bacchusnovels Chapter 387 Sophia really wants to drink tea
Chapter 387 Sophia really wants to drink tea
Chapter 387 Sophia really wants to drink tea
Newt's words seemed to rekindle some of Hermione's deepest obsessions.
He looked at Hermione and continued solemnly.
"Remember, Miss Granger."
"Change always begins with those who are unwilling to accept their fate."
"No matter how difficult this struggle is, it will never be in vain as long as someone stands up for justice."
Sean stepped forward, shook hands with Newt, and said in a low voice.
"Mr. Scamander, thank you. I know this means a lot to you, but no matter the outcome, you have given us hope."
Newt smiled slightly, though with a hint of weariness: "Professor Phillips, I know you will continue. I hope that in the future, we can see a fairer magical world, instead of a place manipulated by prejudice and power."
"I will definitely try my best," Sean said seriously.
Newt withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Sean and Hermione, before finally nodding slightly. "I must go. The protection of magical creatures still requires my continued efforts, but please contact me if you need me."
Hermione couldn't help but speak, her voice urgent: "Mr. Scamander, are you really leaving? Perhaps you can still..."
"Hermione," Newt interrupted softly, "Everyone has their own battlefield. I believe in your wisdom and courage to get things done. As for me, I will continue to fight for those creatures that need protection. Let's work together, okay?"
Hermione pursed her lips, then nodded finally. "Thank you, Newt."
Newt gave her a warm smile and turned to walk toward the forest path in the distance.
His figure gradually disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun; his back was thin, yet he exuded an indescribable charm.
If Sean were to describe the smell, it would be the smell of sunflowers.
The sunflower symbolizes faith and perseverance.
Sean watched him leave, remained silent for a moment, then turned to Hermione and said, "We still have time. Let's not let his efforts be in vain. Buckbeak is not an isolated case; he is a symbol of our fight for justice."
Hermione looked up at Sean and nodded. "Professor, I understand—but please forgive me, I have very important things to do."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hermione quickly turned around, clutched the book and parchment in her hands, and hurried toward the castle.
Sean paused for a moment, watched her figure recede into the distance, shook his head, and laughed.
The show is about to begin.
Meanwhile, the three little ones, without Hermione, were still having a heated discussion.
"We have to go," Harry said immediately. "We can't let him sit there alone waiting for his men!"
“But at sunset,” Ron said, staring blankly out the window, “they won’t let us go—especially you, Harry….”
Harry held his head in his hands, deep in thought.
"We have invisibility cloaks!"
After saying that, the group quickly made a decision. On their way to Hagrid's hut while wearing invisibility cloaks, they encountered Hermione, who was rushing over.
"Hermione, we're here!"
Hermione stopped and looked around, but couldn't see anyone coming from the source of the sound.
Just as she was completely bewildered, the hem of the Invisibility Cloak suddenly lifted up a corner, and Harry's head popped out.
"Harry! You—" Hermione exclaimed in surprise, but quickly lowered her voice, "You're here? I was just about to look for you!"
Ron and Sophia peeked out from under the invisibility cloak, their expressions quite different.
Ron still seemed hesitant, while Sophia wore a meaningful smile.
"Hermione, we can't leave Hagrid to face this alone!" Harry said urgently, a pleading look in his eyes. "We have to help him—we have the Invisibility Cloak, we won't be detected."
"Okay," Hermione agreed almost without hesitation.
In fact, this was what she originally wanted to do.
They walked all the way to Hagrid's cabin and gently knocked on the door.
A minute later, Hagrid responded, opening the door and looking around, trying to find the person who had come in.
His face was pale, and his body was trembling slightly.
"It's us," Harry whispered. "We're wearing invisibility cloaks. Let us in quickly, and take them off once we're inside."
"You shouldn't have come!" Hagrid scolded in a low voice, but still stepped back and let them in.
He then quickly closed the door. Harry removed his Invisibility Cloak, revealing the figures of the group.
Hagrid didn't rush over to hug them as excitedly as usual, nor did he shed tears.
He just stood there blankly, seemingly unsure of what to do.
Such helplessness is more heartbreaking than crying.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked, his voice trembling, as he awkwardly reached for the teapot.
"Where is Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
Sofia, on the other side, didn't say anything, but before Hagrid could get his hands on the teapot, she tiptoed and snatched it away first.
"I...I took it out," Hagrid said. With nothing else to do, he prepared to add milk to the milk jug, but his hands were shaking so badly that milk spilled all over the table, which made Sofia a little helpless. "I tied it to the pumpkin patch so it could see the trees and breathe some fresh air—but Hagrid's hands were shaking so badly that the milk jug finally fell to the ground and shattered."
"Let me do it, Hagrid," Sofia said quickly, stepping forward to clean up the debris.
