Chapter 137: "Charles’s Week of Woes"

The atmosphere at Hogwarts settled into a routine somewhat reminiscent of normalcy following a day filled with peculiar pranks. In the Forbidden Forest, calm returned as no new attacks on the unicorns were reported. It seemed Quirrelmort didn't require unicorn blood daily. Yet, the absence of attacks didn't dispel the undercurrent of tension that hung in the air, a constant reminder of the danger that could reemerge at any moment.

Inside the school, however, Charles experienced anything but peace. The aftermath of being transformed into a snake was just the beginning of his troubles. A relentless barrage of pranks continued to disrupt his daily routines, turning his life at Hogwarts into a series of confusions and scares.

Both he and Ron found themselves repeatedly lost within the endless corridors of the castle, often missing classes because they couldn't figure out where they were. Other times, they were plagued by visions of their deepest fears: Charles would see snakes slithering around every corner, while Ron encountered gigantic spiders that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Their reactions—screams and desperate dashes for safety—provided a mix of amusement and concern among their fellow students.

Charles was completely baffled by the ongoing pranks. Despite his vigilance with his meals and his efforts to not roam alone, the pranks continued unabated, each day presenting a new humiliation at the most inopportune times. 

As the days unfolded at Hogwarts, it was soon time for the second Quidditch match of the season for Gryffindor. Charles, having dedicated himself to rigorous practice sessions, was eager to restore his tarnished reputation and prove his abilities. Yet, his preparations took an unfortunate turn the night before the match when he fell victim to a prank that left him sleepless and utterly exhausted.

On the day of the important match, a weary Charles faced yet another challenge. To his dismay, he learned that Professor Snape would be refereeing the match, which only added to the worries of the Gryffindor team.

Worn out from the lack of sleep and disheartened by the thought of Snape's partiality, Charles struggled significantly during the game. He barely managed to handle the Quaffle, and his performance was far from his best.

The Gryffindor team was being decisively beaten on the scoreboard when, fortunately for them, Cedric, the seeker of Hufflepuff caught the Snitch, ending the match and sparing Gryffindor from further humiliation.

Feeling defeated by both the constant pranks and his disappointing performance, Charles decided it was time to seek help. He went to Dumbledore to express his grievances, hoping for some help.

Dumbledore, in turn, instructed Professor Flitwick to speak with Harry and tell him to stop. Although Dumbledore had no concrete proof, he had strong reasons to believe that Harry was behind the pranks, likely as a form of retaliation. He hoped that Professor Flitwick could persuade Harry to put an end to his disruptive antics.

So, Harry found himself summoned to Professor Flitwick's office. He entered, curious about the reason for the call.

Professor Flitwick's office was filled with an air of seriousness as he began the conversation.

Professor Flitwick asked, "Do you have any idea why I called you here, Mr. Potter?"

Harry replied, puzzled, "No, Professor. I haven't done anything recently that would warrant your attention."

Flitwick continued, "So the numerous pranks that your brother has been suffering from daily have not been your doing?"

Harry, knowing the reason for the meeting, knew it was time to put on an innocent act.

He quickly responded, "No, Professor. I have never gone near them to even have a chance at pranking them. Also, why would I prank them? I don't have that much free time."

Professor Flitwick looked concerned as he said, "Mr. Potter, the Headmaster suspects you are retaliating for the prank your brother did on Miss Bones and her friends and told me to tell you to stop."

Harry acted taken aback, "What? Charles was responsible for the prank on Susan? Does the Headmaster know this? But I did not hear about Charles getting punished for his pranks."

Flitwick shook his head, "I don't know anything about that, Mr. Potter, but please stop the attacks on your brother. It is taking a toll on his studies and school life."

Harry firmly replied, "I am not the prankster, Professor. There is no use telling me this. I think you should pay more attention to Charles and catch the real culprit."

Flitwick looked skeptical, "Mr. Potter, we all know you are behind the pranks. Do you really want to escalate things?"

Harry maintained his innocence, "As I said, Professor, I am not a prankster, but I have a suggestion. Since you tell me the pranks began after Charles and his friend pranked the group of Hufflepuff first years, the only way to put the whole thing to a close would be for Charles to apologize to them publicly. For better effect, I would do it in front of the whole school, so the prankster would be satisfied."

Professor Flitwick nodded, "Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Potter. I will relay this to the Headmaster."

Professor Flitwick immediately went to Dumbledore to relay what Harry had suggested. After explaining the situation, he left Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore then summoned Charles to discuss a resolution to the ongoing pranks.

In Dumbledore's office, Charles was clearly upset, "No way. Apologize in front of the whole school? It will ruin my reputation and will be very embarrassing. Don't you already know that my brother is the culprit? Can't you just punish him and tell him to stop?"

Dumbledore responded with a calm demeanor, "Unfortunately, we cannot attribute the pranks to him directly. There is no evidence, and he has been very careful. This is the only way we can put an end to this quietly. Otherwise, I would have to involve the parents, and I really don't want Amelia involved in this school matter."

After much discussion, Charles was reluctantly convinced of what he needed to do. The following morning, Charles and Ron stood in front of the entire school in the Great Hall. With visible reluctance, they confessed to pranking the Hufflepuff first years and issued a public apology for their actions.

As soon as their apology was over, Charles and Ron quickly covered their faces and dashed out of the Great Hall, leaving a wave of laughter echoing behind them.

Later, Susan and her friends approached Harry to express their gratitude for the resolution, but Harry continued to feign ignorance. He maintained a calm facade, acting as if he had no involvement in orchestrating the outcome of the pranks.

After the incident in the Great Hall, things quieted down for Charles at Hogwarts. He no longer had to deal with being the target of pranks, which brought him some relief.

Meanwhile, the Forbidden Forest had become a place filled with ongoing tension. Attacks on the unicorns happened about every ten days. The centaurs managed to fend off several of these attacks, but Quirrelmort was successful on a few occasions. There were no direct confrontations; Quirrelmort would always flee upon detection and avoided any fight with the centaurs.

Harry had successfully healed two unicorns, and fortunately, there had been no fatalities. Yet, Harry was frustrated by not having met Quirrelmort even once during the attacks.

Whenever an attack occurred, Quirrelmort quickly fled after harming a unicorn and consuming its blood. By the time Harry reached the scene, Quirrelmort had always disappeared. Despite this, Harry was not interested in patrolling the forest more extensively to potentially confront Quirrelmort. He saw it as largely a waste of his time and preferred to concentrate on other things.