Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 158 Hermione's Advice

In the Potions class...

"Everyone should have noticed," said Professor Snape with a sinister expression, "We have a special guest in our class today..." Professor Snape glanced at the old toad in the corner.

"Mr. Potter!" Professor Snape said, "The grade I gave you for your last assignment, the paper on moonstone powder, was...very poor. Submit another copy to me!"

"Yes... Professor..." Harry said through gritted teeth.

Professor Snape looked at Harry again and continued, "Today we will continue to make... the enhancer. The materials and production methods... are on the blackboard. The required materials... are in the storage cabinet. Let's start now... Be careful and don't let your efforts last week go to waste..." After Professor Snape finished speaking, he looked at Harry meaningfully again.

Aeris still came close to the lonely Draco, and the two of them worked together to make the enhancer while communicating in very low voices.

"The Ministry of Magic is going to make a big move!" Draco whispered.

"They will definitely fire a professor to establish their authority. I wonder which unlucky guy it will be..." Aris responded.

"I hope you weren't talking about anything other than Potions class!" The old toad appeared behind Aeris and Draco like an apparition.

Draco was startled and his hand shook, so he added more salamander blood. Draco looked unhappy because this might ruin his potion completely.

Aeris quickly made up for it and put some other ingredients into Draco's cauldron in equal proportions.

"As a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, you two have a pretty good relationship..." Professor Umbridge said meaningfully.

"There is no rule in the school that says we can't be friends with other colleges, Umbridge... Professor!" Aris said without any emotion while busying himself with the potion in his hand, without even looking at the old toad.

"Of course, dear!" Professor Umbridge said coquettishly, "So what do you think of Professor Snape? I want to hear your true evaluation of him."

"Professor Snape is the best Potions professor!" Aeris and Draco said in unison and ignored the old toad.

Professor Umbridge wrote something in her notebook and then went to question other students.

Draco muttered something resentfully, probably cursing... this old toad.

After a while, the voices of Professor Snape and Professor Umbridge were heard, and both Aeris and Draco pricked up their ears involuntarily.

"How long have you been teaching here?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Fourteen years!" Professor Snape answered briefly.

"I very much doubt that the enhancers are a bit excessive for these children. The Ministry of Magic may wish to... remove similar... over-standard teaching materials... from the fifth-grade textbooks... and from OWls." The old toad said with a smile.

"Excuse me, Madam Senior Investigator," Professor Snape said expressionlessly, "I was able to mix higher-level potions when I was thirteen years old. Of course, if the wizarding world only needs mediocre wizards, I am very, very willing to cooperate."

Professor Umbridge laughed coquettishly twice, and then asked, "I heard that the teaching position you first applied for was Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Yes!" said Professor Snape.

"But you didn't get the teaching position?" Professor Umbridge continued.

"Obviously..." There was a hint of impatience in Professor Snape's tone.

"You applied several times later, but still..." Professor Umbridge said with a smile.

"This seems to have nothing to do with your assessment of my professionalism..." Professor Snape said irritably.

"I hope to get to know each of my...colleagues in all aspects..." Professor Umbridge said as she wrote on her notebook.

Time passed unknowingly and it was almost time for the get out of class to end. While Aeris and Draco handed in the finished enhancers, Professor Snape was making things difficult for Harry again.

Not only did he empty Harry's cauldron, he also made Harry write a paper on the efficacy of the enhancer and the proportion of the production materials, and the paper should be no less than twelve inches long.

"Okay... Professor..." Harry said through gritted teeth.

The old toad who was watching the show on the side smiled with glee.

During the History of Magic class, I thought the old toad would show up in class, but the senior investigator seemed to think that the History of Magic class was unimportant, so she didn't come at all.

Halfway through the History of Magic class, a special "guest" arrived, the injured Hedwig.

Harry took a sick leave and took Hedwig to see Professor Grubbly-Plank, and did not return until the end of get out of class.

"Who do you think hurt Hedwig?" Harry left Hedwig with Professor Grubbly-Plank and came back alone. After finding Aris and Ron, Harry couldn't wait to ask.

The three companions were on their way to the Divination classroom, but Hermione had other classes to attend, so she didn't go with them.

"It could be that old witch Umbridge," said Aeris. "Whoever it is, someone is intercepting the courier. Did Hedwig bring the reply?"

"Yes," Harry whispered, "just a few words, written by a cold wind...same time, same place..."

"That can't reveal any information, right?" Ron said, "Even if the old toad saw the content of the reply, she couldn't guess..."

"Don't take any chances, Ron," said Aris, "You can never be too cautious when it comes to colds..."

"Anyway, we'll wait there!" Harry said finally, as they arrived outside the Divination room.

When I entered the Divination classroom, as expected, Professor Umbridge was already waiting in the corner of the classroom, ready to examine Professor Trelawney.

"How long have you been teaching here, dear?" Professor Umbridge inquired.

"Ten...sixteen years..." Professor Trelawney replied nervously.

"I heard that you are a direct descendant of the famous prophet: Cassandra Trelawney?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Of course!" Professor Trelawney puffed out her chest.

