The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 190 New Goals

Chapter 190 A New Goal (Double the Monthly Tickets Requested)

Just a moment before he looked up, Lin Qi's sharp eyes caught a subtle and swift movement—

Ginny seemed to be frantically stuffing something into the lining of her robe before pushing herself up with her hands, looking bewildered and confused. She rubbed her sore arm, her eyes unfocused, filled with lingering fear.

"Professor Lynch?" Ginny's voice was choked with sobs and panic. "What—what just happened? I think I was suddenly pulled by something and fell down—"

As she spoke, she subconsciously rubbed the waist of her robe, which had been pulled by the invisible rope, with her palm.

Lynch's face instantly switched to a reassuring, warm smile, and his eyes softened, dispelling the previous sharpness.

He explained patiently, his tone gentle, as if he were talking about something not too serious: "Don't be afraid, Ginny. It was a bit of an emergency just now. A really fierce-looking snake suddenly appeared near your feet; it looked venomous."

I was afraid it would hurt you. So I used a little spell to pull you here, but I probably didn't control the power well and you fell and hurt yourself. I'm so sorry.

"A snake?" Ginny's breathing quickened slightly. "Where?"

"Relax," he raised his right hand, palm down, making a soothing downward pressure motion. "You see,"

It was frightened away by the noise and disappeared under the stairs or into a crack in the wall.

He maintained his smile and extended his hand, saying, "Come on, try standing up first, see if you've hurt yourself anywhere."

Ginny hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on Lynch's outstretched hand and used it to stand up.

But when she tried to put her weight on her right foot, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to hiss softly and sway. She quickly gripped Lin Qi's hand tighter to regain her balance.

"My elbows and knees hurt a bit when I fell—" she whispered, looking down at her feet. "My ankle seems twisted too; it hurts when I put weight on it."

Lynch nodded. "Yes, it's probably just some sprains and scrapes, nothing serious. We'll have Mrs. Pomfrey take care of it later. A little White Essence or a healing spell will do the trick, and it'll heal quickly. It won't affect your class tomorrow."

Then, seemingly casually, he asked, "But Ginny, why are you walking alone down this secluded corridor so late at night?"

Ginny shrugged and answered timidly, "I... I was supposed to be in the dueling club activity in the auditorium—but I wanted to go to the restroom. But everyone was watching the duels in the auditorium, and I couldn't find anyone to go with—I had no choice but to come out by myself..."

Her voice trailed off, then she glanced timidly, still fearful, at the stairwell: "How could there be poisonous snakes in the castle? I've never heard of such a thing—"

Lynch maintained his patient expression and said casually, "That's precisely what's worrying. It seems some corners of the castle need a thorough cleaning. I'll remind Mr. Filch to keep an eye on this tomorrow."

"I'll take you to the school clinic for treatment first, then I'll take you back to the tower. From now on, no matter what, you must find someone to walk with you at night, okay?"

As he spoke, Lin Qi casually waved his right hand toward the empty corridor beside him.

The door to a classroom in the distance opened, and a chair flew in swiftly, landing steadily on the stone floor. The chair even had a soft velvet cushion.

Ginny watched the skillful, silent magic with a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"Sit down," Lynch gestured. "It's much more comfortable than walking."

Ginny did as instructed, carefully hopping on one foot and landing in the chair. The chair seemed to adjust its height automatically, making her more stable.

Lynch waved his hand again, making a gentle lifting motion. The chair floated smoothly off the ground, hovering about a foot above the ground. It adjusted slightly forward and backward, then drifted steadily forward at a pace that matched Lynch's walking speed perfectly.

They walked through the corridor in this peculiar silence.

The floating chairs glided silently across the ground. Ginny gripped the armrests tightly, her red hair like a faint flame in the dim light. The visors of the armor on either side reflected a cold light from the wall lamps, and the figures in the portraits watched the quietly passing procession with curiosity. Only Lynch's footsteps echoed softly between the stone walls, his gaze sweeping across every shadowy corner.

The double wooden doors of the school hospital slid open silently as they approached.

Mrs. Pomfrey was preparing to rest when she saw the chair floating in and Lynch beside it. She paused for a moment, then quickly walked over.

"What's going on this time?" she asked, her gaze falling on Ginny's sprained ankle.

Lynch gently lowered the chair to the ground. "I tripped and fell, sprained my ankle, and have some scrapes. Thank you for your help."

Mrs. Pomfrey immediately busied herself, moving Ginny from the chair to the bed.

Lin Qi waved his hand again, and the wooden chair disappeared silently as if it had melted into the air.

Mrs. Pomfrey worked quickly and efficiently, and soon found out that in addition to abrasions on her elbows and knees, her ankles were indeed severely sprained.

She quickly treated the injury with potions and spells, and told Ginny to move around as little as possible that night.

After treating her injuries, Lynch escorted Ginny back to the entrance of the Gryffindor Tower.

The plump lady was getting impatient and muttered, "It's past curfew."

Lynch explained, "Miss Weasley had a minor accident and was slightly injured. She just finished getting treatment at Mrs. Pomfrey's."

The plump lady yawned. "Good heavens, it's so late! Oh, poor child—well, come on in, go and rest!"

"Go straight back to your dormitory and rest, Miss Weasley. Don't wander around anymore. Remember Madam Pomfrey's instructions." Lynch stood outside the cave entrance, smiling as he instructed, "More importantly, remember what I told you: never go out alone again, especially at night. Safety first."

"I understand, Professor. Thank you," Ginny replied softly, then lowered her head and quickly slipped into the common room.

The portrait-shaped opening closed in front of me.

Lynch turned and left.

The smile on his face faded like the tide, and he returned to his usual calm.

The image of Ginny hiding something kept replaying in his mind.

That movement—hasty, stealthy, carrying a sense of panic at being caught in the act.

What could that be?

In that instant when she was suddenly pulled to the ground, her first reaction was to try to hide something.

This is highly unusual in itself.

Recalling his judgment about the blood-written words on the wall of the corridor where Mrs. Lorris was attacked, Lynch realized that a new target that needed close attention had emerged in his field of vision.