Ron's guess was correct. The points Hermione and Robert earned in Herbology were deducted before they even settled, but it wasn't Professor Snape who did it—it was Professor McGonagall.
A dispute that began because of Lockhart ended with his embarrassed departure.
Ravenclaw emerged as the biggest winner. Originally ranked third in house points, they suddenly rose to first place.
Oliver Wood was furious. He couldn't believe Professor McGonagall had banned them from using the Quidditch pitch—they were about to select new team members, and now they were banned?
"She can't do that!" Wood exclaimed after pacing around the common room for more than a dozen laps. "If we can't use the pitch for two months, we're definitely going to lose this year's matches!"
Fred and George wore rare serious expressions.
"Fortunately, Slytherin can't use it either," George said.
"Ravenclaw isn't a worry, and Hufflepuff only has Cedric worth noting," Fred added thoughtfully. "Looking at it this way, maybe things aren't as bad as we thought."
"If we can't train for two months, they'll all become tough opponents," Wood said. "I'm going to see Professor McGonagall. We'll all go tomorrow. She definitely doesn't want to see us lose the Quidditch Cup either."
"Are you sure you can persuade Professor McGonagall?" Fred asked.
"We have to try."
"Alright."
"Harry..." Wood called out, "You're coming with us, right?"
"Yes, no problem," Harry, who was sitting in the corner, quickly replied, then looked at Robert beside him.
"Sorry, I didn't quite understand. What did you mean by that special sound you mentioned just now?"
"It's the kind of sound you've never heard before," Robert said. "It's cold and sounds chilling."
Harry thought seriously for a moment. "Does Nearly Headless Nick count? Actually, every time I hear ghosts talk, it's a bit chilling."
"No, that doesn't count."
"Then there isn't any," Harry shook his head.
"Are you sure?"
"Hmm... probably," Harry hesitated again.
Mainly because Robert's words were too vague, and there was no way he could remember every sound he usually heard.
However, seeing Harry's expression, Robert had already gotten his answer. He let out a slight sigh of relief, said nothing more, and continued looking at the book on the table, Human Transformation: From Beginner to Master.
This was the first book on parchment, and probably the simplest one, but the content was still more difficult than the Beginner's Guide to Transformation. Robert found it somewhat challenging.
He rubbed his aching eyes and somewhat understood why Professor McGonagall didn't recommend he learn Animagus Transformation right now.
The next day, the Quidditch team members went to Professor McGonagall's office early in the morning and met the Slytherin team coming from the other side of the corridor at the door.
They had also come for the pitch, but the one walking at the front wasn't Captain Marcus Flint, but Snape. He had actually personally brought the team over.
The Gryffindor team members exchanged glances. Although no one liked this Potions Professor who was biased and always favored Slytherin, at this moment, they couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
"Move aside," Snape said with his usual sneer, completely ignoring all the Gryffindor team members. Seeing this, the Slytherin players following him also put on an arrogant air.
"These guys..." Fred's forehead was throbbing with anger, but there was nothing he could do.
Because Snape was opposite him, he had to hold back his anger; otherwise, he would only suffer a greater loss.
"George, look at that person..." Someone suddenly tugged at his sleeve. Harry pointed to the end of the Slytherin line. "That person couldn't be Malfoy, could he?"
Fred followed the direction of his gaze. Sure enough, among a group of well-built Slytherin players, a golden head was particularly conspicuous.
Draco Malfoy was wearing a brand-new team uniform and trying hard to stand up straight, but he was still half a head shorter than the person next to him.
At the same time, he saw something even more astonishing—the brooms the players were holding were all shiny new ones.
Merlin's beard, Fred couldn't help but lick his lips. He was so surprised that he even forgot to correct Harry for confusing him with George again. He quickly nudged Oliver Wood's sleeve with his elbow.
"Oliver, you..."
"I see them," Wood's voice was trembling. "They're all Nimbus 2001s, this year's latest model of broom."
The Gryffindor team members became even more silent.
The best broom on their team was Harry's Nimbus 2000, and there was only one.
As for the others... Fred and George were still using Cleansweep Fives, models from over thirty years ago.
Perhaps the gaze from their side was too obvious and was noticed by the Slytherin players opposite them. They exchanged glances, then uniformly turned their brooms, deliberately flipping over the golden "Nimbus 2001" label, full of provocation.
