After being doused with the scabies potion and splashed by Snape's venom, Neville was still trembling by the time it was dinner.
"If you ask me, buddy," Ron began to comfort Neville, "it's really not a big deal, after all, you can't be proficient in every subject."
"You're right, Weasley." Draco's piercing voice rang out from behind the Slytherin long table, "Maybe this chubby little boy should use his head more instead of that fat bottom."
"Shut up, Malfoy." Ron wrapped an arm around Neville's shoulder, steering him away from Draco.
Seeing Draco about to open his mouth, Slytherin's class prefect Jemma Farrell spoke up, "Mr. Malfoy?"
"Miss Farley," Draco responded.
"Close your mouth," Jemma said succinctly.
She didn't feel sorry for Neville being bullied; she simply didn't want the professors catching Draco verbally attacking classmates and deducting points from Slytherin.
After being warned by the prefect, Draco obediently closed his mouth, but his eyes kept darting to Ron and Neville's backs, pondering something unknown.
In the afternoon, Harry dragged a few dorm mates and Hermione to visit Hagrid's hut.
Seeing so many young wizards, all from Gryffindor, Hagrid appeared very pleased.
"Go, go." Hagrid noticed Neville's shaky legs and began to shoo away the big dog beside him, "Wait a moment, I'll tie up Axew first, he's always very enthusiastic."
Once Axew was tied up, Hagrid invited everyone inside to sit.
Harry had brought lots of Muggle snacks and a few large bottles of cola, the 2.5-liter kind.
"Oh, it's cola." Hagrid grabbed a large bottle of cola, which looked like an ordinary person holding a vial, "I have to admit, Muggles do excel in some areas."
"These are Ron, Seamus, and Neville; she's Hermione," Harry introduced to Hagrid.
"Hello, you all," Hagrid happily shook hands with everyone, laughing when it was Ron's turn: "Another little brother from the Weasley family? I know your two brothers, Fred and George, right? Honestly, I really can't tell them apart, but I did spend half a lifetime effort to chase them out of the Forbidden Forest."
He took out a large plate from the cupboard, filled with some coarse-looking little pastries.
"Try this, it's my rock cake," Hagrid said, taking a piece from the plate and biting into it with a crunch.
Harry's eyelid twitched; judging by the sound, this wasn't going to be easy.
He picked up the rock cake, tried to break it with his hand but couldn't move it at all.
So he took Hagrid's kettle, poured some water into a bowl, put the rock cake in the bowl planning to soften it before eating.
When he looked up, he found his friends giving him a "you're definitely the smart one here" kind of look.
Neville had a piece of rock cake in his mouth, seemingly unable to bite it off.
Harry shrugged, pulled out his magic wand, and transformed a fork, using it to move the softened rock cake to his mouth.
Truth be told, the rock cake was delicious when softened, full of a rich milky aroma, quite like soufflé.
"Hmm, it's quite good." He praised while not forgetting to save Hagrid's pride: "Sorry, Hagrid, my gums are acting up recently; I can only eat it softened."
"It's alright, Harry," Hagrid chuckled.
The group then shared interesting anecdotes from recent classes, which always brought hearty laughter from Hagrid, perhaps reminding him of his own joyful days at school.
"Actually, Professor Sprout's cake tastes quite good." Hagrid began critiquing the professors: "As for Professor McGonagall, she's indeed very strict, but a really nice person—should say, all Hogwarts professors are good people."
Ron had a different understanding of that statement.
"Except Snape," he quickly added.
"Right." Neville practically agreed with Ron instantly; Seamus nodded in vehement agreement too.
"How can you say that?" Hagrid shook his head, "You'll understand once you get to know him, Professor Snape is also a— he is a..."
He suddenly paused.
"I think he's always targeting Harry," Ron didn't wait for Hagrid to find suitable words, "You haven't seen the way Snape looks at him, it's like he wants to eat him up."
"No, I think it's quite complicated." Hermione offered a differing opinion, "Anyway... that sort of feeling is hard to explain."
"Yes, of course, he's complicated." Hagrid smiled at everyone.
"Why's that?" Harry quickly asked, "Hagrid, you've been at Hogwarts for so long, and were friends with my parents, you surely know why, right? I think Professor Snape definitely knows my parents, maybe even was friends with them..."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Harry's words, Hagrid gasped.
"Merlin's fattest lace knickers... Why do you think that?"
Noticing Hagrid's astonishment, Harry quickly asked, "What's wrong, Hagrid? Am I not correct in saying that?"
"Well..." Hagrid vaguely said, "It's not incorrect; should say, your parents indeed have a deep connection with Professor Snape."
"No wonder..." Harry said knowingly, "No wonder he's asking like this."
"Asking?" Ron asked puzzledly, "What does it have to do with him asking you? Mate, I think he's just targeting you."
Harry shared Victoria's flower language, and everyone couldn't help showing expressions akin to seeing a ghost, especially Ron, whose mouth gaped wide.
"Why wouldn't he just say it directly?" Hermione, feeling like she'd grasped something but couldn't quite capture the essence, questioned.
"That fits Professor Snape's character," Hagrid said with a smile and then quickly shifted the topic, "how's your brother Charlie?"
It was a question posed to Ron, "I really like him—you know, he's got a way with animals."
Ron was indeed distracted by Hagrid, beginning a conversation about Charlie in Romania and his dragon breeding activities.
Meanwhile, Harry was drawn to the newspaper pressed on the table, partly cut but not entirely.
The cut section reported an illegal Gringotts break-in, whereas Harry's attention was captured by another part.
Not the current affairs, but a revisiting of events, resembling a little knowledge section.
It documented a major event; today, a century ago, marked the end of the goblin rebellion.
Also caught by the content was Hermione; she picked up the newspaper, exclaiming incredulously, "Oh, Harry, there's your name on this!"