Unlike Slytherin's passionate excitement, the Gryffindor common room was deathly quiet. As Harry entered with an uneasy heart, the Gryffindors immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
No one dared look at Harry. Much less speak to him.
Only the Weasley twins approached with mocking smiles, bending down with exaggerated movements.
"Look who we have here~"
"It's our heir apparent The Slytherin snakes must be furious"
"George! Fred!"
Ron angrily chased them away.
He understood Harry's feelings perfectly. Such jokes were like stabbing knives into Harry's heart.
However, Harry knew clearly that the Weasley twins meant no harm. They were just offering comfort in their own way.
"Don't mind them, Harry. You must understand—beasts walk alone, cattle flock together. Mindless idiots exist everywhere."
Hermione's voice was unusually gentle as she patted Harry's shoulder, then turned toward the girls' dormitory.
She had much to do. The Polyjuice Potion brewing had reached its final stage. She had to master the remaining steps.
Moreover, with Harry being mistaken for Slytherin's heir, she absolutely couldn't fail in finding clues...
The next morning, snowflakes drifted from the gray sky, accumulating on windowsills and covering half the glass view.
Flames flickered gently in the fireplace. Pervasive cold gradually seeped into the dormitory. Harry instinctively pulled his blanket tighter.
He'd been unable to sleep last night, his mind full of thoughts about Slytherin's heir. Only when the morning star rose did he finally drift off drowsily.
Suddenly, Ron's alarmed voice rang out.
"Harry! Harry! Wake up! We're going to be late!"
The clock hands had passed eight. Without time to wash, they stumbled into the Great Hall.
Fortunately, Gryffindor students always cut it close. Many little lions still sat unhurriedly eating breakfast at the long table. But when they saw Harry, they all grabbed their toast and quickly left the Great Hall.
"Justin, they..."
Ron instinctively asked his roommate.
He hadn't realized that Justin, who usually woke early, hadn't bothered waking them.
Hearing the familiar voice, Justin's head snapped up. Color drained from his face instantly. Ignoring the toast that fell in his panic, he grabbed his books and hurried away from the table.
Ron blinked in confusion.
Watching Justin's panicked retreat, Harry pressed his lips tightly, vaguely realizing something as his eyes gradually dimmed...
As he'd expected, within a single morning, Gryffindors had forcibly pinned the identity of Slytherin's heir on him.
As the rumor's source, Justin had moved out of their dormitory. Past roommate laughter seemed like a dream.
Just after lunch ended, Hermione eagerly ran to the Slytherin table, sitting beside Tiger and nervously asking about his Christmas plans.
Draco, sitting beside Tiger, was directly pushed aside. His eyes widened in disbelief and shock.
He clenched his fists tightly. In a moment of anger, he got angry.
"Crabbe, Goyle! We're leaving!"
Under the mocking gazes of Blaise and other friends, Draco stormed out of the Great Hall.
Just then, Harry's somewhat dazed and dejected figure outside the Great Hall caught Draco's eye.
He led Crabbe and Goyle straight toward Harry, wearing a provocative, arrogant smile as he knocked Harry hard to the ground.
I'm not even afraid of Dumbledore! Would I fear you, the Boy Who Lived?
I can't handle that bookworm! But I can't handle her two sidekicks?!
"Malfoy! Want a fight!"
Ron immediately flew into a rage, rushing forward to push Crabbe and Goyle aside.
But Crabbe and Goyle were naturally bulky, and with Slytherin's unwavering morning training regimen, solid muscle lay beneath their thick fat.
Facing Ron's shoving, the two stood like small mountains, unmovable.
Draco looked down slightly, standing over Harry with a malicious expression full of mockery and disdain.
"Scarhead, you're not still dreaming about being Slytherin's heir, are you? Wake up—as if you're worthy?"
However, to his surprise, facing this insulting provocation, Harry actually laughed.
"Malfoy, thank you for believing in me."
Draco's expression froze. He stepped back two paces, looking somewhat panicked.
"Bloody hell, what trick are you playing now?"
As he spoke, he glanced left and right, thinking Hermione stood behind him, his hair instinctively standing on end.
Harry stood up, dusting off his clothes, smiling helplessly.
"No, I just wanted to say..."
"Enough!"
Draco snarled through gritted teeth: "I don't want to know your tricks. Anyway, you're definitely not the heir. Stop dreaming."
Faced with Harry's spine-chilling smile, Draco fled the Great Hall entrance in panic, as if ten Hermiones were chasing him.
"I never expected..." Harry laughed carelessly, while Ron looked at his friend in complete confusion. "What? Expected what?"
"I just never expected that at this moment, the person who believes in me most would be Malfoy."
Harry sighed wistfully.
"And those Slytherins—in class, they still look at me the same way as before..."
He felt some regret. During the Sorting Ceremony, when the Sorting Hat asked which house he wanted, perhaps he should have chosen Slytherin.
These snake villains' arrogance was inexplicably hateful yet enviable...
"You're not going back either?"
Hermione's eyes suddenly brightened. She gripped Tiger's arm tightly, confirming repeatedly: "You're not lying to me!"
Sitting across the table, Gemma Farley silently bent her knife, looking at her friend with a fake smile.
"Riley, I'm full. You?"
Riley Shafiq gulped down her half-chewed sausage, saying expressionlessly: "Full, Head Girl..."
With that, she followed Gemma Farley's quick exit from the Great Hall, her usually crisp, upright figure showing hints of exhaustion.
Tired. Let destruction come quickly.
Recently, the Head Girl had become increasingly unable to control herself. The noble girl who never napped had actually found joy in afternoon naps through Animagus transformation. This was simply sinful.
How many British people take afternoon naps?!
"Why would I lie to you..."
Tiger glanced sideways at the Head Girl's retreating figure with some puzzlement, then turned back to Hermione, complaining with slight dissatisfaction:
"A few days ago, Tommy and the others received invitations from the Malfoy family. They'll spend Christmas at Malfoy Manor, followed by the Selwyn and Rosier families."
"You know. I've never liked these gatherings..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Somehow, Hermione had quietly lowered her head. Her brown-black eyes sparkled with unusual light, filled with indescribable excitement. Her toes under the table unconsciously lifted, revealing her inner joy and delight.
[I'm going to spend Christmas with Tiger... I'm going to spend Christmas with Tiger...]
[Mum... I'm going to spend Christmas with Tiger... What should I do!]
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