The Silent Witch of Hogwarts

Chapter 78: The Visitor

"That sounds great, Loila."

In the Hogwarts infirmary, Loila looked at the girl lying on top of her and pursed her lips.

"Where...where is it nice..."

"You can rest now, can't you?" Luna said, tilting her head. "You've been saying you're tired."

"That's...that's for...classtime..." Loila said softly, tilting her head, "...magic circles and stuff..."

"Mom said we can look at the stars and the moon anytime, because they're always there." Luna tilted her head and smiled. "The magic circle is the same, right?"

"They won't disappear."

Miss Lovegood is always like this, able to utter such philosophical remarks so easily… It really makes me feel so inferior…

I'm the professor, I'm the adult...

"Shall we go out and have fun tomorrow?" Luna chuckled, noticing Loila's slightly troubled expression. "I have an interesting idea."

"An...interesting idea?" Loila looked at Luna, pausing for a moment. She guessed that Luna was probably going to take her to find the Curved-Horned Snoring Beast? Or perhaps to investigate the Ministry of Magic's army of fire spirits?

If it's the latter, she must refuse... Loila pursed her lips and glanced at the cabinet by her window, where there was an open bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

The multi-flavored beans that Mr. Parkinson sent must have been carefully selected, right?

She ate three or four of them, and they all tasted like vomit...

"Do you remember the story of the Black Lake I told you before?" Luna said in a light, melodious voice, "The one about Slytherin."

"Is it... the octopus one?" Loila pondered for a few seconds, recalling the story about Slytherin being a giant octopus who would occasionally come ashore.

The credibility of this story doesn't seem very high, after all, Royla had never heard of Slytherins being Animagus.

Wait, is he an illegal Animagus?

But did the Ministry of Magic exist back then?

Loila's knowledge of magical history was not good, let alone the magical history related to Hogwarts, which she was even less familiar with.

But... why is something interesting related to this story?

"I...I can't swim." Loila thought for a moment, pursed her lips, and said softly, "I'm...sorry..."

"Swimming?" Luna blinked and said, "Does Veela like fishing in the water?"

"My dad and I are usually on the shore."

"Ah..." Loila was extremely embarrassed upon hearing Luna's words. She quickly waved her hands and said, "No...no...Veera doesn't...do that kind of fishing!"

I'm sorry to the pure-blooded Veenas and the other mixed-blood Veenas... I think I misunderstood Miss Lovegood.

Loila had thought Luna wanted her to go underwater and check if the giant octopus really existed... Turns out she was just fishing...

Fishing isn't a bad option either... Loila had fished before, but when she was very young, she remembered going with her father.

Of course, after fishing all day, her only memory was that her skin seemed to be sunburned...

"Ah, there are many things to do besides fishing," Luna said slowly. "We can go pick airship plums."

"We can go look for it together..."

"Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Looking for Headmaster Dumbledore?

Loila, who was deep in thought, paused for a moment and then looked up at Luna with a bit of panic.

Then she saw that person standing behind Luna.

"Good evening, Miss Lovegood and Miss Hamilton." Dumbledore was still the same as always, leisurely and content, like an ordinary old man.

But Loila preferred to call him an old thing or an old guy.

"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore." Luna smiled slightly when she saw him, then nodded politely.

Dumbledore smiled gently and reached out to pat Luna on the head.

You old bastard! Take your hand off me! Don't touch Miss Lovegood with your filthy, wicked hands! I'm going to turn your left hand into wood someday.

Loila glared at Dumbledore, but quickly looked away when she saw him looking at her.

"Professor Hamilton, Minerva has already spoken to you, right?"

"Hmm...hmm..." Loila nodded awkwardly and then glanced at Luna.

Could Miss Lovegood please leave first... I'm so embarrassed to see myself like this in front of Dumbledore!

"It seems like it's almost break time." Luna glanced absently at the clock in the infirmary. "I need to go back to my dorm."

Goodbye, Loila~

She nodded slightly as she spoke, then leaped away like an elf.

She didn't even greet Dumbledore... but Royla was quite pleased to see this.

Well done! They just didn't even tell Dumbledore!

See that, Dumbledore? You, the headmaster, are not as good as me, the professor. Miss Lovegood even gave me a special talk!

Loila glanced triumphantly at Dumbledore, then quickly lowered her head after meeting his smiling gaze.

I seem a little pathetic... Do I really have to try to beat Dumbledore from this angle?

Loila felt a pang of sadness.

"Professor Hamilton, I have some questions for you."

"Eek!" Loila's body trembled violently. It was terrifying enough that these words came from Professor McGonagall's mouth, but now that they came from Dumbledore's mouth... their power was comparable to "The Crucifixion".

"That's how it is," Dumbledore said, slowly sitting down in the chair Luna had just been sitting in.

"I heard both Minerva and Mrs. Pomfrey mention things about your health."

When did you start feeling unwell?

"My body?" Loila looked at Dumbledore suspiciously. She didn't think Dumbledore would be so kind as to care about her.

"Don't misunderstand, Miss Hamilton." Dumbledore bowed slightly, his eyes behind his glasses gleaming with wisdom.

"I just want to know... if you're not quite comfortable working at Hogwarts."

If I don't feel comfortable, can you let me go?

Oh no... I can't leave. I still need to see Lord Grindelwald at the end of next semester.

But when did I start feeling tired...? It doesn't seem like it's been that long, right?

Was it last week? Or the week before last?

Ah...it seems to have started after that awkward encounter with Mr. Lockhart that morning? That is, the day Dumbledore came to me to study the headband?

"It was probably... when you and I met... the last time we met?" Loila said softly, her head lowered.

She wasn't really sure if it was that day... but whatever the case, it was definitely related to Dumbledore! It must be some kind of evil aura emanating from him, or perhaps his dark, almost demonic heart had infected her.

"That day?" Dumbledore paused, seemingly surprised that Royla would bring up that date.

He frowned slightly and asked, "Did anything happen during those few days?"

"No...no," Loila shook her head and said, "It's just...just the same as usual..."

"Researching magic arrays, and... and replying to students' letters."

Dumbledore nodded slightly upon hearing this, and then said, "I understand."

After saying that, he walked away.

All that remained was Loila's strange look.

"Was it during those days?"

Dumbledore shook his head, muttering to himself, recalling his conversation with Professor McGonagall that morning.