"Harry. It's... Don't be afraid. Then it's..." the giant sheepishly ruffled his thick, dark hair with a shovel-sized hand. "It was a mistake... Hmmm... I wanted to congratulate you, who knew you'd be scared. Come here, I won't hurt you."
"Oh, fuck!" Harry Potter whispered. "Richie, go ahead."
"Don't you feel sorry for me?" Richard said, hesitating to step forward. "I'm the Rich's only heir, and I still have a long life ahead of me."
"He won't touch you, because your uncle didn't shoot him," Potter whispered.
"Boys, what's wrong?" Hermione looked at Harry and Richie in surprise.
"Guys, it's Hagrid!" Ron said, equally amazed. "My brothers told me he's very kind."
"Well, you go to him, Ron," Harry suggested.
"We'll have to go anyway," Richard said fatalistically. "Eh..."
The boys stumbled along the dark path behind a group of first-years, heading toward the lake. Richard quietly recounted to Ron, Justin, and Hermione the story of Hagrid's visit to Harry Potter. After this, the listeners began to keep their distance from the half-giant. They were particularly moved by the moment in which the wounded giant growled and crawled toward Uncle Harry, clearly not seeking a sweet hug.
Hermione whispered to those around her:
"I probably would have died on the spot if, instead of Professor McGonagall, such a big guy had burst into my house in the middle of the night and started talking to my parents in a raised voice.
"And how many years did he pretend to be a good guy..." Ron muttered. "That's how you trust people."
Boating on the lake at night, the stunning view of the ancient castle, and a walk through the stone corridors accompanied by Professor McGonagall, to whom Hagrid had handed the children, all flew past Richard's mind. Yes, it was quite nice and impressive, but the boy's entire attention was focused on the gamekeeper. It's hard to admire the beautiful views when your nerves are on edge.
Only the appearance of ghosts from the wall forced Richard to mobilize his body's resources and focus on the new danger. A small room, a crowd of children, ghosts, girls' screams... And in this environment, a thought occurred to Richard:
"Ghosts or holograms with a copy of the human mind? If the former, then it's a semblance of immortality, albeit in one of its worst forms. If the latter..."
Hermione tried to stay close to the calm point. Although she pretended to be completely unfazed by the other girls, she was actually terrified of the ghosts. And then there was calm Richie. Granger didn't have time to realize she was hiding behind Rich's back.
Hermione noticed the sudden change in Richard's demeanor. He fixed his gaze on the nearest ghost like a seasoned predator and licked his lips in anticipation.
"AI..." he muttered.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, do you think," Richard continued in a normal voice, "that ghosts could be like a solid hologram with a reflection of a person?"
"I don't know, I guess," Granger shrugged. "But I'll definitely read up on them."
"Read it," Richard nodded. "Then tell me."
"Richie, wouldn't you like to read yourself?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Interesting, but I doubt I'll have time for that," Rich replied calmly. "I can rely on you for analysis, right?"
"Uh..." Granger was confused. "Yes, of course. I'll help you. What will you be doing?"
"Study, business, networking," Richard listed. "With such a busy schedule, there's simply no time left for additional education. That's why I need help."
"You can count on me," Granger replied firmly.
Hermione was bursting with joy. For the first time, she was needed by someone. Her talent, her love of books, could be useful... to a friend? She wanted to believe so.
Hermione's jealousy suddenly flared. The trigger was a girl with swamp-green eyes, dark brown hair, and strong features. She approached Richie from behind and grabbed his right elbow, as Granger stood to his left.
"Draco, who are you with?" the girl asked.
Richard couldn't help but notice someone grabbing his elbow. He turned toward the voice and discovered an unfamiliar girl.
"Good evening, miss," he replied. "I'm afraid you've made a mistake. Mr. Malfoy and his friends are standing up front."
"You're not Draco!" the girl said, surprised and with a hint of indignation. "Who are you?"
- We are not introduced, Miss. Richard Rich.
The girl, to Hermione's delight, let go of Richard's hand as if it were a snake. With a haughty expression, she introduced herself:
- Pansy Parkinson. Are you a pureblood?
Richard's face remained politely calm. In an exaggeratedly cold tone, he replied:
"Miss, please forgive my tactlessness, but I must point out that asking a wizard such questions is impolite. If you are only attracted to the company of pure-blooded mages, then I'm sorry to disappoint you; my father is a simple man."