HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 136 The Coming Storm

"Young master, there are rats in the school. We suspect they've been there since before the first competition."

"Hmm, it seems this upcoming match won't be too peaceful."

"Lyra, ask my father for someone. Her name is Evelyn Petrie. Get her into school as soon as possible. I'm going to find Gellert now."

Emeric immediately thought of this woman. She had a better grasp of the overall situation than he did and could break the deadlock in a very short time. With her around, there was basically no need to worry about Harry's safety.

"Why did you call me here?" Gellert was puzzled. They usually talked directly in the principal's office, so this unusual situation made him wonder.

"Gellert, there are rats in Hogwarts. We don't know which side they're on, so we need to find them as soon as possible. At the very least, we need to have our people at every door." Emeric tilted his head, revealing a malicious smile. "What do you think Dumbledore will do if he finds out we've locked down the school?"

"Airi, stop messing around. Al didn't do it on purpose. We already identified that rat; it's Wormtail." Gellert remarked that the people from Emerick were quite capable, managing to find clues before the incident even occurred.

"I wasn't making a fuss, I just made a suggestion. If you don't want to do it, then don't." Emeric shrugged indifferently. He had other ways to annoy Dumbledore, like Barty Crouch Jr., so this was just one more.

"Stop messing with him," Gellert said, feeling a headache coming on. Emerick wasn't exactly a well-behaved kid. He continued, "We've got a lead from our previous investigation. Bellatrix Lestrange should have a Horcrux. You and Albus now have a common enemy. Don't fight amongst yourselves."

"Alright."

"I know I've wronged you, I'm sorry, my child." Gellert still felt sorry for Emeric; he knew what the boy was angry about.

"It's nothing, I won't make things difficult for you." Emeric bowed his head and agreed. He couldn't bear to see Gellert caught in the middle. It was just forgiving Dumbledore once.

"I've borrowed Ms. Petri; you can go directly to her if you need her."

"Of course." Gellert patted Emeric's head. His little cub had grown so much, but he was still as sweet as ever.

at the same time

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I need to speak with you." Barty the Younger stopped Dumbledore; he had something to tell him.

"Great! The school year is almost over. Have you thought about what you're going to do next?"

"not yet."

The two chatted until they found a secluded corner, where Little Barty rolled up his sleeve to reveal the mark. "It's been burning hot for the past few days, and it's getting worse."

"That's really not good news. Thank you, I'll be careful." Dumbledore patted his head and handed him a box of candy, as if coaxing a child. He continued, "If it's really serious, don't resist. I know you're a good boy. Just protect yourself."

Barty stared blankly at Dumbledore's departing figure. He hadn't expected to hear such words, let alone be advised to go and just protect himself.

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"It's strange, I haven't seen Erik these past few days. Gale, do you know where he went?" Dumbledore thought about it and found it increasingly strange. Logically, he should see Erik at least once a week, but now it had been almost half a month since he last saw him.

"You finally figured it out?" Gellert didn't know whether to be relieved or speechless. If Emerick didn't want to see someone, he could hide forever. Was Dumbledore a little too slow to realize it now?

"What's going on? Logically, if he's angry, he should be arguing with me. It shouldn't have been peaceful for so long."

"You really want to know?"

Hearing the doubt in Gellert's voice, Dumbledore was displeased. "Of course."

"Well, I'll tell you then. Do you remember the match a while back? Didn't you want to take Eli prisoner?" Gellert paused, making sure he remembered, before continuing, "Afraid of putting you in a difficult position, Eli has been avoiding Karkaroff ever since he arrived. But you almost let him stand right in front of Karkaroff, completely disregarding everything he did."

"Given that he's been fighting Karkaroff for so many years, you're basically helping his enemy find him. How can you not be angry?"

Dumbledore felt a little wronged. He really didn't mean it that way. He had approached Emeric to reassure Harry, as older brothers made Harry feel safer than peers. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just worried that Harry might make a mistake in the competition."

"Eri knows it wasn't intentional, otherwise it would be Calvin talking to you right now. He's upset that you didn't ask for his opinion and just told him to take the risk. I know there's no danger, but what if? What if they encounter danger?"

"I understand, Gale." Dumbledore sighed. He thought he should apologize. "If I apologize, will Allie forgive me? How did you resolve the situation when you upset him before?"

"Bake him a cookie by hand, then tell him he knows he was wrong and that it's a gift to apologize. Usually, he falls for it." This is Gellert's experience, based on his past experience of thinking children were easy to fool and making them cry several times.

"What about in non-normal circumstances?"

"Uh...it's unusual. You'll have to ask Snape about that. I've never argued with Ellie to this extent, nor have his fathers."

"What use are you?"

Dumbledore went to the kitchen, intending to try Gellert's method. The situation was becoming increasingly dire; he couldn't afford to lose an ally at this crucial moment. For the greater good, anything was worth the sacrifice.

"Hey Severus, is Allie here?"

"He's not here. Why are you looking for him?"

"I recently had a small argument with him and I'd like to talk to him. Do you know where he is?"

"have no idea."

"A minor conflict? That's easy for you to say," Severus scoffed inwardly. Emeric had already told him about it. Knowing full well the unusual nature of Emeric's blood, wanting him to take such a risk at this crucial moment was practically suicide.

"I'll be going now, it's my turn to patrol tonight." Severus grabbed his wand and left the cellar. Dumbledore's hypocrisy disgusted him. In his pocket, a kitten was listlessly munching on its paws.

"Hufflepuff deduct five points."

"Gryffindor -5 points."

He kept taking off his hat as he walked.

This was originally supposed to be the work of the ghosts, but because Severus enjoyed it, it was kept as a pastime for the professors.

Severus held his wand in one hand and reached into his pocket with the other to play with his cat. As he turned the corner, he saw a dark figure standing there, and he tensed up and approached.

"Hello, Mr. Snape. I am Evelyn Petrie, or should I call you Madam Petrie?"

Evelyn's words immediately made Severus's face darken. He raised his wand and pointed it at her head. "Madam, what did you just say? I didn't hear you."

"Just kidding. I'm here to accompany you, so please take care of me in the future." Evelyn finished speaking and gave an elegant bow. "Don't worry, I have all the necessary paperwork to get into Hogwarts, and I even waited an extra week for it."

"Oh."