"What does the inscription CRAB-3PB mean?" the girl asked.
"Colonization Robot for Adverse Biomes, third prototype," Richard explained. "This is an armored version, as indicated by the 'B'. It's far from ideal. In the final version, the exoskeleton robot will be equipped with an artificial intelligence assistant. The armor and manipulators will be made of a super-strong composite based on layers of graphene and several strong metals, plus weapon mounts will be added."
"And the white liquid?" Hermione asked, glancing sideways at Richard, who was shivering in the piercing wind and hastily pulling on his overalls.
- An attempt by wizards to recreate Spider-Man's webbing. So far, all they've produced is a sticky mass that quickly hardens in the air. In the future, they plan to use this non-lethal weapon to catch alien life.
Richard changed his clothes and stared at Hermione with anticipation.
- You're not dressed yet?
- For what?
"Hermione, we need to sneak into my bedroom and pretend we were doing homework. We need an alibi! Or do you want us expelled from school?"
- No! I don't want to.
Hermione began to pull off her robe, then stopped and looked meaningfully at Richard.
- Turn away!
"I really wanted to see it," Rich Jr. said ironically, turning away from the girl.
Hermione's cheeks flushed. But any worries about Richard spying on her when she was in her underwear were instantly driven from her mind by the cold wind. Granger had never changed clothes so quickly before, probably because she hadn't felt such a strong incentive to stay warm. As soon as she donned the ninja costume, Hermione felt the warmth spreading throughout her body with delight.
"Richie, why should we go to your room? We could go to the library, for example."
"Yeah!" Richard replied sarcastically. "Maybe we should just go straight to the teachers and confess to me sneaking a bunch of artifacts into school and killing a troll? Hermione, saying we were in the library is a terribly flimsy alibi. This way, we'll at least discredit ourselves a little by having a boy and a girl spend time together in the same dorm, but at least no one will suspect we've been out."
"That makes sense," Hermione said. "I'm ready."
"Excellent," Richie pulled the mask over his head and handed Hermione a pair of sporty red-lensed glasses, identical to the ones he'd donned himself. "Put on the magical thermal imagers. They'll let us see each other in the infrared spectrum. Put your things in my bag, activate invisibility, and let's go down."
Hermione and Richard slipped into the Hufflepuff dorm undetected. The door, which opened "by itself," attracted the students' attention. But when it closed and no one appeared, everyone lost interest in the entrance, thinking one of the teachers had glanced at the students and left.
Almost the entire Hufflepuff common room was filled with students. They huddled in the center of the room, heatedly discussing Professor Quirrell's appearance at dinner, his announcement of a troll discovered in the castle, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's epic fainting spell.
The fact that all the students were gathered in the center played into the invisible men's hands. Richie and Hermione made their way along the wall to the entrance to the first-year boys' dorm and quickly slipped inside. Luckily, their roommates were in the common room, giving the boy and girl time to don their robes and tidy up. Only then did they dare to come out to everyone.
"Richie!" Finch-Fletchley rejoiced at his friend's appearance. "Where have you been? Oh, you're with Hermione!"
- Hi, Justin. Hermione and I were doing our homework in our bedroom. What's all that noise? Aren't you supposed to be at dinner?
"Don't you know anything?" Justin asked, surprised. "A troll got into the school and we were all sent to our dorms. We thought the Headmaster's decision was strange, though. Professor Quirrell said he saw a troll in the dungeons. And our dorm is the closest to it, if you don't count the Slytherins. Those damn Gryffindors pushed and clawed their way through us, and even called us idiots for being afraid to go to our dorm! It's easy for them to say that, they have a tower at the top... Sorry, Hermione."
"It's nothing," Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "I actually wanted to be in Hufflepuff, but it didn't work out, and I regret it."
Richard's tape recorder rang. He lifted the receiver to his ear and heard the unfamiliar, dull voice of a young man, tinged with excitement.
"Excuse me, Lord Rich, this is Percy Weasley, Gryffindor Head Boy, calling. I'm told Hermione Granger is with you?"
"Percy, good evening. Yes, Miss Granger and I were doing our homework in the Hufflepuff dorm and only just learned of the force majeure. Don't worry, Miss Granger is perfectly fine, and she's currently in our common room."
"Thank you for the information, Lord Rich," Percy said. "I'll be back soon to pick up Miss Granger and escort her to the Gryffindor dorm."
- Thank you for calling, Mr. Weasley. We will certainly be waiting for you.
Padma Patil flew up to Richard, her eyes shining. She kept her greedy gaze fixed on the telephone receiver.
"Ri-i-i..." the Indian woman drawled. "Do you have a phone, and does it work? You'll let a girl call her parents, right?"
"Padma, my dear," Richard smiled wearily. "I'd love to give you a phone, but this isn't one. It's a magical equivalent of a telephone, which can only be used to call a few identical devices, which only a handful of wizards own. Think of it as a walkie-talkie. A toy for keeping in touch with your friends. I have a telephone too, but unfortunately, there's no reception at Hogwarts."
"That's a shame," Padma said sadly. "I see you and Hermione have made up."
"Yes!" Granger answered defiantly. "We made up..." She measured the Indian woman with a cold gaze.