Three Hermiones Would Be Happier? Yikes... (Continued)

The Grim neither barked nor left. It only silently watched the food she had set on the ground.

Madam Ariscar noticed its gaze.

"Ah, I suppose you must be starving."

Madam Ariscar turned, took half a chicken from her basket, then opened the yard gate.

"Oh... you poor little thing. You must be starving, aren't you? Come on, eat."

She placed the half chicken in front of the Grim.

By rights, a stray dog this hungry and cold would wolf down food the moment it saw it.

But to Madam Ariscar's surprise—

This Grim actually showed a trace of wariness that was almost human.

However, that expression vanished in an instant.

It made Madam Ariscar wonder if her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

The Grim sniffed the half chicken, then began eating it in small bites.

"Oh, this doesn't look good..."

Madam Ariscar soon noticed something unusual about the Grim.

The dog clearly looked like it was starving to death, yet when it ate, it seemed almost a little disgusted...

That made Madam Ariscar think this Grim might be sick.

At that thought, Madam Ariscar turned and headed back into the house, preparing to take out her Pet Medical Kit and give the Grim a proper examination.

But when she came back out of the house—

Outside the yard gate, where was there any Grim?

Only a few chicken bones lay scattered there, telling Madam Ariscar...

The Grim from just now had not been her imagination.

At the entrance to Hogsmeade, a small river wound past.

A stone bridge spanned the river.

At that moment, inside a little arch beneath the stone bridge...

A black dog was curled up there.

It did its best to tuck its body into the darkness of the bridge arch.

In front