At the crossroads, Charlie went a different way from the trio. As they parted.
Harry walked at the very back, his brow furrowed, his mind constantly replaying the scene he had just witnessed.
Suddenly, he stopped.
"Wait!" Harry called out to the three in front of him.
"What is it, Harry?" Ron turned back and asked.
"Did you notice Professor Snape's leg?" Harry's voice was a little urgent.
Hermione looked at him, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw that his calf was bitten!" Harry grew more agitated as he spoke.
"And the wound was very big, like it was bitten by some large animal."
Ron gasped.
"Are you saying..."
"Cerberus!" Harry nodded with certainty.
"Only a monster like Cerberus could cause such a wound."
Charlie frowned: "Are you sure you saw it clearly?"
"Of course I'm sure." Harry pushed up his glasses.
"My eyesight isn't great, but there's no problem seeing this."
Ron was a little surprised.
"Does that mean Professor Snape wants to steal what's under the trapdoor?"
"And today's Troll." The more Harry thought about it, the more sense it made.
"How could a Troll appear in Hogwarts for no reason? Someone must have deliberately let it in."
"You mean..." Hermione's eyes widened.
"Exactly." Harry gritted his teeth.
"The Troll was released by Professor Snape to distract everyone, and then he took the opportunity to steal that thing."
"And got bitten by Cerberus." Ron chimed in.
"That damned old bat."
Charlie listened, a little speechless, and couldn't help but speak.
"Wait, wait, isn't your deduction a bit too much of a leap?"
"It's all speculation, there's no evidence at all."
"Isn't Professor Snape being bitten evidence?" Harry argued logically.
Charlie shook his head.
"Although it sounds plausible at first, Professor Snape being bitten doesn't prove he's connected to the Troll."
"Although Professor Snape is a bit mean, a bit disgusting, a bit unhygienic, a bit annoying, and not a competent teacher..."
"See, you also admit he's not a good person." Ron interjected.
"But." Charlie emphasized.
"Releasing a Troll is completely out of character for him."
"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked curiously.
Charlie thought for a moment and said: "Given Professor Snape's personality, the Troll would probably have been driven to death by his hatred of stupidity before it even entered the school."
"With that Troll's intelligence, it wouldn't survive three seconds in front of Professor Snape."
Ron couldn't help but laugh.
"That explanation certainly fits Professor Snape's character."
"Moreover." Charlie continued to analyze.
"Even if Professor Snape really wanted to steal something, would he choose such a clumsy method?"
"If he really wanted to steal something, even if he used potions, he wouldn't cause such a big commotion."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"Charlie makes sense."
"Being bitten might have another reason."
"Then why was he bitten by Cerberus?" Ron was still not convinced.
Charlie shrugged.
"Who knows, maybe he went to check the protective measures? After all, something important is hidden there."
"As a teacher, he has a responsibility to ensure the school's safety," Hermione agreed.
"With a Troll invasion tonight, it's normal to check other protective measures."
Harry still wanted to insist, but he was also persuaded by their reasoning, and nodded unhappily.
Darn it, he had originally thought he could report Professor Snape.
"Alright, maybe I was overthinking it."
"Harry, you just like to meddle too much."
"Not everything is a conspiracy."
Hermione looked at Harry and Ron seriously.
"And you shouldn't talk about Professor like that."
"No matter how Professor Snape usually treats us, he is a teacher at Hogwarts."
"As students, we should maintain basic respect."
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes. It was still Hermione, that familiar flavor.