After the match ended, the students gradually returned from the Quidditch Pitch to the castle.
The Gryffindor students crowded around Harry.
The new Seeker had caught the Golden Snitch and won the Quidditch match for them.
"Harry, I really have to ask," Ron shouted over the jumble of voices, "what did the Golden Snitch taste like?"
"I was too nervous to taste it."
"Oh, come on."
Ron was clearly very curious about this question. Having gotten no answer from Harry, he turned to ask Hermione, the "human encyclopedia."
But Hermione craned her neck and kept looking ahead, as if searching for someone.
"Hey, Hermione..."
"Sorry, Ron. I need to find Silan."
Before Ron could finish, Hermione hurriedly threw out those words and darted into the crowd, weaving between the students like a little rabbit.
Ron and Harry exchanged a glance and helplessly spread their hands.
"If Silan were chocolate, Hermione would probably be huge by now."
"She feels miserable if she goes a day without seeing Silan."
That was actually quite true.
Silan had not gone to watch the match with Hermione, and the little girl had felt as though something was missing. The moment she left the pitch, she wanted to find him and talk.
That was why she hurried through the crowd.
As she passed one of the castle windows, Hermione spotted Silan standing by it, seemingly looking at her.
Her heart soared. Like a bird, she flew through the crowd, across the courtyard, and ran toward Silan.
But Hogwarts' ever-changing staircases slowed her down.
Hermione had never hated those stairs as much as she did today.
When she finally climbed the stairs and briskly rounded the crowd again, she found that two red-haired upperclassmen were already standing beside Silan.
"Silan, it was such a shame you didn't