Pettigrew's Anomaly

The two groups of students said goodbye to each other and headed towards the Great Hall.

Lucretia and her roommates walked behind, and Sophia suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Pettigrew just now gave me a strange feeling."

Helena propped up her chin and commented, "They're all quite strange, after all, they're the notorious troublemakers in the school."

Sophia shook her head but didn't say more, "No, it's not just that."

Upon entering the Great Hall, the four long tables were already laden with breakfast.

Students gathered together, enjoying the food prepared in advance by the house-elves in the kitchens.

Steaming hot oatmeal emitted a sweet aroma, toast was piled high like mountains, various jams and butter exuded an enticing fragrance, and there were golden scrambled eggs and crispy bacon.

The magical sky on the ceiling showed a clear morning blue, with a few wisps of white clouds lazily drifting by, and occasionally one or two birds would flit past.

The girls found seats and sat down, and Emma immediately picked up a piece of toast spread with blueberry jam.

Just as Lucretia was about to pour herself some juice, a familiar voice at the entrance of the hall caused another burst of laughter.

She looked up and saw James performing for a group of students.

Colorful stars once again emerged from the tip of his wand, spinning around the four of them.

This time, the stars were more creative, forming different patterns in the air.

First, it was a flower, then a butterfly, and finally, it flashed into a large 'L'.

Professor McGonagall strode quickly from the staff table with a stern face. James quickly put away his wand, feigned innocence, and hid behind Lupin.

Helena shook her head and elegantly cut her fried egg, "Those Gryffindors have too much energy."

Emma also watched the scene with great interest, "But isn't that star magic fun?"

Lucretia smiled slightly and her gaze swept towards the Slytherin long table.

Little Barty was engrossed in a book, barely touching his breakfast.

Regulus was saying something to him while eating his toast.

He looked up, saw Lucretia, and waved at her, signaling her to come over.

"I'll be right back," Lucretia said to her roommates and then walked towards the Slytherin long table.

Regulus stood up to greet her with a warm smile, "Sister, good morning. How did you sleep? Are you ready for your first Flying class?"

Little Barty finally looked up from his book, a smile curving his lips as he gestured to the seat beside him. "Good morning."

A younger Slytherin boy not far away quickly moved.

"I slept well."

Lucretia sat somewhat awkwardly amidst the Slytherins.

Regulus followed a few steps, standing at her side, blocking the view of the Slytherin girls.

He took a pair of Dragonhide Gloves from his robe pocket. The gloves still carried a faint scent of leather oil.

"Here, these are Barty's. He said gloves can help you get a better grip when flying. I was planning to bring them to you before you went to class after breakfast."

Lucretia took the gloves and looked at Little Barty, who was tilting his head and examining her hair. "Thank you, Barty."

Little Barty simply shook his head slightly. "It's nothing. By the way, Mother must be very curious about how you're doing at school. Have you written any letters?"

"I finished one last night and was just thinking of giving it to you."

Lucretia took a letter from her schoolbag and handed it to Little Barty. She hesitated, her voice lowering.

"Just now in the corridor, I ran into Mr. Pettigrew. He... noticed my hairstyle change in a very strange way."

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

Little Barty's expression instantly turned cold, his fingers involuntarily clenching into fists. "What did he say to you?"

Lucretia quickly explained, "Nothing special, he just commented on my ponytail. Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Lupin were all there. But I also bumped into him outside the Transfiguration classroom last time, and he asked if my textbooks were custom-made..."

Regulus gently touched Little Barty's arm, signaling him not to be too obvious, then said to Lucretia, "Sister, remember what we said on the train? Try not to interact with Pettigrew alone."

"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 nodded reluctantly, his gaze sweeping towards the Gryffindor table.

He took Lucretia's letter and carefully put it in his pocket. "I'll mail it later."

Regulus noticed that other students were starting to get up and helped Lucretia adjust her robe's hood.

"Sister, hurry back and eat breakfast. You can't be late for Flying class. Madam Hooch is very strict about punctuality."

Little Barty paused, his voice very low. "Also, if Pettigrew... Remember to be careful at all times."

Regulus lightly patted Little Barty's shoulder. "Barty is always like this, worrying about accidents even during Flying class. But this concern is precious, isn't it, 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 you have any problems, tell me immediately using the badge."

Lucretia nodded, waving her gloves at Little Barty. "I will. I'm going back for breakfast then."

She could still feel Little Barty's gaze following her all the way back to the Ravenclaw table.

Emma looked at her curiously. "That Slytherin Black really treats you well, doesn't he? His expression is always so gentle when he looks at you. I wish I had a brother like that."

Lucretia smiled, putting on the Dragonhide Gloves to test the fit, then tightened the adjustment buckle. "He's always been like this, and Barty too. They just express it differently."

While eating toast, she couldn't help but sneak another glance at the Slytherin table.

Little Barty was currently staring at the Gryffindor side, his expression gloomy.

Regulus whispered something to him, seemingly trying to calm him down.

Suddenly, another burst of laughter erupted from the Gryffindor table.

James was saying something to amuse everyone, while Sirius sat beside him, casually looking around.

As his gaze swept over to the Slytherin table, it met Little Barty's.

The two locked eyes for a moment.

The hostility in Little Barty's eyes was unconcealed, while Sirius's expression was unreadable.

Sirius broke eye contact first and whispered a few words to James.

Helena reminded them, "Emma, hurry and swallow what's in your mouth. Everyone's heading for the door, we should go to Flying class too."

The four Ravenclaw girls got up and left the table.

The Gryffindors also stood up.

James stuffed the last piece of bacon into his mouth, Peter was still drinking pumpkin juice, and Sirius picked up his schoolbag, looking eager to leave.

Lupin reminded James as he organized his bag, "We have to deal with Venomous Tentacula today. These plants are especially active in the morning, so you really need to be careful and not get held back again."

The two groups met again at the main entrance.

Lupin nodded at Lucretia. "Have a smooth Flying class, Miss Crouch. Watch out for those reckless Gryffindor first-years."

James protested, "Hey! We're not reckless, we're just... enthusiastic."

Everyone laughed.

The Ravenclaw girls walked towards the lawn leading to the flying grounds, while the Gryffindors turned towards the path to the greenhouses.

Emma said sympathetically, "Venomous Tentacula? That sounds scary. I'd rather deal with sticks and brooms."

Sophia comforted her, "Don't be too nervous. Madam Hooch reportedly never lets students fly too high, especially in the first lesson."