Ron and Hermione wanted to come over and chat with Harry after dinner, but Harry declined their offer with a vague excuse and only asked Ron to go back to the dormitory and bring his backpack for him.
"I have some homework to catch up on," Harry said, hoping that they would not notice his expressions. He opened his backpack and took a quick glance at the contents. Then he said casually, "I need a quiet environment to deal with my history of magic homework, so you can go and do your own things."
He tried to sound relaxed, but his lie was clumsy and obvious. Ron looked at Harry anxiously, ready to say something, but Hermione poked him hard in the ribs, telling him to shut up.
"Well, Harry–" Ron began, ignoring Hermione's warning. Hermione glared at him, and quickly interrupted him.
"If you need any help–" she said, cutting him off. She glanced at the corner of the invisibility cloak that was peeking out of the backpack and said, "Ron and I will be in the common room. You can call us anytime."
She hoped that Harry would understand her hint, and be careful with whatever he was up to. Then she dragged a bewildered Ron out of the hospital wing, without saying anything else.
Time flew by quickly, and soon the sky was dark and starless. The castle was silent, except for the occasional snoring or coughing.
Harry knew Madame Pomfrey's habits very well, as he was a frequent visitor to the hospital wing. When it was nine o'clock, Madame Pomfrey left her small office and inspected each ward one by one. She saw Harry sleeping soundly under the covers, and nodded with satisfaction. She did not know that Harry was only pretending to sleep.
Then she scolded two Ravenclaw first-year wizards who had a bad cold and told them to go to bed. They had been sneaking out of their beds to read some books that they had borrowed from the library. She extinguished the candles in the whole hospital, leaving only a faint moonlight coming through the windows.
In the dark, Harry listened carefully. He waited for Madame Pomfrey to return to her office, and lock the door behind her. He heard her footsteps fade away, and then he heard the sound of a key turning in a lock of her office. He glanced at several beds away, where two first-year students were whispering secretly. He crawled down from the edge of the bed, and reached for his backpack, pulled out the invisibility cloak, and threw it over himself. He made sure that he was completely covered, and then he tiptoed towards the door.
Harry was an expert at wandering around the castle at night. He had done it many times before, for various reasons. In the whole of Hogwarts, if he claimed to be the third best, no one would dare to claim the second. The first place was shared by Ron's two brothers, Fred and George, who were the masters of mischief and pranks.
Now, even though it was not the usual time, the castle was empty. Along the way, Harry only saw a few fifth-year students who were studying for their OWLS exams in the second half of the year. They were sitting in the corridors, or the classrooms, or the library, surrounded by piles of books and notes. When he passed the Great Hall, he saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walking towards the Slytherin basement. They all had dull looks on their faces, and they were carrying buckets and brushes.
'Something is wrong,' Harry thought as he glanced at the dark outside. He followed them subconsciously for a few steps, but then he was repelled by a nauseating stench. It smelled like rotten eggs, mixed with dung and feathers.
'Oh, right!' Harry suddenly remembered that the day before yesterday, Professor Watson had announced before starting the 'interesting' competition that the winning house would get thirty points, and the losing house would have to clean the owlery on the weekend.
In that competition, Malfoy and Parkinson, who had a great advantage, lost the victory due to a series of complex factors. Harry knew that this annoying house would probably blame Malfoy and Parkinson for everything. When they pushed Harry and Neville off the boat, it was probably one of the few best highlights for Slytherin. So, Malfoy had to bear all the consequences for trying to help his rivals and Crabbe & Goyle were probably there to help him.
Harry instinctively wanted to show a smug smile when he saw the three Slytherin's distraught backs, but he remembered Malfoy's 'noble' behavior when he and Neville were pushed into the water. Harry hesitated. He shook his head silently and walked quietly in another direction.
When he came to the third floor, on his way to Professor Watson's office, Harry lingered in front of Professor Lupin's office for a while.
Harry liked this year's DADA professor, who was gentle and widely praised for his teaching. He felt not only liking, but also a kind of inexplicable intimacy. He felt that Professor Lupin's attitude towards him was more than the normal relationship between teachers and students.
"Wizards who dare to call Voldemort by his name are really rare–"
He thought of the last time they went to Hogsmeade and the encounter with Lupin, and muttered under the invisibility cloak.
In the end, Harry decided not to knock on Professor Lupin's office, although he was very concerned about his condition. He did not want to disturb his rest, or to make him feel uncomfortable. He decided to visit him another time, when he was more fit and cheerful.
As for seeing Professor Watson, Harry was much more relaxed.
Professor Watson had helped him get rid of the identity of 'the heir of Slytherin', which was a great favor to him. During the summer vacation, he had also let him know his deepest secret - Professor Watson's own past origin, which Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione until now.
He spent most of the time in August with Professor Watson. It was a very pleasant summer, because Professor Watson never acted like a professor or an adult wizard in front of him. He felt that he was always with him in a friendly and peaceful way.
Knock, knock, knock– Harry looked around, making sure that there was no one else or wandering ghosts, and took off the invisibility cloak. He stuffed it into his backpack, and then continued to knock on Professor Watson's office door.
Professor Watson, who was wearing gray pajamas and a dark green robe with silver patterns, appeared in front of him. He looked a bit tired, because Harry saw dark circles under his wonderful pale purple eyes, and his gray hair was also a bit messy, as if he hadn't gone out today and didn't took care of it.
"Harry–" Bryan, who knew who it was before opening the door, looked at Harry, who seemed a little uneasy, and raised his eyebrows. He smiled and said, "-looks like you're recovering well?"
"Yes, Professor Watson–" Harry said awkwardly.
"Madame Pomfrey thinks so too, Um-. She thinks I can be discharged early." He lied, hoping that Professor Watson would not notice.
Bryan pursed his lips. He glanced at the bag Harry was holding in his hand, but didn't expose his lie. He opened the door, and said kindly, "Of course, then. It's a bit cold outside, we can come in and chat slowly."
'This is why Professor Watson is so popular, he is always so understanding!' Harry thought, as he followed Professor Watson into the office.
"Lupin, Professor Lupin?" He blinked in astonishment when the door creaked shut, and he saw a person in an old wizard's robe, with a clear sickly look on his face, next to the burning fireplace. He did not expect to see Professor Lupin here.
"Good evening, Harry."
Under the golden firelight, Professor Lupin's smile was especially gentle.
"I'm glad to see you so energetic, Harry." After saying this, Lupin looked at Bryan, who had returned to his desk.
"Thank you for your care and help these two days, Bryan. I think I can continue my work tomorrow. Since Harry has something to do with you–"
"Oh, it's nothing really!" Harry said in embarrassment, "Just, um, I heard from Ron and Hermione yesterday, I mean, after I lost consciousness, you performed a magic. Um-, it was amazing."
Bryan and Remus exchanged a look, and both grinned.
"So, you mean–" Bryan said cheerfully, "You came here specially to praise me, Mr. Potter?"
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