Harry: I Only Find Them Noisy

"But I'm staying here for the Christmas holidays and won't have a chance to go to Diagon Alley."

"I can buy it for you and have an owl bring it to you."

"Very good!"

"By the way, Loren Hermione, are you staying on campus during the Christmas break?"

"No, we plan to go home."

"..."

The little wizards chattered away, their Animagus daydreams and the upcoming Christmas holidays filling their conversation with a sense of ease and leisure.

The Third Greenhouse was filled with warm, humid air, and the smells of Compost fermentation and damp earth wafted through the air. The little wizards picked plump, pink pods from the Puffapod and shelled out the shiny beans.

Occasionally, beans would fall onto the greenhouse floor, and the mature poppy beans would suddenly burst open, making a sound like firecrackers.

In the stands of the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione was chatting with her two roommates, while Parvati and Lavender stared wide-eyed at Cedric, unwilling to look away for a moment.

Cedric's request for a rematch was made as scheduled, and this move won Hufflepuff many supporters from other houses, given Gryffindor's superior strength.

Parvati suppressed a hint of excitement in his voice. "Cedric is so handsome, look at him, he's like a valiant knight."

Lavender made a heart-shaped gesture. "And a knight with a tragic backstory, that's so captivating."

"Hey..." Hermione gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered a reminder, "Ron is watching the game up ahead, he can hear us."

"Oh, Merlin!" Lavender exclaimed, then straightened his posture and sat down steadily.

Parvati teased her a bit, "Actually, Captain Wood is quite handsome, isn't he?"

"Haha, yes, oh—" Lavender stopped laughing in time, glanced at Ron in the front row, and nodded reservedly, saying, "I mean, our team's players are all very handsome."

"..." Parvati was speechless at her appearance.

Just as the group was chatting, Loren, who arrived late, carrying a box of Every-Flavour Beans, carefully sat down next to Hermione, avoiding the excited young wizards watching the game.

Lavender and Parvati whispered a few words in Hermione's ear, then chuckled softly before holding hands and moving to another seat.

Hermione grabbed two or three candies from the man's candy box, put them in her mouth, and savored the sweet taste as it spread through her saliva. The girl squinted her eyes slightly.

I'm so lucky, they're all strawberry flavored.

"You really like Quidditch, so why are you late?" Hermione asked.

"When did I ever like Quidditch?"

"You used to be eager to explain it when you were in first grade."

"That's for fun," Loren replied matter-of-factly.

"..." Hermione paused for a moment. She felt that this person didn't find commentary fun, but rather finding it fun to annoy people.

"Will there be no Dementor this time?"

"No, the weather is great today, the Dementor can't get in."

"Good luck, Harry..."

The two chatted back and forth, their conversation soon drowned out by deafening cheers, and the Quidditch Match began.

"Angelina Johnson scores! Beautiful shot, Gryffindor scores 10 points!"

The stadium erupted in Lee Jordan's excited screams, eliciting cheers from the Gryffindor stands.

"Another goal! Angelina, my queen! Lee Jordan's heart will always belong to you!"

Lee Jordan kept shouting in a frenzied voice.

Professor McGonagall, standing nearby, couldn't help but call out, "Behave yourself, Lee Jordan!"

Lee Jordan chuckled twice, then quickly refocused on the intense game. "Spinnet caught the Quaffle... Wood held on!"

"Wow! Look at that beautiful goal!"

"Apart from Cedric, none of the other Hufflepuff are a match for Gryffindor. It's a real shame, though, that Harry has his eye on Cedric!"

"Lee Jordan! Watch your words!"

"..."

There was no storm, no Dementor, and no other unexpected events; the rematch between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor ended without any major incidents.

Cedric has just taken over the team and is struggling to carry the team alone against the powerful Gryffindor.

However, given that the match was requested by Cedric, every spectator present gave them a heartfelt round of applause.

After the match ended, both teams put down their brooms and exchanged post-match greetings in the center of the field.

George and Fred simultaneously put their hands on Cedric's shoulders, praising him with laughter:

"Thank you, Cedric, even though you're not very bright."

