"Scabbers is dead..."
Ron said dejectedly to Harry:
"Snape said Scabbers escaped his cage and accidentally fell into a potion he was brewing. There's nothing left of him..."
Harry opened his mouth, not knowing how to comfort Ron.
But in the next moment, Ron suddenly broke into a grin.
"But Snape asked if I had any requirements for a new pet. Wow, he's actually going to compensate me with a new one!"
Ron's change of expression caught Harry off guard. "Ah?"
"Yes, a new pet! I haven't decided what I want yet. Harry, give me some advice. Is it better to get an owl or a cat?"
Harry asked, "Snape actually let you choose?"
Ron nodded. "I didn't expect him to be so nice! He actually asked what kind of pet I wanted!"
Harry nodded. "So he's waiting for your reply now?"
Ron looked excited and thrilled. "I think so! Harry, give me some advice!"
Harry commanded his knight to crush one of Ron's pawns, but the piece cursed him out: "What a terrible move! Didn't you see the Queen eyeing us from behind?"
Harry ignored the piece's insults and replied to Ron, "I think an owl would be more practical. I remember your family's owl is already very old."
"You mean Errol? He is indeed very old, but Mom retired him at the end of August. We bought a new owl."
"But that doesn't stop you from having your own owl!"
Ron nodded. "You have a point, Harry. It's just that I want a pet I can hold while I sleep. I used to sleep holding Scabbers."
"Well," Harry shrugged, "then I think you might need a cat..."
The common room door opened, and Fred and George slipped in, carrying wet brooms. Seeing Harry and Ron, they walked over to greet them.
"Ron!" George said. "Snape is looking for you!"
Fred smiled mischievously. "What did you do to get on Snape's radar?"
Ron rubbed his head hard. "Argh! I still haven't decided what to choose!"
He looked up at Harry. "Maybe I'll just listen to you and pick a cat?"
...
...
While Ron was in Gryffindor territory, Audrey couldn't see his actions, but when he appeared near Snape's office, Audrey noticed him.
Ron knocked on the office door excitedly and then entered.
In front of Snape were four "small animals": a black dog, a raven, a toad, and a green snake.
Ron's expression was priceless. Audrey couldn't help but turn on eavesdropping mode.
"Weasley, these are the pets I've prepared. Pick one!"
"Professor Snape, didn't you say to let you know what I wanted after I thought it through?"
"That is what I said, but do you remember what you replied at the time, Weasley?"
Ron stood there blankly. What did I reply?
Snape frowned. "It seems your poor head has been filled with fluxweed! Let me help you remember. You said, 'Anything but a rat'! Remember now?"
Ron was dumbfounded. He had indeed muttered 'anything but a rat' to himself as he turned to leave...
Snape said impatiently, "Alright, enough nonsense. Pick one quickly!"
Audrey was laughing her head off. The young Ron was truly suited to be a comedian.
But the one even more suited for comedy was that seemingly stupid big black dog—it wasn't easy to display so many emotions like reluctance, expectation, annoyance, and speechlessness on a dog's face.
But Sirius had done it.
Audrey rubbed her chin with a peculiar expression.
So, was this Dumbledore's method of protecting Harry?
Wasn't it a bit too silly?
Last time, Sirius was the first to be petrified. If it hadn't been for Carrow's lack of experience, Harry might have died.
...
...
Snape bet that Ron would choose the black dog, and in fact, Ron did choose the black dog.
The boy was a little unhappy because the dog was too big. Squeezing into a bed with it was probably unrealistic.
However, this dog was much better than a raven, a toad, or a snake.
The way that raven looked at him was the same way Hermione looked at him—a feeling that his intelligence was being crushed. The idea that he wasn't even as smart as a bird? That feeling was simply terrible.
Ron had always been indifferent to Neville's toad. Every time he saw Trevor, he would get goosebumps. To raise one himself would be the death of him.
As for the snake, that went without saying. Ron wasn't a young wizard from Slytherin...
When Ron led "Tata" into the Gryffindor common room—since the big black dog always made a tap-tap sound when walking, Ron named it that—Harry's eyes widened and he cried out.
"Ron! Is this your new pet from Snape?"
Ron nodded, his spirits not particularly high.
"Do you remember what I told you, Ron? That night, a big black dog saved me from Viggars Carrow's hands, and then it was petrified!"
Ron whispered, "I remember..."
"Ah? Oh!" Ron suddenly clapped his hands. "Harry, could it be? Could it! Could it be that this guy is...?"
"Yes, Ron! The one that saved me was this black dog, I remember clearly! It's this bear-like big black dog!"
Ron stroked the dog's head. "Well, looks like I chose right!"
Harry excitedly hugged the big black dog's neck, stroking the fur on its back while patting it.
"Ron, give it to me! I'll buy you another pet instead, what do you think?"
"The kind I can hold while I sleep?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, deal!"
...
...
Early the next morning, Harry brought "Tata" to the Great Hall. The weather was too cold; he planned to eat a little and go back to his dormitory for a nap!
In the entire Great Hall, there were only two or three people eating breakfast at the Slytherin table, including Draco Malfoy. Harry didn't bother to deal with that annoying guy and sat down directly.
Perhaps because most of the young wizards had gone home, the house-elves, in order to save costs, didn't make many varieties of breakfast—just simple bread, eggs, and milk.
Harry took a piece of bread, spread a layer of jam on it, and put it in his mouth.
He picked up another boiled egg and threw it directly to Tata. "Tata, eat up!"
The big black dog opened its mouth and swallowed the whole egg, looking at Harry expectantly, seemingly waiting for a second egg.
But revealed in those eyes was clearly a look of affection.
"Harry!"
The Weasley twins jumped out, clapping Harry's shoulders from both sides.
"Where's Ron?"
Harry took a sip of milk. "He was excited all night and hasn't woken up yet."
"Oh, our stupid brother!"
Just then, two owls flew in. One flew to Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table, and the other flew toward the twins.
"It's the Daily Prophet we ordered!"
Fred opened the newspaper and then cried out, "Harry, Sirius was found innocent and has been released!"
"What?"
Surprised, Harry snatched the newspaper and scanned the lines.
"How... how could this be..."
"It was Peter Pettigrew who killed Mom and Dad! Sirius is actually innocent! This..."
Draco Malfoy shouted from across two tables, "Scarhead! You're finished. Sirius is coming to kill you!"
Harry shouted back, "The newspaper says Sirius is innocent!"
"Hahahaha," Draco laughed. "Many Death Eaters escaped the Ministry's justice. There's nothing strange about it. Sirius probably used some excuse like being controlled by the Imperius Curse!"
The boy with slicked-back hair tossed his hair proudly. "Just you wait. That dark wizard will take your life sooner or later!"
Harry hadn't even replied when Tata barked and lunged at Draco.
Where had Young Master Malfoy ever seen such a large, fierce dog?
He screamed, even forgetting he was a wizard, and bolted out of the Great Hall.
Truly a pair of loving uncle and nephew!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]