章 216: 0215 Visit
Ron and Hermione wanted to come over and chat with Harry after dinner, but Harry declined their offer with a vague excuse and only asked Ron to go back to the dormitory and bring his backpack for him.
"I have some homework to catch up on," Harry said, hoping that they would not notice his expressions. He opened his backpack and took a quick glance at the contents. Then he said casually, "I need a quiet environment to deal with my history of magic homework, so you can go and do your own things."
He tried to sound relaxed, but his lie was clumsy and obvious. Ron looked at Harry anxiously, ready to say something, but Hermione poked him hard in the ribs, telling him to shut up.
"Well, Harry–" Ron began, ignoring Hermione's warning. Hermione glared at him, and quickly interrupted him.
"If you need any help–" she said, cutting him off. She glanced at the corner of the invisibility cloak that was peeking out of the backpack and said, "Ron and I will be in the common room. You can call us anytime."
She hoped that Harry would understand her hint, and be careful with whatever he was up to. Then she dragged a bewildered Ron out of the hospital wing, without saying anything else.
Time flew by quickly, and soon the sky was dark and starless. The castle was silent, except for the occasional snoring or coughing.
Harry knew Madame Pomfrey's habits very well, as he was a frequent visitor to the hospital wing. When it was nine o'clock, Madame Pomfrey left her small office and inspected each ward one by one. She saw Harry sleeping soundly under the covers, and nodded with satisfaction. She did not know that Harry was only pretending to sleep.
Then she scolded two Ravenclaw first-year wizards who had a bad cold and told them to go to bed. They had been sneaking out of their beds to read some books that they had borrowed from the library. She extinguished the candles in the whole hospital, leaving only a faint moonlight coming through the windows.
In the dark, Harry listened carefully. He waited for Madame Pomfrey to return to her office, and lock the door behind her. He heard her footsteps fade away, and then he heard the sound of a key turning in a lock of her office. He glanced at several beds away, where two first-year students were whispering secretly. He crawled down from the edge of the bed, and reached for his backpack, pulled out the invisibility cloak, and threw it over himself. He made sure that he was completely covered, and then he tiptoed towards the door.
Harry was an expert at wandering around the castle at night. He had done it many times before, for various reasons. In the whole of Hogwarts, if he claimed to be the third best, no one would dare to claim the second. The first place was shared by Ron's two brothers, Fred and George, who were the masters of mischief and pranks.
Now, even though it was not the usual time, the castle was empty. Along the way, Harry only saw a few fifth-year students who were studying for their OWLS exams in the second half of the year. They were sitting in the corridors, or the classrooms, or the library, surrounded by piles of books and notes. When he passed the Great Hall, he saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walking towards the Slytherin basement. They all had dull looks on their faces, and they were carrying buckets and brushes.
'Something is wrong,' Harry thought as he glanced at the dark outside. He followed them subconsciously for a few steps, but then he was repelled by a nauseating stench. It smelled like rotten eggs, mixed with dung and feathers.
'Oh, right!' Harry suddenly remembered that the day before yesterday, Professor Watson had announced before starting the 'interesting' competition that the winning house would get thirty points, and the losing house would have to clean the owlery on the weekend.
In that competition, Malfoy and Parkinson, who had a great advantage, lost the victory due to a series of complex factors. Harry knew that this annoying house would probably blame Malfoy and Parkinson for everything. When they pushed Harry and Neville off the boat, it was probably one of the few best highlights for Slytherin. So, Malfoy had to bear all the consequences for trying to help his rivals and Crabbe & Goyle were probably there to help him.
Harry instinctively wanted to show a smug smile when he saw the three Slytherin's distraught backs, but he remembered Malfoy's 'noble' behavior when he and Neville were pushed into the water. Harry hesitated. He shook his head silently and walked quietly in another direction.
When he came to the third floor, on his way to Professor Watson's office, Harry lingered in front of Professor Lupin's office for a while.
Harry liked this year's DADA professor, who was gentle and widely praised for his teaching. He felt not only liking, but also a kind of inexplicable intimacy. He felt that Professor Lupin's attitude towards him was more than the normal relationship between teachers and students.
"Wizards who dare to call Voldemort by his name are really rare–"
He thought of the last time they went to Hogsmeade and the encounter with Lupin, and muttered under the invisibility cloak.
In the end, Harry decided not to knock on Professor Lupin's office, although he was very concerned about his condition. He did not want to disturb his rest, or to make him feel uncomfortable. He decided to visit him another time, when he was more fit and cheerful.
As for seeing Professor Watson, Harry was much more relaxed.
Professor Watson had helped him get rid of the identity of 'the heir of Slytherin', which was a great favor to him. During the summer vacation, he had also let him know his deepest secret - Professor Watson's own past origin, which Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione until now.
