Harry politely declined Nick's invitation to attend the Deathday Party. What a joke, how could such a lively festival be mixed with a bunch of ghosts?
It was his second Hogwarts holiday, the dining room had been decorated with live bats as it had been the year before, Hagrid had prepared enormous pumpkin lanterns big enough for three, and Dumbledore had invited a skull dance troupe to perform a number of hilarious acts that drew guffaws from the students.
Harry savored the delicious food and looked happily at the lively long table.
The twins were sitting opposite him, and Fred handed Lee Jordan a pumpkin pie. Jordan stared at him suspiciously." Brother, do you think anyone would dare to eat Weasley's food?”
"I'm not trying to make fun of you this time. I'm just recommending our new product to you.”said Fred, grinning.
George said,"There's a Transformation Potion in it. Take it and you'll turn into a small animal at random. The effect lasts for three minutes-want to try?”
Lee Jordan's eyes flashed with vigilance and curiosity. In the end, Gryffindor's adventurous spirit prevailed. He took the pumpkin pie and stuffed it into his mouth under the enthusiastic gaze of the onlookers.
" Bang!" Jordan was surrounded by white smoke. After the smoke dispersed, a little squirrel sat on a chair. Its big eyes were rolling around, and its small head was looking left and right.
"Oh-"
Gryffindor's long table was filled with laughter, and the people from the other houses were also looking over.
Three minutes later, the little squirrel's body flashed with white light. Lee Jordan reappeared on the chair and looked at the twins with a smile." It's quite interesting.”
George and Fred pulled out several of these pancakes and said loudly," If any of you want to buy it, go to the common room tonight to register. Transform into a pumpkin pie, three dollars for a silver sickle…"
So this was the prototype of Weasley's Joke Shop?
Ron looked incredulously at his brothers." My God, they really made it? Will anyone buy it?"
"Of course," said Harry."Didn't you see how interested everyone was? I'm afraid there are quite a number of people who bought it."
They did look like they were fooling around, but weren't they trying to lighten the burden on the family? Was this the magic school version of part-time work?
It suddenly occurred to Harry that, though he had a lot of money, he couldn't just sit and do nothing! The things in the bracelet could not be sold either. It seemed that he had to think about how to make money.
After the banquet ended, the students left the dining hall in satisfaction, ready to go back and have a good sleep.
said Harry, smiling, as he trotted after George and Fred."You guys are really fast. You can open the shop now?”
George put an arm around his shoulder, grinning widely."Harry, thanks to your advice, it looks like my dad was right, Muggles are clever, too!”
To prevent him from asking about the nonexistent book, Harry said quickly,"You didn't just do this, right?”
" Yeah," Fred raised his eyebrows smugly." Let's roll out one to see how it will react. If everyone likes it, we can increase production." []”
"Increase production? Are you planning to open a shop?”
"Of course," said George and Fred in unison, looking hopeful."It's our lifelong dream.”
"Weasley's Joke Shop will spread throughout the Wizarding world in the future.”
"Surpassing Zonko's Joke Shop and becoming the favorite place for children.”
Harry beamed.”
"We'll give you a discount." said George.
They slowly walked up the stairs with the crowd, thinking about the business model of the joke shop. The people beside them also provided a lot of opinions, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
For some reason, the people in front of them stopped. After a few screams, a cold silence spread. George and Fred stopped talking, looked at each other in confusion for a moment, and squeezed forward.
Harry followed them with a sudden foreboding feeling, and a few minutes later he was at the front of the crowd, gasping as he saw what lay before him.
The wall between the windows was smeared with shimmering handwriting: "The secret chamber has been opened. Those who are enemies of the heir, be vigilant!”
Under the illumination of the burning torch, these words flickered, appearing particularly strange and ferocious.
Mrs. Norris's tail was hanging from the torch's support, and she was stiff as a board, staring at them.
The secret chamber had been opened?
What kind of joke was this?
He had destroyed Voldemort's diary, who would have the ability to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the Basilisk?
Merlin, what are you thinking? You can't bear to see others live a peaceful life, can you?
Although it was not the first time he had been shocked by an unexpected turn of events, Harry could not help but curse inwardly.
Was this the legendary butterfly effect? However, why did it feel like everything had returned to square one? Then what was the point of him doing so much?
"Fate-what a wonderful thing.”
Bah, what was he thinking about that centaur for?
Filch, who had somehow arrived, stumbled backward at the sight of Mrs. Norris and began to scream in horror,"My cat, my cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?"
He rushed to the torch, trembling as he took the cat down and held it in his arms. He knelt in the puddle of water and cried sadly.
"No-she's dead... she's been killed... Mrs. Norris..."
The students looked at him in fear and did not dare to make a sound. In the silence, his sobs sounded particularly ear-piercing.
Harry felt sorry for Filch, who was usually very annoying, but now looked really pitiful. That cat was his only companion, his only source of warmth.
Harry walked slowly to his side, tapped Mrs. Norris 'frozen body with his wand, examined her, and said quietly,"It, uh…she shouldn't be dead.”
