harry potter book of crimes

"...'That's all'?"

Outside the staff lounge, Maka softly repeated the words that came from behind her, as if chewing the taste.

After a while, as if he had confirmed something, he turned his back to the door of the lounge and nodded slightly.

In the conversation just now, Professor Binns said almost nothing. But when old Binns continued to deny Maka's words, even though his expression was flawless, Maka still felt something.

No, to be precise, it was Old Binns who was hinting at something to Maka.

Even after Maka walked out of the lounge, the ghost professor's last words to himself might also be trying to tell Maka something -

"Some things did happen back then, but please don't ask me, because I'm just a professor of the history of magic."

Such a sentence flashed through Maka's mind. Although it was just his speculation, this is what he felt. Perhaps this was the general meaning that Professor Binns wanted to convey to Maka through his strong denial.

It is even more likely that Professor Binns is warning Maca not to try to pursue certain mysteries of the past.

To be honest, Maka himself doesn't want to pursue those old things. He is no longer the same person when he first came into contact with the magical world!

It's a pity that when he first discovered that he was in the game, it was actually already too late.

"Professor McGonagall."

Putting aside her thoughts for the time being, Maka turned her head and smiled at Minerva McGonagall, who had been waiting at the corridor from the beginning, as a greeting.

"Well," Mag nodded slightly, "Is there anything you need my help with?"

Although she only came over to take a look after hearing the noise, there was no doubt that she basically heard the entire conversation between Maka and Old Bins in the staff lounge just now.

Eavesdropping was not Mag's original intention, but with her intelligence, it would not be a problem to find some clues from it.

"Oh, no..." Maka said with a smile, "I think it won't be necessary for the time being - Professor McGonagall, you have to teach and deal with the principal's affairs, so you are already busy enough. If you have any trouble, I'll take care of it."

Just find a way to deal with it..."

Professor McGonagall stared into Maka's eyes for a moment, and finally reached out and patted the latter's arm.

"Try not to put all the trouble on your own shoulders. Remember, there are many people around you." As she was speaking, she suddenly showed a brisk smile, "Of course, including me.

——You have to know that I am probably very busy, but I still have no problem helping my students."

"……OK."

Maka bowed to Professor McGonagall sincerely, and after that, the two parties made a tacit agreement not to mention the matter just now, but went straight to the auditorium.

…

At the same time, in the auditorium.

At the Gryffindor long table, Hermione and the others were still sitting together as usual, eating lunch and chatting casually about some topics.

Next to Hermione's dinner plate, a thick notebook was spread out as usual, eating, chatting, and reading at the same time.

To be honest, Maka can't do this. This is one of the things that makes her even better than Maka.

"...Hey, let me tell you, do you know?" Ron suddenly whispered at the dinner table, "That Malfoy guy seems to have gone home again!"

"The whole school knows about his disappearance."

Harry shrugged, and then stuffed a spoonful of pudding into his mouth. Hermione on the other side of the table had a more straightforward attitude. She just snorted casually, expressing very frankly that she was not interested in this matter.

interest.

"Hey!" Seeing this, Ron couldn't help but said, "Can you give me a little more reaction? Don't you want to know what's the hidden story behind this - I mean, about Maka?"

"Maka?" Hermione immediately raised her head after hearing this, "Didn't he go to Malfoy's house with Snape for a home visit?"

"Yes!" Harry also said doubtfully, "Is there any other reason?"

"Oh! Come on!" Ron spread his hands and said, "You just have no interest in Malfoy at all. Otherwise, you wouldn't realize that Professor McGonagall's announcement is just a cover?"

"No," Hermione immediately retorted, "Based on the situation of the Malfoy family, there is a high possibility that he will be depressed. Ron, do you think you would be better off if what happened to Malfoy happened to you?

?”

"Uh... you can't say that," Ron pursed his lips and hesitated before nodding, "Okay, what you said does make sense, but -"

"But what?" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

Seeing that she seemed to have a tendency to explode again, Ron couldn't help but lean his upper body back, and then reached out to pat Alexander who was sitting next to him.

"Brother, I think it's up to you to tell me!" he said, then pointed at Alexander who looked innocent and said, "Although what you said makes sense, Hermione! But I'm not just guessing this time.

