Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 126 The Gears of Fate

After a few more days of observation, Harry finally had to accept this cruel reality.

Although the two still communicated, Ron was fine after a day and spoke to Hermione as before, but Hermione only nodded or shook her head and did not respond with words.

Even when they did speak, they would use words like "you" and "we," but in reality, they never said a single word directly to Ron.

Harry didn't know how to mend the relationship between the two. He didn't want his two best friends to continue like this, but he was helpless. This was not something he could talk about with anyone, not even the professor.

As the second round of the tournament began, Harry, who had returned to Quidditch training, was sore all over from Wood's daily drills and gradually forgot about it.

In early April, Hogwarts began its Easter holiday.

These few days off are actually very important, as they allow fifth and seventh graders who have been immersed in a tense learning pace to relax a bit and properly adjust their mindset.

Just like a spring can't be compressed forever, it needs to be stretched and relaxed in a balanced way for it to be better.

On the morning of the first day of the holiday, Ike, who was catching up on sleep in his "split-body" state, was woken up by a meow. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Crookshan's iconic round face.

I don't know how Hermione was raised, but after only a few days of being taken back, she gained a lot of weight and basically returned to the size she was when she first arrived.

After petting the cat for a while, washing up, and carrying Crookshanks out of the common room, Ike saw Hermione surrounded by two little witches, talking about something.

Good morning, Ginny and Luna.

"Good morning, Hermione," Ike greeted her, not surprised to see Ginny there. She and Luna were very good friends, practically inseparable. They lived close by, were the same age, and had grown up together.

As for Hermione, Ike had already guessed it the moment she appeared at Crook Hill.

"Why are you here? Is something wrong?" Ike asked, not noticing Ginny and Luna exchanging glances beside him.

"Yes, there's something I need to do." Hermione nodded, and while Ike was petting the cat, she turned and glared at Ginny and the other girl.

"Well..." Ike thought for a moment.

"Where to?" Hermione pointed in a direction.

"No." Ike shook his head.

"Then... let's take a walk along the Black Lake."

"That works now."

The two walked along the shore of Black Lake, their feet sinking into the lush grass. A yellow cat darted around them playfully, and the scene, at first glance, was surprisingly harmonious. But the inner murmur of their conversation was far less friendly.

"...He's just a selfish, immature brat!"

Hermione poured out her heart to Ike about what had happened that morning, and kept asking for his opinion.

What could Ike say? He couldn't possibly offer his own views and opinions from an objective and impartial perspective; he could only keep echoing with "uh-huh," "yes," and "that's right."

The effect was quite good. He understood very well that sometimes when a girl complains to you about others, she just wants you to listen. Once they've vented, they'll figure it out themselves.

"...Men are all blockheads!"

Hermione suddenly blurted out this, then glared at Ike before running off. When Crookshanks returned after their wild adventure, they found Ike looking completely bewildered.

A person and a cat, gazing at each other in silence.

"Come on, stay here with me for a few days." Ike picked up Crookshank, gave it a couple of carefree strokes, and his deep skill soon produced the familiar snoring sound.

Ike didn't take Hermione's story to heart, treating it merely as a story. He remembered Hermione having many conflicts with Harry and Ron, some far more serious than this one, but they always made up.

It's just a temporary conflict; don't worry about it.

Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was met with a barrage of questions from Ginny, who eagerly inquired about gossip. Only Ginny would bring up such matters; she was, in fact, Hermione's best friend in Gryffindor.

Hermione vehemently denied it, but Ginny wouldn't believe her. After a while, the two started playfully fighting.

When Harry and Ron returned, they saw Ginny and Hermione whispering to each other, neither of them paying any attention. This had been happening frequently since Ginny started school, so they were used to it.

Instead of wasting time, why not study Quidditch tactics together? This genuine passion won't diminish because of Wood's brutal training.

That evening, Wood held a mobilization meeting in the common room. The twins kindly provided plenty of butterbeer, and everyone was fired up by Wood's speech.

In Wood's description, they will easily overcome Ravenclaw, avenge Hufflepuff, ravage Slytherin, and finally win the championship.

Growth, revenge, victory—the idealistic and somewhat childish script fully stirred the emotions of the young lions. Coupled with the twins' treasured fireworks and various props, every Gryffindor present became excited. Even the usually serious Percy quietly picked up a glass of butterbeer.

Of course, what he didn't know was that the twins had added something to his butterbeer. The consequences weren't serious; he'd just be hiccuping and sneezing at the same time.

It only lasts for a few hours.

The revelry didn't end until late at night. Back in their dorm, Harry and Ron, still unable to contain their excitement, chatted with their roommate Seamus for a long time before finally falling asleep.

In his dazed state, Harry thought he heard someone shouting, and the sound was extremely horrific.

"Bang!"

In a daze, it felt like someone had slammed the dormitory door shut. This time he was fully awake, and he drew back the curtains to turn on the light.

"Snapped!"

Dean Thomas lit the lamp, and Harry saw Ron sitting on his bed with a look of horror on his face. Half of the curtains had been pulled down, and the rest looked like they had been slashed with a knife, now in strips.

The dormitory looked like it had been ravaged by a tornado; things that were originally arranged fairly neatly were scattered all over the floor, and there was even a long claw mark on the wall.

"Black! Sirius!"

"What?"

"Sirius! He's in! With a knife, he wants to kill me!"

Ron was terrified, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Are you dreaming?" Dean asked.

"Look around, look at the curtains, he was just here! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"What happened?"

Percy, pale-faced, knocked on the door. He was about to scold Ron, but when he saw the state of the dormitory, he immediately understood.

"Everyone to the common room! Someone go and tell Professor McGonagall!"

Because of his physical condition, Percy's voice was weak, so he had to use a loud stunt to get everyone out. He and Harry then helped Ron, who was still trembling, out of the dormitory.

When they arrived at the lounge, Percy counted the number of people, and everyone was there except for one person who had gone to report the news.

A short while later, Professor McGonagall arrived, casually draped in a long robe. After seeing the dormitory that had been ravaged beyond recognition, she was also filled with lingering fear.

"Prefect, please take good care of the students. No one should leave the common room!"

"Harry, Ron, tell me, what exactly happened?"

(End of this chapter)