章 178: 0177 Failed Exchange
"Okay, Ron, I'll try to find a chance to ask Professor McGonagall." Encouraged by the presence of Professor Watson, Harry made a decision that was more in line with his wishes.
Hermione's beautiful eyebrows furrowed together, she glared at Ron dissatisfiedly, opened her mouth as if to refute, but before she could speak, Crookshanks, who appeared out of nowhere, jumped onto her lap with a fat, stunned rat in his mouth.
The ginger cat looked proud of his catch, as if he had brought a precious gift to his owner.
"Does it have to eat that thing in front of us, it will make the common room stink!"
Ron frowned showing his disgust. He hated Crookshanks for always chasing his pet rat, Scabbers, and now he had to watch him devour another rodent.
"You can go to the courtyard to eat this, Crookshanks–"
This was a good idea, even Hermione didn't want her clean wizard robes to be stained with rat guts and blood and such. she said gently, trying to pick up Crookshanks and send him out of the Gryffindor common room, but unexpectedly, Crookshanks, who was squatting on her lap, suddenly jumped onto the coffee table, dodging Hermione's hand, a pair of yellow eyes staring straight at Ron.
"Get rid of it, Hermione!"
Ron was annoyed and pulled his planetary orbit map, which he had worked hard all night to make, from under Crookshanks' feet, glaring at Crookshanks and said,
"It almost ruined our astronomy homework, and, Scabbers is sleeping in my bag, do you want him to watch this cat eat his own kind?"
Crookshanks stared motionlessly at Ron, but after hearing this, his fluffy tail tip shook, he glanced at Ron's bag, raised his chin, as if to show Ron the rat in his mouth better, his yellow eyes shining with a strange light.
"What are you trying to do?"
Crookshanks' appearance made Ron more wary, he hugged his bag impatiently and asked, but Crookshanks did not waver, just stretched his neck forward, and lightly bit the rat in his mouth.
"I think–"
Crookshanks' appearance confused Hermione too, but Harry suddenly laughed, he couldn't help but look at Ron and said his thoughts,
"He probably wants to trade the rat in his mouth for your Scabbers, Ron!"
Ron was stunned, and then glared at Hermione angrily, "See, Hermione, this brainless cat wants to kill Scabbers, I really don't understand, why do you have to bring this beast back!"
"Don't talk nonsense, Ron!"
After silencing Harry with a haughty look, Hermione impatiently said, "Crookshanks has no reason to do that, he might just want to introduce a friend to Scabbers!"
As she said, she stood up and tried to hold Crookshanks again. Crookshanks dodged Hermione's embrace again, he seemed to realize that the trade had failed, the little boy in front of him was not willing to exchange the fake rat in his bag for the real one in his mouth, so he jumped to the armrest of the sofa, slowly squatted down, his eyes flashed with a fierce light.
What happened next could probably only be described as a disaster.
Crookshanks turned his head and threw the fat mouse that had already regained consciousness high in the air, and by a stroke of luck, it hung on the bow of Hermione's roommate, Lavender Brown, who was worried about Professor Trelawney's prophecy.
Lavender had been sitting by the fireplace, reading a book about divination, and she had tied her long blonde hair with a pink bow hairpin. She had no idea that a live rat was about to land on her head. Lavender, who looked bewildered, took off the mouse on the bow hairpin and put it in front of her eyes.
Ah! She screamed in horror, louder than anyone had ever heard her scream before.
The ear-piercing scream of horror made the noisy common room quiet down in an instant. Everyone turned their heads to see what was going on, and saw Lavender holding a mouse in her hand, her face pale and her eyes wide. Hermione hadn't had time to apologize for Crookshanks; Lavender threw the mouse out before throwing herself into Parvati's arms. Parvati hugged her and tried to calm her down, while looking at Hermione with a reproachful expression.
After drawing a beautiful arc in the air, the mouse fell on the chessboard of Neville and Seamus. The mouse reacted quickly, it quickly left the overturned chessboard, climbed up Neville's chest along his knee, and then, with a leap, hooked his nostril with its paw!