"But we acknowledge that you are an honest Hufflepuff."

"..."

Cedric gave a helpless, bitter laugh, pushed their hands away, and shook his head. "You should have won last week's match. Our team is still getting used to each other, and our training isn't as rigorous as yours."

Fred's smile widened, "Why don't you join our Gryffindor?"

"Fred!" Wood scolded him sternly, walked over and pushed the Twins aside, getting Cedric out of the predicament. The two captains then had a serious conversation and arranged a few training matches.

Next, it was Harry and Cedric's turn Seeker speak. Cedric patted Harry on the shoulder with a smile, "That sudden stop and ascent was so cool, Harry. You are the most talented Seeker at Hogwarts in recent years."

"Th-thank you..." Harry scratched his head shyly. He felt that Cedric had a kind of Magic Power that made even his opponents admire his character.

But this admiration only lasted a few minutes.

After the match, Harry watched as Cedric ran to the sidelines and threw himself into Cho Chang's arms. The two whispered intimately, and Cho Chang seemed to be comforting Cedric, who had lost the match.

Her expression was so gentle, and her smile was so elegant.

"..."

Harry looked as if he'd been hit by a powerful Repelling Charm, his face contorted in pain as he looked at the Twins: "Cedric, Cho Chang... he, they..."

"You mean them?" Fred glanced at them from afar. "Cho Chang is Ravenclaw's Seeker, Cedric is Hufflepuff's Seeker. It seems like they got together while practicing Quidditch."

"When you're practicing Quidditch?" Harry looked at the two people embracing in disbelief, as if he had suffered a serious blow.

He clearly practiced Quidditch very hard, so why wasn't it him who met Cho Chang?

George chuckled gleefully, "Yeah, yeah, I really want to see what happens when they meet on the field. Will Cedric go all out?"

Angelina suddenly interjected, "Maybe Qiu Zhang is even more capable?"

"Hahaha, will Qiu Zhang show mercy?"

"..."

Although Harry won the match against Cedric, he felt no joy at winning. Instead, he felt empty inside, as if he had suffered a complete defeat.

They were jokingly teasing the two Seeker about their cross-college romance; the spectators were cheering for victory, and Slytherin members came up to provoke them, only to be yelled at back by George and Fred; Ron was talking about the new player selection process.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared, and Harry only found them noisy.

For the next few days, Harry was somewhat dazed, lost in thought, and absent-minded. He ate in a daze, only taking what was on his plate, and walked unsteadily, as if he had been sucked silly by Dementor.

The selection process for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team's backup goalkeeper took place the following day. Loren was not present, so he did not know the specifics.

But Ron came home furious that night, sitting on the sofa cursing, "That damn Cormac Maclagan, he did it on purpose! He blocked just as many shots as I did, no more, no less, exactly the same!"

He took a deep breath in anger, then looked at Harry with some confusion. "Harry, why aren't you saying anything? You don't think he's a better fit to be goalkeeper than me, do you? Which side are you on anyway?"

Harry, still a little dazed, looked at Ron with a complicated expression, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "Actually... actually, George and Fred went easy on you, which is why your score is the same as Maclagan's."

"What?" Ron's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Shh—" Harry quickly pressed him down. "It was Angelina who suggested it. She noticed that you were a bit nervous, and McGonagall didn't really mesh well with the rest of the team... so she used this method to convince Wood to make both of you substitutes, and then decide who will take over after he graduates and leaves."

"How awful... they've chewed up all the Mandrake Leaf..."

Ron mumbled a few words indistinctly.

With Quidditch over, the Animagus class the young wizards had been eagerly anticipating finally began.

That afternoon, Loren and Hermione walked into the Transfiguration classroom with the magazines they had received from the previous semester and sat down in their seats.

The classroom was filled with many familiar faces: Seamus, Dean, Draco, Rolf, Luna, Ginny... It was hard to tell whether Professor McGonagall had lowered the difficulty of the exam or whether the increased popularity of the Animagus had piqued the interest of the young wizards, leading them to prepare diligently for the test.

