As night fell, candlelight and torches lit up the castle.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, stopping at last in front of the Muggle Studies office.
"Knock, knock..."
"Come in."
A young witch knocked and opened the door, glancing at the desk where Professor Lawent was correcting papers. A long-horned water snake was curled beside him, its head swaying with the movement of his quill. It eventually swayed itself into a stupor, its tongue hanging out as it rested on the desk.
Hermione gave Harry a look. This little snake, Yulem, was far more adorable than a bald, toe-less rat.
Harry just shrugged, his face expressionless. In his opinion, none of these pets were as good as Hedwig.
Once the two of them were inside, Hermione quietly closed the door. Her eyes swept over the room. The glass jars on the shelf were no longer filled with beetles, but with small yellow flowers from the greenhouse, which they were tending to on Professor Sprout's advice.
Yulem noticed them and perked up, slithering closer and eyeing them with curiosity.
Melvin placed his quill back in the inkpot. "Classes have only just started, and I have a huge stack of assignments to grade. We won't have our extra lessons this week. I apologize, I forgot to let you know."
"That's all right, Professor."
"It's a good thing, then, you can go back and enjoy the show. I heard Professor McGonagall lifted the Floo Network restrictions this weekend, and a lot of students have been glued to the Shadow-Mirror shows. Some even skipped dinner," Melvin said with a chuckle.
Hermione nodded, her eyes meeting Yulem's. She found it oddly amusing and reached out to touch its long horn, but the young snake deftly dodged her. A small smile touched her lips.
Harry hesitated for a few seconds. "Professor, I have something I'd like to ask you about."
Melvin dipped his quill back in the ink and continued to read the paper. "Just say it. Don't beat around the bush."
"..."
A few minutes later, Hermione was completely engrossed in playing with Yulem, a world all their own.
Harry, meanwhile, was explaining everything about Dobby, from his sudden appearance at the Dursleys' that summer, giving strange warnings that almost made Harry break the Statute of Secrecy, to the enchanted barrier at King's Cross, which forced them to fly a car to school. Finally, he spoke of the incident during the Quidditch match and the warning they received in the hospital wing that a professor had made a deal with Malfoy.
"...Even though Dobby sometimes causes trouble, he's a good elf, and he longs for freedom. He deserves to be free."
"It sounds like Dobby was just the reason, and most of the trouble was caused by you not following the rules," Melvin said teasingly, without a hint of guilt, as if he wasn't the professor who had made a deal with Malfoy.
Harry looked down, a little embarrassed. "I just wanted to ask if there's any way to help Dobby."
"House-elves are fiercely loyal servants. Even wealthy pureblood families see them as precious assets. Very few wizards are willing to sell or trade them. What did you have in mind?" Melvin asked, not looking up from his work.
"Dobby once said that a house-elf is free when its master gives it clothes..." Harry explained their plan. "So I was wondering if there's any way to trick Mr. Malfoy into coming to Hogwarts? If we could get close to him, maybe we could get him to give Dobby some clothes, like a sock or a button from a collar."
After he finished, Harry and Hermione both secretly looked up to see the professor's reaction.
Unfortunately, Melvin never looked up, focused on his corrections, his face giving nothing away. "Have Ron pick a fight with Draco, one that lands both of them in the hospital wing. Since both of their parents are wizards, Professor McGonagall might call Mr. Malfoy to the school."
"..."
Harry's face froze.
"Or next time in Duelling Club, go all out and send Draco to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. His parents would definitely go to the hospital to care for him, and you could find an opportunity to go to the ward to apologize and get close to the Malfoys."
"..."
Harry and Hermione couldn't tell if the professor was giving them serious advice or just messing with them.
"Go figure it out yourselves. After all, I am a professor at this school. It wouldn't look right for me to conspire with you against another student's parent."
"All right, Professor."
Feeling a bit ashamed, Harry and Hermione quickly said their goodbyes to the professor and Yulem and slunk out of the office.
Melvin sat behind his desk, calmly correcting papers. His quill glided over the parchment, circling mistakes and sometimes writing a brief compliment for a good point. When he was done with a year's worth of essays, he stacked them neatly on the side, took a sip of his tea, and started to think.
