"What did Headmaster Dumbledore want with you just now?" Cho Chang, who was walking slightly ahead, turned her head and whispered as she saw Marietta return.
"He said that once Amanda wakes up, she should go to the Headmaster's Office, and we can all go with her."
"Me, you, Hermione, and Senior Penelopa."
"Alright." Cho Chang nodded, indicating she understood.
Carrying Amanda while following the group of Eagles, Hermione looked down at the girl sleeping soundly in her arms.
Her face was still expressionless, but it gave off a sense of tranquility and peace.
Moreover, in Hermione's arms, Amanda's arms hung down naturally, her defenseless posture making it clear that she felt safe.
Not a single Little Eagle whispered along the way, and everyone even lowered their voices when answering the bronze knocker's question upon returning to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
All to avoid waking Amanda. After entering the Ravenclaw Common Room, Hermione, still carrying Amanda, was led into their Dormitory by Cho Chang and Marietta.
Hermione, who had been here before, accurately placed Amanda onto her bed and reached out to carefully tidy her hair.
"Should we change her clothes?" Cho Chang stepped forward and whispered to Hermione.
"Sleeping in a wizard robe like this, she might catch a cold, right?"
Hermione looked at Amanda lying on the bed and pursed her lips. "Yes, indeed. Let's change her into something else."
Having decided, they got to work; since everyone present was a girl, there was nothing to worry about.
Carefully propping Amanda up, the three of them worked together to slowly remove her wizard robe.
Fortunately, it was already Halloween and the weather had turned cold, so Amanda was wearing a shirt and long johns under her wizard robe and Hogwarts uniform.
After helping Amanda out of her wizard robe and Hogwarts uniform, the three girls breathed a sigh of relief seeing her fully covered in her shirt and long johns.
Although they were all girls, they would have felt a bit shy if Amanda hadn't been wearing anything underneath.
Thus, none of the three mentioned changing Amanda into pajamas; sleeping in a shirt and long johns for one day... should be fine.
After folding the clothes and setting them aside, Cho Chang pulled back the covers, and Marietta and Hermione lifted Amanda into the bed.
After tucking Amanda in, Cho Chang gave a relieved smile; they had finally managed to get her settled into bed without waking her up.
Marietta turned to Hermione and whispered, "Hermione, why don't you rest here today?"
"It's getting late, and Madam Norris was just petrified. According to Amanda, there's likely a Basilisk in the school, so it's not safe."
Hermione looked at Amanda on the bed with some hesitation; if she stayed, she hadn't brought anything and couldn't sleep on the floor.
She couldn't very well squeeze into a bed with either of the two seniors.
So, the only option was... to squeeze in with Amanda?
Strangely enough, the thought of sharing a bed with either Cho Chang or Marietta felt inappropriate to Hermione.
But thinking about sharing a bed with Amanda, besides shyness, she actually felt a bit of anticipation.
Following Hermione's gaze to the soundly sleeping Amanda, Cho Chang and Marietta understood perfectly.
Marietta smilingly pushed Hermione to sit at the edge of Amanda's bed, while Cho Chang reached out to grab the bed curtains on both sides.
"Sleep here with peace of mind. Given the situation, if Amanda were awake, she definitely wouldn't feel right letting you go back to Gryffindor now. She won't mind you sleeping here."
"Goodnight, Hermione."
Having said that, Marietta didn't give Hermione time to react and immediately stepped back out of the bed curtains' range.
Cho Chang cheerfully pulled the curtains shut, adding, "Goodnight, Hermione, sweet dreams."
Watching the curtains close in front of her, Hermione opened her mouth and then closed it again.
Looking back at Amanda lying on her side, the corners of Hermione's mouth couldn't help but curl up.
If she slept here... it seemed she really could have sweet dreams.
Without pajamas, Hermione could only do as Amanda did, crawling under the covers in her shirt and long johns.
Lying next to Amanda, Hermione's hand under the covers cautiously reached out toward her.
A warm and delicate sensation came through as Hermione gently took hold of Amanda's finger.
Slender and long; imagining the shape of Amanda's finger, Hermione's eyes crinkled as she rubbed against the pillow.