Seven Nimbus 2001s pressed down on Wood like a mountain, a feeling of powerlessness quickly spreading throughout his body. For some reason, a thought suddenly popped into his mind: he hoped Professor McGonagall would insist on not letting them use the Quidditch pitch.
This seemed to be the only way to extinguish Slytherin's arrogant flames.
Snape also noticed this scene. He let out a sneer and confidently knocked on the office door.
As a colleague, Professor McGonagall should give him some face. He was looking forward to seeing Gryffindor utterly defeated on the Quidditch pitch.
"Knock knock..."
The sound echoed in the empty corridor.
"Professor McGonagall, they seem to be looking for you."
On the second floor, in a small room next to the library, Robert inadvertently glanced outside and just happened to see the faint figures upstairs through the half-open door.
"No, you're mistaken," Professor McGonagall said without looking up. She waved her wand, separated some content from a magazine, and tucked it between the pages of a book.
"These articles should be helpful to you. Did you understand everything I said earlier?"
"I can mostly understand," Robert nodded.
He had stayed up all night yesterday reading, only finishing the thick book Human Transformation: From Beginner to Master at dawn. Naturally, there were parts he didn't understand, quite a few of them, so Robert simply went directly to see Professor McGonagall.
Then he was brought to this small study next to the library.
This was Robert's second time here. The first time was last semester when he and the Weasley Brothers were caught red-handed by Professor McGonagall as they came out of the secret passage with a Whomping Willow branch. They had two hundred points deducted right here.
Coming back again felt quite familiar.
"I suggest you read it in conjunction with the Intermediate Transfiguration Guide and the Advanced Transfiguration Guide. The library should have both of these books," Professor McGonagall returned the book to Robert.
"They do, but Madam Pince won't let me borrow so many," Robert said. "I plan to buy one from Flourish and Blotts."
Professor McGonagall nodded. There wasn't much she could do to help with that.
Madam Pince in the library and Madam Pomfrey in the School Hospital were usually not interfered with in their thoughts and opinions, even by Headmaster Dumbledore himself.
In other words, if Dumbledore spoke loudly in the library or the School Hospital, he would also be ruthlessly kicked out.
Although she could make Madam Pince change her mind if she insisted, there was no need.
In any case, the Intermediate Transfiguration Guide and the Advanced Transfiguration Guide were textbooks used in higher years, so he would have to buy them eventually.
"You can send a letter to Flourish and Blotts using a school owl, and they will send what you need," Professor McGonagall reminded him.
"Any other questions?"
"No," Robert shook his head.
"Remember to close the door properly," Professor McGonagall said. "Also, I want to quietly deal with some things today." She pointed to the thick stack of parchment on the table.
"Understood," Robert said with a smile. "I'll be in the library all day today, no time to chat with team members."
Professor McGonagall nodded almost imperceptibly.
Robert walked outside with the book, and as he opened the door, he stopped again.
"What is it?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"It's like this," Robert thought for a moment and said, "When I was borrowing books yesterday, I accidentally saw a legend about a Chamber of Secrets in the school. Salazar Slytherin left a monster inside that would purge..."
"Nonsense," Robert was impatiently interrupted by Professor McGonagall before he could finish speaking.
"There is no Chamber of Secrets in the school, and certainly no monster. Salazar Slytherin, do you think anything can live for a thousand years?"
"It seems there is..."
"Mr. Ollivander, I can answer your questions about Transformation, but not about baseless legends."
Robert's words were interrupted once again.
"If you still want to learn Animagus Transformation, I hope you can focus your energy on truly useful books. Alright, you can go back now."
Robert stood in the corridor, looking at the closed door behind him, and shrugged helplessly.
Well, he should have thought of that earlier.
He then looked up at the floor above again. The people who had gathered outside Professor McGonagall's office had already left. Robert just happened to see Snape taking the stairs, walking downstairs aggressively, his gloomy face looking like it could drip water.
Can't mess with him.
Robert quickly averted his gaze and just happened to see Lockhart in the opposite corridor. He had changed into a pale purple robe, dressed like a peacock, and was signing autographs for two young wizards.
However, he kept nervously glancing up from time to time, as if afraid Peeves would suddenly pop out from some corner and dump a bag of flour on his head again.
Hmm, it seems nothing much has changed from before.
Robert yawned, planning to go downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast first, then go back to the dormitory to catch up on sleep. It was the weekend,
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