The Rebirth of Harry Potter

Harry thought for a moment, then flashed a mischievous grin, leaning in close to Hermione's ear and whispering softly.

As she listened, Hermione's face grew increasingly red, as if about to burst into steam.

She hesitated, gritted her teeth, and agreed.

After all,

No matter what he was betting on,

She knew Professor Snape too well.

She knew she would definitely win.

And since that was the case,

Even if his request was a little strange,

It didn't really matter.

Hermione convinced herself with that reasoning.

Then, she countered,

"Alright, but if I win, you have to give me your little Cutie."

Harry froze.

Then, remembering that he was bound to win,

He smiled and agreed.

Poor little Cutie,

Blissfully unaware that her beloved owner had just sold her off!

"Meow~~?"

At that moment,

Both of them were utterly convinced

That they would be the victor.

Who would actually win?

Let's wait and see.

That Night – The Dormitory

Outside, the wind howled through the castle,

A chilling cold creeping through the stone walls.

A small blur of fur darted into Harry's bed—

It was Cutie.

In just two months,

She had grown a lot.

Ever since Harry had taken her to the Hogwarts kitchen,

She had practically claimed it as her second home.

The sheer abundance of fresh fish had left her completely enamored.

Harry had wanted to bring Cutie to class,

But she never sat still,

And her constant meowing would disrupt the lessons.

So, he let her roam freely,

Climbing and jumping all over the school.

In fact,

She rarely even returned to his dorm at night.

Sometimes, Harry would go days without seeing her.

But now that the weather had turned colder,

Cutie had finally remembered she had an owner.

For the past few nights,

She had curled up beside him,

Sleeping soundly in his bed.

Harry was more than pleased.

As the temperatures dropped further,

What could be warmer or cozier

Than sleeping with a fluffy, living heater?

So, when Hermione had bet for Cutie,

Harry had hesitated for a moment.

This wasn't just a cat—

It was a natural hot-water bottle and pillow combined!

(Cutie: "Meow... Meow... Meow~~?"

Let's ask the world-renowned animal linguist, Luo Bei, for a translation!

Luo Bei: "Ahem, based on my expert analysis, she's saying, 'Master, is that really all I'm worth to you?'"

Applause, please! This expert is simply that brilliant!)

That night,

Harry gently stroked Cutie's fur,

Which had grown even glossier and silkier from her adventures outside.

Her contented purring had a hypnotic effect,

Lulling Harry into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The Next Morning – A Bitter Cold

The early morning frost was even harsher than the previous days.

Harry forced himself to get up,

Throwing on his robes in one swift motion—

The icy fabric jolted him wide awake.

Pure torture.

An absolute nightmare.

He reluctantly let go of his warm, fluffy Cutie,

Who was still curled up comfortably in his bed.

Meanwhile,

Back in the girls' dormitory,

Hermione was feeling uneasy.

It was the second period of the morning—

Potions class.

Watching Harry stride into the classroom confidently,

Hermione's self-assurance wavered.

Ever since last night,

She had been thinking about it non-stop.

Why would Harry ever place a bet he was doomed to lose?

And if she lost…

Then the bet…

Potions Class – The Dungeon

As usual,

Professor Snape's attitude toward Harry was utterly hostile.

This eased Hermione's nerves a little.

"As long as Snape keeps treating Harry like this,"

"There's no way he'd ever agree to his request."

Meanwhile,

Neville had changed.

It had only been a few days,

But his demeanor was completely different.

They say,

"The eyes are the windows to the soul."

And in Neville's eyes,

You could see the difference.

For the first time,

He wasn't avoiding eye contact.

He wasn't trembling when speaking.

He wasn't looking down at the floor.

The change was subtle,

But undeniable.

The Lesson Ends – Hermione's Anxiety Peaks

It was one of the most intense Potions classes Hermione had ever experienced.

She had never listened so carefully before,

Hanging onto Snape's every word,

Terrified that at any moment

He would say something she didn't want to hear.

The bell rang.

Hermione finally let out a breath of relief.

