Harriet Potter

The next day, I hurriedly told Ron and Hermione about the content of Dumbledore's new lesson and the tasks he left for me at breakfast. Since Hermione's schedule was too full, we couldn't get together until the evening. Discussing the matter, by this point Hermione and I had both suffered setbacks separately.

"I didn't find any detailed introductions about Horcruxes!" She sat down next to me and Ron, so shocked that she forgot to be angry at me for using the prince's knowledge to cheat potions class again today. "I've spent hours digging through the catalogs of books I haven't read in the first section, even looking for the scariest books, the ones that teach you how to brew the scariest potions - none !I only found this in the preface to The Most Poisonous Magic, listen - 'The horcruxes, the most evil of magical inventions, are not to be discussed or guided here'... so why bother? ?”

She snapped the old book shut, and it wailed ghostly.But Hermione obviously didn't admit defeat. When she stuffed "Toxic Magic" into her school bag, I saw that the bag was full of several old tomes.

"There's no hope for Slughorn," I said gloomily. "He almost cursed me when I asked him if he knew about Horcruxes."

"Of course it won't work for you to ask directly like that." Hermione said unceremoniously, "Even Dumbledore dared to tamper with the memory when he asked for it. How could he tell you so easily?"

"Then what should I do, give him a love potion?" I asked angrily.

"Oh, I don't know, why don't you ask the prince who came up with the coprolith trick?"

"Hermione—"

"But that's really weird," Ron interrupted hastily, "Why does Dumbledore think Harry can get a memory that he can't get by himself?"

"He may have discovered that Harry has special influence over Slughorn," Hermione replied. "Didn't he take Harry to persuade Slughorn to reinstate him?"

"And he probably found me more useful when I didn't know anything," I muttered.

"Don't think so, Harry!" said Hermione, "Dumbledore just has his own agenda."

"He has his own plans," Ron continued, receiving a glare from Hermione. "Wish we knew what a Horcrux really is and why Young You-Know-Who wants it so much. But do you guys think there's anything wrong with Slughorn? I mean, anything that the most evil spellbooks deem too evil , but the mysterious man thinks that he will understand something, isn’t it strange? And he was also the dean of the mysterious man.”

"You mean You-Know-Who might still be in touch with him?" Hermione asked.

"It's not impossible. He has been retired for so many years, how could he suddenly agree to come back to teach at this juncture?" Ron said. "And if he was Malfoy's boss, that would explain a lot of things. Like why Malfoy didn't ask Snape for help."

That's a possibility I hadn't thought of before. "He had been hiding from Voldemort for more than a year before, and Dumbledore had a hard time finding him."

"That's just him saying that, isn't it? Maybe he wants to be found," Ron mused. "And where did Malfoy get so many Polyjuice Potions?"

"There's a big tank in the basement, it's not hard to steal it," said Hermione.

"What does Slughorn want so much Polyjuice Potion for?"

"I still don't think it's possible." I frowned. "Slughorn doesn't look like the kind of guy who would commit murder, I mean, he's smart but..."

"—he didn't have that guts," Hermione continued, "but Dumbledore also said he was a brilliant Occlumency practitioner, so he needs you to ask for that memory."

"Maybe it's a secret mission, and Dumbledore wants Harry to find out about Slughorn," said Ron thoughtfully.

Hermione disagreed, "I don't think Dumbledore would let Harry take that risk if he really had doubts."

Sadly though, of all the adventures Dumbledore thought I should take, this one probably didn't rank high.I didn't express this idea, and we discussed it for a while. There were not many people left in the common room. We all agreed to find a way to find out what the Horcrux is, and we can wait for Slug in a few days to remember. Horn relaxed his vigilance, and then went back to the dormitory.

I did not ask Slughorn any more after that, and he resumed his usual favours, and seemed to forget the incident.I waited to get an invitation to his dinner party, making up my mind to attend even if it clashed with Quidditch practice, but it never came.Not only that, but Hermione and Ginny hadn't been invited, and as far as they knew, no one else had.I realized that maybe Slughorn wasn't really that forgetful, he was determined not to let me ask him again.

At the same time, the Hogwarts library disappointed Hermione for the first time ever. By February, she had scoured the first section and found nothing related to Horcruxes.In addition to being disappointed, it also makes me feel a little sorry for Ron.Finding Horcruxes took up so much of the little time Hermione had left after school, and they ended their second date early because Hermione just couldn't put an unfinished business aside to indulge in self-enjoyment.But after that Ron used to go to the pros with her in the evenings when there wasn't training, and I'd rather not know what they were all doing in their spare time.

