RNP Chapter 154 Harry's Spell in the Courtroom
Chapter 154 Harry's Spell in the Courtroom
Chapter 155 Harry's Spell in the Courtroom
Picking up where we left off, Colin heard that Harry had another huge deal to make, and he felt incredibly anxious.
Fred and George couldn't contain themselves either, and their four ears stood up like rabbits'.
Harry beckoned, and the three of them quickly leaned closer to hear him say in a low voice:
"This time, I will trouble you all to secretly investigate the whereabouts of that rat, Ron. Just keep an eye on him, don't disturb him, and there's no need to capture him."
"All you need to do is find out where that beast is hiding, ascertain the truth of his movements, and then report back."
"Any gains will be rewarded with gold and silver. Ten Galleons is the minimum, and if it is urgent information, even hundreds or thousands of Galleons will suffice."
It turns out that although the soul-stealing demon is fierce, it cannot enter the human world. This kind of trickery of crawling through holes and climbing over walls ultimately requires the help of living people.
Upon hearing this, the three men's eyes gleamed with a fierce light. Colin, being a man of honor, immediately took his leave to tell his brothers about the matter.
Fred and George felt as if twenty-five mice were scurrying around in their hearts, and finally couldn't help but ask:
"Harry, what do you want with Benban?"
"That rat is a real lecher!"
Harry waved his hand and laughed, "It's a secret that can't be revealed. You two brothers will know the answer in time."
Seeing that he was tight-lipped, the two could only shift their bodies slightly. "Alright, Harry, but you must be very careful."
"That amount is truly terrifying."
Having said that, he left.
Ron then grabbed Harry and asked, "Harry, do you really think Peter Pettigrew is still near the castle? What if he's already escaped?"
Harry's eyes widened, and he shouted coldly, "Even if he escapes to the ends of the earth, I'll dig him out of the ground!"
"With Hogwarts Castle as our center, we will meticulously investigate every inch of the surrounding area until this matter is thoroughly resolved. Otherwise, I will have failed as a son!"
Hermione glanced at Colin and the others whispering and passing around the bounty, pondered for a moment, and then said to Harry:
"Harry, I think we could put a bulletin board in the Chamber of Secrets; that would be more convenient."
"And this can also improve... well... our cohesion."
"Shouldn't we come up with a name? Like the Slug Club?"
Harry simply smiled and said, "Since you have such a brilliant plan, elder sister, please feel free to make your decision. How could I possibly refuse?"
That very night, Hermione erected a large, eight-foot-square pine board in the Chamber of Secrets, framed in vermilion, with Harry's bounty posted in the center.
Who knew that the notice was so broad, yet Harry only offered a reward for that one matter, which was as insignificant as a needle falling into a vast ocean, or as fumes being thrown into molten lava—truly a waste of talent.
In just three to five days, the blank spaces were already filled with students from all walks of life, and the notices on the list were piled up one after another.
Looking to purchase a complete slug skin; other potion materials can be exchanged for it.
[Tonight, a sneak attack on Filch is planned; only those truly sincere will be invited.]
[Looking for a senior student who is proficient in Transfiguration to tutor students, four silver coins per hour]
[High-price buyback of socks belonging to a Slytherin upperclassman]
The parchment, large and small, was pasted together so tightly that it was impossible to miss. Some were for bartering, some were for inviting others to join, and some were for buying and selling. It was a motley collection of items, like a bustling marketplace or brothel.
The only thing no one dared to cover was the bounty poster right in the middle of Harry's head, but the trail of his whereabouts seemed to have sunk without a trace, hanging there for a long time without anyone reporting it.
Harry grew impatient and increased the bounty by another 30%, but all he heard were rumors and whispers, with only a vague idea that the guy was hiding in Hogsmeade.
As the cold of winter deepened and Christmas approached, two Hufflepuff disciples burst into the secret chamber, clasped their hands in greeting, and shouted:
"Harry! We found the rocket launcher!"
"It found a mouse hole in the condiment and toy store!"
Harry was overjoyed upon hearing this. He took the photo the two men handed him and saw that it was not Scabbers!
In the painting, the guy is dozing at the foot of the counter when he suddenly sees Harry's gaze sweep over him. He's so startled that he disappears into the shadows in a flash.
"Excellent! It's all thanks to the hard work of these two brothers!"
Harry cheered and pulled out a bag of gold and silver from his pocket, laying out two hundred Galleons with a clatter, and presented them to the two men.
Upon seeing so many yellow and white items, the two students were overjoyed, scratching their heads and thanking the vendor profusely before leaving.
Ron and Hermione also came over, and the three of them gathered around the live photograph to examine it closely.
"General," Hermione said softly, "the last piece of the puzzle is now complete."
Ron clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, forgetting all about meditation scriptures, his eyes blazing with anger as he demanded, "When are we leaving?"
"I can't wait to have a good talk with this old pervert."
Harry quickly calculated, "The day after tomorrow is the day to go to Hogsmeade. Once I've invited my second uncle, I'll set up court in the Shrieking Shack and have him face off against the three of us!"
With the plan settled, the three of them went their separate ways to prepare.
Ron went off to practice his spells diligently. Although one of them might be innocent, the other was the demon who had killed the entire street. He couldn't afford to be negligent.
Hermione went to Crook Hill to confront the fox and explain how she had seduced Black.
Harry went straight to Lupin's office. As the saying goes, the one who tied the knot must untie it. The grievances from thirteen years ago must be settled by the people from back then.
The day after tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, Harry and his friends made all the necessary preparations and headed straight for Hogsmeade Village.
