"Wait a minute!"
Hermione quickly spoke up to stop her. Dolly giving her a welcoming gift was already beyond her expectations.
How could she also give her pet to her?
Was this really a welcoming gift? Or was this girl trying to abandon her pet!
At this thought, Hermione's little face flushed with indignation.
"Miss Dursley, it is a living being, not an object."
"You can't just toss it around like that. It has its own feelings, and you need to respect its thoughts!"
With that, Hermione held up the cat in her hands and looked at the big cat with pity.
But then she saw it was still shamelessly chewing on the shrimp, and Hermione's righteous fury immediately weakened by a third.
"But I think he likes you," Dolly said with a smile. "And I think you'll like him too."
"Right, Crookshanks?"
Hearing his name, Crookshanks looked back at Dolly.
Do I like this witch in front of me?
How come I don't know that!
Wait…
Seeing Dolly's slightly narrowed eyes, Crookshanks suddenly felt a chill.
Looking again at the little witch... Hmm, I suppose liking her wouldn't be so bad?
Crookshanks was no ordinary cat; he actually had half-Kneazle blood.
A Kneazle was a magical creature that looked like a cat, with various spots on its fur, exceptionally large ears, and a tail like a lion's.
Kneazles were very intelligent, liked to be independent, and had a certain degree of aggressiveness.
Once a Kneazle took a liking to a witch or wizard, it would become a remarkable pet.
Crookshanks was clearly one of the more high-blooded mixed breeds, and his intelligence far surpassed that of an ordinary pet cat.
And at this moment, Crookshanks was not like the Crookshanks of two years later, who had almost given up on wizards.
After being rescued by Hermione then, he was naturally very grateful to her, not to mention that Hermione did indeed love taking care of him.
For the current Crookshanks, Dolly was just a new owner he had known for less than half a day.
Changing this owner to Hermione was really no big deal.
So Crookshanks swallowed the shrimp in one gulp, held his tail high, and then lowered his head to rub fawningly against Hermione's cheek.
Being rubbed by the fluffy Crookshanks, Hermione was caught off guard.
Her righteous aura completely disappeared, and she even started giggling instinctively because it tickled.
When Crookshanks extended his tongue to lick her cheek, she was so startled she almost threw him off.
Hermione's parents, on the side, couldn't help but walk over, looking nervous.
They had thought Hermione was making friends with a fellow young witch, but now Dolly had sent out a big cat.
They didn't know if this big cat was dangerous, if it would attack their daughter. If it left a scratch on her face, Hermione would be upset for a long time.
Fortunately, Crookshanks knew his limits. He seized the opportunity to climb up Hermione's collar onto her shoulder, then sat down and didn't move.
Hermione finally calmed down, realizing her gaffe.
Just as she was about to do something, like take the big cat off her shoulder, she felt the touch of soft fabric on her cheek.
It was Dolly, wiping the spot Crookshanks had just licked with a handkerchief. After all, he had just eaten, and would certainly leave crumbs and a smell on Hermione's face.
"See? I wasn't lying. Crookshanks really likes you."
A soft voice came, and Hermione looked up.
A pair of bright green eyes smiled at her, the delicate features holding a faint paleness, the corners of her lips curved up like sunshine.
Every time her lips parted, her neat teeth flashed with a warm white light, turning into the girl's sweet voice.
"I'm not kidding. Since Crookshanks has a connection with you, entrusting him to your care is the greatest fortune for him."
"As for me, I actually prefer Pygmy Puffs."
Hearing the name "Pygmy Puff," Hermione finally came back to her senses.
She subconsciously said, "Pygmy Puffs are not qualified magical pets. They only have ornamental value."
"I think that as Hogwarts students, we should raise pets that can become our magical assistants."
"But Pygmy Puffs are cute, aren't they?" Dolly retorted. "Pets are companions that accompany their owners. If you only value their practical use, what's the difference between that and raising livestock?"
Hermione's disrupted rhythm finally recovered a little. She asked in an incredulous tone, "Shouldn't we put our academic achievements first? We are Hogwarts students!"
"Mr. Ollivander even said you are an intelligent and wise girl. Why can't you even understand this?"
Hearing this, Dolly finally understood how Hermione had found her.
It seemed she had heard her name from Ollivander. Now Dolly really had to thank Ollivander properly.
Otherwise, if Dolly wanted to get to know Hermione, she would have had to wait at least until the new student welcoming banquet.
However, there was a downside to meeting Hermione early: they lost the opportunity to slowly get to know each other.
If handled poorly, Hermione might keep her distance from Dolly for a while.
After all, at this time, Hermione was still a rather petty little witch.
So Dolly fell silent for a moment and said, "Why don't we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
Hermione frowned. She didn't really like the word, but she didn't refuse directly.
"You think getting good grades at Hogwarts is the most important thing. I think experiencing the mysteries of the magical world at Hogwarts is the most important thing."
"At the end of our first year, let's see who is the more successful one. How about it?"
Hermione's eyes lit up slightly.
She had come to Dolly in the first place out of a competitive spirit.
Dolly's words directly hit the mark, making it impossible for her to refuse.
However, Hermione was not a rash person. She then asked, "So who will be the judge? We need to find a third person, right?"
"The professors, the deputy headmistress, or even the headmaster of Hogwarts, if they are willing to vote for us."
"But I don't think this matter is that complicated. Maybe on that day, I'll just admit defeat?"
Hearing this, Hermione reached out and grabbed Dolly's wrist. "No, you can't admit defeat."
"Since we're making a bet, we must decide the winner fair and square."
"If you deliberately concede, then I can only conclude that you are not a suitable opponent."
Seeing Hermione's determination, Dolly nodded helplessly. "Alright, it's settled then."
"But since it's a bet, there should be some stakes, right?"
As she said this, Dolly pulled Hermione down and whispered in her ear.
Hermione's ear twitched subconsciously, as if it had been licked by Crookshanks again.
....
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