Chapter 211: Eavesdropping Intrigue

Placing the fairy gold coin in Snape's office wasn't too difficult. Harry just needed to muster up the courage to enter the room again.

Last time Snape confiscated his "Quidditch Through the Ages" book, and Harry had seen Snape's injured leg when trying to retrieve it. He could use the same reason to enter again, at worst, getting yelled at and thrown out.

Despite thinking this, Harry was nervously distracted throughout the Potions class. Finally, when class ended, with his friends' encouraging looks, Harry, gripping the fairy gold coin tightly, knocked on Snape's office door.

"Come in." Snape was organizing various potion ingredients on his shelf. Even though students bringing in ingredients had lessened since his last strict order, Snape still felt that the usage of ingredients was more than usual.

Turning around and seeing Harry, Snape frowned deeply, clearly unamused. "What do you want now, Potter?"

Harry approached Snape's desk, intending to adhere the coin, enchanted with a Permanent Sticking Charm, underneath it.

"Professor, I want to get my book back..."

As he reached the desk, Harry extended his hand holding the coin underneath it.

"Get your dirty hands off! Potter! Don't touch my things!"

Startled, Harry pressed the coin down in a fluster, not sure if he had managed to stick it properly, and quickly withdrew his hand.

His nervous demeanor made Snape suspicious. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, Professor, my, my book..." Harry stammered.

Snape scrutinized him for a moment, then reluctantly handed over the "Quidditch Through the Ages" book from a messy shelf, his gaze never leaving Harry's face. "Take your book and get out of my office!"

Harry hastily grabbed the book and left, but to his horror, he noticed the coin sticking out slightly from the edge of the desk. There was no time to fix it now, and he ran out, rushing as if Fluffy were chasing him.

...

Fortunately, Snape seemed not to have noticed the fairy gold coin.

At dinner, the group gathered again.

"Remember," Tom said, placing a fairy gold coin on the table, "as long as we channel our magic into it, we can hear each other. But if we speak during this time, Snape will hear us too! We need to find a quiet place for eavesdropping."

Considering their class and meal schedules, they concluded Saturday was the only suitable day for both them and Snape.

They chose an empty underground classroom for their surveillance mission.

On the day, the four gathered secretly in the underground classroom. Locking the door, they gathered around a table and held their breaths. Tom placed his finger on the coin, channeling magic into it.

They heard rustling sounds, followed by a loud thud, startling everyone.

Tom quickly withdrew his finger.

"He must have placed something on the desk; the coin is stuck there, so the vibrations amplify the sound," Tom reasoned.

Continuing their eavesdropping, they heard Snape counting potion ingredients. Harry felt guilty since he was partly responsible for the shortage.

Suddenly, there was a knock.

Startled, Tom withdrew his finger, but they realized the knocking was on Snape's door, not theirs.

Tom channeled magic into the coin again.

"Professor, time to change your dressing..."

Harry rolled his eyes. It was Filch!

"This poison bite is severe, but Madam Pomfrey's antidote should heal it in a couple of days... Sorry, I'll be careful..."

"That Hagrid, always bringing in such dangerous creatures!"      "Your ingredients are missing again? In my opinion, we should hang them all and interrogate them, a few lashes might teach them a lesson..."

Filch was dressing Snape's wound, complaining about students, with Snape listening intently.

Another loud noise, something hitting the floor, made Tom withdraw his hand reflexively. Realizing it was just something being placed on the desk, he resumed.

"What was that noise?" came Snape's voice from the coin.

The group was still puzzled when a voice from above said, "What are you kids up to?"

Looking up, they saw Peeves, dressed in bright clothes, floating upside down, grinning maliciously at them.

Peeves!

...

"You dare to eavesdrop on me!" Using the coin, Snape somehow located them quickly and had Filch tie them up, bringing them to Professor McGonagall's office.

Several professors gathered, astounded by students installing a fairy gold coin to eavesdrop in a professor's office.

Snape, holding the coin found under his desk, accused Harry. "Potter, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Harry was utterly despondent, certain he'd be expelled for being caught by Snape.

"It was all my idea, they had nothing to do with it," Harry said.

He didn't want to involve his friends in a situation he had initiated.

Tom looked at Harry, frowning. He regretted not being more cautious, lamenting the recklessness of their eavesdropping plan. He should've withdrawn his hand when Peeves spoke, or they should've disposed of the coin in time...

"Professor, it was my idea," Tom interjected, suddenly regretting his words.

"What if I'm confined? What if I'm expelled? Do I have to return to the orphanage?"

But then, he thought of Murphy.

Even if expelled, Murphy would surely help him.

He didn't know why he thought this, perhaps due to the prophecy in the diary, the warmth when Murphy hugged him at the orphanage, his seriousness in Diagon Alley, the resolve when saying "always like this, right?" or his enlightening lessons in scientific methodology. Maybe because Murphy was the first to notice his leg injury on Halloween night or took responsibility for challenging the troll...

He felt a special trust in Murphy.

Almost believing that no matter how dire, Murphy would stand behind him and pull him from the mire.

This gave him courage, and he said, "It was my idea, not Harry's."

"No! It was my plan! Punish me!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

"I didn't stop them either, I'm responsible too..." Ron added.

"Well then!" Snape roared furiously. "So much for loyalty! All of you, prepare to be expelled!"

Expulsion...

Tom's heart sank again.

"Where do I go if expelled? Back to the orphanage? Or end up on the streets?"

Fear made him tremble.

But then, a hand rested on his shoulder.

Murphy had appeared behind him, his warm hand patting Tom's shoulder, offering encouragement or comfort.

"Professor Snape, you don't seem to have that authority," Murphy's ever-calm voice said.

Then Murphy stepped forward, shielding them.

"Well done, leave the rest to me."

Suddenly, Tom's fear dissipated.

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