Leaving the space entirely to Lynn and Hermione, the assistant also seemed to sense something and silently lowered his head, pretending to be very busy.
"You... you've started to take the initiative to react to the outside world!"
Holding Crookshanks' cage, Hermione hugged Lynn, rubbing forcefully against the crook of Lynn's neck.
She then held Lynn's head and kissed her cheek hard. "That's wonderful, truly wonderful."
On a day that wasn't a special holiday, Lynn had taken the initiative to give her a gift.
Didn't this prove that Lynn was starting to socialize with the outside world of her own accord?
The excitement Hermione felt because of this was much more than just gaining a pet.
"Meow..."
A soft cat meow sounded; Crookshanks poked his head to the edge of the cage and licked Lynn's hand hanging by the cage.
"Crookshanks is happy for you too."
Hermione looked down at him with a smile, and Lynn also looked down; Crookshanks gave another soft meow toward the two of them.
The interaction between the two girls lasted for a while before ending. It wasn't until they walked out of the pet shop that Ron looked at Hermione somewhat hesitantly.
"Um, Hermione... Crookshanks won't eat Scabbers, will he?"
Ron glanced at the pocket on his chest, where Scabbers was sleeping soundly.
"How could he, Ron?" Hermione shook her head with a chuckle, lifting the cage and reaching in to poke Crookshanks. "Crookshanks will usually be with me in the girls' dormitory, and Scabbers is with you in the boys' dormitory; that situation won't happen."
"That's good then."
Ron breathed a sigh of relief, and the group of four continued their stroll through Diagon Alley.
When the meeting time arrived, Lynn followed Hermione and the others back to the Leaky Cauldron.
The Weasley family planned to stay at the Leaky Cauldron with Harry for a few days, just in time to take him to King's Cross Station on the day they returned to school.
Lynn and Hermione said their goodbyes; school was about to start again, and Hermione still wanted to spend good time with her parents.
When Mr. and Mrs. Granger returned from work in the evening and saw Hermione sitting on the sofa, holding Crookshanks in her left arm and Lynn in her right, the couple's mouths twitched violently in perfect synchronization.
Their daughter's appearance was just so... so, indescribably odd.
"Mom, Dad, good evening." Hermione turned her head, a bright smile on her face.
"Good evening," Mr. and Mrs. Granger replied with a nod, "good evening, Lynn."
Lynn had been looking down previewing this year's Charms book, but she immediately put the book down upon hearing her full name.
She also stood up from Hermione's embrace and nodded politely to Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
"Auntie, Uncle, good evening."
"And this cute little cat is?" Mrs. Granger rubbed Lynn's head and pulled her to sit on the sofa together, looking at Crookshanks in Hermione's arms.
"Lynn gave him to me," Hermione said.
Her face wore an irrepressible, smug smile.
"Oh..." Mrs. Granger nodded understandingly, while simultaneously reaching out to gently pinch her daughter's cheek to keep her from getting too carried away.
Hermione stuck out her tongue, obediently tucked away her little smugness, and lifted Crookshanks to rub against his little belly.
"Meow."
Crookshanks gave a long meow, and Mr. Granger stepped forward, looking at him somewhat uncertainly.
"Do cats bought from the Wizarding World need vaccinations? What about neutering? Does it need to be done?"
Hermione, who was holding Crookshanks up, froze, and Crookshanks, who was being held by Hermione, also stiffened his body in synchronization.
Hermione shook her head hesitantly, "I... I don't really know about that."
Crookshanks, meanwhile, cast a glance at Mr. Granger because of those two words: neutering.
"Well, it looks like you're not willing to do the latter."
Mr. Granger tapped Crookshanks' cat head and considered for a moment. "Then Hermione, just ask the Professor after you go to school. If it's needed, it won't be too late to take him for vaccinations when you come back for the holidays."
"Okay."
Hermione nodded in agreement; at any rate, Crookshanks was quite well-behaved in her hands, and she wasn't afraid of him scratching or biting anyone.
Sitting next to Mrs. Granger, Lynn watched Crookshanks as Hermione held him up; since analyzing Scabbers in Diagon Alley, she had begun searching her brain for information regarding Wizarding World pets.
However, she had found nothing until now; there were no descriptions regarding this aspect in the books she had read.
She figured she probably hadn't seen it yet; her reading speed was still too slow.
Lynn determined secretly in her mind; otherwise, this situation where she lacked the relevant knowledge reserve when needed would not have occurred.
She needed to read more books, faster, and remember them.
Thinking this, she lowered her head again, her brain working at high speed, memorizing the Charms textbook in her hand as quickly as possible.
Even her page-turning speed increased by a few notches.
Seeing that Lynn had immersed herself in studying again, Mrs. Granger stood up silently and went to the kitchen with her husband to prepare dinner.
Hermione, meanwhile, put Crookshanks down, moved next to Lynn, wrapped her arms around her waist, and began reading the Charms textbook with her.
She also needed to preview properly, of course.
Lynn turned her eyes expressionlessly toward Hermione, only turning to the next page after confirming she had finished reading this one as well.
As for the arms around her waist, she acted as if she hadn't noticed, giving no reaction whatsoever.
In the room with a comfortable temperature, Lynn was held tightly by Hermione, the two of them studying the contents of the Charms book at what could be called a lightning pace.
Outside the wondrous and magnificent Castle, creatures wearing robes and hoods, filled with the scent of decay, arrived at their posts one after another.
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