Everyone Loves Harry Potter

Rupert Hagrid's timely arrival averted a human tragedy and restored conversation to the faculty lounge.

The professors gathered together; some shared their holiday experiences, some discussed this year's freshmen, and others speculated about Harry Potter's whereabouts.

This was something that almost all the professors cared about, and the three heads of the house were especially concerned (Professor McGonagall was not present). The heads of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both eager to have Harry, but Severus Snape remained silent.

Snape, with a sallow, greasy face, sat quietly curled up in a corner, lost in thought.

Of course, not everyone cared who the boy who survived the ordeal would end up with. Belvina Black, who almost died, didn't care much about it, nor did Bassheda Bablin, who had attempted murder.

At least for now, I don't care much.

Two young and beautiful witches huddled together, heads touching, whispering secrets to each other.

"Fudge?" Bassheda was slightly surprised. "He actually let you go, and even personally arranged for you to get into Hogwarts. Is he insane?"

"I don't know, even if he's not insane now, he's at least half-insane." Belvina mercilessly mocked her former boss. "He's all alone in the Ministry of Magic now, like a sheep without a shepherd dog, anyone can take a bite out of him."

Belvina paused, as if she were comparing herself to a dog.

"Don't worry about him. He's a former deputy director, after all; he shouldn't be torn to shreds." Bassheda waved her hand. "But why would Professor Dumbledore agree to this?"

Bassheda knew Belvina well. She knew that Belvina was not a pure-blood supremacist, that the equality Belvina displayed was actually discrimination against everyone, and that she was a crazy and dangerous person.

Their acquaintance dates back to 1979.

At that time, Belvina, who had just adapted to her new identity, returned to Hogwarts.

Whether at school or in Slytherin, the previously gloomy and unlikable Belvina had no friends. The advantage was that she didn't have to readjust to her new identity, and no one would pay much attention to her changes; the disadvantage was that she had to integrate into a completely unfamiliar environment on her own, and almost no one would offer her any help.

Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps destiny had quietly changed, but the solitary Belvina met the equally solitary Basilda. The two, who had never spoken before, forged a deep friendship on that afternoon when Mrs. Pins was chasing them with a feather duster.

From then on, the two women, who had always acted alone, began to travel together. They would stroll around the castle together, confront Mrs. Pince together in the library, and dream about the future together by the Black Lake.

It's fair to say that no one in the world understands Belvina better than Bassheda.

Even though Belvina herself had long forgotten her ambition, Bassheda kept it firmly in her heart and kept this extremely dangerous secret from her so that her friend would not be imprisoned.

"Did you interact much with Professor Dumbledore when you were at the Ministry of Magic?" Bassheda continued. "I really can't understand why Professor Dumbledore would let you teach Muggle Studies. Won't your relatives cause you trouble?"

Belvina shrugged speechlessly. This was also a question that had been bothering her for nearly a month: why did Dumbledore do this?

"To put it bluntly, most of my relatives are either dead or buried, there aren't many left," Belvina said nonchalantly. "I guess only Alaminta will make a fuss if she finds out, but I don't need to worry about her."

Then, Belvina's gaze swept around the common room, and she said jokingly, "Maybe Dumbledore thinks Slytherin is outnumbered and sent me to help out that old bat Snape?"

Hearing such an unreliable guess, even Bassheda couldn't help but laugh and cry.

She said, "You're helping Professor Snape? Don't be ridiculous. Do you even believe your own lies? I'd rather believe Professor Dumbledore cast Legilimency on you than believe you'd willingly help Professor Snape. You two should be grateful you don't blow up the Slytherin common room."

The painful memories are still vivid in her mind. She can’t forget how Snape targeted Belvina and how Belvina retaliated. Those days were a disaster for Slytherin.

"Am I that kind of person?" Belvina asked, slightly annoyed. "I'm a law-abiding, obedient witch. It's always Snape who's causing trouble. Tell me, when have I ever started it?"

Bassheda smiled without saying a word.

Humans have a great deal of forgetfulness; they subconsciously forget certain things they have done, especially those that were detrimental to them.

Before Belvina could continue splashing dirty water on Snape, Professor Felix Flitwick began to call everyone to take their seats in the Great Hall, as most of the students had arrived.

Led by Professor Frivi, the professors filed into the bustling auditorium and took their seats in their respective faculty positions.

Belvina was almost at the back of the table. To her left was Bassheda, and to her right was a male witch with skin so white it seemed to glow, and with his bright red hair, his ethnic features were all too obvious.

"This is Paul, Paul Bernard, he's been very kind to me," Bassheda whispered. "Paul, and this is Belvina, my best friend."

"Hello there."

"Nice to meet you."

The two exchanged pleasantries briefly, polite yet distant.

