Chapter 171: Suspicion

When Wade emerged from the maze area, he saw the Weasley twins leading a group of students to block the entrance, they were waving their arms and shouting—

"Protest! Protest!"

"Give us back the Ultimate Challenge!"

"This is the result of everyone's hard work; the school can't just shut it down!"

"We want freedom! We want fairness! We want the Ultimate Challenge!!!"

A crowd of teenagers, mingling regardless of house affiliation, shouted slogans one after another. This even scared the small animals on the outskirts, who huddled under bushes, and were shivering and darting around in panic.

Wade was surprised to see a few pearl-white figures mingled among the students—

Half the ghosts in the school had joined the protest for some reason. Even Peeves was shoulder-to-shoulder with the Weasley twins, arm-in-arm, shouting enthusiastically alongside them.

Wade turned around, expecting the Headmaster to say something, but Dumbledore had already disappeared.

Professor McGonagall stood before the students. The Gryffindor Head of House pointed her wand at her own throat and shouted, "SI-LENCE!"

Her amplified voice, loud as thunder and fierce as a lion's roar, rolled outward in waves, causing ripples across the Black Lake.

With a loud "gurgle," the giant squid that had surfaced to watch the commotion quickly dove back down.

The Forbidden Forest grew suddenly quiet as well, as if even the insects had stopped buzzing.

The wind fell, the clouds stilled, and the students clutched their ears and looked stunned into silence. The area around the maze became so quiet it felt like everyone could hear each other's heartbeat.

Professor McGonagall lowered her wand, folding her hands with an air of poise and elegance.

She looked at everyone and said, "A student was attacked by a Thestral in the maze. We need to pause all activities to investigate the cause of the accident."

Fred, summoning his courage, muttered, "We're not afraid of getting hurt…"

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes.

Fred quickly corrected himself, "No… I mean… we'll be careful and won't provoke the Thestrals…"

"The Thestral was not provoked by any student's behavior; it was deliberately fed a large amount of Scurvy-grass."

Professor McGonagall, holding back her anger, said, "This is a very serious offense! Whoever was responsible for this prank better come forward now! Otherwise, when I find out who did it, they'll be sent straight home!"

She cast a meaningful look at a few of the more mischievous students.

Most of the students turned to look at the Weasley twins, though some suspicious glances were also directed at a few Slytherin students with poor reputations.

The twins immediately raised their hands and said in unison, "We swear, it wasn't us, Professor!"

George added, "Scurvy-grass is expensive—I know that much, but I would never spend money on it for a prank."

No one believed the twins' initial denial, but when George mentioned the cost, everyone believed him.

The Weasley family had siblings from first year to sixth, and two more who had already graduated. Almost everyone knew their family's situation. Among the siblings, from Percy to Ginny, all of them used second-hand items.

Percy, the eldest, and Ginny, the only girl, occasionally had something new, but Fred, George, and Ron had consistently worn hand-me-downs.

Of course, Fred and George had found ways to make some money on their own—everyone knew that and knew they had a bit saved up. 

But the idea of them spending a large amount on an impractical herb to pull a random prank that could injure someone?

No one believed the twins would be that foolish.

Percy shot them a sharp look, raised his hand, and asked seriously, "Professor, may I ask who the injured student is?"

Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together, reluctant to share but finally responded under the students' inquisitive gazes, "Harry Potter. He was injured by a Thestral and was just taken to the infirmary."

In the crowd, Ron and Hermione turned pale. They exchanged a quick glance, and immediately ran toward the hospital wing.

With a buzz, a wave of murmurs exploded among the students, with many casting glances toward the Slytherins.

In fact, even some Slytherins suspected someone from their own house. 

They didn't voice their thoughts but instinctively looked toward a few who frequently slandered Gryffindors and promoted pure-blood ideals—students like Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott.

Then there were older students like Flint and Yaxley.

Soon, some Slytherins realized they were being isolated by their fellow students.

"Was it you, Draco?" Pansy whispered to Malfoy, her eyes were alight with excitement. "It's all right; you can tell me—I'll keep it a secret!"

