On Monday morning, when the students arrived at the auditorium, they were shocked to find a young black man hanging from the ceiling. Filch was rambling, berating the unfortunate student. His expression made it clear he was itching to pick up the whip in his hand and give the poor child a lash.
"Oh no," Charlie shouted angrily. "That's Lee Jordan! What is Filch doing? Is he really going to whip him?"
"Go find Professor McGonagall!" The Gryffindors quickly recognized their fellow freshman. Filch had become so bold that he openly considered whipping the students!
Fortunately, the whip never came down. Professor McGonagall arrived just in time. "Argus! The castle has already abolished the punishment system for whipping students!" she snapped.
Professor McGonagall was furious. She carefully lowered Lee Jordan, who collapsed onto the ground like a ragdoll. Charlie rushed to his side, helping him sit up.
Lee Jordan was trembling, curled up into a ball, shivering in fear. Professor McGonagall's frown deepened when she saw his condition. She then turned her sharp gaze toward Filch, who stood defiantly. "Professor McGonagall, it was during Gryffindor's freshman night tour. I caught him in the basement corridor!"
Moriarty's Obliviate spell had worked perfectly on Filch, who completely forgot about the Weasley twins and Lilith. However, Lee Jordan hadn't fled in time, and Filch had caught him once he recovered.
"Is what Filch said true?" Professor McGonagall demanded, glaring coldly at Lee Jordan. "You were out after hours on your first night at Hogwarts? This is quite an eye-opener for me, Mr. Jordan. Because of your behavior, every student in Gryffindor House will be punished. I must deduct fifty points from Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor students stared in shock at the hourglass filled with ruby-red sand, which was now empty.
On the first day of school, Gryffindor lost 50 points before they even had the chance to earn any!
Professor McGonagall realized the weight of her own words and let out a sigh. "Mr. Lee Jordan, your confinement begins next Monday evening. Charlie, take him to the Hospital Wing."
Filch was visibly dissatisfied with this arrangement, feeling the punishment was too lenient. But he dared not argue with Professor McGonagall. With a scowl, he warned, "Don't let me catch you out of bounds again!"
The students scoffed at Filch's threat. An old squib, unable to perform magic, couldn't intimidate anyone. They watched him slowly shuffle off, carrying his kerosene lamp and cat.
Lee Jordan flinched when he saw the lamp flicker to life, a nervous expression on his face. He huddled closer to Charlie for reassurance.
The students around them laughed, but only the Gryffindors truly sympathized. The other students from the other houses mocked Lee Jordan, calling him foolish for being caught by the old squib.
Lilith, however, understood the situation all too well. She knew that Lee Jordan wasn't entirely to blame.
It was clear that the Weasley twins shared her thoughts. They lifted Lee Jordan onto their backs, eager to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible.
Charlie eyed his two younger brothers with suspicion. He had always suspected that the night tour was linked to them.
"You didn't notice that Lee Jordan didn't go back to the dormitory last night? Or were you not there?" Charlie asked sternly.
The Weasley twins remained silent, their heads lowered in guilt. After parting ways with Moriarty the previous night, they had been too afraid to return to the dormitory. Instead, they hid in an empty classroom under a desk and slept there.
George had almost defended Lee Jordan but was stopped by Fred. The twins exchanged a knowing look—there was no way they were going to stand idly by while Filch caused trouble.
Jericho watched the twins hurry away with a sigh. "I had such high hopes for them, but they actually defended their friend. I bet they were involved in the night tour last night. What do you think?"
"It's not that simple," Lilith said lightly, finding an empty seat.
"Oh?" Jericho was intrigued. "Seems like the lady knows something we don't."
Lilith gave no response. Jericho, sensing she wasn't going to answer, turned to Marcus. "What about Moriarty? He missed a good show! Gryffindor's already down fifty points, and the House Cup is practically ours this year."
Lilith spoke up before Marcus could respond. "Moriarty? Did you forget he was with Tonks every morning?"
Jericho's eyes widened with realization. He chuckled, thinking he had figured out Lilith's indifference. "I see! We've got an alchemy class with Hufflepuff today. I bet Moriarty will be sitting with Tonks, right, Piliwick?"
"Honestly, I'm more concerned about alchemy than the seating arrangement," Soldaya's cold, calm voice interrupted. "What do we need to prepare for the class? I see you're just carrying a wand, but as far as I know, alchemy isn't something you can master with just a wave of a wand."
Jericho narrowed his eyes in irritation. "You seem to be ignoring my comments, Soldaya."
"Not at all, Chief Jerry," Soldaya replied earnestly. "I've been thinking about your advice, but it's not my style to hide. I'd rather be the sharpest point of the sword, rather than conceal it."
"Is that so?" Jericho smiled knowingly. "I'll be watching."
Soldaya simply smiled and nodded.
The students exchanged glances, sensing the tension between them. What had caused the sudden animosity?
At that moment, Moriarty and Tonks arrived. Tonks was holding a thick stack of parchment, covered with runes.
"Is everyone here?" Moriarty asked, scanning the room. "Today's the first alchemy class. Let's head there early."
The students followed Moriarty as they made their way to the secret room. Jericho quickly grabbed some bread and ran to catch up, chewing hastily. "Sir, isn't this all a bit too much? It's quite the grand affair."
Moriarty smiled warmly. "Alchemy is a course that will shape your lives. So, stay focused, Jericho."
Moriarty was right. Upon entering the secret room, they found that Nicole Lemay and Perenel had already arrived. The room was transformed into a massive classroom.
There were rows of stone tables, enough to seat all the students, and an open space the size of a basketball court beneath the statue of Salazar. A large lecture table was set up in the center, with two reclining chairs nearby. The new professor leaned casually against them, and at their feet were several boxes covered in black cloth.
The students immediately recognized the alchemy props from the train, their eyes wide with excitement.
"Who are they?" Tonks asked, pointing to the group of adult wizards sitting at the back of the room, writing quickly with shorthand quills.
"They're Ministry officials, and there's a reporter from the Daily Prophet," Moriarty explained, having just finished signing in.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining alchemy materials: corn candles.
Note: The Slytherin Chamber (now the Alchemy Classroom) is a repeatable check-in location, and the host can check in once a day."
Moriarty shook his head, amused. He had just visited Sri Lanka's office to sign in and collect a sausage. He was going to be busy for the foreseeable future.
As he searched for a suitable seat, Moriarty found one beside Tonks, Lilith, Marcus, and Leon. Though many students tried to sit near him, Soldaya claimed the last seat. Jericho, still eating bread, fell behind.
After some commotion, the students settled into their seats in silence and waited for Nicole Lemay to begin.
A few minutes later, Dumbledore and several professors entered. The students were surprised to see that every professor had arrived except for the one who taught Gryffindor potion classes.
The professors sat at the back, and the Ministry officials scrambled to stand and shake hands with Dumbledore. The reporters were eager to record everything.
Nicole Lemay stood from the reclining chair and spoke softly, "Candle."
With a flick of her wrist, a basketball-sized metal ball soared out from under the black cloth, hovering in front of each student. It released a small white candle, which floated gently onto the students' tables.
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