Hogwarts Study Panel.

Chapter 593 (591): A Stormy Night and a Double Agent (4k)

As June approached, the weather became clear and cloudless, and the heat was oppressive.

It makes you want to grab a few pints of ice-cold pumpkin juice, stroll onto the lawn, find a place to sit down, play a few rounds of casual Goblin, or just watch the giant squid drift dreamily across the lake.

But that won't work.

With exams looming, students couldn't roam freely outside; they had to stay inside the castle, forcing their brains to concentrate while the alluring summer breeze drifted in through the windows.

Even Fred and George Weasley are studying hard; they're going to take the 0.WL (Ordinary Wizard Level) exam.

Percy is preparing to pass the NEWT (Ultimate Wizarding Exam), the highest degree offered by Hogwarts.

Percy wants to get into the Ministry of Magic, so he needs to have excellent grades.

He's becoming increasingly neurotic; he punishes anyone who disturbs the quiet of the common room at night.

In fact, if anyone was more nervous than Percy, it would be Hermione.

Harry and Ron didn't have time to ask her how she could attend so many classes at once, but when they saw her exam schedule, they couldn't help themselves.

The first column of this table lists:

Monday 9 AM, arithmetic divination 9 AM, transmutation lunch 1 PM, spell 1 PM, ancient runes "Hermione,"

Ron asked cautiously, because she was easily angered these days when disturbed, "Uh, are you sure you copied all the times correctly?"

"What?"

Hermione exclaimed, grabbing the timetable to check it carefully. "Yes, of course it's right."

"How can you sit in two exam rooms at the same time? Is this question even relevant?"

Harry said.

"No,"

Hermione bluntly asked, "Has any of you seen my 'Numerology and Grammar'?"

"Oh, right, I borrowed it. I'll flip through it when I go to sleep."

Ron said, but his voice was stuck in his throat.

Hermione began moving the piles of parchment on her desk around, searching for the book.

"By the way, where's Sheen?"

She asked again.

Harry and Ron both fell silent.

Percy is already short-tempered enough, but Hermione can outdo him.

And a certain black-haired little wizard ————

Few people dare to get too close to him anymore.

This was not only because of Dumbledore's unusual behavior at the dinner that day.

In fact, most of the wizards at Hogwarts knew what Headmaster Dumbledore was thinking. He announced his retirement and then had a young wizard help him leave.

Then he disappeared for so long, and only a certain junior wizard occasionally appeared in the headmaster's office. Even the acting headmaster, Minerva, only handled affairs in her transfiguration office.

Everyone knows that a certain young wizard is Dumbledore's handpicked headmaster.

But that's not why the young wizards dared not approach him.

The main reason is that he has become much more indifferent.

Harry and Ron never expected the word "indifference" to be used to describe Sheehan.

But the truth is, very few people received a reply from Sheen during the Easter holidays.

In the past, he would always give the little wizards who gave him gifts a special gift in return, and occasionally add a word of encouragement.

However, nowadays, very few people receive them.

Also, he stopped attending classes with the young wizards.

The professors seem to have other plans for his courses, and Sean has rarely been seen in class anymore.

Sheen could only be seen occasionally at banquets, where he would settle battles in a corner with his elegant and swift manner.

Rarely, a wizard would greet him, but he seemed not to hear them, engrossed in reading his books.

The wizards said it was because of Headmaster Dumbledore, who put too much pressure on dear Mr. Green.

So people were less likely to bother him.

"You didn't see him either?"

Hermione packed up the books, then gestured to Justin with her eyes.

"It's almost lunchtime; you can find him in the auditorium."

Justin stood up, and his magic hand mirror floated out.

When we got to the corridor, the weather suddenly turned very bad.

Scotland's climate is always like that, like a temperamental child, unpredictable.

Over the next few days, Hermione and Justin were unable to find Sheehan.

He seems to have lost even the habit of dining in the auditorium.

Hermione and Justin wanted to talk to him but couldn't find him.

So they could only leave messages, mentioning some new discoveries in their search for the seventh Horcrux.

But Sheehan never replied, and Hermione and the other even guessed that he was no longer at Hogwarts.

Just like Principal Dumbledore.

Rainwater streamed down the ancient stone walls of the castle, blurring every window with a hazy, gray mist.

The water level of Black Lake has risen to its highest point in ten years, with waves crashing against the shore in the wind, producing a deep roar.

