Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 166 New Competition

The empty air rippled instantly, and the effect of the stable Disillusionment Charm receded like the tide. Puni, who had been hiding his form, gradually became clearer and finally appeared in full in the center of Snape's office.

"Good evening, Professor Snape."

Puni bowed slightly, maintaining the proper etiquette of a student facing a professor, his posture humble and polite.

"Professor, would you believe me if I told you that all of this was just a chance encounter?"

Behind his desk, Snape's facial muscles twitched slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This was not a relaxed smile, but an expression of utter contempt and mockery, conveying his complete disbelief.

He remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on Puni, his penetrating gaze growing increasingly sharp, as if he were quietly waiting to see the student continue to weave his flawed excuses.

Puni met his gaze without flinching or backing down.

He knew perfectly well that Snape had already seen through the surface lies, and this silent scrutiny was itself a form of pressure and a test.

After a brief silence, Puni took the initiative to adjust his words and explain the logic behind his actions.

"After the banquet riot, I noticed that Potter and Weasley separated from the students' evacuation group and acted strangely, deliberately avoiding the crowd and acting alone. Combined with the emergency alarm that the trolls broke into the castle at the time, I judged that they were most likely going to recklessly break into the dangerous area."

"As students at the same school, I know that both of them lack mature practical experience and are prone to impulsive actions in a crisis."

It endangered their own safety. Out of concern for my classmates, I followed them to make sure they wouldn't cause a fatal accident.

"What a rare kindness."

Snape finally broke the silence, his deep voice cold and piercing, devoid of any warmth, every word carrying deliberate criticism and doubt.

"I didn't know that Ravenclaw students these days are so free that they can even cross over and supervise Gryffindor students, or perhaps you have a special interest in this savior known throughout the school that far exceeds that of ordinary students?"

His words were laced with sarcasm, deliberately misinterpreting Puni's actions and defining an ordinary act of stalking and caregiving as a deliberate act of spying and targeted attention.

Puni remained calm and composed, smoothly taking over the conversation and shifting the focus of the conflict to avoid suspicion.

"The identity of the savior is already under the spotlight, and every move he makes will attract attention from others, making him more likely to attract all kinds of accidents and troubles. Compared to my actions, I think what is more worthy of investigation is why a troll could suddenly break into the dungeon when Hogwarts is so heavily guarded. Compared to two impulsive lower-year students, this matter itself is the biggest anomaly."

Snape narrowed his eyes slightly, shortening the distance between the two. The oppressive atmosphere in the office instantly rose to its peak. He stared intently into Penny's eyes, his probing intent growing stronger.

"So, what exactly did you see? Did you just witness a student farce that nearly turned into a tragedy? Or did you catch some other unusual detail that no one else knew about?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Penny felt a sharp sting in his eyes and a slight heaviness in his mind. He immediately realized that Snape was using subtle mental probing techniques to try to penetrate his surface thoughts and peek into his true thoughts and experiences hidden deep within his heart.

"From what I witnessed throughout the entire process, all that happened was that the professors arrived at the scene in time, successfully subdued the monster, and ensured the safety of all students. That's all."

Snape stared at him silently, his dark eyes unfathomable. He remained silent for ten seconds, carefully scrutinizing the truthfulness of each statement, trying to find the slightest flaw in his expression and tone.

The atmosphere in the small, enclosed office was completely frozen, the air so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

After a long while, Snape slowly leaned back in his chair, the extremely sharp and oppressive aura around him fading slightly, but his tone remained cold and harsh, without the slightest softening.

"Mr. Lestrange, I advise you to behave yourself and keep your words and actions in check. Hogwarts has been in turmoil lately and is rife with hidden dangers. We don't need students like you who think they're so clever and wander around in the shadows, adding to the uncertainty."

He paused slightly, his tone suddenly dropping to freezing, carrying an undisguised warning and intimidation.

"If I find you again, using coincidence as an excuse, frequently appearing in dangerous areas where you shouldn't be."

I wouldn't mind making every potion-making practice class you have from now on an unforgettable experience.

"Now, leave my office immediately."

Puni bowed slightly, his manners impeccable. Without offering any further explanation or hesitation, he turned and strode quickly out of the cellar office.

The heavy wooden door closed behind him, completely shutting out the bitter smell of potions mixed in the room, and also cutting off Snape's penetrating scrutinizing gaze.

