The night was deep.
In the Gryffindor Common Room, the fire in the fireplace was gradually dying out, leaving only flickering sparks.
In the dormitory, Hermione lay on her four-poster bed, with Lia lying right beside her pillow.
She and Lia had agreed that if they were to sleep together, Lia had to turn into a cat; after all, for Hermione, sleeping while holding a Cat-girl was a bit too much.
Tossing and turning with an agitated mind, she simply couldn't fall asleep.
Hermione's mind was filled with scenes of Harry and Ron being caught by Filch and then being expelled by Professor McGonagall. No, she couldn't just stand by and watch that happen.
Hermione sat up abruptly.
She decided to follow them; even if she couldn't stop them from being foolish, she could at least warn them when Filch appeared. She quietly pulled back the bed curtains and put on her robes and shoes in the dark.
Everything was done silently.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, she froze.
By the faint moonlight streaming through the window, she saw a furry lump in her blankets, rising and falling slightly and rhythmically.
Hermione's heart softened instantly.
Just as she was about to reach out and tuck in the blanket, the lump suddenly moved.
A small, snow-white head poked out from the edge of the blanket.
In the dim light, those sapphire-like cat eyes were startlingly bright.
Lia didn't make a sound; she just tilted her head and looked at her quietly with those incredibly clear eyes.
[Where are you going?]
"I... I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back," Hermione whispered, trying to soothe her. "You stay here and sleep."
She reached out, wanting to pat Lia's head to reassure her.
But Lia just gave a light leap and silently jumped onto Hermione's shoulder.
Deftly adjusting her position, her long furry tail wrapped around Hermione's neck—not too tight, but enough to "lock" her and Hermione firmly together.
She looked at Hermione with those bright blue eyes again.
[Where you go, I go.]
Hermione: "..."
Well, she simply couldn't refuse Lia.
Carrying this little "accessory," Hermione crept out of the girls' dormitory and through the silent common room.
Harry and Ron were already nowhere to be seen.
As she pushed open the portrait of the fat lady and slipped into the Castle corridors, a cold, late-night chill rushed over her.
The corridor was pitch black, with only the moonlight from a distant window casting pale, long strips on the floor.
"Meow~" A very soft cry sounded in her ear.
Before Hermione could react, she heard a familiar shuffling of footsteps in the distance, accompanied by a scalp-tingling cat's meow.
It was Filch and his cat, Madam Norris!
Hermione's heart instantly leaped into her throat; she ducked back behind the portrait and held her breath.
The footsteps drew closer, and Hermione could even hear Filch's malicious muttering.
"Don't let me catch you... off to detention with you..."
Just then, Lia on her shoulder moved.
Lia's blue eyes were like two glowing stars in the pure darkness.
Her ears swiveled like radar, catching subtle sounds that human ears couldn't hear.
The draft in the Castle, the slight rattling of armor in the distance, even the loose flagstone under Filch's feet.
Hermione felt the tip of the tail wrapped around her neck gently and rhythmically pat her left cheek.
What does this... mean? Hermione hesitated. The tip of the tail patted again.
A flash of inspiration hit Hermione; she cautiously poked her head out and moved toward the darker fork in the path to the left.
Lia's tail tip gently patted her right cheek. Hermione immediately pressed against the wall to the right, her body blending into the shadow cast by a suit of armor.
The very next second after she hid, Filch's figure appeared at the end of the corridor, his scrawny cat at his heels, their eyes gleaming maliciously in the dark. Hermione's heart was nearly jumping out of her throat.
Under Lia's tail-commands, which were as precise as a navigation system, Hermione perfectly avoided every trap that might make a sound—creaky floorboards, nosy portraits, and even the elusive Peeves. She felt like a ghost, moving silently through the dark Castle.
They soon caught up with Harry and Ron.
The two reckless boys were arguing over who should lead, their voices sounding exceptionally piercing in the silent corridor. Hermione was about to step forward to stop them when Ron's nose twitched as if he were about to let out an earth-shattering sneeze.
"A—"
Faster than words could say, a white blur flashed from Hermione's shoulder.
Lia stretched her body out and, with her soft and elastic little paw pads, precisely covered Ron's mouth just as it was about to open.
"—Mmph mmph mmph!" The impending sneeze was forced into a series of muffled whimpers.
Ron's eyes widened in terror as he looked at the cat paw inches away.
Harry was also startled. Hermione quickly made a "quiet" gesture to them.
With the dual support of Lia as a "living radar" and a "physical silencer," the group actually managed to reach the Trophy Room on the fourth floor without incident.
The Trophy Room was empty, with only the moonlight reflecting coldly off the gold and silver trophies.
"Malfoy didn't come," Ron whispered. "He really did trick us!"
Hermione ignored them. Hah! She had expected as much!
She simply reached out and pulled Lia, who had jumped back onto her shoulder, into her arms.
The kitten's body was warm and soft; she was rubbing her cheek against Hermione's chin, purring contentedly. Hermione's heart was filled with unprecedented wonder.
This clingy little creature, who was usually afraid of pain and death and would be scared back into her original form by a mere table knife, had actually displayed such amazing abilities in the dark Castle tonight.
Hermione couldn't help but lean down and give Lia a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"You really are a treasure," she whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Lia squinted her eyes comfortably, her tail curling into a satisfied loop around Hermione's arm.
