Chapter 177 Who Are the Suspects?
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Rui Chen 3499
After Connor left, Harry, Hermione, and Ron did not leave the corridor, still digesting what Connor had just said.
Ron opened his mouth, and his tone was a bit inconceivable, "If I remember correctly, Professor Kong should be the first... teacher who took the initiative to speak for Snape."
"And Principal Dumbledore." Harry corrected, "Principal Dumbledore once told me about this."
He noticed the confusion on the faces of Ron and Hermione, and explained: "Do you remember the last school year? The time when Professor Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort... a mysterious man..."
Harry recounted everything Dumbledore had said to him in the school infirmary.
Ron's face became more and more surprised, "If you tell me that this person is Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick, I will believe it, but this Snape... Will the owl give up catching mice?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows, and she found that Ron's metaphor this time was just right and very vivid.
But her point of concern is not what Professor Kong thinks of Snape, she is more concerned about what the secret room is.
Harry sighed helplessly, "Principal Dumbledore told me so, and Professor Kong also said that Snape is a good person... Then, maybe Snape is really a good person."
"Ah, yes, yes!" Ron nodded. "For the students of Slytherin House, he is of course a good guy. Remember?"
He began to imitate Snape's short, grim luck, "Potter! Why don't you know what daffodil root powder adds to a wormwood infusion? Five points from Gryffindor!"
The memory of death began to attack Harry, and he suddenly felt that his scar seemed to be hurting, but in fact it was his illusion, he just thought of the first potions class last year.
However, he still tried to defend himself, "But Professor Kong said... Snape is a good person, so let's ignore him for now? Let's classify him into a less suspicious list first."
"Then who else?" Ron rubbed his temples. "If Snape wasn't the number one suspect, who else would it be? Could it be Malfoy?"
"Malfoy..." Harry whispered, "I heard from Fred and the others that Malfoy has been actively participating in Quidditch training recently, and it seems that he has no motive."
"He's not the same as his father." Ron rubbed his hair. "Remember the time we went to Diagon Alley to buy books during the summer vacation?"
"Remember." Harry was attacked by dead memories again, he would always remember the scene where Lockhart forcibly pulled him over to take pictures, it was too shameful.
Ron continued: "Malfoy actually grabbed his father, thinking that it would be rude to fight in this kind of place... I don't understand it!"
"It means that he has also remembered what Professor Kong said! He knows what he should do." Harry said, "There is another candidate, the new teacher—Professor Lockhart."
"Is he the most unlikely person?" Ron showed a sneering expression. "With his appearance, can he really leave the blood that cannot be cleaned?"
"Don't you forget what Lockhart is doing these days? The so-called Defense Against the Dark Arts class is useless, even worse than Professor Quirrell last school year!"
"He even moved the podium, decorated the classroom into a small theater, and then pulled you on stage to perform an opera together."
"Is he really a wizard? I think he should be more palatable in the Muggle world. With his face... and his teeth, I suspect that he has engraved the runes of the Magic Illumination Charm on his teeth!"
"You still know runes?" Harry was a little surprised, "When did you work hard behind my back? Didn't you agree to play wizard chess together?"
"No." Ron shook his head. "That's what Fred and the others told me. They thought there were runes on Lockhart's teeth. Otherwise, why would eight runes be exposed every time? I still remember one time ..."
"Ahem..." Harry quickly winked at Ron and kept poking his lips in Hermione's direction.
Ron also realized that Hermione seemed to admire Lockhart very much, and would even carry one of the books with him, and read it whenever he had time.
Hermione didn't seem to hear what they were teasing Lockhart just now, she was frowning, as if she was thinking about something.
"Hermione! Are you listening?" Harry waved his open palm in front of Hermione.
Hermione didn't respond.
"What's wrong? Hermione?" Ron also opened his palm and shook it in front of Hermione.
"Stop it!" Hermione knocked Ron's palm off with a snap.
"Something's wrong!" Ron withdrew his hand. "Why didn't you hit Harry?"
Hermione didn't answer the question, "I'm thinking about what Professor Kong told us just now. According to his tone, he should already know what the 'chamber of secrets' is."
"Then we'll ask him again?" Harry suggested, "He'll definitely tell us!"
Hermione rejected Harry's proposal, "If Professor Kong wanted to say it, he should have said it long ago. Just like last school year, he directly told us that Professor Snape is not a bad person."
"Maybe the school has other factors in mind. After all, that passage looks like... an over-the-top prank?"
Ron corrected him: "But don't forget! That's a petrified state, a kind of profound black magic."
"Yes!" Hermione did not deny Ron's words, "but from the perspective of the principal and teachers, no students have suffered accidents so far, so there is no need to cause panic."
"However, I guess they should make us more vigilant to prevent possible accidents. At the same time, they should not deny us the initiative to explore the secrets."
"Then what should we do?" Harry and Ron asked in unison, the souls of Gryffindor in their bodies showing signs of being ignited.
"Let's start with "Hogwarts: A School History"!" Hermione sighed, with a bit of annoyance on her face, "It's all because of Professor Lockhart's books, otherwise I wouldn't have written that book. Fall at home!"
Ron felt that he heard an incredible sentence, "What did you just say? Can I understand it that way? Are you despising the big star Professor Lockhart?"
Hermione shrugged, "His adventures are thrilling, his classes are boring, I don't like opera, I'm here to learn magic, not to see a show!"
"Is that so?" Ron asked, turning to look at Harry.
Harry sighed, "I don't watch much TV, they won't let me."
A gloomy Snape emerged from the shadows of the corridor, and whispered a name from his mouth: "Ron Weasley?"
