"So I think," Annie concluded with a smile, "Weasley would make a great boyfriend for you."
"Boy, what kind of boyfriend!" Hermione's face started to burn again. She understood Annie's words but didn't expect Annie to 'sneak in a personal agenda': "We are just really good friends!"
"Even as good friends, you actually need to provide each other with emotional value." Annie didn't push further, smiling as she replied, "As I said before, it's only by mutual effort that a relationship can last long."
Can last long, and even go beyond, right?
"I understand, Annie." Hermione hung up on Annie, her face red and her mind racing with thoughts about what Annie had mentioned.
After putting down the Crystal Ball, Annie resumed her rapid writing, directing one Feather Pen in one hand and another in the other hand, quickly writing the papers.
One was for her, and the other was for Harry.
Being from the Salu family, Annie might not have as great a talent in Magic Spells as Sebastian, but she had a talent equally matched—she could multitask.
This is why she could always help Harry with his homework without it interfering with her usual life.
Writing one is writing, and writing two is still writing, isn't it?
"Oh my gosh, Annie!" Pansy watched Annie's actions with starry eyes, "I wish I could be as amazing as you, then I could help Draco with his homework!"
"Thank you, Pansy." Annie nodded at her with a faint smile, not showing any sign of modesty.
It's an innate talent, and being modest at such a time would just be pretentious.
Because the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts last year, Quidditch had been suspended, and for the past one and a half years, no campus Quidditch Cup had been held, which only increased interest and enthusiasm for this match.
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were very concerned about the outcome of the match because they would compete against Gryffindor and Slytherin next year.
The heads of the two houses outwardly maintained a nonchalant demeanor but secretly resolved to see their side win.
Everyone could see how much Professor McGonagall wanted them to beat Slytherin; she even exempted them from homework a week before the match.
This was already a major exception for Professor McGonagall, who was otherwise very serious and strict.
"I assume you've got enough on your plate already." She said with her head held high, full of pride. Everyone could hardly believe their ears until she looked seriously at Harry and Ron and said, "Students, I've grown accustomed to having the Quidditch Cup in my study, and I really don't want to hand it over to Professor Snape, so please use this extra time to train, alright?"
Professor McGonagall's words immediately led to a cheer from the students.
And Professor McGonagall obviously knew the students had been under a lot of pressure recently—because of a certain pink toad stirring things up in the school—she just watched the students revel without any intention of stopping them... Of course, when Seamus attempted to toss a book in the air, Professor McGonagall stopped him with a stern glance.
Crowd cheering, but book tossing is the limit.
Seamus had to reluctantly put his book down.
Snape's favoritism was also obvious: he often pre-booked the pitch for the Slytherin Team, making it challenging for the Gryffindor Team to find a place to practice, and he ignored numerous reports of Slytherin students attempting to sabotage Gryffindor players with magic in the corridors.
When Alicia Spinnet's eyebrows grew over her eyes and mouth and she was sent to the hospital wing, Snape insisted she had used a Hair Growth Spell on herself and refused to listen to the testimonies of fourteen witnesses—they clearly saw Miles Blaise, the Slytherin Team goalkeeper, cast a spell on her from behind in the library.
"I don't believe this was a planned, organized, premeditated attack," Snape said flatly, his tone greasy and drawn out, "if we listen to her this time, then everyone will start casting this or that Evil Curse on themselves to claim it as an attack by others; what would happen to Hogwarts' atmosphere then?"
Alright, alright, for a moment, Harry really wanted to tell him—so back by the Black Lake, it was you who hung yourself up and let my parents see your dirty underwear?
Never mind, never mind... no one has it easy.
"Damn Slytherin!" Hermione grumbled through gritted teeth during a Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
"Hey, don't lump us all in together." Draco protested on the side, "I wasn't the one who cursed Spinnet, I even wanted to stop it at the time..."
"Then why didn't you stand out and testify?" Ron retorted.
"It's enough that I didn't pile on, you want me to testify too?" Draco coldly laughed, "Even if I'm a Malfoy, even if I'm the Class Prefect of Slytherin, if I testified back then, do you believe I wouldn't be ostracized by all Slytherins the very next day?"
"At least I wouldn't, Draco." Pansy said affectionately on the side.
"Neither would we, boss." Crabbe and Gall added.
Draco glanced back at them and smiled.
Though these two guys weren't too bright, at least they were loyal enough.
Of course, old Crabbe and old Gall were also very loyal to Lucius, especially after they knew that a certain Legendary Wizard, was the husband of the Malfoy family's young lady (great aunt), they completely abandoned their "dark path", fully committed to following the Malfoy family.
"You know, Mr. Malfoy." the two old timers grinned like flowers, "We've always been your most loyal followers."
—back to the topic of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
"So." Hermione suddenly asked, "Isn't attending this class like a kind of club? Think about it, we have regular meetings, and our leader is Professor Potter... With that in mind, 'Fifth-Year Defense Against the Dark Arts Class' may not be the most accurate name, we should give our class a new name—or rather, give our club a new name, to promote unity and strengthen group spirit, don't you think?"
This suggestion was widely agreed upon by everyone.
"How about 'Anti-Umbridge Alliance'?" Angelina asked hopefully.
"Or call it 'Ministry of Magic is Idiotic' group?" Fred suggested.
"I think," Hermione frowned and looked at Fred, "it's best if the name doesn't reveal what we're doing, so we can talk about it safely outside."
"Or, call it the Defense Association?" Zhang Qiu suggested, "Abbreviated as D.A., that way nobody knows what we're about."
"D.A.?" Ginny laughed, "Nice, it could also stand for Dumbledore's Army, which is what the Ministry fears most, right?"
"I feel..." Annie suddenly raised her hand and suggested, "call it the Mastery Association, abbreviated to P.A., which can also represent Potter's Army... after all, we're all learning advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts under Professor Potter now... of course, I think that would make the Ministry even more fearful."