Neville felt a sharp pain in his nose, and his eyes watered. He tried to pull the mouse off, but it clung to his nostril stubbornly.
The sudden shock made Neville look like he was suffocating. He couldn't breathe, and he couldn't speak. He could only wave his wand wildly, hoping to get rid of the mouse.
"RICTUMSEMPRA-!"
Fortunately, at this time, on the other side of the common room, Ginny, who was talking to Colin about something, was quick and agile. She saw Neville's plight and cast a Tickling Charm at him. A Tickling Charm flew over and hit Neville's nostril accurately.
In the midst of everyone's hard laughter, Neville, who had a round face and was red, stood up tremblingly. The mouse felt a tickling sensation in its paw, and it let go of Neville's nostril involuntarily. After a snap, it fell heavily to the ground, making a thud sound.
Hearing this sound, Neville's chubby cheeks trembled again, and he remembered the night after the final exam in his first year, when he was unconscious by the petrification curse.
"Sorry, Neville——"
Hermione hurriedly walked past one student after another, came to Neville, who had collapsed on the sofa again, and her sweaty face was full of apology,
"It was just an accident, Neville, Crookshanks didn't mean it——"
Neville hadn't had time to speak, when a furious roar came from the direction of the fireplace. Hermione quickly turned her head and was shocked to see that, Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn by the rat, Crookshanks suddenly pounced, his four claws dug deep into Ron's bag, tearing it viciously. The bag was ripped open, and its contents spilled out on the floor.
"Get off, you stupid cat!"
Ron tried to pull his bag from under Crookshanks, but Crookshanks held on, baring his teeth and tearing. He seemed determined to get Scabbers out of the bag.
"Don't hurt him, Ron!"
Hermione screamed, because, Ron was unable to drive Crookshanks away, so he was frantically swinging his bag like a windmill, but even so he still couldn't get rid of Crookshanks, instead Scabbers flew out of the open bag.
Scabbers landed on the floor with a squeak, and tried to run away, but Crookshanks was faster. He chased after Scabbers, his eyes gleaming with malice. In order to catch these two crazed animals, all the young wizards in the common room moved, and finally, Scabbers was pulled out from under an old cupboard by Ron, and Hermione, who had messy hair and was embarrassed, threw herself on the ground, holding down Crookshanks who was struggling hard.
"You're happy now, aren't you!"
Looking at the skinny, trembling Scabbers in his palm, Ron was furious and yelled. He glared at Hermione, who was holding Crookshanks, and said,
"Look at what your cat did to my bag, and to Scabbers! He's terrified, Hermione, can't you see that?"
"Crookshanks was just–"
Hermione's eyes were shining with tears, she weakly tried to explain for Crookshanks, but her words were rudely interrupted by Ron,
"That cat just wants to eat Scabbers, when will you admit it, Hermione!"
He raised his voice, and his face was red with anger.
"How can you talk to Hermione like that, Ron?!"
Ginny hurriedly ran over from the other side of the common room, gently hugged Hermione's slender trembling shoulders, and glared at Ron, who was trying to coax Scabbers back into his pocket.
"Ron, she's your friend! You can't shout at her like that! It's not her fault that Crookshanks is a natural hunter, and Scabbers is a natural prey!"
Ron, who was still fuming, looked up and opened his mouth to retort,, but after seeing Hermione, who had tears in her eyes, he hesitated,
"Keep that beast away from me, Hermione, or else–"
Ron muttered something that only Hermione and Ginny heard, then walked away angrily, leaving only a more angry Ginny and a sad and helpless Hermione. Ginny hugged Hermione and comforted her, while giving Ron a dirty look.
"Ron was just too worried about Scabbers, Hermione–"
Harry hesitated and said, he looked at Crookshanks in Hermione's arms, rationally he agreed with Ron's view, this slightly strange big ginger cat seemed to be targeting Scabbers, but he couldn't say that in front of Hermione,
"Don't worry, I'll go talk to him."
Harry, who was already depressed by not being able to go to Hogsmeade, sighed heavily and dragged his tired steps to the dormitory. He hoped that Ron and Hermione would make up soon, and that Crookshanks would stop chasing Scabbers.
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