Chapter 143 140. Tom's Capture Plan
"Lynn!"
Hermione exclaimed in surprise. Lynn quickly gestured for her to be quiet, as Professor McGonagall hadn't gone far.
"Bell, Berlock," Harry stammered, looking at Noble being carried by Lynn.
Lynn helped them put Noble back into the wooden box, locked the door, and gestured for them to go about their business.
Hermione had recovered from her surprise by now, and she looked Lynn up and down with suspicion.
"Why are you here?"
Lynn coughed twice, surprised that the girl was so alert in this situation.
"I was just bored at night and came out to look at the moon, and then I unexpectedly caught a dragon here. What a coincidence, right? Hahaha."
Hermione became more and more suspicious as she looked at him.
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. Shouldn't you guys have something else to do? I've had enough of looking at the moon, so I'll head back first." Lynn said with a laugh.
Harry also pulled Hermione: "Charlie's friends should have arrived by now. We can't delay any longer."
There was no other way but for Hermione to temporarily let Lynn go and, together with Harry, carry Norbert to the rooftop.
Lynn pretended to leave; he hid around a corner, transformed into a crow, and flew to the rooftop.
After witnessing Norbert being taken away and Harry and Hermione being captured by Felch the moment they stepped off the roof, Lynn finally went back to sleep, satisfied.
Everything was unfolding according to the original plot, and even the minor mishaps were quickly rectified by Lynn.
Now, all he could do was complete the final preparations before the planned day arrived.
Early the next morning.
On Ravenclaw's long table.
Cedric was watching in amazement as the score hourglass changed.
Overnight, Slytherin lost 20 points, and Gryffindor lost 150.
"What happened?" Cedric was still unaware of what had occurred.
Lynn explained the situation to him.
"Last night, Professor McGonagall caught a Slytherin student and two Gryffindor students out for a night stroll, and naturally, they were penalized with points and confinement."
"Not two," Ian corrected Lynn's mistake, "it was three, plus Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor."
Lynn didn't remember the exact number, but he guessed Neville had escaped later.
"I think I missed something." Lynn suddenly coughed lightly. "Ahem, you two, we've almost mastered our improved version of the Soul-Sealing Spell, and the time is ripe, so today I can probably tell you why we're practicing this spell."
Cedric and Ian exchanged a glance, then looked at Lynn.
Lynn smiled mysteriously.
"The things I bought should arrive around noon today, and I'll let you know then."
Cedric and Ian's faces darkened.
"You were planning to tell us at noon? What's the point of telling us now?"
"I want to keep you in suspense. Hey, hey, hey… I haven't finished eating yet!"
Cedric and Ian each grabbed one of Lynn's arms and dragged him away.
"We also want to keep you in suspense."
…
Hermione found Lynn right after her morning Transformation class.
She stared at Lynn with a serious expression.
"Tell me! Were you following me yesterday?"
Lynn wanted to tease her, saying he was actually following Harry and she was just incidentally following along.
But after considering the consequences, he swallowed his words.
"I was just worried about you. Look, you were caught by Felch as soon as I left yesterday."
Lynn finally spoke reasonably, which improved Hermione's mood considerably, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.
She put her hands in the pockets of her robe, lowered her head, and let her gaze wander across the ground.
"Then you could have just told me to come with you. Harry and Ron wouldn't mind (if they do, I'll smash their heads!)."
Lynn ruffled Hermione's hair and said casually.
"Traveling with you guys? How's the fun of tracking you then? It's much more satisfying to sneak up behind and watch you get what's coming to you."
Hermione clenched her fists.
Yes, why was she so stupid?
Why did she think Lynn would understand?
Hermione was so angry she wanted to punch Lynn in the head, but then she remembered the last time she bit him; he didn't even feel pain, and she actually felt a bit of discomfort.
If she punched him now, it would just be asking for trouble.
The more Hermione thought about it, the angrier she got, the more she wanted to hit Lynn, and the more she couldn't hit him, the angrier she became. She was trapped in a vicious cycle, about to turn herself into a balloon of anger!
Just as she was about to run away crying in anger, Lynn suddenly reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then looked at the stunned Hermione with a smile and said,
"You look so cute when you're angry."
Hermione's face instantly turned red.
She slapped Lynn's hand away, said, "Ugh!" and ran away.
Unfortunately, she didn't hear the rest of Lynn's sentence.
"Cute as a monkey's butt."
At noon, another large flock of owls flew into the Great Hall.
Two of the owls carried a package together and landed in front of Lynn and the others.
"The food has arrived. Have you eaten?"
Looking at the newly delivered package, Cedric and Ian, even if they hadn't eaten yet, had no appetite.
The three of them left the auditorium and went to the Black Lake, where they often had their meals together.
Lynn opened the package in front of them.
Inside were three black robes and some miscellaneous small items.
Cedric picked up a black robe: "What's this for?"
Lynn explained, "This is a special batch of robes I ordered from Diagon Alley. Once you wear this robe and the hat, absolutely no one will be able to see your face, not even from the front."
"And this?"
Ian picked up a small, button-like object.
"I bought this at the Bouncing & Playing Magical Joke Shop. It's similar to a voice changer in the Muggle world, but you don't need to stick it to your throat. You can just carry it in your pocket and change your voice anytime, anywhere. It works for men, women, young and old."
Looking at the pile of things on the ground, Cedric and Ian still didn't understand what Lynn was trying to do. They stared at him blankly, waiting for his explanation.
Lynn looked at them seriously and said solemnly.
"Gentlemen, we're preparing a grand plan. Before I tell you the details, you need to know its name."
Lynn stood before them, his body blocking the sunlight and casting them into shadow. A gentle breeze ruffled the hair on his forehead as he spoke, each word deliberate.
"It's called the Tom Capture Project!"
My roommate is having a birthday party today, the last chapter will be around 11 PM.
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(End of Chapter)