Late at night, in the lounge, everyone had changed into their pajamas and were talking about what had happened that day.
Of course, most of them were first-year students.
Other grades also have exams.
Just as Seamus was boasting about his explosive talent and Neville was wielding his wand like a sword, Fred and George walked towards them.
"Are you looking for me?" Ron stood up. "To praise your brother for overcoming the fear of spiders you brought?"
They both bypassed Ron.
"Little Ronnie."
"We're here to see Harry."
As they spoke, they handed over a piece of parchment.
"Come."
"Hagrid's letter to you."
"Thank you." Harry accepted it.
The messy, illegible handwriting above Hagrid...
There was also a large ink stain on the paper, making the writing difficult to decipher.
Dear Harry, Basil, Ron, Hermione:
Aragog died today.
He is an Acromantula. Today's victim. Also, the "monster" mentioned in the notice that I was framed and dismissed.
He is very important to me.
If you could come to the funeral tonight, it would mean a lot to me.
I plan to hold the funeral tomorrow at dusk, which is his favorite time of day.
I didn't want to make this request, but I can't face it alone.
Hagrid
"Thank goodness. Not today." Ron, who had come over to read the letter with him, breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't want to see the Acromantula again that night. Even if it was a corpse.
"Perhaps it's because dusk has already passed." Hermione, ever sentimental, had tears welling up in her eyes.
"A funeral," Basil sighed.
The Headmaster's Office is now unusually lively.
Sirius gathered with his cousin and nephew.
Dressed in a black robe as a widow, Narcissa suppressed her grief and discussed her husband's funeral with Sirius.
Sirius Black, who should have been cold-blooded towards his cousin Sirius, who was on Voldemort's side and eager to see Harry, is now acting like a dutiful relative.
Stroking Draco's head, he patiently and meticulously discussed the details of the funeral, such as the date and attendees.
Harry's name wasn't mentioned even once.
Draco stared blankly at his father's head, overwhelmed with grief, unable to speak or shed tears.
The principals' portraits either left the frame to go visiting other schools, or they closed their eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Dumbledore is not in the room.
They left this place to their family.
However, Basil was a little confused.
It's great to suddenly receive another 20,000 gems.
But then Peter's imprisonment; Sirius's release; Narcissa Malfoy's fake imprisonment and subsequent release all came together.
How did Dumbledore manage to do it in an hour?
The Ministry of Magic is like his own home.
Surprisingly, Fudge didn't cause any trouble.
This has nothing to do with him, the great Uncle Basil!
In fact, Dumbledore also a little surprised.
These demands, in Fudge's eyes, undoubtedly undermined the Ministry of Magic's credibility and challenged his own authority.
He's already prepared for a protracted battle.
But as soon as he made a request, Fudge nodded vigorously, as if afraid that he would do something bad.
Umbridge, who was responsible for playing the good cop next to Fudge, didn't say anything sarcastic. Instead, he was extremely submissive and meek.
As a result, he hadn't come to his senses yet.
Sirius and Narcissa changed their clothes and were brought over.
Then they were all put in the office.
Fortunately, they didn't start arguing.
However, his first priority was to stop the man in front of him whose eyes were glowing red.
His double agent, his most trusted man, Severus Snape.
On the Seventh Floor, beside the Dripping Beast, Snape, in his ever-present black robe, with his slicked-back hair and still pale Snape, held his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore.
"Let me in! Let me finish off that filthy dog!"
At that moment, his eyes shone with fervor.
Dumbledore said gently, "You should already know the whole story."
Snape said nonchalantly, "Oh, Peter Pettigrew is the traitor. Sirius Black great one, volunteered to spend over ten years in Azkaban? So what if I know?"
"You forgot? When the Secret Keeper of the Fidelius Charm should have chosen you, he persuaded that idiot to choose him instead of you. And when the Lily family was personally targeted by the Dark Lord, he again acted cleverly, changing the Secret Keeper and persuading that idiot to choose Peter, who had a mother as a weakness and was cowardly and afraid of trouble?"
"Even if Peter betrayed that man, can Sirius really escape responsibility?"
At this point, Snape's eyes grew even colder. "Get out of the way! Dumbledore!"
"You should know that Narcissa and Draco are still up there. They're discussing a funeral— Lucius Malfoy's," Dumbledore prompted.
Snape's facial muscles twitched slightly.
Then he turned around and walked towards the basement without saying a word.
Dumbledore went to another room.
The room was brightly lit, with tables and chairs piled up in a corner.
A long table filled with documents and a high-backed chair were added in the middle.
On the unfolded parchment, it was clearly written:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Supreme Mugwump, First-Class Member of the Order of Merlin, Archmage, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot)
Dear Mr. Lockhart:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been appointed as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Enclosed are your start date and salary details.
If accepted.
Please finalize the teaching materials by June 31st.
We eagerly await your reply from your owl.
Vice Principal (Female)
Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall
Dumbledore looked at it and smiled slightly.
Then he waved his wand.
The letters of Lockhart turned bright red and then twisted into Lupin.
Basil did not pay attention to this scene.
In fact, after seeing that Snape didn't barge into the office and fight Sirius, he started chatting with Harry and the others.
He ate the roast meat that the Weasley twins had brought from the kitchen and drank the iced Coke that he had picked up fresh from a supermarket in London.
However, as time went on...
More and more students yawned as they walked towards their dormitories.
In the end, only the still energetic Basil and Hermione, who refused to leave and kept getting closer and closer to Basil, remained.
At this moment, he was immersed in the wonderful touch of Hermione pressed against him.
A pair of tiny, translucent feet, like those inlaid with pearls, dangled in front of him.
Her shapely, fair legs occasionally brushed against him, and strands of her hair brushed against the tip of his nose, making Basil's heart flutter.
Looking down, Hermione's face turned pink, and her thin, moist lips unconsciously curled up, as if waiting for something.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet, with only the increasingly heavy breathing of the two people remaining.
Then there's the nasal sound, and the sound of water.
At 2 a. m., Basil returned to his dormitory, looking hunched over with several red marks on his neck.
"Why are you only getting back now?" Harry rubbed his eyes.
"I'm practicing Legilimency," Basil said casually.
He wasn't lying. Restraining desires can be considered a form of Legilimency exercise.
No one was sleeping in the dormitory.
Ron sat like a duck on the carpet, the bed was a mess, the closet was open, and a suitcase had been dragged out from under the bed.
He kept muttering, "Scabbers."
Neville yawned. "Ron's mice are gone. Seamus said they might have been eaten by Fanta or Hedwig. But that's impossible; they've been resting in the Owlery lately. They rarely come back."
Harry nodded. "Yes. I think they might have sensed the approach of the Acromantula and hidden themselves. I saw it on TV—while Dudley was watching. Animals have a stronger sense of perception than humans. They can detect danger in advance, like an earthquake."