https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-300-Scabbers-You-re-Truly-My-Savior-/13441345/
Chapter 301
Chapter 301
Scabbers is so skinny from hunger, why don’t we...
Hermione rolled her eyes. No wizard would bother with such a boring thing. However, seeing Ivan frowning in deep thought, she couldn’t help but ask.
"Ivan, why are you asking about this?"
"It’s nothing, just a bit curious." Ivan replied casually.
Although he had agreed to let Hermione join his potion improvement research, Ivan still felt it was his own business and didn’t want her to get too involved.
Perhaps Snape would know. Ivan had a thought and decided he could ask during tomorrow’s Potions class.
Hermione didn’t believe Ivan’s evasive answer at all, but she knew he wouldn’t tell her, so she silently memorized his words.
If even Ivan can’t figure it out, can I really think of something?
Hermione held the Time Turner at her chest, feeling a bit uncertain.
The two of them ate lunch, each lost in their own thoughts.
Not long after, Harry and Ron, who had just finished Transfiguration, walked in through the main doors of the Great Hall.
"Ivan, Hermione, how did you get here so fast?" Ron asked curiously.
"Yeah, I just saw you guys in the back", Harry nodded.
Over the past few days, Harry had keenly sensed that something was off with Ivan and Hermione, as if they could appear anywhere in Hogwarts at any time.
A few days ago, he had heard that Hermione had fought with a Slytherin girl in the corridor outside the Arithmancy class.
But Hermione had clearly been with them, coming out of Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom in the tower, which was quite far from the other place.
However, after hearing the news, both he and Ron dismissed it as a rumor because Hermione would never initiate a fight with someone else.
That would be against the school rules!
Ivan said calmly, "We, of course, took the secret passage. You know we have a lot of classes, so the normal way wouldn’t be fast enough."
Even the secret passage wouldn’t be fast enough, Harry thought to himself. You guys are taking multiple classes at the same time.
Harry and Ron ultimately didn’t ask any more questions because Hermione sternly told them that unless they planned to take all the classes, they shouldn’t know too much.
Hearing this, Harry and Ron shook their heads like tambourines, instantly daring not to ask further.
"By the way, Ron, what about your rat? I think it looks unwell lately." Ivan suddenly turned to Ron and said.
"Really?" Ron pulled Scabbers out of his pocket, the gray-black rat was plump and its black fur was shiny.
Scabbers, finally able to breathe some fresh air after being in the sealed pocket, was quite happy. But when he turned and saw Ivan looking at him with an evil glint, Scabbers let out a terrified squeak and clung to Ron’s thumb with his little paws.
Despite the summer break, Scabbers hadn’t forgotten how this demon had treated him in the previous two years.
"It looks like it’s not just unwell, but also a bit frenzied. It might be sick!" Ivan concluded immediately.
Are you sure it’s not just scared of you? Hermione and Harry’s expressions were rather strange, and Scabbers, in Ron’s hand, was frantically shaking his head, indicating that he was perfectly fine and not frenzied at all!
Ivan noticed their thoughts and countered, "Ron, if I’m not mistaken, Scabbers has been acting strange not just around me this semester, right?"
Ron thought about it and realized Ivan was right. Scabbers had indeed been acting more restless and anxious lately, and there was one time when he met Professor Lupin in the hallway, and Scabbers went crazy, trying to burrow into his pocket.
Thinking of this, Ron started to worry. Could it really be that Scabbers was sick?
"What should we do? Does Madam Pomfrey still work as a vet?" Ron thought it would be a good idea to take Scabbers to see her.
"I think Hagrid would know! He’s raised so many creatures and is a professor of Care of Magical Creatures!" Harry reminded him.
"Forget it, have you seen what Hagrid keeps? Dragons and three-headed dogs are enough to give us a headache already." Ron grumbled.
"Ron, I can brew a calming potion for Scabbers. It might make him feel better", Ivan said, looking at Scabbers with a "caring" gaze.
No! I don’t need it! Scabbers shuddered and shook his head. He didn’t believe Ivan was being genuinely kind.
Scabbers remembered that during the end of their first year on the train, Ivan had used his body to experiment with a spell. Now, he was probably planning to use him to test a potion or something.
But seeing Scabbers’ reaction, Ron became even more convinced that his pet might be feeling unwell. He looked at Ivan with gratitude and said, "Really? That would be a big help, Ivan!"
"It’s no trouble, I really like this rat!" Ivan used his fork to pick up a meatball and placed it near Scabbers’ mouth.
However, Scabbers was not grateful at all. He stubbornly pushed the meatball away with his little paws, refusing Ivan’s offer.
"Sorry, Ivan, Scabbers isn’t usually like this. He might be full today", Ron said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He knew Ivan had always been very good to Scabbers, often buying him Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.
Thanks to Ivan, Scabbers had grown to be quite black and plump.
Now, seeing Scabbers’ ungrateful behavior, even Ron, as the owner, felt a bit annoyed.
Ivan promptly reassured him that he didn’t mind. He understood how much Ron valued Scabbers, so he didn’t push for Ron to hand Scabbers over immediately.
Ron was delighted that Ivan liked his pet rat and excitedly shared some of Scabbers’ amusing stories from the summer.
For example, George and Fred had made a special, fully magical hamster wheel for Scabbers because he ate a lot and didn’t exercise. It forced Scabbers to keep running in the wheel continuously.
"No wonder I always feel like he’s getting thinner", Ivan shook his head. It seemed his fattening plan, which he had started in their first year, had failed.
He’s not thin at all! Harry looked at Scabbers’ plump, round body and felt like pointing out the obvious.
Hermione, however, noticed that Ivan seemed overly concerned about Scabbers.
She also remembered Ivan mentioning that he needed some "lab rats" for experiments, and her expression became a bit odd.
But Scabbers is Ron’s pet, and there are plenty of other rats at Hogwarts.
Thinking of this, Hermione dismissed her earlier thoughts.
Ivan isn’t that kind of person!
(End of Chapter)
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