008 Discussion (Re-Written)

The moment Hermione hit the cold floor of the hospital wing, her mind went blank. She had no idea how to explain that she had been eavesdropping on a professor's private conversation. However, she quickly noticed something strange - how did Snape recognize her in this state before the door even opened? And did he just refer to her as "cat-eared girl"?

Hermione wished she had Harry's invisibility cloak so she could hide and avoid this suffocating situation. Just as her mind was wandering, a steady, powerful hand grasped her arm and helped her up. Hermione nervously raised her head and discovered it was the young wizard who had been talking with Professor Snape.

"Th-thank you, Professor," Hermione stammered.

"Oh, don't misunderstand, Miss Granger. I'm not a professor at this school," the man replied with a gentle smile.

Bryan looked at the drooping ears on top of the little witch's bushy hair and the whiskers on her furry cheeks with great interest. It didn't take him long to realize this was likely the result of using Polyjuice Potion incorrectly for animal transformation.

As expected from the brains of the Golden Trio, she really knows how to experiment.

Although Bryan couldn't recall the exact plot of the Harry Potter books, that didn't mean he knew nothing about the key characters. Snape's sarcastic remark just now had informed Bryan that this little witch who underwent a botched transformation was none other than Hermione Granger, the highly popular, intelligent and perceptive young wizard from Harry Potter. This piqued his curiosity.

"Miss Granger," Snape's mocking voice sounded especially gloomy in the hospital wing late at night, "Even I have to admit, your current appearance is far more interesting than usual. However, I still want to know why you look like this, and if it was Minerva who gave you the courage to eavesdrop on my conversation?"

'How could you not recognize this as a case of misused Polyjuice Potion? That's not up to your usual standards, Professor.'

Snape understood the astonished look Bryan casted his way. He glared at Bryan before turning his sinister gaze back on Hermione. "Answer my question, Miss Granger. Or would you prefer to have Minerva explain for you?"

Hermione, who was already as skittish as a startled bird, trembled at those words. The situation was bad enough already. If Professor McGonagall found out too, she would be mortified to face Gryffindor's nearly empty hourglass.

"My appearance... is because I overestimated my Transfiguration abilities, Professor Snape," Hermione mumbled, her head down and eyes fixed on her toes, and her voice choked with tears.

For a moment, she was grateful for the fur covering her face. Otherwise, she was certain her flushed cheeks would give away her lie.

"I read ahead in Advanced Transfiguration and thought I could perform the human transfiguration spell described in the book. I'm very sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation with this prof- I mean, with this gentleman," Hermione continued, her voice quavering.

"I was in bed reading, trying to figure out how to heal my magical injuries faster, but the noise outside caught my attention. I thought it might be related to the Chamber... You know, the attacks have made all of us Muggle-born wizards very nervous-"

Bryan noticed Snape's face turning ashen beside him, his breathing growing heavier. If he allowed the little witch to keep fabricating stories, a tragedy would very likely occur in the hospital wing.

"No need to explain, Miss Granger," Bryan interrupted.

In the underground world, the Golden Viper was a cold, sharp, murderous wizard who constantly walked the line between black and white. But once he took off his black robe, Bryan Watson was a very kind and gentle man. It was hard to say which side was his true self, which was a disguise. Perhaps they were both the real Bryan Watson.

Hermione, who had been trying her best to make her words sound convincing, raised her head in a daze. She saw a pair of beautiful purple eyes and a warm smile on a young, handsome face. For a moment, she felt a bit disoriented. There was an instant when Hermione thought this young wizard's smile bore some resemblance to Headmaster Dumbledore's - kind, tolerant, but with the wisdom to see through the truth.

"I'm sorry, sir, everything I said was..." Hermione began.

"My name is Bryan Watson. You can call me Mr. Watson," Bryan interrupted Hermione's explanation again with a pleasant smile. "No matter why you ended up looking like this, Miss Granger, I believe you've already learned a painful lesson. So, Professor Snape won't punish you further, right?"

Bryan glanced at Snape, only to receive a disdainful snort in response.

"As for eavesdropping on our conversation, it's not a serious offense for a curious thirteen or fourteen-year-old little wizard. The professor and I have graciously decided not to pursue the matter. You don't need to worry too much," Bryan reassured her with a grin.

In terms of authority, Bryan was obviously no match for Snape, who had long established a formidable reputation. Although Mr. Watson said he wouldn't take issue with the eavesdropping, Hermione still didn't dare relax. She stared at Snape cautiously, afraid her Potions professor would object.

Perhaps due to Bryan's intercession, or perhaps on Dumbledore's orders, in any case, Snape turned and left without another word. This spared Gryffindor House the miserable fate of losing fifty more points over the Christmas holiday.

"Well then, see you around, Miss Granger." Bryan smiled faintly and also turned to go.

Hermione, who hadn't even had time to feel relieved at her narrow escape, came back to her senses only to see the mysterious man who called himself Watson about to step out of the hospital wing.

"Please wait, sir... I mean, Mr. Watson!" Hermione called out instinctively. By the time Bryan turned around with a look of surprise, she realized what she had done.

"Mr. Watson, are you a Healer?" Hermione asked, her face flushing red. She didn't know why she had stopped Watson, but in this critical moment, her sharp mind came to her rescue once again.

"I overheard you and Professor Snape discussing Colin and Justin's conditions. Do... do you have the ability to cure them?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but I don't have that ability," Bryan shook his head and said calmly.

"Since Headmaster Dumbledore already has a way to heal them, I don't think you need to be in a rush. After all, staying in bed is also a form of protection for them."

Bryan turned to leave again, his voice continuing to reach Hermione's ears from behind the door. "By the way, Miss Granger, I am an investigator."

...

That night, Bryan stayed in Snape's staff quarters. The two men talked late into the night as Bryan inquired in detail about the crime scenes of the three attacks and how the victims were discovered.

Among them, the first witnesses after Filch's cat Mrs. Norris and Finch-Fletchley were attacked were both Harry Potter. This did not surprise Bryan. As the protagonist, even if he stayed home, trouble would find him automatically.

What Bryan found astonishing was the scathing look on Snape's face when he spoke of Harry Potter.

"You can see what kind of person he is from Hermione Granger - full of lies, mediocre, arrogant, always breaking rules, likes to show off, attract attention, and is insolent and rude!" Snape spat contemptuously.

A few feet away, Bryan, who was bent over his desk writing and drawing, looked up in surprise.

"How rare, Professor. Wizards who can get this kind of evaluation from you are even rarer than those who can get your praise. I'm starting to get a bit curious about that boy," Bryan commented.

"You'll know when you meet him, Bryan," Snape said coldly as he lay on the bed, staring at the flames blazing in the fireplace. "His self-righteous attitude, thinking he can handle everything, is exactly like his father!"

"Ah -" Bryan flipped through the tattered Ancient Spell Simplification Theory (by Ulick Gamp) in front of him and continued to write out formulas on parchment. He waved his wand from time to time, creating ripples in the air, trying to construct an effective spell model.

For more than two years, he had spent most of his time on the run. His time for research and self-improvement had to be squeezed in.

"I see, so it's a grudge from the previous generation," Bryan said, nodding.

He did not press Snape further about what grudge he held against Potter's father. Bryan knew clearly that everyone had past events they did not want others to touch upon. Why forcibly reopen someone's barely healed wounds for the sake of one's own insignificant curiosity?