Hermione was baffled by Professor Watson's reaction when he glimpsed Professor Lockhart's unpublished manuscript. His face registered a complex blend of surprise, disappointment, and maybe even amusement. She wondered what could have caused such an odd expression as she stepped into the common room through the Fat Lady's portrait. Her curiosity nagged at her mind, making her eager to find out more about Professor Watson's mysterious response.
The night was deepening, and the vast lounge was silent except for a few scattered souls. Harry and Ron were sprawled on the plush sofa near the fireplace, drifting into slumber. They had stayed up for Hermione, aware of how easily she could lose track of time when she was working on something.
Hermione walked towards them, feeling a twinge of loneliness in her chest. Life could be so hollow sometimes, she thought sadly as she reached Harry and Ron.
"Why aren't you two sleeping in the dormitory?" Hermione asked them softly as she joined them on the sofa. Her delicate eyebrows arched in a slightly spoiled expression as she entered.
She knew they had waited for her out of concern, but she couldn't help teasing them a little.
"Why else? We are naturally worried that you would be so absorbed in your fascinating work that you would skip dinner!"
Harry and Ron, who had been snoring lightly, were roused by her voice. They blinked their groggy eyes, and Ron muttered grumpily as he sat up.
Hermione settled across from them, glancing at the table laden with food, and a faint smile touched her lips. She wasn't really hungry, but she felt a warmth in her heart.
That's when Hermione spotted a black notebook tucked under several slices of toast. The notebook looked rather old, judging by its frayed cover.
Hermione's eyes darted to Ron, who shrugged his shoulders casually and nodded at Harry, signaling that he should explain.
"In the afternoon, on our way back to the dormitory, Ron and I passed by the second floor and heard Moaning Myrtle having a fit in one of the bathrooms. We were curious, so we went in to check it out and found this notebook. It belongs to Tom Riddle!"
Harry said with emphasis, hoping that Hermione would catch his meaning. "Ron thought this thing might be dangerous and told me to toss it away."
"Toss it away?"
Hermione snapped out of her tiredness and became animated. She grabbed the notebook and inspected it carefully. "What nonsense are you talking, Ron? There might be clues in here!"
"Well, he sure did a good job of hiding them," Ron said with a bored tone. "Maybe it's too ashamed to show itself. I don't get why you're keeping it, Harry."
"I want to know why someone wanted to get rid of it," Harry said thoughtfully. "And I'm really curious about how Riddle got the Special Contribution Award from Hogwarts."
"There could be a lot of reasons, Harry," Ron said with a shrug. "Maybe he aced all his O.W.L.s, or he saved a teacher from the giant squid's tentacles. Maybe he killed Moaning Myrtle, and everyone was happy about it."
The three of them knew that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened fifty years ago, and a student had died, and the culprit had been expelled. And it just so happened that Riddle had received the Special Contribution Award around that time. It didn't take much brainpower to figure out that there must be some link.
Hermione tried to coax some words out of the notebook for a while, but she couldn't get anything out of the blank pages. Finally, she gave up reluctantly.
"Maybe we should give this to Professor Watson or Headmaster Dumbledore. They are powerful wizards who might be able to crack the notebook's secrets."
Hermione said with a frown and suggested her idea.
Harry, however, unexpectedly opposed the reasonable proposal. "Not many people in the school are talking about this anymore, Hermione. I don't want to make a big fuss about it again. But, if, and I mean if, the Heir of Slytherin comes out and continues their activities, then I'll let you give it to Professor Watson!" He said firmly, clutching Riddle's diary in his hand.
In reality, it was just an excuse. Even Harry couldn't explain why he didn't just toss Riddle's diary away. The truth was, over the next few days, despite knowing that the diary was empty, he would take it out whenever no one was around, lost in thought, hoping to find something inside. He felt a strange attraction to the old leather-bound book, as if it was hiding a secret that only he could unravel.
A new week began, and February officially entered its second half. The hottest topic in school recently was Professor Watson suddenly becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher without any prior signs. Wherever you went, you could hear young wizards discussing his astonishing skills in the first and second-year classes, as well as his teachings on the different levels of magical mastery in the fifth, sixth, and seventh-year classes. On the other hand, not many people discussed the methods Bryan taught to deal with dark wizards and dangerous creatures in his classes. They seemed too abstract and complicated for most students to grasp.
In each house, young wizards confidently proclaimed that their certain relatives possessed the power of "court-level wizards." It was as if the magical world had suddenly returned to ancient times, where having two court-level wizards in a family was a necessity, and it would be embarrassing not to greet people when going out. They boasted about their family's achievements and prestige, trying to impress their peers with their connections.
In each house, there are young wizards who firmly claim that their certain relative possesses the power of a "Court Wizard," as if the magical world has suddenly returned to ancient times. With two Court Wizards in their family, they feel too embarrassed to greet people when they go out.
