Chapter 21
In the school hospital, several professors were visiting the two injured individuals. Madam Pomfrey poured a large bottle of potion down the throats of the two little lions, revealing pleasure... a loving smile amidst their expressions of pain.
"Get some sleep; after a night, these injuries will heal."
After saying this, Madam Pomfrey turned to look at the other professors, signaling them to leave. The imposing presence of the three great witch of Hogwarts could even make someone as powerful as Dumbledore feel awkward. The professors quickly vacated Madam Pomfrey's territory.
Speaking of the three great witch of Hogwarts, they are Madam Pomfrey from the school hospital, Madam Pince from the library, and Mrs. Norris, the cat of the caretaker Argus Filch.
In the school hospital, if a student dares to defy Madam Pomfrey, they will undoubtedly experience a desire to die. As a healer of Hufflepuff origin with medical ethics, she wouldn't really resort to dark methods, but a little hint and a potion with varying flavours are enough to handle any troublemaking students.
Madam Pince from the library represents a different kind of authority; in the entire school library, only she has the right to loudly reprimand students who make noise, accompanied by the waving of a feather duster to chase away the few who dare to challenge her authority.
Gryffindor students feel this the most deeply; the so-called courage and spirit of resistance are worthless in Madam Pince's eyes, perhaps equivalent to the dust on the books, which is merely an eyesore that must be swept away.
As for Mrs. Norris, during the day, she is not particularly loved, but at night, she is like a ghost, her silent figure turning countless students who enjoy night explorations into free labor. As long as a student is present, Mrs. Norris can find them instinctively, and even Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak cannot prevent her approach.
No one dares to disrespect Mrs. Norris because behind her is not just the mute caretaker Filch, but all the professors and Headmaster Dumbledore; she embodies the entire school rules of Hogwarts.
While Harry Potter lay quietly in the school hospital recovering, Hermione arrived on the eighth floor and knocked on the door of Regulus' exclusive room.
Originally, the Room of Requirement would not transform into another room while someone was using it. This means that once someone checks in, the cluttered Room of Requirement cannot be opened again.
Even when moving the Vanishing Cabinet, Regulus must first leave his exclusive room, then open the 'I need a place to hide something' room, store the Vanishing Cabinet in the system, and then bring it back to his exclusive room.
As for who is currently using the Room of Requirement, the style of the door will indicate that. Each time a new room is set, the door's style will change.
Moreover, in addition to changing the door style, the room can also be set to determine who can use it, unless the setter has already left Hogwarts or has hidden their exclusive room.
However, Regulus did not hide his room; after opening his exclusive room, he kept the door exposed.
The entire door is a large mirror, adorned with metal vine-like decorations at the corners. This mirror can be used by anyone passing by outside and can also be used by those inside the room, but to enter through the mirror, one must know the spell; it certainly won't be "Open Sesame."
Hermione held a handkerchief that Regulus had casually given her the day the troll appeared, right after she emerged from the stall.
At that time, although she couldn't see him, she naturally accepted it. With Hermione's intelligence, she would naturally become interested in the fancy lettering on the handkerchief later.
Especially after confirming that the person who had saved her at that time was Regulus and knowing he lived behind the mirror door on the eighth floor, Hermione thought of the handkerchief's purpose.
However, what Hermione didn't know was that this handkerchief only worked in her hands; it would be useless for anyone else to use it to wipe the mirror.
After casting the spell, the mirror rippled like water, and Hermione boldly stepped inside.
The octagonal room, which is close to circular, is spacious and bright, with a large bed in the corner that makes one want to roll around on it. Apart from the entrance and the mirror on the wall, the only other feature is the huge Hogwarts crest on the opposite wall.
The other six walls on the left and right sides are partially covered by curtains, but it can be seen that most of them are filled with books and magical tools. One wall is lined with cabinets full of potions, and in this corner, various types of cauldrons are neatly arranged, including some protected by magic that are brewing potions with unknown effects.
Although it was somewhat surprising to be able to enter, Hermione felt more disappointment, as the person she was looking for was not here.
"Ka-ta! Ka! Ka! Ka! Zhi… Ding!"
A strange mechanical sound rang out, finally stopping behind Hermione.
Feeling as if she was being watched, Hermione stiffly turned around to find a puppet dressed in a Gothic maid outfit in front of her.
"Welcome! Miss Hermione, how may I assist you?"
With a cold, expressionless face, it spoke the standard maid's phrases without any enthusiasm.
"Um! I… I'm here to find the teaching assistant. If he's not here, I'll just leave."
Hermione tried to bypass the puppet to escape, but it reached out a hand to block her, its blade-like fingers gleaming.
"Mr. Black has instructed that if Miss Hermione visits, please wait for a moment."
The puppet guided Hermione toward a set of coffee tables, indicating that she could choose any seat she liked. Hermione then noticed that none of the coffee tables and chairs around were the same; although they were scattered around a central table, it didn't feel chaotic, instead exuding a casual sense of comfort.
Choosing a sofa that was just the right height and size, Hermione sank into it, feeling as if she were wrapped up like a child, a sense of safety washing over her.
Due to the incident with the troll on Halloween, where Regulus intervened, Hermione hadn't increased her friendship with the other two, nor did she learn about the Philosopher's Stone from Harry Potter, and she didn't suspect Snape.
However, this did not stop the boys' hostility toward the Slytherin head, especially after losing the Quidditch match; even in British football, there are thugs, and Quidditch naturally has its share of them as well.
Ron was particularly fanatical about Quidditch; both of his brothers were beaters, and he wanted to become a Quidditch player himself, so he was naturally hostile toward Hermione's comments favoring Snape.
"Miss Hermione! Do you know what the outside world is like? I was assembled by the master in this room and have never left it. So, if you could tell me some stories from the outside, I would be very grateful!"
The voice of [Zero] shifted Hermione's attention, waking the drowsy little girl up.
The studious Hermione immediately switched to 'mentor mode,' starting to share everything she knew with [Zero].
Hermione poured out her thoughts to [Zero] like spilling beans, talking about everything since the start of school, the differences between the wizarding world and the Muggle world, and the discovery of a three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor on the third floor.
[Zero] was undoubtedly the best listener and the best conversational partner; no matter what Hermione said, it would respond with agreement, questions, or doubts at key points.
This made Hermione become almost chatty, feeling that [Zero] could be her best friend, as their compatibility was incredibly high.
From the moment Hermione entered the exclusive room, Regulus had already known, but he couldn't rush back just yet; after the little girl had broken up on the Quidditch pitch, he had gone to a place called the Valley.