A certain broken Hogwarts

Owen's return to the school hospital was perfectly timed. Harry had just come from the Room of Requirement and, through the window of the ward, could see the two figures from the past using the Time-Turner to disappear from the hospital bed.

"Where did you go?" The two tiptoed back into the ward, and Harry asked as he sat on his bed.

"Go see an old friend." Owen smiled mysteriously, picked up Melete who was lying next to the pillow, and buried his face in the soft, warm fur.

Harry stared at him for a moment, then frowned. "At this time of day... you wouldn't have gone after Bellatrix, would you?"

Irving looked up at him with surprise, raised his eyebrows, and said nothing. This guy's pretty perceptive, isn't he? He's getting harder and harder to fool… well, he's too lazy to fool him anyway.

"Do you know how dangerous this is!" Harry grabbed his hair in exasperation, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and reproach. He should have known that Owen's hot temper would lead him to act recklessly; the Sorting Hat was definitely blind to put him in Slytherin.

At that moment, Ms. Pomfrey came in, took away the food from their bedside, and pointed to the sleeping pills on the bedside table, urging, "Drink the pills quickly and get a good night's sleep."

"Uh... Madam, I don't need to sleep anymore..." Harry twitched his lips, not caring about Owen for the moment. He had slept enough and was now a little hungry.

"You need to rest well, children. It will help you forget all those bad things." Ms. Pomfrey stared at the two of them until they had each finished the potion, then left satisfied.

Owen exchanged a chuckled look with a helpless Harry, then yawned under the influence of the potion and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Melett lazily rolled over, slowly climbed onto Owen's chest, rested his head on his neck, and closed his eyes.

They slept soundly, and when they woke up it was already the next morning. The two had clearly missed the Halloween party and the aftermath.

Fortunately, there was another party involved who could tell them what happened next.

Blaise sat dejectedly on his hospital bed, looking at the raging storm outside the window with a melancholy expression. His usually bright, cynical eyes had dimmed.

"So, you're really all better?" Harry asked hesitantly, not daring to approach him for a long time. Blaise's crazy behavior yesterday had left him with some psychological trauma.

"Well, I'm awake now..." Blaise said listlessly, his hair drooping limply. "The owner of Honeydukes used a soul-stealing spell on me. After he was captured, the professors made him release me from the control."

"But that guy's not having an easy time. I overheard the professors' conversation. Mr. Froome, the owner of Honeydukes, encountered Bellatrix while leaving Hogsmeade to retrieve a shipment, and then he was hit with the Imperius Curse. After that, he worked for Bellatrix and even helped her infiltrate Hogsmeade..."

"Didn't the Dementors find anything?" Harry sighed heavily, arms crossed.

"Don't have any hope for them. Dementors are blind. Although they can sense people's emotions and life states, they can only distinguish a few people at most. Don't expect them to be able to tell who is who." Owen slowly straightened his collar and said lazily, "Besides, they only patrol Hogsmeade at night. As long as you leave before nightfall, you won't be discovered by them."

"Then what exactly is the Ministry of Magic sending them here for?" Harry's lips twitched, and he said, utterly speechless.

"Hmm, how about a buffet?" Owen thought about it carefully.

Harry and Blaise rolled their eyes simultaneously. With a Ministry of Magic like this, it felt like the wizarding world was doomed sooner or later.

"Anyway, Mr. Froome was taken to St. Mungo's Hospital overnight. The Imperius Curse on him won't be easy to remove." Blaise shrugged. "I got it while shopping, shortly after you guys left Honeydukes, Owen. That guy probably heard me say I was going to bring Harry some sweets..."

"I think you should keep a lower profile from now on..." Harry didn't know what expression to make. Although he was the one who suffered later, Blaise also ended up half-dead, so both of them were pretty miserable.

"I don't understand, why did he choose me out of all of us?" Blaise frantically grabbed his hair, looked at Harry, then at Owen, his expression dejected and resentful. "Why me again? Do I look so easily manipulated to use against my friends?"

"You can think about it another way, Blaise. Maybe you're just particularly unlucky?" Irving said slowly.

"...Thank you, but I'm not comforted at all." Blaise's expression was as ugly as if he had swallowed a whole bowl of slugs.

"It's all in the past, don't think too much about it," Harry reassured him.

As the three of them walked out of the school hospital and entered the auditorium, the people who were having breakfast fell silent for a moment, all casting worried and curious glances at them.

A buzz of discussion followed, and under the watchful eyes of countless people, they sat down at the Slytherin table, where they were met with their friends' concerned and worried inquiries.

