Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

“Give us a break, Hermione!” said Ron, swallowing the food in his mouth. “You won’t get them sick leave and wages by starving yourself.”

Hermione didn’t talk, and glared angrily at everyone. Anyway, she refused to eat another bite.

She looked pale and frustrated, and it was definitely because of the slave labor of the house-elves.

Harry looked at Evan in a hurry for help, hoping he could persuade Hermione. Most of the time, he was the only one who could convince her.

However, Evan also did not know what to do. He and Hermione had discussed this topic many times and he knew that he had no chance of persuading her.

Seeing Hermione looking at him like that, he felt that he could not eat any more.

“Well, I won’t eat either!” Evan sighed and said, “You need someone with you.”

“You’re right to do that, Evan. The food was obtained through shameless slave labor. We must resist it…” Seeing that Evan stopped, Hermione nodded with satisfaction and turned to stare at Harry and Ron.

The two of them did not do as Evan, and they could only try not to look at Hermione.

Harry and Ron lowered their heads to demolish the food in front of them, and awkwardness showed clearly on their faces.

The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with deserts.

“You two can’t just sit like this!” said Harry, hesitating to pick up a piece of cake.

“Evan, Hermione, look at this treacle tart!” said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward them. “Spotted dick, chocolate gateau, and…”

But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.

Finally, the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean.

At this time, Dumbledore got to his feet again, ready to speak.

The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

Hermione also turned and glared at Dumbledore, as if he was taking the lead in maltreating the house-elves.

“So!” said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. “Now that we are all satiated with food and drinks, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices!”

“First of all, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some 437 items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch’s office, if anybody would like to check it.”

Evan noticed that there were many Fred and George prank products in it.

However, because there was no time, the two of them were only in small-scale test sales, and they couldn’t move on to mass production.

Because of this, most new products had not yet been discovered by Filch.

“And, as ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest on the other side of the venue is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.” Dumbledore continued, looking at Evan.

Whether it was the Forbidden Forest or Hogsmeade, Evan was a frequent visitor there.

Last term, Evan, who was still a second year, secretly stayed with Hermione at Hogsmeade on Christmas Day. He unfortunately met the most dangerous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, and had a fight with him.

Evan had left an indelible mark on him, and this guy must hate him to death now.

Not to mention the Forbidden Forest, he went deep there, late at night, to the Centaurs’ colony, and he fell under Voldemort’s curse…

Because of this, Sirius had to resign and assume most of the responsibility for this matter.

“It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.” Dumbledore went on, “This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy … but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts …”

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak.

Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger. A fork of lightning flashed across the ceiling, and everyone gasped.

The lightning illuminated the man’s face, and it was very scary.

It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. His mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of his nose was missing. But it was the man’s eyes that made him so frightening.

One of his eyes was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue.

The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye … and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man’s head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The young witches and wizards all covered their mouths with their hands and looked at the man who had just broken in with fear.

His impression completely accorded with the image of the most horrible villain in everyone’s mind, just like a dangerous Dark wizard.

“Who is he?” Hermione whispered.

“Mad-Eye Moody!” Evan replied, “Alastor Moody, once the best Auror.”

“Oh God, he is Mad-Eye, but why is he…”

“Because he is our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this term. This year must be very interesting.”

Evan stared intently at the fake Moody passing by them to see the difference between him and the real Mad-Eye.

But this fake obviously had specially studied Moody’s style and habits, and no difference could be seen from the outside.

However, Evan was already prepared, and he took out the Marauder’s Map that he had borrowed from Harry before.

The Marauder’s Map was a magical map made by his father, Sirius, Professor Lupin, and Pettigrew. It could show all the secret passages and people appearing in Hogwarts. This map helped them a lot when they ventured into the castle. Especially last term, it played an unimaginable role in the rescue of Sirius.

Evan spread the Marauder’s Map on his lap, blocking the sight of others.

He tapped on the map gently with his wand while no one was watching.

In the next second, Hogwarts Castle, painted in ink, appeared on the top, and there were dense names.

Now, everyone was concentrated in the Great Hall, the names were all superimposed, and it seemed very hard.

Evan squinted and his fingers slowly moved to the teachers’ table.

Fake Moody was shaking hands with Dumbledore, and Evan saw the name of Dumbledore, but opposite him…

Evan blinked. He thought he would see the name of Barty Crouch Jr., but he only saw a small black dot.

The name of the guy in front of Dumbledore was not marked!!!