The realization of falling behind in her studies was like a thorn in Hermione's heart.
She frowned for almost the entire afternoon, and even Lia gently brushing her wrist with the tip of her tail couldn't make her smile.
It wasn't until dinner that an owl swooped down, dropping a crumpled parchment letter in front of Harry.
Harry unfolded the letter, and Ron curiously leaned in.
"It's Hagrid!" Harry's face broke into a smile. "He's invited us to his Hut for tea!"
"Great!" Ron cheered. "I've been wanting to see it for ages!"
Hermione's first reaction was to refuse.
Her mind was swirling with the brewing steps for the Scab-Curing Potion and the key points she missed in Flying Class; her revision plan was already scheduled until midnight.
"I need to revise..." She was about to speak when she looked down and met Lia's eyes beside her.
Those clear blue eyes were staring at her unblinkingly, her cat ears drooping listlessly, clearly having sensed Hermione's dejection and anxiety throughout the afternoon.
Lia cautiously extended a paw, ensuring her claws were fully retracted, then gently pressed her soft, warm paw pad onto Hermione's hand.
Life in the Castle was still full of challenges for Lia.
The crowded halls, the grand spaces, and the ubiquitous unfamiliar scents kept her constantly on edge.
Hermione's anxiety seemed to have infected her too.
Perhaps... she also needed a brief escape from books and parchment.
Going to Hagrid's Hut, getting closer to the natural environment at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, would be better for Lia... and for herself.
With this thought, Hermione's academic anxiety subsided.
"Alright," she nodded, a smile reappearing on her face. "We'll go."
She turned to Lia, softening her voice, and gently scratched the kitten's chin with her fingertips: "Want to see outside the Castle? It's closer to nature and further from people."
Lia's eyes brightened, and the tip of her tail unconsciously curled into a small arc.
The path to Hagrid's Hut wound along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the air filled with the scent of earth and damp leaves.
For the first time, Lia didn't insist on being carried, but walked cautiously by Hermione's feet, curiously sniffing the wildflowers along the path, her ears constantly swiveling with the chirping of birds in the woods.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
For Lia, this was a thousand times more comfortable than the oppressive stone walls and flickering torches of the Castle.
They soon saw the stone Hut nestled at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a wisp of smoke rising from its roof.
Before Harry could even knock, the door burst open from inside, and a huge black figure rushed out like a cannonball.
"Fang! Come back!" Hagrid's booming voice followed close behind.
It was an astonishingly large black boarhound, almost the size of a pony.
It enthusiastically pounced on Harry, its long tongue leaving a trail of wet slobber on his face.
"Oh, goodness, Fang!" Harry laughed, trying to push it away, but was pushed back repeatedly by its weight.
Ron was not spared either, being affectionately nudged by Fang's large head.
Hermione instinctively took half a step back, shielding Lia behind her.
After dealing with Harry and Ron, Fang's friendly big eyes noticed Hermione, and the small creature beside her radiating a strange aura.
It wagged its tail, took cheerful steps, and opened its big mouth, ready to give this new friend an equally enthusiastic welcome.
Just as that drooling tongue was about to approach Hermione's robes, a sharp, threatening sound erupted from Hermione's arms.
"Haa—!"
Lia was arching her back, her pupils contracted into thin slits, and all her white fur stood on end, making her look like an exploded ball of fluff.
She bared her teeth at the behemoth dozens of times her size, emitting a continuous, warning hiss from her throat.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was full of menace.
Fang was startled by this sudden display of dominance, his huge body slamming to a halt, his four paws skidding comically on the ground.
He stood there, tilting his massive head in confusion, looking at the small white cat that was smaller than his paw, seemingly not understanding why it was so angry.
A silent standoff thus began.
One as huge as a pig, the other as tiny as a ball.
The core of the standoff was only one person—Hermione Granger.
"Oh, don't worry, Fang doesn't bite!" Hagrid emerged carrying a huge copper kettle, his face, covered by a thick beard, full of smiles. "He's just a bit over-enthusiastic."
Hermione scooped Lia into her arms and soothingly stroked her head, offering Hagrid an apologetic smile.
Hagrid's Hut was crammed with all sorts of strange things.
Dried hams and feathers hung from the ceiling, and a huge crossbow stood in the corner.
Hermione sat down on a wooden chair with Lia in her arms, and Fang immediately tried to bring his big head over to rest on Hermione's lap.
"Haa—"
Lia immediately issued a warning from her throat, a small claw already poking out from her paw pad.
Fang whimpered pitifully and had to lie down at Hermione's feet, but his big, wet eyes never left Hermione and the "fierce" kitten in her arms.
"Here, try this!" Hagrid served a plate of snacks, enthusiastically pushing them forward. "Freshly baked Rock Cakes!"
The snacks indeed looked like plates of brown stones, with uneven surfaces and an aroma of... indestructibility.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, picked up a piece, and with all their might, pretended to chew happily, making sounds like two hamsters gnawing on iron blocks.