Then he looked up into the distance again, and the end of his gaze seemed to be Kong Nuo's office, "Hmph! Mind your own business!"
Ron opened his mouth, and his tone was a bit inconceivable, "If I remember correctly, Professor Kong should be the first... teacher who took the initiative to speak for Snape."
"And Principal Dumbledore." Harry corrected, "Principal Dumbledore once told me about this."
He noticed the confusion on the faces of Ron and Hermione, and explained: "Do you remember the last school year? The time when Professor Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort... a mysterious man..."
Harry recounted everything Dumbledore had said to him in the school infirmary.
Ron's face became more and more surprised, "If you tell me that this person is Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick, I will believe it, but this Snape... Will the owl give up catching mice?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows, and she found that Ron's metaphor this time was just right and very vivid.
But her point of concern is not what Professor Kong thinks of Snape, she is more concerned about what the secret room is.
Harry sighed helplessly, "Principal Dumbledore told me so, and Professor Kong also said that Snape is a good person... Then, maybe Snape is really a good person."
"Ah, yes, yes!" Ron nodded. "For the students of Slytherin House, he is of course a good guy. Remember?"
He began to imitate Snape's short, grim luck, "Potter! Why don't you know what daffodil root powder adds to a wormwood infusion? Five points from Gryffindor!"
The memory of death began to attack Harry, and he suddenly felt that his scar seemed to be hurting, but in fact it was his illusion, he just thought of the first potions class last year.
However, he still tried to defend himself, "But Professor Kong said... Snape is a good person, so let's ignore him for now? Let's classify him into a less suspicious list first."
"Then who else?" Ron rubbed his temples. "If Snape wasn't the number one suspect, who else would it be? Could it be Malfoy?"
"Malfoy..." Harry whispered, "I heard from Fred and the others that Malfoy has been actively participating in Quidditch training recently, and it seems that he has no motive."
"He's not the same as his father." Ron rubbed his hair. "Remember the time we went to Diagon Alley to buy books during the summer vacation?"
"Remember." Harry was attacked by dead memories again, he would always remember the scene where Lockhart forcibly pulled him over to take pictures, it was too shameful.
Ron continued: "Malfoy actually grabbed his father, thinking that it would be rude to fight in this kind of place... I don't understand it!"
"It means that he has also remembered what Professor Kong said! He knows what he should do." Harry said, "There is another candidate, the new teacher—Professor Lockhart."
"Is he the most unlikely person?" Ron showed a sneering expression. "With his appearance, can he really leave the blood that cannot be cleaned?"
"Don't you forget what Lockhart is doing these days? The so-called Defense Against the Dark Arts class is useless, even worse than Professor Quirrell last school year!"
"He even moved the podium, decorated the classroom into a small theater, and then pulled you on stage to perform an opera together."
"Is he really a wizard? I think he should be more palatable in the Muggle world. With his face... and his teeth, I suspect that he has engraved the runes of the Magic Illumination Charm on his teeth!"
"You still know runes?" Harry was a little surprised, "When did you work hard behind my back? Didn't you agree to play wizard chess together?"
"No." Ron shook his head. "That's what Fred and the others told me. They thought there were runes on Lockhart's teeth. Otherwise, why would eight runes be exposed every time? I still remember one time ..."
"Ahem..." Harry quickly winked at Ron and kept poking his lips in Hermione's direction.
Ron also realized that Hermione seemed to admire Lockhart very much, and would even carry one of the books with him, and read it whenever he had time.
Hermione didn't seem to hear what they were teasing Lockhart just now, she was frowning, as if she was thinking about something.
"Hermione! Are you listening?" Harry waved his open palm in front of Hermione.
Hermione didn't respond.
"What's wrong? Hermione?" Ron also opened his palm and shook it in front of Hermione.
"Stop it!" Hermione knocked Ron's palm off with a snap.
"Something's wrong!" Ron withdrew his hand. "Why didn't you hit Harry?"
Hermione didn't answer the question, "I'm thinking about what Professor Kong told us just now. According to his tone, he should already know what the 'chamber of secrets' is."
"Then we'll ask him again?" Harry suggested, "He'll definitely tell us!"
Hermione rejected Harry's proposal, "If Professor Kong wanted to say it, he should have said it long ago. Just like last school year, he directly told us that Professor Snape is not a bad person."
"Maybe the school has other factors in mind. After all, that passage looks like... an over-the-top prank?"
Ron corrected him: "But don't forget! That's a petrified state, a kind of profound black magic."
"Yes!" Hermione did not deny Ron's words, "but from the perspective of the principal and teachers, no students have suffered accidents so far, so there is no need to cause panic."
"However, I guess they should make us more vigilant to prevent possible accidents. At the same time, they should not deny us the initiative to explore the secrets."
"Then what should we do?" Harry and Ron asked in unison, the souls of Gryffindor in their bodies showing signs of being ignited.
"Let's start with "Hogwarts: A School History"!" Hermione sighed, with a bit of annoyance on her face, "It's all because of Professor Lockhart's books, otherwise I wouldn't have written that book. Fall at home!"
Ron felt that he heard an incredible sentence, "What did you just say? Can I understand it that way? Are you despising the big star Professor Lockhart?"
Hermione shrugged, "His adventures are thrilling, his classes are boring, I don't like opera, I'm here to learn magic, not to see a show!"
"Is that so?" Ron asked, turning to look at Harry.
Harry sighed, "I don't watch much TV, they won't let me."
A gloomy Snape emerged from the shadows of the corridor, and whispered a name from his mouth: "Ron Weasley?"
Then he looked up into the distance again, and the end of his gaze seemed to be Kong Nuo's office, "Hmph! Mind your own business!"
