13. Bloody Butterfly

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The next day.

"Hey, Happy!" A cheerful voice called out to Happy as he made his way down the Gryffindor corridor.

"Hi!" Happy replied with a grin.

"Oi mate!" Another voice shouted from a group of students huddled around a table.

"Hey!" Happy waved back at them, feeling the warmth of their friendly greeting.

"Morning, Happy!" Another Gryffindor chimed in as he passed by.

"Morning!" Happy replied, feeling more and more at home in the Gryffindor house.

"Good Morning, Happy!" Yet another student greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning!" Happy responded.

There was a noticeable change in the atmosphere in the Gryffindor common room. Even the most popular students, particularly those on the Quidditch team, were approaching Happy with greetings and warm smiles. The news of his generous gift to the Quidditch team, buying them all new brooms, had spread throughout the house, and his reputation was starting to improve.

Money had officially bought Happy some happiness.

But Happy knew that buying happiness could only go so far. If he continued to shower his fellow students with gifts, they would always expect him to do so.

So, Happy avoided anyone who mentioned things they needed 'off-handedly', and instead sought out conversations with those who wanted to talk about more meaningful topics like schoolwork, magical games, or even relationships. However, he never hesitated to join in when the discussion revolved around his favorite subject—food!

Happy spent his days meeting new people and making new friends.

But, when Happy saw a group of Quidditch team members gathering to discuss their game strategy, he decided to duck down, trying to avoid getting noticed. Even if he was a 'proud' member of the reserve players, he didn't have a strong passion for sports. He just wanted to sit comfortably on the sidelines, indulging in his buttered popcorn.

'Life is good. Now, if only those kitchen elves would just let me in.'

....

Happy walked down the stairs of the castle as he munched on his custard-filled bread. Today was Halloween, so there were no classes. While the senior students used the day to further their romantic aspirations, Happy couldn't wait to see the feast of sweets they would get tonight.

"Wait!" He abruptly paused, looked at the bread in his hand, and wondered, 'If Gryffindor has its own themed snacks, would other houses also have different snacks? Different sweets and more?'

His eyes lit up.

He was a food enthusiast, and his passion for discovering unique treats knew no bounds. With the new realization, he was determined to visit all the common rooms.

'I can't be a good critic of which house is the best if I don't experience it all.' Happy thought.

However, Happy's lack of friends presented a significant challenge. He wasn't close to anyone in the other houses to openly ask them to take him in, and even if he did, he doubted anyone would have the nerve to sneak him in.

But Happy was feeling particularly adventurous and had set his sights on exploring Ravenclaw's common room first as they were easy to deal with, alongside Hufflepuff.

The Ravenclaw Tower was one of the most recognizable structures in Hogwarts, towering over the other rooftop with its elegant and sophisticated appearance, meaning it wasn't too hard to find.

Ravenclaws were known for their exceptional intellect and a love for knowledge, and he knew that gaining entry to the Ravenclaw's common room was as simple as answering a few questions. However, Happy was stumped as to what book to bring with him to the Ravenclaw common room. The statue guarding the entrance posed questions that could touch upon a multitude of subjects.

'Ugh, I guess I'll have to step inside that unholy place again.'

After much contemplation, Happy finally made a choice and headed to the Hogwarts library for a couple of hours. He checked out a few books and then made his way to the Great Hall.

....

The Halloween feast in the Hogwarts Great Hall was a magical and festive affair.

The walls were adorned with ghostly decorations, flickering pumpkins casting an eerie glow on the students below. The air was filled with the scent of spiced cider and roasted meats, and the tables were overflowing with delicious treats and sweets. Students from all houses were dressed in their finest wizarding attire, chatting and laughing as they feasted on pumpkin pasties, chocolate cakes, candied apples, and other delights.

As the dinner feast was served, Happy was fully absorbed in reading, surrounded by the books he had borrowed from the library.

With no regard for the world around him, Happy was sitting alone, mumbling different things from the thick books that he had propped open in front of him, even as delicious food was being served all around him.

