Chapter 56: Nonsense

A veil of amnesia seemed to shroud Hermione's memory when it came to her exit from Professor Forester's office. Details such as whether or not she had bid him a proper farewell before they parted ways were lost in the murky abyss.

It wasn't until the point where the passages of the third floor branched off like Ivy tendrils that she was jolted out of this trance-like haze, prompted by Harry and Ron's calls echoing down the stone corridors.

Harry, perceptive as always, noted her distracted state and his forehead crinkled in worry as he queried,

"Was Forester onto us? Did he realize we've been testing him?"

Ron, ever nonchalant, dismissed Harry's concern with a careless shrug.

"And what if he did catch on? It's not like we've done anything wrong. The most he can do is inflict us with some classic toilet-related punishment."

With a sigh that seemed to hold the weight of several centuries, Hermione begun:

"No, Forester hasn't realized. The third trial went smoothly and it's clear now that his curse doesn't work all the time…"

"It seems like there's some sort of probability threshold. His cursed words can fuel the chance of an event occurring if that event already holds a possibility."

"However, should the odds of this event be miniscule, like our experiment today…"

"Having nearly completed all my holiday assignments, there were just two sentences remaining, virtually ensuring my ability to wrap it up."

"Thus, even if Forester extols my exemplary student capabilities, the curse won't come into effect due to my unwavering certainty in completing my task."

"Similar to the near absolute certainty of the sunrise from the east every day, Forester's bewitched words can't manipulate such high-probability occurrences."

"All of this goes to say that we needn't be worried about the world coming to a catastrophic end because of Forester's innocent mutterings."

Harry and Ron, while half-baffled at Hermione's statistical analysis, gathered the gist of her deduction. They were left befuddled, however, as to why she looked alarmingly worried. In a puzzled voice, Harry asked,

"Hermione, if we're not in danger of an apocalypse, why do you look like it's nigh?"

On hearing this, Hermione's countenance morphed into one akin to a bitter gourd. Tears brimming on the corners of her eyes, she hurriedly explained,

"It's Forester, he wished…he wished me a joyful Christmas break!"

Ron's face whitened and he stared at Hermione, terror-stricken, as if she had just confessed that she was leaving them forever. He threw up his hands in despair and gasped,

"We're finished! This hex is worse than any legend has ever foretold – and it's irrevocable!"

Harry, although shocked, collected his past experiences and coaxed,

"Hermione, calm down. I've endured Forester's hex before, and still emerged hale and hearty, haven't I?"

Hermione, tears threatening to cascade down her cheeks, shot back,

"It's not the same, Harry! Unlike you, I have Muggle parents and I'm susceptible to the monster unleashed from the Chamber of Secrets… Two victims of Forester's cursed words, Justin and Colin, they've been petrified… and I know my fate won't be any different!"

Their experimentation with Forester's hex had yielded a good grasp of its mechanisms, Hermione's analysis only confirmed the grim truth. Here was a problem that Harry seemed ill-equipped to solve. He suggested,

"Let's take the matter to the professors. They can safeguard you over the Christmas break. This might even provide us with a chance to apprehend the culprit!"

The trio concluded that such drastic measures were necessary; they couldn't bear the thought of Hermione in a petrified state. Despite the previous victims having been spared any life-threatening symptoms, there was no guarantee Hermione would share the same luck. The choice of which professor to enlist, however, resulted in a stalemate.

Harry, willing to be vulnerable before Forester once again despite the inherent risk, suggested,

"Let's approach Forester, explain the situation, including his paradoxical curse. If he knew the stakes, I'm certain he would aid us."

Contrarily, Ron, while having faith in Forester, doubted the professor's proficiency when dealing with such grave matters. He stated,

"I suggest we inform Dumbledore. Only Dumbledore can guarantee Hermione's safety."

Hermione, teary-eyed, retorted,

"We can't tell Forester, not yet. Each time his jinxed words had an effect, he was blissfully unaware. If he learned about the hex, who knows how it might change... And if it changes for the worse, I'm done for!"

Their decision was swayed by Hermione's argument. They opted to approach Dumbledore, an endeavor that required working through Professor McGonagall, a feat in itself. Finding Dumbledore amid Hogwarts' sprawling establishments had always been like seeking a needle in a haystack. In haste, the trio bolted to McGonagall's office, reciting their discovery in a chorus of panicked voices.

After their disjointed narration that lasted almost half an hour, a disconcerted McGonagall summed up,

"Do you mean to suggest that Sherlock has cast a similar curse upon Hermione as he previously did on Finley and Creevey? And that she's doomed to become the next victim of the creature lurking in the shadows of the Chamber of Secrets?"

The trio quickly acknowledged her grim summary. McGonagall's brow creased at this confirmation,

"And how exactly did Sherlock manage to hex Hermione?"

The words tumbled out of Ron,

"He...he wished Hermione a Merry Christmas!"

Harry hastily added,

"Quite right, Professor McGonagall! Forester's previous victims, Justin and Colin, were similarly wished well on Halloween and then just good luck. Considering the pattern, with Hermione being wished a joyful Christmas, she's surely in danger!"

The corners of McGonagall's mouth tightened crisply,

"Absolute nonsense! Have the three of you taken to time-wasting and decided to mock me? Get out at once or I'll serve detention, along with a reduction of twenty house points from Gryffindor!"