"Oh, no...... It's true...... Is this really necessary? ”

"Of course, it's very necessary - please, Neville! Or is it ...... Do you actually have something to do tomorrow? If that's the case, I'll have to ask someone else......"

"Well, I won't ...... tomorrow It's okay. I mean, it's so weird, I don't think I'm going to be able to handle it......"

"Oh, be confident! Neville, I feel like you're okay! ”

On the stairs outside the dorm room, Neville and Ron were sneaking up on the edge of the window, muttering incessantly. You could hear that it was Ron asking Neville for some favor, but Neville pushed it off.

Of course, the shy and introverted boy was never good at saying no, so he just tried to find a reason to get Ron to retract his request.

But that doesn't seem to work easily, does it?

"Neville, my buddy! Lo and behold...... We have lived in the same dormitory since the beginning of our enrollment, what a big fate? If you want me to say, we can be friends for life! Now your good brother is in trouble, and you have nothing to do tomorrow...... Can't you just try to help me? ”

Ron was still pleading with Neville, as if it was a very important thing for him.

"And, really—it's not as bad as you think," he diligently explained, "and with Maca's potion, the probability of revealing must be zero!" Well, think about it, you'll be fine! ”

"Oh-" Neville hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head as if he was out of strength, "I'm afraid I can't. Well...... Still no, probably...... I don't dare, I really can't complete your task. ”

After Neville's several ambiguous refusals, Ron seemed to finally understand his firmness hidden behind the euphemism, and finally couldn't help but sigh.

"Okay...... yes, I shouldn't have forced you that. Ron said helplessly, "But seriously, you think about it again!" I'm going to ask somebody now—if no one else can find it, I think I'll come to you anyway. ”

With that, he stopped pestering Neville and turned to walk towards the common room.

Neville looked at Ron's back as he left, but a sense of powerlessness rose in his heart. In fact, it's not that he doesn't want to do Ron a favor at all, after all, Ron also gives him a lot of care on weekdays. In the final analysis, it is actually his lack of self-confidence that is secretly doing so.

Neville Longbottom...... You really can't do anything! ”

After complaining to himself, Neville slumped his shoulders and left sullenly.

……

This morning's class was full of divination lessons, history of magic lessons, and Snape's Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. It was time for the noon break, and Harry and Ron were about to ask Hermione if they were going to the auditorium for lunch together, but before they could speak, Hermione walked out of the classroom alone without looking back.

She didn't go anywhere, but came to the foyer of the castle, and stood silently by the gate without saying a word.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Who knows!"

When Harry and Ron saw this, they were naturally a little strange.

In the past two days, Hermione's state has not been quite right, and she seems to have something on her mind all the time. Not to the point where everyone could perceive it, Harry and Ron could sense some of the incongruity.

At first, they didn't want to stop Hermione to ask directly, but after some worried thinking, they decided to sneak in and follow her.

"She looks like she's waiting for someone?" Harry, like Ron, hid behind the doorpost in the side porch and looked at it from afar, and after observing it for a moment, he whispered, "Ron, who do you think she is waiting for?" ”

"It's definitely not the two of us anyway......"

Ron was a little lacking in interest, but he was still worried about his own business! To Harry's self-talking inquiry, he replied rather perfunctorily.

"Ron, why don't we go over and ask directly?" Harry suddenly said, "I always thought it wasn't right, Hermione didn't usually put on that face...... I think she must be having some kind of trouble. ”

"Well, I guess it's best not to bother her." When Ron heard this, he came back to his senses, "Hermione has always had her own reasons for doing things, and ...... If we disturb her at this time, I think we're going to be out of luck! ”

"I have to admit that you seem to be right." Harry nodded approvingly.

It's lunchtime, because the auditorium is right next to it, and the foyer is full of people. Guys like Harry and Ron, sneaking behind pillars and peeking out, naturally became a center of attention.

Whenever someone passed by, they would look at the two of them with a hesitant expression.

