Chapter 131: Zhang Qiu

"Good, another item checked off." After leaving the tower, Zhang Qiu marked a check on her notebook. "But Ron and Hermione will never argue over Crookshanks."

"Why not?" Harry asked casually. "Oh, maybe Divination predicted Crookshanks would eat Scabbers, but Scabbers is in Azkaban now."

"Could you somehow get Neville to write the password on a small slip of paper, then steal it? Preferably have Crookshanks steal it." Zhang Qiu frowned as she flipped through her notebook. "Or pretend to be Blackie and scare Dean Thomas? You'd need a knife too."

"These prophecies are ridiculous." Harry sighed. "And now that Sirius's matter is settled, none of it lines up anymore—never will."

"Yes, even then it wouldn't work." Zhang Qiu mused. "It feels so off. Could you have slipped off to Hogsmeade and been caught by Snape, who then confiscated the Marauder's Map?"

"Which one?" Harry blinked. "Wait, why would I sneak off to Hogsmeade? I go openly. You're not seriously suggesting Divination made me skip Potions class?"

"Then settle for this: invite Snape to go to Hogsmeade with you. Don't forget to show him the Marauder's Map." Zhang Qiu spoke wearily.

So, on the weekend of that week, Harry invited Professor Snape to accompany him to meet Caven Sanster. It became one of the most awkward memories of his life. Snape's face remained cold; he barely responded to anything Harry said. When asked about his relationship with Caven, Snape merely frowned, recalled for a moment, then coldly uttered, "Classmate."

Worse still, when they actually arrived in Hogsmeade, they found that Sanster's Gobstones Shop had been abandoned. Harry guessed Mr. Sanster had fled to America, terrified by rumors of Voldemort's return.

"Then perhaps we should…" Harry struggled to say "go back to school," but Zhang Qiu interrupted him.

"Let's go have something at the Three Broomsticks, please, Professor." She nearly begged Snape to stay with Harry.

"Fine." Snape said flatly.

Inside the Three Broomsticks, Harry ordered three butterbeers with ease. Just as he was suffering under Snape's oppressive silence, someone successfully drew Snape's attention.

"What year are you in?" He frowned and walked over to "Cassandra." "This drink is too strong for you."

"Don't look at her, Professor, come here." Zhang Qiu hurriedly pulled Snape away. "Harry has something wonderful to show you."

"What is it?" Snape snapped impatiently.

"Uh, it's a piece of parchment." Harry pulled out the map, but he didn't want to reveal its secrets. "It's so… parchment-y."

"I haven't time for your nonsense." Snape tapped the map irritably with his wand. "Reveal your secret!"

Words began to appear steadily across the map's surface, like Tom's diary.

"Moony praises Professor Snape and requests he take good care of his nose, which is considerably larger than average."

Snape froze. Harry stared speechlessly at the message. But the map did not stop. The next line appeared beneath the first.

"Prongs agrees, and adds that Professor Snape is an ugly bastard."

"Padfoot finds it astonishing that a fool like Snivellus has become a professor."

"Wormtail greets Professor Snape and advises him to wash the clump of dirt off his head."

Clearly, the map had been enchanted by the original four to target Snape—and decades later, the enchantment still worked.

Harry could barely speak. He had never felt so endangered—not even during Quirrell's time.

Fortunately, Zhang Qiu still wore a smile. She pulled the professor over to Mrs. Fontroy and chirped, "Cassandra, look who's here."

Snape's face turned even more sour than spoiled milk. He said nothing for a moment; Harry was certain he was deciding whether to curse the prankster Harry or the drunk Cassandra first.

"Oh, Professor, please forgive me," she said sadly. "My beloved has passed. All I hope for now is to catch a glimpse of his twin brother, to ease my longing."

Snape suddenly smiled. Harry recognized it as what Zhang Qiu had called "smiling with fury."

"Nothing at all. A very pleasant day." He said. "Interesting, Harry, but now I must return. Moony is waiting for my potion."

After Snape left, Harry turned to Zhang Qiu, frustrated. "We've doomed Professor Lupin. Snape will surely spit or crap into that potion."

