Hogwarts Outsider - Chapter 176: “Beginning”

However, Professor Slughorn’s prediction did not seem to materialize.

For an extended period after Valentine’s Day, the Hogwarts campus remained relatively quiet. It appeared to be business as usual, maintaining its usual air of calm.

This temporary calmness did provide Matthew with some relief, as his perpetually tense nerves eased ever so slightly.

The Easter holiday was swiftly approaching, leaving only ten weeks until the final exams.

However, unlike the relatively carefree Christmas break, the Easter holiday brought with it a barrage of homework assigned by every class’s instructors.

This burden weighed heavily on many students, eliciting sighs of resignation.

…

The first day of the Easter dawned bright and early.

Matthew, setting out from the Slytherin common room, had a destination in mind – the library.

As he exited the library doors, he nearly collided head-on with Shafiq. “Good morning!” Matthew greeted her cheerfully.

However, Shafiq responded with a cold nod, her demeanor distant.

She briskly made her way into the library, with Matthew following suit.

The library was relatively empty at this early hour.

Matthew glanced out the window, taking note of the fantastic weather.

It was a rare day, characterized by an exceptionally clear sky, the hue reminiscent of forget-me-not flowers.

The scent of summer lingered in the air.

Amidst this picturesque scene, something peculiar caught Matthew’s attention.

An animal was prowling on the emerald green lawn near the castle, lurking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Matthew squinted his eyes, trying to identify the creature.

Was it a cat?

With time, he recognized the bottle-brush tail and ginger-colored fur. It was undoubtedly Crookshanks.

It piqued Matthew’s curiosity; what was Crookshanks up to? He paused to observe the cat’s actions.

The large, squashed-faced cat continued to wander around the castle’s lawn, seemingly waiting for something.

Suddenly, a small figure emerged from the castle’s corner.

Matthew strained his eyes, but the figure was too diminutive to identify.

Fortunately, a brass telescope on one of the bookshelves caught his eye.

He swiftly grabbed the binoculars, rushed back to the window, and opened it.

Adjusting the focus, he eventually managed to see the small figure clearly.

It appeared to be a mouse, and it was interacting with Crookshanks!

As Matthew’s gaze focused on the mouse, it darted back into the castle.

While its gray fur remained the only distinguishing feature he could discern.

A cat and a mouse forming an unlikely friendship struck Matthew as rather amusing.

He couldn’t help but wonder about the significance of this encounter.

…

Back in the library, more students began to trickle in. The impending final exams had triggered a surge of students preparing for their studies.

Some were reviewing their material, others were tackling their voluminous homework assignments, and the library’s hush began to fill with a bustling atmosphere.

With the library becoming increasingly crowded, it transformed into a hub of academic activity.

Despite Madam Pince’s efforts to restore order with stern rebukes, the noise persisted, returning mere moments after each admonishment.

Unable to endure the clamor any longer, Matthew decided to relocate to a classroom.

Several minutes later, he arrived on the fourth-floor landing outside a classroom dedicated to spells.

This area typically saw fewer students, making it a more peaceful study environment.

Just as he was about to enter the spell classroom, a familiar figure ascending the inclined staircase caught his eye.

Excitement surged within him, and he hurriedly approached. At the top of the stairs, he spotted the back of a girl—a girl he recognized!

It was Elaine Shafiq!

Matthew’s face contorted in confusion.

It seemed almost impossible.

He had just seen Shafiq in the library, deeply engrossed in her studies.

There was no reason for her to leave the library at the same time as him and arrive on the fourth floor almost simultaneously.

The notion of two Elaine Shafiqs existing at once crossed his mind but felt absurd.

Matthew, exercising caution, refrained from approaching her or asking any questions.

He watched, intrigued yet apprehensive, as events continued to unfold.

The peculiar friendship between Crookshanks and the mouse, the sudden appearance of two Shafiqs, and the eerie calm that had settled over Hogwarts in recent months all coalesced into an unsettling atmosphere.

Could it be that the “swift change” predicted by Professor Slughorn was now upon them?

…

Meanwhile, let’s return our focus to the mouse Matthew had observed earlier.

This mouse was undeniably unique, its fur a striking shade of gray.

It had a rather bedraggled appearance, but its actions spoke of a purpose-driven determination.

After parting ways with Crookshanks, the mouse ventured carefully into the castle.

Under the cover of the early morning, with few people around in the castle’s corridors, it made swift progress.

Its journey led it to a peculiar location—an area guarded by a grotesque stone statue.

Nearby, a small hole in the ground caught the mouse’s attention.

Over the course of months, it had evidently worked diligently to create this tunnel, and now it had a specific purpose in mind.

Entering the tunnel, the mouse found itself spiraling upward, almost like an escalator.

Higher and higher it ascended until, at last, it reached a shiny oak door.

This door featured an ornate brass door knocker, a fusion of a lion and an eagle.

To those familiar with Hogwarts, this was unmistakably the principal’s office—a space that belonged to Professor Grindelwald.

It was hard to fathom that the principal’s office, a place of immense power and significance, would be left so unprotected, allowing a mere mouse to access it with ease.

However, the mouse did not appear intent on entering the office.

Instead, it waited patiently, as if preparing for something significant.

Soon, a soft meow pierced the silence.

A tabby cat materialized in the room, and, with a quick transformation, it became a stern-looking woman.

She sported square glasses and an emerald green cloak, her dark hair pinned neatly.

Gazing upon the hidden door, Professor Minerva McGonagall’s excitement was palpable.

“I believe we’ve found it, Peter,” she declared, her voice trembling. “The means to confront Grindelwald…”

…

Two figures, one tall and one short, entered through the hidden door within the principal’s office.

Inside, they found themselves in a peculiar space surrounded by utter darkness.

Above them, the starry sky shone brightly, an unusual sight given the time of day.

It was as though they had materialized on the rooftop of Hogwarts.

Two stone steles stood before them, one tall and one short. The taller one bore a multitude of student names inscribed upon it.

At its apex, the shorter stele displayed a single name, one that ignited excitement within them: “Albus Dumbledore.”

However, there were faint traces of darkness that lingered around the name.

Minerva McGonagall brimmed with enthusiasm, although it was clear she was working hard to maintain her composure.

She brandished her wand and aimed it at the stone monument in front of her, whispering an incantation.

It was a lengthy process, but as time passed, the darkness surrounding the name “Albus Dumbledore” began to recede visibly, shrinking at a discernible rate.

“Ancient and venerable Hogwarts,” Professor McGonagall murmured softly, her voice filled with reverence. “Awaken your sentience. Cast aside the usurper and welcome the true master of your choosing.”

As the last vestiges of darkness dissipated, the stone monument began to tremble.

…

Meanwhile, Matthew was seated in the Great Hall, enjoying his lunch.

Suddenly, the golden dinner plate before him started to clatter, and his goblet trembled.

The entire dining hall began to shake and sway, as if caught in the throes of an earthquake.

An earthquake? But that was impossible. “A History of Hogwarts” had recorded the school’s imperviousness to earthquakes, fortified by potent protective magic.

Even a magnitude 9 earthquake in Glasgow wouldn’t elicit a tremor within these walls.

“Everyone, please evacuate Hogwarts orderly, follow your prefects instructions!” Professor Rosier’s composed voice echoed through the hall.

The announcement was met with a mix of confusion and anxiety among the students.