Stepping out of the oppressive cellar corridor, the evening breeze blew in through the gaps in the corridor, and Puni shook his head.

As November arrives, temperatures in the Scottish Highlands plummet, with biting winds prevailing over Hogwarts Castle year-round.

Students on campus donned thick sweaters, scarves, and capes to ward off the sudden drop in temperature.

Meanwhile, the annual Quidditch tournament officially began. In order to lead Gryffindor to their first victory of the season, Wood forced a high intensity training session, leading Harry in intensive training day after day to hone his flying skills and teamwork on the field.

Wood originally required all students who observed the training to keep it a secret and not to disclose the training content.

The news still spread quietly, and many students in the school took the initiative to encourage Harry, tacitly acknowledging that he was the core pillar of the Gryffindor team and should shoulder the responsibility on the field.

After surviving the dungeon troll crisis, the rift between Harry, Ron, and Hermione completely disappeared, and their relationship became even more harmonious and intimate.

During their free time between classes, the three of them would often linger together in the castle courtyard.

Hermione specially borrowed "The Wonderful Quidditch" from the library for Harry to study, and even cast a constant-temperature spell, conjuring a clear blue cold fire in a glass jar of jam. It was windless, flameless, and maintained a constant temperature to dispel the chill outside.

Just as the three of them sat around warming themselves and flipping through books, Snape silently passed by through the side passage of the courtyard.

His walking posture was extremely stiff, his steps were unsteady and weak, and he had limited power in one leg, showing obvious limping. His whole aura was gloomy and oppressive.

The three immediately composed themselves, huddled together, and tightly protected the jar of jam containing the cold fire in the middle, fearing that Snape would find fault with their illegal use of magic.

But his concerns ultimately proved unfounded, and Snape still found a pretext for holding him accountable.

He walked straight up to Harry and, using the excuse that library books were strictly prohibited from being taken out of the library without permission, confiscated the Quidditch book on the spot and deducted five points from Gryffindor House according to the rules.

Harry watched the other person leave, his heart filled with resentment. He muttered to himself, "This rule was definitely made up on the spot. I don't think there's any such explicit requirement!"

Ron peered into the distance at Snape's retreating figure, his eyes filled with schadenfreude: "I don't know what happened to his leg, but I hope the injury will cause him a lot of suffering."

The cold wind continued to assault the courtyard, and Harry's back was barely kept warm by the remaining warmth of the fireplace, while the rest of his body was already frozen stiff and cold by the cold wind.

He suggested, "Why don't we move to the library? It's enclosed and temperature-controlled indoors, much warmer than the courtyard."

Hermione immediately rejected the suggestion, her face clearly showing her resistance: "I don't want to go to the library; it's almost entirely taken up by Ravenclaw students."

She still harbors resentment over the previous incident, feeling that most Ravenclaw students are withdrawn, stubborn, and have eccentric behavior, making them difficult to get along with.

As night falls, the Gryffindor common room is filled with warmth.

Hermione sat upright at the table, checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework one by one, strictly preventing cheating behaviors such as perfunctory copying or simply copying templates.

But Harry's thoughts had already drifted far away, preoccupied with the confiscated Quidditch book, and he couldn't calm down.

After much deliberation, he mustered his courage and decided to go to the faculty lounge to ask Snape for the books.

When he voiced his idea and got up to walk toward the exit of the lounge, Ron and Hermione looked up at him simultaneously, their eyes filled with shock and helplessness.

The corridor connecting to the faculty lounge is even more secluded and enclosed, where the chill of the castle at night accumulates, making it far colder and more biting than other areas on campus.

Harry kept rubbing his hands together to warm them, mentally rehearsing his words, his palms sweating with nervousness.

Just as he was secretly preparing his words, the sound of steady footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

Puni walked slowly, carrying a thick book, seemingly on his way home after finishing his nighttime reading.

The two met face to face. Puni's gaze swept indifferently across the empty corridor before settling on Harry, who looked flustered. He spoke calmly, "Good evening. Still lingering in the corridor so late?"

"Good evening, Puni. I was just wandering around."

Harry panicked and hastily spoke to cover it up.

He absolutely did not want others to know about his rash act of asking Snape for the books, as it would inevitably make him look embarrassed.

Puni quietly observed him for a moment, then glanced at the closed door of the faculty lounge not far away. He instantly understood the situation but did not deliberately ask for the reason. He simply nodded slightly and gave some instructions.