The two kids were trying to test him. The reason they gave sounded plausible enough, but their acting was too naive.
He knew it had to be Hermione's idea. The whole story about Dobby was just a front. Their real goal was to test him, especially when they mentioned Dobby's warning about a professor making a deal with Malfoy. The way they stared at him was impossible to ignore.
"A house-elf..."
Melvin tapped his fingers on the desk, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
---
The stone door of the portrait hole opened into the Gryffindor common room.
Harry and Hermione greeted the Fat Lady and slipped inside, seeing their classmates still crowded around the Shadow-Mirror. Ron was squeezed into a spot at the very front, so they didn't call him over, instead finding a corner to discuss their evening.
The sounds of the Shadow-Mirror occasionally drifted over.
The nature show had ended, and a Scottish Quidditch team's practice match was now playing. The players had swapped positions—the Keeper was a Seeker, and the Beaters and Chasers had switched places. They were all incredibly skilled players, but their old habits and instincts created a series of hilarious blunders that had the audience inside and outside the screen roaring with laughter.
Having grown up in the Muggle world, Harry wasn't impressed by the Shadow-Mirror, but he was fascinated by Quidditch. He found the unique match amusing, but he forced himself to stay in the corner.
Hermione wasn't in a hurry and waited for him to snap out of it. "Do you think it was Professor Lawent?"
"I was sure it was him before, but after we tested him, I'm not so certain anymore," Harry mused. "The professor doesn't seem to have any connection with Mr. Malfoy."
"What about Dobby?"
"What if... we actually try the professor's suggestion?" Harry blinked. "Malfoy agreed to the deal, so it's only fair he has to pay a price."
"Then you can find a time to talk to him," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Knowing they wouldn't come up with a better plan anytime soon, she stood up and headed back to her dorm to read.
"Was that really the professor's advice..."
Harry watched as even the smart Hermione left. He knew he wouldn't come up with a good idea on his own, so he gave up on the problem and headed straight for the Shadow-Mirror, using his Seeker's agility to squeeze his way to the front.
The funny match on the Shadow-Mirror was at its most exciting point. The score was close, and both sides were desperately trying to score.
"You're back!"
Ron was sitting in the front row, a cushion tucked under him, a plate of finger biscuits in his lap. They were honey and butter flavored, and the sweet aroma filled the air. He was munching on them loudly, and they sounded delicious.
Watching the game and eating snacks—a double dose of happiness.
Scabbers the rat was also in his pocket. Ron would grab two biscuits at a time, one for himself and one for his pet. Both boy and rat had a blissful look in their eyes.
"Yeah, the professor said no lessons tonight."
Harry reached for a biscuit, but froze when he saw Scabbers eating from the same plate. He and Ron were best friends, but that didn't extend to Scabbers. Eating from the same plate as a rat was still a bit much.
"Have some of mine..."
Ginny, sitting beside him, quietly offered him a biscuit. Her voice was soft and gentle.
"Thank you so much, Ginny!"
"You're... welcome, Harry."
Ginny lowered her head even more, pretending to ask casually, "I saw you and Hermione just got back. Where... were you?"
"Nothing, just looking for Professor Lawent."
Harry answered offhandedly. At that moment, Ramont lost a goal while playing as Keeper, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers.
Someone screamed, someone yelled, and the common room instantly became a riot of noise. Ginny's secret feelings were lost in the commotion, and no one but her noticed a thing.
---
"It's eleven o'clock..."
"Lights out..."
Percy the Prefect stood up and blocked the Shadow-Mirror. Even though he himself was unwilling, he didn't forget his duty as a Prefect, standing up and urging everyone to go back to their dorms.
Groans filled the common room.
"No, Prefect!"
"The game's not over yet!"
"Just three more minutes, no, five!"
"..."
Percy's brows furrowed. If it were just George and Fred causing a ruckus, he would have mercilessly refused, but the pleading crowd included many of his peers and even seventh-year students. This made Percy waver.
"But Professor Dumbledore said..."
