Valentine's Day Paper Cranes (Thanks to Idle River Wanderer for the Love-Powered Support)

Hermione left the Hospital Wing annex at the beginning of February. Her face had regained its smoothness, her curls were fluffy again, and her eyes had recovered that bright sparkle. Madam Pomfrey gave her one final examination, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "You may go." When Hermione walked out of the annex, she took a deep breath, as if breathing in the long-lost air of freedom.

But Su Yu felt as though something was missing. Not being able to pet Hermione-cat every day really left him feeling empty.

This made the Nine-Tailed Fox extremely indignant.

"Have I ever stopped you from petting me or holding me?" The Nine-Tailed Fox crouched on his lap, glaring at him with amber eyes while her tail swished behind her. "Is this really necessary? Isn't petting me enough for you?"

On Valentine's Day, the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and the petrification of students had left all of Hogwarts in a state of panic.

However, Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, had taken it upon himself to organize a grand Valentine's Day event "to raise morale."

When Su Yu led the little Slytherin snakes into the Great Hall for breakfast, they all wondered whether they had entered through the wrong doors.

Every wall was covered in huge, gaudy pink flowers, packed together as though someone had moved an entire rose garden into the castle. Worse still, heart-shaped paper decorations hung densely from the pale blue ceiling.

Lockhart, dressed in bright pink robes to match the decorations, was waving his arms for silence. He stood in front of the teachers' table, his robes embroidered with golden hearts. The teachers on either side of him stood stiffly. From where he sat, Su Yu could see the muscles twitching in Professor McGonagall's cheek, while Professor Snape looked as though someone had just forced a huge cup of Skele-Gro down his throat.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "I'd like to thank the forty-six people who have sent me Valentine's cards so far! Yes, I decorated the Great Hall to give all of you a surprise—and that's not all!"

Lockhart clapped his hands.

A troop of scowling little Cupids marched in through the entrance hall doors. They were not real angels, of course. Lockhart had made a group of dwarfs wear golden wings and carry harps. The wings had been glued together from feathers and sat crookedly on their backs, while the harps were plastic.

"My friendly Cupids, laden with Valentine's cards!" Lockhart smiled. "They will be roaming the school today, delivering Valentine's cards to you all! And the fun does not end there! I'm sure my colleagues would also like to join in on the occasion. Let's see how Professor Snape makes Amortentia! Professor Flitwick knows more about the Charm than any wizard I've ever met, the old rascal!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly. Professor Snape looked as though he was about to poison the first person who asked him for Amortentia.

The Slytherin students had already begun to object. Lockhart was talking nonsense! Although Slytherins were good at missing the ones they loved, they only used paper cranes! They would never use Valentine's cards!

As he spoke, Malfoy pulled out three sheets of paper.

One paper crane might run off. Three should be enough, right? Malfoy thought as he lowered his head, folded three paper cranes, and blew on them.

The first paper crane's wings trembled, then it rose crookedly into the air. It traced several arcs through the air before finally landing in front of Astoria.

Astoria grabbed the paper crane at once. Her eyes lit up, and she sprang from her chair, hopping and shouting, "Draco, Draco, Draco! Look, it flew to me!"

Only then did Malfoy snap back to his senses.

His face immediately turned red. He had gotten carried away just now. This had gotten way out of hand... What was he supposed to do... What was he supposed to do... This was going to be utterly mortifying...

The Slytherin students around him had already started snickering.

The second paper crane slowly spun once in the air, then wobbled back toward Malfoy and landed in Pansy's hands beside him.

Pansy lowered her head and looked at the paper crane in her hands. Her fingers trembled slightly, and the crane quivered softly in her palm. Tears had already filled her eyes.

As for the third paper crane, it was a little ridiculous.

It was as if someone had cast some strange spell on it. It swayed into the air, drew several large circles overhead, circled around the Slytherin table, and finally wobbled toward the Gryffindor benches, landing in the hands of a completely bewildered Harry.

Harry held up the paper crane and turned it over in his hands. His expression was a mixture of "What is this?" and "Is Malfoy messing with me again?"

Astoria blinked her big eyes, tilted her head in thought, then suddenly said, "So Draco wants to marry three people!"

In an instant, the Slytherins were laughing so hard they could no longer control themselves.

Malfoy had never felt so humiliated in his life. He did not even want to set foot in the Great Hall again for the rest of his life! He abruptly stood up, turned, and rushed out of the hall.

The little Slytherin snakes were still laughing.

Theodore folded a paper crane too. His movements were more elegant than Malfoy's. After folding one, he gently blew on it, and the paper crane flew steadily into the air, crossing the Great Hall at an unhurried pace toward Olivia, who was still eating at the Ravenclaw table.

