Herman sat at his seat at the Slytherin table, observing the commotion on the platform from across half the Great Hall.
He certainly couldn't hear Snape's last whispered words, but judging from Dumbledore's helpless shake of his head after Snape finished speaking, that whispered remark was probably the key point Snape had been building up for so long.
Snape lowered his voice and said to Dumbledore, "We shouldn't have entrusted Harry to him in the first place."
Dumbledore replied helplessly, his voice not loud, but his lip movements were vaguely discernible. " Sirius is Harry's godfather, and I'm a witness to that."
Snape's lips twitched even lower after hearing that. He remained silent for a few seconds, as if organizing a new rebuttal, but in the end he simply poked at the food on his plate with his fork and didn't continue.
After complaining for a while, he could only helplessly end the topic.
Snape's gaze habitually shifted away, past Dumbledore's shoulder, and glanced towards the Slytherin table.
His gaze lingered on Harry for about two seconds.
Harry was engrossed in cutting the roast meat on her plate, completely unaware that the professor was watching her.
Snape withdrew his gaze from her, lowered his eyes, and seemed to say something to himself.
At the very least, Harry is in Slytherin now.
After lunch, although Dumbledore didn't say anything and just sat there eating, the atmosphere of the entire school immediately changed.
During the free time in the afternoon, the students in the corridor started talking loudly, and there was much more laughter than in the previous days.
The library is no longer just filled with people engrossed in their books; some have started whispering about plans to sit by Black Lake on the weekend.
At the castle gate, Filch no longer stood in the shadows by the gate, watching everyone coming and going, as he had done in the previous days. He returned to his usual patrol route, only occasionally glancing at the gate when passing through the Entrance Hall.
The number of professors patrolling inside the castle has also decreased.
After lunch Herman only saw the back of a professor walking away in the distance as he walked down the corridor, a stark contrast to the previous few days when he would bump into a professor every time he turned a corner.
Students are now able to freely enter and exit the castle.
Some people carried books to the lawn to bask in the sun, while others strolled along the Black Lake. Groups of two or three figures were scattered on the open ground outside the castle, casting long shadows in the afternoon light.
The only requirement is to stay away from the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade.
A new parchment notice board had been posted outside the castle gates, bearing Professor McGonagall's handwriting. "Students are restricted to the castle and its surrounding area. Loitering within fifty meters of the edge of the Forbidden Forest is prohibited, and approaching Hogsmeade is forbidden."
Students came and went in front of the notice board. Some stopped to look at it and then left, while others read the whole thing carefully before turning and walking toward Black Lake.
After all, most students wouldn't go to the Forbidden Forest anyway, and only students in their third year or above can go to Hogsmeade, so the restrictions have almost no impact on their daily lives.
Herman stood in front of the notice board for a while, then turned and walked toward the common room.
With a few hours left before his appointment on Friday night, he could go back and flip through those alchemy books to prepare for his evening class.
But obviously, plans don't always go as expected. Herman was engrossed in a book at the library when George and Fred suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sat down in front of Herman, and told him, " Professor Malin said she has something to do today and doesn't need to come to her office."
The two of them ran off as soon as they finished speaking, even faster than when they came. They probably didn't want Herman to ask them for details, or they simply felt that the mission was accomplished once the message was given, and the rest was none of their business.
But Herman guessed that it was more likely that the two were planning something naughty again, and that the few days they spent in the Hospital Wing must have made them really bored.
Herman stood there stunned for a few seconds, watching the two red figures disappear around the corner of the corridor, still clutching the new notebook he had just pulled out of his backpack.
Herman's notebook contained detailed research findings on his arm, as well as the formula he had obtained from Harry; he planned to ask Marlene about it tonight.
I'd been preparing for days, just waiting for this final push, and now they say they can't come. Humph, women are so fickle.
He sighed inwardly, but quickly recovered.
After all, you're asking for advice, so you have to consider the professor's availability. It's normal for the professor to have important matters to attend to, since they're not giving you private lessons.
Herman also had a guess.
At this point in time, Professor Malin's sudden announcement of an important matter most likely means that Dumbledore has returned and is calling a meeting of the professors.
The Vampire and Werewolf at Hogsmeade are still there. Dumbledore went to Wizengamot for a long meeting this time, so he has to meet with the professors when he gets back to update them on the situation.
And it's estimated that they'll also have to discuss the suggestion from the Vampire Gori, whether or not to let him live in the castle.
This issue concerns Herman's own interests.
The thought of a Vampire elder wanting to capture her and move into the castle where she spends her days attending classes, eating, and sleeping sends chills down Herman's spine.
Although Dumbledore will certainly take some restrictive measures, what if one day Dumbledore's measures have a loophole and that guy escapes? He'll be the first one they look for.
Therefore, Herman had no emotions left.
Let's have a good discussion and hopefully reach a conclusion that killing him is the best way to end things once and for all.
If the professors' meeting can produce a result and resolve the issue with the Gori, then being stood up tonight will have been worth it.
Herman stuffed the notebook back into his bag, got up and left the library, standing in the corridor and glancing at the sky outside the window.
The afternoon sun slanted in through the high window panes, spreading a warm yellow band of light across the ground. In the distance, the voices of several students talking on the lawn could be heard, their laughter echoing in and out on the breeze.
Since tonight's classes are canceled, this afternoon is free.
Herman thought for a moment and decided to go see Harry and Draco.
Lately, I've been busy with my own things, devouring one Alchemy book after another, visiting the Room of Requirement's practice room several times, and spending a lot of energy on my meeting with Professor Malin. I haven't really paid much attention to the two girls.
It wasn't that I had any other intentions; although the two women were indeed very beautiful— Draco's big eyes sparkled when she looked at people, and Harry's red hair shimmered with a honey-colored glow in the sunlight.
Herman was mainly worried that Draco would be devoured by Harry. Didn't he see that Harry, in collusion with Sirius, had already caused chaos among several Pure-blood families? The kidnapping case was still ongoing, Daily Prophet had started serializing the latest developments daily, rivaling the daily updates of online novels?