Looking out from the tower, the treetops of the Forbidden Forest swayed violently in the wind and rain, like countless black hands scratching at the sky.

But this did not affect the warmth inside the castle.

Sheen was in the cellar, where raging flames engulfed the bottles and jars before abruptly extinguishing them, leaving behind a trail of ashes.

The next second, a faint light flashed, and the mice suddenly froze.

[You have practiced the Fiendfire Spell to the standard of a master, proficiency +300]

[You have practiced the Divine Sharpness Shadowless Spell to the standard of a master, proficiency +300]

[Classification of Master-Level Black Magic:]

-

Divine Sharpness Shadowless Spell: Master Level (2420/3000000)

Obstacle Charm: Expert Level (200/30000)

Petrification Spell: Expert Level (340/30000)

Shattering Spell: Expert Level (2340/30000)

Fiery Spell: Expert Level (2120/300000)

————】

[Evaluation: A wizard who has reached the master level in the realm of dark magic, surpassing the vast majority of dark wizards]

[Advanced: A legendary-level dark magic spell can unlock a legendary-level title in the realm of dark magic]

Sheen let out a soft breath.

A legendary-level dark magic title requires a legendary-level dark magic.

That makes perfect sense.

Sheen naturally chose the Divine Sharpness.

Professor Snape's teachings also allowed Sheehan to gradually grasp the essence of the legend.

He guessed that the professor possessed the legendary Divine Sword Shadowless Spell, after all, he was the one who created this spell.

Professor Snape wasn't in the cellar, and he was busy with his own affairs.

Sheen sat in the chair, deep in thought.

Time was running out. He knew what method Dumbledore had used to keep Voldemort from making any move, but Voldemort had eventually returned.

He completely disappeared into the darkness.

Like a venomous snake baring its fangs, waiting for its prey.

Sheen needs at least two legendary magical powers to ensure the safety of Hogwarts Castle.

So for the past three months, he has spared no effort in promoting the advancement of black magic.

Sometimes I'm so busy that I can't even tell day from night.

Not to mention the young wizards who came to say hello.

As for why not put more effort into Transfiguration—

Sheen took out a stone slab that was badly damaged.

The empty symbol has been unusable for a long time.

Sheen's plan to travel to the borderlands in search of the secrets to soul transformation and reach the legendary destination has been repeatedly postponed.

Fortunately, he has recently been able to sense the mist, and it is getting closer and closer to him.

Sheen's lips curled into a slight smile, which led him to decide to dine in the auditorium and wait for the night to fall.

The torches in the corridor burned brighter than usual, the portraits chatted among themselves, and occasionally a ghost would pass through the walls, bringing with it a cool breeze.

With two weeks left until the final exams, the library was packed with people from morning till night. Mrs. Pince patrolled the bookshelves like a vulture, and any student who dared to fold a corner in a book would be chased out by her with a feather duster.

Tonight is the last formal dinner before the exams.

Tomorrow's schedule will only consist of review sessions and Q&A sessions, and the teachers' table will no longer be fully attended starting tonight—so right now, surrounded by ghosts and candles, Professor Sprout is showing Principal McGonagall a new paper on herbalism, while Professor Flitwick sips his drink next to Professor McGonagall.

The auditorium was filled with the aroma of roast beef and pumpkin juice, and the ceiling was adorned with twice as many magically enchanted candles floating in mid-air.

The long tables in each college were piled high with food, more lavish than the weekend feasts.

This is a Hogwarts tradition—to give students a final, hearty meal before the exams.

But if someone observes the long teacher's table closely enough, they will find three empty seats:

Headmaster Dumbledore was not there, the gamekeeper Hagrid was not there, and the seat for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was vacant; Professor Flitwick was sitting in that seat tonight.

Sheehan attracted a lot of attention when he entered the Great Hall, and Hermione and Justin waved him over as much as they could.

Just then, the oak doors of the auditorium were pushed open.

Rain and cold wind rushed in instantly, extinguishing the nearest row of candles.

All the students turned to look at the doorway.

A soaking wet owl flew in; one of its wings seemed injured, and it flew erratically, nearly crashing into the wall several times.

It was clutching a thick roll of newspaper in its paws; the newspaper was soaked with rainwater and dripping.

The owl barely made it to the top of the Hufflepuff table, dropped its newspaper, and then plunged headfirst into a plate of pudding.

