Lily pulled her out, her face surprisingly radiating a maternal glow, warm and gentle.
"You don't have to be like this, Kona." Lily looked at her with her beautiful emerald eyes. "I have an older sister who I usually get along with very well, but when I showed my magic talent, her attitude towards me changed 180 degrees.
"She always spoke to me with disgust, and when I made small objects fly around the house for fun, she would frown and loudly scold me.
"...Severus said she was jealous, but all I saw in her eyes was hatred.
"I think she might have been a little envious at first, but now she just thinks I'm an anomaly... During the holidays, I'll buy her some magic makeup, and she's quite happy using it.
"No matter what, she's still my family, my dearest and most beloved family." After Lily finished this long speech, she hugged Kona, gently stroking Kona's back.
"How do you plan to spend the summer?" Howard, sensing the heavy atmosphere, quickly changed the subject. "How about we go out and play together?"
"Lily and I have agreed to go to her house for the summer," Alfrina said apologetically.
"How about this, we visit everyone's homes one by one?" Howard excitedly slapped the table.
"But..." Kona hesitated.
"It's okay, we won't go to Kona's house for now. If you want to play, you can stay at my house for a while; my parents are very welcoming," Lily said, embracing Kona.
"Then it's settled," Howard seemed very enthusiastic about the matter.
"Are we not going to do any review highlights this semester?" Lily asked.
"No, we're not. There are only five of us now. If anyone doesn't understand something, just ask each other. This stuff is too tiring.
"I plan to sell the highlights compiled in the first and second years to earn some money to supplement household expenses. If there are any group activities in the future, the expenses will come from this money," Alfrina said.
Minister Jenkins replied very quickly. Less than two weeks after they sent their proposal, Ms. Jenkins held a press conference, announcing to the media in Britain that the Quidditch rules would undergo new changes, and the proposal had already been submitted to the World Quidditch Affairs Department headquarters in the United States.
This news immediately caused a stir. The Quidditch rules have not been changed many times, with the two most important changes being the addition of the Golden Snitch and the introduction of pitch boundaries.
At the same time, the British media focused on the organization that drafted these rules—"A Maverick Pig."
The name was peculiar, and after learning that they were just a school organization and had participated in last year's Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum reform, the media swarmed in like sharks smelling blood.
Every morning, the five of them received dozens of letters, many of which were requests for exclusive interviews, making those around them green with envy.
Lupin and Snape also received many letters because their names were not on this year's Quidditch rule draft. Rumor had it that the two of them had withdrawn from the organization, and many wondered what they were thinking.
Lupin had a good attitude, replying to every single letter full of probing questions, while Snape's face was as grim as if he had eaten a booger-flavored Every Flavor Bean.
He wished he had stayed another year. He hadn't expected Alfrina and the other four to play such a big game this time. Once this draft was approved, it would be implemented throughout the entire magic world, and the Galleons earned would definitely be substantial.
The House of Malfoy treated him well, giving him a thousand Galleons each year in exchange for the Potions he made, but he still needed money.
His mother's health was deteriorating. Ever since he revealed himself to be a Wizard, his father had been drinking heavily every day, and when drunk, he would beat his mother and him. He was no longer the kind man who used to let him sit on his shoulders for a piggyback ride.
Snape's mother had been disowned by the Prince family to marry this man. How could she have imagined he would become like this?
Eileen Snape, both physically and mentally broken, now only cared about her son.
Snape didn't want to see his mother die with a heart full of unwillingness and regret.
He looked at letter after letter, his eyes dark and unreadable, his fingers unconsciously clenching the paper.
He wasn't interested in Quidditch, but he admitted he still had a little regret.
However, since he had already withdrawn, there was no reason for him to rejoin. Besides, he had already connected with the House of Malfoy, and it would be over if they found out he was associating with a group of Muggle-borns.
Snape thought for a long time and realized that "A Maverick Pig" becoming famous brought him nothing but annoyance.
He picked up a stack of Potion books, intending to go to Professor Slughorn's office to continue practicing Potions.
There were too many worries, but when immersed in Potions, Snape could temporarily forget all the unhappiness.
Summer arrived in the blink of an eye. Gary, having finished his final exams, was chatting with his friends on the hillside by the Black Lake. They politely declined interview requests from newspapers, with Alfrina only providing a brief overview of how the new Quidditch rules were formulated.
Alfrina used the money from selling review materials to buy a large pile of snacks, which she shared with her friends on the hillside.
Lily went to find Snape. Being pure and kind, she was still trying her best to mend their friendship.
Gary habitually began to preview the next year's lessons. He opened his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, unconsciously skipping over the parts he had previously organized.
He roughly flipped through the textbook, and Gary's finger suddenly stopped. The pages stopped turning, landing on a chapter Gary had not yet encountered.
"Werewolf..." He looked at the Werewolf illustrations in the new textbook, lost in thought.
"Gary, Gary!" Howard interrupted his thoughts. "We're discussing the schedule for visiting everyone's homes during the summer. What do you think?"
"Me? I'm fine with anything." Gary didn't lift his head, his eyes fixed on the textbook.
"What's wrong?" Alfrina sensed something was amiss and immediately leaned closer.
Her gaze also fell on the Werewolf photo. The Werewolf's eyes were blood-red, its body sleek and full of power, its massive form howling at the moon.
"Even a pure-hearted person, one who remembers to pray at night, can hardly avoid transforming into a wolf on the full moon night when wolfsbane blooms."
Alfrina read the sentence below the picture word for word, her face solemn.
"What's wrong? Isn't this a Werewolf? I was the one who compiled the information back then." Kona, with wide eyes, inserted herself between Gary and Alfrina.
"Is the essential characteristic of a Werewolf the color of its eyes?" Gary recalled the wolf in the Shrieking Shack, which had the same bloodthirsty and ferocious gaze.
"Yes, that's an important point for distinguishing Werewolves from wolves. The OWL exam will even cover this knowledge," Kona said as a matter of course.