"Why haven't you been raising your hand in class lately? Save Gryffindor, Hermione. You're our only hope," Harry said over dinner one evening in October.
"Have the questions lately stumped our Miss Know-It-All? That's a rare sight." Ron chuckled beside him.
Hermione first shook her head at Harry, then gave Ron a deadpan roll of her eyes.
"She says, 'What's it to you?'" Su Er cheerfully translated the meaning behind Hermione's eye roll.
Hermione gave him a satisfied look.
Lately, Ron and Hermione had been fighting bitterly over Crookshanks. The reason was that Crookshanks had once slipped into their dormitory while Harry and Ron were out. If Neville hadn't caught him, Ron's Scabbers would probably have met a horrible end in the cat's jaws.
For the sake of Scabbers's life, Ron had been forced to carry him around.
To keep from swallowing the Mandrake leaf or letting it fall out, Hermione had been eating very little lately. There was only half a month left, and if she failed, she would have to start over.
After eating only enough to feel half full, Hermione hurried away. She had to use this time to finish her elective homework.
"Su Er, I remember you saying you had a way to make Scabbers better?" After Hermione left, Ron carefully took Scabbers out of his pocket.
"The Rat Tonic hasn't helped at all."
Whoa. I haven't seen Scabbers for a while, and he's already ended up like this. Looks like he's suffered quite a bit lately.
His once-round body had visibly shrunk a great deal, and his glossy fur had turned dull. Several patches clearly exposed the skin beneath, and half his tail was missing too.
If not for the half-missing little finger on Scabbers's paw identifying him, Su Er would hardly have recognized him