HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

Chapter 119 Lyra's Date (1)

Lyra, who slipped out of the castle and headed for the Forbidden Forest, was unaware that she was essentially brushing past Professor McGonagall, who was chasing Gryffindor students to sleep.

But Leila's luck may have run out tonight.

She spent most of the day carrying a large amount of food and calling out in the forbidden forest. Then she searched for a long time near the common bushes for traces of the big black dog, but didn't find a single dog hair. Finally, she was so tired that she had no choice but to return to her dormitory to sleep.

Then, as soon as they stepped into the castle, before they could even be surprised by the bright lights and bustling noise inside, they were caught red-handed by Professor Snape, who was leading the search of the castle.

Not only did they lose thirty points for Gryffindor, but they were also severely berated by Professors Snape and McGonagall.

Under Professor Snape's terrifying scrutiny and Professor McGonagall's furious rebuke, Lyra, who had finally managed to explain that she had only gone for a nighttime walk by the lake, dragged her tired body back to the Gryffindor common room.

Lyra then learned from her friends what had happened while she was away from the castle—Sirius Black had broken into Harry's bedroom with a knife.

But after Ron found the wrong bed and screamed in terror, the notorious Azkaban fugitive escaped unharmed.

“But how did Black know the password to the Gryffindor common room?” Lyra asked, puzzled. “To be honest, even we ourselves are getting confused about how often Sir Cadogan changes his passwords—”

George gestured for Lyra to turn around. In a corner of Gryffindor, there crouched Neville, a chubby junior schoolboy wearing fluffy slippers, who occasionally let out a sob.

Well, Lyra gave her a sympathetic look. Judging from Professor McGonagall's furious outburst just now, Neville's days ahead are definitely going to be tough.

The portrait of the Fat Lady of Gryffindor has returned, and Sir Cadogan, who made a grave mistake, has been dismissed.

After searching the entire castle overnight to no avail, the professors unanimously strengthened the castle's security measures: photos of the fugitive Blake were passed around for identification; guards were placed at every entrance; and every small crack and even rat hole in the castle was nailed shut.

But some people, like Harry and Ron, noticed that the fourth floor leading to the One-Eyed Witch statue in Honeyduke was still unguarded and had not been sealed off by the professors—indicating that the secret passage had not yet been discovered.

“This means we’re the only ones who know about this secret passage,” Ron said excitedly. “Except for Fred, George, and Lyra, of course, but they certainly won’t tell anyone.”

Harry hesitated about whether to confess to the professors, but Ron rejected the idea without hesitation.

“If Blake broke into the castle through this secret passage, we should have heard about the break-in at Honeydukes by now,” Ron said confidently.

Harry was persuaded, though it's hard to say whether it was because deep down he didn't want to reveal the secret passage, since the next trip to Hogsmeade was just around the corner.

*

The date for the third Hogsmeade of the semester has been announced, and the students, who are under the close supervision of their professors, are excited and eagerly anticipating it.

Lyra has received many invitations, and even though rumors are circulating in Gryffindor that she already has a date, many boys are still full of anticipation.

Lyra's last Hogsmeade date was Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, and many people thought they would become a couple, but until now, Lyra and Diggory still seem to be just good friends.

Lyra White, this aloof Gryffindor rose, remains unpicked by anyone.

George and Fred remained unmoved by the numerous invitations their friends received—they both believed the rumors about Lyra's appointment were just that—and that the three of them would simply go and restock some prank props and materials as usual.

By Saturday morning, Leila had deftly dodged Fred's arm as it reached for her neck.

"So the rumors are true! You really made plans with someone else?" Fred and George said indignantly.

Feeling betrayed by their companion, the two red-haired, freckled creatures' resentment nearly escalated into a physical collapse that crushed Lyra's thin, frail body.

“It’s for work,” Leila declared, “the editor wants to talk to me about the subject matter for our next book.”

Alright, the royalties are crucial to the three of them's dream of opening a shop—it's the funding for experimental materials!

Fred and George immediately changed their expressions, showing their support considerately, and even offered to help Lyra cover her tracks to prevent others from spying on her.

Lyra wrapped her black cloak tighter around herself and slipped quietly past the One-Eyed Witch statue into Honeydukes Sweets Shop, becoming the first student to arrive at Hogsmeade.

After Leila had been browsing through a large number of newly stocked candy stores with great interest, and had spent ten minutes selecting a basket full of candies of various colors, a tall, handsome man with dark skin and long, narrow, golden-brown eyes appeared in the store.

He smiled and took the heavy basket from Leila's hands, beckoned to the waiter, and paid the bill with an air of elegance.