Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - C.1031: It’s Really Hard to Pretend to Be Fierce

“Sirius!” said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him.

“I’ve warned you, Snivellus,” said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape’s, “I don’t care if Dumbledore thinks you’ve reformed, I know better. In my opinion, you’re just Lucius Malfoy’s lapdog…”

“Oh, but why don’t you tell him so?” whispered Snape. “Or are you afraid he might not take your advice very seriously.”

“Humph, you can try!” Sirius raised his wand. “I’ll make sure you take my words seriously.”

“NO!” Harry yelled, but it was too late; they had already started!

Spells were flying, and by the time Evan and the others rushed down upon hearing the noise, the kitchen was a mess.

Sirius’s arm was bleeding, and Harry stood in place gripping his wand. He was under the influence of a spell.

As for Snape, Sirius must have landed a few solid punches on his face; he looked quite battered.

“Oh my goodness, Sirius, Severus, what are you two doing?!” screamed Mrs. Weasley.

They both ignored her and looked at each other with utmost contempt on their faces.

Then, Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, ignoring everyone. At the door he looked back.

“Six o’clock Monday evening, Potter.”

He was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side.

“What’s been going on?”

“Nothing, just a failed little chat between two old school friends,” said Sirius apologetically. “Sorry, Harry, I didn’t want to fight him, I just wanted things to be better, but I couldn’t help it. If he treats you badly or gives you a hard time, be sure to tell me. I’ll make him pay.”

Sirius was telling the truth. He really couldn’t control his desire to beat up Snape.

This habit probably started from his school days. No matter what happened or what the situation was, he would give Snape a good beating first.

Evan couldn’t help but wonder if Harry’s dad would have been the same if he were still alive.

“Okay,” said Harry, not planning to tell Sirius.

He didn’t want Sirius to be fighting with Snape, no matter how foully Snape treated him in their forthcoming Occlumency classes.

Anyway, this was how the Christmas holidays ended this year.

The following day, they prepared to take the Knight Bus back to Hogwarts, escorted by Sirius, Tonks and Lupin.

After a hurried breakfast they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning, ready to leave.

Elaine had been looking forward to the Hogwarts Express and Platform Nine and Three Quarters, but the Knight Bus was also nice.

Anyway, no matter what it was, it was new to her.

Evan had told her to stay close to him or Hermione at school, not to wander around, and certainly not to do anything dangerous.

This girl was really unsettling. She actually said she wanted to visit the Slytherin Common Room.

In addition, she also wanted to check out the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets; Evan wondered if she knew Parseltongue.

Although she was a descendant of Slytherin, Elaine seemed to have never shown any talent in this area.

The group of people boarded the bus, and Elaine let out a burst of exclamation.

Evan had seen the Knight Bus at night before and its three decks had been full of brass bedsteads, completely different from what he saw before him.

Now, the bus was crammed with an assortment of mismatched chairs grouped haphazardly around windows.

Some of these appeared to have fallen over when the bus stopped abruptly in Grimmauld Place; a few witches and wizards were still getting to their feet, grumbling, and somebody’s shopping bag had slid the length of the bus; an unpleasant mixture of frog spawn, cockroaches, and custard creams was scattered all over the floor.

“Looks like we’ll have to split up,” said Tonks briskly, looking around for empty chairs. “Fred, George, and Ginny, if you just take those seats at the back … Remus can stay with you…”

She, Sirius, Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Elaine proceeded up to the very top deck, where there were many empty chairs. Evan, Hermione, and Elaine went to the backmost chairs, with Tonks in the row in front of them, and Sirius accompanied Harry and Ron to sit in the empty chairs at the front.

Evan noticed that many people were staring at them, but when they sat down, those heads quickly turned away.

In school, they might not feel it, but in reality, Harry, Evan, and Sirius were very famous in the Wizarding world.

Elaine sat at the end, and she noticeably spoke less. It was obviously the first time she saw so many wizards.

She was very afraid of strangers, and in the education she received in the past, staying away from wizards was the top priority.

Now she was surrounded by so many wizards, and she was a little confused.

In addition, she seemed to be a bit afraid of light, with the hood of her cloak pressed down low on her head.

“Do all human wizards travel this way?” Elaine asked, looking out the window at Grimmauld Place rapidly retreating.

“This is just one of them, as a supplement for those who can’t use Apparition and the Floo Network,” said Evan. “The bus was introduced from Muggles… Are you all right?”

“It’s okay,” said Elaine, her face becoming even paler. “Just a bit scared!”

Looking at the wizards around her, she suddenly wondered if she was too reckless to go to Hogwarts like this.

Everything seemed different from what she had imagined. What if her identity was discovered?

“Don’t worry, we’re here!” said Evan, seeing Tonks turning her head to participate in their conversation.

“Elaine, you can’t be like this. It’s easy to be bullied at school,” said Tonks with interest. “I’ll teach you a trick. You have to look fierce. Do as I say. That’s right, show your teeth … widen your eyes … um … look fierce … fiercer … knit your eyebrows together.”

Elaine did as she was told, but no matter how you looked at it, it was just cute, not fierce at all.

Seeing this, Tonks couldn’t help laughing out loud, and her hair changed from purple to a cute candy pink.

“It’s really hard to pretend to be fierce!”

“Don’t listen to her,” said Hermione. “At Hogwarts, everyone is very friendly and no one will bully you. No matter what happens, there’ll be Evan and me with you.”

“Hermione is a prefect, and I used to be the Head Boy, and the boys all listened to me.”

“Why used to be?” Elaine asked.

“Oh … long story. I got removed from my position as Head Boy because of an annoying woman.”

“An annoying woman?!” Elaine was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. “It’s the toad that Ron keeps talking about, isn’t she?”

“That’s right. She is indeed the only person in the school who might bully you,” Hermione nodded seriously.

Evan and Hermione told Elaine about Umbridge and reminded her to be prepared.

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