Return of Salazar Slytherin

64- Daphne was implicated

"Hmm?" Rhys withdrew his gaze from the playground and looked at Daphne.

The little witch was wearing a thick winter cloak, a silver-green scarf around her neck, her face flushed, and a complex look flashing in her eyes, as if she owed him a lot of favors and a lot of money.

"I mean, we are friends, right? But I feel like I have been asking for benefits from you unilaterally, whether it's magic, medicine for my sister, or that necklace - I-I'm wondering what I can do to help you?"

Rhys laughed dumbly.

Does he need help?

Indeed.

He wanted to dispel the pollution attached to Rowena Ravenclaw's soul, he wanted to know the whereabouts of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, he wanted to suppress those dark creatures, let Hogwarts and the wizarding world survive well, he wanted to reverse the reputation of the Slytherin House...

He wanted to do too many things, but how could a young witch like Daphne, who had just entered school, help with these things?

"Helping me with my homework assignments is enough." After thinking about it, he felt that this was the most reliable favor.

As for Daphne's thoughts, he also roughly understood that the child was well-educated, even though sometimes childish - as a child should be - she had a sense of shame, and knew how to repay a favor, which was a good thing. 

However, the necklace was a gift from him as a teacher and friend, and Astoria's medical materials were bought from him by her father with real money.

He taught her magic just because he couldn't bear to waste her talent - her family background also played a very large role.

Rhys had a natural affinity for hardworking and diligent students, but he wasn't as invested in Hermione as he was in Daphne. This was something deeply ingrained in him; he found it difficult to completely trust Muggle-born witches and wizards, though he wouldn't go as far as the pure-blood families with their obsessive discrimination.

Moreover, when Daphne completed her studies, she was expected to contribute to Hogwarts, Slytherin, and the magical world at large. Magic wasn't learned without purpose.

Listening to Rhys, Daphne rolled her eyes.

"I'm already helping you by writing your papers! Do you think those History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts essays grow on trees? Pick something else."

Daphne's words sparked a twinge of guilt in Rhys. How old was he, making a young girl write his assignments?

But writing those pointless things was a waste of life!

"Daphne, for subjects like this... next time, have someone else write your papers too. You're different from them; don't waste your time on these useless assignments," Rhys decided.

Assignments were important, but not every subject held equal weight.

Daphne was stunned and nodded instinctively.

She hadn't thought of that. Having seniors write her papers? It made sense—she also felt that writing History of Magic assignments was a huge waste of time.

But she put the assignment issue aside; there was something more important!

Seeing Daphne's persistence, Rhys felt a headache coming on. Fortunately, he had a sudden flash of inspiration, thinking of a brilliant idea that could solve two problems at once.

"Actually, there is something I need your help with."

"Tell me!" Daphne felt a surge of excitement.

"I have a feeling your theory was correct the other day. There's likely more than just a three-headed dog behind the corridor on the third floor. Can you help me investigate what Professor Dumbledore might be hiding at the school? I really don't have the time to look into it myself. You know how busy I've been lately."

Daphne nodded enthusiastically, her entire demeanor brightening: if she could uncover what Dumbledore was hiding, it would definitely be a huge help to Rhys, right?

However, her good mood didn't even last until sunset, as she soon realized a significant challenge in exploring the third-floor corridor: she couldn't find a way past the three-headed dog!

The books she consulted didn't document any weaknesses of the creature.

What was she supposed to do?

Frustrated, Daphne considered asking Rhys to teach her how to brew a calming potion, but that seemed absurd! 'Rhys wanted me to explore because he hasn't got time but asking his help for brewing that potion...'

The thought that she might be useless in helping Rhys without Rhys' help left Daphne feeling so distressed that she couldn't sleep.

Late at night, unable to rest, Daphne got out of bed and left her dormitory.

She wasn't planning to recklessly storm into the three-headed dog's territory and defeat it with the spells Rhys had taught her and the necklace he had given her. She just wanted to take a walk.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, Daphne found herself standing in front of the library.

She blinked, internally mocking herself for visiting the library so frequently.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a blood-curdling scream suddenly erupted from within the library.

The sound pierced through the quiet night and was not a brief shriek but a high-pitched, continuous, deafening scream.

Daphne: ?!

What was happening?

She was stunned by the sudden turn of events. The next moment, she had no time to stand there in shock, as she heard the chaotic sounds of footsteps coming from both sides of the corridor.

The castle caretaker and the night-watch professors!

The blood drained from Daphne's face. She regretted deeply that in the three months of learning magic from Rhys, she hadn't learned his Disillusionment Charm.

With no way out and both ends blocked, Daphne had no choice but to enter the library, hoping to find a hiding spot inside.

She had barely taken a few steps after opening the door when she collided with something.

Daphne: ???

Suddenly, Harry's head appeared out of thin air. Before Daphne could scream, his entire body materialized.

"Shh!" Harry gestured for silence and then threw a very strange-feeling cloak over her.

Daphne felt like her brain had shut down, but Harry didn't have time to explain. He mustered unprecedented strength, practically dragging Daphne as they ran.

At the library entrance, they brushed past Filch, whose furious pale eyes looked straight through their bodies.

Harry and Daphne carefully evaded the enraged Filch and ran down the corridor like headless chickens.

Harry's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Snape's shadow, spurring him to run even faster.

After a wild dash, the two finally skidded to a halt in front of a locked door at the end of the corridor, gasping for breath.

"Harry... Potter... what are you up to?!" Daphne, having caught her breath, almost shouted in a mix of shock and anger.

"Uh... I opened a book in the library and then..."

Daphne's eyes went black. "Why on earth were you messing around with books in the Restricted Section?"

"Curiosity."

Daphne: "..."

She felt a throbbing pain in her temples.

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