HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

Chapter 124 The Smell of Gunpowder

"Cough, cough!" Lyra was choked by Hermione's sudden, earth-shattering question. She managed to stop coughing, she was just terrified.

"Oh, Hermione, why would you think that?" Lyra rarely reflected on herself, wondering if she had done something that caused Hermione and the others to misunderstand.

But after thinking it over, Leila felt that she was just teasing that awkward and mean-spirited young master on a whim, and that a serious relationship was still a long way off!

“The last time Ron and Harry saw you and Malfoy at Hogsmeade, generally speaking, girls' dates at Hogsmeade are usually…” Hermione explained, “And, on many occasions before, Malfoy has clearly been interested in you, so we think he might like you—”

“To me, he’s still a little boy,” Lyra winked at Hermione, sharing her senior’s advice, “When it comes to dating, it’s more interesting with mature, older men.”

Hermione, sitting next to Lyra, saw up close the sparkle in the dark-haired girl's eyes and her heart skipped a beat.

"So you think that if Draco Malfoy and I were dating, we could put in a good word for Buckbeak?" Lyra suddenly realized.

"Oh, Hermione, you're so cute!"

Lyra couldn't resist pulling Hermione close and kissing her cheek.

Hermione awkwardly fanned herself with her hand; she felt hot all over since just now.

"We...we were just thinking...maybe Buckbeak could be saved." Hermione felt apologetic to Lyra after realizing it was a misunderstanding. "Sorry, we were just overthinking things."

Hermione genuinely felt that misunderstanding Lyra and that annoying Malfoy were in a romantic relationship was an insult to Lyra, and she didn't know why she had blurted it out because of Harry's inexplicable suspicion.

This is all Harry's fault! And his overly sensitive nerve about the relationship between Malfoy and Lyra!

*

After finishing the kidney pie, fried sausage, and buttered mashed potatoes that Leila brought, the big black dog lay contentedly on the grass, letting Leila groom its fur, gradually turning itself into a fluffy, soft dog biscuit.

“Harry, Hermione, and Ron have really been worried sick about Hagrid and Buckbeak,” Lyra said, ruffling a few loose hairs as she recounted recent events. “Oh, Buckbeak is that poor hippogriff, it’s so beautiful—”

Completely losing his human dignity and utterly captivated by Lyra's superb grooming skills, Sirius Black, the big black dog, heard Harry's name while enjoying himself. He finally snapped out of it a little, his fluffy face turning serious as he pricked up his ears to listen attentively.

“Buckbeak was not wrong. It was Draco Malfoy who disobeyed Hagrid’s warning and angered it, which is why he was attacked. Moreover, Madam Pomfrey healed her wounds in the blink of an eye.”

“Harry and the others really did a lot of work,” Lyra grumbled to her beloved Knight.

Lyra did try to help Buckbeak. That night, after Hermione asked her if she and Malfoy were dating, Lyra did consider asking the platinum-haired young master to drop the charges against Buckbeak, but she quickly abandoned that unrealistic idea.

That platinum boy, spoiled by his parents, with a grumpy temper and a sharp tongue, who is also keen to go against Harry, will absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not drop the case.

To overturn the verdict, we need someone capable of changing the Ministry of Magic's perspective. Headmaster Dumbledore is the greatest white wizard of our time, highly respected in the wizarding world, and certainly has influence over the Ministry of Magic.

However, the fact that a student was injured by a hippogriff in class is indeed a teaching accident for Hagrid. Moreover, Hagrid is not without fault in other aspects, or rather, if you want to find fault, Hagrid is a living sieve.

Headmaster Dumbledore must have already done a lot to protect Hagrid and his teaching position. These mere monsters that have no human rights and cause harm are not worth the trouble of the headmaster putting pressure on the Ministry of Magic.

Yes, Buckbeak is just a worthless monster, and only a handful of people care about its life.

Lyra then thought of asking a powerful pure-blood wizard for help—but both her pen pal and dog friend were still underage wizards. Even if they were the future heirs, they were still in the future and did not have enough say in the present.

and......

Even with pen pals who frequently express their deep affection, I've never heard the system announce that our affinity level exceeds 90%. We're just friends for casual entertainment in our spare time.

Leila lowered her eyes, her dark eyelashes casting shadows on her fair skin, adding to her melancholy.

This scene caught the eye of Sirius Black, the big black dog, and a pang of heartache immediately rose in his heart.

For some reason, from the first time he met this black-haired, gray-eyed girl in the Forbidden Forest late at night, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. Therefore, he only casually scared her and the Weasley twins before walking away.

This kind and lovely girl often comes to feed him—no, I mean, she brings him treats! And she's a Gryffindor! She's also Harry's friend! She often tells him about what's happening in the castle!

In short, Sirius Black, the fugitive who should have been careful to conceal his whereabouts and stay away from crowds, found many reasons for himself so that he could continue to accept the feeding and care, and continue to meet with this lovely and kind girl.

Now I've heard that that damned Malfoy kid wants to kill the monster that Lyra and Harry both care about!

Sirius Black, who always sides with his own people regardless of reason and is always willful and protective of his own, is furious!

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" The big black dog stood up excitedly, its fur swaying, and loudly assured Leila.

[That damned Malfoy brat! Just you wait! Once I've taken care of this, I'll tear you to pieces in the Slytherin dorms!]

Leila was amused by the big, fluffy black dog's excited declaration of loyalty. Seeing the black-haired girl's smile, the big black dog gradually calmed down and gently licked her fingers in a gesture of comfort.

Leila happily hugged the big black dog's head and rubbed against it, then took the opportunity to suck on its fluffy pointed ears, finally regaining her energy.

There's always a way, Leila thought to herself.

If overturning the verdict doesn't work, then let's just storm the execution ground!

*

The atmosphere at Hogwarts has been very tense lately.

To be precise, the gunpowder smell was too strong between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Because the final Quidditch match of the term, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, will be played on the first Saturday after Easter.

The outcome of this match will determine who ultimately owns the Quidditch trophy.

Slytherin currently leads the Quidditch circuit by two hundred points, but Gryffindor is eager to compete in this tournament. The entire house, including Professor McGonagall, is ecstatic about the upcoming match.

The evidence lies in the fact that Harry once dozed off in class, and Professor McGonagall only gave him a verbal reprimand before letting him off the hook. There were no points deducted, no detention, and no extra homework.

Professor McGonagall even kindly reminded everyone that as a Seeker for the Academy, it is essential to get plenty of rest before the game in order to perform better.

Ron looked at Professor McGonagall's gentle expression at that moment, and his freckles faded in surprise.

“Harry, listen to me, buddy, it’s no wonder you’re losing this match.”

Harry certainly wanted to win. He believed that no one, including Wood and Dean McGonagall, wanted to win as much as he did.

Not only because Malfoy disguised himself as a Dementor to disrupt the match, but also because of Buckbeak, and because Malfoy was seen with Lyra last time in Hogsmeade.

Yes, no matter how Hermione explained Lyra's words, Harry still found Malfoy particularly annoying.