By evening, the students slowly started returning to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade.
Most of them clearly didn't want to leave yet, but once professors began gathering students near the entrance road, everyone started making their way back toward the castle.
The walk back was quieter than before, students carrying bags from Honeydukes and talking tiredly after spending the entire afternoon around the village.
Harry walked beside Ron and Hermione with a faint smile still on his face.
"I'm definitely going again next visit," Ron said while adjusting the bag in his hand. "There were still loads of things I wanted to buy."
"You spent almost all your money in Honeydukes," Hermione reminded him.
"Worth it."
Beside her, Victor covered a yawn quietly.
Hermione noticed immediately.
"Are you still staying awake at night?" she asked.
Victor glanced at her briefly.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I'm sleeping. Just not that much."
"That's obvious," Ron muttered. "You look half-dead during breakfast."
Victor looked completely unbothered by that.
As they continued up the path, Victor suddenly slowed slightly.
For a moment, he felt like someone was watching them.
He glanced toward the trees near the edge of the woods.
Nothing was there except shadows between the branches and evening mist moving through the forest.
After another second, he looked away and continued walking.
Hidden deeper among the trees, however, Sirius Black stood silently watching the students return to Hogwarts.
His attention barely stayed on Harry.
Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the rat in Ron's arms.
Scabbers.
The moment Sirius saw him, his expression hardened instantly, his gaze turning sharp with barely controlled hatred.
But he stayed hidden.
Minerva McGonagall was still nearby, and Dementors drifted around the Hogwarts grounds like dark guards circling the castle.
So Sirius remained where he was, watching silently as Ron carried Scabbers farther away toward Hogwarts.
***
Like that, Halloween passed without anything unusual happening, and soon November arrived along with the first proper snowfall of the year.
The Hogwarts grounds slowly turned white over the next few days, snow gathering along rooftops, windows, and the stone paths around the castle.
One Sunday morning, Victor was sitting alone in the courtyard enjoying the sunlight.
Winter mornings at Hogwarts were freezing, which made the pale warmth from the sun feel unusually pleasant even through the cold air. For once, the courtyard was quiet enough that he could actually relax without hearing someone shouting across the grounds.
Nearby, Crookshanks suddenly darted across the snow.
A second later, Scabbers shot out from behind a bench in complete panic while Crookshanks chased after him with obvious murderous intent.
Victor watched the scene lazily from where he sat.
"Yeah, Crookshanks," he said calmly. "Go on, be a cat and eat the rat."
Scabbers squeaked loudly and vanished under another bench while Crookshanks squeezed halfway after him, tail lashing irritably.
Victor rested his chin against his hand, watching the chase continue across the courtyard.
Honestly, it was a surprisingly peaceful morning.
Then loud footsteps rushed across the snow behind him.
Victor turned slightly just as Ron came running into the courtyard looking furious, with Hermione right behind.
"Hermione, this is the last time I'm saying it," Ron snapped. "Control that murderous cat or I'll leave him outside the Gryffindor tower next time."
Hermione immediately looked offended.
"Do that and I'll make sure your rat ends up in Snape's potion storage," she shot back. "At least then he'd finally become useful."
Ron looked horrified by the suggestion while Scabbers hid deeper inside his pocket.
Victor sighed quietly at the argument and stood up from the bench.
Before Hermione could continue, he lightly pulled her back a little and spoke calmly.
"Relax."
Ron looked deeply wronged by this.
"My rat is the one getting traumatized here," he complained. "Why are you consoling the wrong person?"
Victor looked at him without much sympathy.
"Ron," he said calmly, "have I ever given you the impression that I care equally about you and Hermione?"
Ron opened his mouth.
Victor continued before he could answer.
"Unless you're in an actual life-threatening situation, my priority is obviously Hermione."
Hermione's annoyance disappeared almost instantly after hearing that.
A small smile appeared on her face while she held Crookshanks closer, looking far more pleased now than angry.
Ron, meanwhile, looked like someone had just confirmed his worst suspicions.
He stared at Victor.
Then at Hermione.
Then back at Victor again.
The realization on Ron's face grew stronger by the second.
There was definitely something going on between them.
"And you should stop hugging your rat like that," Victor said dryly while looking at the lump moving inside Ron's pocket. "It looks unhealthy."
In truth, Victor already knew what Scabbers really was, which only made the sight worse for him. Watching Ron protectively cuddle what was essentially a sleazy middle-aged man hiding as a rat was honestly disturbing if he thought about it too long.
*****
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