Closing her eyes, it wasn't long before Hermione drifted into dreamland amidst happiness and excitement.
That night, Amanda didn't experience her usual waking up every hour; she slept peacefully for six hours, not waking until five in the morning.
There was only a brief moment of daze upon opening her eyes, which was immediately dispelled in the next instant, leaving only clarity.
Feeling her right index finger being gently held, Amanda's gaze slowly shifted to her side.
A fluffy little head was sleeping peacefully next to her, brown hair a bit messy and scattered across the pillow, looking incredibly cute.
It was Hermione; Amanda's brain provided the correct answer.
Memories rushed back: she had suddenly felt exhausted in the second-floor corridor, then Senior Cho Chang and Senior Marietta had supported her, followed by Hermione holding her and telling her she could sleep.
Thus, as the index finger of Amanda's right hand held by Hermione moved slightly, she realized it must have been Hermione who carried her back while she was asleep.
As for why she was sleeping in her bed, it was likely because of the petrification incident that had just occurred, coupled with her mention of a Basilisk in Hogwarts, so Senior Cho Chang and Senior Marietta didn't feel safe letting Hermione go back alone.
A very correct decision; if it were her, she would have let Hermione stay as well.
After all, it was a Basilisk; in a one-on-one encounter, even if Hermione, a second-year Young Wizard, knew a few more Charms.
Her chances of winning would definitely not exceed five percent; being petrified would be a stroke of luck.
With her index finger held by Hermione, Amanda instinctively didn't want to disturb Hermione's rest.
One should not disturb others while they are resting; this was basic etiquette.
So she could only lie quietly in bed, her eyes fixed on Hermione's fluffy hair while her mind quickly reviewed the content for today's Herbology Class.
When the clock reached seven-fifty, Hermione, who had slept beautifully all night, finally woke up.
Opening her mouth to give a wide yawn, Hermione felt something in her right hand through her daze, so she could only raise her left hand to rub her sleepy eyes.
Once her mind cleared a bit, Hermione subconsciously thought, What am I holding with my right hand?
Opening her eyes as she thought, she saw blue bed curtains, a blue quilt, and blue sheets through the blur.
Wait, blue?
Hermione's movement of rubbing her eyes suddenly stopped, and her previously muddled head instantly became clear.
She wasn't in her own Dormitory on her own bed; yesterday, after bringing Amanda back, she had slept here directly.
So... Hermione turned her head slowly and stiffly, and then clearly saw Amanda, who was already awake and looking at her with wide eyes.
Thinking of the unladylike yawn she had just given and the way she had rubbed her eyes.
Hermione couldn't help but wail in her heart, Oh no! Is my image in Amanda's mind ruined?
Amanda was completely unaware of Hermione's thoughts; she just stared blankly at Hermione as she woke up and sat up.
Her index finger was still held by Hermione, and since she had only just reviewed today's Herbology Class material for the third time, she didn't move as Hermione hadn't spoken.
She was simply reciting it for the fourth time in her head.
After wailing in her heart for a while, Hermione saw that Amanda had no reaction.
She couldn't help but reach out her right hand to poke Amanda's cheek, tentatively speaking.
"Good morning, Amanda."
"Good morning, Hermione," Amanda replied with a nod.
Seeing that Amanda's reaction was no different from usual, Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief. Only after relaxing did she realize she was still holding Amanda's index finger.
Her face reddened slightly; Hermione cleared her throat and let go. Amanda slowly sat up in bed, right next to Hermione.
Suppressing the heat in her face, Hermione turned to her. "What time... did you wake up?"
"Five," Amanda answered tonelessly, then immediately added as if explaining, "I went to sleep early yesterday, it must have been around eleven."
"So I've had enough sleep with six hours."
"Mm," Hermione gave a gentle smile and reached out to pat the top of Amanda's head. "Good girl, Amanda."
Amanda blinked, not quite understanding why Hermione was praising her.
She hadn't achieved any great grades, and she hadn't even taken a single exam yesterday.
