💎 WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎
🔥 30→2ch | 60→5ch | 100→8ch | 200→15ch | 400→25ch
⏰ Resets Monday!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Probably because a professor was watching, even though there were obviously many interesting topics to chat about, Harry, Ron, and Hermione still said goodbye early.
At their afternoon tea, Anthony curiously asked about Scabbers' diet. Not that his Wraith Mouse could eat anything. Just that people keeping rats at Hogwarts were truly rare. Anthony couldn't help wanting to inquire. Based on Scabbers' size, Ron had indeed raised it very well... This rat looked, in a sense, like a broad-shouldered wealthy man.
"Him? He eats everything," Ron patted his pocket. "Mashed potatoes, beef in sauce, roasted chicken legs—he loves them all. Though he doesn't seem to like pea shoots much. Prefers corn kernels..."
Anthony smiled watching him talk freely. Even though his mouth had many complaints about his hairless fat rat, Ron was actually still a dedicated good owner.
He and Ron agreed—when there was a chance, he'd bring his transparent rat over. When they were curious why the rat was transparent, Anthony still copied that universal answer: magic.
He'd almost gotten used to this explanation. So much so he somewhat worried—if he returned home, his Muggle home of course—encountered someone questioning his body temperature or strange sounds in his room, would he blurt out "Magic"?
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, like others who knew about the Wraith Mouse, also quickly accepted this explanation. For these children, magic was just that miraculous and omnipotent. Could explain all strange things in the world. Make them all seem natural.
Perhaps because Anthony hadn't shown any displeasure when they cursed Filch (except stopping a somewhat inelegant word Ron blurted out), they gradually relaxed later.
However, relaxed a bit too much. So much so Ron seemed to want to share an interesting night-wandering experience with Hagrid in front of him. Harry and Hermione timely stopped him. Forcibly steered the topic to Professor Flitwick's classroom exercises. Finally they politely said goodbye to Hagrid and Anthony. Thanked Hagrid for sharing tea. Then fled somewhat frantically.
Anthony watched them cover for each other with amusement—Harry and Ron were rather unlucky. The night wandering when they ran into him had too many people for him to possibly cover for them. In fact, because of Ron's half-hidden, half-told story, Anthony almost wanted to directly declare in front of them—as long as students weren't doing anything dangerous, he didn't much care if anyone was night wandering.
Ron's brothers, the Weasley twins, had obviously realized this. They would even on certain nights (like when they carried a plate of fresh fried snacks from the kitchen toward Gryffindor common room) wave hello to Anthony from afar. But if they saw Anthony near the Forbidden Forest, they'd turn and bolt.
Hagrid told the three first-years to be careful on the road back to the castle. Recently don't go near the Forbidden Forest. Something inside might've gone a bit mad.
Then while piling everyone's teacups into the sink, he said to Anthony, "They're good people, right? All good friends. Visit me from time to time..."
Hagrid described his friends to Anthony. "Haha, Aragog's my big friend now..." He shook his hand. Shook off rock cake crumbs. Stretched his arms wide. Gestured Aragog's size. "But when I met it, it was only this big. Harry too—when I first saw him he was a baby. Now he's this big. Like his mum and dad. Brave and kind..."
Anthony knew Hagrid was also friends with Harry Potter's parents. That couple killed by Voldemort on an unfortunate night.
He looked up at Hagrid who was talking while putting on his quiver. From his shaggy face, Anthony couldn't see any traces of years. He found it hard to imagine how many friends' growth and deaths Hagrid had witnessed... If you thought carefully, Hagrid was older than more than half the professors at school.
Yet Hagrid still hadn't realized his three little friends' somewhat odd words and actions today were precisely because of this medium friend sitting across from him.
"That old git Filch must've punished them again!" he muttered while pouring leftover rock cakes back into the box. "But Henry, do you have anything else today?"
Anthony recalled his schedule. "I need to submit the first group's practical activity summary report to Minerva. Then probably nothing else. What's wrong? Why ask?"
Hagrid suddenly seemed somewhat awkward. "I want to ask you a favor... I haven't reciprocated Professor Kettleburn's Christmas gift..." He saw Anthony's widened eyes. "I know. But I liked what he gave this year too much. I also want to give something he'll like. He's retiring soon. Just these few years..."
He sighed somewhat sadly.
"I'm not familiar with Professor Kettleburn," Anthony declared.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (80+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!