Chapter 567: What's the Matter with You?!!
After Harry left the school infirmary, he took Hedwig to Professor Grubbly-Plank.
After all, given Hedwig's condition, the only person he could think of was the professor of Care of Magical Creatures.
When Professor Grubbly-Plank received Hedwig, she frowned. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.
She asked Harry to leave Hedwig with her for a while so she could examine her properly. Harry left Hedwig behind.
He took the letter from Hedwig's leg and hurried back to the castle.
By then, class had just ended.
Hermione and Ron were the first to rush out.
They asked anxiously, "How is Darren?"
"He's fine. Madam Pomfrey said he was just too exhausted and sleepy," Harry said in a low voice.
Hermione and Ron both breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good. I thought he might have collapsed much earlier, but he held on until now," Hermione said with a sigh.
They were silent for a moment, then the conversation turned to Hedwig.
When Hermione learned that their communications were being monitored, anger flashed across her face.
"They probably know about Sirius!"
"But the letter itself is fine. No one opened it," Harry said, waving the letter at Hermione.
Then he opened it. It was Sirius's letter.
It read: Old place, old time.
Hermione immediately looked worried.
"I'm concerned. Darren is still in the infirmary. If he doesn't come, we won't be able to detect if anyone else shows up."
"But we don't have a way to write back to Sirius right now to tell him not to come," Harry frowned.
The three of them looked at each other.
They could only hope that Darren would wake up earlier—or that Black would wait and come back another time.
They walked gloomily toward the Potions classroom.
At the door, they ran into Malfoy.
Malfoy looked at them with disgust and said disdainfully, "Scarhead, your stupid brother fainted in class. He won't be angry with you, will he?"
"Shut up. What's the matter with you?!" Harry snapped angrily.
Malfoy looked at him coldly.
"I advise you to behave, otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" Harry cursed furiously. "You stupid, hateful bastard!"
Malfoy was visibly enraged.
He sneered. "Do you think you're still the Harry Potter you used to be? My father said that sooner or later, you—the so-called savior—will end up in St. Mungo's.
"As for your stupid brother, my father also said he could reserve a room for him in St. Mungo's. Sooner or later, he will—"
Malfoy didn't finish.
Because Neville had already rushed forward and smashed his fist straight into Malfoy's face.
"Shut up, you filthy skunk! You're not allowed to insult him! St. Mungo's—damn you, you little Death Eater!" Neville roared.
Harry and Ron hurried to pull him back.
At that moment, the door to the Potions classroom opened.
Snape stepped out and looked at them coldly.
"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Mr. Neville Longbottom—fighting outside my classroom. Gryffindor will lose forty points."
Harry and the others were furious.
Neville gathered his courage and shouted, "Malfoy said Darren would end up living in St. Mungo's sooner or later! Why is he allowed to say that? He's a little Death Eater!"
He tried to rush forward again, but Snape stopped him.
Snape turned to Malfoy and asked coldly, "Did you say that?"
"I—"
"Very well. Slytherin, forty points deducted," Snape said icily.
Harry and the others stared, mouths agape.
For a moment, they felt as if the person in front of them wasn't Snape at all, but someone else in disguise. Still, they didn't dare say anything.
They even began to wonder whether Snape might actually be a good person.
But the thought disappeared as soon as they entered the classroom.
Because Snape gestured toward Umbridge with obvious enthusiasm and said cheerfully, "Our school's senior inquisitor, a very polite and cultured lady, will be observing our lesson today!"
Harry felt sick.
He half-expected Umbridge to show disdain for Snape, but that didn't happen.
Umbridge seemed to thoroughly enjoy Snape's lesson.
Especially when Snape abruptly vanished a student's potion for making a mistake, she looked even happier.
However, her final question made Snape visibly displeased.
Umbridge asked why he had applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, and why Dumbledore had never allowed him to teach that subject.
Snape replied in an unmistakably cold tone, "That is something you will have to ask Dumbledore."
Harry nearly laughed out loud.
But Snape immediately retaliated by vanishing Harry's potion as well.
That left Harry seething, silently cursing Snape as mentally unwell.
After Potions class ended, Harry saw Malfoy again.
Malfoy waved an approval letter smugly in front of him.
"Look—Quidditch approval. Seems like some people can't even play Quidditch anymore."
Harry clenched his fists.
He badly wanted to punch Malfoy, but Malfoy had already run off.
Harry could only head to Divination class with Ron.
In Divination, Professor Trelawney was in a terrible mood. She nearly smashed a book over Harry's head.
Later, Harry learned from Lavender that Umbridge had placed Trelawney on probation.
This had left Trelawney furious and humiliated.
She alternated between anger and tears throughout the lesson.
Harry and the others felt awkward.
After all, in their hearts, Trelawney really was a fraud.
But because Umbridge was even more unbearable, they couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for Trelawney.
That sympathy vanished once Trelawney started lashing out at them again.
Divination was followed by Defense Against the Dark Arts.
To make sure Gryffindor could keep playing Quidditch, Angelina ordered Ron to keep a close eye on Harry.
She was afraid Harry might lose his temper and openly confront Umbridge, which would ruin everything.
For the sake of Quidditch, Harry endured the humiliation and attended Defense Against the Dark Arts.
But during the afternoon meal, more bad news arrived.
Angelina told them that Umbridge still hadn't approved Gryffindor's Quidditch practices.
"She said she needs more time to think about it, but… during that time, the Slytherins will probably finish their matches!"
Angelina said, tears in her eyes.