Several students screamed. The newspaper was spread out on the table, its huge headline on the front page like a hammer blow to everyone who saw it:

Daily Prophet Extra:

Giants attack a village in northern Scotland, killing three people. The Ministry of Magic has declared a Level Two alert.

Then, more owls flew in.

Inside the auditorium, the magic hand mirrors hummed and buzzed at just the right moment.

A few seconds later.

The auditorium fell silent.

All chewing sounds, conversations, and laughter disappeared at the same moment.

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, a buzzing murmur filled the entire auditorium like a honeycomb exploding.

Sheen stood up and took the wrinkled, rain-soaked newspaper from Bai Yi's hand.

His eyes swept across the front page, then the second page, then the third page.

【front page】

[Giants attack Scottish Highland village; Minister Fudge convenes emergency meeting overnight]

[Reported by Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent for this Newspaper]

Last night around midnight, a tribe of giants attacked the village of Glenmore, located on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. Three Muggle-born wizarding families were killed in the attack, and seven others were injured, two of whom are in critical condition and receiving emergency treatment at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries.

According to witnesses, the attack occurred without warning. The giants surged into the village from the ridge, destroying three houses with tree trunks and boulders before quickly evacuating before the magical law enforcement team arrived. This is the worst giant attack on British soil in nearly a decade.

Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge announced at an emergency press conference at 4 a.m. that the Ministry of Magic had activated Level 2 alert and would be sending additional Auror forces to Scotland.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure public safety."

Minister Fauci said, but declined to comment on whether the attack was related to a recent series of unusual black magic activities.

When asked if he had contacted Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for assistance, Minister Fudge stated, "The Ministry of Magic has sufficient resources and capacity to handle the current situation and does not need to rely on the help of any individual."

Sheen silently flipped through the newspaper and saw the second page.

[Werewolf packs are gathering unusually large; the Department of Magical Creature Control has issued a travel warning]

[Reported by our correspondent, Barnabas Cufe]

The Department of Magical Creatures Control issued a rare public travel warning this morning, advising wizards to avoid traveling to remote areas in northern England and southern Wales at night.

According to a spokesperson for the company, there have been unusually large gatherings of wolf packs in England and Wales in recent weeks.

"We have detected at least four known werewolf groups moving across regions during periods other than the full moon," the spokesperson said. "This pattern of aggregation is inconsistent with any previous records of natural migration, and we are investigating possible organized behavior behind it."

A prominent werewolf rights activist declined to comment. However, a former official from the Department of Magical Creatures Control, who wished to remain anonymous, told this newspaper that he "strongly suspects" the phenomenon is linked to the known activities of Death Eater Fenrir Greyback.

"Greybourne has been missing for a while," the source said, "but he controls the largest werewolf pack in Britain. If he's gathering them, there can only be one reason."

"What happened?"

"Are they crazy?"

Sheen heard a young wizard shouting in panic.

At the same time, he keenly noticed Justin and Hermione's flustered, questioning glances.

He silently refocused his attention on the report.

Giant attack.

Werewolves gather.

These are not isolated incidents.

He turned to the third edition.

This edition has no title and no reporter's byline.

Only a short message was placed in the corner, and the layout looked like a temporary filler, so much so that the ink and lettering were lighter than the rest of the page.

But the content of this short message concerned Sheehan more than the previous two news articles combined.

[Accident at Malfoy Manor - Wiltshire] A “magical accident” occurred last night at Malfoy Manor, the ancestral home of the Malfoy family. According to the local Office for Magical Accidents and Disasters, the accident caused damage to some buildings on the manor, but no injuries were reported.

The Malfoy family is currently residing in Provence, France. Lucius Malfoy's lawyers stated in a statement that he is "handling family matters in continental Europe" and reserves the right to pursue any malicious speculation against Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts student.

The lawyer added that Mr. Draco Malfoy "has been informed that everything is alright at home and will continue to focus on his studies."

Sheen gently put down the newspaper and opened the magic hand mirror:

Mr. Lucius, it has been some time since we last corresponded.

[My sincerest apologies to you, Mr. Green.]

I was finally able to return to London at dusk. As you probably already know, the mysterious man already knows—I was summoned back, and as you know, he went mad; it was an inevitable outcome.

I'm afraid I won't be able to serve you for some time, and your servant once again offers you our sincerest apologies.

However, I am certain that Hogwarts is about to welcome a Death Eater, so please be careful.

[Your loyal followers, the Malfoy family]

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