Colin Creevey's small figure looked particularly thin under the glow of the fireplace embers.
His fingers clutching the camera turned white from nervousness.
"I... I just wanted to take a picture of Harry..." His voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Hermione's face held no reproach, only her usual smile. "I know, Colin. But now I hope you can help us photograph something even more important than Harry Potter."
She stepped forward, directing Colin's attention to the tabletop.
"You will record a beginning," Hermione's voice echoed in the silent common room. "The beginning of a resistance."
Under Hermione's arrangement, the news spread quietly through the shadows of the Castle like vines through several absolutely reliable channels.
There were no grand announcements, only whispered conversations and exchanged glances in library corners and corridor bends.
A few days later, a Hogsmeade weekend.
Inside the Hogs Head Inn, the air was filled with an indescribable mixture of smells.
Old dust, damp wood, and a strong goat-like musk mingled together, making many first-time students wrinkle their noses.
The atmosphere was oppressive yet tinged with excitement.
Over twenty students from different houses gathered here, their faces filled with unease and anticipation.
Hermione briefly explained the purpose of the meeting, and then Harry, as the nominal instructor, stood in the center of the crowd.
"Alright... today... we'll start with the basics." Harry cleared his throat, sounding a bit nervous. "The Disarming Charm. The incantation is 'Expelliarmus'."
Harry pointed his wand at the ceiling and demonstrated the movement with standard precision.
A red light flashed, hitting a dirty barrel on the opposite side.
"Good. Now, pair up and start practicing," Harry announced.
The students clumsily began practicing in pairs.
The light of spells flickered one after another in the dim pub. Occasionally, a wand would fly out of a hand, drawing a small gasp.
Lia had no interest in such basic practice. She curled up lazily on Hermione's lap, her tail flicking occasionally as she napped with half-closed eyes.
Hermione's fingers gently combed through the soft fur on her back, making her purr comfortably.
"Hey, look at that," a harsh voice rang out.
Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff student, winked at his companion with undisguised curiosity.
"Why aren't they practicing? Do they already know how?"
He turned toward Hermione and Lia, raising his wand.
"Let me try and see if their reactions are fast enough." Zacharias had a smirk on his face as he pointed his wand tip at Lia.
He didn't even intend to say the incantation, wanting only to use a weak Fire-Making Spell to scare the harmless-looking Cat-girl.
Hermione's eyes instantly turned cold, and she was about to scold him.
However, before Zacharias could make a move, the Cat-girl who had been dozing on Hermione's lap simply raised her hand impatiently.
Her movement was light, even lazy, as her fair fingers moved slightly in the air.
No incantation, no light.
Zacharias's wand was suddenly snatched as if by a massive invisible hand. He felt a sharp pain in his wrist, as if it were clamped by iron pincers.
The wand traced a graceful arc through the air, flying over several tables and landing steadily in Lia's outstretched paw pad. The soft pink pad caught the hard wood without making a sound.
The entire pub instantly fell into a deathly silence.
All practice stopped. Over twenty pairs of eyes stared at Lia in unison, filled with shock and disbelief.
They had never seen Lia take action before.
Non-verbal magic.
Wandless magic.
These were advanced techniques that even most adult Wizards could not master.
Harry watched, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. He couldn't do this himself.
Lia gave a huge yawn, as if she had just done something trivial.
She casually tossed the wand back. It tumbled through the air and landed precisely in Zacharias's open palm.
"This is something he knows," Lia mumbled vaguely, burying her face in Hermione's embrace and rubbing against her as she continued her nap. "And he said he was very good at magic."
The "he" she spoke of made both Hermione and Harry feel a chill in their hearts.
Tom Riddle.
Hermione immediately seized the opportunity.
She stood up, cleared her throat, and drew everyone's attention.
"As you can all see," her voice was clear and powerful. "Theoretical knowledge is important, but practical combat skills are equally crucial. I announce that from today, Lia will serve as our D.A.'s 'Special Tactical Consultant,' responsible for teaching everyone real combat techniques."
The drowsy Lia suddenly lifted her head, her cat ears twitching in confusion.
What's going on? Consultant? Me?
"Don't worry, even if we go deeper into that guy's memories," Hermione whispered in Lia's ear, "I'll let you change back every night."
Upon hearing this, Lia's body trembled uncontrollably as she looked at Hermione in disbelief.
How had she not noticed before that this person was actually so wicked!
Lia was pushed out of Hermione's arms and reluctantly transformed back into human form to walk to the center of the room.
The gazes around her shifted from curiosity to awe and scrutiny.
"Look... look where?" Lia felt a bit uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, so she steeled herself and retrieved the combat memories belonging to Tom Riddle from her mind.
She pointed casually at two Ravenclaw girls.
"You two, cast Stupefy on me together."
The two girls looked at each other, both nervous and excited, and chanted "Stupefy" simultaneously.
Two sharp red lights crossed, sealing off all her escape routes.
However, Lia's body seemed boneless as she leaned back in an extremely graceful posture.
The two spells flew past, nearly grazing her hair and clothes, leaving two charred marks on the wall behind her.
She didn't use any magic, relying solely on physical instinct and anticipation.
Like a cat darting through the woods, she easily moved through the beams of spells fired by several classmates. Her clothes fluttered, yet she remained untouched.
"Your movements are too large," Lia stopped and looked around at everyone. "Before you cast a spell, your shoulders tense up unconsciously, and your breathing pauses for half a second. These are all signals."
She walked up to Harry.
"Harry, use 'Expelliarmus' on me one more time."
Harry hesitated but still raised his wand.
Just a moment before he was about to chant the incantation, Lia spoke.
"Stop."
She reached out and tapped the tip of Harry's left foot.
"Before you cast the spell, the tip of your left foot has an imperceptible habitual lean forward. Weight shifts from your right foot to your left."
Lia pointed out incisively, "This is telling your enemy, 'I am about to attack you'."
Harry was stunned.
He had never realized he had this little habit.
Following Lia's reminder, he stabilized his stance, distributing his weight evenly across both feet, and cast the spell again.
This time, he felt magic burst from the tip of his wand, smoother and more powerful than any time before.
"Thank you, Lia," Harry thanked her sincerely.
Lia tilted her head. In those innocent blue eyes, the cold logic learned from Tom Riddle was reflected.
She looked seriously at Harry and everyone present.
"Defensive spells only make you die a little later."
The room fell into a dead silence once more.
Lia's voice was very soft.
"Real combat is about thinking of the fastest and most effective way to ensure your enemy can never pick up a wand again."
She paused, her lips curling into a graceful smile that even she hadn't noticed.
"This is an"
"Art of killing."
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