"Grrrrrrrr——"
An ill-timed sound abruptly interrupted Hermione's "academic lecture."
The sound came from Lia's stomach.
She hadn't had a single drop of water or food since Headmaster Dumbledore ordered a meal for her yesterday. The long journey and high tension had consumed a great deal of her stamina.
Hermione's words came to an abrupt halt.
Both she and Ron's gazes fell squarely on Lia's stomach.
Lia's face flushed bright red instantly, and even the tips of her snow-white ears took on a lovely shade of pink.
Extreme embarrassment and hunger mingled together, causing another small surge of magical unrest within her.
With a soft "poof,"
the white-haired cat-eared girl standing at the door vanished.
In her place was a snow-white, elegantly poised Ragdoll Cat sitting on the floor.
Those sky-blue eyes were filled with bashfulness and helplessness. With a whoosh, she darted under the seat.
"Merlin's beard!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up from his seat.
Hermione's reaction, however, was completely different.
She was stunned at first, then overjoyed. Her intelligent eyes shone with a light ten times more intense than before!
"Oh my!" she let out a suppressed gasp of surprise and delight, "You... you really can transform! You're so adorable!"
All her "cat-lover" attributes were thoroughly ignited at this moment.
Hermione immediately stopped all her theories on Transfiguration. She crouched down and carefully rummaged through her satchel.
Soon, she pulled out a piece of pumpkin biscuit wrapped in a handkerchief and gently offered it to Lia in her Ragdoll Cat form.
"Are you hungry?" Her voice became even softer and gentler, carrying a coaxing tone, "Try this, it's quite tasty. My mum made it."
The sweet scents of butter and pumpkin drifted into Lia's nose.
She looked at the golden biscuit in Hermione's hand, then raised her head to meet Hermione's sincere, friendly, and even slightly expectant eyes.
This was the first human... besides Dumbledore... to actively show her goodwill and offer her food.
Lia's Danger Intuition remained utterly silent.
Hesitating for a moment, she carefully inched out from under the seat in her feline form.
Then, she extended her pink tongue and gave the edge of the biscuit a gentle lick.
The sweet, crispy flavor melted on her taste buds. Lia's blue eyes widened slightly.
Without further hesitation, she lowered her head and began nibbling on the biscuit in small bites.
Seeing Lia enjoying her food, Hermione took the opportunity to scoop Lia into her arms, holding the pumpkin pastry near Lia's mouth.
The soft and warm sensation drew a contented sigh from her.
Life was complete!
She felt this girl who could turn into a cat was simply the cutest creature in the world.
Just at this cozy moment, the compartment door was pushed open once again.
A black-haired boy with round glasses and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead peeked in.
He looked somewhat shy and uneasy.
Ron immediately recognized him, his mouth forming an "O."
Oh no, a little teacher, a cat, and now the "savior" in the compartment!
"Sorry... everywhere else is full. Is... is there still room here?"
Hermione looked up and saw the new boy. She glanced down at Lia, who was covered in biscuit crumbs and whose tail tip was still swaying gently in satisfaction. Her smile deepened.
"Of course, come in." Hermione pointed to the empty seat beside her, then gestured to Lia, who was single-mindedly nibbling her biscuit on the floor. She winked at the new boy and lowered her voice.
In a tone that shared a little secret, she said: "I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron, and this is Lia. But you'd better be careful, my new friend... she seems to have quite an appetite."
...The night was as dark as ink.
A dozen small boats rowed themselves across the calm surface of the Black Lake. The lanterns at their prows cast a dim yellow light, illuminating young faces filled with wonder and awe.
Lia sat between Hermione and the black-haired boy named Harry.
When the magnificent, complete outline of Hogwarts Castle appeared ahead, everyone let out an irrepressible gasp of amazement.
Countless towers soared into the clouds; the pinpricks of light from the windows twinkled like stars against the night sky.
The entire Castle was reflected in the mirror-like lake, merging with the starry sky above in a dreamlike scene.
Lia had never seen such a magnificent sight.
The trees of the Forbidden Forest had seemed tall enough in her eyes, but compared to the Castle before her now, they were nothing.
Her blue eyes reflected the Castle's brilliant lights. For a moment, she forgot about the crowded people around her and the unease in her heart.
The boats docked. Led by a tall half-Giant, they climbed stone steps and arrived before a massive oak door.
The door was opened by a stern-looking Witch wearing emerald-green robes.
She wore a pointed hat, her hair neatly coiled at the back of her head.
"First years, Professor McGonagall," the half-Giant guide introduced.
Professor McGonagall's stern gaze swept over each new student as if conducting some silent inspection.
When her gaze fell upon Lia, who stood out conspicuously in the crowd, those sharp eyes paused for a moment.
She pressed her lips tightly together, a flicker of astonishment, imperceptible to most, passing through her eyes before quickly returning to her usual unsmiling, serious demeanor.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, children," Professor McGonagall said. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly."
