McGonagall. "Don't worry about the elf, Potter."

She quickly walked out of the campus hospital, apparently planning to have a talk with Dumbledore. Anthony had no time to tell her that both he and Dumbledore believed that Dobby might have broken into the Muggle community just because he knew Anthony's identity.

He and Harry looked at each other.

He believed that Dumbledore would tell Professor McGonagall that if only Dobby stayed at Hogwarts for a while, he would know that Anthony was an unconventional - albeit true - necromancer and give up his protection. Leigh Potter's plan... Of course, on the other hand, maybe this elf is really loyal to the Malfoy family, pretending like a spy that he respects Harry Potter very much, and takes all the blame on himself On the body... But Coco said that it is difficult for an elf to lie to a wizard...

"Professor Anthony?" Harry asked.

"What's wrong?" Anthony came back to his senses.

"Dobby..." said Harry, "What will happen to Dobby?"

"Probably expelled from school, I guess." Anthony said, "Hogwarts is a magical castle. If it really wants to reject a house elf, I don't think it will fail."

Harry said, "Okay."

…

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Potter?" Anthony asked before leaving, "Another blanket?"

Considering that Dobby might still have thrown down a cauldron to protect the great Harry Potter from the threat of the undead, Anthony felt somewhat guilty.

Harry shook his head: "No, Professor Anthony..." He lay down, shrank into the quilt, and then paused, "Uh."

"What's wrong?" Anthony asked curiously, holding the door handle.

"Nothing," Harry said quickly.

Anthony looked at him confirmingly, but saw no problem. He was about to leave when Fred or George said: "Professor Anthony?"

"Um?"

"Can you do us a favor?" said the red-haired fourth year Gryffindor.

Anthony asked: "What?"

"Sour lollipop," said the other Weasley, "I still want a sour lollipop."

"I want it too." Another student pretending to sleep next to them opened his eyes, "I want five!"

Anthony said, "No." He knocked on the door of the small room next to him. "I think you should come out and take a look, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey responded, clinking away her tray. As the small door creaked, Harry whispered, "Professor, Professor Anthony!"

"Mr. Potter?" Anthony asked, stepping closer.

Harry glanced in Madam Pomfrey's direction and said, "Can you help me with a vanishing spell, Professor Anthony?"

He pulled out a pile of empty chocolate frog shells and cards from under his pillow. Dumbledore was smiling at them on the card.