Filch jerked his head up, and Harry took a step back at the wild look in his eyes and stammered,"Well... I think it... she's been Petrified, it could be some advanced Dark Magic, maybe... maybe you could go to Madam Pomfrey, and the headmaster..."
"Really?" He jumped to his feet in excitement and reached out to grab Harry, who stumbled backward again.
"Filch!" Dumbledore led the other professors to the scene and looked around. As for you, Mr. Potter, come with us.”
George stepped forward at once."Headmaster, Harry's been with us all this time, he's not-"
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore interrupted him gently,"don't worry, I just want to hear Potter's theory. We need more opinions on this matter."”
Who told you to be so talkative! Harry was utterly depressed.
said Lockhart excitedly,"My office is the closest, Headmaster, it's upstairs, you can-"
"Thank you, Gilderoy." said Dumbledore.
The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart strutted along behind Dumbledore, and Filch gave him a nasty look, furious at his untimely cheerfulness.
When they reached Lockhart's office, they were greeted by a sweet smell that made everyone but him frown. Harry sneezed several times, rubbing his nose awkwardly.
Several of the Lockharts in the pictures on the wall had ducked away in panic, curling their hair. Harry tried very hard to hold it in for a moment, but he couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Filch set Mrs. Norris down on the polished table and watched nervously as Dumbledore poked his fingers here and there, muttering softly,"She's fine, she's fine."
"It must've been a curse that killed it-probably a Transfiguration Torturing Curse," said Lockhart confidently."I've seen it used several times, and I happen to know how to do it. I'm sorry I wasn't there..."
Filch glared at him, still oblivious, and shouted over the approving faces of Lockhart's pictures on the wall," I once encountered something similar. A series of attacks. My autobiography has detailed records. At that time, I…"
"It's not dead, Filch," Dumbledore said quietly, retracting his wand.
Lockhart stopped short, then grinned."Ah, I thought so too.”Of course, no one paid any attention to what he said. They all looked at Dumbledore and listened to his explanation.
choked Filch."But she's stiff, like she's frozen-"
Dumbledore smiled at Harry, who was glaring impatiently at Lockhart."It's just Petrified-what do you think, Harry?”
Under their gazes, Harry smiled sheepishly and said in a calm and confident tone," I just examined Mrs. Norris. Although, um, although her body is stiff and cold, her heart is still warm. Also, I used a spell to detect life fluctuations and found that she still has signs of life. So, I think she was just petrified, and her petrification state is very..." He thought for a moment." It's very serious. Even the spell to remove petrification can't be restored. It must not be ordinary magic. It's very likely to be in the category of black magic. Maybe we can try the Mandrake Resurrection Potion?”He looked at Snape hesitantly.
Snape stared at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of nostalgia, pain, and pride. Harry whispered,"Professor Snape?"
"Yes." "Professor Sprout has recently acquired some Mandrakes, and when they're ripe, they'll be able to make this potion."”
Dumbledore said, satisfied. Harry, twenty points to Gryffindor for your performance.”
Professor McGonagall smiled.
Lockhart, unwilling to be ignored, interjected," Let me make the potion. I must have made it a hundred times. I can dream while…"
"Forgive me," said Snape coldly."I thought I was the Potions Professor at this school.”
Filch was pleased to see Lockhart's expression turn awkward, and he said to Snape,"Thank you." "And, Potter, thank you too. I'll make sure I don't catch you again if you're out wandering at night."”
Please! Wouldn't it be a little too much to say that she was going easy on him in front of the principal?
Harry looked at Filch, who was rambling with excitement, and felt Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze sweep over him, and his face sank.
Dumbledore began to chuckle, his white beard quivering."Well, Severus, you take Potter back to the lounge.”
Harry followed Snape obediently, asking curiously as they climbed the stairs,"Professor, the message that the Chamber of Secrets was opened, was it referring to the Slytherin Chamber?”
Snape glanced at him but said nothing.
" I read about it in Hogwarts: A History," said Harry." It was said that Salazar Slytherin had a disagreement with the other founders on how to treat Muggle and mixed-blood students, and left. There were also rumors that he built a secret chamber before he left, and the other founders knew nothing about it. When his true heir came to the school, he would open the Chamber of Secrets and release the horrible things inside, so that it would purify the school and eliminate all those who were unworthy of learning magic.”
Snape snorted."Do you want me to give Gryffindor credit for your vast knowledge?”
"Professor!" said Harry, sounding a little irritated."If the rumors are true, there won't be only one attack like this. If it's a student next-"
" Of course, the Headmaster and the other professors have to worry about these things." Snape stopped and looked at him coldly." Or is it that the stupid adventurous spirit of Gryffindor in your head has erupted again and you want to be the savior again?”
Harry choked at his words, his mouth opening and closing in annoyance.
"Filch said he'd turn a blind eye to you," said Snape, walking on,"but I'd have you expelled from Hogwarts if I knew you'd been sneaking out in the middle of the night looking for some Chamber of Secrets.”
This was the first time she heard him say such a long string of words outside class! Harry blinked and hurried after him.
"Yes, Professor."
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