He spent most of the time in August with Professor Watson. It was a very pleasant summer, because Professor Watson never acted like a professor or an adult wizard in front of him. He felt that he was always with him in a friendly and peaceful way.
Knock, knock, knock– Harry looked around, making sure that there was no one else or wandering ghosts, and took off the invisibility cloak. He stuffed it into his backpack, and then continued to knock on Professor Watson's office door.
Professor Watson, who was wearing gray pajamas and a dark green robe with silver patterns, appeared in front of him. He looked a bit tired, because Harry saw dark circles under his wonderful pale purple eyes, and his gray hair was also a bit messy, as if he hadn't gone out today and didn't took care of it.
"Harry–" Bryan, who knew who it was before opening the door, looked at Harry, who seemed a little uneasy, and raised his eyebrows. He smiled and said, "-looks like you're recovering well?"
"Yes, Professor Watson–" Harry said awkwardly.
"Madame Pomfrey thinks so too, Um-. She thinks I can be discharged early." He lied, hoping that Professor Watson would not notice.
Bryan pursed his lips. He glanced at the bag Harry was holding in his hand, but didn't expose his lie. He opened the door, and said kindly, "Of course, then. It's a bit cold outside, we can come in and chat slowly."
'This is why Professor Watson is so popular, he is always so understanding!' Harry thought, as he followed Professor Watson into the office.
"Lupin, Professor Lupin?" He blinked in astonishment when the door creaked shut, and he saw a person in an old wizard's robe, with a clear sickly look on his face, next to the burning fireplace. He did not expect to see Professor Lupin here.
"Good evening, Harry."
Under the golden firelight, Professor Lupin's smile was especially gentle.
"I'm glad to see you so energetic, Harry." After saying this, Lupin looked at Bryan, who had returned to his desk.
"Thank you for your care and help these two days, Bryan. I think I can continue my work tomorrow. Since Harry has something to do with you–"
"Oh, it's nothing really!" Harry said in embarrassment, "Just, um, I heard from Ron and Hermione yesterday, I mean, after I lost consciousness, you performed a magic. Um-, it was amazing."
Bryan and Remus exchanged a look, and both grinned.
"So, you mean–" Bryan said cheerfully, "You came here specially to praise me, Mr. Potter?"
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章 217: 0216 Repairing
Harry clutched the bag that contained the shattered remains of his beloved Nimbus 2000, feeling a surge of anxiety and regret. He sat down on a wooden chair in the small office, where two other men greeted him with friendly smiles.
Surprisingly, Professor Watson, the director of the office, remained silent, but just gazed at him with a gleam in his eyes. He did not say anything else, as if he was waiting for Harry to speak first.
"Today, Minerva came over and told me about your situation, and mentioned your flying broomstick–"
Meanwhile, Professor Lupin warmed his hands on the blazing flames in the fireplace, and strolled over to Harry with a sympathetic expression.
"It seems that she is very worried about the prospects of the Gryffindor team this year," he said softly.
Harry's face fell into a gloomy frown, reflecting his bad mood. He had fallen victim to the power of the Dementors again, and the Gryffindor team was now only one step away from being eliminated from the Quidditch Cup. He suddenly wondered if he should apologize to Professor McGonagall, who had given him this broomstick in his first year as a gift for making the team as a Seeker. Now, because of his weakness, this broomstick ended up in pieces.
"Of course," Professor Lupin added quickly, noticing his bad mood, "Compared to the game, Minerva obviously cares more about you. She was very relieved that you were not seriously injured."
"That's true–" However, Professor Watson interrupted him, sounding a bit sheepish. "I was also scolded by Professor McGonagall."
"But what does that have to do with you?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Uh, Professor McGonagall thinks–" Bryan scratched his head, grinning awkwardly. "She probably meant that if I had been on the pitch at the time, I might have noticed the signs before those Dementors stormed into the school.
Uh, It's a fair point. So, I'm planning to consult with the heads of each house, from now on, any activities that involve a certain number of teachers and students, they have to register with me in advance, so that I can free up time to escort them."
"That's a good idea, Bryan," Lupin nodded approvingly. "Even if nothing else happens, having you on the scene to supervise can also prevent conflicts between the young wizards of each house. To be honest, this kind of thing was not uncommon when I was at Hogwarts."
Professor Watson and Professor Lupin discussed the reporting process for a while, Harry was also interested in this topic. He listened quietly, without any displeasure at their neglect of him.
"So–" Suddenly, Professor Watson turned his gaze to him, and said bluntly, "Your purpose of coming here is to ask me to help you look at your broom, right, Potter?"
