"...So, what will happen to those who violate the contract?"
Under Ron's eager questioning, Harry also cast curious eyes on Hermione. But just when Hermione wanted to whisper to them, she was interrupted by another sudden voice.
"Miss Granger—"
This crisp shout immediately attracted the attention of the three people. They turned their heads almost at the same time and looked in the direction of the sound.
"Miss Granger... Oh! Are Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter here?"
Running briskly from the other side of the hall was the third-year "freshman" Helen Schon, who had just been admitted to Hogwarts last night and became one of the many Gryffindors.
"Good morning!" Helen waved to them happily.
Compared to yesterday's restraint, she seemed to be more cheerful and lively today. Perhaps it was because of a night of dormitory life that Hermione and the others clearly felt different.
The distance between Helen and them was being eliminated little by little as the smiles grew.
"Ah - good morning, Helen." Hermione smiled, "Just call us by our names!"
"Oh! That's great -" Helen nodded repeatedly, "Hermione, Harry, and Ronald!"
"'Ron'—" Hermione pointed at Ron and said with a smile, "Just call him 'Ron', we all call him that! If we call him by his real name, he won't get used to it!"
"No, no," Ron hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I think I will get used to it... Rather, if you are willing, please be sure to call me 'Ronald'!"
"Do you think you can really afford this name?" Hermione said with unceremonious contempt, "Just call him 'Ron', otherwise he will definitely get carried away!"
"Um..." Helen looked at Ron with some trouble, "Is it really okay?"
"Okay, okay... just call me 'Ron'!" Ron seemed to have given up and muttered dejectedly, "Am I really not like a 'ruler' at all... as long as there is just a little bit of it. Just fine!"
"Before thinking about 'ruler', make 'strong' and 'competent' your goals in life!" Hermione said angrily, "Mr. Weasley must have been thinking the same thing when he gave you this name! "
Harry reached out and patted Ron on the back, suppressing a smile and encouraging him: "Work hard, I believe you will be worthy of this name sooner or later - Mr. 'Strong and Capable Ruler'!"
"Even you laugh at me! Are we still good buddies?" Ron grabbed Harry's neck and said angrily, "Hermione, what does Harry's name mean?"
"Hmm..." Hermione suppressed a smile and said, "I remember it seemed like - 'bumpkin who steals bird eggs'?"
Seeing the three people starting to play tricks again, Helen on the side couldn't help but giggle. It seems that as long as you are around these three little lions, life will never lack joy.
"Hey! Let's go have breakfast quickly! Breakfast time will be over in a while..."
Under Harry's dark-faced urging, the four little wizards played together and walked to the side corridor leading to the auditorium.
But at this moment, a slightly thin figure walked out of the doorway where Helen came from, watching them disappear at the corner of the side corridor from a distance.
"Sokas? What are you doing standing here?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind him. He almost subconsciously reached his hands to his waist, but then he naturally lifted them up and put them on his shoulders to rub them.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy?" He turned around and chuckled, "I may have had a stiff neck last night... The bed at Hogwarts is much softer than what I used to sleep on..."
Yes, this figure is the Minoan student with a very convoluted name. According to what Helen said, he seemed to have been the student president of Minos before, but now he is a sixth-year Slytherin student.
That day when he was in the atrium foyer of the Ministry of Magic, he was the one who took the initiative to come out and talk to Maka.
"You'll get used to it soon, Socas," Malfoy smoothed his short blond hair with his hand and said with an elegant smile, "The living facilities in Hogwarts are very good. Our family has donated a lot of money to the school.”
"Really?" Sokas smiled and nodded, "The conditions here are indeed very good... Oh, by the way! I've heard of that Mr. Potter, is his... okay?"
As he asked, he pointed at his forehead and gestured to Malfoy.
"Hahaha, our Potter boy does have something wrong with his head," Malfoy said happily, "I didn't expect you to understand this truth not long after you arrived - just like me, you recognized that he was a pure boy early on. Blood Betrayer'."
"Oh?" Sokas said with interest, "'Pure-blooded betrayer'... How do you say this?"
"As a pure-blood wizard, that guy always hangs out with half-bloods and even mudbloods - what do you think?" Malfoy curled his lips and said disdainfully, "His behavior itself is... Desecrate our sacred and noble pure-blood wizard family!"
