"I'm really sorry, I just now fetched some dragon dung from the cellar, I mentioned it in class, right? Dragon dung can be said to be the best fertilizer in this world." Professor Sprout put down the bag of fertilizer, patted the dirt off her body, and said.
After speaking, she didn't mind that Cedric was still there, and directly made a gesture of invitation, signaling Link and Cedric to sit down.
Only after the two of them once again sat properly did she continue asking, "Link, is your injury okay?"
"It's nothing serious, already healed, Professor Sprout, thank you for your concern."
"And those two little guys?"
This time, Sprout's inquiry was not aimed at Link, but at Cedric who was beside him.
Hearing this, Cedric straightened up and answered, "Madam Pomfrey is treating them, she has already left word with the students guarding the scene, once the treatment is finished they should come over."
Sprout nodded her head. Although she trusted Link immensely in her heart, understanding the situation couldn't only rely on Link's one-sided account; chatting with the other two children was still very necessary.
Thinking so, the corners of Sprout's mouth again carried a kind smile, and she asked Link, "Link, how exactly did your conflict start, can you tell me?"
Professor Sprout's tone was very gentle, and her wording extremely tactful, as if deeply afraid of upsetting Link.
Hearing this, Link took a deep breath, pretending to look wronged and nervous, and recounted everything that had happened in the Charms class earlier.
As for the events during dinner in the Great Hall, he lowered his head and spoke vaguely.
Doing so seemed suspicious, but actually it was a decision Link made after deep thought.
Although his memory was already a little fuzzy, Link still remembered that the wizarding world had methods to detect lies.
This meant that, to be safe, every word Link said had to be true, otherwise he could be exposed.
Thus, matters that needed lies to cover, he simply didn't mention.
Yes, doing so indeed seemed suspicious, but it also completely fit the character setup of the original Link, weak-willed and dim-witted.
Such a person not willing to recall painful things was a completely normal thing; Link was confident that someone as kind as Sprout would absolutely not press him for follow-up details.
And indeed, just as Link expected, after hearing Link's recount, Professor Sprout's face again showed a heartbroken expression.
After repeatedly comforting Link for a while, she rubbed the corners of her slightly reddened eyes and continued asking, "Link, have you felt any physical discomfort recently?"
"Discomfort? Of course not?"
"No? Then how has your mood been recently?"
Sprout continued asking. Hearing this, Link fell silent.
After a little while, he lifted his head and said, "Professor Sprout, to tell the truth, recently my mood has indeed been a bit bad. To be precise, since arriving at Hogwarts my mood has started to worsen. Of course, I'm not saying that Hogwarts is bad, in fact, I really like Hogwarts. But... the students here don't seem to like me very much."
"Poor child."
Professor Sprout finally couldn't hold back. She stepped forward two steps and hugged Link into her arms, gently patting Link's back while comforting him, "They don't dislike you, it's just that they have some misunderstandings. Don't worry, time will prove everything."
"I understand, Professor."
Link answered softly, but Sprout still didn't seem to want to let go, instead hugging him even tighter.
It wasn't until Link felt he was about to suffocate that Professor Sprout finally released him, and then called to Cedric, "Cedric, take Link back first, there are still classes tomorrow."
"Got it, Professor."
Cedric stood up upon hearing this. After bidding goodbye to Professor Sprout together with Link, the two of them left the office and headed toward the Hufflepuff common room.
Of course, because he wasn't sure whether that Emily from Slytherin was still lurking around the corner, Cedric deliberately chose a different route this time.
This path was a bit longer, and along the way Cedric kept speaking comforting words to Link.
Link had gotten tired of hearing such words all day, and could only reflexively nod in response. As for his mind, it had already drifted elsewhere.
From the questioning earlier, Link had sensed something strange.
Compared to the cause of the earlier incident, Professor Sprout seemed more concerned about his recent physical and mental state.
Of course, this could also be explained by a professor's care for students, but Link felt there was still some hidden reason.
It was just that currently, the information Link had was too little, so he couldn't analyze anything definite for now and could only put it aside temporarily.
Anyway, no matter what, at least his performance today was quite perfect.
Thinking so, a bright smile appeared on Link's face.
At the same time, the familiar entrance to the Hufflepuff common room also appeared in front of Link and Cedric.
———
Inside Professor Sprout's office, after confirming that Link had been safely taken away by Cedric, Professor Sprout once again opened the trapdoor behind her desk and crawled in.
Beneath the trapdoor was a cellar about the same size as the office above it.
Inlaid in the ceiling of the cellar were many crystal-clear crystals, which were emitting a soft dark yellow glow.
However, inside the cellar it wasn't like what Sprout had said before, piled with dragon dung, but instead seated there were the heads of Hogwarts' four houses, along with the headmaster, Dumbledore.
Under the dim light, they sat around a low table, silent, as if waiting for something.
Creak! Creak!
The sound of wooden stairs being stepped on came from the cellar's entrance, and hearing this, everyone inside the cellar turned their gazes over.
Not long after, Professor Sprout's slightly plump figure appeared before everyone.
"Phew..." Looking at everyone staring at her, Professor Sprout took a long deep breath, and then said in a serious tone, "Link has no problem."
"Why are you so sure?" A middle-aged male wizard in a corner, with greasy black hair and a wide black robe, said coldly and emotionlessly, "Although the Legilimency spell just now did not detect any lies, his behavior today was clearly abnormal, so I think..."
"I said Link has no problem!" Sprout rudely interrupted the male wizard's words.
The male wizard didn't argue with Sprout, and silently cast his questioning gaze toward Dumbledore in the shadows nearby.
However, Dumbledore didn't pay him any attention. Dumbledore's gaze remained locked with Sprout's. After a little while, as if sensing the determination in Sprout's eyes, Dumbledore sighed and nodded to Sprout.
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