Hermione threw back the covers and quickly pulled on her uniform and wizard robe, looking back at Amanda as she dressed.
Amanda was even faster than her; she had already put on her uniform shirt and wizard robe.
However, she was a bit slow when putting on her uniform trousers—specifically, there was a slight pause when her left leg went into the trousers.
What was going on with Amanda? Hermione frowned hesitantly as she donned her wizard robe. Does her leg hurt? Growing pains?
After putting on her trousers, Amanda pulled back the curtains and stepped out, followed by Hermione in her wizard robe.
Cho Chang and Marietta had also just gotten up and were putting on their shoes by their beds.
"Good morning, Amanda." Hearing the movement, the two looked up and smiled at Amanda.
"Good morning, Senior Cho Chang and Senior Marietta," Amanda replied with a polite nod.
Hermione also greeted the two seniors and then immediately turned to look at Amanda.
"Amanda, I saw you pause a bit with your left leg while putting on your trousers earlier. Are you injured?"
Hermione walked over to Amanda's side in concern, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on her left leg.
Amanda looked down at her left leg. The ten-centimeter wound on her thigh didn't affect her normal walking because she was used to the pain.
But when bending her leg to put on trousers, she would indeed have a physiological pause.
Hearing Hermione's words, Cho Chang and Marietta quickly tied their laces and looked up at Amanda.
Amanda nodded expressionlessly. "There's an injury on my leg."
"What happened?"
"How did you get hurt?"
"Why are you injured?"
The three present immediately surrounded Amanda. Hermione was so anxious she almost wanted to check the injury herself; if it hadn't been on Amanda's leg, she really would have.
"Was it someone from Slytherin?" Cho Chang's face was full of solemnity.
One couldn't blame her for suspecting the Slytherins first; it was simply that the only students in Hogwarts who didn't get along with Amanda were from Slytherin.
Marietta also looked at her seriously, her hand even reaching toward her pocket.
If Amanda said yes, she would pull out her wand right now and call all the Ravenclaw Little Eagles to raid the snake's nest.
Not even Professor Snape's presence would stop them.
Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down. She knew Amanda better and knew that she had punished herself before.
Thus, she didn't believe the Slytherins had hurt Amanda. In her view, unless it was Professor Snape, the Dean of Slytherin House, doing it himself...
Or the entire Slytherin House banding together against Amanda, she believed no one in Slytherin could hurt her.
Even several of them together wouldn't suffice; only a whole house might succeed in a sneak attack.
That left only one possibility. Hermione's eyes bore into Amanda, her whole body radiating the aura of a lioness about to lose her temper.
Not even caring that the two seniors were right there, Hermione asked in a low voice.
"Amanda, you punished yourself again, didn't you?"
Cho Chang and Marietta were both stunned and turned their heads in unison to stare at Amanda.
Under the gaze of the two Little Eagles and one Little Lion, Amanda nodded with a cold expression.
"I made a mistake, so I need to accept punishment."
"Merlin's mistake!" Hermione spat out the words through gritted teeth, her eyes reddening slightly.
She felt both pained and angry—pained that Amanda had hurt herself again, and angry that she had let this happen again despite having encountered it before.
"Didn't I... tell you not to punish yourself anymore?"
Hermione tried to calm herself, her voice carrying a hint of a sob.
"I haven't punished myself because of studying anymore." Amanda nodded earnestly, indicating she had done what Hermione asked.
In a daze, Hermione recalled what she had told Amanda: Don't punish yourself because of studying anymore.
"So, you don't just punish yourself because of studying, right?"
Hearing the trembling question, Amanda's heart suddenly twitched for some reason.
"Yes," Amanda admitted without a change in tone. "As long as a mistake is made, I should accept punishment."
"I don't even need to ask who taught you this." Hermione wiped her eyes and turned to Cho Chang and Marietta with a determined gaze. "Senior Cho Chang, Senior Marietta, please help me and Amanda ask for leave. I need to have a proper talk with her."
Cho Chang and Marietta looked at each other and nodded.
"No problem. We'll ask for leave too. Once we're back, we'll all have a good talk together."
They were also very concerned about Amanda's situation.
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