Bassheda tilted her head and thought for a while, then decided to leave the problem to time to solve, believing that the two of them would eventually become friends.

As Albus Dumbledore appeared in the headmaster's seat in the center, the buzz in the Great Hall gradually subsided. The moment everyone had been waiting for was about to arrive: the boy who had survived was about to make his grand entrance.

The auditorium doors opened, and the first-year students, led by Professor Minerva McGonagall, lined up and walked through the college tables until they stopped in front of the faculty seating area.

Which one is Harry Potter?

"Has Harry Potter really enrolled?"

"I saw him on the bus; he was fighting with some other freshmen!"

The buzzing resumed as the students craned their necks to look at the uneasy little boy, all talking about Harry Potter and his heroic deeds on the train.

Bassheda finally remembered that this year's freshmen included Harry Potter, and she lowered her voice to ask, "Belvina, you also came by train, do you know which one Harry Potter is?"

"That one, the one with the spiky hair, so skinny he looks like my Kreacher," Belvina pointed discreetly. "I seriously suspect this kid's been abused at his Muggle aunt's house. Look how thin he is!"

"Damn it!" Overwhelmed with maternal instinct, Bassheda slammed her hand on the table, drawing the attention of the professors. She quickly raised her hand to apologize.

Bassheda leaned down and whispered, "How awful! If I kept him around, he'd be all plump and healthy!"

Belvina wholeheartedly agrees with this.

Given Basilda's habit of flaunting any money she has, she could raise even Mrs. Lorris into a fat, chubby orange cat. If Harry were raised by her, he would definitely be the old lady's dream grandson.

"Excuse me, did you graduate from Hogwarts ten years ago?" Paul stabbed him in the back. "Are you planning to be taking care of kids in the Hufflepuff common room?"

Paul Bernard looked tall and imposing, more like a gladiator than a wizard. He also had a very magnetic voice, suggesting a natural talent for broadcasting.

Faced with a golden opportunity to betray her friend, Belvina surprisingly remained silent. It wasn't that she didn't want to be sarcastic, but rather that she already had a picture in her mind.

In the warm and bright Hufflepuff common room, Bassheda paced back and forth, carrying her child... In the chilly castle corridors, Bassheda carried her child on her back, hurrying to the classroom... In the quiet library, Bassheda, carrying the infant Harry, charged in and out seven times...

The scene was so beautiful that Belvina couldn't look at it directly.

"Bernard, I'll fight you to the death!" Bassheda said, holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, wishing she could transform into Hannibal Lecter immediately.

Just as Basilda was giving Paul a glare, the Sorting Ceremony had already begun. Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the new students and then put a tattered old wizard's hat on it.

The Gryffindor hat split open, and its annual solo concert began.

"You may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge a book by its cover. If you can find a more beautiful hat than me, I'll eat myself... because I'm a thinking magic hat!"

The freshmen, lined up in a row, all breathed a sigh of relief. They no longer had to worry about the Sorting Ceremony; it turned out that all they had to do was put on a hat, and they didn't have to face any trolls at all.

Belvina noticed that Hermione Granger patted her flat chest in the crowd, and Neville Longbottom, who was holding the toad Raef, looked much calmer. The two little ones finally felt relieved.

"This hat still sings terribly," Belvina complained. "You're saying it only managed to compose one song in a year? Doesn't that mean it's actually pretty untalented?"

Day by day, Belvina's little mouth seemed to be coated with poison; she could chatter on and on about anyone.

"Whether it's difficult or not doesn't matter, I just want to know which house Harry Potter will go to?" Bassheda said, her eyes fixed on Harry. "Do you think he'll take my classes when he's in his third year?"

"You're not Professor Sprout, why are you meddling in this?" Belvina looked at the three deans on the faculty panel.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout both had longing in their eyes; they both wanted to take Harry under their wing. Snape, on the other hand, the Headmaster of Slytherin, had an extremely complex expression, so complex that one couldn't help but wonder if he'd lost his mind.

"One Galleon!" Bassheda held up a slender white finger. "One Galleon, it must be Hufflepuff's."

"I'll give you a Galleon," Paul said, "but I'm backing Ravenclaw. Professor Flitwick is a great teacher; he'll definitely make Harry Potter an even greater wizard."

Then, both Bassheda and Paul looked at Belvina with passionate gazes, as if she were some exciting program.

"I choose Gryffindor. Don't forget that hat belongs to Gryffindor; if they were to pull some strings, how would we know?"

At this point, even those actually seated at the end of the faculty seats joined in. Rupert Hagrid said, "I think Professor Black is wrong, but I still support Gryffindor! I'll also throw a Galleon!"

Hagrid, beaming with pride, continued, "Because Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world."

At the same time, Professor McGonagall unfolded the parchment in her hand and loudly called out the first name of the evening—

"Hannah Abbott!"