The three of them had to recount the gist of what they could, even omitting some of the terrifying experiences that would frighten a child. Draco still listened, his face turning pale. Daphne nervously twisted her fingers, her focused and serious expression as if she were listening to a horrifying yet captivating ghost story.

"That was so cool!" Pansy exclaimed excitedly, her face flushed and her fists clenched, upon hearing that Harry and Owen had finally escaped unharmed. But her expression changed instantly when she caught sight of Draco's pale face. Clutching her chest in terror, she stammered, "How terrifying..."

"Don't be afraid, that woman definitely won't dare to come back," Draco whispered reassuringly, his voice so low it was as if he was afraid someone would hear him. Pansy nodded repeatedly, trying her best to suppress the urge to smile.

Harry and Owen glanced at them sideways with unusually synchronized expressions, and Daphne couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. Blaise was still somewhat downcast, gritting his teeth as he poked at the fried egg on his plate with his fork, shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere, as if he were about to go and take down his enemy at any moment.

After breakfast, the three of them were summoned to Professor McGonagall's office. Sirius Black and Snape were both there, standing far apart from each other with identical expressions of disgust on their faces, much to Professor McGonagall's dismay.

In a peaceful atmosphere, Professor McGonagall invited everyone to sit around a round table for tea. She inquired about the entire process and details of yesterday's unexpected incident in a friendly manner, her attitude a far cry from her usual seriousness, as she kindly comforted and encouraged them.

Under Snape's deep gaze, Owen quickly absolved himself of any wrongdoing, claiming that Bellatrix stopped attacking Harry after learning that they had swapped bodies, and that he blew up the Shrieking Shack before the professors arrived and then fled.

Seeing Owen's self-righteous and unashamed demeanor, Harry closed his eyes, unable to bear it any longer, and lowered his head without contradicting him.

Irving's actions were wise, because he was only slightly frightened. The Shafiqs, upon hearing the news, didn't rush to the school to arrest him; instead, they sent him a letter filled with concern and advice. Perhaps they were used to Irving occasionally causing trouble and testing their nerves.

Blaise's mother, Madam Zabini, arrived at Hogwarts early in the morning. Her beautiful face was adorned with exquisite makeup. Wiping away tears, she embraced the reluctant Blaise and kissed his cheek. The mother and son left the office together.

Harry received a warm greeting from Sirius, and the two quickly said their goodbyes and left. Then, Professor Snape, who had remained silent and expressionless throughout, also left.

Owen stayed there for a while longer, drinking tea and discussing Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. He quite liked the office; although it wasn't large, it was warm and cozy, and the black tea in his cup had a uniquely alluring aroma. Most importantly, the well-behaved cats seemed to want to comfort him. They were no longer as aloof as usual, gathering around Owen to pet and hug him.

When it was almost time, Owen reluctantly left. Professor McGonagall watched him leave with a reserved air. In truth, she was also somewhat reluctant to see him go, because Owen's outstanding performance in Transfiguration had aroused her desire to teach, and some of his whimsical ideas that he casually mentioned had also inspired him greatly.

Owen walked down the stairs to the first floor and happened to run into Mrs. Zabini, who had already touched up her makeup. Blaise was no longer with her; he was probably hiding far away.

"Ah, little Owen, are you alright? I heard from Blaise that you were also frightened yesterday..." Mrs. Zabini tossed her golden wavy hair, her every move casual yet full of charm.

"I'm fine, madam. Where is Blaise?" Owen asked politely with a smile.

"He rushed off to play with his friends. Sigh, he's getting less and less adorable as he gets older." Mrs. Zabini looked troubled, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Owen maintained impeccable manners and spoke with her for a while, then casually remarked, "I heard from Blaise that your family heirloom was stolen during the summer holidays, madam?"

"Hehe, there's no family heirloom, just a slightly special gemstone." Mrs. Zabini covered her lips and laughed, seemingly unconcerned.

"Really? Blaise told me it's a key that can unlock a treasure." Owen blinked his curious eyes.

Mrs. Zabini looked at him with sparkling eyes, then suddenly raised her hand and quickly pinched his cheek. After Owen took a step back to avoid it, she said with a smile, "That's just a story passed down from our ancestors. It's said that the gem is related to a cursed forbidden relic that should never be opened... But, you know, no one knows where that so-called relic is anymore."

"Speaking of which, those petty thieves must have been after that gem. I just jokingly told everyone this story at a banquet, and that's when they started targeting me." Mrs. Zabini nonchalantly rubbed her sensual lips with her fingertips. "Perhaps someone really did find that relic and tried to open it? But I don't think that would be a good thing."

