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The first week of school flew by swiftly, but it proved to be a challenging one for Harry. The rumors and whispers had intensified after Bryan Watson, an investigator, arrived at Hogwarts. Harry found himself increasingly annoyed by the attention he was receiving, as the presence of an investigator only added fuel to the speculation surrounding him. It all started a few weeks ago during Professor Lockhart's dueling class when Harry accidentally revealed his ability as a Parseltongue. Ever since then, he could sense people covertly watching him and whispering ominously whenever he passed by.

But now, There was both sympathy and schadenfreude among those who observed him, even within Gryffindor House.

Harry wasn't entirely caught off guard by this, as Seamus had informed him on Monday night that Hufflepuff's Ernie MacMillan had discovered the 'extra' staff-member from Professor Sprout. The news had likely spread, about the arrival of Bryan Watson, the investigator, at Hogwarts. Harry anticipated that Watson's presence was connected to the incident and the increasing scrutiny surrounding him.

Garlic cloves, exorcisms, and amulets, which were popular for a while last semester, were once again in vogue on campus. Thankfully, Neville didn't wear his amethyst necklace around his neck this time.

The person Harry hated the most was Draco Malfoy.

After Potions class on Wednesday afternoon, Harry was about to storm out of the classroom with his homework, which received a Dreadful 'D,' but Goyle and Crabbe stood at the door, blocking his way. Their size made it nearly impossible for anyone to push past them.

Harry turned and coldly stared at Draco, who sat on his desk with a smirk on his face. "Get your two brainless lackeys out of the way, Malfoy, unless you want to see them chopped into pieces. I'll slice them up and stuff them in a jar!"

Malfoy chuckled even more slyly upon hearing this, and the inexplicable pity in his eyes only fueled Harry's anger. "Speaking of chopping into pieces, Potter," Malfoy raised his pointed chin, prolonging his words, "I suddenly feel sorry for you, Potter. I thought the worst outcome for you would be spending the rest of your life in Azkaban, accompanied by Dementors. Being a classmate, I can't guarantee that anymore. Perhaps someone will chop you into several pieces and use them as flower fertilizer for Professor Sprout's Mandrakes!"

"He's been making threats like that lately, Harry," Neville, standing beside Harry, blushed and whispered, "He told me the same thing in the Great Hall at noon."

"And you managed to let Malfoy get out of the Great Hall alive, Neville. That's remarkable," Ron, furiously, pulled out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, plus two days of detention, Weasley," Snape, who had been packing up on the podium and turning a blind eye to the conflict, intervened and lazily glared at Ron. "I hope this teaches you a lesson, Weasley. In my classroom, you're not allowed to point wands at classmates."

The outcome of this conflict left Harry feeling down for several days. Wood was particularly worried because of his previous convictions that caused him to miss last year's finals. "If you want to catch the culprit and prove your innocence, Harry, can you please wait until after the finals to execute your plan?"

"Wood shouldn't say that to you, Harry. It's not your fault," Ron said, trying to console him.

On Sunday night, in the school hospital, when Harry, feeling dejected, shared Wood's words with Hermione, she responded angrily, "You can't put all the blame on him, Hermione. Fred and George told me that Wood aspires to join Puddlemere United as a professional Quidditch player after graduation. Winning the championship with Gryffindor means a lot to him. Unfortunately, Wood is already in his sixth year, and this year or the next is his last chance."

Ron's defense of Wood added to Harry's guilt.

"But it's not fair for him to put all the blame on Harry for not winning, Ron. He should be able to find it within himself," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

Ron shrugged and wisely remained silent.

The three of them knew that until the heir of Slytherin was discovered, Harry's situation was unlikely to improve. This was the most challenging aspect, which was why the school board had hired someone to be at Hogwarts to handle the situation.

Most of the cat features on Hermione's face and body had faded away, and she was less secretive about her appearance. She got out of bed, walked around the room with a furrowed brow, thinking about ways to help Harry alleviate the misunderstandings.

Voices of several young Gryffindor wizards could be heard outside the door. Harry and the others recognized them as Neville, Ginny, Parvati, and Lavender. They were negotiating with Madam Pomfrey, hoping to visit Hermione. The rumors of Hermione being attacked and petrified had not been resolved yet, but Madam Pomfrey firmly refused their request.

Hermione looked at the door, her expression less serious. She was genuinely touched by the concern of her friends.

"Perhaps we can seek help from Mr. Watson," Hermione suggested. She stared at the doorknob for a while. For some reason, Bryan Watson, whom she had only met once, suddenly came to her mind. Despite his position between the houses, Hermione had a favorable impression of the suave young wizard. He was polite and understanding, at the very least.

"Are you out of your mind, Hermione?" Ron exclaimed, his cheeks puffed up in surprise. "Did you forget that Harry's current situation is because of this investigator?"

"It wasn't his fault, Ron," Hermione asserted dominantly. "Mr. Watson was just following the school board's orders to investigate the Chamber of Secrets. It's his duty. But it doesn't necessarily mean he's targeting Harry, right?"

Hermione was satisfied that her words had made both Ron and Harry fall into deep thought. She looked at Harry, who was frowning, and continued to inquire, "So, Harry, from what you know, has Mr. Watson made any real moves?"

"That's the question, Hermione!"

Ron answered instead of Harry, "Many people thought that our Mr. Investigator would launch an unprecedented large-scale operation, like searching the castle or interrogating each student from Slytherin House one by one. But so far, he's done nothing but stay in his office, as if he's back at Hogwarts for the holidays. From what I see, Hagrid must be confused or something. Maybe someone else beat Bill and Charlie!"

Harry, with a sad expression, chimed in, "Fred and George told us that Mr. Watson never goes out at night, only during the day. I occasionally see him going to the kitchen to grab something to eat, taking care of his basic needs."

Hermione was genuinely surprised by this answer. She stood at the end of the bed, frowning and pursing her lips, resembling Professor McGonagall catching Gryffindor students sneaking out at night.

"Fred and George are monitoring Mr. Watson?" I mean, they have classes for two days, so how do they know his whereabouts so clearly?" Hermione asked.

Ron answered angrily, "Fred told me that it's their secret to success. Hmph, apart from avoiding Filch, I don't see any success in their 'battles'!" Ron's evaluation wasn't very impressive, but Harry felt that Fred and George did a good job in making everyone happy. Their occasional prank products were quite popular among young wizards.

The discussion about Fred and George spying on Mr. Watson had veered off from the original topic and remained unanswered.

At eight o'clock, Madam Pomfrey hurriedly chased them away from the hospital wing. On their way back to the Gryffindor common room, Ron kept complaining that Hermione refused to share her Potions homework, but they were used to it. As a rule, Hermione wouldn't let them copy a single word until they had completed their own homework.

"...If you can prove your innocence to Mr. Watson, Harry, in the current situation, it might be more effective than what Headmaster Dumbledore said!" Hermione suggested.

Standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, Harry hesitated, recalling Hermione's suggestions from earlier.