"There's another one in the cupboard." Hagrid sat down wearily and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
Harry looked at Ron, and Ron looked back at Harry, equally bewildered.
“Is there any other way, Hagrid?” Harry asked eagerly, sitting down beside him. “Dumbledore— He’s done his best,” Hagrid sighed, “but he has no power over the committee’s decision. He told them Buckbeak was safe, but they’re still afraid… You know Lucius Malfoy—he threatened them, I suppose. And that executioner, McNeil, he’s an old friend of Malfoy’s, but it’ll be quick and efficient—and I’ll be with him…”
Hagrid's voice gradually choked up, and his gaze wandered, unable to focus for a long time.
"Dumbledore will come—he said he wants to keep me company and see it off. He wrote to me this morning—he's such a good man, Dumbledore..."
Hermione, who was helping Sophia find the milk can in the cupboard, let out a low sob, but she quickly suppressed her emotions.
Seeing this, Sophia gently pushed Hermione aside and grabbed the new milk can first.
Hermione stood to the side, trying hard to hold back her tears.
"We'll be with you, Hagrid," she whispered, but Hagrid shook his disheveled head.
"Hermione, you've done enough for me, and I'm truly grateful, but you have to go back to the castle. I've said I don't want you to see this, and you shouldn't have come. If Fudge or Dumbledore finds out you've sneaked out, Harry, you're in big trouble."
Hermione's tears silently streamed down her face. She went to the fireplace and pretended to be busy making tea, so that Hagrid wouldn't notice.
Just as she picked up the baby bottle Sophia handed her, preparing to pour milk into the jar, she suddenly screamed.
"Ron! I—I can't believe it—it's Scabbers!"
Ron looked at her anxiously: "What did you say?"
Hermione quickly placed the milk jug on the table and turned it over.
A mouse—spotty—squeaked as it slid out of the jar, its four little legs kicking wildly, trying to crawl back in.
"Spotty!" Ron stared blankly at it, muttering, "Spotty, what are you doing here? I remember keeping you in a cage for the past few days?"
He reached out and grabbed the terrified mouse, holding it up to the light for a closer look.
Banban looked miserable, thinner than before, with sparse hair and several bald patches.
It writhed desperately in Ron's hands, as if trying its best to break free.
"Don't be afraid, Scabbers!" Ron whispered reassuringly. "Come back with me."
As they were talking, Hagrid suddenly stood up and stared straight out the window.
His usually ruddy face was now as pale as parchment.
"They're here," he said in a hoarse voice.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly turned to look out the window.
A group of people slowly walked up the castle steps, with Albus Dumbledore leading the way, his silver beard gleaming in the afterglow of the setting sun.
He was accompanied by Connelly Fudge, and behind him was a gaunt-faced committee member and executioner McNeil.
"You must get out of here," Hagrid said, trembling. "We can't let them find out you're here—get out of here—"
Ron hurriedly stuffed Scabbers into his pocket, Hermione grabbed the Invisibility Cloak, and Sophia put down the tea she had just prepared for herself.
"I'll lead you out the back door," Hagrid said.
The four of them silently followed him toward the door leading to the backyard.
Hermione felt a strange sense of unreality, which intensified when she saw Buckbeak.
The winged hippogriff was tethered to a tree at the end of the pumpkin patch.
It seemed to sense its impending fate, its pointed head constantly looking around, its claws pawing nervously at the ground.
"It's alright, Piccolo," Hagrid whispered reassuringly. "It's alright—" He turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sophia, urging in a hoarse voice, "Let's go, let's go."
However, the four people did not move.
"Hagrid, we can't—"
"We need to explain this to them—"
"They can't kill it—"
"Go!" Hagrid suddenly shouted sharply. "Things are bad enough already, don't drag you down with them!"
They had no choice but to obey. Hermione quickly draped the Invisibility Cloak over Harry and Ron. Just then, hushed conversations came from the front door.
Hagrid looked in the direction where the four had disappeared and said in despair:
"Go quickly—don't look back, don't listen—"
He strode back to the cabin, and then there were a few soft knocks on the front door.
The four of them seemed to be trapped in a terrifying dream, silently bypassing the back of Hagrid's house.
As they walked forward, they heard the front door slam shut with a bang.
"Please, let's go," Hermione urged softly, her voice trembling, "I really can't take it anymore—"
The four of them slowly moved towards the castle along the lawn.
The sun was nearing the horizon, and the sky was gradually darkening, with a glimmer of jewel-like red light still lingering in the grayish-purple sky.
Just then, Ron suddenly stopped.
"Ron, please—" Hermione was almost crying.
"It's Scabbers—it won't stay still." Ron bent down and tried to shove Scabbers into his pocket.
However, the rat became extremely agitated, its screams were loud and piercing, its body twisted violently, and it even tried to bite Ron's hand.
