Harry pushed open the boys' dormitory door and stood at the top of the stairs, looking for Hermione.
The common room's fireplace still glowed warmly, Percy, as usual, was engrossed in a book in his armchair, and Hermione sat on the sofa by the hearth. Harry noticed her fingers nervously twisting her hair.
Harry walked over and sat down beside Hermione. "You're up rather early, aren't you? Had breakfast yet?"
"Percy's taking us to the library later. I'll just grab something quick in the Great Hall," Hermione's voice was a hushed whisper, her eyes clearly troubled. "I knocked on your door for ages just now with no answer, so I… I let myself into your dormitory. I'm so sorry if I woke you all…"
"Don't worry about it," Harry said, pulling a Basilik egg from his trunk and placing it by the fireplace to warm. "Neville was going to be up early anyway. You know Professor Sprout gave him a Mimbulus Mimbletonia; he's busy fussing over it."
"What about the others?" Hermione asked, her brows still furrowed with concern.
"They're all huddled together playing Wizard's Chess," Harry lied effortlessly.
At his words, Hermione fixed Harry with a scrutinizing stare, trying to find any hint of dishonesty. But Harry wasn't the inexperienced boy he once was, so Hermione found nothing amiss.
Harry retrieved a pre-packed steak and milk from his trunk and began to eat, offering a portion to Hermione. "Here, have some now."
Hermione took the milk and drank it in silence.
Suddenly, Hermione seemed to mutter to herself, "Do you think they're dressed yet? Should I go back and apologize again…?"
Harry worried Hermione would stumble upon a petrified Seamus if she went back, so he quickly said, "No need. They're Gryffindors, they won't be that petty. Going back to apologize would only make them feel awkward."
Hermione sighed and turned to the fireplace, lost in thought. She felt she ought to apologize, yet Harry's words made sense too.
After a long moment, Hermione's brow relaxed slightly. "You're right. You are their roommate, after all; you know them better than I do." She paused, her gaze settling on Harry's face, her tone becoming serious. "Professor Dumbledore asked you to his office last night. What was it about? He wouldn't just call you in for a cup of tea, would he?"
"Actually, it was green tea," Harry countered.
Hermione gave him a look of exasperation. "Was I asking what kind of tea it was? I was clearly asking why Professor Dumbledore wanted to see you!"
The fire crackled, and Harry's gaze involuntarily fell upon the dancing flames.
He remembered Dumbledore's words: "Some things you will have to face sooner or later."
If Hermione knew about Dumbledore's plans, she'd be beside herself with worry and insist on coming along. Harry could already imagine what Hermione would say: Harry, how could Dumbledore ask you to do such a thing? You're only in your second year… I'm coming too! Don't you dare refuse, I can help!
That's why Harry didn't want to tell Hermione, at least not yet.
"Just a chat about Legilimency," Harry said, trying to sound casual, and idly poked the flames in the fireplace with his wand. "He asked how my Legilimency practice was going, and he also asked about the Invisibility Cloak, telling me not to use it for sneaking out at night during this particular time."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, clearly not entirely convinced. "Is that all?"
"Er, actually, Dumbledore also gave me a book," Harry said, pulling a thick volume from his trunk.
Hermione peered at it in the firelight. A large snake adorned the book's cover. The snake noticed Hermione's gaze and bared its fangs threateningly.
Hermione unconsciously read aloud, "A Thousand Monstrous Serpents? Why would Professor Dumbledore give you that?"
Harry scratched his hair. "Dumbledore knows I like snakes, that's why he gave me the book."
"It wouldn't happen to be related to the attacker, would it?" Hermione asked, suspicious.
Harry replied, half-truth, half-lie, "There's a possibility, I suppose, especially since Dumbledore knows I'm a Parselmouth."
Just then, the snake on the cover of A Thousand Monstrous Serpents let out an impatient hiss. Harry gave it a firm thump.
"Dumbledore said this book needs to be read once it's out, or it'll keep hissing," Harry explained to Hermione.