As for the level of "Grand Magus," no young wizard dares to challenge them. They are revered and feared as the most powerful and influential wizards in history. They can shape reality with their will and command respect from all living beings. They are legends that transcend time and space.
"Dumbledore is undoubtedly a Grand Magus!" a confident Hufflepuff named MacMillan firmly declared to his fellow housemate, Hannah Abbott, as if he had received confirmation directly from Principal Dumbledore and Professor Watson. His eyes sparkled with admiration and awe. "And I suspect Professor Watson might be one too," he continued, his conviction unwavering. "Just think about it, Hannah. Ever since Professor Watson arrived at Hogwarts as an investigator, the heir of Slytherin has refrained from any further activity. He must lack the confidence to face two 'Grand Magus' simultaneously!" He said smugly, as if he had solved a great mystery.
MacMillan's theory gained traction among the students, spreading like wildfire. The reshuffling of classes meant that the third and fourth years, taught directly by Professor Watson, commenced their sessions on Tuesday afternoon of the third week. The mischievous Weasley twins, Fred and George, seized this opportunity to playfully tease their professor. They jokingly asked, "Professor Watson, may we ask if you are a 'Grand Magus'?" Their voices were loud enough for everyone to hear. They winked at each other and grinned wickedly.
Bryan Watson, standing on the podium, smiled slyly at the two peculiar Weasley twins. He hadn't expected such a quick opportunity for revenge! He had recognized them at Hogsmeade when they tried to prank him with a fake wand. He decided to teach them a lesson they would never forget. "So, Mr. Weasley twins, would you like to demonstrate to everyone how to defeat a 'Grand Magus'?" He asked casually, gesturing for them to come up on stage. His tone was calm and friendly, but his eyes were full of mischief.
Oh oh oh! The hall suddenly erupted into roars of laughter and excitement, like a hurricane hitting the waves. Among the Hufflepuff formation, Cedric Diggory , a fourth-year student and Quidditch captain , jumped onto the table and shouted at the twins , "Let everyone see what you've got , Weasley!" He cheered them on enthusiastically.
"Show us what you can do , Fred and George . Don't embarrass Gryffindor !" There were also cheers from within Gryffindor . Angelina Johnson , Alicia Spinnet , and Katie Bell , who were on the Quidditch team with Fred and George , laughed heartily and slapped the twins' shoulders.
"This is definitely revenge , Fred!" George whispered through gritted teeth as they trembled and supported each other while going up on stage. "Last time at Hogsmeade, Professor Watson definitely recognized us!" He said nervously, remembering how they had failed to fool the professor with their prank.
The duel ended much faster than anyone start had expected.
As soon as they got on stage and before Professor Watson could announce the start of the duel, the twins, with perfect synchronization, immediately split up and ran in two different directions, surrounding Bryan Watson from both sides.
"Are you ready, Fred?" George shouted.
"Ready and waiting, brother!" Fred responded resolutely.
Bryan Watson smiled as he watched the two troublemakers pull out two large dung bomb bags from under their robes, but before they could act, he swiftly waved his wand! Bang! Bang! Bang! The scene of hundreds of dung bombs exploding simultaneously and the accompanying stench were particularly striking. Fred and George, covered in filth, wailed as they collapsed to the ground, looking as if they had been hit by a Cruciatus Curse! Their faces were twisted in pain and disgust, and their clothes were stained with brown and green spots.
"Let's go down together, Professor!" They shouted defiantly, hoping to drag him down with them. But to their surprise, moments later, the twin brothers got up from the ground at the same time, glaring fiercely at Professor Watson, and with unwavering courage, they charged towards him! They ignored the laughter and jeers from the audience, determined to get their revenge.
If they were scared by such tricks, Bryan Watson would have wasted his time in the underground world all these years. He maintained a smiling expression, casually shaking his wrist. A red ball of light, the size of a Quaffle and emitting a fiery tail, burst out from the tip of his wand and flew above his head. It looked like a miniature sun, dazzling and powerful.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Before Fred and George could reach within ten feet, the red ball of light above Professor Watson's head suddenly shone brightly, and dozens of red beams shot out in all directions. Each Weasley approaching was hit by at least two or three beams on their chests, and then they collapsed to the ground, unconscious! They fell like ragdolls, their limbs limp and their eyes closed.
'The Stunning Spell - Cluster Shot.'
Bryan Watson thought to himself, proud of his invention. He had modified the standard Stunning Spell to create a more effective version that could target multiple enemies at once. He had used it many times in his missions, and it never failed him.
Bryan Watson looked down at the stunned young wizards below with a smug smile and said, "Excuse me, which student can help carry them to the infirmary?" He asked politely, as if he had done nothing wrong.
He then glanced at the rest of the students with a playful wink and added, "Don't worry, they'll be fine. They just need some rest and a good wash." He said cheerfully, making everyone laugh even harder.
Author's Note: Special Thanks to 'WeedsNsht' for suggesting the name 'cluster-shot' for the stunning spell that targets multiple people.