Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 265 Emergency Evacuation?

Exams are just around the corner, and students have been having a very tough time lately.

The Weasley twins' "message ritual" suddenly became popular, not because of the message notes, but because of the use of draft paper—students quickly realized that draft paper that could synchronize what another person wrote was the ideal cheating tool.

Unfortunately, the professors also realized the problem and announced that manuscripts, gold coins, and any magical tools that could be used for communication were not allowed in the examination room—they would use a summoning spell during the exam to ensure this.

Harry and his classmates had more worries than the other students.

A few days ago, they finally managed to get Norman away, but no matter how they tried to get the information, Hagrid wouldn't tell them how to get past Luway.

What upset them even more was that their confinement punishment finally arrived: they were ordered to patrol the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid at night.

The group was shocked by the order. Sending a few first- or second-year students to patrol the Forbidden Forest at night was simply outrageous. Did these professors think they could beat a black bear or a werewolf?

Harry received Professor McGonagall's letter at lunchtime, when Tom was not there.

Lately, their friend has become increasingly mysterious, often disappearing without a trace, and frequently sporting dark circles under his eyes; no one knows what he's busy with.

They tried to contact Tom using goblin coins, but couldn't reach him. Since Tom didn't have class with Slytherin that afternoon, Harry decided to go to the Slytherin common room to find Tom and tell him the news.

If he doesn't comply with the order to be confined, who knows what kind of punishment he will receive.

Murphy had wanted to connect the common rooms of the four houses, but this was opposed by the deans and upperclassmen and could not be implemented. However, he did issue an order to lift the ban on other students going to the common rooms of the other houses and to abolish the rule that a password was required to enter.

However, very few people do this, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Harry and Ron had visited during the winter break, but there were very few students at the school then. Now it was different. When Harry entered the Slytherin common room, he was stared at by several upperclassmen for quite some time.

He arrived at Tom's dormitory and found no one there. Harry had intended to wait outside, but the gazes of those upperclassmen were still too intimidating, so he simply sat down on Tom's bed.

Harry glanced casually at Tom's desk. Tom's history of magic textbook was still on the desk; he would definitely come back to get it for his afternoon class.

Besides textbooks, Tom also had many difficult books on his desk: "Basic Alchemy", "Advanced Potions", "The Resurrected Wizard", "The Transference of Souls", etc.

But soon, Harry's gaze was drawn to a black-covered notebook on the table.

Just as he looked over, the notebook suddenly opened by itself, the pages turning rapidly without any wind.

Harry was taken aback and curiously leaned closer.

A few words appeared on that page.

Main Quest: Steal the Magic Stone.

"Mission Reward: Survive."

You are already dead.

"Your pain sensitivity is far lower than that of ordinary people. You are not affected by physical discomfort. You are immune to dizziness and coma. Even if you suffer a near-fatal blow, you will remain conscious."

"Don't you find it strange?"

"You want to know who you are?"

"Retrieve the magic stone, and you will get the answer."

Just as Harry looked over, another line of text appeared in the notebook: "Tom, your time is running out."

Harry was startled and suddenly realized that this was a "messenger's notebook," and someone was using this notebook to speak to Tom!

But he let Tom steal the Philosopher's Stone?

Furthermore, what does it mean that he said Tom is dead?

Most importantly, who exactly is giving Tom orders?

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door; someone was coming.

Harry slammed his notebook shut, then grabbed a book, sat on the bed, opened it, and pretended to be reading.

The door was pushed open.

"Harry?" Tom looked at Harry in surprise, and at the book he seemed to be holding upside down. "What are you doing here?"

Harry realized he was holding his book upside down, quickly closed it, and stood up. "I just received a letter from Professor McGonagall. She wants us to go to the Forbidden Forest tonight for our confinement. You weren't there for dinner, so I came to let you know."

"We couldn't contact you even using fairy coins," he added.

"Ah, I was chatting with my senior just now and didn't take any coins," Tom said.

"Oh, okay."

After a moment of silence, Harry said, "I'll be going now."

"it is good."

Harry frowned as he left the Slytherin common room.

Tom is lying!

He wasn't with any of the senior students; his clothes were covered in dust and cobwebs. He must have been somewhere where not many people usually go!

For example—the fourth-floor corridor.

No wonder Tom suggested getting the Philosopher's Stone first, because that was his mission.

Who gave him this task?

Could Tom be the one...?

He dared not think any further and practically sprinted toward the Gryffindor Tower. He had to get the news to Ron quickly... He couldn't use the goblin coins, because Tom had them too, and he would hear what he was saying.

However, when he arrived at the Gryffindor common room, the line of blood-red, twisted text in the notebook surfaced in his mind.

You are already dead.

What does this mean?

Moreover, the reward for the mission is "survive"?

Does Tom only survive by completing the task of stealing the Philosopher's Stone?

On the other side, after Harry left, Tom glanced at his desk with a hint of confusion, his gaze suddenly falling on the notebook.

It seems... to have moved a little bit?

He frowned, opened his notebook, feeling both fear that his secret might be exposed and a hidden expectation that he no longer needed to keep it a secret.

Harry's expression kept replaying in his mind.

All he wanted to know was whether Harry had seen the notebook.

……

During the afternoon Charms class, Harry seemed rather distracted.

They were in class with Ravenclaw, and Hermione sat next to him. Seeing him repeatedly get the glowing wand-swinging sequence wrong, she couldn't help but speak up, "It's a counter-clockwise knot, not clockwise. What's wrong with you?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't mention what he had seen that day. Instead, he asked, "If you were threatened with death and had to steal something, what would you do?"

"Oh my God, who would do something so terrible? You mean, the mysterious man?"

"Even so."

"I hope I never have to go through something like that. But if I were ever threatened like that... I might do it. I'm sorry, I'm not Gryffindor, I probably don't have your courage."

Harry shook his head. "Maybe I don't either."

"Compared to death, the crime of stealing shouldn't be that serious..." Hermione said. "Perhaps it should be considered as self-defense? Or as an accomplice? I don't know, but at least the punishment should be reduced a bit, right?"

Is this an emergency evacuation?

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little better.

……

Soon, night fell, and the five young wizards—Harry, Tom, Ron, Hermione, and Cho Chang—were led by Filch to Hagrid's Hut. Along the way, Filch kept telling them how terrifying the Forbidden Forest was, how they would surely die a horrible death, which terrified the young wizards.

Hagrid told them that a unicorn had been attacked and that they had to find it and end its suffering.

Hagrid quickly suggested splitting up, saying, "As long as you're with me or Tooth, no creature in the Forbidden Forest will harm you."

Harry and Tom glanced at each other, then looked away. Harry said, "I'll go with you, Hagrid."

Tom: "I want teeth."

Hermione's eyes darted back and forth between the two boys' faces. When did they start arguing?

(End of this chapter)