Morris used teleportation magic to return directly to the Ship in a Bottle.
This magic is convenient.
He lay down on the sofa in the living room, stretched, and took out Mandrake leaf from his pocket.
He stared at it for a few seconds, then put it back.
Forget it, I'll torture myself in a few days.
Or perhaps, he could find a way to keep the leaf in his mouth.
" Guantou?"
He called his pet cat's name, but there was no response.
On the contrary, the Yanhua on the perch next to it made two noises.
You mean it went out to play?
Morris paused, then waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind. Yanhua, come over here, I need a pillow."
"?"
Meanwhile, outside the castle.
The Guantou is having a party with its animal friends.
As the undisputed overlord of the cat world at Hogwarts, it naturally has no shortage of followers.
The Guantou sat on a rock, and beneath it, six cats were lined up neatly.
Most of the school's cats live here.
Even Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, was present.
very good.
The Guantou was approvingly surveyed.
It's unclear when exactly, but suddenly keeping cats has become a trend among Hogwarts students.
But no matter who raised it, it eventually became its little brother.
Ha, foolish humans.
The Guantou food cat looked down at the other cats from its high perch, feeling incredibly pleased with itself.
It was usually kept under the Yanhua, suffering the wrath of that silly bird.
Only at times like this can it regain a semblance of dignity.
Suddenly, a dark shadow entered its field of vision.
It was a black dog, slowly walking towards us from afar.
The Guantou instantly became alert.
It's common knowledge that cats and dogs are natural enemies.
Its six underlings also turned around at the same time, looking at the slowly approaching dark figure, two of them still baring their teeth.
Meow~
At that moment, the ginger cat in the group meowed.
It means that the dog wasn't an enemy, but its friend.
friend?
Although the Guantou had some doubts, he lowered his guard.
After all, this little cat named Crookshanks is one of its most trusted subordinates, and he's very smart, so he probably wouldn't say anything out of line.
Soon, the black dog walked up to the Guantou of food.
Only then did the Guantou get a clear look at the other party.
It was huge, almost as big as a bear, but it was filthy, its fur matted, and it was very thin with an unhealthy complexion, looking like it was malnourished.
Meow? (What are you doing here?)
The Guantou food asked arrogantly, displaying a kingly demeanor, unafraid even though the other party was several times its size.
The black dog raised its head, but didn't make a sound. Instead, it turned to look at Crookshanks beside it.
Crookshanks took two steps forward and called out softly.
The translation is: Boss, it's here to surrender and wants to be your subordinate.
The Guantou paused for a moment.
What?
A dog? Wants to be its underling?
Wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate?
At this moment, Sirius couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.
That's right, the black dog's true identity is Sirius Black.
He's trying to find allies to help him catch that damned rat.
This will most likely be a protracted battle.
By having animals help him, he wouldn't attract anyone's attention.
The cats inside the castle are undoubtedly the best choice.
Sirius gave a wry smile to himself, then met the scrutinizing gaze of the Guantou.
This cat is something else.
It was obvious that the other cat's eyes weren't as dull as those of ordinary cats; instead, they revealed shrewdness.
The Guantou walked back and forth in front of Sirius, finally nodded, and let out a soft meow.
Okay, I'll take it.
So what if it involves different species? Being a subordinate doesn't discriminate based on race.
Now it's time to get down to business.
The Guantou shook its head, and a tiny little pouch fell off its neck.
Instantly, all the cats turned to the pocket, their eyes filled with longing, even Crookshanks were no exception.
Sirius was completely confused.
What are you doing?
The Guantou rummaged through the bag and pulled out... a magic wand?
Sirius's eyes widened, and he was momentarily stunned.
Who would have thought that?
The Guantou triumphantly flicked its wand.
Then, the small pocket suddenly grew bigger, like a backpack.
It reached its paw inside and started pulling things out—several large bags.
Sirius was completely dumbfounded.
Is this the Undetectable Extension Charm?
"Meow!!"
The six cats cheered and ran to the bags, startling Sirius.
He went closer and noticed that the bags had the words "Special Pet Food" printed on them.
The Guantou calmly used its paws to pry open a bag of pet food, inside were carefully made dried fish and meat, each piece emitting an enticing aroma.
Yes, this is what it calls the real business – cooking.
Although it doesn't need to eat, its younger siblings do.
This is also its greatest asset in recruiting subordinates.
"Meow!"
At the sound of the Guantou being given, all the cats began to feast.
The tail of the Guantou swayed gently, its eyes full of smugness.
It had begged its master for a long time to get these things.
(P. S.: Morris was quite puzzled at the time, not understanding why the Guantou needed all this pet food, but since it was his pet, he let it be.)
Guantou noticed that Sirius, who was squatting to the side, just watched quietly and did not come forward to eat the food.
Is this disrespecting it?
The Guantou hissed fiercely at him, "Meow!"
Eat! Why aren't you eating? What are you standing there for?
Sirius immediately stepped forward, lowered his head without hesitation, and began to swallow large gulps of food.
Compared to what it usually eats to stave off hunger, pet food is a rare treat.
I'm very satisfied with the Guantou.
Once you've eaten its food, you're one of its own.
After the sacred rice-eating ceremony, Guantou and his little brothers began wandering around the school again.
The sky was getting dark.
As evening fell, the Guantou received a recall from its owner— Yanhua fluttered down from the sky and chirped twice at it.
There is a special connection between undead creatures, so Yanhua can easily pinpoint their location.
The Guantou food saluted its underlings and prepared to leave.
The Yanhua offered it a ride, but it refused.
Cats should stay on the ground, not fly.
The small group disbanded on the spot, and the cats went their separate ways.
When Sirius was about to return to his hiding place, he suddenly discovered that his newly recognized elder brother was not heading towards the castle, but instead went in another direction.
He hesitated for a moment, then quietly followed them.
If we can take down this "leader," the chances of catching Peter will increase significantly.
Before long, the Guantou arrived at the Black Lake and stopped.
Moonlight spilled onto the calm lake surface, and a gentle night breeze stirred up ripples.
Sirius hid behind a tree, watching Guantou squatting by the lake, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
What is it doing?
Catching fish?