Professor Granger's Corporal Punishment of Students

"I've decided to stick with them and see this stage play through to the end."

As the old headmaster's voice faded, Moody finished his Pumpkin Juice in one gulp. The sweet taste made him frown uncomfortably, and he snorted disdainfully, saying, "What's even more unexpected is that some rascal got involved and put the Dark Lord's name in, almost causing us a lot of trouble!"

Harry and Ron turned to look at Loren again. The man was holding a porcelain cup, looking like he was focused on drinking tea, as if he wasn't the rascal who had done it.

"So you knew all along..." Harry's eyes were filled with resentment. Back then, witnessed by young wizards from four schools and numerous professors, he was inexplicably selected as Champion despite not being old enough to participate. The rumors and mocking looks tormented him so much that he couldn't eat for several days.

Adding to the horrifying effect of the name "Tom Gaunt" emerging from the Goblet of Fire, he had nightmares for several nights in a row, making it impossible for him to eat or sleep properly.

Loren sat silently to the side, half his face buried in his teacup, as if the ordinary Pumpkin Juice inside was some sweet, expensive, and rare drink.

Hermione lowered her head awkwardly, feeling a little ashamed that she hadn't reported the information and wasn't sure if she was an accomplice.

Dumbledore watched from the side, waiting until Loren finished his Pumpkin Juice under the gazes of the others. He then poured him another cup before slowly speaking:

"This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Loren's unexpected disruption has ignited his competitive spirit, making him extremely interested in the Triwizard Tournament event, and making our subsequent plans go more smoothly..."

"I think you've all seen it too, Crouch couldn't wait to demonstrate his abilities in his First Task..."

"On the other hand, Barty Jr., disguised as Alastor, has been secretly helping Harry, hoping he can advance to the finals..."

"During the preparation phase of the Third Task, Voldemort and Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. switched identities again. Barty Jr. Crouch. waited for news on the judges' bench in case of any unexpected situations—if Harry left the maze early, he would take Harry away in another way."

"Voldemort, disguised as Alastor, joined the patrol and entered the labyrinth. He used the Imperius Curse to control Krum and attack Miss Delacour and Gravis... Cedric performed better than he expected. After defeating Krum, he joined you and defeated the final Acromantula. In the end, Voldemort had to share the championship trophy with you."

No one expected that the seemingly peaceful maze would harbor such turmoil.

Ron and Sirius Black were stunned.

Harry opened his mouth in surprise. "And then what? I clearly saw Cedric get hit by the Killing Curse, but he looked perfectly fine?"

"That's another story..." Dumbledore took a sip of Pumpkin Juice and looked at the rascal on his left. "Please let this old man rest for a while, and let Loren tell you about his heroic deeds."

Meeting the probing gazes of the others, Loren grinned. "There's no heroic story. I just felt a little uneasy before the competition started, so I had Winky hide in the maze beforehand. Harry and Cedric were taken away by the Portkey, and I followed them..."

As the group listened to his vague account of rescuing Cedric, Moody, a retired Aurors, keenly sensed something unusual. His blue magical eye fixed on Moody, while his other eye glanced at Dumbledore, casting a veiled question:

How did he know Voldemort's plan?

How could he know that Voldemort's destination was Little Hangleton?

How could an ordinary student like him save someone in front of Bellatrix without her noticing anything amiss?

Dumbledore lowered his eyelids and shook the teacup in his hand, appearing as if he refused to accept any questions.

He didn't care how many questions others had; Loren's immediate act of saving Cedric had already proven himself.

"To prevent Bellatrix from investigating, I used Transfiguration leaves to create a fake corpse, but in the end, it was never used." Loren sighed, seemingly quite regretful.

"..."

Harry's mouth was slightly open, his expression was blank, and his eyes were vacant, making him look rather dim-witted.

He was filled with resentment, feeling both frustrated and depressed. He was the one who had witnessed all of this, the one who was Voldemort's target, and the one who had been kidnapped by Voldemort himself, so why did everyone else seem to know the truth of the matter better than he, the person directly involved?

