Chapter 60: Raided Office
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"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, please give me a reasonable explanation as to why you broke curfew and are here in the middle of the night." Professor McGonagall's eyes were sharp, fixing on the three nervous young wizards.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were terrified. They had no idea they had been caught. Huddled together, they tried to avoid Professor McGonagall's stern gaze.
"We... we were jogging at night and lost track of time, so we came back late," Ron stammered, offering a reason he didn't even believe himself.
"Jogging at night? In the dead of winter? The three of you together?" Professor McGonagall's voice grew more severe. "If you don't tell the truth, I'll have to deduct..."
"Don't...!" Harry exclaimed. He couldn't fathom the consequences of losing Gryffindor points, especially with Percy and the other house members likely turning against him.
"We have permission. We were with Professor Ethan" Ron blurted out the truth in a hurry.
Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall wasn't swayed by this. "Then I presume you have a note signed by Professor Ethan." She scrutinized the three young wizards, not willing to give them any leeway.
"Professor Ethan... it wasn't the right time to get a note signed," Harry hesitated. After listening to Hermione's words, he didn't want to expose Professor Ethan.
"What on earth are you up to?" Professor McGonagall grew impatient, wondering if the three young wizards had embarked on some ridiculous game like "hunting the heir of Slytherin" again.
"Professor Ethan was in Hagrid's cabin, and there was no pen and paper around him at the time." In a hurry, Hermione concocted a reason to try and convince Professor McGonagall, but she immediately regretted it. Professor McGonagall was likely to check with Professor Ethan.
True to her suspicion, after Professor McGonagall scrutinized Harry, Ron, and Hermione's faces once more, she ushered them back into the common room, declaring her intention to verify their story with Professor Ethan.
This allowed the three young wizards to breathe a sigh of relief as they hastened to Gryffindor Common Room. Once there, they bid hasty goodbyes, each retreating to their respective bedrooms.
After dealing with the three young wizards, Professor McGonagall didn't retire for the night. The more she pondered, the more suspicious she found the trio's behavior. Thus, she decided to seek confirmation from Professor Ethan immediately. Stepping on the thick snow, Professor McGonagall made her way to Hagrid's cabin, according to Hermione's information.
Professor McGonagall knocked on the door persistently but received no response. However, she noticed the light inside Hagrid's cabin was on, raising her concern. Fearing that something might be amiss, she decided to forcefully open the door.
Upon entering, the overpowering smell of alcohol nearly overwhelmed Professor McGonagall. Despite the strong fumes, she surveyed the scene and witnessed a sight she would never forget—Ethan sleeping in Fang's kennel.
The next day, Ethan was roused by Fang's licking and opened his eyes in a haze. Initially disoriented, he found himself in a white space and couldn't see anything. Panicking, he feared that Hagrid's imitation wine had blinded him. However, upon feeling his face and discovering a note attached, Ethan sighed in relief. The note revealed a fine of thirty gold Galleons for his inappropriate behavior in front of the students. It was signed by Minerva McGonagall, the deputy headmistress.
Unfazed by the fine, Ethan pushed away Fang's persistent head and noticed that Hagrid was still sound asleep on the sofa with a ticket on his face. Ethan tried to wake him up but soon gave up. Afterward, he covered Hagrid with a quilt, closed the door securely, and left the cabin, intending to return to Hogwarts Castle.
Approaching the castle gate, Ethan was surprised to see Penelope in a state of panic. Hurrying towards him, she exclaimed, "Professor Ethan, your office, you have to go and see..." appearing extremely anxious.
Ethan reassured Penelope and followed him back to his office. Observing the chaotic state of the room, Ethan quickly understood the reason for Penelope's agitation.
The wooden door of his office had been forcefully blown open, and the area near the door lock was significantly damaged. The office was in disarray—every drawer had been opened, contents scattered on the floor, and even the vase on the windowsill had been shattered. Notably, the drawer where Voldemort's diary was stored had been pulled out and emptied, leaving the office in a state of turmoil. At the gate, a crowd had gathered, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, murmuring about the disorder in Ethan's office.
At the scene, Professor Flitwick was present. Upon seeing Ethan, he quickly approached and explained the entire situation. Penelope and Hermione, who were working as assistants in the morning, were the first to discover Ethan's ransacked office. Instead of entering and disturbing the scene, the two wise witches stood outside to secure the area and promptly informed the nearest Professor Flitwick.
Ethan acknowledged the information and requested Professor Flitwick's assistance in evacuating the students witnessing the commotion. Flitwick nodded in agreement, swiftly organizing the evacuation of the surrounding crowd.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron seemed to have something to say to Ethan, but due to Professor Flitwick's crowd evacuation efforts, they refrained from doing so and left reluctantly.
"Someone attacked Professor Ethan's office while he was away last night. Who would dare?" Ron, familiar with Ethan's capabilities, believed that assaulting Ethan's office was akin to taking on a formidable adversary.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Do you remember what Dobby told me?" Harry's expression turned serious, sensing a subtle connection between these events.
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