The Silent Witch of Hogwarts

Chapter 59: After-school Conversations and Letters

"What a pity, if only we knew the principle behind it." Sitting in the Great Hall, Hermione shook her head in distress and said, "Professor Hamilton never speaks."

"She might be under some kind of little curse?" Ron guessed, munching on a chicken leg. "Like George and the others' pranks."

"You mean the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor can't break minor curses?" Hermione sometimes didn't know what to say to Ron.

"Is your head filled with nothing but food?"

"It's better than having Lockhart all over your head." Ron suddenly laughed. "I saw you writing to Lockhart yesterday."

"Really?" Harry looked at Hermione with some surprise. "Did he reply to you?"

"I didn't write to Professor Lockhart," Hermione said, displeased. "I'm writing to Professor Hamilton."

"Didn't you see the paper Professor Hamilton showed us?" Hermione said helplessly. "I really want to know what the principle behind it is, and about the Silent Charm... but she won't let us go to her office."

"Did you go look for her?" Harry asked after a moment's thought, not thinking Hermione would follow the rules in this regard.

"Of course I went," Hermione shook her head. "But the office door was locked tight."

"And the letter..." she said with a slight surprise, "I feel that it wasn't written by Professor Hamilton at all."

"Those words... look more like those of a student."

Her words made Harry and Ron exchange a glance.

"I originally thought that the taciturn Professor Hamilton and the always-smiling Lockhart were two extremes," Ron muttered. "But I didn't expect them to be so similar."

"They look quite alike?"

"Hmm." Ron shrugged. "Percy said before that Lockhart's way of punishing people with detention was to have students write back to his fans."

"I'm somewhat glad that our professor isn't him anymore." Harry's reply only made Hermione's displeasure grow.

"Mr. Lockhart isn't like that..."

“Hagrid says he has absolutely no idea how to tame magical creatures,” Ron continued. “I think he’s just a big talker.”

"Heh..." Hermione scoffed, "Hagrid is going to Hogsmeade this weekend to buy food for the magical creatures. Why don't you go with him?"

"Why?" Ron was taken aback.

"That way you can stay away from Mr. Lockhart, whom you don't like, and I can stay away from you too."

Harry sighed helplessly as he watched his two friends start bickering again.

Not far from them, Luna, with her long, dark blonde hair, was happily talking to the red-haired girl beside her.

"Lola...it's lively here, isn't it?"

"Ah...yes...yes..." Loila carefully looked around and said, "So many...so many people..."

"I usually...don't come here...at this time..."

"So how are you going to eat lunch?" Luna asked curiously.

"I'll wait until you've all...finished eating...before I come..." Loila's soft voice was barely audible compared to the red-haired boy's laughter at the next table: "There will still be plenty left over then..."

"Is that so?" Luna tilted her head, thought for a moment, and came to a conclusion: "It's because the professor is very busy, right?"

"Ah...more or less?" As soon as Loila opened her mouth, Luna reached out and pinched the pointed ears in her hair.

Amidst a chorus of screams, Luna blinked: "Didn't I tell you?"

"If you lie to me, I'll pinch your ear."

This happened a month ago... With her ear pinched and her face flushed red, Loila shrank back and said, "If you keep doing this... I... I won't accompany you next time..."

That's right, Loila doesn't have any penchant for pretending to be a student, or rather, her only penchant is magic array studies. If it weren't for Miss Lovegood lying in wait and tricking her into coming over with the excuse that "friends always eat together."

She wouldn't pretend to be a student and sit here with Luna.

But looking at the lively students around her... Miss Lovegood really wasn't lying to herself; her friends had all come to eat together.

But shouldn't the boy with the same red hair as me at the next table be a better friend than me?

I was so scared that I couldn't speak just by looking at these people.

"Don't worry, Lola," Luna's light voice came through the phone. "How about we eat out next time?"

"Outside?"

"Hmm." Luna nodded. "I heard you can see giant octopuses by the Black Lake."

"Some people say it's Slytherin in disguise," she said, lowering her voice. "Every Christmas he turns back into his original form and takes a walk by the lake."

This rumor seems much more plausible than the previous ones about the Ministry of Magic and Lord Grindelwald... and eating by the lake is definitely much better than here...

At least there are very few people there.

Miss Lovegood, you are so kind!

Loila looked at Luna gratefully and nodded.

"By the way, are you going to teach us again tomorrow?" Luna always changed the subject very quickly; she seemed to have immediately thought of something else.

"Ah... well, actually it's not..." Loila wasn't sure if she was actually attending a class; first it was Professor William, and now it was Dumbledore.

Who will be next?

Anyway, it's definitely not me, right?

"I'm really looking forward to it," Luna said with a light laugh.

"I can tell you... yes... um!"

"Don't say it, Loila." Luna placed a finger in front of Loila's lips. "I want a little surprise."

"I suspect it might be... the Dean of Durmstrang!"

Definitely not... Every time I see him, he criticizes me... Loila thought of some unpleasant memories, so she shrank back.

But was it a pleasant surprise?

Loila felt that Dumbledore would definitely surprise Luna...

"Could it be the octopus that Slytherin transformed into?"

Okay, probably not.

Just as Loila and Luna were chatting, a flock of owls flew in through the window. Amid the students' gasps, Loila quickly covered her head and lay down.

Is this some new form of torture?

A crazy owl drops packages from the sky; if you're unlucky enough to get hit, you'll definitely pass out, right?

"what!"

As Loila was thinking this, an owl dropped a letter on her head.

"Your letter," Luna said with a smile, then took the letter off her head.

"It's Lupin... Mr. Lupin?" Loila pursed her lips with a hint of delight as she looked at the sender of the letter.

But just as she was about to open the letter, laughter came from the table next to her.

"Ron received a roaring letter!"

"A roaring...letter?" Of course, Loila knew what it was, but she had only ever seen Miss Vida send roaring letters to others; she had never received one herself.

Ah, before she met Luna and Lupin... she had never actually received any letters.

"Ron Weasley! You disobedient brat! How dare you drive alone!"

"Ah!" The sudden roar startled Loila. It was the first time she had ever heard such a terrifying sound... It sounded like a lion opening its bloody jaws.

Your father is under investigation by the ministry because of your crazy behavior!

Loila's ears twitched as she looked at Luna, only to find that Luna's eyes were wandering, as if she was thinking about something else...

When will I be able to have Miss Lovegood's abilities...? Thinking this, Loira looked at her letter.

Mr. Lupin, this is definitely not a shouting letter, is it?