The four-poster bed, lingering with the girls' warmth, couldn't keep them for long.
The next day, Hogwarts was abuzz with the news of Sirius Black's exoneration.
The Gryffindor table was in an absolute frenzy. With a spell from the Weasley twins, the words "Black is Innocent" shimmered in gold across the ceiling. Professor McGonagall walked over with a stern face, yet a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Harry was surrounded in the center, sporting the brightest smile since he started school. He had a home.
In contrast, dark clouds loomed over the Slytherin table.
News spread like wildfire that Lucius Malfoy had been publicly humiliated at the Ministry of Magic and had slunk away in disgrace. Draco Malfoy became a pariah, with even Crabbe and Goyle casting shifty glances his way.
All the resentment eventually coalesced into a stream of venom, directed at the one he deemed the culprit.
Afternoon corridor.
Draco blocked the path of Harry and the other three.
"Potter..." he rasped, "how does victory taste?"
Harry didn't even bother to look up. "Malfoy, move."
Ron looked disgusted. "Get lost, son of a Death Eater!"
Those words were the fuse that instantly ignited Draco. He snapped his head up, madness burning in his grey eyes. "My father is not! But you, Weasley—you slept with a real Death Eater for twelve years! And you, Potter! How long do you think that mad dog can protect you?!"
His gaze finally fixed on Hermione and Lia in her arms, as he hissed venomously, "A bunch of trash who rose up thanks to a mudblood and some pet of unknown origin! Your luck has run out!"
"Say that again, I dare you!" Harry and Ron drew their magic wands simultaneously.
Hermione didn't even bat an eyelid. She didn't even look at Draco, instead lowering her head to gently scratch the chin of the Cat-girl in her arms, her posture as languid as if she were watching a poorly acted play.
"Lia," she said softly, her voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "shut him up."
Lia looked up from her arms, her sky-blue eyes blinking as she nodded obediently.
The next second, she turned her gaze toward Draco.
Through Lia's [Eye of Truth], Draco's blustering shell instantly peeled away, exposing the tiny soul within that trembled incessantly under his father's thunderous rage. fear, like moldy moss, crawled over every inch of his soul. And the source of that fear was a clear echo.
Lia tilted her head and cleared her throat.
Then, she spoke.
"Draco."
A cold, arrogant tone with an elegant drawl came from the soft Cat-girl's mouth. The voice was exactly like Lucius Malfoy's!
The corridor fell into a dead silence.
Lia continued, mimicking Lucius's condescending tone, "I warned you to stay away from Potter and that mudblood! You useless waste, you can't even handle a small matter like this. You are a disgrace to the Malfoy family!"
Word for word.
This was exactly what Lucius had roared at Draco via a Howler in the Slytherin common room last night!
Draco's face instantly drained of all color. He stared at Lia as if he had seen a ghost, his body shaking like a leaf.
Impossible! How could she know?!
A public execution.
Lia didn't seem finished yet. Reverting to her own soft, sweet voice, her blue eyes filled with pure curiosity, she looked at the pale Draco and tilted her head, asking:
"Why did your father say that if you cause more trouble, he'll send your beloved peacock, Adonis... to be made into roast chicken?"
She paused, thinking seriously.
"Can you eat peacocks?"
"Adonis—!"
A shrill, distorted scream erupted from Draco's throat. His final psychological defense had completely crumbled.
"Whoa—"
The surrounding students could no longer contain themselves, bursting into thunderous laughter.
"Hahaha! Roast peacock!"
"Oh my god, Adonis is going to be made into roast chicken!"
Draco covered his face, let out a sob amidst the deafening mockery, and frantically pushed through the crowd to flee in disgrace.
An era belonging to Draco Malfoy came to an end in the most ridiculous fashion.
Harry and Ron were dumbfounded.
Hermione, however, was very satisfied. She dotingly scratched Lia's chin, pulled a salmon milk candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into Lia's mouth.
"Well done, my little hero," Hermione chuckled in her ear. "With people like him, you have to strike where it hurts most."
...The celebratory roasted fish feast was held in front of Hagrid's hut. The bonfire blazed, and fish oil dripped, sizzling loudly.
Lia didn't go to ride any Hippogriffs; she leaned quietly against Hermione, nibbling on roasted fish. The fish was delicious and melted in her mouth.
As she nibbled, she held the half-eaten roasted fish to Hermione's lips.
"Hermione, eat."
Hermione paused, looked into those clear blue eyes, opened her mouth, and ate the piece of fish right where Lia had bitten it.
"Mhm, it's delicious."
Lia felt that when Hermione said "delicious," she wasn't talking about the fish. Nevertheless, she turned her head back contentedly and continued to tackle her feast.
The party soon ended.
The night breeze was cool, but Hermione's hand was very warm.
She led Lia back to Gryffindor Tower, and as she pushed open the dormitory door, Lia felt Hermione's hand tremble.
"Hermione?"
The dormitory was empty.
Hermione took a deep breath, slammed the door shut behind her with a "bang," and locked it.
The loud noise made Lia jump. Seeing Hermione's eyes, which looked like they wanted to devour a cat, the fur all over her body nearly stood on end.
Bad! Not good!
"Hermione! Wait!"
Hermione didn't listen at all, a smile Lia couldn't understand playing on her lips as she approached step by step. She scooped Lia up in her arms, ignoring her struggles, and walked straight toward the bathroom.
"It's time... to settle the score."
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