The next morning, the "Daily Prophet" indeed published an article about Amelia Bones, the Head of the Law Enforcement Department, being attacked at the Ministry of Magic, and it took up two full pages.
As expected, this incident immediately stirred up a huge commotion at Hogwarts. During breakfast that day, the discussions in the auditorium never stopped.
Kael glanced around the dining table, and Susan was not there for breakfast. It seemed she was probably still in her dormitory.
To help Susan better calm her emotions, Professor Sprout made a special visit to the common room last night, saying she didn't need to attend classes for the next few days.
If it were a normal day, Susan would have jumped up with joy, but last night she couldn't even muster a smile, just silently hanging her head.
And all day long, no one saw her anywhere else in the castle.
"Slughorn is such a snob!" By dinner, Mikel started to vent about a certain professor.
"Did you know? He's holding a party in his office this weekend, but he didn't invite Susan."
"So what…" someone didn't mind, "Since it's Professor Slughorn hosting it himself, he's free to invite whoever he wants, isn't he?"
"You're too naive. You don't know the inside story yet." Mikel shook his finger and began to educate the others.
"I've looked into it. The Slug Club invites only students who are either outstanding themselves or have eminent figures in their families.
"Originally, Susan also had an invitation, but after he read the newspaper, he immediately took it back, that foolish old slug."
"No way…" someone still didn't believe it. After all, Slughorn is a professor. How could he do something as outrageous as grabbing back an invitation?
"Mikel, how do you know he took back the invitation?"
"That's because I was right next to him, asked to deliver a message…" Mikel said angrily, "He just pulled the invitation right from my hand, how could I possibly not know."
The person was silent for a moment, then continued: "Is it possible that Professor Slughorn just wanted Susan to have some peace?
"Think about it, with such a big incident happening, how could she be in the mood for a party."
"I don't think so." Mikel pursed his lips, "What if Susan wanted a change of mood? There's no need to take the invitation back."
Listening to Mikel, Conna asked curiously: "Is Professor Slughorn really that kind of person?"
"More or less, but I think Mikel is exaggerating a bit."
Kael thought for a moment and said, "Although Slughorn does have a bit of a favoritism towards students from prominent backgrounds and is quite pragmatic as a person, he's never taken back invitations in such an impolite manner, at most he just won't invite at all."
"So should I go?" Conna looked down at the parchment roll in her hand.
This was the invitation Mikel just delivered, inviting Conna to the Potion Office for a small gathering on Friday night.
Conna was quite curious about the gathering initially, but now she suddenly didn't feel like going anymore.
"You can go or not, it doesn't matter." Kael poured a glass of pumpkin juice, "To be honest, these gatherings are just for chatting, everyone eating and drinking, and complimenting each other in turns, nothing substantial, and you won't learn anything related to potions at the party."
"Ah? Then I'm not going!" Conna immediately said.
Not knowing Slughorn and not having attended the dining on the train, she always thought it was an academic exchange about potions.
Just like during the holidays, when Snape took her to those gatherings…where everyone would get together to present their latest discoveries on potion materials, or the pros and cons of different cauldron models.
"Okay, if you don't want to go, then don't. It's no big deal." Kael took a bite of the fried pork chop, "But have you thought of what excuse to use?"
"Excuse?"
"Yeah." Kael said, "Since Slughorn is still a professor, you should have a reason for declining the invitation."
"Uh…Does saying I have to do homework count?" Conna asked tentatively.
"It can, but it might not work." Kael said, "Harry once used this trick, but the next day, Slughorn organized a study group, gathering some people to help tutor Harry with his homework.
"You wouldn't believe it, Harry was stunned and didn't recover until the next day."
Conna shivered instinctively, thinking about being surrounded by a group of people tutoring her; she would be dumbfounded too.
No way, she needed a different excuse.
"I do have an idea…" At this point, Kael suddenly said, "You could ask Professor Snape to find a reason to give you detention on Friday night. That way, you'd have a valid reason to refuse Slughorn's invitation."
Conna's eyes lit up.
Yes, detention! How did she not think of that? It was the perfect excuse. Slughorn surely couldn't pursue her into the detention room.
"Just in time, there's Defense Against the Dark Arts Class tomorrow…" Conna said happily, "I'll find Professor Snape then and ask him to give us both detention on Friday…"
"No, don't, absolutely not!" Kael hastily stopped her dangerous idea, advising: "Just take your own detention, don't drag me along with you, that's really important."