——This is what he told me."

"It was because you insisted on talking to me about that 'nasty Malfoy' that I accidentally said it!" Alexander waved his hands repeatedly, "I also heard it from Enns, and there were only a few words in total.

It’s true!”

"What's going on?" Harry immediately asked curiously, "Since I've already let it slip, let's say it again!"

Since it was about Maka, Hermione quickly turned her attention to Alexander.

"Ah...Okay!" Alexander had a troubled expression on his face, but he continued, "By the way, you should know about Enns leaving school, right?"

"Ens Taron, the one from Hufflepuff, right?" Hermione nodded and said, "Because of him, Hufflepuff House was deducted a full fifteen points! This pair of Professor McGonagall, who has always been strict,

It’s a big score!”

"Well," Alexander followed, "in fact, he seemed to be chasing Malfoy - and later he encountered some dangers. In the end, Professor Maclean rescued him! And the professor himself stayed behind.

Over there to deal with certain emergencies..."

"Oh!" Hermione said with a complicated mood, "Maka is somewhere we don't know about again..."

"Then what?"

Harry actually felt the same way about Hermione's words, so he continued to ask more questions on Hermione's behalf.

"Then..." Alexander blinked, "Enns came back to ask for help... That's it. Really, I said it at the beginning, I don't know much! Enns doesn't like to be long-winded."

"Is that really it?"

Hermione looked at Alexander, feeling that he must be hiding something, but she couldn't force a first-year junior just for personal reasons.

"Yes..." Alexander paused, but then shook his head hesitantly, "Okay! In fact, Enns also said some things. He only told me after I repeatedly pressed him... But, I'm sorry!

I promised him not to tell others those things casually."

"Hey, are we 'others'?"

Ron immediately grabbed Alexander's shoulders with a smile, but before Alexander could continue to trouble him, Hermione immediately glared at Ron.

"Don't do this!" she scolded sternly, "Alexander did not break the agreement between him and his friends. This was the right choice. It was us who asked too many questions!"

After hearing this, Alexander couldn't help but apologized to Hermione: "I'm sorry, thank you!"

"It's okay," Hermione thought for a while and said, "Actually, just based on your few words, I can understand a lot of things - Malfoy may have encountered some problems, and so did Maka, who saved Enns."

"...I just don't know if the two things are actually the same thing." Harry then took over the conversation. After thinking about it for a while, he couldn't help but guess, "You said, then

Could it be related to 'that'?"

"Which one?" Ron asked doubtfully, "The big stone that appeared in front of the castle at night?"

"Anyone can guess that," Harry shook his head. "I'm talking about 'that' - the diary and the golden crown!"

Because Alexander was right next to him and there were many other students around him, Harry could only remind him in a roundabout way.

In fact, what he wanted to talk about was naturally Voldemort's Horcrux.

"Oh, no -" Ron thought about it for a moment, then said, "I don't think that's the case... Harry, remember? We mentioned in front of Maka that night that we were looking for 'the' one.

It's something, but Maka just heard it and quickly skipped it, as if she didn't care whether we would look for it or not..."

But before he finished speaking, Hermione's eyes quickly turned back and forth between him and Harry several times.

"'That night'?" She asked with a straight face, "What night? You and Maka mentioned the soul - I mean, mentioned 'that'? Why don't I know about this at all?"

Harry and Ron were both stunned. They secretly exchanged glances and then waved their hands at the same time.

"Hermione, calm down first!" Ron understood that he had accidentally said something he shouldn't have said just now, "We just happened to bump into Maka when we went to the kitchen one night...you

You know, Fred and George gave us advice before graduation, saying, 'Don't leave any regrets in your school career' or something like that..."

If Hermione knew that when Maka went to the library to comfort herself, Harry and Ron were listening at the door... Oh! The back of Merlin's head, Hermione would definitely kill them both!

"Yeah?"

Hermione still looked at them hesitantly, but soon she seemed to have thought of something and turned back to glance at the Ravenclaw table.

In that familiar seat, Luna was leaning against the dinner plate, and her long pale golden hair was directly covering the plate of peas and roast beef.

"...Why is she sleeping again?"