Hamster Agent 007, Attack!

The Hogwarts nights were a bit chilly.

It was already November, and temperatures occasionally dropping below ten degrees Celsius wasn't uncommon.

Inside Linley's private dormitory in the Slytherin common room.

A hamster with pure white fur, named Umr by its owner, sneakily yet familiarly opened its cage with its tiny paws.

With a leap, it jumped from the desk onto the carpet. Its first instinct was to search Linley's bag for snacks, but it then saw Linley still fast asleep. It remembered how Linley had noticed his missing biscuits last time and was getting suspicious.

So, Umr dejectedly changed its mind.

It ran quickly, soon leaving Linley's dormitory and reaching the Slytherin common room.

Facing the door that required a password to open, it didn't stop. It ran all the way to the bottom of the door and, as if it knew the way, squeezed through a small hole by the door.

Outside the Slytherin common room, it was like a child without parental supervision, running wild in one direction. Occasionally, it would tease the portraits sleeping in the frames or jump and do a somersault in mid-air.

As it reached a staircase corner, a scrawny, dark gray living creature suddenly leaped in front of it, blocking its path.

It was an ugly cat named Mrs. Norris, the pet of Hogwarts caretaker, Filch.

Mrs. Norris stared furiously at the white hamster with its bulging, lightbulb-like eyes.

They clearly weren't meeting for the first time; they had a history.

A human-like disdain appeared in Umr's beady little eyes. It leaped from its spot, aiming a flying kick at the cat's head, which was twice its size!

Mrs. Norris couldn't dodge in time. It seemed to have been kicked in the eye socket, let out a piercing shriek, and then disappeared somewhere.

Umr, like a warrior who had just defeated a dragon, put its paws on its hips and hummed contentedly for a moment. Then, it landed back on all fours and quickly moved through Hogwarts castle.

It seemed very familiar with the castle's layout, darting and jumping along the way, finally arriving at a wooden door in one of Hogwarts' underground storage rooms.

Under the cover of night, an astonishing scene unfolded in a corner of Hogwarts castle.

The hamster named Umr began to grow in size. Its fur receded, with some transforming into a snow-white dress and other parts into fluffy, long white hair.

Linley's pet had become a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old.

She wore small black leather shoes and kicked the wooden door forcefully, calling out playfully:

"Reporting for duty! Hamster Agent 007, Sophia Bashak, reporting!"

A voice from the other side of the wooden door seemed to scold her, making the little girl pout.

"What? How could anyone be here? I already chased that stinky cat away on the way. That stupid caretaker won't find me here."

The voice on the other side of the wooden door said something.

"Hmm? You say what Linley has been doing lately?" Sophia tilted her head, biting her finger as she recalled. "He just reads books all day, or practices spells. Ugh~ it's so boring. But the candy he gave me the other day was really good! They said those two red-haired twins gave it to him."

As she said this, she put on a sad face again.

"But he mostly feeds me barley and coarse grain biscuits. I'm so sick of them, but I don't dare not eat them for fear of revealing my cover. Can you give me an extra meal today? I haven't eaten meat in so long, my face has gotten so thin..."

The scolding from the other side of the wooden door seemed to get louder.

Sophia pouted, crouched down, covered her ears, and shook her head unhappily, shouting:

"Don't call Sophia a dummy! Sophia isn't dumb at all!"

The person behind the wooden door, afraid she would run off if she got upset, praised her in a gentle tone and then asked another question.

Sophia's delicate eyebrows furrowed into a knot. She thought hard for a long time before finally remembering.

"Linley has finished learning Hexes with that Professor so-and-so. They plan to start studying Curses next. What should I do? Linley is getting stronger and stronger. If he finds out, will he turn me into a hamster pile and eat me?"

The person behind the door seemed satisfied with the news she brought and then instructed her on something before finally letting her leave.

Sophia puffed out her cheeks indignantly, muttering about how "no meat, and still expected to work. Even a real 007 would be caught without strength," and reluctantly left.

She transformed back into a hamster and wandered around Hogwarts for a few laps before returning to her cage before Linley woke up.

After winter set in, the days began to shorten gradually. Linley's wake-up time shifted back by an hour from 4 AM each day.

Five in the morning.

The sky outside was still dark. Linley changed into his robes, added some water and biscuit crumbs to Umr's cage, and left his warm dormitory.

The sleepy Hamster 007 glanced at the biscuit crumbs in the small bowl with its little eyes, filled with resentment, and drifted back to sleep.

Linley walked out of the Slytherin common room. He placed his hands in front of his face, exhaled some warm air, and rubbed his hands together.

The weather was getting colder, and Linley had already decided to wear gloves when he went out tomorrow.

As usual, he carried his wand to the Black Lake. At the main entrance of Hogwarts, he happened to run into Cedric, who was coming out at the same time.

"Are you free tonight, Linley?" Cedric asked enthusiastically, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

Linley rolled his eyes and slapped his arm away.

"Your actions and words right now are like a total fag."

Cedric looked innocent. "Why would you think that?"

"Don't look so pathetic," Linley said disdainfully. "Just say what you need to say."

Cedric rubbed his hands together. "Well, my Head of House, Professor Sprout, asked me to find someone to help in the greenhouses tonight to snip some Dittany leaves. You know, although I get along well with people in Hufflepuff, you're my best friend, so..."

"Is that all?"

Linley didn't refuse; he didn't have anything planned for the evening.

"I'm fine with it, I'm free anytime tonight."

Cedric, beaming, took Linley's arm.

"Come on, today I'm your exclusive sparring partner. We'll practice whatever spells you want."

Months of interaction had made Linley and Cedric incredibly close. At the same time, Linley's magical talent had truly shocked him.

In just two or three months, Linley had learned no fewer than the normal spells that Cedric, already in his second year, knew.