Time passed quickly.
The three of them returned to school the day before term began.
After an entire holiday, the shadow of the Chamber of Secrets and the attacks had faded significantly. Nothing had happened at Hogwarts during the break, and many people believed the worst was over. In a few months, once the Mandrakes matured, the petrified victims would recover, and the identity of the attacker would likely be revealed.
Even Lewis had relaxed his guard.
Who would have thought that just one week after returning, something would go wrong again?
On Saturday afternoon, Lewis was, as usual, reading in a corner of the library. Most of the time, Hermione would be by his side, ready to ask questions at any moment, but today she was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe she had something else to do?
Lewis was currently reading Magical Beast Hybridization and Breeding when he suddenly heard Madam Pince shouting. Heavy footsteps echoed closer and closer.
Whoever that was… had quite the weight.
Lewis looked up to see a short, stocky figure charging toward him like a running boar. It was Vincent Crabbe, one of Malfoy's goons.
Malfoy had grown bold enough to send his lackey to attack him?
Lewis was baffled and already considering how to teach him a lesson when Crabbe stopped in front of him and said in a strangely delicate voice, "Lewis, hurry to the third-floor bathroom. Hermione's in trouble."
"Third floor? Bathroom? Hermione?"
Three keywords, and Lewis was completely confused.
Also—why was Crabbe the one telling him this?
For a moment, Lewis almost imagined a dramatic scenario where Malfoy secretly plotted revenge against Hermione, and Crabbe, overcome with guilt, came to warn him.
Of course, neither Malfoy's capability nor Crabbe's conscience could support such a story.
"Wait… you're not Crabbe. You're… Harry!"
Lewis immediately recalled a scene from the original story.
"Y-you figured it out? Did the Polyjuice Potion fail?" Harry—disguised as Crabbe—looked startled.
So it was Harry. That meant Hermione's situation was obvious.
Still, Lewis was puzzled. Hermione hadn't brewed Polyjuice Potion like in the original—how did they manage this transformation?
After all, Polyjuice Potion wasn't easy to make. The process was complicated, and the brewing time alone took a full month.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Lewis stood up immediately and, before Madam Pince could notice, followed Harry out of the library.
As they walked, Lewis reassured him, "Don't worry, Harry. I recognized you because I'm familiar with your way of speaking. Most people wouldn't notice anything wrong."
Outside the library, they saw Goyle—clearly Ron in disguise.
"The Polyjuice Potion won't last long. We're going to find Malfoy," Harry said quickly before rushing off with Ron.
Lewis, meanwhile, headed straight for the abandoned bathroom on the third floor.
From a distance, he could already hear Myrtle happily singing.
She knocked on a stall door and called out, "Granger, hurry up and come out!"
"No!" Hermione refused immediately.
"If you don't come out, I'll call everyone here to see you!" Myrtle threatened. "I've been here for fifty years, and this is the first time I've seen someone uglier than me!"
"N-no… don't…!" Hermione's voice grew increasingly panicked.
At that moment, Lewis stepped into the bathroom.
Seeing him, Myrtle immediately shouted excitedly, "Come quickly and look! It's horrifying! There's a cat-person in here—I've never seen anything this ugly!"
She clearly wanted everyone to witness Hermione's current appearance. Considering her own acne-covered face, her intentions were obvious.
"Shut up, Myrtle. Get lost."
With a second-circle necromancy spell—Command Undead—activated, Myrtle obediently fell silent and drifted away.
Lewis quickly located Hermione's stall. It was the only one with the door closed.
He pushed it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Hermione, open the door. It's me."
Inside, there was only quiet sobbing.
"Open it. I can help you."
Hermione finally spoke, her voice trembling. "N-no need… Polyjuice Potion only lasts an hour… I'll turn back soon…"
"Do you really think that's possible?" Lewis said bluntly. "Polyjuice Potion isn't meant for animal transformations. You won't revert."
The sobbing grew louder, but she still refused to open the door.
Left with no choice, Lewis resorted to pressure.
"Myrtle already went to call others. Hiding won't work. Miss Granger, you wouldn't want everyone to see you like this, right?"
The effect was immediate.
Click.
The lock opened.
Lewis pushed the door open.
Hermione was curled up in the corner, wrapped tightly in her robes, trying to hide herself completely.
Lewis reached to pull the robe away, but she clutched it desperately, refusing to let go. In her current state, the last person she wanted to face was him.
"D-don't… Lewis!" she cried.
"Be good. Let me see."
Her strength couldn't match his. After a brief struggle, she had no choice but to release it.
And Lewis finally saw her.
Hermione had completely changed. Orange fur covered her face and hands, her eyes had turned yellow, and two pointed ears protruded from her hair. A long, slender cat tail extended from beneath her robes.
To be honest, it was Lewis's first time seeing something like this. She wasn't a full beast-person with a feline head—rather, she had a human skull structure combined with feline features.
She looked like… a real-life furry.
…Uh-oh. Why does this feel kind of appealing?
He had to suppress the urge to pet her.
Hermione, still on the verge of tears, complained, "M-Millicent must have a cat! I didn't take her hair—it was cat fur!"
But when she turned to look at Lewis, she saw something unexpected in his expression.
He looked… captivated.
She couldn't even describe how complicated her feelings were at that moment.
She had been terrified that Lewis would be disgusted by her.
But instead, he seemed… intrigued.
What kind of weird preferences does this guy even have?!
"Y-you… stop looking at me like that!" she snapped.
She grabbed her robe, intending to throw it at his face, but hesitated halfway through.
In the end, she simply turned her head away.
Thinking she was still upset, Lewis gently pulled her into an embrace and said softly, "Don't worry, Hermione. Even like this, I still like you."
In a situation like this, most girls would be deeply moved.
And Hermione was. Hearing such words, she felt reassured.
But at the same time, something felt… off.
"Thank you, Lewis," she said quietly, her sadness easing slightly. Then she shifted uncomfortably. "But… could you maybe let go a little? You pervert."
…Wait, what?
Lewis blinked.
How did she—no, when did I become a pervert?
The cat-eared girl turned back, glancing at him. "Seriously… I never realized you liked something this weird."
Lewis wiped away the tears on her cheek. "Weird or not, it doesn't matter. You're a catgirl, and I'm someone who likes catgirls. Doesn't that mean we're a perfect match?"
"Ridiculous!" Hermione burst into laughter, her earlier despair completely gone.
Lewis chuckled as well.
Then he stood up and scooped her into his arms like an actual cat.
Hermione's ears twitched as she leaned against his chest. Her tail curled gently around his arm, the soft fur tickling his skin.
Lewis couldn't resist anymore. He buried his face in her fur and took a deep breath.
He almost got his face clawed off for it.
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