Hermione knew Harry too well. Whenever he wanted to hide something, he'd subconsciously do odd little things.
But Hermione didn't press further, turning instead to watch the flames in the fireplace being poked into various shapes by Harry. "Alright. But if you need help with anything, don't try to shoulder it all by yourself like you did with the Chamber of Secrets, understood?"
When Harry looked up, he met her worried gaze, and a warmth spread through him.
Harry nodded. "Got it. I promised I wouldn't keep secrets from you, and you're not a burden."
Hermione finally smiled, reaching out to smooth his messy hair. "That's good of you. But keep your voice down, or you'll actually wake your 'carefree' roommates."
"Apologies for interrupting you two!" Percy's voice boomed from the common room doorway. A group of students was already gathered around him. "But everyone's here, Granger. Are you still coming to the library?"
"I'm coming right now!" Hermione called out hurriedly, then whispered to Harry, "See you at lunch in the Great Hall."
As Hermione walked to the library, she decided to look for A Thousand Monstrous Serpents there. She vaguely remembered seeing the book in the library.
I might as well learn if Parseltongue has any hidden meanings, Hermione thought to herself. After all, Dumbledore wouldn't mention Parseltongue for no reason.
She'd trusted Harry too much before, and Parseltongue was Harry's private business, so she hadn't looked into it. But now, Hermione felt it was necessary to understand Parseltongue.
After Hermione's figure vanished from the common room, it grew quiet once more.
Before Wood and the others woke up, Harry had intended to read A Thousand Monstrous Serpents. But he'd woken up so early that the sky outside hadn't even fully brightened yet, and he couldn't help but yawn.
A while later, by the warm glow of the fireplace, Harry slowly drifted off to sleep.
The sound of footsteps "thump-thump-thumping" echoed from the dormitory stairs, and a beautiful witch with fiery red hair appeared.
Ginny walked into the common room and, almost instinctively, cast her eyes towards the fireplace. She always found Harry there.
Sure enough, this time was no exception.
Ginny had risen so early because she'd seen Hermione enter the boys' dormitory from her own door, so she knew Harry would be awake too. And at this hour, there wouldn't be many people in the common room, which gave Ginny the courage to speak to Harry.
Ginny silently cheered herself on: Come on, Ginny Weasley! You can do this…
Ginny summoned her courage and approached. "Harry, good morning…?" She then noticed Harry had fallen asleep.
Ginny immediately clamped her mouth shut and boldly gazed at Harry's face.
He sat by the fireplace, head resting on his hand, messy black hair falling across his forehead, eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes – Harry had clearly fallen asleep sitting up, still clutching A Thousand Monstrous Serpents.
She noticed a massive snake on the open page of the book, its bright yellow eyes staring directly ahead, where a figure lay on the ground.
Ginny pulled her gaze from the book, then skimmed over Harry's distinct knuckles and tempting lips, finally stopping at his lightning-bolt scar. Her heart suddenly began to pound erratically.
Ginny struggled to tear her gaze from Harry's face, standing there and taking several ragged breaths to compose herself.
Ginny thought resentfully: Why can Hermione always stand so naturally by him? She can discuss Transfiguration essays with him, she can accompany him to the Restricted Section to find information. Harry even fights Malfoy for Hermione. And me? I feel like I'll always just be 'the Weasley twins' sister,' and even if I walk right past Harry, he won't even look at me.
The more Ginny thought, the angrier she became. She instinctively reached out, wanting to touch Harry's hair while Hermione wasn't around.
Just as her fingertips were about to brush the stray hairs on Harry's forehead, a tremendous crash erupted from the boys' dormitory – like someone had knocked over a suit of armour, mixed with George's shouts: "Fred! Give me back the Cleansweep Two Thousand! Harry lent it to me, not you!"
Fred's voice was even louder than George's. "Nonsense! Harry lent it to the Beater, not specifically you!"
Ginny snapped her hand back, her cheeks instantly burning.
Hearing the commotion, Harry's eyelashes fluttered. Before his eyes were even fully open, Wood charged up to him.
