The sickly, iron-fisted beauty in Harry Potter

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, resting her chin on Dolly's shoulder, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our friendship isn't something that can be decided by the length of a hair."

"Let me put it this way, no matter what you become, you will always be my best friend, and my... only friend."

Hermione spoke her mind, and her eyes felt a little sore.

She was genuinely worried that Dolly's health might suffer another accident, from Dolly's illness at the beginning, to blood loss, and now to hair loss.

What if next time she wakes up in the morning, Dolly has completely disappeared?

“That won’t do, Hermione.”

Dolly turned around to face Hermione, still looking sleepy and half-asleep. She gently put her arms around Hermione's waist and said, "Of course, the more friends the better. I saw that you and Lisa were getting along quite well, didn't you?"

Why can't I become friends with them too?

Hermione shrugged slightly and said matter-of-factly, "They're just classmates, but you're my friend."

"Classmates are people you'll never contact again after leaving school, just like my elementary school classmates."

"And you are the kind of person I would want to live with even after leaving school."

"You are different from them."

"As for friends, you're enough for me."

Dolly felt her heart race a little. Hermione's words unequivocally confirmed her importance in Hermione's heart, making Dolly feel that all her efforts had not been in vain.

The biggest problem is, isn't it a little too important?

Dolly didn't want Hermione to be her only friend. Hermione was destined to be the Minister of Magic—although her ambitions would likely change in this life, she shouldn't end up as someone without any friends.

Of course, Dolly didn't think it was her fault.

In the original story, Hermione also took some time to change herself and begin to truly try to integrate into the people around her.

Dolly's only worry was that she might have caused Hermione to accidentally miss the opportunity for transformation—but hopefully not?

"Okay, let's get back to hair."

Dolly yawned and said, "I think you look best with long hair, even if it's messy, it makes it easy for me to spot you from afar."

Dolly ran her fingers through Hermione's hair, combing it for her, and said, "And now that you have short hair, how am I supposed to comb it for you?"

After saying that, Dolly withdrew her hand, gently patted Hermione's cheek, and said, "You are already perfect, so don't change too much."

Hermione felt a surge of joy, but at the same time, her unease grew even stronger.

Looking at Dolly's short hair, she said, "I think you could try a short haircut; it might make you more likable."

"In short, no matter what you become, you will always be my best friend."

Seeing that Hermione was about to run out of things to say, Dolly steered the conversation back on track, saying, "Well, if I had the chance, I'd like to give it a try."

Dolly's words finally released some of Hermione's pent-up emotions and gave her a bit more confidence.

She then gently pushed Dolly's shoulder to turn her around and bring her to the mirror, carefully guiding Dolly to look at herself in the mirror.

Dolly stared at the girl with the neat short hair inside, momentarily lost in thought.

Although she had just imagined what she would look like, the huge contrast still made it difficult for Dolly's brain to accept it for a while.

For boys, it would be like someone who has had a full beard for over a decade suddenly shaving it all off, looking at a stranger in the mirror and letting out an inconsolable roar.

Hermione became nervous at Dolly's behavior and quickly grabbed Dolly's hand, afraid that Dolly would have an emotional breakdown.

Dolly looked calmly at herself in the mirror and composed herself.

Her current state is the result of her own choices. Pretending not to know and making Hermione worry is already the limit. If she were to pretend to have an emotional breakdown, that would be simply bullying Hermione.

Dolly looked on in amazement, tilted her head slightly, looked at herself in the mirror repeatedly, and then said to Hermione, "Who is this lovely girl? I don't recognize her."

"Could it be me?"

Dolly's exaggerated expression made Hermione chuckle; it was the first time she had ever seen someone praise her so directly.

But Hermione immediately realized that Dolly was trying to calm her down.

She chimed in, "That's right, this is my cutest roommate, my best friend Dolly. I love her new look."

"Come on, let me comb your hair."

Hermione gently ran her hand through Dolly's hair, her fingers tracing between Dolly's hair and skin.

The gentle touch made Dolly feel completely relaxed, and she leaned back slightly against Hermione's chest, while Hermione straightened her body.

Instead of delving into the reason for Dolly's hair loss, they comforted each other and accepted this latest Dolly syndrome flare-up by relying on and soothing each other.

After Hermione finished helping Dolly get ready, Dolly said, "I'm going to ask someone to buy me a bottle of hair growth serum later. Although I'm still very attractive with short hair, I still prefer myself with long hair."

"That way you can help me comb my hair a little longer every morning."