His selection as Champion was orchestrated by Voldemort, his participation in the Triwizard Tournament was approved by the headmaster, and he even received continued support from Death Eater afterward...

Voldemort and House-elf were hiding in the maze. No sooner had he been kidnapped by Voldemort than Loren followed him away.

How many things are there that he doesn't know?

Why can't we tell him?

Who exactly is the chosen boy?

However, amidst his indignation and complaints, Harry also felt a sense of relief. Hearing with his own ears that Cedric had returned unharmed and safe, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Only he knew the agonizing pain in his body, the utter despair and self-reproach in his heart, when he witnessed Cedric lose his life before his eyes, his legs hanging limply at his sides...

That scene was even more unforgettable than Voldemort's resurrection.

"Alright, the curtain has been raised. Let Harry tell us the rest of the story." Dumbledore winked at him and said with a smile, "But be mindful of the time, Harry. It's getting late. I hope you can keep your story brief and concise. Please understand this insomniac old man. The Death Eater ' scenes aren't important, okay?"

Harry listened to this meaningful advice and nodded subconsciously. Snape's face flashed through his mind. After thinking for a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Bellatrix collected three materials and added them to the crucible: her father's bones, ashes taken from Tom Riddle's grave... and the last one was the blood of her enemy; she took a few drops of blood from me..."

Harry stretched out his arm to show the torn robe and the healed wound on his arm, the new flesh pinker than the surrounding old flesh. "He said that my blood would work better than anyone else's, that it would make him stronger, and that the Ancient Magic power my mother left in me also flowed in his body... He turned out to be right, and he wouldn't hurt when he touched my forehead later."

For a fleeting moment, Harry seemed to see a glimmer of joy in Dumbledore's eyes.

Is it just my eyes playing tricks on me?

When Harry came to his senses, the white-bearded headmaster regained his kind expression, his deep blue eyes filled with a hint of pity, as if he were grieving for Lily Potter. Harry paused and continued, "He was very pleased with his plan for the Resurrection Ritual, spent a long time showing off, and then released me from my restraints, demanding that I duel him..."

The duel that had taken place that night flashed before his eyes like a movie: the excruciating Cruciatus Curse, the pale, twisted, and hideous snake face, the two intertwined curses, the golden beam of light and the song of the Phoenix, and the final emergence of the Souls...

"... With their help, I successfully obtained the Portkey and returned to Hogwarts."

Recalling his parents' lifelike faces and their gentle voices, Harry felt a sense of relief, as if some kind of poison was being expelled from his body little by little as he recounted his story.

Finally, Fawkes on the branch let out a soft, trembling chirp, the sound quivering slightly in the air. Harry drank a large glass of Pumpkin Juice and felt a warm liquid slide down his throat into his stomach, instantly making him feel warm and comfortable.

Everyone present remained silent, processing Harry's account of the events. During their duel, the two were surrounded by Death Eater, and the golden light obscured their vision, so even Dumbledore, who was present, was unaware of the specifics of what was happening inside the light.

"Two wands connected together?" Sirius Black had been mostly silent all night, broke the silence, his brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Because both wands have the same core, both made from feathers from Fawkes." Dumbledore pointed to the Phoenix perched on the branch. "Four years ago, shortly after you left Mr. Ollivander's shop, he wrote to me about this."

"If Twin Wands touch each other in a duel, they will not attack each other normally. This is what might happen if they insist on fighting." Dumbledore looked at Harry's face, as if he could see some overflowing emotion in his eyes. "But no magic can bring the dead back to life. It is only a reflection of the soul, and those voices are just distant echoes between life and death."

Harry lowered his eyes dejectedly.

Loren looked thoughtfully at Harry's wand. It seemed that not all Twin Wands had the power to summon souls. The unique Magic Power of the Phoenix Rebirth might have played a key role, but the research samples of Twin Wands were too few to be certain.

I don't know if I'll have the chance to do experiments in the future.

Fawkes was preening its feathers on a perch, suddenly felt a chill. It tucked its wings in, trying to warm itself up.

