The Crowded Hospital Wing

During Charms Class, Ryan's sudden words startled Harry, who froze in his seat. His voice was clear and youthful, not loud, but it conveyed a sense of conviction.

To Harry's even greater surprise, the students around him, including Professor Flitwick, seemed not to hear him at all. This was different from before; it was definitely not a conversation in his mind.

Harry was certain that he had heard the sound clearly with his own ears.

Compared to the magical scene just now, he overlooked the deeper meaning in Ryan's words. Dumbledore, as the Greatest White Wizard, was simply a figure others used to provoke.

For example, Harry overheard Lisa Turpin and Hermione talking and saying, "I dare say that only my family knows this spell, not even Dumbledore knows it."

When Ron heard this, he interrupted the conversation in a very unpleasant way, and kept asking Lisa what kind of spell it was. Ron was not always this diligent when doing his homework or reading, but he was unusually serious about strange things, such as trying to collect Chocolate Frog Card, collecting the Chudley Cannons posters, and this time, he kept pestering Lisa, making her almost unable to resist running to the girls' dormitory.

Finally, Ron learned from Lisa that it was a curse passed down from her mother, meant only to daughters, and its purpose was to remove acne.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" Harry tried to speak loudly, thinking that Ryan must have used some kind of spell to mute the sounds around them.

"Harry, if you're worried about Ron, I'll give you permission to check on him, but you'll need to come to me during the free time afterward to catch up on what you learned in this lesson."

"Of course, I don't recommend you go. Your affair with Mr. Weasley is already being spread everywhere because of Rita Skeeter. If you go, I'm afraid it will only make things worse," Professor Flitwick said with concern.

"Professor, the best way to stop a rumor is not to avoid suspicion, but to pretend it doesn't exist and is just a joke."

"If we don't take it seriously, others will eventually lose interest." Harry wanted to admit that it was just an accident and not because of Ron, but after hearing Professor Flitwick's words, he forgot what he was going to say and retorted.

"Very well, Harry, I never thought I'd be taught a lesson by a student like you. Well then, go ahead, and remember to come find me later." Filius Flitwick stood on the pile of books and waved.

"Okay, okay." Harry hadn't expected this, so he had no choice but to say it.

Harry looked at Ryan, only to see Ryan engrossed in his book as if nothing was amiss, though the slight upturn of his lips betrayed this fact.

Harry knew that Ryan had the magic to go out with him without being discovered, but seeing that Ryan had no intention of coming along, he had no choice but to pack his schoolbag and pretend to take him with him.

At this moment, Neville stood up and said, "Harry, I'll take these things to the Defense Against the Dark Arts for you."

Harry gave him a grateful look, but if he lingered any longer, it would be considered disruptive to the class, so he left without saying a word and without looking back.

And so, Ryan stayed in the Charms Class, but with Ryan's current senses, Harry couldn't escape his gaze as long as he was still at Hogwarts, even if he wasn't in the Charms Class classroom.

"Oh dear, so now I'm just like my unknown ancestor," Ryan thought, stroking his chin.

The perspective shifts to Harry's for now. Harry leaves the Charms Class classroom and heads towards the Hospital Wing on the second floor.

However, after Harry waited for a long time, the stairs leading from the fourth floor to the third floor turned, and just as he was about to go downstairs, he subconsciously glanced at the restricted area on the fourth floor. He saw Professor Quirrell push open the door with a pale face, completely different from his usual timid demeanor. His face was gloomy, like a cold, venomous snake, ready to devour anyone.

Harry rubbed his eyes, and the next second, the person was gone again. Harry was a little confused, but then he realized that the stairs had disappeared again, so he had to wait a little longer.

——

There were so many people. As soon as Harry got to the second floor, he saw a large group of students who were probably not in class. Most of them were witches.

Strangely enough, the usual scene of students sticking together in their respective houses was nowhere to be seen here. Slytherin and Gryffindor were holding hands, and Ravenclaw were chatting enthusiastically with Hufflepuff they usually looked down upon.

Harry stopped in his tracks, staring in astonishment at the magical scene.

Then—"I knew it, Harry Potter, it had to be you." A Slytherin witch whom Harry had seen before, with a cold and aloof expression, was now moved, like a cat lover who was allergic to cat fur suddenly being able to pet a cat normally.

"Where's Neville? Why isn't it Neville?!"

"Damn Draco, always talking about going to class, he doesn't know how to seduce men at all. Look, even Harry Potter skipped class to see that little slut Ronnie."

"I believe in love again!"

"If it weren't for that old madman Dumbledore, things would be much purer between them—what? Yes, I think Ron has real feelings for Harry. Neville is just too good at pretending, always crying and acting weak. How could Ron, who is passionate and sympathetic to the weak, not be attracted to him?"

"They are such a perfect match. Do you think Harry has to stand on tiptoe when he's being intimate with Ron, who's so tall?"

"Oh! You're so naughty—I love it!"

"What! Ron is Neville's, Harry is Malfoy's? You're Ravenclaw, how come you're acting like a Hufflepuff!"

"What's wrong with us Hufflepuff!" a short, chubby Hufflepuff girl suddenly exclaimed.

"Look at that Hufflepuff, she's like a madwoman, just like a lioness from Gryffindor!"

"So what if we're Gryffindor! You despicable, vile Slytherin!"

Harry dared not go any further. Without saying a word, the group of people who had just been having a good time were now neatly divided into four equal parts according to the house.

"Alright, alright, ladies, please make way." Fred ran out of the Hospital Wing.

"I've come to pick up our sister-in-law!" George said.

Then, the crowd actually parted in an orderly fashion, leaving a path for Harry to walk through. The Weasley Twins came forward, grabbed Harry, and quickly ran into the Hospital Wing.

"Harry, are you crazy? If you hadn't come in sooner, none of us would have been able to leave," the Weasley Twins said in unison.

"Fred, weren't they very cooperative just now?" Harry asked.

"I'm George. They were just attracted by the title 'sister-in-law,' plus we're fairly well-known at Hogwarts," Fred said modestly.