Time flies, and the sun outside the window has already reached noon. The morning of studying has come to an end before we knew it.
Draco and Hermione packed their books, parchment, and quills and walked side by side toward the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was sparsely populated, far less lively than usual.
Most of the students in third grade and above went to Hogsmeade, while the rest either slept in or stayed in the common room.
Just as the two found a seat, their roommates arrived one after another, rubbing their eyes; they had clearly just woken up.
As soon as Lavender saw the two, he immediately sat down and excitedly asked, "When are we going to see Octopus Brother this afternoon? I want to be friends with him too!"
Olivia quickly reached out and pulled her aside, glancing nervously around. "Shh—keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lavender immediately covered his mouth and nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.
All eyes turned to Draco and Hermione.
Draco's lips curled into a smile, and he gestured lightly to the person beside him. "Ask Miss Granger, she's the one who decides."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people next to him simultaneously showed expressions of utter admiration.
Hermione merely picked up her water glass, trying to appear calm, but a slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips, "Let's go after we finish eating."
Upon hearing this, Lavender instantly perked up, practically brandishing his fork, and urged everyone in a low voice, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"
Olivia quickly pulled her aside. "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you!"
She made everyone laugh, and the once quiet corner of the Great Hall suddenly became lively.
After finishing their meal, the group chatted and laughed as they walked towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest, intending to greet Hagrid first before heading to the lake together.
When Hagrid saw everyone approaching, he slapped his forehead, realizing with a start, "Oh right! I almost forgot about going to see Octopus Brother today!"
Ron immediately chimed in bluntly, " Hagrid, your memory is hopeless! You forget what we talked about yesterday. It's a good thing I didn't ask you to look after any important magical items."
Hagrid scratched his head, chuckled, and wasn't angry at all. "Oh well, I'm getting old!"
Hermione, watching Hagrid's hurried manner, asked softly, " Hagrid, have you eaten?"
Hagrid patted his belly with his big hand and smiled heartily and honestly:
"I've eaten! I just ate a big piece of Rock Cakes and some nut bread I baked myself, I'm so full! You guys can go ahead without worry, everyone's definitely in a great mood today!"
Ron muttered under his breath, "Only you think Rock Cakes are edible..."
After Hagrid finished packing, the group chatted and laughed all the way to the Black Lake.
A few students were scattered along the shore, mostly lower grades or third and fourth-year students who couldn't go to Hogsmeade.
They all sat on the rocks, filled with anticipation, glancing at the lake every now and then.
They had obviously heard about the strange events of the past few days and came here to bet that Octopus Brother would show up again today.
When they saw Draco and his group approaching, they were taken aback for a moment, and then their expressions became extremely complicated.
Some people were whispering amongst themselves:
"It's Malfoy... and Hagrid?"
"Wasn't it when they surrounded the lake last time that Octopus Brother came out?"
"No way... Could it be that only they can summon that giant octopus?"
Several students who were originally sitting in the best seats even subconsciously moved to the side to make room for Draco and his group.
After all, the scene of Octopus Brother just hanging around Draco and Hermione like a docile large pet a few days ago had already quietly spread throughout the school.
Some people tentatively looked in this direction, wanting to come closer but not daring to, only daring to watch from afar, hoping to witness another miracle with their own eyes.
Draco glanced at the whispering figures, unconcerned, and casually moved closer to Hermione, chuckling, "Looks like our fame is greater than we thought."
Hermione coughed softly.
Parvati eagerly leaned closer and asked, " Draco, do you have some special way of contacting Octopus Brother?"
"It's simple, just shout its name and it will come out," Draco said casually.
Upon hearing this, Ron didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and let out a howl towards the lake:
" Octopus Brother--!!"
The sound was so loud that it could be heard across half the lake, and the students who were watching from a distance all turned to look.
But the lake remained perfectly still, without even a ripple.
Ron stood frozen in place, so embarrassed he felt like he was digging his toes into a secret passage.
Ron glared at Draco with a defiant look. " Draco, you're lying! It's useless!"
Draco shrugged. "What's the rush? It only recognizes me and Hermione."
Hermione listened silently from the side, inwardly ranting:
It's clearly Beast Taming ability that allows communication, but this guy not only blatantly lies, but he does it with such self-righteousness.
Ron instantly bristled. "Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier!"
Lavender immediately added fuel to the fire, "It's clearly your own fault for being too hasty, shouting out random methods as soon as you heard them, whose fault is it?"
Ron choked for a moment, scratched his head in frustration, but had nothing to say.
Olivia tugged at Hermione's arm, saying expectantly, " Hermione, give it a try!"
Hermione nodded, and seemingly called out softly towards the lake, " Octopus Brother."
In reality, she secretly activated her Beast Taming ability, using mental fluctuations that only magical creatures could perceive to gently call out to them.
Deep in the lake, Giant Squid was slowly drifting along when it was suddenly touched by this clear yet gentle spiritual force, leaving the entire squid stunned.
How come someone can call me again? And it's a different aura than that of the human boy last time...
Have I evolved recently?
Despite being filled with doubt, it instinctively swung its enormous tentacles and rushed towards the lake in the direction from which the sound and spiritual energy came.
The water surface began to ripple gently, and the ripples slowly expanded in concentric circles.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the lake.
Suddenly, a spray of water erupted from the lake!
A giant octopus head burst out of the water, its tentacles splashing a large amount of water onto everyone, instantly soaking their hair and clothes.
Octopus Brother shook his head and cheerfully shouted in a telepathic voice that only Draco and Hermione could understand: Surprised?
Parvati covered his mouth, his eyes wide with shock, speechless for a long time.
Olivia wiped the water from her face and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my god—it's really out! It's huge!"
Ron, wiping his wet hair, exclaimed in a state of utter despair, "Hey—can you be a little gentler! I just changed my clothes!"
Lavender gasped in surprise, then jumped up excitedly, "It was worth getting wet! That was so cool!"
The scattered students in the distance all stood up in fright, exclaiming in disbelief that the legendary octopus was so huge.
Draco rolled his eyes, speechless. "Surprise my ass, I'm soaking wet."
Hagrid, on the contrary, laughed heartily and patted Draco on the shoulder with a forgiving expression, saying:
"Oh, it's just a little water! What a wonderful thing to see such an energetic Octopus Brother!"