Draco took the Rock Cakes out of the cloth and handed it to Ron.
Ron was still basking in the warmth of Draco around her shoulder when she saw the thing being handed to her. She instinctively reached out and took it, then her gaze fell on it.
The Rock Cakes lay in her palm, its edges sharp and its surface covered with cracks. Its color and texture resembled a pebble that had been washed by a riverbed for many years, or more accurately, a pebble that had been roasted by fire.
Ron froze as if someone had pressed the pause button, her expression slowly shifting from the previous blush to a blank, almost bewildered look, as if her brain was processing something beyond its computational capabilities.
Draco, observing Ron's expression, kept her arm around her shoulder, while her other hand held up the cloth. Her tone remained gentle, carrying just the right amount of concern. "Why aren't you eating?"
After she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, as if she had remembered something extremely important. She slapped her forehead, the sound so clear that everyone present could hear it, "Oh no, I forgot you lost your tooth. I'm so sorry."
When Draco uttered the words "I'm sorry," it carried a carefully crafted apology, each syllable perfectly placed in the right tone, sounding utterly sincere.
Herman stood to the side, looking at Draco's innocent face, and felt that his perception of this little girl might need to be completely reconstructed.
Ron finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She glanced down at the Rock Cakes in her hand, then looked up at Draco's face, which was filled with "sincere apology." Her lips trembled, something quickly welled up in her eyes, and then her eyes suddenly turned red. Tears welled up as if pushed out by something, streaming down her cheeks.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Then she threw the Rock Cakes on the ground and turned to run away in the distance.
Neville and Hugo reacted almost simultaneously, chasing after Ron in the direction he had run, calling out, " Ron, wait!" and "Don't run so fast!"
Three dusty figures ran off along the path, one in front and two behind. Ron's figure flickered around a bend in the bushes in the distance and then disappeared. Neville and Hugo chased after them to the bend and also disappeared there.
Draco stood there watching the three run off into the distance. The gentle mask finally came off, and the corners of her mouth curved back into that familiar smug smile.
Then she laughed.
She started with soft laughter, then the laughter grew louder and louder, her shoulders trembled slightly, and finally she had to bend over, one hand on her knee and the other slapping her thigh, laughing uncontrollably as if some switch had been activated.
The laughter echoed along the path, crisp and bright, carrying an undisguised joy.
Crabbe and Goyle stood behind, each holding half of Rock Cakes they had picked up from the ground, but their eyes were fixed on Draco, their faces full of confusion.
They glanced at each other, then at Draco, who was doubled over with laughter, and then at the direction where Ron had disappeared into the distance.
Goyle took a bite of the Rock Cakes in his hand, chewed, and asked Crabbe indistinctly, "Why is she crying when she sees food?"
Crabbe took a bite of his own, then shook his head in equal confusion. "I don't know, I'm just too touched?"
After they finished speaking, they tacitly stopped thinking about the problem and turned their attention back to the Rock Cakes in their hands.
"This piece with the edge is for you, the one in the middle is for me," Crabbe said, pointing to the barely noticeable dividing line on the pie.
"No, the middle one is bigger, it should be divided equally." Goyle flipped the pancake over and compared the sizes.
"How about this, you take a bite, I'll take a bite, and we'll take turns."
"Okay, shall we go first, you or me?"
The two began a new round of discussion on this issue, repeatedly debating the distribution plan for the Rock Cakes. Their seriousness far surpassed that when they were making Draught of Peace in Potions Class.
After Draco finished laughing, she straightened up, her eyes still wet with laughter. She casually tossed the cloth bundle in her hand to Crabbe and Goyle. The two caught the cloth bundle, glanced at it, and found that there were more Rock Cakes. The distribution plan would have to be discussed again.
Herman looked at the happy expression on Draco's face and actually wanted to laugh a little.
That scene was quite interesting. When Draco put her arm around Ron's shoulder, even he was fooled for a moment. That tenderness was more convincing than the real thing.
The contrast between Ron's bewildered expression when Ron saw the Rock Cakes and Draco's serious "Sorry, I forgot you lost your tooth" was truly enough to make anyone smile.
But after laughing, Herman's values still made him feel a little guilty.
How should I put it? It's a bit like bullying a child.
Losing a tooth is bad enough, but to be handed something you can't eat in front of you, followed by the excuse "Sorry, I forgot you lost a tooth," is a combo that would break even a boy, let alone a little girl. The boy might get really angry and start a fight.
"Um, Draco," Herman carefully chose his words, "This time it's a bit too much, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Draco's smile didn't fade, but her expression changed to one of utter innocence. She blinked her large eyes twice, as if to say, "How could you say that to me?"
"What's wrong? Didn't I bring her some food? How would I know why she's crying?"
As she spoke, she shrugged, a gesture conveying a sincere sense of innocence that made Herman almost wonder if he had misread the situation. " Harry, what do you think?"
Harry stood to the side, not participating in the interaction at all, nor did she laugh.
But when Draco posed the question to her, she glanced down at the Rock Cakes in Goyle's hand, then at the direction where Ron had disappeared in the distance, and then said earnestly, "He was probably moved to tears."
When Draco heard Harry's words, she was stunned for a moment, and then her smile completely blossomed.
She turned to look at Harry, her eyes filled with an admiration that said, " Harry is the only one who can do this." The corners of her mouth were stretched so wide they almost reached her ears.
Then she turned to look at Herman, her eyes conveying a clear message: "Look, even Harry has said that, what else do you have to say?"
Herman rolled his eyes inwardly at the sight of the two of them.
Herman's gaze swept back and forth between Harry and Draco, and he silently sighed to himself, wondering who had been influenced by whom, these two little witches were definitely not immune.
Herman withdrew his gaze, glanced at the direction where Ron had disappeared in the distance, and then at Crabbe and Goyle, who were still arguing about the distribution of the Rock Cakes.
He thought for a moment, and finally said, "That makes sense. You guys go back first, I'll go take a look."
He sighed inwardly after saying that.
Sigh, I guess I'll just have to clean up their messes myself. After all, they're the main characters. As for the three Sons of the Son of the Champion, even though Quirrell's path is way off, Neville is definitely the one in the center position in the current timeline.
It's best to maintain good relationships if possible. In case you ever find yourself cornered by the Vampire issue, having one more friend like the Son of the Champion is always better than having one more stranger.
Furthermore, even if we take a step back, while Draco and Harry's teamwork in what just happened was indeed funny, Herman's values still made him feel that Ron was treated too cruelly.
Losing a tooth is bad enough, but to be subjected to secondary harm like being hit with Rock Cakes and verbal abuse would be considered bullying in Muggle school.
Herman felt he still couldn't completely stand by and watch the show with a clear conscience.
"Hey! Is it really that serious?" Draco called out to Herman's retreating figure, her voice tinged with displeasure. "I didn't really do anything to her!"