Chapter 43: Hermione's Complaint

Early the next morning, while Eisen was still having breakfast in the Great Hall, a petite figure approached him.

"I can't believe it—Professor Eisen, you wouldn't imagine how stupid Harry is!" Hermione's exasperated voice rang in Eisen's ears.

At a glance, it was clear Hermione was fuming, even her thick, bushy brown hair seemed to quiver with frustration.

"Oh? What happened?" Eisen handed her a piece of bread, his eyes momentarily flickering with understanding, though he maintained an expression of calm concern.

"It's just too much—Harry got caught by Professor McGonagall, and Neville got dragged into it too. They lost 100 points, and now they're going to be locked up!" Hermione took the bread, still looking indignant.

"What went wrong with the plan?" Eisen lowered his voice and asked.

"Yes, Professor..." Hermione sighed and recounted the events of the previous night.

As Hermione finished her explanation, Eisen noticed Harry had quietly sat down on the other side of him. Eisen gave Harry a sharp look.

"So, Neville saw Malfoy reporting Harry to McGonagall about the dragon and came out to warn him, but he got caught too?" Eisen glanced at the dejected Harry next to him, summarizing the situation.

"Exactly! And because Harry forgot to wear the Invisibility Cloak, Gryffindor lost 100 points!" Hermione's frustration intensified, and she looked as if the very thought of it made her chest tighten.

Her brow furrowed as if calculating how many questions she'd need to answer in class to make up the lost points.

"So, Gryffindor's now in last place?" Eisen silently calculated, a smirk crossing his face.

"Yes! In one night, they destroyed all of Gryffindor's hopes of winning the House Cup!" Hermione snapped, glaring at Harry, her anger palpable.

Noticing the amusement in Eisen's expression, Hermione's face flushed with annoyance. "Professor Eisen—you—"

"Okay, okay!" Eisen quickly suppressed his smile and asked more seriously, "So, what about Neville? Why isn't he here for breakfast?"

"Neville cried for ages last night, and he's still sleeping," Harry muttered, clearly upset.

"What's going on?"

"I think there's something wrong with the hourglasses that record the House Cup points!"

"Yeah, how could we suddenly lose 100 points overnight?"

Whispers from nearby students added to Hermione's irritation, and Harry looked as if he wished he could disappear into his plate.

Watching them, Eisen could already predict what was coming.

Harry Potter, the hero of two Quidditch matches, would soon become the villain of Gryffindor. Once the most popular "savior," he was about to be a pariah.

"Thanks, Potter! You've really done us a favor!" Several Slytherins passed by Harry with mocking smiles, making sarcastic comments before leaving.

It was clear that, thanks to Malfoy, the Slytherins already knew the full story.

"It's okay, in a few weeks no one will care anymore," Eisen tried to comfort Harry. "And look, Fred and George have lost plenty of points with their pranks, but everyone still loves them."

"But they've never lost 100 points in one go, have they?" Harry replied sadly, showing no improvement in mood.

"Well... no, not quite." Eisen paused, then shrugged.

"Harry, from now on, don't go wandering around and meddling in other people's business!" Hermione scolded, though Harry's spirits were already low.

Harry knew what she meant—spying on Snape. Given the consequences this time, he couldn't argue with her.

"I think I should quit the Quidditch team," Harry muttered, clearly feeling ashamed, and agreeing with Hermione's advice.

"No, I don't think you should! How else will you earn back the points?" Eisen, who had been nodding in agreement, changed his stance after hearing Hermione's reasoning.

"Alright, Hermione. And Harry, since the points are already lost, there's no use dwelling on it. But I believe you can earn them back—so don't give up!" Eisen encouraged the two, seeing how disheartened they were.

In reality, Eisen knew it was nearly impossible for them to regain enough points to win the House Cup. But he also knew that with Dumbledore in the picture, the situation could change. After Harry's inevitable clash with Voldemort and success with the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore might just restore the points.

In the days that followed, Eisen continued his alchemy research and spell practice, but life for the Gryffindor students was far from pleasant.

Fortunately, though Hermione wasn't the direct cause of the points loss, her association with Harry meant she too faced a degree of social exclusion. But that didn't bother her much. She simply asked fewer questions in class and quietly immersed herself in her studies.

Neville, while also struggling, escaped the worst of the blame since he wasn't as well-known as Harry and had less of a presence in the eyes of the other students.

As for Ron, after his hand healed, he buckled down to study with Harry, staying up late to memorize potion recipes and spells. Despite the hard work, Harry found that it was better than enduring the constant whispers and glares from his peers. He even began to look forward to the final exams.

However, training with the Quidditch team became a miserable experience. The other players barely spoke to Harry, and when they did, they referred to him only as "Seeker." It left Harry feeling alienated and made the exams seem like a welcome distraction.

But just a week before the exams, Harry's resolve to mind his own business faltered. One afternoon, while leaving the library, he heard someone sobbing from a nearby classroom.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Harry couldn't resist investigating.

"No—no—I can't take it anymore, please—" Harry recognized the voice—it was Professor Quirrell, sounding desperate and frightened, as if someone was threatening him.

"Alright—alright—" Quirrell whimpered, then rushed out of the classroom, adjusting his scarf as he hurried away.

Moments later, as Harry moved to enter the classroom, he saw another figure slip out through a barely opened door. It was Professor Snape, walking briskly, clearly satisfied.

Harry, hiding in the shadows, realized Snape must have gotten the answer he wanted from Quirrell.

[Power Stones Required]

I hope your like the chapter 😊.