Hermione stared at Nios excitedly, unconsciously swallowing, her voice filled with irrepressible joy: "Really? Is that possible?"
The tail end of her question was almost swallowed by her excitement, and she forgot to control her volume.
Professor McGonagall, who had just walked away, paused and her sharp gaze swept back.
Hermione was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; her face instantly turned crimson, and she suddenly shrank under the table, wishing she could burrow into the floorboards.
Only when that piercing gaze disappeared did she slowly crawl back to her seat, like a thief.
Immediately after, she eagerly leaned close to Nios, almost whispering into his ear, her voice extremely low, with cautious anticipation: "Can I really try it?"
The cartoon eyes on Nios's eye mask curved into crescents, and imitating her, he also lowered his voice: "Of course…" He deliberately drew out the word, enjoying the sudden light that lit up in Hermione's eyes, then a grin spread across his face, revealing two rows of gleaming shark teeth, delivering the fatal blow: "…not. Hehe."
Hermione's bright smile instantly froze, shattered, and became a mask of shock and vexation.
The next second, Hermione, filled with shame and anger, struck like lightning, her two fingers precisely pinching the soft flesh on the inside of Nios's arm, twisting hard!
However, Nios was like a stone, not even a single eyebrow twitching.
Instead, he pressed closer, almost touching Hermione's cheek, his slender fingers gently pushing away the curly hair by her ear, his warm breath brushing her sensitive earlobe, his voice deep as if chanting a spell: "Don't get excited. You… can't control it yet." That tone carried a malicious pleasure.
"Ah!" Hermione sprang back as if scalded, covering her burning ears tightly with her thick brown curly hair, her cheeks so red they could bleed, glaring at Nios in shame and anger, her eyes almost spitting fire.
"It seems the generous Mr. Chaos has already begun to instruct Miss Granger on the details of spellcasting?"
Professor McGonagall reappeared like a ghost beside their table, her voice unreadable, her gaze sweeping between Nios and Hermione, who wished she could disappear on the spot. "I wonder if I might be so fortunate as to hear Mr. Chaos's insights?"
"Pro… Professor…" Hermione's voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz, her head buried even lower, her fluffy hair her only refuge at that moment.
Nios, on the other hand, looked up innocently, giving Professor McGonagall a bright, harmless, perfect smile.
Professor McGonagall gave him a deep look, her eyes containing a warning, but ultimately said nothing, turning and leaving.
After this incident, Hermione didn't glance at Nios again for the rest of the time, her back ramrod straight, as if trying to stare a hole through her textbook.
As soon as the bell rang for class dismissal, she grabbed her books and rushed out, as if a Troll was chasing her.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Azazel, whose mouth tape Nios had removed, immediately began to complain. "You're too wicked, aren't you? Teasing an innocent girl like that is even worse than An Tai!"
Nios slowly untied him, not even raising an eyelid: "That's truly unconvincing coming from a demon whose representative color is lust."
At lunchtime, one person was missing from the Gryffindor long table's quintet.
Hermione sat alone at the other end, far from them, buried in her plate.
Azazel sat sprawled out in her original seat, with several thick books belonging to Harry, Ron, and Neville stacked under his bottom, barely reaching the table.
Neville, feeling sorry, mustered his courage and ran over to invite Hermione back.
Hermione merely glanced in Nios's direction, then sharply turned her head back as if pricked by a needle, shaking her head firmly at Neville.
Neville walked back dejectedly, his small face downcast; his worst fear had come true—a rift had indeed appeared between Nios and Hermione.
Harry looked at the awkward pair over there, then at Nios beside him, who seemed unfazed, and asked curiously, "What exactly is wrong with Hermione?"
Azazel, who had witnessed the entire event, immediately recounted the "whispering incident" from Transfiguration Class vividly and with added embellishment.
After listening, Harry, Ron, and Neville all had extremely strange expressions, their three pairs of eyes staring at Nios in unison, filled with accusations and incomprehension of "you're actually this kind of person."
"Hey, hey," Nios leisurely cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth, vaguely defending himself, "It's not that I won't let her use it; my 'Alchemy' has prerequisites, and she's really not ready yet."
However, compared to the profound "prerequisites," the three were clearly more concerned with his malicious act of blowing into Hermione's ear.
Harry was the first to break the silence, with a tone of gentle persuasion: "Nios, why don't you… just apologize to her?"
Nios slowly chewed his steak, shrugging: "I want to. But now, as soon as I get close, she dodges like a startled cat. Why don't…" His eyes on the eye mask swept over the three, "one of you go as a representative?"
Neville instinctively buried his head even lower, almost shrinking into his dinner plate.
Harry and Ron's gazes naturally focused on Neville; although they had only met yesterday, the one with the best relationship with Hermione was undoubtedly the shy Neville.
Ron immediately suggested, "Neville, don't be afraid! Herbology Class this afternoon is with Hufflepuff, and Professor Sprout will definitely have us pair up! Then you can partner with Hermione and bring this up!" After speaking, Ron winked frantically at Harry!
Harry also quickly chimed in: "Exactly! It's not appropriate for Ron and me to say it, it's only you!"
"But… but…" Neville nervously rubbed the corner of his clothes, "I… I don't know what to say…"
Harry and Ron also got stuck; it was indeed a bit difficult to bring up.
At this moment, Nios put down his knife and fork, elegantly wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and gave Neville a "reliable" smile: "Simple. Just tell her that tonight I'm planning a small 'study exchange session' in my dorm to discuss something interesting… she'll definitely come."