"Well..." Sokas said thoughtfully, "That's really too bad..."
"But... although I have always wanted to teach that pure-blood scum a lesson, you must remember," Malfoy suddenly approached Sokas and whispered, "Don't get too close to that Harry Potter. , and the same goes for his dirty little friends—the backers behind them are not easy to mess with!”
"Backer?" Sokas seemed to be thinking about something, and said slightly absentmindedly, "Who is it?"
"...Maka McClane," when mentioning this name, Malfoy looked around habitually before continuing, "that is the current Professor of Ancient Runes - listen, don't mess with that guy. , the best way is to avoid him forever!”
"Forever? Isn't this a bit too much?" Sokas laughed, "He must be very powerful to be a professor at Hogwarts at such a young age... But no matter what, he won't do it. Did you do anything harmful to the students?"
"Hmph! I've never seen anyone worry about anything!" Malfoy snorted angrily, "Anyway, you're right to believe me! My father also told me this - if I didn't like you, I wouldn't It’s so kind to tell you!”
"Of course, thank you for your care," Sokas nodded slightly towards Malfoy and said, "I will have the interesting necklace I mentioned last night sent to me as soon as possible."
"Haha - I told you, you don't have to be so polite," Malfoy said happily, "Unlike that Potter boy, you are an excellent pure-blood wizard - I believe that in the following days, we There will definitely be a wonderful spark of friendship between them!"
"Aren't we already friends?" Sokas spread his hands and said with a smile.
…
On the other side, as soon as Hermione and Helen entered the auditorium, they noticed a special sense of tension permeating the place. Most of the students in the auditorium were huddled in groups of three or five, chattering about something, and the scene seemed chaotic and unusual.
They had just found a space to sit down at the long Gryffindor table when Fred, George, Neville and Ginny rushed over together.
"Did you all see it?" Fred asked hastily.
"She really already knows, right?" George added tacitly as usual.
"So... what should we do?" Neville still looked a little timid, and he also whispered.
Everyone looked at Harry and Hermione with some urgency, and Fred glanced around warily, as if to make sure there were no professors nearby.
Hermione looked at them, but her eyes subconsciously glanced at Helen aside, wondering whether she should avoid this cheerful and cute little girl.
"Of course we will continue," Harry didn't pay attention to Helen. He just walked close to Fred and others and whispered, "This must not be able to stop us, can it?"
"We knew you would definitely say that." George said cheerfully, and stretched out his finger to poke Harry's ribs hard.
"Where are the two prefects? You also want to continue-" Fred looked at Hermione and Ron, but when he noticed Helen with a curious look on his face, he couldn't help but stop talking.
"What are you talking about?" Helen looked this way and then that, wondering, "What do you want to 'continue'?"
"Uh..." Hermione hesitated, "Well, actually..."
"Oh - no, no need," Helen seemed to notice Hermione's hesitation, and quickly waved her hands to stop her, "If it's an important secret, it's okay if you don't tell me... We just met, and I'm too It’s already cooked.”
"No, that..."
Seeing that Helen knew how to measure things, Hermione felt as if she had done something wrong.
But even so, this matter really needs to be cautious and cautious at the moment. Especially since Umbridge obviously already knew about it, there really was no chance of any surprise.
"... Well, I'm sorry..." Hermione said guiltily, "Wait a moment... When the situation settles down, I will definitely invite Helen to join us! I promise!"
"It's okay!" Helen said with a sweet smile, "Well, you guys talk first... I'll go over there and have a look, maybe I can make a few more friends!"
After saying that, she immediately took two steps back, then turned around lightly and walked towards the other side.
"Oh—" Hermione said apologetically, "This is such a good girl!"
"Yeah... Oh, Ernie and Hannah are coming this way too," Ron turned around and happened to see a few figures on the other side, "Well... and the Ravenclaws... Oh! Zachary Smith!"
When he saw the person he least wanted to see, Ron couldn't help but look at Hermione.
"You didn't say anything just now! What will happen to the informer?"
However, Hermione's eyes were full of panic.
"Two runes will appear on the cheek, itching and hurting... Now is not the time to talk about this! Those fools, you can't come over now, this is too suspicious - go back!" She shouted at Ernie and Hannah He gestured and mouthed to try to make them understand, "Wait - go back - talk later!"