"Harry, I think it's time for us to go-"

Ron looked left and right, and saw that many pairs of eyes had turned in other directions under his glance, apparently they had been watching this way all along.

"No, wait!" Harry grabbed Ron by the sleeve suddenly, "Hermione moved, she seems to have waited for the person she was looking for......"

By the time Ron followed Harry's words and looked over again, Hermione had already reached the castle door.

"Luna, do you have time now?"

It was at this moment that the girl with waist-length blonde hair just walked up the steps outside the door. When she heard her name called, she looked up curiously, and covered out the dazzling midday sun.

"Hermione?" Her eyes flashed and she said in a trance, "I'm going to the auditorium for a bite to eat, do you want to come along?" I heard that there was milk pudding today......"

"Of course...... Okay," Hermione hesitated slightly, but nodded quickly, "but before then, can I talk to you?" Well...... That won't be delayed for long. ”

Hermione seemed a little hesitant at this time, but she didn't seem to be affected by the wavering in her heart, and the words that should have been said still flowed smoothly out of her mouth.

In the sunlight outside the door, she narrowed her eyes slightly, but her gaze was still stubbornly staring directly at Luna's gray eyes.

One of these two girls stood inside the door, but the other stood outside the door, and their appearance and personality were very different. But somehow, when these two people stand together, it doesn't give people a sense of incongruity.

It may be difficult for them to become friends because of their different opinions on things, but the reason of one and the innocence of the other will tolerate each other, so that there will never be a dispute between them.

"Really?" Naturally, Luna touched her belly and said in her soft voice, "As long as it doesn't take long for your stomach to growl, it's fine......

"I don't think so."

Hermione pursed her lips, then stepped out of the gate and gestured toward the lawn on the side of the castle.

"Please come over a little...... Just a few words. ”

Luna looked at the side she was pointing, then looked up at the clouds in the sky for some reason, and then followed Hermione with brisk steps.

"It's a nice day to dry the quilt...... "As she walked, she inexplicably pulled out an inexplicable topic, "Dad wouldn't have thought of this, he's too busy." ”

"Maybe you can write a letter to tell him."

Hermione responded with a remark, as if trying to lighten the mood. But she didn't know that she would feel a little depressed at this time, but it was actually just herself.

"It's a good idea." When Luna heard this, she seemed to really start thinking, "If the owl flies a little faster, it should be able to get home before the sun goes down...... Well, I wonder if Dad is at home today? ”

"Hmm...... You can think about sending the letter later," Seeing that Luna had a vague tendency to pull the topic further and further, Hermione had to interrupt her running thoughts, and at the same time immediately regretted her echoing just now, "Luna, I actually have a question...... No, let's forget about this first. I mean, can I ask you to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow? There are some things I'd like to talk to you about. ”

"Hogsmeade Day?" Luna nodded and said, "Okay! I was going to go to the magic equipment store, but I heard that there was a new product there, and I could find the anti-demon glasses that were harassing! You're going to want a pair, right? ”

"Oh, uh-huh...... Maybe? Hermione found it difficult for her to have a normal conversation with this girl, and she couldn't help but worry about tomorrow's reservation, "So, did you say yes?" ”

"I think so......" Luna blinked slightly, her misty eyes not knowing if she was looking at Hermione or something else, "we can go together...... Where would you like to go first? Duke of Honey? ”

She said to herself, seemingly glad to be able to spend a Hogsmeade day with Hermione. Or maybe she was actually rejoicing that Hermione was able to invite her...... But in any case, she just didn't pay much attention to Hermione's "talk carefully".

Hermione listened to Luna's erratic words and stood still, not knowing what she was thinking.

“…… Oh, Hermione...... Harry and Ron will be coming along, right? Then we can go to the magic joke shop and have a look, they seem to like those ......"

"No, we're not with them this time." Hermione said suddenly, "It's okay for the two of us to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow and talk to each other alone?" ”