"I heard that there hasn't been anyone with the gift of prophecy in your family for a long time?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"This kind of... talent... is more likely to be inherited from the previous generation. It could be inherited from two... three, or even five generations..." Professor Trelawney said unnaturally.

"Then can you make a simple prophecy for me, dear?" Professor Umbridge asked with a smile.

Professor Trelawney looked at Professor Umbridge through her glasses with her hazy eyes, a little at a loss.

"Excellent!" said the old toad dimly, scribbling on his notebook.

"Wait...wait..." Professor Trelawney said quickly, "I did see something. You...you...you will encounter terrible...danger before the end of the school year..."

The old toad paused while writing, gave a fake smile, and said slowly: "I will pay attention..." and then wrote something else.

In the Transfiguration class.

As usual, Aries sat with Hermione, while Harry and Ron, who were sitting in the adjacent seats, looked expectant.

"Vanishing Charm..." said Professor McGonagall.

A coquettish cough sounded, just like the one that interrupted Professor Dumbledore at the start-of-term dinner.

"It's easy to make invertebrates like snails disappear, but to make mammals like mice disappear, you need more precise control over magic..." said Professor McGonagall.

The taciturn coughing sound rang out again.

"I just don't understand," said Professor McGonagall angrily, "Dolores, how can you assess my professionalism if you keep interrupting my lectures?"

"You should have received my note, Minerva..." Professor Umbridge said in a greasy voice.

"Of course I received it," Professor McGonagall said impatiently, "Otherwise I will kick you out of my classroom. If you have anything to say, wait until I finish teaching my students!"

The old toad glared at Professor McGonagall angrily and began to write and draw in his notebook.

Professor McGonagall didn't care and continued to lecture...

After Professor McGonagall finished her lecture and the students started to practice, Professor Umbridge came to Professor McGonagall. Aris had an illusion that the students' minds were instantly distracted from practicing their Vanishing Spell.

"How long have you been teaching here?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"It will be forty years this December," Professor McGonagall replied.

"That's a long time!" said the old Toad in amazement. "Do you think... Dumbledore is a good headmaster?"

"Of course he is a good headmaster!" Professor McGonagall said without hesitation, "He is the best headmaster since the four founders of Hogwarts!"

Obviously, the old toad was very dissatisfied with a staunch supporter of Dumbledore. After asking Professor McGonagall a few more questions, he was scolded by Professor McGonagall and his face turned green.

When the class was over, Professor McGonagall said impatiently: "You guys, get out of here quickly..." Harry and Ron deliberately stayed at the end just to take a closer look at the old toad's frustrated look.

During dinner, I heard from the students of Ravenclaw that the old toad also sat in on Professor Flitwick's Charms class and even measured Professor Flitwick's height with a ruler. This is really not very harmful but extremely insulting.

"Aeris!" Hermione said seriously in a corner of the common room after dinner, "I think it is necessary to start the DA again!"

Harry and Ron, who were busy doing their homework, also stopped what they were doing and wanted to hear what Hermione had to say.

"Hurry up and write, both of you!" Hermione said angrily. "We can't do this. That old witch Umbridge has blocked almost any way for us to learn magic. This way, by the time the final exam comes, we will hardly be able to pass OWLS."

"So," Aris said teasingly, "as a prefect, you are going to take the lead in breaking school rules?"

"We are learning how to protect ourselves!" Hermione said unhappily, "especially now that Voldemort is lurking outside Hogwarts."

"I have no objection," Aeris said nonchalantly, "Are you still in the DA cabin? I can use the Fidelius Charm, and I will be the secret keeper of the DA cabin."

"That's right," Hermione said thoughtfully, "We can also use the Room of Requirement, or use it alternately, but we can't be as loose as before. We can go to Hogsmeade this Saturday and hold a small party there to confirm the personnel and sign a confidentiality agreement."

"Okay," said Aris, "Harry and I... the two of us will teach."

"What?" Harry said unnaturally after eating the melon on himself, "Me? Don't be ridiculous! They all think I'm crazy now!"

"I'm not much better than you," Aeris said nonchalantly. "Many people think that the video I released that day was faked."

"But I..." Harry hesitated.

"Don't expect me to teach you alone," said Aeris. "Those who have learned the Patronus Charm can continue to learn more difficult spells from me. For those who haven't learned the Patronus Charm, it's up to you, buddy!"

"Am I the one who guides the newcomers?" Harry said unhappily, "Wait... I haven't decided yet..."

Before Harry finished speaking, the flames in the fireplace turned emerald green for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

The common room was almost empty by then, and Harry waited nervously in front of the fireplace, his eyes fixed on the fire.

The flames turned emerald green and Sirius' head appeared in the fire.

"Leave quickly, Sirius," Aeris said quickly, "Hedwig has been intercepted, and your reply may have been seen by others..."

Sirius, who didn't have time to say anything, seemed to realize something. He just glanced at Harry and left in a hurry. It was a good thing he left, because a pair of fat hands appeared in the emerald green flames, like the two front paws of a toad.

The four companions quickly ran towards the dormitory, trying not to make any sound, because those hands belonged to that old witch Umbridge.