The paper crane landed beside Olivia's plate. Olivia froze for a moment, then picked it up. A wave of teasing screams erupted from the Ravenclaw table. Olivia clenched the paper crane in her hand and lowered her head, blushing.

Su Yu did not dare fold one. He was afraid he would need more than one hand to count all the paper cranes he would have to fold. If they flew somewhere strange again, it would be even more embarrassing.

The little snakes around him folded paper cranes one after another. Some flew toward the people they liked, some fell halfway through their flight, and some circled through the crowd several times without knowing whom to find. The Nine-Tailed Fox crouched in front of him, pawing at a paper crane that had fallen onto the table and flipping it over and over, as if studying some new species.

The little Slytherin snakes continued praising their own kind of love, which would not tolerate Lockhart's blasphemy. They felt that Lockhart's vulgar, extravagant method of scattering cards all over the place was simply an insult to love.

Professor Snape also seemed to be recalling something—his gaze had fallen upon a paper crane on the table.

Then Su Yu said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Slytherin-style love: bullying the person you like, sending paper cranes to the person you like, watching the person you like get married..."

Professor Snape nearly smashed the cauldron beside him over Su Yu's head.

All day long, the dwarfs kept bursting into classrooms to deliver Valentine's cards, making the teachers furious.

During that time, Su Yu also asked Harry whether he had found that diary. Harry said he had not seen any diary, so Su Yu continued searching for clues about it.

In March, the Mandrakes in the greenhouse had begun their noisy gatherings, which made Professor Sprout very happy.

The Mandrakes' leaves shook constantly in their pots, brushing against one another with rustling sounds as though they were whispering together. Their roots emerged from the soil and tangled around one another, as though holding hands and dancing. Professor Sprout stood in the center of the greenhouse, watching the Mandrakes with a broader smile than ever.

"When they start moving into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," Professor Sprout said during class. "Then we can revive those poor people in the Hospital Wing."

During their Easter holiday, the second-year students had to consider something: they needed to choose their third-year classes. It was something Hermione took very seriously, at least.

Su Yu did not care much. He would just follow Daphne; at the very least, he could copy her homework. Daphne flipped through the course catalog, her finger moving slowly across the pages before she finally tapped two subjects.

Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

Su Yu took one look and thought, Well then, I've ended up in the same classes as Harry and Ron again.

It was not until the day of the Quidditch match that Su Yu learned from Hermione that Harry had found that diary a long time ago but had never mentioned it. He had only let it slip because he had lost the diary yesterday.

Su Yu was furious. Did that kid have no sense at all? He suspected this and suspected that every day, always liked carrying everything by himself, never considered others, never considered his own abilities. Just because he was the protagonist, he had wasted such a great opportunity. But there was nothing to be done now. Harry had already lost it, and there was no way to find it again. The person behind everything was hiding deeply. At least so far, Su Yu had not noticed anyone acting suspiciously. He had even investigated Percy; Percy's strange behavior was only because he was in love, and he had not gotten any diary.

Because Harry had never told Hermione what was inside the diary this time, she was still completely confused. She knew nothing either and could only accompany Su Yu to watch the Quidditch match.

The players began entering the field to a warm welcome. Today's match was Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. Wood even made a warm-up lap around the goalposts, his broom tracing a beautiful arc through the air as the Gryffindor students in the stands cheered thunderously.

The Hufflepuffs were still gathered together, using the final minute to discuss tactics. Several of them had their heads pressed together, and someone nodded from time to time.

Su Yu had just been about to sit down when he saw Professor McGonagall crossing the field toward them at a half-run, carrying an enormous purple microphone.

"The match is canceled," Professor McGonagall shouted through the microphone at the packed stadium.

Boos rose from all around. Wood looked utterly shocked. He immediately landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall.

"But Professor!" he shouted. "We have to play... the Cup... Gryffindor—"

Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued calling through the microphone, "All students are to return to their dormitories, where their Heads of House will provide further instructions. Everyone, go back immediately!"

Some students around her complained about the canceled match, while others looked deeply worried.

That evening, in the Slytherin common room.

Everyone learned that another Ravenclaw student had been attacked.

Professor Snape stood before the fireplace with a roll of parchment in his hand, his black eyes gleaming in the firelight.

"All students must return to their dormitories before six in the evening. No one may leave their dormitories after six. A teacher will accompany you to every class. You may not use the bathrooms or lavatories without a teacher present. Quidditch practices and matches are postponed. All evening activities are canceled."

"Without question, we have never been as grief-stricken as we are now. If the culprit behind these attacks cannot be found, this school may very well be closed. Any student with clues regarding this matter, please come forward bravely."