"That's right, professor," Harry admitted, still holding the bag tightly. He knew that Professor Watson, a wizard of his caliber, could not have missed the shape of the bag, or the sound of the broken wood inside. Harry immediately jumped to his feet, his throat dry and tight. He coughed several times, trying to clear his voice.
"It's badly damaged. I'm not sure–" Then, under the urging of Professor Watson and Professor Lupin, Harry clumsily poured out the debris from the bag onto the desk.
"Oh, my God–" Professor Lupin gasped softly, but there was not much surprise in his voice. He looked at the debris on the desk, and sighed deeply. "That Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. At first, many young wizards were curious. They tried to touch the trunk, then a boy named David Guetta almost lost an eye, and the school banned us from going near it. To be honest, no broomstick can withstand its fury."
'It almost killed Ron and me.' Harry thought so, but then, he noticed that Professor Watson stood up from his seat, bent down and pinched a piece of broomstick handle with two fingers. He looked at it carefully, Harry held his breath, his green eyes shining with anticipation.
The office was silent, except for the crackling of the fire.
Bryan picked up another piece with his empty hand and compared them. He studied the magic coils inside the broomstick, which looked normal to Harry. He frowned, and muttered something under his breath.
After a long time, Bryan placed the two pieces of diamond-shaped wood that fit together in front of him. He flicked his wand out of his sleeve, muttered something, and then, to Harry's astonishment, the two pieces of wood glowed faintly at the joint, and fused together seamlessly.
"Success!" Harry cried out joyfully, feeling a huge relief. He thought that his broomstick was saved, and that he could fly with it again.
"Incredible–" Lupin, who was watching the two pieces of wood that were joined together, expressed his surprise, "You really can fix Harry's broom, Bryan. As far as I know, flying brooms are very delicate alchemical artifacts, especially the Nimbus series, which should have at least a thousand complex magic coils distributed in them. They are very sensitive to any damage or interference, and require a lot of skill and precision to repair."
"It's not that simple-" Bryan said, cutting him off, and dampening Harry's joy. He looked at Harry with a serious expression, and said, "This is just a temporary solution, Harry. I haven't fixed your broom yet."
"Restituo" Bryan, who seemed to have an idea in his mind, pointed his wand tip at the small pile of wood chips on the table, and shouted.
A misty air stream sprayed out from the ebony wand tip, sweeping the wood chips into the air. In the occasional sparks, the messy wood chips found their positions and stuck together. Soon, a complete Nimbus 2000 appeared in front of everyone! It looked as good as new, and Harry felt a surge of hope.
'Success!' Harry's heart was filled with a huge joy again, as he looked at the Nimbus 2000 that was wrapped in a faint air stream and floating in the air. He thought that his broomstick was restored, and that he could play Quidditch with it again.
"Your alchemy skills are amazing, Bryan." Remus also gasped, admiring Bryan's work. He knew that alchemy was a very advanced and difficult branch of magic, and that only a few wizards could master it. He had never seen anyone repair a broomstick so quickly and easily.
Bryan didn't say anything. He reached out and took down the Nimbus, his focused eyes following the thumb that rubbed the broomstick handle. He seemed to be observing something, and he shook his head slightly.
"That's probably all we can do –" After a moment, Bryan muttered regretfully. He saw Harry's happy face, and calmly said, "Don't be too happy, Harry. I didn't fix your broom. I only restored its outer appearance, but not its internal function."
Bryan waved his hand, signaling Harry to calm down. "As Remus said, most alchemical artifacts have very complex internal structures. They usually have hundreds of interlocking and crisscrossing magic coils and runes, that create a delicate balance of forces and energies. I barely welded most of the magic paths inside this broomstick, but without the design drawings, I can't repair the parts that were damaged beyond recognition. Some of the magic coils are broken, some are missing, and some are misaligned. I don't know how to fix them, and I don't want to risk making things worse."
Lupin nodded, understanding Bryan's explanation. but Harry was still puzzled.
This was actually the reason why the same spell had different effects in different people's hands. In the wizarding world, it could be said that more than 90% of the wizards were ignorant of the principal reasons behind the standard spells they used daily. Many wizards only knew that magic was amazing, but they didn't know that magic wasn't 'unprincipled'. Like muggle science, magic also followed a set of strict logical rules.
"That means," Bryan explained patiently, "if you want to ride this broomstick on the lawn to relax, chase butterflies or something, it might work fine. It might just be a bit stiff to steer. But if you want to play a high-intensity Quidditch match, Harry, I suggest you wear a parachute when you go on the field."
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Author's Note: The Restituo spell is an upgraded variation of the reparo spell that I created or the MC created, which can not only fix any broken object, but also restore part of its original magic and performance based on the caster's alchemy knowledge and magic power. Restituo spell can also work on objects that are severely damaged and are made of complex materials.
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