Hogwarts: My Yorozuya has no taboos!

Chapter 23 You're not here to collect a debt, are you?

God can bear witness, Harry thinks Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the most interesting place he has ever been!

He and Ron followed Prefect Percy to the school hospital on the fourth floor of the castle. His biggest feeling during the journey was that he wished he had two more eyes!

Putting aside the staircase that moves around and bothers people, along the way, he saw that none of the portraits hanging on the castle walls were lifeless. Instead, like Dumbledore in the chocolate frog picture he had obtained, they could move around and even visit the neighboring picture frames!

As you walk through the corridor, the armored guards standing on both sides can move freely. Some are cleaning their own rust, some are leaning against the rock wall yawning listlessly, and some are simply lying on the ground, fast asleep, emitting loud snores.

Upon reaching the third floor, several humanoid creatures emitting a milky-white glow suddenly emerged from the walls, chatting amongst themselves, nearly startling Harry so much that he fell off the stair railing. Like him, Hermione Granger, unfamiliar with the wizarding world, also nearly tumbled down the stairs.

"Don't make a fuss—"

Percy wrinkled his nose at them, clearly displeased.

"That's just a ghost."

"ghost?!"

Harry gasped, his questioning voice sounding like it had been forced out of his throat!

"Similar meaning—"

Harry's new friend Ron said, panting.

"Charlie... my second oldest brother told me when he was still studying here that many ghosts live on the Hogwarts campus... but they are all harmless, most are friendly, and only a very small number are threatening... oh, that must be it!"

"Ha, this year's little rascal!"

To Harry, something almost as comical as a circus clown suddenly emerged from behind a tapestry embroidered with a majestic lion. It carried a basin of water, seemingly having been lying in wait all along.

"Let me show you some fun!"

The clown sprite stretched his mouth to his earlobes and laughed heartily.

"Mischievous Ghost!"

Percy glared at him angrily immediately.

"Tonight! If you dare to cause any chaos under these circumstances, I bet you, even Professor Dumbledore, that he won't ignore you!"

Percy's threat seemed to have a real effect on Peeves. It snorted, made its big red nose swing like a spring, dropped the water bowl at Percy's feet, and flew away.

"This is Mischievous Ghost—"

After wringing out the hem of his robe, Percy turned to Harry and the others, his voice tinged with weakness.

"It... well, I'll tell you about it later. Anyway, just remember not to provoke it, because sometimes, even the prefect's words aren't very effective against it."

Harry nodded, determined to remember Percy's advice.

So, after a difficult 'trek', they finally arrived at the school hospital.

Harry felt he didn't need any further checks. The fact that he, Ron, and Neville had carried that heavy box, which felt like a solid stone block, up to the fourth floor was proof enough of their good health!

"Hoo—I—I want—I'll get the Charlie Hebdo magazine, I promise you, Harry, Neville, I'll kill Percy one day... Can you believe it? He tries to curry favor with the new professor, but he makes us do the work, hoo..."

Neville was too weak to speak, but he nodded vigorously, his mouth agape and panting heavily, much like his pet toad.

Sweating profusely, Ron dropped the suitcase, wiped his brow, and stared weakly at the dragon-skin suitcase.

"But then again... what exactly is he putting in there, heavy gold?"

"snort-"

Harry didn't offer his own guess, but he heard Hermione Granger give a disdainful snort, then glance sideways at Ron.

"impossible!"

She said bluntly,

"It's definitely something we're going to use for our lessons."

"Tch, you're getting all excited now?"

Ron glared back defiantly.

"Who was it that called our savior a conman selling fake medicine?"

Harry grinned—he believed Ron had undoubtedly won this round, as Hermione Granger was instantly rendered speechless by Ron's retort, her face turning red.

"Ares Delfino!"

The sudden shouts from inside the hospital drew the attention of the group of people who were hesitating at the door—the public ward was incredibly crowded, with beds packed tightly together, leaving no room to even step. Many therapists had to squat on the beds to examine and treat the wounded.

Harry saw a middle-aged witch wearing a white pointed hat and clothing similar to the uniform of the Nightingale Training School emerge from a private ward. Her hands were covered in white leather gloves stained with disturbing blood.

Harry saw the old witch's eyes immediately set on the stretcher carrying her "savior," who was waiting to be assigned a role. She quickly walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a tone that was both happy and helpless,

"Welcome back to the school, Ares—but I must say, Ares, the two busiest nights of my entire career were both inextricably linked to you!"

"I assure you, Ms. Pomfrey—"

Harry heard the professor on the stretcher... Now he knew it was Professor Delphinore.

"Neither of these incidents was intentional on my part, and in either one, I am the one who suffered the most."

Ares pursed his lips, a smile playing on his lips.

"Of course...of course, Minerva told me about it many times in private afterward, but Dumbledore at the time...well, this isn't the time to talk about that. Let's find a ward first. Minerva asked me to reserve a single room for you, but there is a double room available—"

Everyone in the ward was listening intently to Madam Pomfrey, including Harry, but he noticed Prefect Percy's rather strange expression—a mixture of surprise and realization!

"You guys..."

Harry was trying to figure out why Percy had that expression when, out of the blue, Madam Pomfrey pointed her finger at him.

"This year's freshmen, right...? There's still one empty bed in Professor Delfino's ward. Who wants to go in?"

Mrs. Pomfrey asked,

"You, you're still you?"

Pomfrey called out names one by one, but he, Ron, and Neville all shrank back... Nobody wanted to spend the night alone in a hospital room with a professor... The pressure was too much; they all preferred to be with their peers.

"Me~"

To Harry's surprise, Hermione Granger raised her hand, looking hesitant and uncertain.

Ares's gaze also turned, and when he saw that it was the little girl with messy brown hair, his eyebrows immediately rose, and his previously relaxed expression instantly became much more serious.

"That must be you!"

Mrs. Pomfrey said,

"I need to get the bandages applied to a guy named Zacharias Smith to fix his ribs...poor little guy!"

Ares and Hermione then entered a hospital room one after the other.

Ares's therapist had been "requisitioned," leaving only the two of them in the ward.

Once the door was closed, the outside noise was immediately eliminated.

A midsummer night's breeze stirred the curtains, and the delicate moonlight was divided into many squares by the carved wooden lattice, creating dappled light and shadow on the marble floor.

Ares didn't continue lying down. Instead, she leaned against the headboard, turned her head, and stared intently at the brown-haired girl sitting beside her bed. Her expression grew increasingly serious.

The air was thick and suffocating, like the deep sea.

The little girl, with her head down, had her face obscured by her flowing hair, so Ares couldn't see her expression.

However, he still noticed the details—the little girl's thin shoulders were trembling, and every now and then, he could hear a few sobs.

Ares's face turned pale, and his lips were tightly pressed together!

He knew—anticipated—it was almost certain to happen—he waited, and then—

"I'm sorry, Professor Delfino, I shouldn't have called you a fraudster selling fake medicine. I mistook you for someone else!"

The little girl suddenly looked up and cried out; almost simultaneously, Ares jumped up.

"You're not here to collect a debt, are you?"