"He played us!" Ron growled angrily. "He must have gone to tell Filch!"
Before Ron could finish, a familiar, malicious cat's meow sounded in the distance.
"Run!" Harry shouted. They turned in a panic, only to find a short, plump figure blocking the corridor—it was Neville Longbottom.
"I forgot the password," Neville said tearfully. "the fat lady wouldn't let me in, I've been waiting here for hours..."
"Don't talk, just come with us!" Harry grabbed him.
Filch's footsteps and shouting came from one end of the corridor, so they could only sprint toward the other.
The dark corridor seemed endless, and the sounds of pursuit behind them drew closer.
Hermione held Lia tightly in her arms, her heart pounding.
In their panic, they rushed up the stairs and arrived at a forbidden corridor they had never been to before.
"We're doomed," Ron said despairingly. "It's the Forbidden Area!" Filch's voice was already close at hand.
"In here!" Harry shouted, pointing to a door at the end of the corridor.
He rushed over and twisted the doorknob; the door was locked.
"Move!" Hermione rushed forward; she pulled out her magic wand, her voice trembling slightly with tension. "Alohomora!" The lock made a soft click.
Harry shoved the door open, and they all piled inside.
Hermione was the last one in and quickly shut the door behind her.
The door muffled Filch's shouting. They were finally safe.
The four of them leaned against the door, panting heavily, still shaken.
The room was very dark and unnervingly quiet.
"Did we... lose him?" Neville whispered.
No one answered him. Because just then, a low growl suppressed in a throat echoed in the room.
The sound carried a physical pressure that made the entire wooden floor vibrate slightly.
They turned around stiffly, and as their eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, everyone's blood froze in an instant.
Six faintly glowing "stars" floated in mid-air.
By the dim light, they could vaguely see a massive black silhouette lying quietly not far in front of them.
With an impatient snort, the silhouette moved. Three massive heads slowly rose. Six eyes, gleaming with ferocity and malice, lit up in the darkness, staring intently at the unwelcome guests.
A monster they had only seen in mythology books—Cerberus.
Its massive size was like a truck, filling most of the room.
The mouths on the three heads were all slightly open, revealing yellowed fangs, and thick saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths, making a "drip-drop" sound on the stone floor.
Harry, Ron, and Neville stood frozen in place, their faces set in pure terror.
Even the usually calm Hermione had a blank mind now. She gripped her magic wand tightly but forgot which spell to use.
Cerberus's six eyes scanned them back and forth, as if choosing which snack to start with.
In this deathly silent atmosphere, a tiny figure, completely out of place, moved.
Lia, in Hermione's arms, showed no fear at all in the face of the terrifying Cerberus; instead, she curiously tilted her little furry head.
She hopped lightly out of Hermione's fear-stiffened embrace and landed steadily on the ground. Before the massive Cerberus, Lia was as tiny as a plush toy.
She looked up at the three hideous dog heads, each larger than her entire body.
She let out a soft cry toward the behemoth, tinged with a bit of innocence and curiosity.
"Meow~?"
The sound was very soft, but in the silent room, it was exceptionally clear.
Strangely, Cerberus's threatening posture came to a dead stop.
The six eyes on the three heads blinked simultaneously, and the massive heads lowered in confusion, almost touching the ground before finding the tiny figure that had made the sound.
It cautiously approached the little white furball, which was about the size of its paw, and sniffed deeply.
The warm draft of air made Lia's white fur sway. Harry and the others' hearts nearly stopped at the sight.
Lia, however, was not afraid at all. She even took two steps forward, stuck out her pink little tongue, and gave the wet nose a gentle lick.
A friendly gesture, typical of a Feline.
Then, she tilted her head up and let out a series of "meows" in various tones toward the massive head.
"Meow Meow-wu Meow..."
Her voice had ups and downs and a rhythm, as if she were having a serious cross-species conversation with the creature.
The violent and savage hostility in Cerberus receded like a tide during the exchange with the kitten.
Its three originally hideous heads slowly drooped.
One of the heads even used its rough cheek to clumsily nuzzle Lia's tiny body, nearly knocking her over.
It was quite a challenge for the big fellow to make such a gentle movement.
Then, it let out an earth-shattering yawn, accompanied by a heavy sense of sleepiness.
Finally, under the jaw-dropping gaze of everyone, it lay back down on the floor, its six eyes slowly closing as if preparing to sleep.
A deafening snoring replaced the previous growls.
Hermione was the first to snap out of her petrified state. Looking at this surreal scene, she didn't have time to think; she immediately pulled the dazed Harry and Ron, and gave a tug to Neville, whose legs were too weak to stand, as they crept back to the door.
Lia glanced back at them, gave another "meow" to the nearly asleep Cerberus as if saying goodbye, and then trotted back to Hermione's feet with an elegant Feline gait, nuzzling her.
Hermione scooped her up, twisted the door open, and the group scrambled out.
They sprinted all the way until they burst into the Gryffindor Common Room, and after the portrait of the fat lady closed behind them, they finally collapsed onto the rug in front of the fireplace.
After a long while, Ron found his voice. He stammered, looking at Lia—who was being held by Hermione and comfortably licking her paws—as if she were a monster.
"Hermione... Lia..."
"Did she... just... talk to that monster?"