"Banban, it's me! It's Ron!" Ron said anxiously in a low voice.
Behind me came the sound of the front door opening and closing, and the low murmur of conversation.
"Hurry, Ron!" Hermione pleaded, "They're about to attack!"
"Okay—Spotty, be quiet!" Ron gritted his teeth and tried to stuff the mouse into his pocket.
They continued walking.
Like Hermione, Harry tried his best not to listen to the sounds coming from behind him.
Suddenly, Ron stopped again.
"It's still restless—Spotty, shut up! They'll hear you!"
Just then, deep male voices came from the backyard, followed by a brief silence.
Then, a sharp whistling sound ripped through the air, followed by the dull thud of an axe falling.
Hermione swayed, almost losing her balance.
"They did it—" Her voice was almost inaudible, "I can't believe it—they really did it—"
Harry was so shocked that his mind went blank, and the four of them stood frozen in terror under the Invisibility Cloak.
The last rays of the setting sun painted the entire area red, casting long shadows, and an atmosphere of oppression and unease filled the air.
Just then, they heard a heartbreakingly loud shout from behind them.
"Hagrid—" Harry whispered, a sharp pain shooting through him. He instinctively tried to turn around, but Sophia and Hermione grabbed his arms on either side.
"No," Ron said urgently, his face as pale as a sheet. "Hagrid will be in even worse shape if they find out we were here—"
Hermione's breathing was rapid and uneven; she seemed about to cry.
"How—how could they?" she whispered, her voice trembling with rage. "How could they do this?"
Sophia silently offered her shoulder to Hermione's mother.
At that moment, she felt that her mother needed this shoulder to lean on.
"Let's go." Ron's voice was trembling, his teeth grinding together, and he nodded toward the castle.
The four of them dragged their heavy steps toward the castle, carefully making sure they wouldn't be discovered while hidden under the invisibility cloak.
As darkness fell, the light of the setting sun quickly disappeared, and by the time they reached the center of the field, darkness enveloped the entire world like a heavy curtain.
"Banban, be quiet!" Ron hissed, clutching his chest tightly with both hands, trying to restrain the frantically writhing rat.
He suddenly stopped, anxiously trying to push Banban deeper. "What's wrong with you, you stupid mouse? Quiet—"
Ouch! It bit me!
"Ron, don't make a sound!" Hermione urged in a low voice, her tone urgent. "Fudge and the others will be out soon—"
"It just won't stay still," Ron said through gritted teeth, gripping Scabbers tightly in his hand.
Scabbers seemed to have completely lost control; it struggled desperately, screaming as it tried to escape from Ron's grasp.
"What's wrong with it?" Hermione asked, puzzled and uneasy.
At that moment, Harry saw a blurry shadow.
Crookshan approached silently, its body low to the ground, its two large yellow eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness.
He didn't know if Crookshan had seen them or if they had been drawn over by Spotty's calls.
"Crooked Hill!" Hermione whispered, her voice full of annoyance. "Stop messing around, get away! Crooked Hill, get away!"
However, Crook Mountain did not stop; instead, it drew closer and closer. "Spotty, don't move!" Ron cried out, but it was too late.
Scabbers broke free from Ron's grasp, fell to the ground, and fled as swiftly as a gray shadow.
Crookshanks leaped up and followed closely behind. Before Harry and Hermione could stop him, Ron had already angrily thrown off his Invisibility Cloak and rushed into the night.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered in alarm.
She abruptly pulled her head off Sofia's shoulder, the two exchanged a glance, and without thinking twice, immediately took off after her.
They ran incredibly fast, leaving their invisibility cloaks trailing behind them, fluttering in the air like flags.
Harry, realizing what was happening, also chased after the two.
As night fell, they heard the sound of footsteps ahead and Ron calling out to Scabbers.
"Banban, come back!"
Then, a heavy "thump" sounded.
"Gotcha!"
Sophia and Hermione nearly bumped into Ron, finally stopping in the darkness.
Ron lay sprawled on the ground, and Scabbers were stuffed back into his pocket, trembling.
"Ron, get back into the Invisibility Cloak!" Hermione urged breathlessly. "Dumbledore and Fudge will be out soon—" But before they could act or catch their breath, a soft footstep came from behind them, like someone stepping on damp grass, accompanied by the slight rustling of a garment.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron's hearts jumped into their throats.
They almost held their breath and turned their heads simultaneously, vaguely seeing a hunched figure walking towards them.
"It's Filch!" Hermione whispered urgently, her face turning deathly pale.
"Quick! Invisibility Cloak—" Harry quickly grabbed a corner of the Invisibility Cloak and desperately tried to wrap himself back in.
However, it was still too late.
Filch carried a dim oil lamp, the light of which intentionally or unintentionally shone in their direction.