"Tomorrow's Sunday! No class! It's fine if we stay up a little later, isn't it?" Dean and Seamus shouted in unison.
Seeing Percy hesitate, Lee Jordan, egged on by the twins, stood up and said with a serious face, "Percy, this match has educational value. Their strategy is very inspiring for our team. Just let us finish watching this match, and I guarantee we'll keep the Quidditch Cup in Gryffindor this year!"
Harry's mouth dropped open. How did he not see any educational value in this?
Percy was silent for a moment, then turned to their Captain, Wood, for confirmation. Oliver Wood was torn. His teammates—Angelina, the twins, Spinnet, and Bell—were all encouraging him with their eyes. The captain could only nod silently.
With a legitimate reason given, Percy couldn't go against everyone. He agreed, "All right, then. Once the match is over, everyone goes to bed!"
"Yay!"
---
It was midnight.
Percy once again stood up and blocked the Shadow-Mirror, his expression serious. "The game is over. Everyone, go back to your dorms."
"Wait, Percy!" a seventh-year student in the front row shouted.
"What is it now?"
"Now they're playing a documentary on the life of the Nundu. It's a very important part of our final exam. Let us finish this episode!"
"This..."
Percy looked at the soon-to-be graduate, and thought about his own exams next year. He nodded slowly. "All right, fine. Just this episode, and then bed."
---
It was three in the morning.
Percy took a deep breath and stood in front of the Shadow-Mirror again, his face grim. "The Nundu's migration is over. No matter what your reason is this time, I'm turning off the Shadow-Mirror!"
The students looked at each other, their eyes darting around. Was it really over this time?
On the right side of the room, George and Fred exchanged a look. George cleared his throat.
"I think Percy is right. No matter what, we should go to sleep."
"The Shadow-Mirror is great, but we should be disciplined. Let's call it a night."
Percy eyed his younger brothers suspiciously. They usually argued with him, so had they changed their ways?
As expected, George's tone changed. "However, that last part with the Nundu was so incredible, my heart is still pounding. I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I went back to my dorm."
Percy's own tired eyes narrowed. The Nundu was one of the most dangerous animals in the world. It was huge but moved silently, and its breath could wipe out an entire village. The show had just shown a hundred wizards trying to capture one, and it was certainly thrilling. His own heart was pounding, and he felt wide awake.
Fred seized the opportunity. "They're about to play Celestina Warbeck's new song. It's so soothing. Let's just listen to it to calm down before we go to sleep."
"Fine... just five minutes," Percy conceded, once again vowing that no matter what came on next or what excuse they made, he would turn off the Shadow-Mirror and fulfill his duty.
"When I was young, I'd listen to the wireless, waiting for my favorite songs..."
A light, gentle melody flowed from the Shadow-Mirror. Listening to the song, Percy's agitated heart quickly calmed. The beautiful music seemed to be urging him to close his eyes and listen. His eyelids, heavy with fatigue, fluttered and then slowly closed.
At some point, George and Fred had crept up behind him. They gave their classmates a few pointed looks, and with seven or eight pairs of hands, they lifted him onto a nearby couch. They covered him with a blanket and even rolled up some cotton candy for earplugs.
The candles and torches were all out, with only the light of the Shadow-Mirror illuminating the common room. The students, gathered around, watched with gleaming eyes.
---
The same scene was playing out in the other three Houses.
Slytherin students came from well-off families and were used to getting what they wanted. When they found a fun new toy, they wanted to play with it to their heart's content. The Shadow-Mirror was so engaging, and the more they watched, the more energized they felt. No one wanted to stop.
The Ravenclaw students were more rational. They carefully considered the situation: tomorrow was Sunday, the Shadow-Mirror was only on during the weekend, and the shows even had information relevant to their exams... After a thorough analysis, they decided to stay up all night!
The Hufflepuff students were different. They didn't hesitate at all, laughing as they gathered around the Shadow-Mirror. Some even took a trip to the kitchens and returned with snacks and sweets, munching happily while they watched.
Students from Muggle families, who had seen television before, were not as obsessed. But for the pureblood children, it was like a new world had opened up, and they couldn't get enough.