The rare sight caught everyone's attention. Everyone had gotten used to seeing Happy being an unstoppable food-devouring machine, so his actions seemed as unnatural as a pureblood Slytherin standing up for a muggle.

"Blimey! Happy's got his nose buried in books!" Ron exclaimed.

"Has he caught a fever or something?" Harry asked as he and Ron walked over to Happy's table and sat down beside him.

The two friends peered over at the books Happy was reading, which were all about Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Magical History. All of the books were from higher-level classes.

"A-Are you alright, Happy?" Ron asked him.

Happy simply shrugged, not breaking his focus on the texts in front of him. "Go get me some orange sherbet, Ron. I have decided to abstain from indulging in the delights of Hogwarts before I achieve my goal."

Harry and Ron looked at each other's faces, worried something had possessed their foodie friend. Ron proceeded to even check his forehead for fever.

"Don't worry about exams. I'm worse at studies than you are." Ron said as he massaged Happy's shoulders.

Happy snorted in response, "I'm not studying for exams, guys. I'm studying for a goal that every man should aim to conquer at least once in his life."

Ron gulped, "Uh...are you going after a girl?"

"What? Why would I waste my time on something like that?" Happy gave Ron a confused look.

Ron shifted into his seat, rubbing the back of his head. "You see, my dad told me that a bloke's gotta do what he's gotta do to win over a lady. Said the toughest test of his life was impressing my Mum."

"..."

Happy and Harry stared at their redheaded friend in amazement and decided to change the topic.

Though they didn't have to do anything as they were interrupted by someone else. Professor McGonagall walked past. She saw the books Happy brought to the Great Hall were stained with what looked like cheese flakes, ice cream, and chocolate. So, with a stern expression, she addressed Happy.

"Mister Lestrange, it is commendable that you are focusing on your studies, but this is not the time or place for such behavior. You should be eating with your peers," she warned, her brow furrowed as she left.

Happy sighed and quickly closed the books, "Fine! Let's eat!"

"Didn't you just say you wanted to abstain from eating?"

Happy snorted. "Ron, I never said I wouldn't eat any food..."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "So what exactly won't you be eating?"

"Water."

"..."

"..."

Both the boys had the same face of shock. But they didn't reject it or retort it, because it was exactly what they expected from their friend.

What followed was an eating machine showing its skills. Happy ate all the special dishes for the night, taking a plate each. A whole chicken, dozens of steaks, vegetables, chocolate cakes, pumpkin pies, chocolate shakes, and the specialty of the night—pudding.

But the atmosphere of the festival was short-lived as the expected incident happened.

Bam!

Suddenly the door crashed open, and Professor Quirrel burst into the room, his voice filled with alarm. "Troll in the dungeons! Troll! Troll in the dungeon!"

The Great Hall suddenly fell into silence; everyone had a bewildered look in their eyes.

Professor Quirrel suddenly dropped to the floor and fainted. With that, the fear finally settled, and nearly all the kids began to scream in fright.

Everyone started to panic and stood up from their seats, while Happy collected some treats and placed them in his pocket. The children were starting to rush towards the door, each pulling and pushing each other to get ahead.

"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice reverberated through the hall, and everyone stopped in their tracks.

"Will everyone please...not panic! Now, Prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." He calmly instructed.

Happy, however, quickly collected a couple more sweets into his robe before he had to follow along with the prefects, as he guessed it was going to be the end of the dinner night.

But then, to his shock, he glanced to his left and saw that Hermione was there, speaking to a muggle girl, explaining to her what a Troll was and how dangerous it was.

The butterfly had flapped its wings, and Happy's mouth went agape.

"Hermione, you're here… Then…" Happy mumbled.

'Who's in that bathroom?!'

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[A/N: From here, we see things changing. Slowly, many major things will happen. Hope you like it. I won't spoil anymore.]

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Special thanks to *DougErNuts* *Franklin Walley* *Qul* *phong thanh nguyen* *Dillon Tyler* *andy cohen* *Martin Bosley* *Jason Jimenez* *Devor*