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Just as Anthony and Hagrid discussed over rock cakes and brandy what might hurt a unicorn, the little hut's door was knocked again.
"Hagrid, we're here!" Harry Potter's voice came through the wooden door. Anthony turned to look at Hagrid.
Hagrid looked annoyed all over his face. Stood up to open the door. "Oh, damn it, I forgot! We agreed to have tea together..." Anthony quickly poured out all the alcohol from his cup. Screwed the cap back on the bottle. Hid it in Hagrid's cabinet—
He hadn't yet pushed the bottle behind that large copper kettle when Harry, Ron, and Hermione all walked in. Anthony quickly closed the cabinet door. Saw three students looking at him in surprise.
Hagrid followed behind them. Closed the door. Warmly told them to sit anywhere. Invited Anthony to also have tea together. Himself walked around. Busied himself boiling water and finding tea leaves. Completely unaware the current situation was somewhat awkward.
"Uh... Professor Anthony," Harry finally said. "Your robes look very nice."
Anthony smoothed down his robes he'd pulled up to his knees for convenience and coolness. "Thank you, Potter." He surveyed the three. Saw Ron's pocket bulging. Moving around. Smiled. "That's your rat, right, Weasley?"
Ron's face flushed red. As if feeling somewhat embarrassed. Reached out to hold the rat down. Anthony quickly said, "I also keep a rat. It also likes hiding in my pocket."
Hermione said, "But, Professor Anthony, don't you keep a cat?"
Anthony joked, "I guess that explains why the rat likes hiding in pockets."
The three students froze. All laughed. Ron hesitated. Voluntarily pulled the rat from his pocket to show Anthony. "His name's Scabbers."
Scabbers rolled over in his hand. Kept sleeping. Compared to a Gryffindor first-year's hand, this gray rat was shockingly fat.
Anthony patted his empty pocket. "I didn't bring my rat out. I'll show you another time."
Just then, a huge noise suddenly came from behind his head. Like someone viciously banged a gong by his ear. Everyone jumped in shock. Anthony immediately turned around—
"Sorry, sorry," Hagrid muttered. Righted a huge tin box in the cabinet. He was still looking for tea leaves.
Anthony indicated excuse me. Stood up. Moved to Hagrid's side. "I remember last time, you put tea leaves in the Christmas gift Professor McGonagall gave you..."
Taking advantage of his departure, the three Gryffindor friends immediately huddled together. Talked quietly.
"Why is there also a professor in Hagrid's house!" Ron said in a low voice with a horrified expression.
Hermione said dissatisfied, "Ron! Professor Anthony is Hagrid's friend! You're talking like professors are something to avoid."
"They are... Besides, I heard this Anthony writes Dad a letter every week!" Ron said painfully. "I don't know how much about our family Dad's told him. Like, you know, this is a pet Percy didn't want."
Harry comforted him. "That means maybe Professor Anthony will like you the way Snape likes Malfoy... Um, and your five brothers too." He quickly added. Somewhat lacking confidence.
"Come on, Ron. He's keeping a rat himself," Hermione said. "He definitely thinks having a rat pet is quite nice."
Ron stared at Scabbers in his hand for a while. Then looked at Anthony helping Hagrid take small tin cans from the big tin box. Suddenly said, "Ah, I remember... Neville said Anthony has a rat. That rat is even transparent!"
"Transparent?" Hermione asked with interest. "How can a rat be transparent?"
Ron said, "I don't know. But a transparent rat and a hairless fat rat are definitely not the same thing." He looked gloomily at dozing Scabbers. Flicked its tail. Stuffed it back in his pocket.
At this time, Hagrid finally found the tea leaves he wanted. That was Professor Sprout's Christmas gift to him. He'd been saving it to share with Harry and them. So to distinguish it from other tea leaves, he'd ingeniously stuffed the tea leaves into another already-broken teapot.
Having tea with three students was a very novel experience for Anthony.
Usually, his afternoon tea came with novel delicious refreshments. Professors teasing each other or discussing some magic. Listening to Hagrid loudly ask whether Filch "that idiot" had made things difficult for students over rock cakes was completely another matter.
"Well, alright..." Harry said. Couldn't help glancing toward the professor. "I mean, same as usual. Shouting. Threatening to hang us up or expel us..."
Ron added, "During detention just makes us do cleaning work. If you ask me, Mum could solve those things with one spell..."
Harry quickly jabbed his friend with his elbow. When they had detention with Anthony, they'd also done cleaning work.
But Anthony was concerned about something else. "Wait, how did you get detention again?"
He silently recalled. Didn't remember hearing from professors' afternoon tea that Potter had done anything earth-shattering recently.
This semester, he'd gradually discovered professors usually preferred deducting points over detention. Behind this lay a simple truth: when numbers increased, any physical labor became exercise and tea parties. So professors would consciously or unconsciously save detention slots. Leave them for students who really made them angry.
Hearing his question, both Harry and Ron seemed somewhat indignant.
"It was Snape," Harry said angrily. "He asked me what effect the Shield Charm has. I haven't even heard of that spell! Then he started that long speech about how I must think Professor Quirrell is dazzled by my fame..."
"Then I said if he wanted to know a spell's effect, why not try it," Harry said. "Snape became even more unreasonable. Started talking about manners, respect. I got detention for talking back."
From hearing Snape's name, Anthony understood this detention involving two Gryffindor students must have nothing to do with fairness. He sympathetically shook his head. Shifted his gaze to Ron. Still didn't understand how he got involved in this story.
Harry spoke for Ron. "Snape said I obviously hadn't prepared properly. Then Ron told Snape his questioning was very unreasonable. We came for first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not some Auror training class."
Ron's ears flushed red. Explained, "My brothers told me that's a very difficult spell."
"Then what?" Anthony asked.
"Then Snape spent a while finding that term in the title of reference literature cited in textbook footnotes," Ron said unconvinced. "I mean, who really looks at that!"
Hermione, who hadn't spoken, proudly picked up her teacup. Took a sip. "Told you to pay attention to pre-class preparation."
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