On the way, Harry and Lupin crossed their arms and said, "When we get there, I'll trouble you, Uncle, to accompany my brother to the Spice Joke Shop. We must catch that Peter Pettigrew bastard."
"Just do it naturally, don't alert them, just pretend you bumped into them by chance, so that they don't get desperate and hurt innocent people nearby."
Ron and Lupin both nodded silently, each with their own plans.
Hermione whispered, lifting a corner of her robe to reveal the large, flat-faced cat in her arms. "I've already discussed it with Crookshanks. It will take Sirius Black to the Shrieking Shack."
Harry nodded and said in a deep voice, "Big Sister's arrangements are brilliant! Now everything is ready, except for the final push!"
After discussing and deciding on their plan, they traveled for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before arriving at Hogsmeade.
As previously agreed, everyone went their separate ways.
Harry went alone to the Screaming Shack, intending to fix the building and secure the doors and windows in case anything went wrong during the court hearing.
He was walking with his head down, and had only gone a dozen or so steps when he suddenly heard someone calling out loudly behind him.
"Harry!"
"Harry! Wait for me!"
When Harry turned around, he saw a person rushing towards him, panting heavily. It was none other than Lockhart!
Harry looked him up and down, suspicious, and asked, "What important matter do you have to see me about?"
"Oh, of course, it's very, very important." Lockhart wiped the sweat from his brow, grinning with a set of white teeth. "I forgot to ask earlier, what's your vault number? I need to transfer the royalties to your account."
Harry, upon hearing that they had come to deliver money, immediately beamed, patted the professor on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Good. As the saying goes, if you borrow and repay, it's easy to borrow again. Professor, you've come all the way to Hogsmeade for this matter, which shows you're a man of your word."
Lockhart was delighted by his flattery and felt a little smug. He put his hands on his hips and raised his head, saying, "Of course, Harry, I said in 'Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets' that I am a person who values promises very much."
"However, you're wrong about one thing. My main purpose in coming to Hogsmeade today is to see Professor Celtburn."
Why did Lockhart seek out Celtic Burne? It was to treat the old professor's wounds a second time.
As is well known, Celtic Burn had a lifelong love for exotic birds and beasts, to the point that he broke all four of his limbs. Without his hands and feet, he could no longer teach and had no choice but to retire into seclusion.
But the old man was unrepentant. Even with his tongue pressed to the ground, he crawled through the mountains, still searching for rare beasts. Only after two Bowtruckles had smashed his buttocks and ridden away did he finally realize his mistake and write a letter to Dumbledore, asking him to cast a forgetting spell to eradicate his foolish thoughts completely.
Upon hearing this, Harry thought to himself: No wonder when I saw that guy last time, he couldn't even remember how he lost his limbs. It turns out he had been given a forgetting spell.
He exclaimed in surprise, "So, Professor Dumbledore sent you to cast a spell on this Professor Celtic Burn?"
"Of course." Lockhart puffed out his chest, a smug look on his face, when he heard Harry's question. "I'm not bragging, Professor Dumbledore thought my Oblivion Charm was no weaker than his."
"They might even be stronger than him!"
Harry didn't believe his boasting, but there was something else that puzzled him. He asked, "Since the professor has already manipulated Celtic Burne's memories, why is he looking for him again today?"
"Ah, that's a rather complicated matter."
Lockhart scratched his chin. "Professor Dumbledore received some reports from local wizards that Professor Celticburn was leading some dangerous magical creatures into the fields."
"I think this might be because his love for magical creatures is ingrained in his bones; simply erasing his memories isn't enough."
"This time I plan to alter his memory."
Harry's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
Seeing Lockhart about to go into the fields to look for someone, and thinking that it was still early, he grabbed Lockhart's sleeve and laughed, "I have never seen the means of altering someone's memories before. Today is a good day to see it for myself."
"I hope the professor will not refuse."
Lockhart dared not object, so he forced a smile and led Harry along. When the two reached the edge of the field, they saw Celtic Burne dressed as a scarecrow standing in the middle, with three or five sparrows chirping and hopping above his head.
Lockhart waved his sleeve to shoo away the birds and smiled, "Good morning, Professor Celticburn."
"Hello, you with the fake smile! What brings you here today?"
Lockhart was taken aback by this, his expression froze, and he immediately abandoned the idea of catching up with him.
He simply straightened his face, drew his wand, and shouted, "Forget everything!"
A white light burst forth from the tip of the cane, and the old professor's eyes glazed over instantly, frozen in place like a wooden or clay sculpture.
In just a few breaths, the light at the tip of Lockhart's staff gradually faded. He took a breath and put away his wand.
"knock off."
Harry, who had been watching closely, asked curiously, "What changed in your argument with him this time, Professor?"
Lockhart grinned. "I left a psychological suggestion in his memory that would cause him to feel a physiological aversion to magical creatures."
"This will prevent him from coming into contact with magical creatures."
"As for whether he will continue to act as a scarecrow, I'm not sure."
Harry, upon hearing this, thought to himself: "I never imagined Lockhart would have such skill. I've been deceiving myself all day, pretending the blade wasn't there, but to no avail. How could I possibly get this fellow to cast a Forgetfulness Charm, altering my memories as well? It's so unfortunate!"
In a flash, he grabbed Lockhart's arm and chuckled, "Professor, your forgetfulness spell is truly impressive! Try casting one on my crown too!"
The teachings say: Supernatural powers are rare, yet all people admire their lofty heights; minor arts are plentiful, yet few are willing to learn them. By diligently studying minor arts and striving for excellence, one can even create hundreds and thousands of forms. When one achieves perfect mastery, how different is this from the great path to heaven? But will Lockhart dare to chant a spell with Harry? Let's find out in the next chapter.
(End of this chapter)