But twists always come when least expected!

Professor Snape's expression darkened, his face twisted in visible disgust as he spoke,

"Neville Longbottom!"

Neville turned pale instantly.

His hands trembled as he stood up, stammering,

"Y-Yes, Professor?"

Snape narrowed his eyes, his piercing gaze drilling into the boy.

His stone-cold expression was enough to send shivers down the entire class's spine.

Then, he smirked mockingly,

"Surprisingly, Mr. Longbottom has managed not to blow up a cauldron today."

The class erupted in laughter,

All except Hermione.

She sat there completely stiff, feeling uneasy.

But then—

Something no one could have predicted happened.

Professor Snape, his voice abrupt and indifferent, declared:

"One point to Gryffindor."

"Class dismissed."

With long, swift strides,

Snape stormed out of the dungeon,

As if something inside was utterly repulsive to him.

The Entire Class: Stunned. Completely Stunned.

One point.

Was one point a lot?

No—

It was terrifyingly excessive.

From the start of the school year,

Snape had only ever deducted points from Gryffindor.

Not once.

Not even ONCE.

Had he ever given them a single point.

Even when Harry had excelled in Potions,

All he received in return was mockery—

Never a single point.

This was one of the reasons Malfoy and the Slytherins loved Potions class so much.

But now—

The impossible had just happened.

Even if it was just one point,

It was still a miracle!

And to make it even more unbelievable,

The one who earned that point

Was Neville Longbottom—

The one student most famously terrible at Potions!

The entire class couldn't process it.

Malfoy, in particular,

Looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon whole.

The dungeon exploded into chaos.

The Biggest Winner? Harry Potter.

As for Neville—

He was too stunned to react.

Harry grinned triumphantly.

"Hermione, a bet is a bet."

Hermione huffed,

"Fine, I lost. But—"

She folded her arms,

"When did I ever say I'd agree to the terms of the bet? Hmph!"

Then,

She turned on her heel and rushed away—

Almost as if escaping for her life.

Harry: (⊙o⊙)…

Wait.

She could do that?!

Cutie,

Your master just fought with all his might to protect you!

Luo Bei's Notes:

Ever since the reward system changed a few days ago,

I haven't been a fan of it.

Before,

Readers could give 10 Qi Points—

It wasn't much,

But it felt nice seeing those small tips roll in.

Now?

No one tips anymore!

Heartbreaking.

But yesterday,

Four readers actually tipped 100 Qi Points each!

I was so happy!

This is the kind of recognition I live for.

So, seriously—

Thank you.

I need more favorites.

I need more recommendation votes.

Thank you.

Hogwarts Faculty & Staff

Headmaster:

Albus Dumbledore – Former Headmaster, Former Transfiguration Professor (Deceased)

Current Professors:

Minerva McGonagall – Headmistress, Former Gryffindor Head, Transfiguration Professor Pomona Sprout – Hufflepuff Head, Herbology Professor Filius Flitwick – Ravenclaw Head, Charms Professor Horace Slughorn – Slytherin Head, Potions Professor

Former Professors:

Severus Snape – Former Slytherin Head, Former Potions & DADA Professor Gilderoy Lockhart – Former DADA Professor (Hospitalized) Remus Lupin – Former DADA Professor (Dismissed) Alastor Moody – Former DADA Professor (Retired) Dolores Umbridge – Former High Inquisitor, Former DADA Professor (Dismissed) Quirinus Quirrell – Former DADA Professor (Deceased) Silvanus Kettleburn – Former Care of Magical Creatures Professor (Retired)

Other Staff:

Rubeus Hagrid – Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Keeper of Keys and Grounds Madam Poppy Pomfrey – School Nurse Argus Filch – Caretaker Madam Irma Pince – Librarian Cuthbert Binns – History of Magic Professor (Ghost) Sybill Trelawney – Divination Professor Firenze – Divination Professor Septima Vector – Arithmancy Professor Aurora Sinistra – Astronomy Professor Rolanda Hooch – Flying Instructor