"So, don't even think about playing these kinds of treasure hunts. Who knows if you'll find treasure or disaster?"

"Oh dear, I should go back now. Bye-bye, little Owen." Lady Zabini winked at Owen and then walked towards the castle gate. It seemed she really didn't care about the sapphire, and even seemed to be enjoying the chaos and wanted to see others suffer.

Owen rubbed his aching cheeks thoughtfully and muttered softly, "A cursed forbidden relic?"

Meanwhile, Harry left Sirius's office, his hands stuffed full of all sorts of sweets and snacks, his stomach bulging. He felt he'd end up like Crabbe and Goyle sooner or later; Sirius really knew how to raise pigs.

He slowly walked down the stairs, and soon heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned his head and glanced upstairs, and saw Professor Snape descending the stairs like a large bat. His once greasy black hair, which had become greasy again after a brief period of elegance, hung down on both sides of his face as always, and his sallow face had an extremely gloomy expression.

Harry greeted him politely, somewhat curious as to why the Headmaster had become so gloomy again, especially since Sirius hadn't even acknowledged him. But he wisely avoided provoking him.

Snape merely nodded his chin gloomily, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He was already thoroughly annoyed by that guy in the headmaster's office who wouldn't budge even if struck by lightning, and seeing Harry's face only made him angrier.

The two walked downstairs in silence, the atmosphere awkwardly tense. Snape frowned in thought, then suddenly spoke, "Tell me about the shadowy figure that chased you yesterday, Potter."

"Ah? Oh, that big dog's shadow wasn't actually chasing me; it was coming to kill Owen," Harry said, his expression turning serious. "I think it might be the legendary 'ominous' thing..."

He recounted some information he had obtained from Owen, eagerly anticipating a solution from the Dean. But Snape merely nodded impassively, his face bearing a deep and inscrutable expression.

They remained silent for a long time, and Harry felt so embarrassed he felt like ants were crawling all over him. He coughed lightly, breaking the silence again: "Um, I'm sorry for causing you trouble again yesterday, Professor. And, thank you..."

Snape glanced at him with a hint of surprise in his empty black eyes, tilted his head back slightly, and said sarcastically, "I never knew a Potter kid would say thank you to me."

Harry took a deep breath, his fist clenching slightly. Ever since the day the Headmaster and Sirius switched bodies, Professor Snape had always been sarcastic and critical of him, and he had gotten somewhat used to it.

"I don't know what kind of grudge you have with Sirius, but I have my own judgment, sir." Harry looked sincerely at Professor Snape with his emerald green eyes, genuinely wanting to ease the tension between them. "You've helped me many times, and of course I should thank you. In my opinion, you've always been a good professor."

Considering the Headmaster's usual behavior, Harry's words were sincere. Professor Snape would always keep a wary eye on any suspicious individuals sneaking into Hogwarts, would rush to their rescue if he were in danger, and would unhesitatingly step forward to help his students in times of crisis…

In his eyes, Professor Snape was always a cold-faced but warm-hearted person, always feigning indifference and saying things he didn't mean. According to Owen, this was called tsundere.

Snape met Harry's sincere eyes for a moment, then looked away without saying a word. Harry noticed that the corner of Snape's mouth twitched slightly, as if a fleeting smile had appeared, or perhaps it was just a twitch, but his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

"Don't expect me to give you extra points on your final exams because of this, Potter. I advise you to give up those silly little ideas," Snape said tactfully, the sarcasm much less pronounced.

"No need." Harry grinned. Seeing that the headmaster's attitude had softened, he felt much more relaxed, and his mind started to wander.

"If I had to pinpoint any ulterior motive..." He hesitated for a moment, then adopted the innocent, naive expression Owen often wore, "Could you please stop making things difficult for Neville, Professor?"

Snape seemed to glare at him fiercely, his expression returning to its original gloomy and inscrutable state, and said lazily, "I've never had much patience for idiots."

Harry chuckled sheepishly. "Neville isn't stupid, he's just easily nervous."

Their conversation had died down, and the two fell silent before parting ways in the dungeon.

But in the days that followed, Harry noticed that Professor Snape wasn't targeting Neville as much in Potions class as before. Neville was flattered and his behavior improved considerably.

Of course, Professor Snape continued to deduct points from Gryffindor equally, routinely driving Hermione to the brink of despair. Harry felt that even if Hogwarts were to explode, that wouldn't change.

Regardless, Harry cherished these peaceful days. (End of Chapter)