Chapter 164 Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences
School Hospital.
Harry lay alone on a hospital bed, his right arm heavily bandaged.
Although it was excruciating, he could clearly feel the bones that had been removed growing back, and he felt a sense of relief.
"Hello."
Two tennis ball-sized eyes suddenly appeared before Harry, startling him.
Dobby sat on a table at the foot of the bed and said, aggrieved yet serious, "Harry Potter should listen to Dobby. Harry Potter should have gone home if he missed the train."
"How did you know I missed the train?" Harry stared suspiciously at Dobby. "It was you, wasn't it? You sealed the barrier and wouldn't let us through."
Dobby nodded somewhat guiltily. "That is correct, sir."
"You almost got Ron and me expelled."
"At least it would keep you away from here. Harry Pottermust go home.
Dobby thought his bludger would surely make Harry Potterunderstand..."
"Your bludger?" Harry instantly recalled what had happened on the Quidditch pitch, and his anger flared. "You made that bludger chase me?"
Although Gryffindor's defeat wasn't as bad as it could have been thanks to that bludger, it didn't mean he had to be grateful to Dobby. No one wanted to be violently struck by a ten-inch iron ball.
And the iron ball was moving so fast; it was clearly aiming for his life.
"Dobby only wanted Harry Potter to get a little hurt and then be sent home."
Harry angrily raised his bandaged arm. "You wanted me to be smashed to pieces!
Before my bones have fully healed, you'd better leave quickly, or I'll choke you."
"Dobby absolutely did not mean to harm you." Dobby said, flustered. "Dobby remembers what it was like before Harry Potter defeated the one whose name cannot be mentioned.
We House-elves were considered vermin, and of course, Dobby is still considered vermin."
As Dobby spoke, he recalled countless painful memories, covering his face with his burnt hands and weeping, then wiping his nose with his tattered, smelly clothes.
Seeing him like this, Harry calmed down and looked at him with some sympathy, asking, "Why are you wearing that, Dobby?"
"It is a symbol of a House-elf's slavery. Only if Dobby's master gives Dobby clothes can Dobby be free."
Harry opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to comfort him.
Although he and Lucius Malfoy had only met a few times in total, Lucius looked much darker than his son. Dobby might never escape the Malfoy family.
Just then, the sound of a door opening came from downstairs. Dobby immediately jumped to the window and whispered, "Something terrible is about to happen at Hogwarts. Harry Potter must not stay here.
Because history is about to repeat itself, and the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once more."
Harry still wanted to ask something, but the footsteps grew closer.
Dobby immediately snapped his fingers, his body turning into green smoke and disappearing. Harry quickly lay back on the bed, covered himself with the blanket, and pretended to be asleep.
A moment later, Dumbledore walked in. Behind him, Aaronand Professor McGonagall carefully carried Colin and placed him on a bed.
"Minerva," Dumbledore whispered, "Go call Madam Pomfrey."
Professor McGonagall nodded and quickly left the room.
"Mr. Gaius, we can have a good talk during this time.
This is not suspicion, but to help clear your name, as you were the first to discover him, and there was no one else around you."
Aaron pursed his lips, knowing he couldn't avoid this round of questioning.
"Professor, ask whatever you want.
I will tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."
"Where were you when Creevey was attacked?"
"At that time, I had just returned books and left the Librarynot long ago. Madam Pince can vouch for me.
When I heard Colin's scream, I was only a dozen meters away from him."
"Alright!" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. "Then did you see what attacked him?"
"No," Aaron said without hesitation. "He went around a corner at the time; I didn't see anything."
"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Gaius."
"You're welcome," Aaron said, a little embarrassed. "By the way, Professor, I hope you can keep this a secret for me?
I know I am innocent, but others in the school do not. If they knew I was at the scene when Colin was attacked, it would inevitably lead to rumors."
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then pondered, "I will keep it a secret, but..."
"Don't worry about that. No one else saw us when we came."
"I will speak to Professor McGonagall about it."
"Thank you!"
Soon, Professor McGonagall returned, followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was wearing a red coat.
"What's going on?"
"Another attack.
I've checked him; he's been petrified, just like Madam Norris."
Professor McGonagall noticed the camera in Colin's hand and asked urgently, "Did he take a picture of the attacker?"
Dumbledore bent down, pried open Colin's stiff fingers, and took out the camera.