"I only wish I'd been the one to teach that scar-head a real lesson!" Malfoy muttered darkly. "But no, it wasn't me… I'm guessing it was some idiot."

He glanced in a particular direction. Pansy followed his gaze and noticed several Slytherin boys standing together. They all were wearing the same cold expressions, but she couldn't tell exactly who Malfoy had been looking at.

"Whatever happens," she said to Malfoy, "I'm always on your side."

Malfoy nodded absently, and still looked rather displeased.

Professor McGonagall, too, had her own suspicions, but without concrete evidence, she couldn't voice them. 

She reminded everyone of a few precautions and sternly emphasized that certain students were strictly forbidden from sneaking into the maze at night. (She cast another look at the Weasley twins as she said this.) 

Any student caught breaking the rules would face severe consequences.

The students dispersed, disappointed, and as they left, the bowtruckles scurried back to the hedges.

"Can I keep it?" Luna asked Professor Kettleburn, "I think it likes me, and I like it too."

The old professor didn't reject her outright; he chuckled and said, "You can ask it yourself. If it's willing, I certainly have no objection."

Luna lit up and quickly asked the bowtruckle, but the little creature scurried into the hedge without hesitation, leaving her with only its back.

"Oh… it seems it's not very interested…" the professor added teasingly.

Luna's face fell as she watched the bowtruckle disappear, and she looked utterly dejected.

"Uh… do you like bowtruckles?" Rolf, who had been nearby, walked over and asked. "A lot of people think they have little old-man faces."

Luna glanced at him and replied, "They're very cute. I feel like they're friends. Of course, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are cute too, but they're a bit larger… I think."

"What's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack…" Rolf paused, deciding not to question it further. Instead, he reached into his pocket and brought out a tiny bowtruckle.

"Look, this is my friend, Ager. Of all the bowtruckles, he's my favorite."

Little Ager clung to Rolf's finger, and its two leafy "ears" twitched slightly.

"That's wonderful… it actually follows you around," Luna said with admiration.

"You can shake hands with him," Rolf offered. "He's very friendly…"

Meanwhile, Fred and George found Wade.

"Hey, Wade, I've got an idea…" Fred said, slinging an arm around Wade's shoulders.

"What idea?" Wade asked.

"You know how to cast Disillusionment Charms, and since everyone thinks we're the prime suspects…" Fred began.

"To clear our names, we're willing to take a little risk…" George added.

"It's just so happens that we're not lacking in bravery—we've dared to explore every corner of Hogwarts—"

"—There's a place we've been curious about for ages but haven't yet managed to, uh… explore—"

"—So since everyone's going back, you could cast a Disillusionment Charm on us, and we'll sneak in…"

Wade raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you two are planning to sneak into the Slytherin common room?"

"I knew you'd be on the same page with us!" George clapped his hands in excitement.

"Isn't it a great idea?" Fred chimed in. "This has to be the work of someone in Slytherin… once they're back in their common room, they won't be able to resist bragging—"

"—If we just sneak in and eavesdrop for a few minutes, the truth will definitely come out," George added.

"What do you think?" Fred asked.

"Not much of it," Wade replied as he walked toward the hospital wing. "You two are forgetting someone… Remember at the beginning of the term, when Harry mentioned a house-elf trying to stop him from coming back to school?"

Fred and George exchanged a glance. "That must have been some annoying guy… like Malfoy… sending his family's elf to mess with him, right?"

"That's unlikely," Wade said. "If Malfoy could get his family's elf to sneak into Harry's house just to mess with him, then why hasn't Harry been targeted by the remaining Death Eaters all these years?"

"I've heard some of them escaped punishment. Wouldn't at least one of them want revenge on Harry Potter?"

"Hmm…" George pondered, starting to piece it together. "You're saying…?"

"I suspect Dumbledore placed powerful protection or repelling charms where Harry lives," Wade explained. "Anyone with ill intent wouldn't be able to find him. That's likely why he's never faced retaliation."

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