Hog's Head Uprising

Four days passed quickly, and it was Saturday, October 5th, the day the students were allowed to leave school and head to Hogsmeade Village.

Skylar's first stop was naturally the Miraculous Alchymia. He stepped through the familiar doors, where the furnace was burning brightly and the air was filled with a subtle scent of Potions. Phoebe was standing behind the counter, intently preparing a bottle of alchemical solution that had just been completed.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw Skylar; a bright smile immediately bloomed on her face.

"Oh? You finally deigned to come see me," she put down the glass bottle in her hand, walked around the counter, crossed her arms, and a playful smile played on her lips. "What mysterious business are you busy with this time? You're not going to tell me you just happened to be passing by, are you?"

Skylar chuckled softly, then pulled her into his arms, leaning close to her ear, his voice low and teasing. "Of course not, I came here specifically to see you, after all... a certain beautiful Veela is already a little dissatisfied with me."

Phoebe chuckled and gently pushed his chest, but didn't actually break free. Instead, she leaned into his embrace, saying with a hint of coquettishness, "Hmph, good to know. Otherwise, I might have to consider finding a male companion who treats me better."

Skylar raised an eyebrow, grasped her chin, and said in a casual yet dangerous tone, "Is that so? Well, we'll have to see who dares to do it."

Phoebe met his gaze, her blue eyes sparkling with laughter. She tiptoed and placed a kiss on his chin, whispering, "As if you can control me."

Skylar chuckled softly, his hand sliding smoothly to her waist, tightening gently, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness. "As expected, you still have me under your control."

Phoebe gave a satisfied hum, then pulled his hand and walked behind the counter. She turned back and winked at him, a mischievous smile in her eyes, "Since you've taken so long to see me, you'd better make it up to me—you won't refuse to have a coffee with me, will you?"

Skylar's lips curled slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips as he looked at her, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery. "Of course not, I'm being very sincere."

The two walked one after the other through the internal passage of the Alchemy Workshop and entered the Chamber of Secrets at the back. As soon as the door closed, Phoebe couldn't wait to press Skylar against the door, hooking her arms around his neck. Her icy blue eyes trembled slightly, her gaze as fiery as a burning flame.

She gazed at him, his image reflected in her pupils, as if the whole world had shrunk to just him.

Skylar smiled slightly, his gaze lingering on her. He casually put his arm around her waist, his fingertips lightly caressing the curve of her side, and said in a teasing voice, "Looks like I won't be able to drink this coffee for a while."

Phoebe blinked, chuckled softly, and breath brushed against his ear, carrying a hint of triumphant slyness. "Sir, this is the price you have to pay."

Before she finished speaking, Phoebe launched a passionate offensive. After all, the two had been separated for quite some time since the start of the semester, so their reunion was naturally filled with intimacy and tenderness.

The first cold wind of October swept through Hogsmeade, rustling the fallen leaves on the streets. The Three Broomsticks was already packed and bustling with activity. In contrast, the Hog's Head Inn remained deserted, like a forgotten corner.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione pushed open the door and found it completely different from the Three Broomsticks, where the large bar always felt bright, clean, and warm. The Hog's Head Inn, on the other hand, was just a small, dark, and very dirty room that reeked of mutton.

The interior was quite dark, as thick grime had accumulated on the bay windows, allowing almost no light to penetrate. The wooden floor was covered with a thick layer of dust, as if it hadn't been swept in a long time. Aberforth Dumbledore stood behind the bar, slowly wiping a stained wine glass, his gaze subtly sweeping over the Hogwarts students who entered.

Hermione's plan was flawless. Under her organization, a group of students arrived one after another, pretending to be ordinary customers and sitting down separately. Only after everyone had arrived did they slowly gather in the seating area near the back of the bar.

Hermione cleared her throat, looked at everyone, and said softly, "Now that everyone's here, let's begin. Harry— "

Harry stood up nervously, took a deep breath, and looked around at the students sitting around him with a somewhat numb gaze.

The students sat down in twos and threes around Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Some seemed excited, while others were full of curiosity. Harry felt his stomach churn slightly at the thought that these people had come to listen to him speak, until his gaze swept over Cho Chang's beautiful face.

