bioinnovel Chapter 200 Extra Long Standby Time
Chapter 200 Extra Long Standby Time
Chapter 200 Extra Long Standby Time
Harry, without any doubt, recounted the conflict between Ron and Hermione in detail.
The conflict between the two friends all revolves around their two pets, starting with Hermione's purchase during the summer vacation of a ginger cat named Crookshanks.
Crookshank, a large ginger cat, had an unusual appearance and was very active. No one wanted to take him away, so Crookshank had to stay in the pet store for a long time.
Until Hermione Granger appeared, she bought Crookshanks from the shop assistant and took the clever big cat home as a birthday present for herself.
Hogwarts allows students to bring pets to school—a cat, a toad, or an owl.
It’s okay.
Some students buy owls as pets, like Harry's Hedwig; others buy toads as pets, like Neville's Rafferty the toad.
Some students have rather unusual preferences; for example, Lee Jordan brought a bag spider to school.
As for Rubeus Hagrid keeping an eight-eyed spider during his student days, not only was it forbidden by Hogwarts, but also by the Ministry of Magic.
Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Hermione buying Crookshanks as her pet; it is entirely in accordance with school rules.
The key issue is that Ron's pet is a mouse, and a very special one at that.
Initially, Scabbers was Percy Weasley's pet, whom he brought back to Hogwarts.
It wasn't until 1991, when Percy became a Gryffindor prefect, that Scabbers passed from him to Ron as a reward from the Weasleys for giving him a new robe and an owl.
Ron's pet is the old and frail mouse Scabbers, while Hermione's pet is the lively and energetic big cat Crookshanks. You can imagine what it would be like if the cat and mouse met.
Crookshanks, the big ginger cat, is always chasing his drab pet mouse, Spotty, with an air of determination to kill him. The cat-and-mouse battle is a constant occurrence in the Gryffindor Tower.
Crookshanks' behavior greatly displeased Ron, and Hermione's indifferent attitude further enraged him.
Over time, the conflict between the two friends deepened, and their friendship inevitably developed cracks, even though Ron hadn't liked his pet before.
In Harry's narration and complaints, Ron and Hermione each have their own problems, and he is the one caught in the middle between his two friends, almost like dancing on two eggs, unable to touch either one.
Actually, Harry, who was caught in the middle, wasn't the worst off.
Harry was just one of many people whose persistent rat-catching efforts at Crook Hills directly or indirectly affected.
Belvina was also deeply affected; the storm stirred up by the flapping of butterfly wings lashed her face hard.
If Crookshanks hadn't chased Scabbers the rat, that stinky rat might never have left the Gryffindor Tower and gone into hiding.
If the pet mouse Scabbers hadn't hidden itself, the last search of the Gryffindor Tower wouldn't have been fruitless; they might have found Peter Pettigrew long ago.
If we could capture Peter Pettigrew earlier, Belvina wouldn't have been attacked by Snape at point-blank range, Sirius wouldn't have needed to evade the Ministry of Magic's pursuit, and everything would have come to light.
Therefore, Sirius Black, who has disappeared somewhere, is the one who was hurt the most by Crook Hill.
Harry finished recounting the love-hate relationship between Crookshanks and Scabbers in one breath, then picked up his teacup again and gulped down several mouthfuls to soothe his increasingly hoarse throat.
In Harry's mind, cats catching mice was a matter of course, and he couldn't understand why Belvina would be interested in such a trivial matter.
Belvina, however, sensed something was amiss. She had seen the ginger cat during the last search of the Gryffindor Tower, and Crookshanks' wary gaze had left a deep impression on her.
It's easy to see from Harry's account that Crookshanks wasn't interested in other people's pet rats, but he was particularly fond of Ron's Scabbers, and was single-mindedly set on the old and frail Scabbers.
Something's strange, but I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it.
It was as if Crookshank knew that Scabbers wasn't an ordinary mouse.
Next, Belvina seemingly unintentionally asked a few more questions, all of which revolved around Ron and Hermione, and Scabbers and Crookshanks.
Unaware of what was happening, Harry answered all the questions one by one, revealing everything he knew in a remarkably swift and efficient manner.
Through seemingly insignificant questions and answers, Belvina's previous speculations were once again indirectly confirmed.
"He is at Hogwarts" refers to Peter Pettigrew, the rat who hides in the Gryffindor tower.
Crookshanks is not Talking Tom, and Scabbers is not Jerry the mouse. Despite being old and weak, Scabbers has managed to escape the predators time and time again and has never lost his life to the cat's claws.
In addition, Crookshan seems to be able to accurately identify the pet mice kept by students and never attacks them.
Except for Ron's freckles.
Why does the incredibly intelligent Crookshank keep chasing Scabbers? Has it discovered something?
