Chapter 75: Scars with Warning Effects
Aaron frowned; at this stage, the Philosopher's Stone was probably the only thing more important than exams.
"Alright! I get it.
I hope the situation isn't as bad as I think."
"What did you say?" Draco asked.
"Nothing." Aaron smiled, then followed Hermione to an empty table in the corner. "Let me guess what could possibly make you brazen enough to come to me.
Hagrid let slip how to get past Fluffy, didn't he?"
"No, Hagrid is tight-lipped.
That's the main reason we still have the mind to study."
Aaron scoffed, 'Tch.' After a few interactions, he had a clear understanding of the Giant's ability to keep secrets.
While it wasn't exactly negative, it was barely above zero.
Hermione looked strange, but thinking of the ridiculous things Hagrid had done, she could only sigh silently in her heart.
"So what do you want to talk to me about?"
"It's Harry." Hermione looked around, and after making sure no one was approaching, she lowered her voice and said, "The scar on his forehead has been throbbing these past two days.
It's some kind of sign, and we suspect You-Know-Who is about to make his move."
"Oh? Is that so?" Aaron immediately became interested. He had originally thought that the scar was merely proof of Harry's identity, making him a famous figure in the magicworld since he was one year old, but he hadn't expected it to also serve as a warning.
Hermione nodded. "I know you've always held a grudge against us, but this matter is too important. If I weren't truly at a loss, I wouldn't want to bother you."
"I'm not that petty. When I said I forgave you, I meant it."
Hearing this, Hermione forced a smile.
Ever since they had tricked Abey, Aaron had treated them purely as strangers, not even greeting them when they met. It was even harder to mend their relationship.
Harry and Ron had always wanted to apologize, but whenever they saw Aaron's indifferent gaze, they felt particularly guilty and immediately looked down, not daring to meet his eyes.
After several attempts, they finally got used to that gaze and mustered the courage to blurt out an apology.
Aaron didn't know what Hermione was thinking; if he did, he would probably only find it amusing.
He was the one who had been hurt. He couldn't possibly be expected to shamelessly take the initiative to mend the relationship, could he? Didn't he have any pride?
"Just keeping an eye on Hagrid and asking him if he's leaked the method to get past Fluffy is too passive," Hermione said. "Now You-Know-Who is almost unable to hold back, so…"
Aaron's heart sank. "You're not planning to take the initiative, are you?!"
"Don't misunderstand!" Hermione quickly waved her hand. "I don't have that idea."
"Then those two have that idea.
How much did they drink?! Their guts are a bit too big, aren't they?!"
"Not really!
They originally had that idea, but we don't have any evidence, so we don't have a chance to take the initiative." Hermione explained, "Their idea is to shift their focus from Hagrid to Snape."
Slap!
Aaron slapped his forehead and let out a long sigh.
Good heavens, good heavens indeed.
To say they were smart was truly smart, to think of changing targets and gaining a little initiative.
But to say they were foolish was also true; the target they chose was wrong. They would probably still be clueless even after Lord Voldemort had succeeded and fled.
"Aaron, I'm at my wits' end right now, and I don't know what to do."
"Going to Snape is definitely out of the question; it would be a waste of effort.
It's better to keep a close eye on Hagrid! He has the method to get past Fluffy, which is much more important."
"I know, but Harry and the others don't think that way.
Their prejudice against Snape is too deep, and Hagrid is still very reliable."
Aaron's mouth twitched.
Hagrid reliable? That was the biggest joke he'd heard all school year.
"Phew!" Aaron took a deep breath and looked at Hermioneseriously. "Now we can only try to reduce the failure rate.
Aren't they going to increase their surveillance of Snape? You go back and tell them I'll help you monitor Snape."
"Ah! Are you kidding me... Mmm..."
"Can you not be so dramatic?" Aaron released his hand from Hermione's mouth. "This is the Library, after all. Are you worried people won't know if you speak so loudly?"
"Sorry!" Hermione looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no one was paying attention to them. "But Harry and the others won't believe it.
They've always thought Professor Snape is your most respected Professor, and they weren't even willing to tell you about the Philosopher's Stone."
"Normal, that's very normal.