She sat there quietly, the candlelight illuminating her delicate profile. Her long, black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, and a thoughtful expression lingered in her eyes. She didn't look directly at me, but listened intently, as if deep in thought.

A barely perceptible, deep glint flashed in his eyes, and an indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in Harry's heart. The awkwardness and unease he felt were instantly suppressed, replaced by a strange impulse—he wanted her gaze to linger on him, he wanted to see the look of admiration and adoration on her face.

A surge of heat rose from his lower abdomen, rushing straight to his mind. His stomach stopped clenching, replaced by a strange sense of exhilaration. He didn't know where this emotion came from, but it made him no longer feel tense, nor did it make him uncomfortable with the stares of others. On the contrary, he craved those stares; he craved everyone's attention. He suddenly realized—

He enjoyed the feeling of being in control. So this was what fame and power were all about.

The pretty girl with light reddish-gold curly hair sitting next to Cho Chang was automatically ignored by Harry.

Harry straightened his back, his eyes sharpening, a slight smile playing on his lips—he remembered that Malfoy boy always wore that smile. He looked directly into everyone's faces and said in a clear, deep voice, "I think everyone knows very well that our Defence Against the Dark Arts class is practically useless. Umbridge doesn't let us learn real combat magic at all. If we do nothing and just wait for others to protect us, we might regret it in the future."

He could feel the ripples his words were creating in everyone's hearts, and he subconsciously glanced at Cho Chang. She was still listening quietly, without any particular expression, but this did not disappoint Harry; instead, it made a certain emotion in his heart even more vivid.

He didn't understand what he was really craving, but he vaguely felt that he had to become stronger, that he had to make her really notice him—that way, she wouldn't just stay at the edge of his sight anymore, but would only be able to look at him, listen to him, and be attracted to him.

A murmur of discussion arose from the crowd, and anxiety and agreement were more or less evident on everyone's faces.

"So," Hermione continued, "We want to form a small study group, not to defy the school, but to actually learn something and learn how to protect ourselves. We'll meet regularly, and Harry will guide us in practicing Defence Against the Dark Arts and battle spells."

"That sounds like a good idea," Fred said with a smile. "After all, if I ever encounter Death Eaters, I don't want to just Stupefy and then deal with them."

"Me too," George chimed in. "I think we can't just live by luck; we have to learn some real skills."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts) arrangement was basically finalized. Although Zacharias Smith, that troublemaker, still provoked Harry, he had no choice but to shut up under Hermione's stern rebuke.

Harry once defeated Professor Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, in his first year. He also faced Dragon and a monster from the bottom of the lake alone in the Triwizard Tournament. During the summer vacation, he successfully cast the Patronus Charm to repel two Dementor. His magical prowess in actual combat is evident to all. Apart from Skylar Malfoy of Slytherin, no one is stronger than him!

As the students nodded in agreement, the discussion grew more and more heated, with many people starting to discuss in which areas they could strengthen their training.

However, on the other side of the bar, a man in a dark cloak sat in the shadows, slowly sipping a glass of cheap ale. His gaze never left Harry and his friends, and although he pretended to be nonchalant, his ears were perked up.

--Willie Widsing

Umbridge recently sent him to Hogsmeade on "patrol," ostensibly to gather information on the students and check for any "suspicious illegal activities." He initially thought he was just wasting his time, but unexpectedly overheard Harry Potter and his friends discussing some kind of secret study organization.

"Practicing Defence Against the Dark Arts in private... holding regular gatherings..."

Willie's lips curled into a slight smile. Umbridge would definitely be interested in this news, and he could finally submit a decent report to her.

He made no suspicious moves, simply finished his drink quietly, tossed a silver coin aside, and quietly left the tavern. His steps were neither fast nor slow, seemingly leisurely, but he was already calculating how to relay this information to Umbridge in order to earn her reward.

Sunlight streamed onto the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade, and his figure gradually disappeared into the crowd.

Willie Wedsing thought he had disguised himself perfectly, that he had made a flawless impression, but in reality, he was unaware that his actions at the Hog's Head Inn had already attracted the attention of both sides...

