"Huh?" Color immediately returned to Hermione's pale face as she looked at Basil. "Two boats? Since when did you have girlfriends? And two of them?"
As if possessed, she stepped forward, her voice rising so sharply it seemed capable of shattering the fish tank. "Padma and Parvati?"
Ron and Harry's voices were drowned out by Hermione's shrill shout.
"You're not his girlfriend?"
"Could this be a misunderstanding?"
What the hell is this?
He was still a pure, innocent youth waiting to blossom!
Even Ding Zhen wasn't as genuine as he was!
"I haven't even looked for a girlfriend in this world!" Basil glared back at Hermione without yielding. "Are you confused? If that were true, would Parvati have said, 'If she weren't in the way, Basil would have belonged to us sisters long ago'?"
"Huh?" Hermione seemed to shrink several inches.
Ron, standing nearby, finally understood the whole thing. "You weren't upset because of me, but because of Parvati?"
Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes at Ron.
It felt as though a sweet, clear spring had burst forth in her heart with a hiss.
Once she came back to her senses, she realized that Basil would rather embarrass himself outside the girls' bathroom and give up the Halloween feast just to come find her.
She definitely held a special place in Basil's heart.
Besides, hadn't the conversation between Basil and Professor McGonagall while they waited for the Sorting already proven everything?
Ron's little offense was nothing at all!
So she rose eagerly onto her tiptoes and asked in an almost singing voice, "Shall we go back to the feast?"
Basil shook his head. "There's no time."
In the Hogwarts within his mind, Quirrell had just appeared.
Quirrell had not arrived by Apparition.
Only Basil and Dumbledore had that permission in