When Hermione asked that question, Harry looked at Poppy with a hint of concern.
To his surprise, she lifted her head and smiled brightly.
"Oh! So you figured it out. I'm actually Poppy Sweeting from Hufflepuff."
"Awesome!" Ron exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I knew you were extraordinary! So you're the famous Miss Sweeting..."
"Oh, shut up, Ronald!"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's simplistic reasoning.
"There is no such thing as an Animagus that can transform into a magical creature! At least every book says the same thing: never, under any circumstances, attempt to become a magical beast!"
Poppy's eyes curved into a cheerful smile.
She had expected this reaction.
When you tell the truth, nobody believes you.
In that case, it was much easier to simply tell the truth than to invent lies.
After all, a lie requires countless other lies to support it. The truth does not.
"So... even unicorns can lie?" Ron asked pitifully, looking completely heartbroken.
Poppy didn't answer.
She simply gave him a meaningful look.
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione sighed, "you really are a silly boy."
"Miss Poppy... am I really that silly?" Ron asked hopefully.
Poppy shook her head with a warm smile.
"Silly boy? Of course not."
Ron: ...
He puffed out his cheeks, hugged his knees, and turned away in wounded silence.
His sulking expression made everyone burst into laughter.
Just then, Hagrid arrived with Fang.
The moment Harry saw the large boarhound, he remembered that both he and Hagrid had completely forgotten about Fang after leaving the Forbidden Forest the previous night.
Harry had been talking with Firenze about Voldemort, while Hagrid had been preoccupied with informing Professor Dumbledore. Between the two of them, poor Fang had been completely forgotten.
"Miss Poppy! Oh... and hello, everyone! Good afternoon!" Hagrid greeted them, carrying a few things in his arms.
"Good afternoon, Hagrid!" everyone replied together.
Hagrid walked over, with Fang trotting behind him, and sat heavily beside Ron.
"Well," Hagrid said, "we forgot to bring Fang back with us last night. I only remembered him when I woke up this morning. Luckily he'd already found his own way home. But tell me... why did he pass out? Fang's a coward, sure, but whenever there's danger, he usually runs for it."
"He fainted from fright," Harry answered simply. "Because of that black-robed wizard."
The instant Fang heard that, he stiffened in outrage.
He stared at Harry in utter disbelief, as if he couldn't believe this little two-legged human was shamelessly blaming everything on him.
The dog dashed over, stretched out his neck, and barked furiously, glaring at Harry with the most aggrieved expression imaginable.
Harry immediately understood what Fang was trying to say.
His face practically screamed:
"I may be a dog... but you're the real dog here."
"You know perfectly well why I passed out!"
"See?" Harry said to Hagrid. "He's angry."
"I have absolutely no doubt he wishes he could answer you in words," Poppy commented with an amused smile.
"All right, all right, Fang." Hagrid motioned for the dog to come back. "I know you're a scaredy-cat. Passing out from fright isn't anything to be ashamed of..."
Fang let out two pitiful whines before trudging back to Hagrid's side with his head hanging low.
Well...
His reputation as Hogwarts' biggest coward had just become even more firmly established.
The lunch break passed quickly.
Fortunately, first-year students only had two Potions classes on Fridays, leaving the afternoon and evening free to spend more time with Poppy.
Even so, they still needed their rest.
Harry reluctantly said goodbye to Poppy, promising to bring her more delicious food the next day before returning to the Gryffindor dormitory with his friends.
"My goodness, Harry... you really know a unicorn!" Hermione said, still full of excitement. "Unicorns are such incredibly pure creatures..."
Harry simply smiled.
"Harry..."
"Potter!"
Two voices called out at once, one from each side.
Harry suddenly felt his shoulders wrapped by two familiar arms.
Fred and George Weasley.
"Come have a chat with your big brothers," they said in perfect unison.
"Preferably before Miss Know-It-All finds out what we're planning."
Hermione merely blew her bangs aside and chose not to dignify them with a response.
"You guys go on ahead," Harry said to Ron and the others. "I need to talk to Fred and George."
"If I were you, I'd be careful," Ron warned. "Those two are definitely trouble."
"Oh, little Ronnie..."
"...you're just like Mum."
The twins spoke simultaneously once again.
Ron, who had been about to argue back, instantly turned scarlet.
Without another word, he lowered his head and headed for the dormitory.
Being called "little Ronnie" was almost as devastating as losing House points to Professor Snape during Potions.
The three of them walked into the Gryffindor common room.
Harry spoke first.
"So? Have you figured out what's hidden underneath Quirrell's turban?"
"Nope," Fred and George answered together.
"We haven't seen Professor Quirrell since our last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson this week. It's like he vanished somewhere inside Hogwarts."
"Really?"
Harry scratched his head.
His instincts told him something strange was happening, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"But that's not why we wanted to see you," Fred said.
He pulled a biscuit from his pocket and handed it to Harry.
"Here. Take a look."
"What's this?"
Harry held up the golden biscuit and examined it in the sunlight for quite a while, but couldn't see anything unusual about it.
"A Canary Cream," George said with a mischievous grin. "Our newest prank product. Eat one, and you'll temporarily transform into a human-sized canary. Brilliant, isn't it?"
Harry looked at Fred.
Then at George.
"You two really do have a gift for practical jokes."
He set the biscuit down on the table.
After all, he couldn't think of anyone at Hogwarts he actually wanted to use it on.
The twins immediately noticed his lack of enthusiasm.
Fred leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Just think about it, Harry..."
"If Quirrell eats this Canary Cream..."
"...and turns into a giant canary..."
"...then whatever he's hiding under that turban won't stay hidden anymore, will it?"
The two brothers repeatedly waggled their eyebrows, wearing identical mischievous grins.
Harry pictured Professor Quirrell transformed into a massive yellow canary...
"...Isn't that just a little too cruel?"
For the first time, he actually felt a little sorry for Quirrell.
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