"The temperature in the corridor is extremely low at night, so don't stay outside for too long. Go back to the rest room to rest as soon as possible."

After saying that, he carried the books and continued walking. Soon he turned the corner of the corridor and disappeared into the darkness.

Watching Penny leave, Harry's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

He mustered his courage again, walked to the door of the faculty lounge, and gently knocked on the door.

The room was deathly silent; there was no response.

He knocked on the door again after a short while, but still no one answered.

A bold idea quietly emerged: Snape might not be indoors at all.

However, the confiscated book was most likely left lying around in the lounge.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and pushed the heavy wooden door open a narrow crack, peering inside to see what was happening.

But the scene that greeted him inside the room instantly chilled him to the bone and made his blood almost stop flowing.

Snape and Filch were both in the faculty lounge.

Snape stood with his back to the door, his black robes deliberately pulled up above his knees, exposing his entire lower leg. The gruesome, bloody wound was torn open, the edges of the wound severely damaged, clearly caused by a wild beast.

Filch stood to the side, systematically handing out bandages and special healing ointment to help him treat his wounds.

A low, angry curse escaped Snape's lips, laced with unbearable pain: "That thing really is a beast!"

Harry's heart clenched suddenly, he gasped, and instinctively wanted to close the door and quietly retreat, pretending he had never been there.

"Potter!"

Snape instantly noticed the commotion outside the door and abruptly shouted to stop it.

He hastily pulled down the hem of his robe to cover his injured leg. The violent movement caused the wound to sting again, and his face instantly twisted into a ferocious expression. The extreme pain filled his eyes with malice.

Caught red-handed, Harry panicked and could only hurriedly speak, repeating his sole purpose: "Professor, can I get my book back?"

"Get out of here right now!" Snape's roar was filled with suppressed rage and the frustration of excruciating pain.

Harry didn't dare say a word, or even look up at her. He suddenly shrank back, turned around, and ran away as fast as he could.

He fled at full speed down the dark corridor, his heart pounding, the gruesome image of the wound he had just sustained replaying in his mind.

That beast?

The night passed in the blink of an eye, and the next morning, the entire Hogwarts was enveloped in a lively atmosphere of the tournament.

The highly anticipated Quidditch season has officially begun, with the opening match being Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, the most anticipated and competitive showdown in the entire school.

Every year, this competition is fierce and conflicts frequently occur. Students are often injured and need medical treatment during the conflicts on the field. Every time the competition starts, it attracts the attention of the entire school.

The entire school's faculty and students flocked to the Quidditch pitch, filling the circular stands to capacity, creating a deafening roar of noise.

A giant banner hangs in the center of the Gryffindor stands, featuring a hand-painted lion design that exudes power and prestige.

"Porter will win!"

This is a banner made by Gryffindor students to show their support for Harry.

Puni was seated in a high section of the Ravenclaw stand, offering a panoramic view of the entire stadium.

As Ms. Hodge's clear referee whistle resounded throughout the arena, the annual Quidditch opening match officially began, and the two teams entered a high-intensity competitive state almost instantly.

All players on the field accelerated simultaneously, quickly found their own positions, and performed their duties in the competition.

The high-speed, erratic Quaffle shuttled wildly through the airspace, whistling and crashing into each other. The chasers from both teams were entangled and pulled closely together, fighting for control of the Quaffle. The situation on the field instantly became intense.

Harry piloted the Nimbus 2000 alone, hovering high above the arena, deliberately increasing his altitude to gain a superior view.

He stopped all unnecessary movements, his gaze sharp and steady as he methodically scanned the entire airspace, focusing intently on searching for the golden thief's trail.

Before the match, Wood repeatedly instructed him to prioritize using his high-altitude visibility to search for the thief over a wide area, rather than rushing into close combat.

Harry was well aware of the captain's concerns; as a rookie Seeker participating for the first time, he lacked practical experience.

On the other hand, Slytherin's Seeker did not take the initiative to confront or provoke him throughout the entire process. He simply kept a distance and circled around to observe, clearly conserving his energy and waiting for an opportunity to strike, which made Slytherin dare not relax.

Lee Jordan's live commentary came on over the arena's loudspeaker, speaking rapidly and with great enthusiasm, conveying the situation on the court to the entire audience.

"The Quaffle is now under Gryffindor's control! That's so cool! Absolutely awesome!"