As Harry recounted the story, Belvina unknowingly developed a strong interest in the strange-looking pet cat.
Belvina chuckled to herself; she actually wanted to figure out the logic behind a cat's behavior and what her pet cat was thinking.
The next day, Belvina and Bassheda arranged to take a walk together outside the castle.
The two walked slowly on the lawn, leaving shallow grooves in the fine, powdery snow.
The Forbidden Forest in the distance seemed to be under a spell, with every tree shimmering silver, and the cottages outside the forest looked like cakes sprinkled with icing sugar.
Belvina casually mentioned Crook Hill and her interest in the large ginger cat, which drew laughter from Bassheda beside her.
“First of all, I’m absolutely not mocking you,” Bassheda emphasized. “I just think you’re overcomplicating things again. Animals are much more sensitive than humans.”
Bassheda thought for a moment, then continued, "Whether it's a pet cat or dog, or livestock like cattle and sheep, they can always sense danger in advance. From your description, that cat named Crookshank is clearly very intelligent; it must have noticed something."
Ancient Ruven Sweetheart stopped talking, without revealing Peter Pettigrew's name.
Following Bassheda's line of thought, Belvina said, "The fact that Crookshan doesn't attack the other pet mice, but only focuses on Spot, precisely shows that Spot is different from the other pet mice."
"Isn't that obvious!" Bassheda scolded. "Young Mr. Weasley has been in school for two and a half years, and then there was Percy before him. As a pet mouse, its lifespan is a bit too long!"
Mice typically reproduce 6-10 times a year, with 5-14 or more offspring per litter, and their lifespan is generally around three years.
Ron has been enrolled for two and a half years, and Percy is now in seventh grade. Even if the lifespan of a wizard's pet rat is extended accordingly, the Weasley's pet rat is just too long-lived.
Most importantly, none of the nine family members, from the patriarch Arthur Weasley to the youngest daughter Ginny Weasley, were aware of the problem.
Regardless of what kind of animal the wizard's Animagus form is, its essence is still human, and its lifespan remains human.
"That bastard broke into the Gryffindor Tower, the pet rat missing a front paw, the characteristics of the Animagus form, the super long lifespan—" Belvina counted on her fingers, "Oh, and the big cat Crookshanks's favoritism..."
Belvina had lost count on her fingers. She continued, "So many coincidences piled up on the same pet mouse. If it were just an ordinary mouse, it would be a truly hellish joke."
As time went on and more and more clues surfaced, it became a certainty that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew.
The mere fact that Peter Pettigrew is still alive is enough to prove that there are other hidden details in the old case, providing sufficient and necessary conditions for overturning the verdict.
Before they knew it, Belvina and Bassheda had reached the edge of the Black Lake. The solid, smooth ice surface was perfect for skating and showed off their excellent balance.
Belvina bent down and silently made a snowball.
While secretly preparing herself, she deliberately started a conversation, feigning doubt as she asked, "What do you think he's really thinking?"
"Who? Who are you talking about?" Bassheda asked absentmindedly. Where Belvina couldn't see, Bassheda was also silently making a snowball.
"Who else could it be?" Belvina continued to change the subject. "He's been around Harry for so long and hasn't had a single impure thought. He's incredibly patient."
During their two and a half years of sharing a bed, Peter Pettigrew had countless opportunities to lay a hand on Harry, but he did nothing.
In 1991, Voldemort's remnant spirit possessed Quirrell's body, but Peter Pettigrew remained unmoved; in 1992, sixteen-year-old Tom Cruise...
Despite Riddle's meddling and stirring up trouble, Peter Pettigrew remained completely silent.
Putting aside other aspects, Peter Pettigrew is undoubtedly a master of patience and restraint.
"He's blind, a coward!" Bassheda said without hesitation. "Do you remember what he was like when he was in school? Even if he had a hundred ideas in his mind, he probably wouldn't have the guts to do them."
"
Bassheda was very direct, not giving the senior student the mouse any face at all.
However, this is also the impression most people have of Peter Pettigrew: an inconspicuous coward who always hides behind his friends. "Honestly, I really want to put the two of them together and question them one by one about their inner thoughts," Belvina said. "I'm so curious about their inner world."
As she spoke, Belvina straightened up; she had already rolled up snowballs, one in each hand.
At the same time, Bassheda also straightened up, each holding a neatly rolled snowball.
The two best friends exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, then simultaneously dropped the snowballs in their hands with remarkable tacit understanding.
However, the snowballs thrown by the two did not fall to the ground; instead, they veered off course during their descent and struck each other.
The magically manipulated snowballs collided with each other in mid-air, scattering the four snowballs and sending glistening snowflakes falling as if another snowfall had occurred.