Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Draco felt that the picture frame was particularly clear about Slytherin matters.

The reason he thought this way was because he would never pay a price for any news related to Slytherin; the frame would always inform him of it.

When he inquired about the other three founders, even the Gryffindor sword that Harry had already pulled out required the payment of a frame.

Whenever the picture frame reminded him that this was a question, and whether he really should ask it, Draco would have a sixth sense—

The cost will be unimaginable!
So Draco was just asking casually. After the frame confirms the question a second time, he won't choose to confirm and will pretend he never asked.

Draco asked, "Besides the Chamber of Secrets, has Slytherin hidden any other treasures in the school?"

The miniature picture frame, like a delicate little pendant, was attached to Draco's cufflinks. The old man had shrunk to the size of a thumb and shrugged at Draco.

"Who knows?"

"Of the four founders, Slytherin was obsessed with research that pushed the limits, and the Basilisk is rumored to be a new species created by Slytherin."

Slytherin has studied life and death very deeply. If there really is a Death God in the wizarding world, I think that person is Slytherin.

However, due to the influence of his research, he spent many years alone, which made him increasingly withdrawn. In his later years, he broke with his three friends and left Hogwarts.

If Slytherin really did leave behind a treasure in the school, we'd have to see when it was left. If it was from an earlier period, then it might truly be a treasure, but if it was left later—”

The frame paused, then said meaningfully, "Perhaps it will be an unimaginable disaster?"

Draco frowned slightly.

The words from the picture frame gave him a very bad feeling.
-
Time flew by, and the next day arrived.

Tomorrow is the day when the young wizards officially return to school, so Harry and Ron made a special trip to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to visit Hagrid.

The forbidden forest was eerily quiet in winter, the earth as white as if it were frozen.

Walking on the mud, you can hear the crisp sound of breaking tree branches underfoot.

When they arrived, they found Hagrid tidying up the house and packing himself a new set of clothes.

Hagrid was pleasantly surprised to see Harry and Ron arrive and patted them hard on the shoulder.

"It's great to see you all. How was your winter break?"

Ron and Harry were both knocked off their feet by Hagrid's slap.

They deliberately moved a few steps away from Hagrid before Ron dared to answer, "To be honest, this holiday has been anything but enjoyable. I'm staying at school to participate in my professor's research assignment."

At this time of year, I would usually enjoy my leisure time at home or travel, doing nothing but feeling happy and content.

As Ron spoke, he reminisced about his past vacations.

That kind of life is indeed very leisurely, without any pressure, and as comfortable as you can be.

But perhaps the memories failed to evoke his emotions, and the so-called "comfort" was just a figment of his imagination, because judging from those memories, Ron didn't feel particularly comfortable at the moment.

He felt that past holidays were boring and not at all as fulfilling as this winter break.

I used to enjoy doing nothing, but now I actually enjoy the feeling of having my days packed with activities.

Ron thought to himself, "Perhaps this is what growing up is all about?"
Harry said, "I stayed at school the whole holiday and had a pretty good time."

He would be happy as long as he didn't go to the Dursleys' house.

Every time he returned to his aunt's house, he felt suffocated, but Hogwarts did not allow students to stay at school during the summer!
School hasn't even started yet, and Harry is already worried about how he'll spend his summer vacation.

Hagrid reached out and patted them both on the shoulder unexpectedly, saying in an upbeat tone, "Staying at school is great, school is the safest place. It seems you two had a fulfilling holiday!"

Hagrid poured them a cup of heated milk from a magical sheep called Mae Mae, telling them it was a new species that had just migrated into the Forbidden Forest this year.

"When they arrived, it was during the coldest days of the year, so cold that I didn't want to go out on patrol. But there was always a voice in my head saying: Go outside and take a look, go outside and take a look!"
So I left the cabin and went into the forbidden forest. Less than ten minutes later, I saw a flock of sheep. They were such adorable little creatures; their bleating sounded like a baby crying, so endearing.

I moved them to the sheep farm and found several pregnant ewes in the flock. They must have sensed the ewes were about to give birth during their migration, which is why they stopped in the forbidden forest.