Wood elbowed Ginny aside, the red Quidditch captain's armband swinging wildly on his arm. "Harry! Wake up! We need to train! I barely managed to book the Quidditch pitch, and Madam Hooch only agreed to stay with us for the morning!"
George, who was right behind him with the Cleansweep Two Thousand on his shoulder, noticed Ginny by the fireplace and immediately winked at her. "Ginny, you're up early! Come have a look at this beautiful Cleansweep Two Thousand, it's truly—"
Before George could finish, Fred lunged and snatched the broom away. "We've got a new strategy for practice today, and this broom suits me better than you!"
Luckily, the fire in the hearth was quite warm, so the Weasley twins didn't suspect anything was amiss with Ginny's beet-red face.
"Don't be silly," Ginny said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to make her voice sound natural. "I just came down for a glass of water."
Angelina also walked into the common room. She clearly paused when she saw Ginny. "Good morning, Ginny."
"Good morning, Angelina." Ginny then moved away from the fireplace, finding a corner from which to secretly watch.
Angelina shook her head in confusion at Ginny's hasty retreat. She was about to ask Fred if their sister was bothered by something when Fred suddenly crashed into her.
Angelina immediately forgot about Ginny and yelled at Fred, "Fred! What are you doing this early in the morning?!"
Fred clung tightly to one end of the Cleansweep Two Thousand and, without looking back, said, "Angelina, you're just in time! Come help me!"
"Boys are so boring," Alicia Spinnet, the other Gryffindor Chaser, grumbled, though her eyes were glued to the Cleansweep Two Thousand.
Angelina rolled her eyes. Instead of helping Fred, she reached out and gave a painful twist to the soft flesh on Fred's waist.
"Ow!" Fred instinctively let go, saying in disbelief, "Angelina, you actually chose to help George?!"
Ignoring the commotion, Wood was frantically shaking Harry's head.
Harry was now fully awake. "Enough, Wood! I feel like my brains are going to be scrambled."
Wood scrutinized Harry for a moment, making sure he was truly awake before letting go. "Up you get, then! We need to leave now!"
Harry rubbed his eyes. "Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet, I'll just grab something quick when we pass the Great Hall," Wood said, standing up and addressing everyone.
"Wood's gone mad, hasn't he?" Katie Bell said, astonished.
Angelina patted Katie's shoulder, saying earnestly, "Every Gryffindor Quidditch Captain is like this. You're only in your third year; you've got a lot of hard times ahead."
Alicia nodded sympathetically beside her, and Katie suddenly felt a profound sense of dread about her future.
"Harry!" Fred ran over, unwilling to let George keep the Cleansweep Two Thousand.
Harry subtly tucked A Thousand Monstrous Serpents back into his trunk. "What's up?"
"You be the judge! Who is this Cleansweep Two Thousand really for?" Fred declared loudly. George looked on nervously as well.
Harry didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly pulled out a Cleansweep Two Thousand and a steak from his trunk.
Harry offered the steak to everyone. "Have a bite to fill your stomachs first, Wood, you too."
Fred took the steak, devoured it in two bites, then continued to gaze eagerly at Harry.
"Ah," Harry sighed. "George was the one who initially asked to borrow it."
George immediately smirked triumphantly at Fred.
"Harry, think about it again!" Fred said, not giving up.
"But I also wouldn't want to see two twins turn against each other," Harry said, deliberately pausing there. "So, this Cleansweep Two Thousand will be lent to Angelina instead."
At his words, Angelina immediately blew Harry a kiss. "A wise decision! I'll certainly use it to score points mercilessly against Slytherin!"
Fred and George, looking utterly devastated, watched as Angelina took the broom.
Angelina generously told Alicia and Katie, "I'll let you two fly a few laps during practice later."
"What are you all still doing? Come on!" Wood had, at some point, reached the portrait hole.
Ginny sat in her corner, watching them all stream out of the portrait hole, silently praying for Harry. I hope it's a good day for him.
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