Snape stared at the empty potion bottle. Still dazed.
Dumbledore sighed softly. "Let's go, Severus."
Then looked at Harry and Ron. "You two—be careful recently. After classes, go straight back to the dormitory."
After the professors left, Harry said indignantly, "It clearly wasn't me. That awful Snape deliberately gave me trouble again... If Hermione hadn't vouched for me, I'd have been framed!"
Poor Professor Snape... Hermione probed, "Say, is there a possibility—when he asked where you were last night, he was actually trying to help you? As long as anyone testified for you, he'd go with the flow. Directly clear your suspicion."
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Seemed shocked by this novel theory.
Next second, Snape's gloomy face flashed through both their minds. Harry repeatedly waved his hands. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
Ron echoed, "Hermione, are you okay? That's Snape!"
Feeling their resolute emotions, Hermione looked helpless.
Fine. Professor Snape, move your own mountains. I can't help you anymore.
"Really don't know why Snape always targets me!"
Harry looked indignant. He'd never provoked him.
"Probably just because he graduated from Slytherin. They're all like that. Look at Malfoy."
Ron expressed Gryffindor families' disdain for Slytherin people.
Hermione's eyes rolled. Suddenly said, "Harry, want Snape to treat you normally from now on?"
Harry nodded. "You have a way?"
Hermione smiled mysteriously. Leaned to Harry's ear. Said two words.
Harry's eyes widened. Incredulous. "What kind of crazy idea is that? Are you serious?"
"Trust me. Go back and try. Even if it doesn't work, can't get worse, right?"
Hermione coaxed.
While Harry struggled, Hermione looked at the empty corridor.
Since arriving this morning, felt somewhat familiar.
Until just now, finally recognized it.
Wasn't this where she beat up the troll that year?
Really an accident-prone zone.
Mourned the late Quirrell for one second.
Mourning ended. Harry finally recovered. Seemed to make some determination.
"What now?"
"Investigation begins. Await class trial."
Hermione left one sentence. Left without looking back.
Harry and Ron: ?
Marvel.
Just landing, Hermione received Pepper's call.
"Little Hermione, Tony, Tony he..."
Pepper's voice somewhat anxious.
"Don't rush. Speak slowly."
Hermione soothed Pepper's emotions. Inwardly puzzled.
Looks like Tony got the whiplash treatment.
But why was Pepper so anxious?
Can't be he actually got whipped to death.
Logically, he wore a portable briefcase armor. Shouldn't die that easily.
After a while, Pepper calmed down. Then said, "Tony was attacked by a whip-wielding person in Monaco. Seemed to use his arc reactor technology. Fortunately safe in the end. Already rushed back to New York. Police still investigating the attacker's identity."
"So nothing happened?" Hermione puzzled.
She naturally knew who the attacker was.
Ivan Vanko. Father Anton Vanko was a scientist who cooperated with Tony's father Howard Stark back then. The two jointly designed reactor blueprints. Only the former later defected from S.H.I.E.L.D.
After his father's death, Ivan believed it was all the Stark family's fault... So he made his own reactor and electric whips. Specially came to seek revenge on Tony.
Summed up—two families' messy interest entanglements.
"Tony's safe this time. Only I just found out—he's been poisoned for a long time. Didn't tell us."
Pepper's voice both angry and anxious.
Hermione suddenly understood.
So palladium poisoning was discovered. No wonder Pepper's so anxious.
"No problem. I have a solution."
Hermione said.
"Really?"
Pepper's voice carried surprise.
Magical Little Hermione never disappoints.
"Mm. Rest assured. I'll first check if this guy can still breathe."
After receiving Pepper's coordinates, Hermione prepared. Opened a portal. Directly stepped through.
"Stark, I need you to get down from the donut."
Fury looked at Tony in Iron Man armor, sitting on a giant donut billboard eating donuts. Voice full of helplessness.
Two minutes later. Inside the shop at a table. Four people sat.
Fury, Pepper, Tony, Natasha.
"So you're actually S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Tony looked at Natasha. Seemed somewhat angry.
"And you knew all along but never told me?"
Looked at Pepper. Even angrier.
Pepper didn't back down. Glared at Tony. "What about you? Poisoning—such a big thing. Did you tell me and Little Hermione?"
She worried about Tony's safety. That's why she pretended not to know Natasha. Let her infiltrate Stark Industries as CEO secretary to protect him...
If Natasha hadn't discovered something and told her, she'd still be in the dark.
And now—Tony's various abnormal behaviors these days could be understood.
"I..."
Tony immediately speechless.
"This guy's always like this. You should've gotten used to it."
A voice sounded from the side. With rustling sounds and sparks, Hermione stepped from a portal.
"Little Hermione!"
Pepper and Natasha stood simultaneously.
"Sister Natasha, long time no see."
Hermione waved. Lightly hugged Natasha. Then looked at Tony.
Tony's eyes widened. Stared at the portal. "What new magic is this?! I've never seen it before."
"There's lots of magic you haven't seen. I'm very busy this school year. Didn't come today to discuss this with you. Came to save your life."
Hermione said calmly. Then rummaged through her bag.
"Save?"
Tony smiled bitterly. "How? Even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special antidote can only temporarily relieve palladium poisoning symptoms. As long as it's still there, the radioactive material in my body will never disappear."
He seemed to have accepted his fate. Just wanted final revelry.
Hermione's pupils glowed faint blue. Looked Tony up and down.
Under this soul-piercing aura, Tony felt his entire body seen through. All secrets exposed under Hermione's ghostly blue wizard eyes.
"You..."
Just when he couldn't help wanting to say something, the blue light in Hermione's eyes finally gradually disappeared. Returned to normal.
"Indeed severely poisoned."
Hermione ignored him. Just pulled out a cauldron on her own. And some miscellaneous materials.
Others didn't know what she was doing. Only Tony saw this familiar scene. Vaguely guessed something.
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