Chapter 68: Whispers and Shadows
"Myrtle, I want to ask you something."
"Something? Well, as long as you don't dislike me. β
Myrtle's sensitive emotions are a headache, and John can only try not to touch them.
"I want to ask, do you know what secret rooms are in Hogwarts?"
Myrtle flew out of the toilet bowl with a puzzled face, "Secret room? I've never seen one. β
"Well, looks like I need to ask someone."
John didn't get an answer and was about to leave, and as he walked out, he bumped into a man.
"Uh...... I'm here for Myrtle, and I hope you understand. β
He looked at the visitor with some embarrassment, and was caught out of the girls' bathroom.
Ginny was a little panicked, she didn't dare to make eye contact with John, and the black book in her hand fell from her hand.
"Are you alright, Ginny?"
John notices something is wrong with her and tries to help her pick up the diary.
It was this action that caused Ginny to scream: "Don't touch him!" β
"Sorry......"
Retracting his hand, John watched as Ginny picked up the black notebook and quickly left.
He wondered, "I don't think there's something wrong with Ginny." β
Compared to the last time we met, Ginny is now in a very unstable state.
And his face is haggard, as if he hasn't slept well for many days.
"Maybe I should ask Luna."
John leaves the girls' bathroom, and after he leaves, Ginny comes around.
There was a whisper in her ear that made her look dazed.
...
"You....... do you have ...... Read? β
John, who was heading to Filch's office to brush Lady Loris's bristles, overhears the conversation, and Filch's nervous stuttering voice stops him.
"It's not mine, it's for a friend, it may seem ....... but ......"
Filch stammered without the aggressiveness he used to have, and John leaned in to see Harry in his office.
Filch stood there as if he had done something wrong, and finally Filch let him go without even punishing Harry.
"Strange."
John felt that everything was wrong with everyone today, and that everything was wrong.
After Harry left, he saw Filch nervously hiding a letter.
He knocked on the door and entered, and Lady Loris meowed.
Filch stiffened and turned around, visibly relieved when he saw that it was John.
John didn't bother and beckoned to Lady Loris, who ran over.
"I don't think you mind if I brush it."
"When, of course."
Filch was still a little nervous, and John shrugged and took Lady Loris out.
Take out the comb and comb through Lady Loris's knotted hair.
The hair on her body finally stopped being knotted, and Lady Loris circled around John as if in thanks.
John waved his hand to let it go.
Walking down the hallway, John heard the slightest strange sound.
"Sounds like crawling."
John leaned close to the wall and pressed his ear to it.
His features were sharp, and the sound of movement disappeared after a moment.
John touched his chin and said thoughtfully, "It's not like a mouse, it's more like a sound of a body dragging it." β
Something crawled at his feet, and John looked down to see a swarm of spiders.
"The swarms of spiders left, what happened to them?"
Watching the spiders leave in droves, John felt that something was wrong.
Thinking of spiders, John thought of the spider's nest that first grade went to with Hagrid.
"Forget it, let's go to Hagrid."
John shook his head and headed to Hagrid's cabin.
He didn't see Hagrid when he arrived, but he did see Toothtooth.
"Tooth, where's Hagrid?"
John asked casually, and Toothtooth got up and led John to the back of the house.
There was a flock of chickens that Hagrid had raised, but today they are a pile of corpses.
Hagrid was here to investigate, and when John came over, Hagrid was angry and said, "Someone killed my chicken, it's too cruel." β
These chickens were not killed by animals, and there were no signs of animal bites, indicating that humans did it.
Hagrid was furious, he had raised the chickens.
John is lost in thought, the spiders in the castle leave in droves, and Hagrid's chickens are killed again, all of which reveal the strangeness.
After spending some time with Hagrid, John arrives at Beater Willow.
The beating willow is almost recovered, and it is estimated that it will be fully recovered here in another week.
It's just that there are a lot fewer branches on it, and they are all taken out by John for alchemy.
To this end, he expanded the various amulets and spell rings.
Two things played a huge role in the attack on Boginbock, and Mr. Bokin had no suspicion that the werewolves were responsible.
Because werewolves don't use magic after transforming.
Dumping dragon dung around, John meets Luna near Beater Willow.
"There's something wrong with Ginny."
Luna has observant eyes, and her ethereal voice seems to be singing, "She hasn't looked at me lately." β
"I also think there's a problem."
John nodded approvingly, Ginny was not familiar with him.
So he's going to let Ron see if something is wrong with him.
In Potions class, John tossed the sliced bat spleen into a crucible, stirred four times counterclockwise, and heated on low for thirty seconds.
With the wave of his wand, a swelling potion was complete.
Professor Snape gave Slytherin 20 points.
After class, John finds Ron and talks to him about Ginny.
Ron said he would pay attention, but quickly moved the conversation back to his wand.
"This wand is simply amazing."
Ron didn't hesitate to praise himself, and John nodded modestly.
Harry leaned over and invited John, "We're going to Nick's death, you're going to come with us." β
To be honest, Harry had already regretted agreeing, it was Halloween's Eve.
It's better to celebrate with your classmates than a horde of ghosts.
John waved his hand and refused: "I'm sorry, I didn't have time that day, I still have to take care of the beating willow." β
"Okay." Harry also knew that John was not available, so he did not continue to invite.
...
On the night of the Halloween feast, John returned from Beater Willow and saw a spider again.
"What the hell is it?"
Staring at the spider's movements, John looked for it.
He remembered what Dobby said about the danger, could it be this?
Searching all the way, John came to the corridor on the second floor.
He spotted a puddle of water around the corner of a hallway.
"Where did the water come from, and it didn't rain here."
John found the puddle of water odd and searched for it along the path where it had been found.
He went back to the girls' bathroom.
Just as he was about to enter, John thought of the previous embarrassment, and he stopped.
"There shouldn't be anyone around, right?"
Feeling like a thief, John looked around.
After entering the girls' bathroom, he saw a puddle of water on the ground.
It made him think.
"Could it be Myrtle?"
John walked over to the toilet bowl to see if Myrtle was there.
At this moment, a dark shadow flashed in the mirror.
John's nerves tensed, and without hesitation, he drew his wand and searched backwards.
He heard the sound of something moving.
Cautious, John was inexplicably depressed.
Walking towards the compartments, there was no one of them.
John was wondering where it was when he heard a cat meow.
"Lady Loris?"
Hearing this, John recognized it as Lady Loris.
The cat was outside in the hallway, and John walked out.
Lady Loris was climbing up and down, and it seemed to have discovered something.
"Be careful, Lady Loris, there may be danger here."
John reached out and touched Lady Loris's chin, and he followed her, searching the hallway.
I don't know what that flashing shadow was, but my instincts told John it was dangerous.
He felt something peeking at him, and it made him nervous.
Mrs. Loris walked around the corner to a puddle of water, probably thirsty, and was drinking there.
The sound of movement sounded in John's ears, and then he heard a cat's scream.
Turning his head, he saw the big black dick over there.
John didn't hesitate to shoot directly.
"Petrificus Totalus"
The petrification spell had no effect on the shadow, and John cursed.
Before the other man could turn his head, John cast a phantom spell on himself and ducked around the corner.
He noticed that Lady Loris's stiff body was gradually petrified, and John knew that this thing was very dangerous.
Drawing the Sword of Ironwick, John attacked with his senses.
"Broken bones! οΌReductoοΌβ
The white light hit the wall.