In short, the number of students in the Teaching Class has increased two or three times, and the classrooms are almost overflowing.

Harry and Ron borrowed Loren's magazine and flipped through it, exclaiming in amazement as they looked at the amazing Human Transfiguration.

"The first step is to hold Mandrake Leaf in your mouth. It's not difficult, it just requires a little patience."

The experienced student Neville, was quietly explaining things to the new student Hannah.

Hannah, with her two golden ponytails, looked at the magazine and asked curiously in a low voice, "Could it be that someone's Animagus is a plant, with Venomous Tentacula or something?"

"Generally speaking, no, Animagus Transformation is an animal."

"The Venomous Tentacula can move too?"

"..." Neville paused for a moment, "But the Venomous Tentacula have Magic Power, and the Animagus cannot become something with Magic Power."

"Like Patronus Charm?"

"Yes."

"But I've heard that Headmaster Dumbledore's Patronus is a Magic Power Phoenix."

"..." Neville didn't know how to answer for a moment, and he was so nervous that a line of sweat appeared on his forehead and his neck turned a little red.

Hannah couldn't help but giggle. "Shall we ask Professor McGonagall later?"

"Hmm," Neville replied listlessly.

Ring ring—

The school bell rang.

Professor McGonagall closed her lesson plan, placed the book on the table, and looked at the students with a smile, "Good afternoon, children."

"You should already know about the Teaching Class from the previous cohort of students. Animagus is an extremely complex magic, involving subtle Human Transfiguration and lengthy magical rituals..."

"Passing the exam on Transfiguration already proves that you have a solid foundation. After a period of study, I believe you will have a deeper understanding of the basic principles of Transfiguration."

George suddenly raised his hand. "Professor, do the members who have already learned this part of the knowledge need to learn it again?"

"It's up to you to decide."

Professor McGonagall's smile remained gentle, "Many of you have already learned this part of the Animagus basics, which is mainly for new members. I personally suggest you listen to it again, but I also know that some of you will be facing the OWLs and NEWT exams soon, so it's not mandatory."

Loren nudged Hermione's arm. "Would you like to hear it again?"

Hermione nodded as expected and gave a soft "hmm," leaving Loren in a dilemma.

He didn't want to listen to the knowledge he had already learned; wouldn't it be better to use that time to burn down the Library?

Professor McGonagall continued her lecture, "What remains is the accumulation of experience in Human Transfiguration and the control of reason. New members will not be able to officially begin the ceremony until after the Christmas holidays. Of course, before that, you can conduct limited trials and practices."

Harry and Ron thought this was good news because both of their leaves were damaged.

Draco, sitting in the back, clicked his tongue and licked the leaf in his mouth, looking like he wanted to spit it out immediately. After hesitating for a moment, he suppressed the urge.

The young wizards below chattered amongst themselves for a while, then gradually quieted down.

"There are two more full moons at the end of November and before Christmas. I believe the previous members will set a good example. If the weather is as expected, I will take everyone to watch them prepare the Secret Potion on the nights of the two full moons."

"Now, let's begin the lesson." Professor McGonagall paused briefly. "This lesson will be a brief introduction to the origins of the Animagus and recorded incidents of uncontrolled Human Transfiguration. Those who have finished listening may leave."

The classroom suddenly fell silent. Most of the fifth and seventh graders hesitated for a moment before getting up and leaving.

Just as Loren was about to leave, Hermione grabbed his hand under the table. The girl's soft, white left hand held Loren's right hand, and the meaning she wanted to express was self-evident.

Loren looked over and saw that the girl's ears were slightly red, and she was focused on her notebook, as if the hand had nothing to do with her.

Loren smiled happily, squeezed the girl's palm, inserted his five fingers between hers, and held her hand tightly with his ten fingers interlocked.

Although the knowledge I've already learned is boring, Hermione's hands are really fun to play with.

Loren looked up at the window. Clouds drifted aimlessly in the sky, cotton-like white clumps hanging against a clear blue background. A slightly chilly breeze blew gently, creating a scene as serene as a painting.