"Then don't let him drink it. Divination only showed he'll transform on the night of the final exam." Zhang Qiu spoke cheerfully. "I can replace Reina's Full Moon spell with Lani's Dark Moon spell—it turns the moon gray, and a gray full moon cannot trigger werewolf transformation."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "You never told me that."

"Oh, the two spells are essentially one. My Master wanted me to make Lupin transform when he should, and not when he shouldn't." Zhang Qiu shrugged.

"Alright, then most of the list should be done." Harry said. "I've ridden Buckbeak. The 'Great Disappearance' probably refers to Animagus transformation. The 'Fallen Noble' must be Sirius—he told me the Black family's wealth is so vast they don't even know how to spend it."

"Indeed, this is nearly the last thing still salvageable." Zhang Qiu said. "Now only the Quidditch final and the final exams remain. Hermione will foresee Professor McGonagall during the exams, and McGonagall will announce she's failed all her courses."

"This! You're not seriously thinking of interfering with Hermione's exam results?" Harry felt uneasy.

"No need. I just need to suggest Lupin include the Boggart in the exam." Zhang Qiu grinned slyly. Harry exhaled in relief.

"Come on, I should head back to school to prepare for the final." Harry drained his drink and stood up.

"Wait, I just remembered something." Zhang Qiu tugged his sleeve. "Did you attend your first Divination class?"

"Of course not." Harry grumbled. "Why would I give up my lively Muggle Studies class to sit through dull, boring Divination?"

"But, oh…" Zhang Qiu seemed to recall something. "Never mind. Let's head back to school."

Harry was certain that since term began, apart from the time Zhang Qiu dragged him to Trelawney's office, he had never attended a single Divination class or heard any of the cryptic, ominous prophecies.

Life always holds unexpected joys and predetermined happiness. For Harry, defeating Malfoy fair and square on the Quidditch pitch with his Firebolt was always part of his plan. But the night before the final, he saw a large black dog—an unexpected delight.

Sirius accepted the Ministry's decision, allowing Peter to be punished under the identity of "Sirius Black," effectively deterring Death Eaters from seeking him out—after all, Voldemort knew the truth about Sirius.

But this meant he could not appear openly in public. At Hogwarts, he could only visit Harry secretly in his dog form. Yet for Harry, even just the sight of a dog in the stands was enough to elevate his performance.

In the end, the third-year Quidditch final ended 230 to 20, Gryffindor utterly crushing Slytherin.

"After the match, I was a bit stunned," Malfoy said bitterly to Snape afterward. "But failure is inevitable—it's just life."

With these points added, Gryffindor's victory in the House Cup was all but certain. Harry finally shed his burden and could focus entirely on his final exams.

The week after the exams, Harry noticed Hermione no longer hurried alone; Neville seemed much more relaxed—but Zhang Qiu's demeanor remained off.

"My Divination progress is still far behind." She said. "But I've figured out a solution. Don't worry about it."

"What solution?" Harry asked curiously.

"I'll explain later." Zhang Qiu winked at him. "Go do your own thing now."

"I don't have anything to do… oh." Harry finally noticed Professor Doudou had come to find him.

"Come on, Harry, we need to find Ollivander." From his expression, it was clear he should no longer be called Professor Doudou—he was now Agent Inglis.

Back in Diagon Alley, Harry remembered spending the final days of summer here. The shopping street felt familiar. But Ollivander's Wand Shop was a place he hadn't visited in ages; his memory of the old man was hazy, only recalling that he seemed to know some Ministry secrets.

"Oh, Harry." Ollivander stared at him intently. "It seems we must begin the plan."

"What plan?" Harry asked.

"Your wand and the Dark Lord's wand share the same core. When their spells collide, extraordinary phenomena occur." Agent Inglis explained. "Usually, they merely produce Priori Incantatem—but if we exploit this trait, we can achieve something far more powerful."

"But that means Harry must face Voldemort directly." Ollivander gently stroked Harry's wand, concerned. "Do we have any other options?"

"If no one else will step forward to defeat Voldemort," Harry said calmly, "then I am willing to take the risk. Tell me what to do."