After spending some time at Hagrid's, Su Er politely declined his invitation to stay for dinner and returned to Hogwarts Castle.
His reason was that he needed to report back to Dumbledore.
Though, in the end, he did not find Dumbledore in his office that evening either.
I'll tell him when I run into him. The centaurs have agreed to side with Hogwarts in the village fight anyway, so the objective's been achieved. As for Lisi's request, hmm... permanent residence in the Forbidden Forest. Their tribe lived there long ago to begin with, so Dumbledore probably won't object.
With that thought, Su Er, having failed to find Dumbledore in the Headmaster's Office on the seventh floor, turned and walked out again.
The gargoyle rotated with a rumble, closing off the entrance.
As he entered the corridor, Su Er paused involuntarily and glanced back at the stone beast, which looked oddly cute once he had looked at it long enough.
At some point, Su Er had stopped needing a password to enter the Headmaster's Office, whether he came in his Animagus form or disguised as Mr. Aibo.
But these were minor matters. Su Er merely gave the gargoyle a curious look before putting the question out of his mind. Dumbledore had probably left instructions beforehand; it was nothing important. Shaking his head, Su Er lifted his paws and trotted toward Gryffindor Tower.
Off I go. At this hour, sleeping on Hermione's lap is still the most comfortable option.
So fragrant and soft. I wouldn't trade it for the life of a god.
Still, something's been off with Harry lately. His face is always frighteningly pale, as though some female spirit is draining his vitality.
*I should check on him when I have time. He's the child of this world, after all.