She led the new students through the entrance hall toward a set of double doors.
The moment the doors were pushed open, Lia was once again struck speechless by the sight before her.
Before her was an incredibly spacious Great Hall. Four long tables were filled with students.
The whispers of thousands merged into a massive wave of sound, almost painful to her sensitive ears.
The air was a mixture of the scent of wax from thousands of candles and the ancient smell of wood and stone.
It was unbelievably beautiful. Lia instinctively reached out and tightly grabbed the sleeve of Hermione's school robe beside her.
The soft fabric, and the faint, bookish scent coming from Hermione, gave her a sliver of security.
Hermione felt the tug on her sleeve. She looked down and saw Lia's blue eyes, which looked somewhat lost and helpless from sensory overload.
So she gently took hold of Lia's cold fingers and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. This place is enchanted, it looks just like the sky outside. I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History.'"
The first years stopped before the staff table.
Headmaster Dumbledore stood up, welcoming them with a beaming smile.
His gaze found Lia in the crowd, and he gave her a gentle nod.
Then, Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of everyone. On the stool sat a pointed Wizard's hat that looked old, patched, and worn.
The entire Great Hall fell silent.
Suddenly, a seam opened on the brim of the hat like a mouth, and it began to sing in a strange, off-key voice.
Lia listened, somewhat confused, finding it rather unpleasant. She stared nervously at the singing hat, her tail anxiously wrapping around her own calf.
After the song ended, the Sorting Ceremony officially began.
"Hannah Abbott!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"..."
"..."
One by one, young Wizards were sorted and went to sit at their House tables.
"Hermione Granger!" Soon, Professor McGonagall called Hermione's name.
Hermione nervously scurried forward. Almost as soon as she placed the hat on her head, it shouted in a raspy voice: "Gryffindor!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the Gryffindor table.
Hermione sighed in relief and happily ran over.
The sorting continued. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter were also sorted into Gryffindor one after the other, each causing quite a cheer.
Finally.
"Lia!"
When Professor McGonagall called out this surname-less, solitary name, a small stir rippled through the Great Hall.
All eyes focused on the petite, white-haired girl with cat ears and a tail.
Lia's body instantly stiffened.
Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, surprise, and even disdain, she nearly had another stress reaction if not for the reassuring looks she felt from Dumbledore and Hermione.
"Go on, Lia, it's alright," Hermione mouthed to her from the Gryffindor table, looking at her with encouraging eyes.
Lia took a deep breath and walked with stiff steps, shuffling over to the four-legged stool.
As soon as she sat down, Professor McGonagall placed the worn hat on her head.
The hat was large, almost completely blocking her vision.
The world instantly plunged into darkness and silence.
One second... two seconds... ten seconds.
The Sorting Hat remained silent. The Great Hall was also deathly quiet, everyone waiting curiously for the result.
Just as Lia thought the hat might be broken, an old, hoarse voice tinged with astonishment sounded directly in her mind.
"Oh! Merlin's beard! This is... what is this?" The hat's voice was filled with unprecedented shock.
"An unheard-of soul! I sense... a beast's instinct, primal, pure... but the other half, what is it? Is it... love? Such pure, unreserved love and dependence... Half beast, half love? How can a single soul harbor two such extreme and contradictory things simultaneously!"
"What a special little one."
The Sorting Hat seemed to fall into great confusion, muttering to itself in Lia's mind.
"No family ambition, no interest in power. Slytherin is out.
No pure thirst for knowledge, only a robust curiosity. Ravenclaw is out.
Fairness and hard work... hmm... doesn't seem like Hufflepuff either..."
"Then, that leaves only..." The hat fell silent. It seemed to see something deep within Lia's soul.
It saw three deaths etched into her soul, saw that extreme fear of pain. But it also saw, beneath that fear, beneath that wild instinct, a willingness to bare her claws and go all out... courage.
The courage of a beast pushed to the brink, the most primal, most desperate courage to fight tooth and nail, to shatter bones and tear throats, to perish together with the enemy!
Suddenly! The Sorting Hat seemed to make up its mind. Its loud voice boomed throughout the Great Hall.
"Gryffindor!"
The entire Great Hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.
A few seconds later, at the Gryffindor table, the Weasley family's twin brothers, Fred and George, were the first to react.
They sprang to their feet, erupting into earth-shattering applause and cheers.
"Welcome to Gryffindor!" Thunderous applause and laughter followed, instantly flooding the Great Hall.
"Hey, our House got a..."
"Cat Girl!" Fred and George whistled, "That's So Cool!"
Lia took off the hat, looking bewildered at everything before her. Then, pulled by a force, she was seated next to Hermione.
Hermione gave her an excited hug, saying loudly in her ear, "That's fantastic! We're in the same House!"
Sitting amidst the noisy crowd, Lia looked at the red-haired twins winking at her from across the table.
Then she looked at Hermione, who was smiling joyfully beside her, and thought for the first time.
The human world, perhaps... wasn't so terrifying.
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