Magic wand... life and death...

Loren's gaze involuntarily fell on the ancient wand beside Dumbledore, silently observing the old tree patterns on it.

This Elder Wand is unusually long. While most wands are around ten inches long, this one is a full fifteen inches. The gray wand is dotted with scattered wood grain spots. It is said that when Death made it, he used Elder Wood branches from the banks of the River Styx for the handle and the tail hair of Thestrals for the core. Although it is full of ominousness, it is also surprisingly powerful.

Recalling the scene of the duel between the two Legendary Wizard tonight, although it certainly felt like Dumbledore was dominating Voldemort, I wonder how much of an effect the Elder Wand played in it.

Tsk, I'm a little envious...

Everything was laid bare before everyone. Moody's face was grim, his wounded features looking somewhat ferocious, and his bright blue magic eye, which was constantly moving, proved that his mind was racing. Sirius Black, on the other hand, had barely spoken all night.

Apart from Loren, the other three students all had questions on their minds, but under the oppressive atmosphere, they didn't ask them.

"I must say," Dumbledore said solemnly and seriously, "That you have been exceptionally brave tonight, far exceeding my expectations of you, Harry. The courage you have shown is on par with those of the wizards who fought Voldemort to the death during his heyday. You have shouldered the responsibilities of an adult wizard and demonstrated that you are fully capable of carrying that burden."

"Please forgive me for hiding many things from you, and for continuing to do so for some time to come. But please believe that the day when I will be honest with you will come soon. Until then, you can continue to enjoy life at Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes were a little sore and numb. He was dissatisfied with everyone for keeping things from him, but he also felt at ease knowing that all the dangers were under the headmaster's watchful eye.

He asked, looking aggrieved, "Do I also need to keep tonight's events a secret?"

"Given your past with him, keeping it a secret won't make him let go of his hatred for you, will it?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"My affairs must be kept secret," Loren said bluntly. "I'm afraid of trouble, so I hope you will tell everyone that Cedric found a way to survive on his own."

Harry nodded, and everyone except Moody stood up, said goodbye to the headmaster, and left the Headmaster's office.

They hadn't walked far down the corridor when Molly arrived with the Weasley family, instantly breaking the somber atmosphere and making the late-night corridor lively.

"Harry! Oh, Harry!" Molly's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm fine..." Harry was being choked and couldn't breathe.

Sirius Black said, "A lot happened tonight, and there's an awards ceremony tomorrow. Let Harry go back and rest first."

Finally, Ron excitedly boasted, "Let me tell you! Let me tell you!"

"..."

Hermione didn't stop, pulling Loren upstairs at a jog. The noise from the Gryffindor Common Room came through the Portrait Hole. The girl turned and pulled him into an empty, Abandoned Classroom next door.

Hermione sat down at a table and chairs that were barely clean, her lips pressed tightly together, her face tense, and she looked at Loren coldly.

Loren stared at her, his eyes wide open.

Seeing the girl's eyes narrow slightly, Loren immediately slammed his hand on the table, ready to celebrate that she had blinked first. However, seeing the cold glint in those beautiful eyes, he couldn't bring himself to use his usual skill of quickly changing the subject.

Loren blinked uneasily, glanced at her, then glanced at her again, and after a moment's thought, readily admitted his mistake. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I was worried that Dumbledore have overlooked something, so I contacted Winky and Winky before the match started..."

He quickly admitted his mistake and reflected on and reviewed the operation, outlining the errors from four aspects in a clear and sincere manner.

Hermione paused for a moment, then placed her left hand on the table, revealing a fair and delicate palm with several marks left by her fingernails.

"What?"

Loren paused for a moment, then leaned closer to look. The hand immediately pressed down on his shoulder, while the other hand grabbed his arm. Although both hands were fair and soft with warm palms, they were very strong, and the blows still hurt.

"Hey, hey, I've already admitted my mistake!"

"Well said, but I won't forgive!"

"Hey, can we play somewhere else...?"