The Christmas holiday passed by very quickly.During this period, although many young wizards went home, news of the attacks at Hogwarts did not spread throughout the wizarding world.It was obvious that Dumbledore had used some means behind the scenes to keep this news temporarily contained.
After the holiday ended, the students returned to Hogwarts one after another, making the school lively once again.
On the day the students returned, Harry and Ron saw Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room after being separated for the entire holiday.
Hermione's complexion was very poor, and her previously fluffy long hair was gone, replaced by a simple shoulder-length bob.
Ron looked at Hermione, who seemed like a different person, in shock and asked incredulously,"What happened to you at home? Why did you cut your hair?"
Hermione sat unhappily on the bench in the Common Room and said miserably,"I didn't cut my hair; it was burned off."
Harry's eyes widened."Why was your hair burned?"
"I thought I had been careful enough at home,"Hermione said helplessly."Ever since I returned home, I hid in my room and even had my mother bring my meals to me. But I still accidentally spilled salad on the bed. The quilt was too heavy, so I had to have my mother help me change it. When I came out of the bedroom, I tripped over a chair that had fallen on the floor, and I fell right toward our fireplace."
"Normally, our fireplace opening isn't level with the floor, so it shouldn't have been a big problem. But for some reason, a small piece of wood popped out from the fireplace and landed right on my hair."(TN: Wth?)
She brushed through her short hair and said with a grimace,"And then, it turned into this."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. They could imagine the scene and held back their laughter, then both offered comfort.
"Cheer up, Hermione. Think about it from a different angle; having short hair is actually quite nice. At least it's much easier to manage."
"That's right, and it's just that your hair is a bit shorter. It's good that you didn't encounter anything worse."
But their comfort didn't seem to have any effect; in fact, the more they spoke, the more pained Hermione's expression became.
"Who said that was the only thing I experienced! I just don't want to recall the others."
Immediately, she said with a serious expression,"In the future, when you face Professor Cavendish, you must be careful, careful, and even more careful! If he intends to greet you or offer you a blessing, do not hesitate! You must immediately change the subject! Interrupt him!"(TN: I hate this subplot.)
Harry and Ron nodded rapidly. They already knew how serious it was and no longer dared to treat testing Sherlock's jinx as something fun.
Hermione was very satisfied with their attitude.
Although they had encountered danger while testing Sherlock's jinx, it had also allowed them to understand just how terrifying Professor Cavendish was.
As long as they avoided him in time, they could steer clear of a lot of misfortune in the future.
"How is the potion in the bathroom? Did Malfoy and the others show any unusual behavior during the holiday?"
Hermione shifted the topic to the main point. She hadn't forgotten that Sherlock's jinx was secondary; their main goal this semester was to catch the Heir of Slytherin who had opened the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry shook his head."As for the potion, Ron and I followed what you said and checked the fuel under the cauldron every three days. Everything is normal now. As for Malfoy..."
Ron continued,"We haven't found anything unusual about him lately, and there haven't been any attacks in the Castle either."
Hermione analyzed calmly,"He is very smart. He probably knows that committing crimes consecutively will easily expose him, so this time he deliberately waited, letting everyone gradually lower their guard before acting again."
"Then can we use the Polyjuice Potion now?" Ron asked excitedly. He couldn't wait to reveal Malfoy's true colors.
Hermione stood up from the bench."I need to check the brewing status of the Polyjuice Potion first."
The three of them walked out of the Gryffindor Common Room together, arrived near the first-floor corridor, and then, while no one was around, slipped into the abandoned girls' bathroom.
"What are you here for again? You've been brewing this bubbling potion for almost a month now; when will you clear it away!"
Myrtle, the ghost who haunted the bathroom, complained resentfully as soon as she saw them.
Ron retorted,"This isn't your place; why can't we brew a potion here?"
"You yelled at me!" Myrtle covered her face. "Yes, you dislike me, you all dislike me, boo hoo hoo..."
She cried and floated into another stall.
Harry and the others didn't pay her any attention. Everyone knew Myrtle was like this; her tears seemed endless.
Hermione carefully examined the Polyjuice Potion and finally said with satisfaction,"Very good, this potion is brewed very successfully, but it's still one last step away from completion."
"We need something from the people we want to turn into."
She said it casually, as if assigning a simple errand.
"If we can get something from Crabbe and Goyle, that would be best. They are Malfoy's closest friends, and he tells them everything. We also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle don't interfere while we question Malfoy."
"I've already planned everything," she continued without pause, ignoring Harry and Ron's shocked expressions.
Hermione held up two chocolate cakes."I put a normal sleeping potion in these. You just need to make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are—they'll definitely eat them. Once they fall asleep, pluck a few hairs from them and hide them in a broom closet."
Harry and Ron stared at each other. They had never realized Hermione could be this bold.
They opened their mouths, about to object, when a firm, almost McGonagall-like determination appeared in Hermione's eyes.
"You want to interrogate Malfoy, right? The Polyjuice Potion is only one step away now. To turn into Crabbe and Goyle, we must get something from them!"
In truth, all three of them were equally daring; Harry and Ron were simply surprised that Hermione, who usually acted like a model student, could take things this far.
In the end, they agreed to her plan. They wanted to confirm whether Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin.
They left the bathroom together and were about to search for Crabbe and Goyle when a piercing scream suddenly echoed through the Castle.
The three of them exchanged looks and immediately rushed toward the second-floor corridor where the sound had come from.
Forgetting everything else, they pushed through the tightly packed crowd and saw the third victim of the attacks.
Lying on the ground was a blond boy. Even though his face was twisted in terror, they recognized him instantly.
The one who had been attacked was none other than their long-time suspect—Draco Malfoy.