After the two groups of students said goodbye to each other, they headed toward the Great Hall.
Lucretia and her roommates walked behind them when Sophia suddenly spoke.
"Mr. Pettigrew just gave me a strange feeling."
Helena adjusted her glasses and commented, "They're all quite strange. They're the school's notorious troublemakers, after all."
Sophia shook her head but said no more. "No, it's not just that."
When they entered the Great Hall, the four long tables were already laden with breakfast.
The students gathered together, enjoying the food the House-elves in the kitchen had prepared in advance.
Steaming oatmeal gave off a sweet fragrance, toast was piled into little mountains, and all kinds of jam and butter smelled enticing. There were also golden scrambled eggs and crispy bacon.
The enchanted sky on the ceiling showed the deep blue of early morning. A few white clouds drifted lazily past, with the occasional bird sweeping overhead.
The girls found seats and sat down. Emma immediately picked up a slice of toast thickly spread with blueberry jam.
Just as Lucretia was about to pour herself some juice, a familiar voice at the entrance of the Great Hall set off another burst of laughter.
She looked up to see James performing for a group of students.
Multicolored stars burst from the tip of his wand again, circling the four of them.
This time, the stars were more creative, forming different patterns in the air.
First came a flower, then a butterfly, and finally they flashed into a huge L.
Professor McGonagall strode over from the teachers' table with a cold expression. James hurriedly put away his wand and ducked behind Lupin with an innocent look on his face.
Helena shook her head, elegantly cutting into her fried egg. "Those Gryffindors really have far too much energy."
Emma watched the scene with great interest. "But that star magic is fun, isn't it?"
Lucretia smiled faintly and glanced toward the Slytherin Long Table.
Little Barty was focused on a book, and he had barely touched his breakfast.
Regulus was eating toast while saying something to him.
He looked up, saw Lucretia, and waved to her, signaling for her to come over.
"I'll be right back."
Lucretia spoke to her roommates, then walked toward the Slytherin Long Table.
Regulus stood to greet her with a warm smile. "Good morning, little sister. Did you sleep well? Are you ready for your first Flying class?"
Little Barty finally looked up from his book. With a slight curl of his lips, he pointed to the seat beside him. "Good morning."
A younger Slytherin boy nearby hurriedly moved away.
"I slept well enough."
Lucretia sat among the Slytherins somewhat awkwardly.
Regulus followed a few steps behind and stood at her side, blocking the gazes of those Slytherin girls.
He took out a pair of Dragonhide Gloves from his robe pocket. They still carried the faint scent of conditioning oil.
"For you. They're Barty's. He said gloves would help you keep your balance better while flying. I was planning to bring them over to you before class after you finished breakfast."
Lucretia accepted the gloves and looked at Little Barty, who was tilting his head as he examined her hair. "Thank you, Barty."
Little Barty merely shook his head lightly. "It's nothing. By the way, Mother must really want to know how you're doing at school. Have you written to her?"
"I finished writing last night. I was just thinking of giving it to you."
Lucretia took a letter from her schoolbag and handed it to Little Barty. She hesitated, lowering her voice.
"I ran into Mr. Pettigrew in the corridor just now. He... noticed the change in my hairstyle in a very strange way."
Little Barty's expression turned cold at once, his fingers curling into fists involuntarily. "What did he say to you?"
Lucretia hurriedly explained, "Nothing particularly strange. He just commented on my ponytail. Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Lupin were all there. But I also ran into him outside the Transfiguration Class classroom last time, and he asked whether my textbook was custom-made..."
Regulus lightly touched Little Barty's arm, signaling him not to make it too obvious, then said to Lucretia, "Little sister, remember what we said on the train? Try not to be alone with Pettigrew."
"I remember."
Regulus bent down again and whispered to Little Barty, "Barty, relax. You can't do anything in the Great Hall."
Little Barty took a deep breath and reluctantly nodded, though his gaze swept toward the Gryffindor table.
He accepted Lucretia's letter and carefully tucked it into his pocket. "I'll send it out in a while."
Regulus noticed that some of the other students were already starting to rise, so he helped Lucretia straighten the hood of her robe.
"Little sister, hurry back and eat breakfast. You can't be late for Flying class. Madam Hooch is very strict about punctuality."
Little Barty paused, lowering his voice. "And if Pettigrew does anything again... remember, be careful at all times."
Regulus patted Little Barty's shoulder. "Barty is always like this, worrying that even Flying class might have an accident. But this concern is precious, isn't it, little sister?"
Little Barty glared at Regulus, then turned to Lucretia. "I'm just reminding her to be careful. Remember what we practiced last night. If anything happens, use the badge to tell me immediately."
Lucretia nodded and waved one of Little Barty's gloves at him. "I will. Then I'm going back to breakfast."
Even after she returned to the Ravenclaw table, she could still feel Little Barty's gaze following her.
Emma looked at her curiously. "That Slytherin Black is really especially good to you, isn't he? His expression is always so gentle whenever he sees you. I want a brother like that too."
Lucretia smiled as she put on the Dragonhide Gloves to test their size, then tightened the adjustment straps. "He's always been like that. Barty too, just in a different way."
As she ate her toast, she could not help sneaking another glance toward the Slytherin Long Table.
Little Barty was staring toward Gryffindor at that moment, his expression gloomy.
Regulus was speaking quietly beside him, seemingly trying to persuade him to calm down.
Suddenly, another burst of laughter erupted from the Gryffindor table.
James was saying something to make everyone laugh, while Sirius sat beside him, casually looking around.
When his gaze swept over the Slytherin table, it met Little Barty's.
The two locked eyes for a moment.
The hostility in Little Barty's eyes was undisguised, while Sirius's expression was unreadable.
Sirius looked away first and whispered a few words to James.
Helena reminded them, "Emma, hurry up and swallow what's in your mouth. Everyone's heading for the door. We should be going to Flying class too."
The four Ravenclaw girls rose and left the table.
The Gryffindors stood up as well.
James stuffed the last piece of bacon into his mouth. Peter was still drinking pumpkin juice, while Sirius picked up his schoolbag, looking eager to leave.
As Lupin packed his bag, he reminded James, "We're handling Venomous Tentacula today. That plant is especially active in the morning, so you really need to be careful. Don't get detention again."
The two groups met again at the entrance.
Lupin nodded at Lucretia. "I hope your flight goes well, Miss Crouch. Watch out for those reckless Gryffindor first-years."
James protested, "Hey! We're not reckless. We're just... overflowing with enthusiasm."
Everyone laughed.
The Ravenclaw girls headed across the lawn toward the flying grounds, while the Gryffindors turned onto the path leading to the greenhouses.
Emma said sympathetically, "Venomous Tentacula? That sounds terrifying. I'd rather deal with wooden broomsticks."
Sophia reassured her, "Don't be too nervous. They say Madam Hooch never lets students fly too high, especially in the first class."
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