He opened the back of the camera, but before he could take out the film, a pungent smell wafted out, followed by a brilliant spark.
"Melted, all melted," Madam Pomfrey said, stunned.
"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"It means the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened."
"It also means danger," Aaron interjected. "Muggle-born Wizards and half-blood Wizards are no longer safe."
"Aaron, do you have any findings?"
"Minerva," Dumbledore shook his head slightly at her, "At least to me, Mr. Gaius currently has no suspicion."
"Professor, I am indeed innocent," Aaron said seriously, but seeing the suspicion in Professor McGonagall's eyes, he still sighed helplessly. "I know this isn't very convincing, but you know me. If I were the Heir of Slytherin, you wouldn't see me at the crime scene at all."
Professor McGonagall heard this and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to believe him.
What Aaron said made a lot of sense; with his intelligence, it was impossible for him to expose himself.
But the problem was that he was present at the scene of both attacks, which was too much of a coincidence.
"McGonagall, promise me, keep it a secret for now.
We cannot affect a child's school life due to unfounded suspicion."
"Then what about the faculty?"
"Tell them the truth, tell them Hogwarts is no longer safe."
...The next day, Harry opened his eyes, and the winter sunlight on the bed felt especially warm.
He could feel that his arm was mostly fine; the bones had grown back, but it was a bit stiff and needed to be moved.
Madam Pomfrey walked over with a breakfast tray, then checked his arm and fingers. "Growing well. You can leave after you eat."
Harry tremblingly picked up a spoon with his newly healed right hand to eat porridge, and after about ten minutes, he changed his clothes and walked out of the School Hospital.
As he passed Colin's bed, he couldn't help but turn his head, but unfortunately, Colin's bed was completely blocked by white curtains, so he couldn't see Colin's condition at all.
Remembering everything he had heard last night, he quickened his pace and returned to the Gryffindor common room.
"Harry, your arm is better," Wood said with some relief. "Yesterday's match was a shame, but don't feel pressured; you did very well.
This time we weren't prepared, but next time Slytherin's tactics won't work. I already have some ideas."
"Don't talk about that yet. Aren't Hermione and Ron in the common room?"
"They went to the Library. Lockhart assigned homework, and Weasley's younger brother seems to want to 'borrow' some from Granger.
But you don't have to worry; Lockhart wants you to rest well, so he's excused you from your homework."
"That's the best news I've heard in days," Harry said, and without hesitation, he went to the Library.
He easily found Ron and Hermione in the area where the three of them often stayed.
Hermione held a thick book on school history, occasionally glaring at the person opposite her while flipping through it, while Ron was writing furiously, ignoring the resentful gaze.
"Harry," Hermione asked, somewhat delighted, "How's your arm?"
"It's mostly recovered."
"You could say it's a blessing in disguise; at least you don't have to do homework."
"You have the nerve to say that?
It's one thing to shamelessly copy my homework, but you copy it in sections, and your handwriting is large and ugly."
"Hearing you say that, I know you've never copied homework before; only the inexperienced copy everything word for word.
Besides, I did write some; I just borrowed a part of it."
Hermione rolled her eyes; she didn't want to argue about homework-copying techniques with a poor student.
"Listen to me first." Harry nervously glanced around, and after making sure no one was there, he sat down and told them everything he had heard last night, including Dobby's visit.
After listening, Ron's expression became somewhat complex. "So, Aaron's suspicion has really overtaken Malfoy's now?"
"I'm afraid so."
"But this..." Hermione still found it hard to believe. "This isn't possible! How can this be?"
"Hermione, I don't want to believe it's him either, but actions speak louder than words.
This is the third coincidence, but too many coincidences are no longer coincidences," Harry said anxiously. "Now Colinhas been petrified, and who knows who will be next."
"But we can't prove it," Ron said. "According to you, without evidence, Dumbledore might not be able to do anything about him."
"That's why I came to find you two after I was discharged," Harry said, looking at the silent Hermione, and asked with some difficulty, "Do you have any ideas?"
"I, perhaps..." Hermione hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "I might not have any ideas either."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances; her demeanor made it hard to believe she had no ideas.
"I know you trust him more than anyone, but this is a serious matter.
If we trust him and let it go, the half-blood and Muggle-born Wizards at Hogwarts will be doomed."
"Um..." Ron looked at Hermione with some difficulty. "You might not want to hear this, but Harry and I are Pure-blood, but you are Muggle-born."