Inside the Chamber of Secrets of the Miraculous Alchymia, after Skylar and Phoebe had finished their intimate encounter, a satisfied Phoebe had returned to the counter to attend to the Miraculous Alchymia's business, leaving Skylar alone. He sat at a desk, his gaze intently fixed on a map spread out on the table—

Under the bright candlelight, the map on the table outlined Hogsmeade Village, with many small black dots moving rapidly—this was Skylar's Marauder's Map. His gaze followed the small black dot marked "Willie Windsor" closely, from the moment he left the Hog's Head Inn until it disappeared from the map's boundaries. Judging from its direction, it was heading towards Hogwarts Castle.

He hesitated for two seconds before deciding to abandon his plan to follow Willie Weedshin, or even to use the Imperius Curse to control his thoughts. This was because he had seen a name at the Hog's Head Inn that garnered him even more attention—

Yusof Kama.

It must be said, this is a rather tricky name.

Born into a Pure-blood France noble family, he later joined the original Order of the Phoenix to fight against Grindelwald. He was extremely skilled at hiding, tracking, and investigation, and possessed an exceptionally strong will. He could remain hidden in the Paris sewers for extended periods without being discovered, and he was able to single-handedly uncover the identities and whereabouts of his enemies. To fulfill his father's dying wish of revenge, he overcame numerous obstacles to hunt down Klaesden.

Throughout the entire world of the original work, only Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch Jr. and he possess such shrewdness, perseverance, strategy, and courage.

In his previous life, Skylar learned from interviews with the actor who played the character in the movie that this person was originally an unregistered Animagus, a magic that greatly facilitated his infiltration and tracking.

At this moment, a small black dot marked "Yousoff Kama" was in a corner of the Hog's Head Inn, probably acting on Dumbledore's orders, monitoring Harry and his friends for the Order of the Order of the Phoenix, replacing Mundungus's role in the original story.

Skylar shook his head. Although Harry, Ron, and Hermione in this world had become different, the "Dumbledore's Army" was still forcibly established by the timeline.

If you really think it's strange, then upon closer examination, it's actually a reasonable development.

Although Harry in this world is not the champion of the Triwizard Tournament, he still has considerable fame and supporters. He carries the title of a Savior and has a group of die-hard fans such as Colin Creevey, Danny Creevey, and Ginny Weasley. In addition, he is always the biggest contributor to the Quidditch team's victory, which makes him extremely important in Gryffindor.

Even with this approach, his core group in Gryffindor will be no fewer than nine people.

Furthermore, with Ron and Hermione both being Prefect, and Hermione being a well-known academic star in Gryffindor, Harry's brilliance was easily highlighted with their support.

Of course, the most crucial factor in all of this is Hermione's attitude.

Even if Harry and Ron had any ambitions, given their immature and carefree personalities, they wouldn't amount to much. If it really came down to something substantial, establishing a complex organization, it would have to be Hermione. And Hermione's unwavering determination to create "Dumbledore's Army" (the organization is unnamed; this is just a provisional name given by Skylar) is likely closely related to Skylar.

Thinking of this, Skylar couldn't help but sigh. To be honest, his relationship with Hermione was far too complicated.

The two met on the train. In their first year at Hogwarts, he saved her from Troll. However, in their second year, Skylar defeated Harry twice in public, making him almost Gryffindor's number one enemy. Then, in their third year, the two became estranged after Hermione slapped Draco.

He had thought their relationship was over and that Skylar had no more feelings for her. But fate seemed to be playing a joke on Skylar. Hermione, for some unknown reason, confessed her feelings to Skylar before the Yule Ball in their fourth year. It was then that Skylar suddenly realized that Hermione held a special place in his heart.

He knew that Hermione loved him, always had, and had never changed; he could tell from every conversation they had, from the look in Hermione's eyes.

He didn't know if he liked Hermione, but he knew that their positions and paths were ultimately different, and if they were to be together, they would definitely face many problems and criticisms...

If that's the case, then it's better to let go and allow both of you to live happy lives.

However, he still underestimated Hermione's determination.

This girl—the little girl who hid in the bathroom and cried in first grade because of a few words from Ron, the little girl who ran out of the common room crying because her pet cat was wrongly accused of killing Scabbers —was stronger than Skylar had imagined.

Thinking of this, Skylar's lips curled into a slight smile. He stared at the black dot marked "Hermione Granger" on the map and muttered to himself, "Hermione, since you're so eager to prove it to me, then I'll be watching."