"So you heard that strange voice after coming out from Lockhart's?"
Hermione sat next to Lynn, looking at Harry opposite them as she asked.
She had just gone to pick up Harry and Ron from detention. After picking up Ron and going to get Harry, the two of them were suddenly pulled along by him as he started running.
He said he heard some strange voice, and that voice wanted to kill someone.
But she and Ron listened carefully and heard nothing.
"Yes, the voice said something like, 'rip you, kill you.'"
Harry frowned; he truly felt somewhat uneasy.
If that voice was serious, didn't that mean someone was in danger?
"But neither of us heard it," Hermione and Ron looked at each other, both somewhat puzzled.
What exactly was this voice, and why could only Harry hear it while they couldn't?
Shaking his head, Ron looked at Harry solemnly. "Harry, no matter what that voice is or why only you can hear it..."
"...you must never tell anyone else about this. Even in the British Wizarding World, hearing voices that others can't isn't a good thing for most people."
"Okay..." Harry nodded helplessly. He wouldn't go around talking nonsense to others.
If it weren't for the fact that only the three of them and Lynn were in the Library right now, he wouldn't have mentioned it.
Looking at Lynn, who was still reading with her head down beside her, Hermione decided to ask her, given her broader knowledge, to see if she knew what was going on.
"Lynn," Hermione spoke softly after Lynn finished the page she was reading.
Hearing her full name, Lynn emerged from her study state and turned to look at Hermione. "What is it?"
Hermione pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "It's what Harry just said—he heard a voice we couldn't. Do you know why that might be?"
Lynn blinked, turned to look at Harry, and quickly performed an analysis in her mind.
In conjunction with the knowledge in her brain, various possibilities were continuously listed and then filtered based on their rationality.
In less than three seconds, Lynn began to answer mechanically.
"There are four possibilities for this. First, a Dark Arts item is bewitching Harry, which is why only he can hear the voice. Second, Harry is under a mild Imperio Curse, allowing him to hear voices that you cannot."
"Third, Harry's hearing is naturally different from ordinary people, allowing him to hear frequencies others cannot. Fourth, Harry has a special linguistic talent and can understand the languages of other races."
After finishing, Lynn's dull eyes swept over Hermione, Harry, and Ron before she concluded.
"The above four scenarios are the most likely to occur with Harry. Other possibilities are too slim, essentially approaching zero, so I have excluded them."
Listening to Lynn's analysis, Hermione's thoughts became much clearer.
However, her heart still couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, just like every other time she heard Lynn analyze things; she was too much like a precision-operating machine.
Sigh... Hermione gently hugged Lynn and looked at Harry and Ron. "At least we now know what the possibilities are. Next, we just need to investigate in these directions."
"Yeah!" Harry and Ron nodded vigorously together.
Lynn, held in Hermione's arms, listened expressionlessly as they discussed their next plan.
Having decided to investigate, Hermione and Ron paid special attention to the people and objects near Harry over the next few days.
They found no sign of anyone casting the Imperio Curse on Harry, nor did they find anything suspected of being a Dark Arts item near him.
"Could it be the latter two?" Hermione looked at Harry as if he were a fantastic beast, sizing him up from head to toe.
This made Harry instinctively wrap his arms around himself in a panic. Hermione's current gaze reminded him of the mad scientists he'd seen in movies on the Dursley family's television.
As if she might dissect him in the next second.
Ron looked at Harry's state and clutched his mouth, laughing wildly; even Harry's glares had no effect.
This was the scene Lynn saw as she walked past the three of them into the Great Hall.
She had just overheard what Hermione said, so the first two possibilities could be ruled out.
Crossing out the first two possibilities in her mind, Lynn sat calmly at the Ravenclaw Table to enjoy her lunch.
"I heard that for tonight's Halloween feast, Headmaster Dumbledore has invited the Weird Sisters to sing at school."
Maranhao and Marietta sat down on either side of Lynn.
Maranhao spoke to Marietta with some excitement. One couldn't blame her for being excited, as the Weird Sisters were big stars in the British Wizarding World.
"There is such a rumor," Marietta nodded, while also reaching out to poke Lynn. "Lynn, don't be in such a hurry to leave after finishing the feast tonight."
"Or just eat a bit slower and eat while listening to the music. It's Halloween, after all—let yourself relax a bit."
Lynn looked up expressionlessly, swallowed the chicken in her mouth, and shook her head. "I cannot slack off."
Marietta shook her head helplessly as if defeated, while Maranhao raised an eyebrow and leaned in to Lynn's ear.
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