They are Gryffindor, and I am Slytherin.
Not just me, Snape is Slytherin, and You-Know-Who is also Slytherin."
Hermione:... "It doesn't need to go that far."
"That's not important.
You just need to tell them that I suspect Snape is connected to the Black-robed Man I encountered in the Forbidden Forest."
"This... will they believe it?"
"Just make up a reason, can't you?
For example, on a dark and stormy night, a certain SlytherinWizard happened to see their beloved Professor hand a bottle of silvery Unicorn blood to the Black-robed Man."
Hermione hesitated for a long while after hearing this.
She knew that if she said that, Harry and Ron would definitely consider Aaron a like-minded 'insider,' and it would make their conversations and actions much easier.
But then, when the truth came out, they would realize they had been deceived.
She had already experienced a crisis of trust once and didn't want to experience it again.
"I don't recommend doing that." Hermione shook her head seriously. "Otherwise, you won't have any trust with them in the future."
Aaron paused slightly, sitting quietly in his chair and pondering.
He understood Hermione's meaning. This was indeed something he had overlooked. One sentence could make his task more convenient, but it would also damage his personal credibility, which would be a bit of a loss!
"Then... tell the truth?"
"That's even worse," Hermione said with a bitter smile. "That's too hurtful to their pride; they wouldn't possibly accept it."
"Don't misunderstand, I mean to tell a small part of the truth, just get the balance right." Aaron looked at Hermionemeaningfully. "You, because I saved your life, were worried that Snape would be detrimental to me after getting the Philosopher's Stone, so you told me your suspicion that the Black-robed Man and Snape were connected, warning me to be careful of him.
And I, out of respect for the Professor, decided to prove that he isn't a bad person, and in this process, I will keep an eye on Professor Snape for you."
"Will that work?" Hermione was a little skeptical. "It just feels a bit off!"
"It will work.
Every lie has a flaw, but it's not that easy to find the flaw.
Moreover, the scar on Harry's head has already started to give a warning; he's running out of time. At this point, he won't refuse help from others.
If it really doesn't work, you can add fuel to the fire and tell them you told me a white lie, for example, on a dark and stormy night, three Gryffindor Wizards happened to see someone who looked like Snape and a Black-robed Man... After that, I will gradually do some simple mending work and slowly join your plan."
Hermione's eye twitched slightly. "I'll tell them both.
So we just need to keep an eye on Hagrid, right?"
"That's not necessarily true." Aaron shook his head. "To you, Hagrid is very reliable, but to me, he's uncommonly unreliable.
Of course, I'm not looking down on him; Hagrid's ability to get things done is very strong, otherwise Dumbledorewouldn't value him so much, but his ability to keep secrets... Heh heh! You say he's tight-lipped, but to me, the bottle cap is sealed, but the body of the bottle is full of leaks.
If anyone wants to get a secret out of Hagrid, he won't be able to keep it."
"It can't be that bad!"
"It is that bad." Aaron said very seriously, "Hagrid would be a good friend, but take my advice, never tell him a secret."
Hermione nodded blankly, then thought of something and her expression became serious. "According to what you're saying, putting our attention on Hagrid isn't particularly safe either."
"It's at least better than doing nothing, isn't it?
If he really does reveal the method to get past Fluffy, you'll definitely be the first to know."
"I can only think that way." Hermione said wistfully, then went to explain to Harry and Ron.
A moment later, she returned, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
"Why are you back again?"
"Harry and Ron are very grateful for your help, but they were worried that your abilities alone might be limited, so they asked me to come and help you. Two people can look out for each other better."
Aaron raised an eyebrow, turned his head, and glanced from afar. Harry was smiling and waving at him, apparently welcoming him as a teammate.
Ron even gave him an approving look, relieved by his timely 'abandonment of darkness for light.'
"This... isn't necessary, is it?
I know what kind of person Snape is. While I say I'm monitoring him, I won't actually do anything."
"They won't think that," Hermione shrugged. "It's just for show, nothing major, but it will make them feel a lot more at ease."
"This... never mind, let it be.
You guys keep an eye on Hagrid, and as for me..." Aaronpaused slightly, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see Dumbledore's office through it.