"Harry," Hermione said, "why are you still maintaining that book, the spell is over—"

"Can you please stop nagging about that book!" Harry snapped her off, "The prince just copied it down!" He doesn't seem to recommend anyone to use it! Maybe he just jotted down what was used against him. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

"I don't believe it," Hermione said. "You're actually defending—"

"I'm not defending what I did!" Harry said quickly. "I hope I didn't do it, and not just because I had a dozen confinements to close in. You know I'm not going to use a spell like that, even with Malfoy, but you can't blame the prince for not saying, 'Try this, it's really great' - he's just taking notes for himself, right, not for anybody else......"

"Are you going to tell me," said Hermione, "that you're going back—?" ”

"Get that book back? Yes, yes," Harry said fiercely. "Listen, I would never have won Flygt Phase without the Prince. I'll never know how to detoxify Ron, I'll never—"

"-Gain your false reputation for potions talents," Hermione said in disgust.

"Stop, Hermione!" Ginny said, and Harry looked up in surprise and gratitude. "Malfoy sounded like he was trying to use an unforgivable spell, and you should be glad Harry had something good to use in an emergency."

"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" Hermione was visibly stung, "But you can't say that Sword Shadow Charm is a good thing, Ginny, look what it got Harry into!" I'm still thinking that this will give you a chance to win the game-"

"Oh, don't pretend you know Quidditch," Ginny interrupted, "and that will only embarrass you." ”

Harry and Ron looked at each other: Hermione and Ginny had always had a good relationship, but now they were sitting there with their hands crossed over their chests, staring in different directions. Ron gave Harry an uneasy look, then picked up a book and hid his head behind it. Harry knew he was ashamed, but he suddenly felt a pang of incredible joy, even though neither of them spoke again that night.

But his ease was short-lived.

The next day he had to endure the ridicule of the Slytherins, not to mention the wrath of the Gryffindors, as their captain had allowed himself to be locked up for the final game of the season. On Saturday morning, no matter what he had said to Hermione, Harry was willing to trade all the Flyers in the world for his chance to walk to the Quidditch pitch with Ron, Ginny and the others. It was almost intolerable to leave the crowd that rushed into the sunlight, all wearing rosettes and hats, waving banners and scarves, and just as intolerable, Harry walked down the stone stairs leading to the underground classroom, and walked until the sound of the crowd in the distance disappeared, and he knew that he could not hear a single commentary, nor could he hear a single cheer or sigh.

"Ah, Potter," said Snape, as Harry knocked on the door and walked into the nasty but familiar office, which he hadn't moved out of, though Snape was now a few floors away; The lights were dim as usual, and the walls were filled with colorful flasks of sticky animals and plants. Many cobweb-covered boxes were piled on a table, and Harry had an ominous premonition that he would sit there; It looked like there was a boring, difficult, pointless job waiting for him.

"Mr. Filch has been looking for someone to clean up these old files," Snape said softly. "They are a record of other people who have made mistakes at Hogwarts and the punishment they have received. There are places where the ink has faded, or the cards have been destroyed by rats, and we want you to re-transcribe those crimes and punishments, and make sure to put them in alphabetical order before putting them back in the box. You can't use magic. ”

"All right, Professor," Harry said, pronouncing the last word as contemptuously as possible.

"I think you can get started," Snape smiled viciously. "In boxes 1012 to 1056, you'll find some familiar names that will make the quest a little more interesting. Here, you see ......"

He forcefully pulled a card from the top box, waved it, and said, "'James Potter and Sirius Black.'" Caught casting an illegal curse on Bertram Aubrey. Aubrey's head became twice the size it originally was. Both were locked in confinement. ’”

Snape said with a sneer. "It's a great consolation, that despite their deaths, the record of their great achievements is still ......" Harry felt the depths of his stomach start churning again. Biting his tongue to prevent himself from retaliating, he sat down and pulled a box.

As Harry expected, it was worthless, boring work. His stomach began to churn like Snape had planned, which meant that he saw his father and Sirius names again, usually for all sorts of trivial crimes, with the occasional Lupin and Peter Pettigrew as companions.

Harry copied their sins and punishments as he guessed what was going on outside about the game that had just begun...... Ginny and Cho are both Seekers...... Harry glanced over and over at the ticking clock on the wall. It seems to be twice as slow as a normal clock; Did Snape cast a spell on it to make it go very slowly? He couldn't have been here for just half an hour...... An hour...... An hour and a half...... When the clock pointed to half-past twelve, Harry's stomach began to growl. Snape, who hadn't said a word since he had given Harry his assignment, finally looked up at past ten o'clock.

"I think that's it," he said coldly. "Make a mark. It will continue next Saturday at ten o'clock sharp. ”

"Yes, Professor." Harry casually slipped a folded card into the box, then hurried out of his office before Snape could change his mind, darting up the stone stairs as he pricked up his ears in the hope of hearing a little sound from the pitch, but it was all silent...... With that said, the game is over...... He hesitated outside the crowded auditorium, then ran up the marble staircase; Regardless of whether Gryffindor wins or loses, the team usually celebrates or mourns in the common room.

"Hello?" He said tentatively to the fat lady, guessing what he would see inside.

She replied with an unpredictable expression, "You'll see." She stepped forward.

A celebratory commotion came from the hole behind her. The people screamed at the sight of him, and Harry looked at them dumbfounded; A few hands pulled him in.

"We won!" Ron shouted, jumping into Harry's line of sight and waving the silver trophy at him. "We won! 450 to 140! We won! ”

Harry looked around; Ginny ran towards him and embraced him with a determined and fiery look on her face. Harry kissed her, not thinking, not planning, not worrying that 50 people were looking at them.

