Chapter 140
This time, Pansy decided she would not give in to Malfoy. She had worked hard this semester and taken her studies seriously.
I just need to review a little before the end of term. I'm not begging him, she thought.
She went alone to the fourth floor of the castle, where the Hogwarts library was located. She wanted a quiet place to revise—and to make Malfoy see her in a new light when the results came out.
Thump!
Pansy suddenly felt something crash into her. Her body lurched forward, and she nearly fell.
She had been standing beside an old, worn bookshelf. Tilting her head, she examined it. Only a few ancient books remained on the shelves, their curled parchment pages stained yellow-brown with age.
Just as she reached for one, the collision threw her off balance. She grabbed the shelf to steady herself.
Unfortunately, the shelf—poorly maintained and nearly empty—couldn't support her weight.
With a loud crash, the entire bookshelf toppled, sending up a cloud of dust.
Pansy quickly covered her mouth and nose. Looking at the mess, her mood sank. She already knew she wouldn't escape punishment.
Footsteps were approaching.
Madam Pince hurried over.
"Clean this up immediately and restore everything," she snapped. Her wrinkled face was tight with anger. In her eyes, even a whisper was a crime in the library—let alone such a disturbance.
That was already restraint on her part. Otherwise, she would have punished the student on the spot.
"Just my luck," Pansy muttered.
She bent down unwillingly, propped the fallen shelf upright, and began gathering the scattered books.
She wanted to use magic, but most library books were protected by spells. Cleaning charms worked, but any attempt to summon or rearrange them magically would meet strong resistance.
So she had no choice but to sort them by hand.
She wasn't in the mood to argue with the old librarian.
Pansy suspected this might be Peeves's doing, but without proof, she could only accept the blame.
Respect your elders and be gracious, she reminded herself repeatedly.
That was something Malfoy often said—that true nobility came from one's conduct, not bloodline or inherited glory.
One should show tolerance toward the weak and disadvantaged.
In Pansy's mind, Madam Pince already belonged to that category.
She still didn't fully understand or agree with the idea, but at least on the surface, she had made progress.
Even so, her mood remained sour.
---
But someone else nearby was even more distressed.
Hermione.
Hidden under the Invisibility Cloak in a corner, Hermione was filled with regret.
She regretted walking without looking where she was going.
Now that the Sirius Black affair had finally been resolved—except for Pettigrew's escape—she had taken advantage of her free time to sneak into the Restricted Section and return the book Moste Potente Potions before anyone discovered it missing.
As a frequent visitor, Hermione knew the library layout perfectly. She could navigate it with her eyes closed—she even knew which tables got the best light.
Normally, she could have reached her destination without trouble.
Today, however, her bad luck had caused her to collide with someone—and that innocent student had been scolded in her place.
The only relief was that neither Pansy nor Madam Pince had noticed her. The cloak still concealed her completely.
Now she could only crouch silently and wait.
Her anxiety burned as she realized the book she intended to return had vanished—almost certainly mixed into the pile of fallen books during the collision.
She prayed that Pansy would quickly finish sorting and return the book to the Restricted Section.
But, as always, what you fear most is what happens.
Madam Pince, seeing the student working diligently, left to patrol elsewhere. Meanwhile, Pansy continued restoring the shelves, sighing occasionally.
As the books were put back one by one, Pansy suddenly noticed a thick volume that looked damp and moldy.
"Strange. I don't remember this being here," she murmured.
She picked it up and flipped it open.
After only a few pages, her stomach churned.
The water-stained pages were filled with disturbing illustrations—human bodies twisted inside out, witches sprouting multiple arms from their heads.
Pansy snapped the book shut immediately, clutching her chest as she stared at the cover in shock.
Not far away, Hermione watched and finally let out a silent breath of relief. She had been afraid Pansy might take interest in the book. Fortunately, the images had clearly disgusted her.
When Hermione, Harry, and Ron had brewed Polyjuice Potion, they'd felt the same nausea from these illustrations.
"Moste Potente Potions," Pansy read softly from the cover.
Hermione thought the girl had lost interest.
Then something unexpected happened.
"So he bullies me, and now even a stupid book thinks it can scare me?" Pansy muttered irritably.
With a huff, she opened it again and began turning the pages.