Hermione politely picked up a piece, carefully chipped off a tiny crumb with her front teeth, and then took small sips of the tea Hagrid poured for her.
Lia merely sniffed the "stone" with her nose, then disdainfully turned her head, expressing her contempt with the back of her head.
Hagrid noticed the picky eater.
"Oh, look at me, I almost forgot our little guest." His thick fingers carefully avoided Lia's claws as he curiously examined her. "What a pretty little thing. Perhaps... she'll like this."
With that, Hagrid turned and fumbled inside a huge earthenware jar by the wall, pulling out a few thoroughly dried small fish.
The rich aroma, carrying the salty scent of sea breeze and smoke, instantly captivated Lia's entire attention; her nose twitched uncontrollably twice, and a faint, eager sound came from her throat.
Hagrid didn't hand them directly to Lia, but placed the dried fish in Hermione's palm.
What a wise choice.
"Hey, Hermione, for your little one."
Hermione picked one up and offered it to Lia's mouth.
Lia opened her small mouth without hesitation, took a bite, and devoured it instantly.
"Crunch, crunch."
The dried fish crunched in her mouth, and the ultimate savory flavor exploded on her taste buds. Lia's eyes happily narrowed, and a satisfied purring sound came from her throat.
As she nibbled on the dried fish between Hermione's fingers, she didn't forget to turn her head and glance at Fang, who was lying on the floor, with a look of obvious showing off and provocation.
[This is my exclusive treat! You don't get any!]
Fang's huge head drooped even lower, and a long, aggrieved whimper came from his throat.
He gently, tentatively rested his head on Hermione's knee, looking up at her with the most innocent eyes in the world, his long tail sweeping the ground intermittently with soft "pat, pat" sounds.
He also wanted some petting; Harry and Ron had already given him theirs, and now it was Hermione's turn.
Hermione's heart instantly softened, and she was about to reach out to stroke his big head.
"Slap!"
A soft sound.
Lia was displeased.
She quickly finished the dried fish in her mouth, then extended a small, snow-white paw pad and lightly, but firmly, patted Fang's wet nose.
Her claws were retracted, so it didn't hurt at all.
But the warning was undeniably clear.
This person is mine.
No touching!
Fang flinched, his huge body trembling.
He looked incredulously at the audacious kitten, then at Hermione, but ultimately conceded, sadly moving his head off Hermione's knee and lying back on the ground, covering his face with his paws.
Hermione was torn between laughter and tears by the cat and dog's competition for affection.
With one hand, she gently scratched Lia's chin in her arms, feeling the kitten's satisfied purr, while her other hand had to stretch out, past Lia's body, to soothingly stroke the big, pitiful fellow on the floor.
Sunlight streamed in through the small window of the wooden house, casting a warm halo around her.
Hermione sighed helplessly, feeling as if her academic anxiety had been completely replaced by a new, furry, sweet, and troublesome "harem problem."
Afternoon tea with Hagrid eventually concluded with Fang, clutching his beloved plush toy, looking back repeatedly as they left.
The warm Common Room could not entirely dispel the evening chill, but this brief peace was soon shattered by a sharp provocation.
Draco Malfoy's taunt came swiftly and directly. He blocked their way from the Great Hall back to the Common Room, challenging Harry in an exaggerated, theatrical tone.
"Potter! Tonight at midnight, in the Trophy Room, we'll have a Wizard's Duel! Just you and me!" Malfoy jutted out his chin, with Crabbe and Goyle like two mountains of flesh behind him, cheering him on, their faces bearing equally malicious smiles.
"If you don't dare to come," Malfoy drawled, adding maliciously, "it just proves you're a coward who hides behind women and half-breeds!"
Harry's face instantly flushed, the phrase "hides behind others" accurately striking his most sensitive nerve.
"Who says I don't dare!"
Ron added fuel to the fire: "We're going! Harry, let him see Gryffindor's might! The two of us together, we'll beat him black and blue!"
Hermione, while comforting Lia, pressed her temples hard, feeling her nerves throbbing as if a hundred Trolls were partying in her brain.
"Are you idiots?" she hissed, almost squeezing the words through her teeth, trying to inject some sense into their anger-heated brains. "This is clearly a trap! He'll tell Filch, and we'll be caught the moment we leave the Common Room! You'll be expelled!"
"Then all the more reason to go!" Harry stubbornly declared, his eyes burning with fury. "I can't let him think I'm afraid of him!"
All of Hermione's advice fell on deaf ears. She looked at Harry and Ron, who had a 'the wind howls, the Yi River is cold' expression.
Ultimately, she could only angrily retort, "You'll regret this," and then turned to leave.
Lia followed closely behind her, clearly sensing the anger and anxiety emanating from Hermione. She carefully hooked Hermione's finger with the tip of her tail, trying to offer a bit of comfort.
Hermione didn't respond, her heart filled with extreme irritation.
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