The snow around the school gradually melted and was replaced by dampness.Gray-purple clouds hung low over the castle, and the relentless cold rain made the lawn slippery and muddy.For this reason, our first Apparition class was held in the auditorium instead of the playground, and this class was scheduled on a Saturday morning so as not to interfere with regular classes.I've had to revise the timing of Quidditch practice, which means I've had to juggle Gobstones clubs, Charm clubs, or odd-job players and substitutes again, to ensure teamwork for intensive weekend training— —Another nuisance that Wood didn't mention to me.

The three of us arrived in the Great Hall to find the tables gone, rain beating against the high windows, and the enchanted ceiling swirling dimly overhead.The students gathered in front of the four deans and a small wizard who was strangely pale, with transparent eyelashes and thin hair, with an unreal feeling that a gust of wind would blow him away.He was probably the teacher sent by the Ministry of Magic to teach Apparition, and it seemed that his physique had been weakened by frequent Apparition and Apparition, or this slender figure was most suitable for disappearing.

"Good morning," said the wizard, when the students had arrived and the Headmasters had silenced everyone, "I am Wikitacross and I will be your Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. , hoping to help you prepare for this Apparition exam-"

"Malfoy, be quiet!" Professor McGonagall snapped.

Everyone turned their heads. Malfoy blushed and walked away from Crabbe with an angry face. They seemed to be arguing quietly just now.I glanced at Snape, who seemed annoyed, too, though apparently because Professor McGonagall had criticized his House students, not because of Malfoy's indiscipline.

"—many of my fellow students may be able to take the exam by then," continued Tecrosse, as if uninterrupted. "As you may know, Apparition and Disapparation are generally not allowed in Hogwarts. The headmaster specially revoked the magic, and lifted this restriction for one hour, only in the auditorium, so that everyone can practice. Let me emphasize, no apparition Appearing outside the walls of the auditorium, it would be unwise for anyone to try. Now I want everyone to stand on their own, with five feet of space in front of them."

There was chaos in the auditorium, and students began to disperse, bump into each other or call others out of their fields.The deans walked among the students, arranging their seats and mediating disputes.

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked from behind me.

Harry didn't answer, but walked quickly through the crowd, past Professor Flitwick, who was screaming to find a place for a few Ravenclaw students who were standing in the front, and past Professor Flitwick, who was shoving Hufflepuff away. The odd student stood in front of Professor Sprout, and then dodged Ernie McMillan, got to the end of the crowd, and stood behind Malfoy, who was taking advantage of the chaos to continue arguing with Crabbe.Crabbe stood five feet away, looking defiant.

"I don't know how long, you know?" said Malfoy fiercely. "It's been longer than I thought."

Crabbe opened his mouth, but Malfoy seemed to guess what he was going to say.

"Listen, it's none of your business what I'm doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just carry out orders and keep watch!"

"If I want my friends to watch for me, I'll tell them what I'm doing," I said in a voice just enough for Malfoy to hear.

Malfoy turned sharply, one hand scrambling for his wand, but just as the four Heads were shouting "Quiet!" the hall fell silent, and he turned away slowly.

"Thanks," Tecross said, "now..."

He flicked his wand.An old-fashioned wooden circle immediately appeared on the ground in front of each student.

"The most important thing to remember when Apparating is the three D's!" Tecross said. "The current, which is inside the wooden circle in front of you. Now please focus on your target."

The next two hours passed in dizzy circles and Tecrosse's voice emphasizing "goal, determination, equanimity" or something like that, when Hannah accidentally separated one of her legs, which was the climax of the whole class. something exciting.Boredom made it harder for me to focus on that stupid barrel ring in front of me, Crabbe and Goyle were keeping Malfoy on guard, but hearing Malfoy himself admit it somehow still thrilled me abnormal.

After the class was over, Ron walked out of the auditorium and shared with Hermione every detail that made them feel hopeful to succeed. I didn't have time to pay attention to it, so I went straight to the nearest bathroom, locked the door of the small room, and cast an earplug listening spell on the outside , and then took out the Marauder's Map.I'm not going to make the same mistake after the Slughorn party.I was disappointed that Malfoy was in the common room with his cohort of Slytherins, but I then decided that from now on whenever I saw him anywhere where Crabbe and Goyle needed to be sentry, I would put on the cloak Go check it out.