Harry and Ron listened with great interest. "And then?"

Ron asked, "I've never seen a sheep before. Can I go see it? It looks really cute."

Harry nodded excitedly; he wanted to see too.

Hagrid said with a regretful look, "Unfortunately, after I helped those pregnant lambs give birth, they left the lambs with me and continued to migrate to other places."

“The sheep have special nursery pouches filled with goat milk for newborns, and they also give an extra bag of goat milk as a gift.”

He winked mischievously at Harry and Ron, "If you really want to see sheep, you'll have to see lambs first!"

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other, and said in unison:

"This is fantastic! We want to see the lambs!"

Hagrid led them to the farm behind the cabin, telling them to keep their voices down as they walked, because the lambs were very weak and spent all their time drinking milk and sleeping.

"Look, right here, on that pile of dry straw, this is the sheep pen I specially built for them. They love to stay in there and sleep."

Ron and Harry thought they were seeing a lamb, but what they saw was actually the size of an adult sheep.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Hagrid said to himself with delight, "They're so cute. They remind me of my pet Norbert, who was just as adorable when he was a puppy."

Ron nudged Harry gently and whispered, "The Norwegian Spinosaurus Hagrid mentioned, right?"

Harry nodded.

Ron: "I admit the lamb is not small at all, but it can't compare to the Norwegian Spinosaurus. They are not equally destructive. The lamb is much cuter."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed.

During their conversation, one of the sheep woke up and pawed at the ground with a somewhat agitated gait. With just a light touch, a deep crater appeared in the ground.

This kind of combat power...

Ron and Harry quietly took a few steps back.

They soon witnessed the sheep waking up and throwing a tantrum, its hooves almost causing the ground to dent deeply with each thud.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

It was like two strongmen fighting each other.

Wait, did all these sheep eat the spinach that increases strength? Hagrid coaxed the irritable lambs to nurse, "Good girls, good girls, the milk is ready for you, don't rush, take your time..."

Hagrid was a bit overwhelmed and wanted to ask Harry and Ron for help, but when he turned around, the two had already disappeared.

When Hagrid returned to the cabin, he found Ron and Harry already cooking and eating rock cakes.

Softening the flatbread before dipping it in sauce makes it more palatable.

Harry asked curiously, "Hagrid, why would the sheep abandon their young and continue migrating? Don't they like these young?"

Hagrid shook his head: "Of course not. Next winter, the flock will pass through the Forbidden Forest again and take the calves away. Sheep never raise their own offspring; they are all free-range."

Ron couldn't help but say, "Newborn lambs, well, although I don't think those sheep are lambs at all, without the care of the herd, they're very likely to die if they have to survive on their own, right?"

Hagrid nodded and said, "That's why sheep are classified as first-class rare magical creatures in the magical world. Their milk has many special effects and is very suitable for making newborn milk products in the wizarding world, which helps to better regulate the magic in the baby's body."

However, due to the migratory and free-range nature of sheep populations, the sheep herd has never been large, and very few young sheep survive.

Ron and Harry both gripped their cups tightly.

The milky white goat milk in my hand looked even more luxurious.

Hagrid laughed and said, "But since the sheep have entrusted their lambs to me, I will definitely protect them and help them grow up well!"

Ron glanced at the clothes laid out on the bed and asked, "Hagrid, are you going out in the next few days?"

When the matter was brought up, Hagrid's expression became somewhat solemn. He sighed in a rough, hoarse voice, and his beard trembled as he spoke.

"I have to pick up the wizards for school tomorrow—Merlin's beard! The Hogsmeade incident is making the parents very uneasy."

He stood up, pulled out a large pile of newspapers, and vigorously patted the dust off the papers.

Some of the paper has turned yellow and has a lot of printed words on it; it has been used a lot to pad things.

A cloud of dust immediately filled the cabin, and Harry and Ron coughed, wondering if Hagrid had smashed the newspaper to pieces.

