A Round of Analysis

Ravenclaw's common room was always quieter than the other houses.

Lucretia walked in through the bronze eagle knocker without drawing attention.

Most of the older students were buried in books and homework, quills rustling on paper.

A few armchairs by the fireplace were arranged in small circles, with people quietly discussing the grammatical changes in Ancient Runes, punctuated by the occasional sound of turning pages.

The cyan curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and the constellation charts slowly rotated on the ceiling, the entire space exuding a tranquil aura of knowledge.

Lucretia walked up the spiral staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, her schoolbag containing a newly improved potion vial.

She couldn't wait to tell Sophia the news.

Although the potion wasn't perfect yet, it should temporarily relieve her headache, allowing her to at least get a good night's sleep?

Pushing open the dormitory door, Lucretia found Emma sprawled on her bed flipping through a copy of "The Young Witch" magazine, while Helena sat by the window organizing her notes.

Sophia's bed was neatly empty, the water glass and notebook on her bedside table undisturbed, as if she hadn't returned all day.

"Where's Sophia?"

Lucretia placed her schoolbag on the bed, her gaze sweeping over the empty bunk.

Helena looked up, pushing her hair back with ink-stained fingers and sighing, "Still in the Hospital Wing. She said this morning her head was pounding so badly she was staggering. Madam Pomfrey told her to stay for observation."

Emma rolled over, facing upwards, holding the magazine to her chest, "Yeah. I took her food from the Great Hall at noon and she looked half-asleep. I don't know what Madam Pomfrey gave her, but she was so groggy. It was heartbreaking to see."

Lucretia instinctively touched the potion bottle in her pocket.

She picked up her schoolbag again, "I'll go see her. Maybe I can help."

Helena raised an eyebrow, "Now? It's past curfew for students to be out. Filch is patrolling everywhere. If you get caught, you'll lose points and be confined to your dormitory."

Lucretia smiled, "I'll be careful. If I get caught, I'll just say it's an emergency. I can earn the points back."

Emma, thinking of some plot point, laughed so hard the magazine fell onto her face, "Miss Crouch confined to her dormitory? Heavens, your two brothers would storm over to Filch without a second thought. I bet it would be an all-out war."

Lucretia thought of Little Barty's expression when he found out she was confined, and she also started to laugh.

"Alright, if I really don't come back, you might get to witness it."

The door to the Hospital Wing closed softly. Sirius and James returned to Lupin's bedside.

Even through the curtain, they kept their voices low so as not to disturb Madam Pomfrey or other patients.

Sirius lowered his voice, sounding displeased, "What is Peter up to? Hiding in the corner, secretly recording her conversation with Crouch."

James soothed, "Shh, calm down. We've known Wormtail long enough. He never asks directly, he's always sneaky."

Lupin looked at them weakly, "Did you hear anything?"

James shook his head, "Too far away. But I vaguely heard Miss Lucretia and Crouch discussing collecting some special ingredients. It sounded like it was for the potion you're brewing."

Lupin hesitated, "About what happened that night, maybe I should tell her I didn't turn into this because of her spell. She looked really scared."

Sirius sat down on the chair by the bed, "Let's talk about it later. I believe she wouldn't tell anyone casually, and with you in this state, it's best not to risk seeing her. She looked exhausted today, her dark circles haven't even faded."

James's eyes lit up, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

He deliberately drew out his tone and made a measuring gesture, "Oh? Observing very carefully, Padfoot. Did you also notice the small scratch on her left index finger? About two millimeters long, probably from a piece of glass when she was brewing potions. And that lilac hair tie in her hair, it's silk, right?"

Sirius gritted his teeth, the tips of his ears turning red as if about to catch fire, "Shut up, Fork!"

James spread his hands innocently, "I'm just stating facts. We watched for a long time, and all I noticed was Crouch practically wanting to wrap his Slytherin robes around her, afraid anyone would look at her too much. But you, enjoying the benefits of the Invisibility Cloak, could stare at her openly the whole time."

Sirius grabbed a pillow from the bedside table, "Are you done?"

James clapped his hands, getting more excited as he spoke, "Don't forget her blinking frequency! I counted, it was faster than when we usually meet, clearly a sign of sleep deprivation..."

The pillow accurately hit his face.

James shook his head, still laughing and slapping his thigh.

"Don't rush! Don't you remember how reluctant Crouch looked to leave outside the Ravenclaw common room? Remember to get some rest early..."

He mimicked Little Barty's tone, his voice sickeningly gentle.

"Like a different person! And you, my friend, are like a dog guarding its food, wanting to... ah!"

Sirius suddenly lunged forward, pushing James onto the bed.

His fists landed on James's stomach without hesitation, each punch seeming to vent some emotion.

Lupin deliberately waited a few more seconds before lightly clearing his throat, trying to steer the conversation back on track, "About Peter..."

"Ouch... Padfoot... I was wrong!"

James clutched his stomach, begging for mercy, but the schadenfreude in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

Sirius, with a dark expression, tidied his clothes and glared at James, "He was acting suspiciously, hiding in the corner recording her conversation with Crouch tonight. That's definitely not right."

James shrunk back against the bed rails at the foot of the bed, putting on a pitiful look, "Yeah, yeah. The key now is to figure out why Wormtail is so interested in her. He's been acting weird since the new semester started."

Sirius's brow furrowed, "Since the new semester started? You forgot he was asking you on the train if you knew anyone from the Crouch family? And that strange look he gives every time Lucretia walks by, it feels like..."

James ignored Sirius's murderous gaze and grinned, "Just like how you look at her, but yours is obsession, his is..."

Lupin's voice turned serious. "Research... it's like recording some important data."

The Hospital Wing suddenly fell silent.

Sirius seized on the idea. "Yes, that's what I mean. Peter was never interested in girls, at least not like that. The way he was watching her was more like..."

Lupin picked up the thread, tapping his fingers on the sheet. "He was on a mission. I don't think Peter's focus was on Lucretia herself... but on what she represented."

James's smile completely vanished, and he fell into some kind of speculation. "If you put it that way, he wouldn't have fallen in love with Crouch, would he? I think Peter really has that potential, don't you guys? But if Crouch found out, then Peter..."

Sirius seemed to recall something unpleasant, his expression twitching.

Lupin sighed, covering his face as he spoke slowly. "Fork, not Crouch, but the Crouch family. Or more specifically... Mr. Crouch."

"Are you saying it's because of Mr. Crouch's position at the Ministry of Magic?"

Lupin nodded. "Very likely. Think about it, Peter has been asking about the Crouch family recently, including the details of their adoption of Lucretia, though no one knows the exact content. And ever since the new semester began, he's been paying extra attention to her every move."

"That does make sense. Wormtail usually either avoids her or stutters when he sees her, but today he could calmly hide in a corner taking notes. It's not like some shy secret admirer~"

Sirius ignored James's teasing, his face cold as he took out the Marauder's Map and recited the incantation to check it.

"Regardless, next time I see him, I'll have to pry... wait."

He stared at a small dot on the map, his voice suddenly stopping.