The lighting in Herman's compartment was soft, and their blurry reflections were shown in the glass windows, while the shadows of the trees and the moonlight outside were rushing past.
Herman stood against the corner of the wall, trying to make his expression look sincere. Although he himself felt a pang of sympathy as he said what was about to come out of his mouth.
"Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong. I shouldn't have made personal attacks. I was wrong. Miss Harry is voluptuous, has an outstanding temperament, is one in a million, is the dream girl of many young men, and is the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts."
He spoke clearly and with great emotion, even using a hand gesture to his heart when he finished speaking, trying his best to appear sincere.
Harry sat in the chair, one arm resting on the top of the back, her wand slowly twirling between her fingers.
After listening to Herman's heartfelt recitation, her expression became somewhat strange, as if she wanted to laugh but forcibly held it back. In the end, she could only manage to squeeze out, "Alright, stop being disgusting."
She put down her wand and patted the chair next to her. "Alright, sit down."
Herman, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, smiled obsequiously and turned to sit down. But he had only taken half a step when he felt a tugging sensation on the hem of his shirt, as if something was tightly biting the corner of his garment.
A giant dog, jet black and almost as tall as him at the shoulders, sat steadily at his feet, its mouth holding the hem of his clothes. Its massive head was tilted slightly, its amber eyes fixed on him, and a low, warning growl occasionally escaped its throat.
Herman's eyelids twitched. He cautiously tugged at his clothes, but the black dog didn't budge, its grip tighter than iron clamps. He tried moving a small step to the side, and the black dog followed, still holding the piece of cloth firmly in its mouth, even wagging its tail leisurely as if it were taking a walk with a bone in its mouth.
Herman's lips twitched as he struggled to free the hem of his dress from between her canine teeth, while giving Harry a pitiful look.
Herman did have backbone, but only at the beginning. He stubbornly resisted Harry's wand, thinking that this was, after all, the Hogwarts Express, and Harry couldn't really do anything to him on the train.
But when Harry waved her wand and thick black smoke billowed out, from which emerged a terrifyingly large black dog, Herman's pitiful backbone vanished instantly, like morning mist meeting the sun, leaving not a trace. After all, the dog didn't understand that this was the Hogwarts Express, nor would it go to Azkaban for hurting someone.
"Miss," he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, "You've vented your anger, can you let your dog go back? Or rather, make it let go of its mouth?"
Harry, chin in hand, watched with interest as he struggled with the large black dog. After a long pause, she slowly spoke, "I think it really likes you. It's better to leave it at Hogwarts."
Herman took a deep breath and slumped his shoulders resignedly.
He silently engraved the words "become stronger" in his mind again, thinking that one day he would make Harry stand opposite him and willingly sing him a song of conquest.
Fortune changes every thirty years, so never underestimate a young person's potential!
However, for now, he had to honestly admit defeat. Continuing to persuade Harry would probably be useless; that girl still held a grudge against him. All he did was make a few sarcastic remarks. His character was truly awful.
We need to think of another way.
Herman turned to look inside the box. Ron was huddled in a corner of the seat, clutching the collar of her school robe with both hands, looking timidly at the big black dog.
An idea immediately came to him, and he said, "Of course, I'm thick-skinned and a couple of bites won't hurt me, but there's still Ron here. It wouldn't look good if a little girl got bitten and had a scar."
He tried to reason with her and appeal to her emotions, hoping to awaken what little conscience Harry had left.
However, Herman felt that Harry's conscience was probably not as big as what he had touched; in comparison, Draco much more interesting.
Thinking about it that way, Herman felt that he wasn't wronged by being bitten by the dog; Harry had only let the dog lick him a few times, which was already considered merciful.
After hearing Herman's words, Harry glanced at Ron, who was curled up in the chair; the little girl was indeed a bit scared.
She nodded, acknowledging Herman's point. "You're right."
Herman asked with delight, "Can we take this big dog back now?"
Harry didn't answer, but instead drew her wand again and waved it gently.
The black smoke billowed out again, and in Herman's hopeful gaze, the big dog did not disappear. Instead, a small black puppy jumped out of the black mist and landed directly on Ron.
Ron was startled at first and almost jumped off her seat, but after seeing the furry little thing in her arms, she immediately stopped being afraid.
The little puppy was also very good at winning people over, bouncing around in her arms and sticking out its pink little tongue to lick her face, making Ron giggle.
She quickly lowered her head and gently rubbed the puppy's round head with both hands, her face full of joy, showing no trace of the fear she had shown just moments before.
"That way you won't be scared anymore." Harry looked at Herman, her tone carrying a hint of a half-smile. "By the way, Herman, are you scared? Want me to do that to you too?"
Herman watched as Ron switched sides and began happily petting the Ron, feeling a pang of helplessness. Hearing Harry's question, he assumed Harry wanted to get him a new puppy too. Even though he was being mocked, it was better than being bothered by that big dog any longer.
So he nodded. "Okay, actually I'm a dog lover too, I never eat dog meat."
Harry nodded in satisfaction at Herman's answer, but the slight upturn at the corners of her lips betrayed her true feelings. Before Herman could react, Harry said, "No problem, I'll grant your wish."
As soon as she finished speaking, the large black dog, who seemed to understand Harry's thoughts, pounced on her, its heavy body pinning Herman down in his seat.
Immediately afterwards, a wet, sticky tongue Cleansweep his face without any politeness, covering his face with dog saliva.
Herman frantically stretched out his hand to block it, trying to prevent the sticky drool from getting into his mouth, while mumbling, "That's not what I meant!"
Herman's wails and Ron's barely suppressed laughter echoed through the carriage.
After a long while, Herman sat down next to Harry, disheveled and sticky, his face filled with utter despair.
Harry finally managed to drive the big black dog away. If it had kept causing trouble, Herman's clothes would probably have been completely ruined, and he would have had to go to Hogwarts wrapped in curtains.
Just then, the Hogwarts Express slowed down, and with a long whistle, the vibrations from the wheels rolling over the rails gradually subsided.
Through the car window, the brightly lit castle in the distance became clear in the night, its spires outlining graceful curves under the starlight.
Immediately afterwards, a rough and loud voice rang out from outside the train, with a penetrating force. "First-year students! Assemble here after you get off the train!"