HP: What, You've Never Seen a Symbiote at Hogwarts?

"Listen to me, Hermione."

This marked the first time Tiger had called Hermione by name. Her heartbroken little face instantly froze, misty eyes flickering with bewilderment.

"Allow me to introduce a friend. Don't worry—it can solve all our troubles."

Tiger cast a meaningful glance toward Marcus and the others crumpled in the corner, then tilted his head, peering behind himself.

"Say hello to my friend."

"Venom."

Upon hearing these words, the dissatisfaction and accusation in Hermione's eyes instantly vanished. She even rose on tiptoes with anticipation.

Friend!

Tiger said I'm his friend!

Her dark brown eyes sparkled brilliantly.

For Hermione, perpetually isolated, Tiger's acknowledgment blazed like dawn itself—bringing unprecedented joy and warmth.

This elation rivaled receiving her Hogwarts acceptance letter.

"Haha, Tiger, my stomach's already growling. These little morsels smell absolutely delicious."

"I can barely restrain myself."

Accompanied by excited shrieking, Venom suddenly emerged from behind Tiger's neck. Its head writhed and blurred, composed of semi-solid black liquid.

Gradually materializing pallid eyes flickered with eerie luminescence, as if bearing ominous portents.

For a full minute, Venom's hideous, terrifying head finally achieved complete form, hovering beside Tiger.

Clearly, it hadn't fully recovered from their separation.

"Haha, little girl!"

"I adore your plan, but I've got a superior idea—namely..."

"Eat them!"

"Dead men tell no tales..."

Venom greedily licked its lips.

"..."

The compartment fell deathly silent.

Bone-chilling coldness surged through their hearts. That crimson tongue and drooling fangs seemed mere inches away.

Chubby Neville's eyes rolled back. Like someone struck by a Petrification Curse, he collapsed unconscious.

Hermione's pupils contracted sharply, face rapidly paling as her body trembled uncontrollably.

She instinctively wanted retreating but forced herself to remain, stubbornly glaring at Venom.

She couldn't fathom her own defiance—clearly terrified beyond measure...

"It won't harm you."

"Provided you remain silent..."

Tiger lifted the bristling Gunpowder from atop his head, smoothly depositing the creature into Hermione's arms as comfort.

Hermione clutched Gunpowder helplessly.

Though she recognized Tiger was intimidating her, lingering terror still sealed her lips tightly.

Tiger then approached the corner slowly.

Marcus and his two companions, heaped together, continued feigning unconsciousness.

However, excruciating pain made their bodies twitch involuntarily.

As Tiger drew nearer step by step, a small glass vial suddenly slipped from Marcus's sleeve, revealing potion residue at its bottom.

"Ah, I'm absolutely famished. Which should I devour first? They all appear scrumptious..."

"Tiger, I fancy the cuisine you've selected."

"So pristine, so tender..."

A hoarse, sinister voice gradually rose.

The sticky, frigid tongue swept across Marcus and his companions' faces.

Sweet blood elicited satisfied sighs from Venom.

Adrian kept his eyes clenched shut, breath held. His face gradually purpled from suffocation.

Inner terror constantly assaulted his nerves, triggering violent, uncontrollable trembling.

In this extreme panic, he couldn't even control his bladder. Warm, rushing foulness rapidly spread along Marcus's neck...

"Devour them, Venom."

"End this permanently..."

Tiger's calm tone carried no emotion whatsoever. Venom simultaneously opened its meat-grinder-like serrated fangs.

"No..."

"Please..."

Just then, Lucian Bole—the least injured—tremblingly raised his hand, begging with tremendous difficulty.

"Shelby... please... I don't want dying... This involves me not at all..."

"I swear... by my family's honor..."

"I absolutely won't... seek vengeance..."

Even "least injured" remained purely relative. Despite consuming healing potions, Lucian Bole's torn facial flesh and chest cavity depression rendered further speech impossible. He could only regard Hermione with pleading eyes.

He understood perfectly—Shelby had never intended letting them survive. Begging proved utterly futile...

Merlin's beard, has this family gone completely mad?

"Tiger!"

Hermione's face displayed complete internal conflict. She didn't want Tiger continuing down this path, nor did she want him facing retaliation.

"Are you certain about this course?"

"Violence can't solve problems. Perhaps we've got better alternatives..."

Tiger's expression remained impassive. He observed the three pleading figures and sneered.

"Hermione, you don't comprehend the magical world, nor understand what manner of fools pure-blood nobility represents."

"The Shelby family has encountered far too many fools. When facing such situations, one must be thorough."

"Otherwise, you can't extinguish their vengeful courage—only creating future troubles."

"Precisely..."

Venom's laughter carried pure malice. "Though they're merely food... even fish possess bones, don't they?"

"No! No! No!"

"Please!"

"I also swear by my family's name!"

"We absolutely won't—"

As Venom's fangs and tentacles drew increasingly closer, Marcus and his companions completely lost their nerve. Tears and mucus streamed uncontrollably down their faces.

Despite their bodies enduring agonizing torment, all three desperately pleaded for their final lifeline.

Tiger never hesitated when action was required.

Hermione studied Tiger's back thoughtfully. She understood this aspect of him intimately.

So...

These three blokes don't actually need dying?

Uncertain—better keep observing!

"Tiger..." Hermione ventured tentatively, "Might I attempt something?"

"Let me reason with them, please."

Tiger remained silent, merely glancing at Marcus and his companions before slightly shifting position.

Exactly as expected!

Hermione exhaled tremendously, secretly celebrating her wisdom and understanding of Tiger.

She stepped forward briskly, little face taut as she regarded the still-weeping Marcus and his companions.

"Listen carefully. If you fancy living, memorize every word I'm about to utter."

"Yes..."

"I promise..."

"Please..."

Marcus and his companions immediately nodded frantically upon hearing this. They could distinctly feel Venom's sticky, powerful tentacles impatiently coiling around their ankles...

"Tiger's a first-year, meaning he'll remain at Hogwarts for seven years."

Hermione proudly lifted her chin, adopting contemptuous, cold expressions like a stage performer.

Though somewhat artificial, Marcus and his companions—vision darkening from pain—couldn't detect the pretense.

"Are you third or fourth-years?"

"Never mind—irrelevant. What matters is encountering Tiger daily."

Daily encounters...

Hearing this phrase, Marcus and his companions' hearts contracted violently. They even contemplated withdrawing from Hogwarts entirely.

Detecting this, Hermione's lips curved almost imperceptibly as she continued:

"You can choose dropping out, or informing others—but the worst outcome would merely be Tiger's arrest for malicious assault."

"But he'll emerge eventually, and he's hardly the sole madman in The Shelby family."

"When he's released..."

Hermione left her sentence unfinished, but Marcus and his companions grasped the implications perfectly.

Eyes overflowing with pleading and anguish instantly reflected profound terror and trembling.

"No no no..."

"We definitely won't..."

"Indeed—if you doubt us, we'll hire wizards at premium rates to cast Fidelius Charms upon us."

"Absolutely right!"

After glimpsing hope's faintest ray, Marcus and his companions clutched it like drowning men, babbling various assurances in overlapping chorus.

However, previous terror combined with excessive blood loss had pushed their stamina beyond all limits.

Though they struggled maintaining consciousness, they ultimately couldn't resist their bodies' boundaries, fainting successively as darkness consumed all awareness...

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ 

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