The continuous gloom for several days finally lifted on the first day of the new year. The rising sun shed its light on the snow-covered playground, casting a faint golden sheen over the Hogwarts Castle.
After early making the necessary recovery potion for Hermione, Pomfrey descended to the hall for breakfast. The infirmary was left with only Harry and Ron accompanying the disheartened Hermione. After listening to Hermione's account of last night's ordeal, their expressions were hardly more cheerful.
"Professor Snape must have found out!"
Hermione spoke with a dejected tone, covering her fluffy face with her hands.
“Before the door opened, Professor Snape shouted my name... That shouldn't have happened. Only Pomfrey knows about my condition. Snape is a master potioner, so he must know the consequences of using Polyjuice Potion for animal transformation. Therefore, it is also an implication that he knows I stole materials from his storeroom.”
Harry gazed blankly at the towering bludgers on the Quidditch pitch. Today, he had originally planned with Ron to visit Hermione after school and then play a game of Quidditch on the pitch, but it now seemed that this plan would undoubtedly be canceled.
Moreover, since the holiday season began, Harry's good mood has been rapidly fading away because there have been no private whispers or indirect accusations in the castle about his ability to speak to snakes, or that he is the heir of the Slytherin house. All of this stems from the young wizard named Amos Brewer that Hermione just told him.
“Amos Brewer, who claims to be an investigator.”
Harry worriedly asked, "Hermione, do you think that Brewer came to Hogwarts to investigate something?"
"That's obvious, Harry. What else is there to investigate in the school now?"
Harry and Ron didn't seem to worry at all about being expelled for this, which made the upset witch become more irritable.
Harry felt his warm stomach, which he attributed to the morning rice porridge, contract with a mysterious chill. He had never heard the name before, and aside from Mr. Weasley, he hadn't dealt with any wizards with official titles. Yet this didn't prevent a heavy pressure from settling in his heart upon hearing the title 'investigator.'
Because of his ability to speak to snakes, he has become a target of suspicion among the young wizards. If everyone knew that there was an investigator in the school for the rest of the semester, how much more criticism would he have to bear?
Harry could almost see the smug expression on Malfoy's detestable face as he gloated, perhaps, he would be the first to turn him in to the investigator.
"Why would the Ministry of Magic suddenly send an investigator into the school... I mean, there's Headmaster Dumbledore, and he's never mentioned it to me either."
Harry suddenly remembered the night Justin was attacked. He had a conversation with Headmaster Dumbledore in his office that night. At that time, for various reasons, especially because he feared that Dumbledore might mistakenly think he had some connection with the founder of Slytherin house, he did not reveal the warning from Moaning Myrtle and the terrible sound that always appeared before each attack.
Does that mean Headmaster Dumbledore is dissatisfied with his secrecy, so he has agreed to let the Ministry of Magic take over?
Could it be that the Ministry of Magic, for convenience, would listen to the rumors within the school and have him locked up in the wizard prison as Malfoy mentioned?
"That's a given, Harry. It must be Snape that old bat who's causing trouble in secret!"
With a half potato pie in his hand, Ron, with freckles all over his nose, confidently swore.
"Think about it, Harry. This Brewer is close with Snape, maybe he even graduated from Slytherin House."
Ron began to chew on his potato pie again, analyzing it in a pseudo-scientific manner.
“Who would want to get you kicked out of this school more than anyone else? Of course it's Snape. I dare bet, Harry, this investigator is someone Snape brought in to do this...”
"Thank you, Ron. Hearing your analysis makes me feel much better."
Harry slumped down the bed, looking dejected and listless.
"Stop kidding yourself, Ron."
"No matter the reason, since Snape didn't expose me directly last night, it seems that I won't be expelled for stealing the professor's money. Having realized this, Hermione was slightly less anxious. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and fiercely glared at Ron."
"Even the Minister of Magic doesn't have the right to expel a student from Hogwarts at will, unless Dumbledore agrees. But Harry, Dumbledore wouldn't expel you, would he?"
If it had been before the conversation, Harry might have given a positive response. He had always felt that the silver-haired old man was different towards him and the other young witches and wizards, although they rarely talked directly.
"Maybe, Hermione."
Harry hesitated in answering, "At least, Dumbledore has told Hagrid that he doesn't believe I attacked Colin and the others. He certainly can't agree to expel me just because I kept some things from him."
While Harry was lost in thoughts about what to do, Ron, who had been refuted by Hermione, kept muttering to himself quietly, and then he frowned at the ceiling and made a thinking face.
"Amos Brewer... This name, I seem to have heard it somewhere."
This whisper immediately woke Harry up.
"Ron, since this Brewer claims to be an investigator, he must be a colleague of Mr. Weasley's. Perhaps their relationship is quite good. Maybe... you can help me write a letter, explaining it in advance before he finds me--"
Ron's parents, the Weasleys, are Harry's favorite witches and wizards, and they are very kind to him. Last year, the week he spent with the Weasleys was the most wonderful of all his summer holidays. If Mr. Weasley knows Amos Brewer, he will certainly agree to help explain things for him.
The golden sun gradually climbed over the poles on the pitch, and the breeze that wandered through the spacious grass carried a touch of springiness.
"Of course, Harry. I can write a letter..."
Ron hesitated and replied, still trying to remember where he had heard the name.
"Fred and George might have heard of him, but as for Head Boy Percy, oh, we'd better not go to him. For his career, he might be even more eager to sell us out than Malfoy!"
"That's your brother, Ron."
Hermione uncovered the blanket, sat on the edge of the bed, and put on her boots.
"You shouldn't talk about him like that."
Among the three, Hermione had the highest opinion of Percy Weasley, Ron's brother. In private, she had repeatedly sought advice from Percy, and he indeed used his extensive knowledge to help her solve many problems.
"In the past, when he was Head Boy and decided to become the President of the boys' student body, we were indeed brothers. But now that's a different story."
Ron's ears turned red with anger as he said, "I'll never forget the five points he docked me in the Lavender Lavatory!"
"Percy is the Head Boy, maintaining discipline is his duty, Ron."
Although Hermione was present when Percy deducted points from Ron, she didn't see anything wrong with his behavior.
Hermione stood up, stamped her boots, and then pulled up the collar of her wizard's robe to as best as she could cover the dark hair on her cheeks.
"Go get your Invisibility Cloak, Harry. Are you planning on leaving the hospital looking like this?"
"Oh, going out?"
Harry, still in a daze, snapped out of it.
"Are you going to play Quidditch with us, Hermione?"
"When are you going to get Quidditch out of your head, Harry?"
Hermione looked defeated.
"Of course, we are going to investigate Mr. Brewer. We must first figure out his background, right?"