Hermione said directly, "I'll comb your hair twice a day from now on, okay? But if you want it to grow back, I'll support you."

"But how do you buy hair growth products? Can't we just use an owl to buy them from the shops in Diagon Alley?"

"For the first time, it would be best to have an adult wizard make the trip for us. I plan to ask Attorney Fei for help."

"Leave your name in the shop, and then you can probably place an order directly."

Hermione nodded and wasn't in a hurry to go out and read.

He offered to write a letter for Dolly, saying, "So what are you going to do next? I'll bring you food back and tell you you're sick?"

Hermione thought it best for Dolly to stay in her dorm for two days and wait until her hair grew longer after taking the hair growth serum before going to class.

Because hair growth products are cosmetics that can be sold freely, their effects are far less potent than those of blood tonics or bone-strengthening agents. It often takes a week to two weeks for hair to grow longer.

After all, Dolly wanted long hair, not just hair; there's a big difference between the two.

Of course, there should be potions that make hair grow faster and more powerful, but the problem remains: those are not something Dolly and Hermione can easily access right now.

"No need, I'm not that fragile."

"If I see someone else doing this, I'll say I'm in a bad mood and want to change my hairstyle."

"……it is good."

Hermione hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to believe Dolly.

Dolly didn't seem too upset about her hairstyle, but it's unclear how other people would react when they encountered her.

As it turns out, Hermione's worries were not unfounded.

The two had just entered the lounge around noon when they were greeted by a chorus of exclamations.

The girls in Dolly's grade immediately gathered around and asked her what was wrong.

Hermione wasn't friends with them, but Dolly considered them friends.

So-called friends are those who gradually deepen their communication as they get to know each other. How can you clearly distinguish between classmates and friends?

Of course, Dolly's friendships with these girls are very different from Hermione's friendships.

They will ultimately just be Dolly's friends, while Hermione may not be friends anymore, but rather their relationship may evolve into something else entirely.

Dolly patiently explained to them that she just wanted to try out a different hairstyle, and the group left with some skepticism.

As girls themselves, they naturally understood that cutting off most of one's hair in an instant required a determination that couldn't be explained by a slight change in mood.

Even the Quidditch players and prefects of Ravenclaw couldn't help but come over and ask about Dolly's transformation, which shows that Dolly is quite popular in Ravenclaw.

This development caught Hermione somewhat off guard. She knew that many people would care about Dolly, but she didn't expect so many.

"Sister, what's wrong!"

By the time Harry came running up, panting and carrying his flying broom, Hermione was practically rolling her eyes.

"How do I look, Harry? What do you think of my new hairstyle?"

Dolly's question made Harry, who was full of worry, chuckle and say, "Sister, you look good with any hairstyle."

Hermione was amused by this and said, "Harry, I didn't know you would compliment people like this?"

"Maybe it's because...there's no one I can praise?"

Ron patted Harry on the shoulder and said, "Harry, I suggest you be careful when you say that, or someone might curse you behind your back."

"Is it that serious?"

"Of course!"

After Dolly explained it to everyone, they accepted it.

After all, hair is just hair; once it's gone, it's gone. Besides, although Dolly's style has changed, she's still just as adorable, so what's there to be unhappy about?

Unless someone knows more details, like Qiu Zhang.

Qiu Zhang also rushed in with a broom, and then hurriedly came to Dolly's side.

Hermione frowned, about to offer another explanation, when Cho Chang simply sat down on the other side of Dolly, as if he were just there for lunch.

Once Hermione lowered her guard, Cho Chang suddenly spoke, whispering, "Has your illness gotten worse again?"

These words immediately infuriated Hermione, as if Cho Chang were asking her why she hadn't taken good care of Dolly.

Just as she was about to say something, Qiu Zhang took the initiative this time.

"Hermione, I know you care about Dolly too, and you don't like me."

"But Dolly's situation is special. Perhaps with my help, Dolly could have a better chance of recovery?"

Chapter 76, Part 2: Qiu Zhang's Return Gift

Hermione was speechless for a moment.

Although she was still somewhat unwilling, Cho Chang played the card of considering Dolly's health, so she naturally couldn't continue to stop him.

Moreover, Hermione knew that curing Dolly's illness was the most important thing; everything else was negotiable.

So Hermione changed her tune and said, "So do you have any ideas or solutions, or is there some kind of magic in your house?"

Qiu Zhang was somewhat helpless, and honestly shook his head, saying, "No."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but Cho Chang said, "But I can try to get my father's help."