Power stones would be much appreciated!
Happy reading~~
***
The persistent gloom finally lifted on the first day of the New Year. The rising sun cast its light on the snow-covered grounds, draping Hogwarts Castle in a delicate veil of golden light.
After preparing the necessary restorative potion for Hermione, Madam Pomfrey went downstairs to have breakfast in the Great Hall. In the hospital wing, only Harry and Ron were with the dejected Hermione. After hearing Hermione's account of last night's events, neither of their expressions was particularly cheerful.
"Professor Snape must know!" Hermione said, covering her furry face with her hands, looking dejected.
"He called out my name before the door was even opened. No one except Madam Pomfrey knew about my condition. Professor Snape is a master of Potions, and he must know the consequences of using Polyjuice Potion for animal transformation. This means he knows I stole ingredients from his storeroom."
Harry stared at the tall flagpole on the grounds, his mind blank. Today, he and Ron had planned to visit Hermione and then go play some Quidditch. But now it seemed that the plan would undoubtedly be cancelled.
Moreover, since the Christmas holidays, the cheerful feeling he had enjoyed, free from whispers about his Parseltongue or accusations of being the Heir of Slytherin, was rapidly fading. All this was due to the wizard named Amorsta Blaine whom Hermione had just told him about.
"Amorsta Blaine, who claims to be an investigator."
Harry asked worriedly, "Hermione, what do you think Blaine is investigating at Hogwarts?"
"Need you even ask, Harry? What else is there to investigate at the school?" Hermione snapped.
Harry and Ron didn't seem worried about being expelled over this issue, which made the already anxious Hermione even more irritable.
Harry felt a shiver of cold despite his warm stomach from the porridge he had in the morning. He had never heard of this name before, and aside from Mr. Weasley, he had not interacted with any officials. But that didn't stop him from feeling the heavy pressure upon hearing the title 'investigator.'
Because of his Parseltongue, he was already a subject of suspicion among the younger wizards. If word got out that an investigator had come to the school, how much more criticism would he face? Harry could almost see Malfoy's smug face, perhaps being the first to report him to the investigator.
"Why would the Ministry suddenly send an investigator to the school… I mean, the school has Professor Dumbledore, and he's never mentioned it to me."
This made Harry remember the night of Justin's attack. He had had a conversation with Professor Dumbledore in his office. For various reasons, especially fearing that Dumbledore might think he had some connection with the founder of Slytherin, he hadn't confessed about the warnings from Dobie or the terrifying sounds that occurred before each attack.
Could it be that Dumbledore was displeased with his secrecy, and that's why he agreed to let the Ministry take over?
Would the Ministry, seeking convenience, directly imprison him in the wizard prison Malfoy mentioned based on school rumours?
"Of course, Harry, it must be that old bat Snape working behind the scenes!"
Ron, holding half a potato pie, declared with a frown on his freckled nose.
"Think about it, Harry. This Blaine fellow is close to Snape. Maybe he's a Slytherin graduate."
Ron chewed on his potato pie again, analyzing it seriously.
"Who would most want to get you expelled from the school? No doubt, it's Snape. I bet, Harry, this investigator is someone Snape brought in for this job…"
"Thanks, Ron, hearing your analysis makes me feel a lot better."
Harry slumped on the edge of his bed, feeling dispirited.
"Stop making stuff up, Ron."
No matter the reason, since Snape didn't directly expose her last night, it seemed she wouldn't be expelled for stealing from the professor's supplies. Realizing this made Hermione less anxious. She crossed her arms defiantly and glared at Ron.
"Even the Minister of Magic doesn't have the authority to expel a Hogwarts student at will unless it's approved by Professor Dumbledore. But, Harry, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't expel you, would he?"
If it had been before that conversation, Harry might have given a definitive answer. He had always felt that the silver-haired old man treated him and the other young witches and wizards a bit differently, even though their direct interactions were few.
"Maybe," Harry replied hesitantly, "At least, Dumbledore told Hagrid that he doesn't believe I attacked Colin and the others. He wouldn't agree to expel me just because I withheld some things from him."
As Harry was grappling with his worries, Ron, who had been rebuked by Hermione, was still mumbling his thoughts. Suddenly, he furrowed his brows and looked up at the pure white ceiling, with a thoughtful expression.
"Amorsta Blaine… I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
This murmured comment immediately jolted Harry.
"Ron, since this Blaine claims to be an investigator, he must be a colleague of Mr. Weasley's or something. Maybe they know each other well. Perhaps… you could write a letter and ask, I mean, to explain things before he finds me—"
Harry's favourite wizards were Mr and Mrs Weasley, and they had always been very kind to him. The week he spent with the Weasleys last summer was one of the most wonderful parts of his vacations over the years. If Mr. Weasley knew Amorsta Blaine, he would surely help him clear things up.
The golden sunlight gradually climbed the flagpole on the grounds, and the breeze on the wide grass was tinged with a hint of spring.
"Of course, no problem, Harry. I can write the letter…"
Ron hesitated in his response, still trying to recall where he had heard the name.
"Fred and George might have heard something. As for Percy, oh, we'd better not ask him. For the sake of his career, he might be more eager to sell us out than Malfoy!"
"That's your brother, Ron."
Hermione got out of bed, sat on the edge, and put on her boots.
"You shouldn't speak about him like that."
Among the trio, Hermione had the highest regard for Ron's brother—Percy Weasley. Privately, she had consulted Percy on difficult problems many times, and Percy had indeed used his extensive knowledge to help her solve quite a few issues.
"Before he became a prefect and set his sights on becoming the head of the student council, we were indeed brothers. But now, it's hard to say."
Ron's ears turned red as he spoke angrily, "I'll never forget the five points he took from me in front of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!"
"Percy is a prefect; it's his duty to enforce discipline, Ron."
Even though Hermione was present when Percy docked points from Ron, she didn't think Percy's actions were problematic.
Hermione stood up, stomped her boots, and then adjusted her robe's collar to cover her furry cheeks as much as possible.
"Go get your Invisibility Cloak, Harry. Are you going to make me leave the hospital wing looking like this?"
"Oh, leaving?"
Harry, who had been daydreaming, was startled back to reality.
"You want to come play Quidditch with us, Hermione?"
"When are you ever going to get Quidditch out of your mind, Harry?"
Hermione looked defeated.
"Of course not. We're going to investigate that Mr. Blaine. We need to find out his background, don't we?"