The next day, at breakfast.
Ron had originally planned to brag about his novel experience of spending the night in the Room of Requirement with Neville and Draco.
However, after hearing Harry and Hermione's thrilling encounter with Cerberus, a wave of regret surged in his heart.
Although Cerberus sounded dangerous, Nios had subdued it so effortlessly.
Ron now deeply regretted not going back to the tower obediently last night.
If he had gone along, he would have witnessed that shocking scene with his own eyes!
Last night, Azazel had slept in Ron's bed for him.
Before sleeping, Azazel had even hypnotized Seamus and Dean to ensure they wouldn't discover it was him lying in Ron's bed when they woke up in the morning.
Harry, however, had tossed and turned all night.
The moment he saw that trapdoor, he had already guessed: what that terrifying Cerberus was guarding was very likely the small cloth bag that Hagrid had taken from Vault 713!
After realizing this, he couldn't sleep even more, spending the entire night guessing what was hidden inside that cloth bag.
"Harry! Harry!" Ron's call pulled him back from his contemplation.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Harry looked at Ron with a bewildered expression.
"Hermione won't let me go see that Cerberus," Ron whispered, his voice pleading, "Can you ask Nios to take us? Just us!"
He was afraid Harry would refuse, so he pulled Neville and Draco in as shields.
"Don't even think about it, Ron!" Hermione immediately interrupted their conversation, "We stumbled in by accident last night! If Nios hadn't been there, you wouldn't be seeing us today!"
Although recalling the thrilling scene afterward brought a strange sense of exhilaration, it was absolutely not a reason to risk it again.
"But you've all seen it..." Ron grumbled unwillingly.
Hermione's furious expression at the moment reminded him of his own mother when she got angry.
"In a while," Nios's calm voice interjected, "I'm currently making a second demon; once it's finished, I can let it take you to see it."
Nios's words were like a piece of ice dropped into water, and the originally relaxed atmosphere at the dining table instantly solidified.
"Really? How long will it take to make?"
Only Ron's mind was still on Cerberus, completely unconcerned about the "second demon" Nios mentioned.
"Hmm... around Christmas," Nios gave a rough timeframe.
Aside from the bewildered Draco and Ron, who only cared about Cerberus, Harry, Hermione, and Neville's expressions visibly tensed up.
"Who is it this time?" Hermione asked casually, cutting her steak on the plate, feigning composure.
"Gluttony and Temperance," Nios replied easily.
Draco looked at Hermione, then at Nios, in surprise, and was about to ask, but was quietly tugged by Neville's sleeve next to him, stopping him.
"Then who do you plan to choose?"
Harry looked at Nios with a serious expression.
Even Ron, immersed in his fantasies, finally sensed the heavy atmosphere.
"This time, I'll do it myself."
Nios's words made everyone but Draco look at him in shock.
"This time, I will demonstrate the entire process of summoning a demon and signing a contract to you. If you are unwilling," he paused, "I will never force you."
A strange silence fell over the dining table.
Just then, the clamor of owls delivering mail broke the silence.
Many people received packages, but what was most eye-catching was a long, thin package being slowly carried by six owls working together.
As they flew over their heads, they placed this strange package in front of Harry.
Ron felt that this stalemate was not working.
He subtly winked at Draco.
Draco understood, and nodded.
"Wow! What a big package!" Ron exclaimed exaggeratedly, trying to lighten the mood, "Who sent this to you?" He leaned over, wanting to take a closer look.
Draco, quick as a flash, grabbed the package and weighed it, his face immediately changing to an expression of surprise mixed with anger.
"This is a flying broom! Well, Potter! You actually secretly bought a new broom behind my back! Do you want to secretly practice more and leave me behind?!"
This time, he didn't call him "Harry" as usual, but deliberately used the surname "Potter," full of provocation.
Harry, on the other hand, looked at the package in front of him with a bewildered expression, reaching out to pinch it.
The feel was indeed a broom! Now he truly had no way to explain himself.
"I didn't buy it!" This suddenly appearing flying broom gave Harry a headache.
He had indeed thought about buying a new broom, but he hadn't decided which one to buy yet.
"Then what is this?!" Draco was relentless, pressing closer.
"How should I know!" Harry was also getting a bit annoyed.
"Wait a minute! There's a letter here!"
Just then, another owl flew over, dropping a letter precisely onto the package.
Harry seized it like a treasure, quickly grabbing the letter, hoping it would clear his "wrongdoing." He quickly unfolded the letter:
Do not open the package.
It contains your new broom, Nimbus 2000.
I don't want everyone to know you have a new broom,
otherwise they will all want one.
Oliver Wood will give you your first lesson on the Quidditch Pitch at seven o'clock tonight.
— Minerva McGonagall, Professor
After reading the letter, Harry immediately felt the gloom in his heart vanish, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
He triumphantly handed the letter to Draco, whose face became uglier than if he had swallowed a fly after reading it.
Harry then handed the letter to Ron beside him, and only then looked provocatively at Draco.
Ron's eyes lit up as he stared at the package: "I've never even touched a Nimbus 2000 before!"
Harry patted Ron's shoulder: "This afternoon, we'll find a secluded place and let you try it!"
He turned to Neville: "Neville, do you want to come with us?"
Harry knew that Hermione and Nios had little interest in Quidditch or even flying brooms, so he wisely did not invite them.
Draco, left on the sidelines, struggled internally.
He wanted to join, but couldn't put aside his pride, and couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Draco, do you want to come?" Harry seemed to read his mind, asking with a mischievous smile.
Upon hearing the invitation, a flicker of excitement just rose in Draco's heart, but it immediately crashed into Harry's "I knew it" smirk.
"No!" He stiffened his neck, refusing resolutely, but he had already made up his mind.
He would write to his father immediately after class! He absolutely had to have a better broom than Harry's!
After breakfast, the group headed to the Potion Class classroom together.
This time, Nios did not "trouble" Draco to team up, but chose to team up with Hermione.
Draco, on the other hand, voluntarily partnered with Neville; although the risk was not small, among the few of them, he and Neville had the best relationship, and he just wanted to privately ask Neville about what Nios had mentioned about "demons" at breakfast.
Today's Potion Class atmosphere was exceptionally strange.
Professor Snape's gaze, like a searchlight, swept over Nios from time to time, as if trying to discern something from him.
Of course, he also did not forget to routinely Make things difficult Harry a few times.
Harry, however, was oblivious to Snape's sarcasm, looking nonchalant.
Clearly, his mind was on the brand new Nimbus 2000 in his dormitory, rather than the Potion in the cauldron.
Even more unusual was that Draco, who usually performed excellently in Potion Class, seemed distracted throughout the entire lesson, frequently zoning out.
On the contrary, Neville, who had caused a Potion accident in the last class, seemed to have suddenly had a breakthrough, concentrating fully on operating the cauldron by himself; although his technique was still not skillful, he was exceptionally serious.
Nios, meanwhile, continued his usual style, looking around as if browsing a library, casually opening and closing books.
Only the busy figure beside him had changed from Draco to Hermione.
These six were already the focus of Gryffindor and Slytherin, and their various abnormal behaviors today attracted even more curious gazes from all the little lions and little snakes.
This caused the cauldron explosion rate in Potion Class today to skyrocket.
Snape was as busy as a waiter in a popular restaurant, his black robes swirling as he darted back and forth among the young Wizards, hardly getting a moment to breathe.
Today might have been the most exhausting class of his teaching career!
Of course, even though he was busy off his feet, he didn't forget to severely deduct points from his "beloved" Gryffindor.