The farce ended for good when Professor McGonagall arrived. The two dwarfs hoisted their companion onto their backs and slunk out of the Great Hall.
Harry lost fifteen points for breaking a school rule-"Young wizards are not allowed to use harmful magic in the Great Hall."
Head bowed, Harry silently picked up his belongings one by one.
Su Er repaired the torn black schoolbag with a Mending Charm and returned it to Harry, giving his shoulder a gentle, comforting pat when Harry murmured his thanks.
This was Harry and Malfoy's love-hate relationship, and it was hardly his place as an outsider to interfere. Still, he could give Harry a hint.
There was no evidence that Malfoy was behind it, but who else could it have been?
The inspiration had definitely come from that mortifying greeting card Snape had received.
As for what would happen to Malfoy, that was beyond his concern.
As they left the Great Hall together, Ginny hurried past them, bumping into Ron and making him stagger.
"Hey, Ginny!" Ron exclaimed.
But Ginny left without looking back. Standing at the very edge of the group, Su Er did notice that her face was deathly pale and her expression panicked.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" Ron, who had been bumped into for no reason, gave Harry a bewildered look and rubbed the spot that hurt from the collision.
Having been publicly humiliated through no fault of his own, Harry was feeling low and did not want to respond to Ron.
Su Er shook his head without saying anything either.
It was probably because she had seen that notebook.
Just before curfew, a little badger secretly crawled out of a barrel. With his paws braced against the corner of the wall, he carefully surveyed the Entrance Hall.
His round ears twitched.