Their trip into the Forbidden Forest was scheduled for when Hagrid had more or less recovered from his injuries.
On the way back, Hermione kept muttering about Hagrid's stubbornness and his refusal to listen to advice.
"He's going to pay dearly for this!" Hermione declared with certainty. Su Er had returned to his Animagus form and was in her arms, so all he could do was lean back hard against her to offer some comfort.
"Stop squirming." Hermione freed one hand to pat Su Er, drew her wand to clear away the footprints behind them, then started muttering again.
"No, I still have to go and see Hagrid tomorrow. He has no idea how unreasonable Umbridge is."
The snow suddenly grew heavier. Hermione hurriedly quickened her pace, and as she slipped through the Castle's front doors, she did not forget to remove her wet footprints with a Scouring Charm.
The night passed without incident.
Su Er was woken by a flurry of hurried footsteps. This was Sunday, after all; no young wizard would willingly get up on a cold winter morning. He struggled to lift his eyelids to see which young wizard was so diligent, but caught only a retreating figure. Still, that figure-
Oh, it's Harry. Never mind, then.
He had probably woken up, spotted smoke rising from Hagrid's place, and rushed off to see him.
Su Er yawned and shifted position. This time, he chose to bury his head in the sofa and cover his ears so he would not be disturbed while going back to sleep.
Unfortunately, he had not been asleep again for very long before a pair of small, slender hands slipped around his belly and hoisted him up.
For Su Er's expression at that moment, one could refer to that spirited young fellow on