After a long time - perhaps half an hour - or perhaps several sunny days - they separated.

The room became very quiet. Then a few people began to whistle, and the crowd erupted into an uneasy giggle. Harry looked over Ginny's head to see Dean Thomas holding a broken glass in his hand, and Romilda Vinn looked like he was about to drop something. Hermione was smiling, but Harry's eyes were searching for Ron.

Eventually, he found Ron still holding the trophy, and the look on his face was as if he had just been hit on the head with a stick. They stared at each other for a moment, then Ron's head moved slightly, and Harry understood that he was saying, "All right—if you insist." The monster in his chest roared in triumph. He grinned at Ginny and silently pointed to the portrait hole. It seemed to imply that they should go for a walk in the playground - if they had time - and discuss the game.

The news of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley's relationship sparked interest from many people, most of them girls, and in the weeks that followed, Harry was happy to find himself no longer affected by the gossip. After all, the topic they talked about had made him feel happy for the first time in a long time, much better than the horrors of the Dark Arts event.

"You feel like people have better things to talk about," Ginny sat on the common room floor, snuggling up to Harry's legs, flipping through the Daily Prophet. "There have been three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Venn has done is ask me if you have a hippographical tattoo on your chest."

Ron and Hermione both burst out laughing. Harry ignored them.

"How did you tell her?"

"I told her it was a Hungarian tree bee," Ginny slouched over a page of the Daily Prophet. "More manly."

"Thank you," Harry grinned. "Did you tell her what Ron was tattooing?"

"A dwarf fluff, but I didn't tell her where the tattoo was." Hermione turned her face away and laughed, and Ron grimaced.

"Attention," Ron pointed warily at Harry and Ginny. "Just because I allow the two of you to associate doesn't mean I can't take it back-"

"'Your permission,'" Ginny said mockingly. "When did I start getting your permission to do things? Either way, you've said it yourself that you'd rather be Harry than Michael and Dean. ”

"yes, that's how I wished," Ron said reluctantly. "As long as you don't kiss in public—"

"Filthy hypocrite! What about you and Lavender, tossing and turning like a pair of eels? Ginny asked.

But as we entered June, there were not many opportunities to test Ron's tolerance, and the time Harry and Ginny spent together was becoming more and more limited. Ginny's O. W。 L。 The exam was approaching, so she had to revise until late at night.

That same evening, Ginny went to the library, and Harry sat by the window in the common room, supposed to finish his herb homework, but in fact he was reminiscing about the good times they spent together at lunch by the lake. Hermione sat huddled between Harry and Ron, a determined expression of displeasure on her face.

"I have something to say to you, Harry."

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, skeptically. Just the day before, Hermione had just scolded him for splitting Ginny's heart, saying that Ginny should prepare well for the exam.

"About the so-called half-blood prince."

"Oh, don't come again," he groaned. "Can you not mention it?" Harry still hasn't dared to go back to the Room of Requirement to pick up his book, so his Potions grades have plummeted, but Slavhorn agrees with Ginny, wittily attributing it to Harry's lovesickness. But Harry was sure Snape hadn't given up on finding the half-blood prince yet. So with Snape on his toes, Harry decided to let it go.

"I won't fail to mention it!" Hermione said firmly, "Until you hear me." Now I've looked up a few things, and I know who has a penchant for inventing dark spells-"

"He doesn't have that hobby—"

"He, he—who said it had to be him?"

"We've talked about this," Harry said stubbornly. "Prince, Hermione, it's Prince!"

"Okay!" Hermione blushed, pulled out an old newspaper from her pocket, and slammed it in front of Harry, "Look! Take a look at these photos! Harry picked up the mutilated newspaper and stared at the yellowed photograph of the event; Ron tilted his head too. In the photo is an emaciated girl about fifteen years old. She's not pretty; He appears to be perverse and gloomy, with thick eyebrows and a long, narrow and pale face. The caption under the photo states: Erin Prince, captain of the Hogwarts Goldstones.

"So?" Harry glanced quickly at the brief news attached to the photo; It's a boring story about an interscholastic competition.

"Her name is Erin Prince. Prince, that's the prince! Harry. The two of them looked at each other, and Harry understood what Hermione was trying to say. He burst out laughing.

"Impossible."

"What?"

"You think she's the half-breed ......? Oh, forget it. ”

"Why not? Harry, there is no real prince in the wizarding world! It's nothing more than a nickname, a name you give yourself, or simply your real name, isn't it? Don't, you listen to me! If her father happens to be a wizard with the surname 'Prince' and her mother is a Muggle, then she is a 'half-blood Prince'! ”

"yes, very creative, Hermione......"

"But that's what it is! Maybe she's proud to be half a prince! ”

"Listen, Hermione, I can tell it's not a girl. I can see that. ”

"Actually, it's because you don't think a girl would be so smart!" Hermione said angrily.

"I've been with you for five years, how can I think that girls are not smart?" Harry was stinged. "It's the way he writes. I know he's a lad. This girl has nothing to do with it. But where did you get this newspaper from? ”

"Library," Hermione said without hesitation. "There's a complete collection of the Diaothe's Daily Prophet from the past. Well, I'll find out more about Erin Prince if I can. ”

"Have a nice day," Harry said impatiently.

"I will," Hermione said. "The first place I'm going to check," she glared back at him as she reached the portrait hole, "is the Potions Reward Book." ”

Harry looked at him with a sad face, then continued to stare at the darkening sky.

He had a hunch that Hermione would probably not let him go when it came to the half-blood prince.