Under the repeated "encouragement" (PUA) from the three, the kind and highly responsible Neville finally took on this arduous "diplomatic" mission with a bitter face.
Harry sincerely hoped his friends could reconcile.
Although Ron found Hermione a bit arrogant, for the sake of his friend, he also decided to join this "study session."
The Herbology Class in the afternoon took place in the greenhouse, where the smell of soil and fertilizer mingled with the fresh scent of plants.
The trio, wearing gloves, were loosening soil and fertilizing aconite while secretly peeking at a distant corner.
Neville was leaning next to Hermione, his forehead sweating, his small face flushed, gesturing wildly as he whispered something, clearly engaged in arduous "persuasion."
Hermione kept a straight face, occasionally responding with a word. When her gaze inadvertently swept towards Nios, the three boys immediately grinned and simultaneously raised their hands, covered in mud and fertilizer, waving enthusiastically at her!
Hermione: "..."
She simply rolled her eyes and turned her head away, giving the three a cold back of her head, instantly increasing the difficulty of Neville's lobbying efforts.
Azazel squatted beside the flowerpot at Nios's feet, complaining, "You three are truly dogs."
At dinner, the atmosphere finally loosened a bit. Hermione kept a straight face, but eventually sat back at the quintet's table. Nios looked up at Dumbledore in the center of the faculty table.
The white-bearded Principal seemed to have a telepathic connection, as he was also looking at him, a smile in his ancient eyes, nodding almost imperceptibly.
Snape, who had witnessed this scene from nearby, his face so dark it could drip ink, glared fiercely at Dumbledore.
Throughout the meal, the quintet was unusually quiet, with only the faint clinking of cutlery and Azazel's smacking sounds as he gnawed on a chicken leg. Ron, meanwhile, seized every opportunity to stuff various dessert pies into his mouth.
When most people had finished eating, Nios was the first to stand up. Neville and Hermione exchanged glances and silently followed suit.
Harry, quick-witted, grabbed Ron, who was still wrestling with a chocolate pie: "Let's go!"
"Hey? Wait! I'm almost… Ugh!" Although Ron's protest was forcibly suppressed by Harry, he still managed to take a few chocolate pies with him.
The five walked silently through the bustling Great Hall, entering the empty, quiet corridor. For a moment, only footsteps and Ron's efforts to chew and swallow pies echoed.
Near the corner by the Fat Lady's portrait, Nios suddenly turned around without warning, snatched the last pie from Ron's hand, and, to Ron's shocked gaze, shoved it into his own mouth!
"Hey! Nios!" Ron was stunned, then cried out in dissatisfaction, "If you wanted some, you could've just asked me!… Did you have to snatch it?"
Nios ignored him, just slowly chewing.
Instead, Azazel's lazy voice spoke up: "You idiot, don't flatter yourself. He snatched your food purely because your smacking sounds severely interfered with his cool atmosphere."
"Huh?" Four faces were bewildered.
"Why haven't any of you said anything this whole way?" Azazel rolled his eyes.
Hermione crossed her arms, pouted, and huffed, "Because I haven't forgiven a certain nasty fellow yet!"
Neville scratched his head, embarrassed: "I… I don't know what to say…"
Harry laughed awkwardly: "Um… Percy led the way last night, and I was too tired to remember many paths, so I've been trying to find my way just now…"
Ron said self-righteously: "I was concentrating on eating pie!"
After speaking, the four looked at Nios, who was still chewing his pie, waiting for his explanation.
"Don't look at him," Azazel scoffed, revealing the mystery, "He's not talking because a grand drama is unfolding in his mind. 'On a dark and windy night, five mysterious Wizards, walking in an empty Castle corridor, their steps firm, silent as a riddle, heading towards a… Ow!!!!!"
Azazel's "artistic commentary" wasn't finished before Nios grabbed one of his hind legs and, like swinging a broken sack, slammed him hard, repeatedly, against the hard, cold stone floor! Emitting dull "thudding" sounds!
Although Harry knew Azazel's nature and Nios's methods, he still turned his head away, unable to bear it.
Neville and Ron, on the other hand, were scared pale by this sudden violence, frozen in place.
"Stop it!" After the initial shock, Hermione's anger surged. She rushed forward, glaring furiously at Nios, her voice rising with agitation, trembling, "I noticed it on the train! You've been abusing Azazel! Why?! Isn't he your companion?! How can you be so cruel?!"
Harry quickly tried to explain: "Hermione, it's not what you think, Azazel and Nios are actually…"
Nios raised his hand and placed it on Harry's shoulder, stopping him. The casual smile on his face disappeared, but there was no hint of guilt. He simply pulled out the demon book from his robes.
They had often seen Nios flipping through this book these past two days, but had never understood its details.
Nios ignored Hermione's furious gaze, quickly flipped to a certain page, and, facing the temporarily motionless "Azazel" on the ground, recited an obscure incantation.
Buzz!
Pink light suddenly burst forth from within Azazel's body, instantly enveloping him. The light flashed and was gone.
On the ground, a perfectly intact Azazel, whose fur was even sleek and shiny, was cursing and scrambling to his feet, shaking off the dust: "Damn it! Nios, you bastard! Again?! My dinner I just ate is going to be thrown up because of you!"
Hermione, Neville, and Ron stared dumbfounded at this magical scene, then sharply looked at the calm-faced Nios and the strange book in his hand.
Harry stood by, wearing a helpless "I knew this would happen" expression.
Nios, facing the astonished trio, slowly raised the demon book in his hand, revealing that mischievous smile once more, two rows of sharp teeth glinting in the dim corridor light.
"This is what I'm going to teach you at the study session tonight."