The moment Hermione fell on the icy floor of the school hospital, her mind was in chaos, and she struggled to find a way to explain why she had eavesdropped on a private conversation. However, she quickly noticed a glaring problem—how had Snape recognized her even before the door opened?
She wondered if the girl with cat ears was describing herself. Hermione desperately wished she had Harry's invisibility cloak to hide from the suffocating situation. Lost in her frantic thoughts, a strong and steady hand reached out, helping her up. Trembling, Hermione raised her head and saw that it was the young wizard who had been talking to Professor Snape.
"Thank you, Professor."
"Oh, don't misunderstand, Miss Granger. I'm not a professor at this school," Bryan said with a gentle smile. He looked with interest at the drooping ears on Hermione's tousled hair and the beard of black hair covering her cheeks. It didn't take him long to realize that this peculiar appearance was likely the result of Animal Transfiguration using Polyjuice Potion.
Impressive, indeed. Hermione's reputation as the intellectual cornerstone of the protagonist group held true. Bryan may not recall the exact events from the Harry Potter books, but he was familiar with the key characters.
Snape's earlier taunt had revealed Hermione's true identity as the highly popular and astute Hermione Granger. This piqued Bryan's curiosity.
"Miss Granger," Snape's voice, tinged with sarcasm, grew gloomy in the late-night ambiance of the school hospital, "Even I have to admit that your current appearance is far more interesting than usual. However, I would still like to know why you chose this form and what gave you the courage to eavesdrop on my conversation, with Minerva's help."
Noticing Bryan's surprised expression, Snape glared at him before shifting his gaze back to Hermione. His dark eyes bore into her, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
"Answer my question, Miss Granger, or would you prefer Minerva to explain it for you?"
Hermione's body trembled at Snape's words. The situation was already dire, and if Professor McGonagall found out, Hermione couldn't face the Gryffindor Head of House.
"The way I look... it's because I overestimated my Transfiguration skills, Professor Snape," Hermione lowered her head, her voice quivering with tears. She was grateful for the black hair concealing her flushed cheeks, knowing that any flaw would expose her lies.
"I was studying 'Advanced Transfiguration' in advance, hoping to perform the spell described in the Transfiguration book. I apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation, Professor, I mean, sir," Hermione stumbled through her explanation.
"I was reading a book in bed, researching ways to heal my magical injuries faster. But the commotion outside caught my attention. I thought it might be related to the Chamber of Secrets. You know, the attacks had all Muggle-born wizards on edge."
Bryan noticed Snape's livid expression and his increasingly heavy breathing. If Hermione continued making up stories, tragedy would likely befall the school hospital.
"No need to explain, Miss Granger," Bryan spoke up. In the underground world, the Golden Viper was a cold, sharp, and murderous wizard who straddled the line between black and white. But the Bryan Watson now standing before Hermione was friendly and gentle. It was hard to discern which side was his true nature and which was a facade. Perhaps this was the real Bryan Watson.
Hermione, desperately attempting to make her words believable, raised her head in a daze. She
saw a pair of beautiful purple eyes and a gentle smile on the young and handsome face. She felt a momentary resemblance to Headmaster Dumbledore's kind and wise demeanor.
"Apologies, sir, all I said was..."
"My name is Bryan Watson, and you may call me Mr. Watson," Bryan interrupted Hermione once again, his smile radiating happiness.
"Regardless of how you ended up like this, Miss Granger, it appears you've learned a painful lesson. Professor Snape will not punish you further, will he?" Bryan looked towards Snape, who responded with a contemptuous snort.
"As for eavesdropping on our conversation, it is not a serious offense for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old wizard fueled by curiosity. Professor Snape and I have decided not to pursue it. There's no need to worry too much."
Although Bryan couldn't match Snape's level of prestige accumulated over the years, he chose to overlook the eavesdropping incident. Hermione, however, still couldn't relax and looked at Snape, fearing her Potions professor might disagree.
Whether it was Bryan's plea or Dumbledore's instruction, Snape turned around and left without a word. This spared Gryffindor House from a grim fate during the Christmas holiday.
"Until next time, Miss Granger," Bryan said with a smile before turning to leave as well.
Hermione, who hadn't fully processed the disaster that had just occurred, regained her composure and realized that the mysterious man called Bryan was about to leave the school hospital.
"Just a moment, sir, I mean, Mr. Watson!" Hermione instinctively called out. It was only when Bryan turned back that she realized her mistake.
"Mr. Watson, are you a healer?" Hermione's face flushed. She didn't know why she had stopped Bryan, but in that crucial moment, her quick thinking saved her once again.
"I overheard your conversation with Professor Snape about Colin and Justin's illness. Do you have the ability to cure them?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but I don't possess that ability," Bryan calmly shook his head.
"Since Headmaster Dumbledore already has a solution, there's no need to rush. Resting in the hospital bed also serves as a form of protection for them," Bryan explained before turning to leave.
"Oh, by the way, Miss Granger, I am an investigator."
[Scene Break]
That night, Bryan spent the night in Snape's staff dormitory, and the two talked by candlelight. He consulted Snape in detail about the attacks and the process by which the victims were discovered. Bryan wasn't surprised to learn that both Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, the first witness after being attacked, had mentioned Harry Potter. The protagonist, even if he stays at home and does not go out, trouble will come to him automatically.
However, what surprised Bryan was the malice on Snape's face when he commented on Harry Potter.
"You can see what kind of person he is from Hermione Granger - full of lies, mediocre, arrogant, loves to violate discipline, likes to show off, attract people's attention, and is disrespectful!"
A few feet away, Bryan, who was writing and drawing on the desk, raised his head in surprise.
"It's quite peculiar, Professor. It seems there are fewer wizards who earn your praise than those who don't. I'm starting to be a little curious about that boy."
"You'll know when you see him, Bryan," Snape replied, half-lying on the bed, his gaze fixed on the burgeoning flames in the fireplace. His voice dripped with coldness. "The pretentiousness and belief that he can handle everything are just like his father!"
"What--"
Bryan flipped through the dilapidated "Simplified Theory of Ancient Spells" written by Ulrich Gump and continued to write calculations on the parchment, occasionally waving his wand, causing ripples in the air as he tried to construct an effective spell model.
In the past two years or so, most of Bryan's time had been spent on the road, traveling and wandering. Research and self-improvement had to be squeezed into whatever time he could find.
"Understood. So it's a grudge from the previous generation," Bryan said, realizing that Potter's father must have had a history with Snape. He decided not to press further, understanding that everyone has a past they don't want to be touched. Opening old wounds that have just begun to heal serves no purpose.
Bryan focused his attention back on his research, realizing that there was still much to be done to uncover the truth behind the attacks at Hogwarts. He had a feeling that his encounter with Harry Potter would reveal a significant piece of the puzzle.