Hermione's Sly Side (Repayment 1/5)

Saturday morning,

William and Hermione appeared at Hogsmeade.

Hogsmeade is a wizarding village located near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

According to school rules, students below the third grade are not allowed here... Hermione certainly doesn't qualify, but... who cares?

Anyway, William secretly brought Hermione here many times.

There's no need to go through secret passages; just use the Disillusionment Charm.

William's mastery of the Disillusionment Charm was so profound that it could fool most professors.

As for her younger sister Anne...

Oh dear! The little wizard can't go to Hogsmeade. She should stay in the castle and play hopscotch with Luna and Ginny.

This is the kind of activity that children should be doing at home.

William only needed to bring the three of them some candy when he returned, and they would be happy for half a day.

The three little ones are easily satisfied.

"Huh, where did everyone go?"

Entering the Three Broomsticks, Hermione searched for Rita.

William took her hand and pointed to a corner.

In a corner of the bar sat a woman wearing a large bowler hat, her head hidden under the Daily Prophet.

"Four pints of mead, a shot of sherry juice with whelks," William said softly. "Thank you."

After ordering two drinks, William led Hermione to a corner and sat down on a chair.

"Why are you dressed like this?" William asked Rita, puzzled.

There's a strange, exciting feeling about secretly making contact!

Rita pulled her head out of the newspaper; she was wearing a green veil and dressed like an Arab.

She pushed her enormous aviator sunglasses up to her nose and whispered:

"I'm a celebrity, and I have a lot of fans here. It wouldn't be good if I got recognized and a crowd gathered."

William and Hermione exchanged a suspicious glance.

"Here, your drinks." Rosmerta walked over and placed two drinks on the round wooden table.

Madam Rosmerta was the proprietress of the Three Broomsticks. She wore a pair of gorgeous turquoise high heels, had a graceful figure, and was very beautiful.

Although she was almost forty years old, many of the young wizards at Hogwarts actually liked her.

"Hi, William, Hermione. Why are you the only two here today? Where are Cedric and Cho?" Madam Rosmerta asked familiarly.

Akali's Mystery Shop and many shops in Hogsmeade maintain strategic partnerships, and the Three Broomsticks are no exception.

William would occasionally help brew Potions and add them to various drinks.

"Cedric took Autumn on an adventure in the grass," William grinned.

"The Shrieking Shack?" Rosmerta blinked. "Boys always like to lead girls there... It's the little trick I taught him last time."

William smiled; he was certain that Cedric's little scheme would fail.

Qiu is so brave, daring to practice balancing on a flying broomstick, what's a haunted house compared to that!

Cedric probably thought that Cho would be scared and then bury her face in his arms... Dream on!

"By the way, what would this guest like to order?"

Rosmerta then turned his gaze to Rita.

Rita had already buried her head back in the newspaper. She said in a hoarse voice, "No, thank you. I have a bad cold and don't want anything to drink."

Rosmerta took two steps, then turned back, squinting, and asked suspiciously, "You wouldn't happen to be that woman Rita Skeeter, would you?"

Rita shifted her large bottom awkwardly and coughed, "How could that be? How could someone so famous be me!"

Rosmerta said "Oh" and walked towards the counter.

"Speak," William said softly, "What happened?"

"It's nothing," Rita said, peeking her head out from under the newspaper again.

William gave Hermione a look.

Hermione immediately understood and sweetly called out, "Madam Rosmerta..."

"No!" Rita's expression was as if she had been forced to drink foul juice. She said speechlessly, "Meeting the two of you has truly used up all the luck I've ever had!"

"Speak quickly." William took a sip of mead.

"It was about six months ago, I think, I wrote an article in the newspaper..." Rita coughed.

What article?

"It seems to be about Fudge..." Around the Minister for Magic, burning, expectant gazes were everywhere, even from Rosmerta, the still-charming widow...

"..." William now believed that everyone in Hogsmeade was indeed a fan of Rita.

--Hate fan!

The kind that I'll hate forever.

"Okay, did you bring the goods?" Rita asked.

"I brought it." William took a document from his ring and tossed it to Rita.

Rita flipped through a few pages, her gaze changing as she looked at the document as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world.

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes sharp, and said, "William, I know that big oaf Hagrid is your friend, and Lockhart reported him."

What I mean is... this content wasn't something you made up just to get revenge on Lockhart, was it?"

"Do you think I'm that kind of person?" William shrugged.

The contents of the document were all based on Dumbledore's investigation.

Over the years, Lockhart has stolen many wizards' memories, many of which are verifiable.

After all, Lockhart was able to hear the story, and even if it was unknown to most people, it had already spread to some extent; otherwise, he wouldn't have come knocking on his door.

Given the principal's abilities, he was able to uncover quite a few details.

You wouldn't believe it until you see it... Otherwise, the principal wouldn't have let Lockhart become a professor at the school, wanting to deliberately expose him.

"I believe you... but the readers..." Rita hesitated for a moment.

"Do your readers need evidence?" William scoffed. "Do you even believe what you write?"

"Rita, don't try to test me or find out the source of this document... I have many little birds around the world besides you!" William bluffed.

He certainly didn't have many little birds, only two sparrows, a caged bird that wanted to bite... and an old phoenix named Dumbledore.

But that doesn't stop him from bragging all sorts of nonsense; bragging doesn't Galleon anyway.

"I understand." Rita stroked the document as if she were stroking a lover.

"I will use my mighty pen to expose Lockhart's true colors to everyone!"

"Don't write my name or Hermione's name," William said.

"Well then, goodbye." Rita stood up. "Mr. Perfect and Ms. Flawless."

Rita went outside, her steps faltering as she opened the door. She saw Rosmerta had called a carload of bread-bread men, ready to ambush her!

She began to flee in panic.

"Mr. Perfect, Ms. Flawless... are these titles?" William asked, holding his wine glass, puzzled.

"I don't know either. I wrote her several letters as you instructed, and that's how she addressed us in those letters."

Rita's letters... William would occasionally hand them over to Hermione to handle.

Going up against someone like Rita is a good exercise.

"Who knows what she's saying about us behind our backs?" William took a sip of mead.

"Just don't let me hear that!" Hermione also took a sip of sherry juice.

"Would this get Lockhart into Azkaban?"

William gently blew away the foam that had risen to the top of the mead, shook his head, and said, "I don't know... but it'll definitely ruin his reputation."

Hermione nodded and quietly looked at the boy sitting beside her.

She suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, when we're shopping later, don't forget to remind me to buy Anne Fizzing Whizzbees."

William hummed in agreement, then couldn't help but ask, "Why do you always make me bring her the candy when you buy it for her?"

Hermione's lips curled into a smile, and she said, "You don't know, every time she gets a gift, the first thing she does is run to me and show off..."

"I'm just waiting for the day when she's showing off, and then I'll tell her that I actually bought it at Hogsmeade."

"..."

He could almost picture it... William seemed to see Anne's bewildered and furious expression... He suddenly realized that Hermione was quite cunning too.

"William, you're not going to tell her, are you?" Hermione rested her chin on her hand, gazing at William with a captivating smile.

"No!" William without hesitation.

Poor little sister, don't blame your brother for not helping you, I really had no choice!

Hermione smiled broadly, took William's right hand, and gently swayed it.

The girl was softly singing a Scotland folk song, her voice clear and melodious.

A gentle breeze caressed her face, causing Hermione's long hair to sway softly at her temples.

(According to my incomplete count, I currently owe "Hell Cat" three chapters, "snz" one chapter, and "Deep Sea Turtle" one chapter. A total of five chapters. I'll pay back one chapter first ψ(`′)ψ.)