The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 370 The Animal World, The Ugly Duckling and Miss Otter

"If I were you, I wouldn't make such a fuss, Miss Sea Otter!"

In mid-air, the swift's song remained as clear and crisp as ever.

Hermione sat upright on the flying carpet, looking at the two small silver-grey paws, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

She knew about sea otters and had seen them at the London Aquarium. Although she liked these cute little animals, it didn't mean she wanted to become a sea otter.

If she really had to become an animal… Hermione’s gaze involuntarily turned to the elegant and pure white swans on the river.

"It's alright! This should only be temporary!" Ino flapped her wings and flew to Hermione's side, gently pecking the sea otter's little head with her long swan beak.

A touch came, and Hermione tilted her head up at a 45-degree angle.

With its pure, jet-black eyes, silver-gray fur, and two paws that seem to have nowhere to go, it looks absolutely adorable.

"If you can, you should complete the instructions, which is to go to that little patch below!"

A crisp sound rang out, and the swift flew over.

Following the other person's gaze, Ino saw the scenery hidden on the river surface.

……

It seems that animals also have a hierarchy.

In the middle of the river, a flock of elegant swans swam, while not far from the riverbank, in a place full of burdock, a group of ducks played in the water.

At first glance, there are at least dozens of them, densely packed together.

Around the periphery of this flock of ducks, there was a small group that lingered along the edge like yellow croakers, not daring to approach the ducks in the middle.

The leader of this group of ducks is an adult duck with a green head and neck and brown feathers covering its back; it is clearly the mother duck.

Behind it was a group of black and gray ducklings.

Of course, behind these ducklings, there was also the figure of a nearly adult duck. Although it was large, its plumage was almost grayish-white down, making it look like an overnourished child at first glance.

"Look, this is what the world is like!" said Mother Duck.

"But I must remind you of something: if any of you encounter Mrs. Rhys in the middle, be sure to bow your head. She is the most famous person here; she wears a red cloth tied around her leg, which is the greatest honor a duck can receive..."

Faced with their mother's instructions, all the ducklings nodded in response, including the last and largest duckling.

The ducklings' responses seemed a bit noisy, which attracted the attention of the other ducks.

"Look! Another group of customers has arrived looking for something to eat! Ugh, that duck is really ugly!"

A half-grown young duck pecked the duckling hard.

This seemed to be a signal, and the other ducks began to act accordingly, either pecking at the ducks or swimming around them, mocking them with their words.

"Please leave her alone, she's not hurting anyone!" The mother duck could only stand in front of her.

Despite her efforts to explain, there were simply too many onlookers around.

"But she's so ugly...she's the ugly duckling..."

"She's different from us, that's her fault..."

"She's so rough, she deserves a beating..."

The Ugly Duckling hid behind her mother, listening blankly to the mockery around her and feeling the pain that came from her body from time to time. She couldn't understand what she had done wrong.

After she crawled out of the egg, she was beaten, ostracized, and ridiculed everywhere...

The Ugly Duckling was filled with deep self-blame and doubt. She really didn't know what she had done wrong to be treated this way.

Is it really true, as they say, that being different from them is wrong?

Faced with accusations and attacks, the Ugly Duckling hid its head under its wings and floated quietly on the water without moving.

……

"Enough! You've really gone too far!" an angry voice rang out.

All the ducks, including the Ugly Duckling and its mother, couldn't help but look towards the other side of the river.

A silver-grey sea otter appeared on the water's surface.

A body size of one and a half feet may be small, but for a duck, it is considered enormous, at least two or three times larger than them.

Hermione was furious.

She had read the story of the Ugly Duckling, but she never imagined that the bullying described so lightly in the book was actually like this in reality.

Looking at the bewildered Ugly Duckling, she seemed to see her former self.

Upon entering Hogwarts, she encountered almost the same exclusion. And the reason was ridiculous: simply because she was different from others.

She enjoys learning, earning points, and answering professors' questions...

"In my opinion, the Ugly Duckling is prettier than all of you combined..."

Hermione's voice rang out on the river, and unlike the other ducks' fear, the Ugly Duckling's eyes shone with an unprecedented brilliance.

Seeing the Ugly Duckling's expression, Hermione's lips curved into a slight smile. She had now identified with Ino, and the Ugly Duckling was her former self.

Similarly, she found the answer.

It was roughly the same as it is now in front of the library back then.

From that moment on, without realizing it, the former conman quietly transformed into Ino.

……

In the sky.

After Hermione jumped into the water with a "plop," Ino quietly watched the river surface.

"You've seen it too! That's the truth. The little swan is always being bullied, and this isn't the first time."

As the swift spoke, it glided in circles, for although swallows fly fast, it is difficult for them to stay airborne.

"Leave the rest to me... no! Leave it to Miss Sea Otter, no one can do it better than her..."

Ino turned her head and spoke calmly.

Nothing in itself has meaning, yet everything has its own significance…

Unconsciously, Ino recalled what her teacher Hans had once said.

At that moment, he understood why he had traveled so far to take care of a little swan.

This should be Mr. Hans's compensation to Hermione; perhaps the compensation began from the moment of the golden apple.

Although he didn't believe, either emotionally or rationally, that his teacher Hans would harm innocent people.

But the accident has already happened, so it's impossible to say that there's no resentment in one's heart.

Just like the Brothers Grimm when they were young, they meant well but ended up really messing with him.

If the ending of the story hadn't been written by Greene long ago, Ino guessed he probably wouldn't have survived that self-immolation at the tower.

……

Under a clear blue sky, a black swan soars in mid-air.

He watched quietly as a sea otter and a group of ducks argued on the river.

Soon, the situation changed again.

Perhaps the sea otter hadn't argued with her enough, or perhaps she was no longer satisfied with just arguing.

She waved her little claws and rushed towards the flock of ducks, beginning to show her attitude through her actions.

Although Hermione has the advantage in size, she has to protect the Ugly Duckling behind her while also dealing with a large flock of ducks.

Most importantly, she hasn't fully gotten used to her sea otter body yet.

Gradually, Hermione found herself at a disadvantage.

Once, twice, three times... repeatedly being pecked by ducks, but the courage of Gryffindor was on full display.

Little by little, the sea otter seemed to be developing the rudiments of a lion. The young lioness hunted for the first time on the savanna, facing her first battle against a pack of hyenas...

However, being alone is still being alone.

As more and more ducks joined the flock, Hermione found herself struggling to keep up.

At that moment, Ino knew it was time for him to enter the fray.

A three-foot-tall black swan flaps its wings, its jet-black feathers gleaming in the sunlight, a vibrant, iridescent black.

Yes, it's colorful, just like a crow; animal vision is always different from human vision.

(End of this chapter)