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⏰ Resets Monday!
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In the staff room the next day, Anthony asked, "Do you know about Myrtle in the second-floor girls' bathroom?"
"Yes, that ghost. What about her?" Professor Burbage took the snack plate Professor Flitwick passed her. "Oh, Honeydukes coconut ice! Where did you get this?"
"I confiscated it." Professor Flitwick said with a smile. "Slytherin's Malfoy apparently felt the school lunch wasn't sumptuous enough." He doubled over laughing at Professor Burbage's horrified expression. "Just kidding! A student of Pomona's gave it to me."
Professor Sprout nodded. "Tonks gave it. What about Myrtle?" She said to Anthony.
"Oh, Tonks! How is she doing at the Ministry?" Professor Burbage said.
"You didn't know? Professor Anthony's office was flooded." Professor Flitwick said.
"What?" Professor Burbage exclaimed.
"Goodness, Myrtle threw a tantrum again? Now that you mention it, I did hear students talking about it. Though they were all complaining about Peeves trying to soak everyone's essays in water." Professor Sprout said sympathetically. "I hope your office is alright now."
"The office is fine." Anthony said. "What I wanted to ask is, do you know how Myrtle died?"
Professor Flitwick frowned. "She should have been a Ravenclaw student, but I hadn't joined the staff yet." He shook his head. "You might need to ask the Headmaster or Minerva."
"She told me that day she was crying when suddenly a boy and a pair of huge yellow eyes came in, then she died." Anthony said puzzledly. "What kind of magic is that?"
"A boy with huge yellow eyes?" Professor Burbage asked doubtfully. "Scrimgeour?"
Professor Sprout swatted her, telling her not to joke around. "Sounds like someone brought a magical creature into the school. Oh..." Her expression became quite subtle. She refused to continue.
"It could also be some disguise magic. Keeping opponents ignorant is one's greatest advantage. Many dueling masters have their own disguise and counter-disguise methods." Professor Flitwick said.
"Disguise?" Professor Burbage asked.
Professor Flitwick bit into the coconut ice. "I remember Tonks got an O in practical Charms because she successfully made the examiner think she was a student who'd already tested, then ambushed him when he wasn't paying attention—don't look at me. I only found out when he came asking what I'd taught students. I promised not to reveal his name."
He looked at Anthony's puzzled brow and suggested, "If you really want to know what it was, Minerva probably knows. She should be in her office."
Professor Sprout said, "Though she's been busy with Gryffindor Quidditch team tryouts lately. Wood finds her eight times a day. She hasn't had time to come for tea."
"She's always busy." Professor Burbage said sympathetically. "I suggest you check the library, Henry. Reading more books is never a bad thing."
"Exactly." Professor Flitwick agreed.
...
Anthony greeted Madam Pince, passed students writing essays in twos and threes, and walked straight to the Restricted Section.
He rarely approached the Dark Arts books in the Restricted Section. He knew his own limits and didn't plan to challenge Dark Magic with his magical knowledge foundation that was looser than a Hogwarts graduate's. On the other hand, unlike Professor Quirrell, as Muggle Studies professor, he rarely needed Dark Arts books for reference.
This time Professor Quirrell wasn't there, but he encountered Snape.
Snape was holding a purple-covered book, standing before the bookshelf rapidly skimming through it. An illustration on one page suddenly oozed deep purple ink, nearly flowing onto his hand. He sneered and tapped the page with his wand, returned the restored book to the shelf, and discovered Anthony approaching.
Snape raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "Professor Anthony, seeing you here is truly... surprising."
Anthony vaguely suspected Dumbledore might have told Snape his identity. He didn't know what Dumbledore was thinking. If one had to select a Dark wizard from Hogwarts' teaching staff, Snape would certainly win by a landslide.
This man might as well have "I love Dark Magic" written on his forehead hidden beneath greasy black hair.
"Likewise." He replied politely, walking to the bookshelf. "Excuse me."
Snape silently moved aside, watching with interest as The Monster Book of Monsters bit Anthony's index finger. Anthony yanked his hand out forcefully, stared blankly at the wound for a moment, and decided to ignore it.
He couldn't heal the wound with Snape standing beside him, even though self-healing was almost his instinctive spell... just like the Stunning Spell.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Snape asked insincerely.
"Of course, you're too kind." Anthony shook his hand. "I suppose you've heard of some Dark Magic related to yellow eyes? Something like a large cat, but doesn't damage the body?"
Snape recommended the Nundu and mocked his magical knowledge reserves.
...
After Snape left, Anthony sat down and spent half the day reading Nundu materials. This type of extremely dangerous beast with poisonous breath shaped like a leopard did fit all of Anthony's descriptions. The only problem was he couldn't imagine who could bring this creature from East Africa to Myrtle.
Of course, the story was quite obvious. He thought frustratedly as he closed the book. Clearly, someone had stuffed a massive magical creature into an envelope, written "Britain, Scotland, Hogwarts Castle, Second Floor Girls' Bathroom, Moaning Myrtle," then sent a talking owl with a boy's voice to deliver it.
In any case, this was the magical world.
He sighed and walked to the Restricted Section to shove the book back onto the shelf.
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