Chapter 134
Chapter 134
Once the hero of the tale appeared in person, Ron’s version no longer mattered. Everyone crowded around Suer instead, eager to hear his adventures from the source.
Well, it was mostly his dormitory mate doing the talking while everyone else listened, occasionally supplying an awed “Wow!” at the appropriate moment. All Suer had to do was stand to one side and fob them off with the odd grunt of agreement.
Morn’s gift for invention was every bit as impressive as Ron’s. He had even dreamed up an earth-shattering romance between a human and a magical creature — the alleged Veela. Suer and this possibly nonexistent Veela were one step away from turning into butterflies and flying off together…
With the story already this absurd, there was no chance that Suer would admit to any of it.
He might as well let the rumour fly for a while. The more ridiculous it became, the fewer people would believe it.
Sure enough, the excitement did not last. The young witches and wizards soon had their enthusiasm dampened by heavy schoolwork and Suer’s refusal to give a straight answer. Before long, scarcely anyone mentioned the matter.
Suer found time to visit Hagrid’s hut and brought Fang a great deal of meat, enough to last several days. Fang was beside himself with delight.
The spider with half its head missing lay beside Hagrid’s hut. When Suer found Hagrid, the half-giant was wearing dragon-hide gloves and wrenching off its legs.
“I thought you might dig a hole and bury it.” Suer helped Hagrid start a fire. For some reason, ever since his ordeal in the Forbidden Forest, he had found Incendio much easier to cast.
“If it were some other little darling, I would,” Hagrid said, tossing one of the severed spider legs into the roaring flames.
“Acromantulas aren’t little darlings. There are far too many of them, and the centaurs have complained to me more times than I can count.”
“Besides, this one probably had nothing to do with Aragog…” Hagrid muttered.
“Who’s Aragog?” Suer asked casually, prodding the fire with an oddly shaped stick.
“Ah… no one important…” Panic flashed through Hagrid’s dark eyes. “Just… er… a little pet of mine… er…”
“All right.” Suer nodded and pretended to tend the fire with great concentration while watching Hagrid from the corner of his eye. “Once I’ve learnt more magic, I’m definitely going to find those spiders and take revenge…”
Just as Suer expected, Hagrid looked deeply uncomfortable. “Of course… er… would you like to try roast spider leg? It tastes very good. All it needs is a bit of salt.”
“Er… where did I put my salt?” Hagrid looked around. “Oh, I forgot to bring it out.”
With that, he hurried back into the hut, looking thoroughly flustered from behind.
Suer could not help shaking his head. Teasing an honest man really was immoral. Still, every debt had its debtor. When Suer took revenge, he would at least make sure to find the other two spiders.
What was that? All spiders looked the same? Then he would kill the lot! At most, he would spare Hagrid’s little “darling”.
The fire crackled. The spider leg thrown in earlier had split along one side, and milky juices began to boil. They trickled out through the crack, only for the heat to turn them into white vapour that spread through the air.
“Oh, that smells wonderful.”
“Woof!” Fang squatted beside Suer, drool dripping from his mouth and beady eyes almost popping from their sockets.
Hagrid had been right. Spider leg truly was an unusual delicacy. It looked thoroughly unappetising on the outside, but once roasted, the flesh within was white, tender and bursting with juice. The smallest sprinkling of salt brought out its natural sweetness.
“Marvellous…” Suer polished off two spider legs with a pair of wooden sticks, then gave a satisfied belch.
Excellent. Now he had yet another reason to take revenge.
It was settled. He would find Professor Snape and learn more magic as soon as possible, beginning with that air-blade spell. After all, the professor owed his possession of an entire basilisk to Suer.
Professor Snape probably… would not refuse, would he? At worst, Suer could ask old Dumbledore to have a word with him.
This badger had done nothing but render meritorious service!
Hmm… He would have to invite the Weasley twins along for something this good.
Besides, Acromantula venom was apparently extremely valuable.
Suer had not forgotten that Hermione was still angry. Naturally, he had to take some of this delicious meat for her to try.
Hermione still refused to speak to him, but she did accept the roast spider leg he brought.
Suer sat beside her and eagerly dug the meat out with a spoon, preparing to feed it to Hermione, only for her to snatch the spoon from him.
Even so, it was obvious that Hermione enjoyed the meat. Her eyes narrowed in contentment, a sure sign that she was in a good mood.
Tsk. Yet another reason to hunt Acromantulas.
“Meow…” Crookshanks slipped into the ward, following the smell.
Crookshanks had often visited the hospital wing lately to see the cat’s owner. The large ginger cat leapt onto the bed with practised ease, curled up beside Hermione, then rolled over and begged for affection.
Suer watched Hermione surrender without the slightest resistance and share the meat.
Affectionate cats truly had all the luck… Suer sighed inwardly. Then inspiration struck.
He had almost forgotten. He could turn into an animal too!
Was this not the perfect first use for the Animagus transformation he had only just learnt?
But… Suer watched Crookshanks roll over once more and expose a furry belly. Would the same performance really be necessary?
It was… far too embarrassing, surely?
Then again, he could not let Hermione remain angry forever… What if the childhood friend lost out to the newcomer? At the thought of the canon pairing and that man still studying at Durmstrang, Suer abruptly felt a sense of urgency.
No. His little Hermione could only be his. Suer steeled himself. If he had to act cute, then he would act cute! If he had to show his belly, then so be it!
He would do it!
After leaving the hospital wing, Suer went to his usual place — the Room of Requirement. He had not attempted a second transformation since successfully becoming an Animagus in the Forbidden Forest.
“The castle has this many mirrors?” Suer stared in amazement at the mirrors before him, large and small, stacked in overlapping piles.
He had unlocked yet another new room, this time because he wanted to see what his Animagus form looked like.
According to the book, once someone had completed the Animagus transformation, they could change without the aid of a wand. It did not, however, explain in detail how one switched between human and animal forms.
Suer strongly suspected that the author had merely recorded the transformation process of a wizard who successfully became an Animagus, without ever completing the process personally.
Only someone who had experienced it could recognise how much of the book’s guidance was vague or misleading.
Suer chose a full-length mirror, closed his eyes and began recalling the process of his first transformation.
As the memory grew clearer, his magic began to stir gently within him.
The second heart that had burst and vanished quietly reappeared.
“Thump… thump… thump…”