"Even three clarifications from the Daily Prophet couldn't help. Many parents were even trembling as they signed the papers, fearing something might happen to their children if they passed through Hogsmeade Village!"

Hagrid said angrily, "I'm going to follow the train to Hogwarts and bring the students back one by one, making sure the journey is safe and sound!"

Ron said, "Hogsmeade is still under lockdown, nothing will happen."

Hagrid muttered, "It's obvious that Hogwarts wouldn't open the school without considering the students' safety. The school has already eliminated the danger in the village."

But the students' parents don't think so. In recent days, the school has received many letters arguing that the start of the school year should be delayed so that Hogsmeade Village can reopen and the students can be sent back.

In the minds of these wizards, the reopening of Hogsmeade Village meant absolute safety.

After all, if it's still very dangerous, it certainly won't reopen.

However, Hogsmeade Village was once inhabited by an evil god, and based on that alone, it won't open so quickly. It needs to undergo a comprehensive disinfection and inspection to ensure there are no remnants of the evil god's whispers.

Hagrid: "I've decided to personally escort the students here. With me here, they will be safe. Not only me, but the other professors from Hogwarts will also be on the train to personally protect the students' safety."

Ron's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Hagrid, can I go with you on the escort?"

Hagrid shook his head instinctively: "No, no, this is too dangerous, we can't do it!"

Ron: "Why not? Harry and I both know the Patronus Charm. If we really encounter danger, I can handle it!"

Hagrid hesitated for a moment: "This..."

The fact that it "possesses the Guardian Charm" is incredibly appealing.

Ron: "And Harry and I have participated in the school's night patrols before. We are very disciplined and can quickly calm down if any unexpected problems arise."

Ron was not lying about this.

Especially after experiencing Snape's various methods of testing his courage recently, Ron, while not being able to maintain a "calm and collected" state of mind, can at least quickly suppress his surging emotions.

Otherwise, you'll scare yourself to death sooner or later!
Harry was very interested in Ron's suggestion. He hadn't been to Hogwarts in a long time, and this would be a good opportunity for him to get some fresh air.

Harry thought for a moment and said, "Hagrid, the parents would be more at ease if I were on the train. I'll be there with you to protect the students."

Hagrid: "No, no, no, that's too dangerous!"

Harry: "Didn't you think the danger was over, which is why school is open? Now that it's safe, why can't I get on the train?"

Hagrid felt his head was spinning, his messy hair bobbing up and down. After a while, he said, "Let me think about it. I need to talk to someone about it."
-
Mikel's side.

Under the system's guidance, he was not disturbed by the evil god's ramblings and learned the ultimate magic from the forbidden book.

But Mikel felt that although this knowledge had been instilled in his mind, he had only gained an understanding and was far from having truly learned it.

Perhaps due to a difference in aptitude, he didn't experience the "instant understanding" feeling described in the post.

Mikel thought to himself, "Am I pushing myself too hard?"

After reading the forbidden book, he discovered that the system still had some shielding energy left, his experience points had not plummeted, and the surrounding space still appeared very stable.

Mikel had another idea.

"Can I read a second banned book?"

The thought flashed through his mind and took root there, lingering for a long time.

The forbidden book section cannot be entered very frequently, and even with a large quota of forbidden books, the Ministry of Magic is concerned about the wizards' mental state.

If you enter too frequently, you may be subject to covert surveillance by the Ministry of Magic.

The post in the "Outstanding Student Badge" section says that when reading banned books, the surrounding space often collapses before the reader has finished reading, forcing them to stop reading.

The space around him was still very stable, which greatly impressed Mikel, so he asked the system:

"Can I stay and continue reading the banned books?"

[Spatial fluctuations indicate the area will collapse within two days. Host, are you sure you want to remain in the forbidden area?]

Mikel: "Do I have enough experience points and energy to block the evil god's ramblings?"

[I have enough experience points, but I've long been out of energy. The system has been playing a crucial role in getting me to the later stages of reading the forbidden books.]

Mikel thought to himself, "I intend to continue reading banned books. Set a reminder for me to wake up and leave the banned book area before it completely collapses!" (End of Chapter)