The Badger Cubs' Snacks
The Sirius incident that night, which was originally just a terrifying night in the castle, has now become Ron's proudest topic of conversation.
Ron suddenly became famous. For the first time in his life, he received more attention Harry, and Ron obviously liked this feeling.
So for the past few days, the Slytherin students have seen Ron sitting in the center of the dining table, back ramrod straight, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride, spitting as he recounts his experiences from that night to the crowd around him, his tone becoming more exaggerated and the details more thrilling with each retelling.
"You didn't see it with your own eyes!" Ron slammed the buttered bread onto his plate, deliberately lowering his voice but making sure everyone around him could hear him. His eyes widened, and he gestured wildly. "It was in the middle of the night, I was sleeping soundly, when suddenly I felt a noise by my bed. At first, I thought it was Harry getting up, but when I opened my eyes, oh my god, Sirius Black was standing right there!"
He paused deliberately, and seeing the tense, breathless expressions on the faces of his classmates, his vanity was greatly satisfied. He continued his vivid narration, "He was holding a gleaming knife in his hand. The moonlight shone on the blade, so bright it hurt your eyes! He just stared straight at me like that. I didn't dare to breathe, and my heart was pounding in my throat!"
As he spoke, Ron abruptly threw open the robe he was carrying, revealing the tattered bed curtain he always carried with him. There was a long tear in it, cut by a knife, and the edges of the fabric were rolled up in a rough manner, which became his most powerful "evidence".
"Look! This is what he did! He ripped off my bed curtains and slashed them with the knife, waking me up with a jolt! If I hadn't reacted quickly and screamed, alerting the rest of the dorm, you wouldn't be seeing me now!"
The surrounding students gasped in shock, their faces filled with fear and curiosity as they pressed for details. Ron, on the other hand, became increasingly animated, completely absorbed in his exaggerated fabrication, embellishing what was originally a brief moment of terror into a breathtaking life-or-death confrontation.
"He was standing right next to my bed, tall and imposing, with a menacing look in his eyes. I could clearly see the expression on his face. He was the most notorious fugitive in all of the United Kingdom, a madman who had escaped from Azkaban!" Ron pounded his chest, his voice growing increasingly impassioned, completely forgetting how he had been trembling and pale with fear earlier. "I just stared right into his eyes, and I wasn't scared at all! I thought to myself, even if he tried to lay a hand on me, I would fight back with all my might!"
Harry sat to the side, helplessly watching Ron boast wildly. Several times he wanted to correct him, but Ron stopped him with a look.
At this moment, he was enjoying everyone's attention and amazement, reveling in the thrill of being the center of attention. Whether in the corridors, between classrooms, or on the paths of Hogsmeade Village, as long as someone came over, he would immediately start "speech mode," tirelessly recounting his experience of "close confrontation" with Sirius Black, portraying himself as a brave and fearless hero who faced danger head-on.
He would boast to everyone he met about his tattered bed curtains and how calm he had been, as if his terrifying night had made him the bravest person in Hogwarts. Ron, who had been inconspicuous at school, had become a celebrity because of this incident, and he was completely immersed in the vanity of being admired. He would boast about it tirelessly every day, wishing the whole wizarding world knew that he, Ron Weasley, had once met the famous Sirius Black -on and escaped unscathed.
Another sunny weekend arrived, and Hogwarts Castle was filled with excited chatter. Students in their third year and above had gotten ready early and were eagerly heading towards the castle gates—today was the day for all teachers and students to go to Hogsmeade Village, where the entire wizarding village awaited their stroll, shopping, and fun.
In the Great Hall, students gathered in small groups, discussing whether to go to Honeydukes to buy the latest flavors of candy, to Zonko's Joke Shop to find new and interesting prank props, or to Three Broomsticks for a steaming cup of Butterbeer.
But Harry and Neville were the only ones missing from the crowd.
Harry was unable to go to Hogsmeade, still stuck on the guardianship permission form. Every weekend at Hogsmeade, he could only stay alone in the empty castle, watching his classmates leave happily, his heart filled with an unconcealable sense of loss.
Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, had been severely punished by Professor McGonagall for his recent mistake. He not only lost House Points but was also placed in solitary confinement, completely disqualifying him from the trip to Hogsmeade. He stood alone in a corner of the corridor, head drooping, his round face filled with dejection, watching his classmates walk out of the castle in groups. His fingers nervously twisted the hem of his robe, and he didn't even have the courage to look up at anyone.
On what should have been a lively day of outings, Neville was forced to remain in the castle as punishment, even being temporarily forbidden from giving out the password to the Gryffindor Tower, and had to obediently follow the professor's instructions.
The vast Hogwarts fell silent instantly, with only a few students and faculty members remaining, a stark contrast to the previous hustle and bustle.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, Su Yu was walking slowly with four girls in the group. Hermione was carrying Crookshanks and occasionally reminding those around her to watch their step on the mountain path.
On the way to Hogsmeade, the Hufflepuff badgers all wore tense expressions, their eyes fixed on the Slytherin snakes beside them, their gazes glued to Callis, their displeasure almost overflowing.
The cause couldn't be clearer—just yesterday evening, Callis caught a younger Hufflepuff girl in the castle corridor. Taking advantage of her agility and Farley, she snatched all the snacks the little badger was carrying and refused to return them no matter how much the girl begged. She even made the younger girl squat in the corner and cry until dark, her eyes swollen like walnuts, and they still haven't gone down today.
Upon encountering her, the Hufflepuff badgers clenched their fists, their eyes filled with anger as they glared at the Slytherin student. Their usual gentle and kind demeanor vanished, and they stared at Callis with hostile eyes, whispering amongst themselves in protest against the prank.
Callis, however, paid no heed to the raging inferno. She leisurely brushed the fallen leaves from her shoulder, a sly and cunning smile playing on her lips. She even deliberately raised an eyebrow at the group of sulking Hufflepuff students, appearing nonchalant and even slightly provocative. She showed no remorse whatsoever, instead finding the whole farce quite amusing.