分卷阅读8（1 / 2）

Potterstoodoutsidethecastleforalongtime,longerthanDracolikedtostayintheforest,buthehadlittlechoice.

Thankfully,atorrentofsummerrainforcedhimbackinside,givingDracocovertosneakbackintothecastle.Hehurriedbacktohisquarters,movingpainfullyslowlyoncehegottothedoor,hopingthatifhewasquietenough,hemightbeabletohearifanyonewasthere.Hedidn’tknowifPotterstillhadtheInvisibilityCloak,buthewouldbesurprisedifhedidn’t.

“Sepultura,”hewhispered,barelyabreath.

TheelveshadleftsomefoodonDraco’stable,aShepherd’spiethatHarriethadclearlynibbled,andasmallpieceofcake.Hisstomachrumbledatthesightofit,andhemeanttoeat,hereallyhadbuthismindwasotherwiseoccupied.Hecouldn’tstopthinkingabouthowHarryhadreachedouttotouchhimandthenpulledawayquickly,asifhewerehurt.Howallhehadtodowastouchhimtoseethroughhisdisguise.Heknewheshouldhavestayedback,shouldhaveactedmorelikeawildfuckinganimal,butthepullhefeltinhischestjusttobealittlebitcloserwastoostrong.Howitfelttohavesomeone’seyesonhimandhavethemreallyseehiminsteadofseethroughhim,andhowiffeltforthoseeyestobeHarry’s.HeofcourseplannedontellingMcGonagallthattheinteractionwasinevitable,thathewascornered,thathehadjustsatthereandletHarrytalktohim.Thatwas,heplannedontellingherthateventually.

Hehadafeelingoncesheknewtheyhadmadecontact,Harrywouldhavetogo.Eitherthat,orhewould.

Harryhadcommencedhisstudiesinthelibrary.Orhewastryingto.Hismindwanderedbacktotheanimagusonthegroundsrelativelyoften.Hehadbeenouteverynightsincetryingtospotthemagain,buttonoavail.Eithertheyhadleft,ortheyweremakingsurethathedidn’tknowtheywerethere.Hewasalmostsuretheyweren’tmalicious,butmostofthepeoplethatfelttheyneededdisguisesatHogwartswerenotpeoplehewouldwanttomeetagain.Still,hecouldnotbringhimselftoreportittotheheadmistress,notuntilheatleasttriedtofigureoutwhoitwasonhisown.Hesupposedhehadneverbeentoogoodatturningdownachallenge.

Whenhewasn’tthinkingabouttheanimagus,hewastryingtothinkupwaystogetintotheSlytherindungeons.Theyconsumedhim,andnotjustinwaking.Inhisdreams,hewouldfindhimselfinthecommonroom,agreentingelightfilteringinfromthewindowsthatlookedoutintothelake.Therestoftheroomwastoodarktomakeout,buthecouldtellitwasnotthesameasthelasttimehehadseenit.Hewanderedblindly,bumpingintothingsuntilhecametothedoorofthedormitories.Itwasonlyawoodendoor,notsodifficulttopenetrate,buthecouldnevergetittoopen.Hewouldpresshiseartothedoorandswearhecouldhearsomethingontheotherside,breathing,therustlingofbedlinens,faintwhisperings,eventhequietmewofacat,butneveranythingthatmeantanythingtohim.

HehadfirecalledRonandHermioneoncesincehisrelocation.Ithadgoneasheexpected.

“I’msogladyou’vefinallyfoundsomethingtooccupyyourtime,Harry!Although,outofthethreeofus,Iwouldneverhavepinnedyouastheonetoendupaprofessor,”Hermionehadlaughed,andhehadtoagree.

“Howdoyoulikeitbackthere,mate?”Ronhadasked,seemingasequallychuffedwiththenewsasHermione.

“Ilikeitfine.Notthesamewithouteveryonehere,obviously,butbetterthanGrimmauldPlace.”

Hehadpausedforamomentbeforeadding,“Ithinksomethingoddisgoingonhere,though.”

“Merlin,Harry,it’sHogwarts.Somethingoddisalwaysgoingonthere,”Hermionesaidrolledhereyes.

Hehadleftitatthat,realizingthattheyprobablywouldjustthinkhewasbeingparanoid,orworse,worryabouthimifheelaborated.

TheyhadendedthecallbytellingHarryhewasgoingtobeawonderfulprofessor,whichheprayedwouldbetrue.Hesupposedthathewouldbeabetterprofessorthanhewasastudentifitwasn’tforthatdamnedlockeddoor.Hisdownfallsasastudenthadnotbeenforlackofintelligence,orpotential,butratherbecausehewasdistractedbysomeratherpressingissues.Ofcourse,justwhatwaswastingawayinthedefunctSlytherindungeonswasnotaspressingofanissueasdefeatingtheDarkLord,butitwastheonlyonehehad.Somaybeitwasanexcusenottofocus,butitdidn’tfeellikeit.

Hewasn’tsurehowlonghehadbeeninthelibrary,onlythathehadgoneinearlythatmorningandhowthesunlightstreamingthroughthewindowssignaleditwassometimeafternoon.Hehadbarelymadeadentintheworkhewantedtogooverthatweek,onlythefirstfolderofoldlessonplansbeingmovedtothe“done”pile.Tobefair,ithadonlybeenthreedaysofstudyinginhisfivedaysofbeingbackatHogwarts,butheknewthatifhewasworkingathisfullcapacity,hecouldeasilybegettingthroughafolderortwoaday.Hesighed,flippingthepagehewasstaringatbacktolookatthepagebefore,notatallsurprisedthathedidnotrememberanyoftheinformationhehadapparentlyalreadyworkedthrough.Hechewedonhispencil—hehadswitchedtopencilsafterleavingHogwarts,quillsbeingtoomuchworkforwhattheywereworth—andbeganscratchingdownnotesagain,hopingmaybethethirdtimethroughthefolderwouldbeacharm.

“Potter.”

Harryjumped,droppinghispencilwithaclatterasheturnedtothesourceofthevoice.

“Iamgladtoseeyouhaveyourstudiesunderway,”McGonagallcontinued,walkingaroundthetablewhereheworked.