Hogwarts: Nagini captured at the start

Chapter 78 The Big Guy's Little Secret

Hermione noticed Hagrid's shifty eyes and immediately became interested. "What kind of book do you want to read? We can help you find it."

"I was just browsing. You're still at Chanico Flamel, aren't you?"

"Well, we already knew he was an alchemist, and we also knew that Fulwei the Cerberus was guarding the Philosopher's Stone."

After finishing speaking, Robin leisurely admired Hailey's spiky expression. Not to mention his incredible amount of hair and his dumbfounded look, he looked like a Tibetan Mastiff who had just returned from work to find his house had been robbed, which was quite comical.

"Shh~"

Hagrid glanced around quickly, making sure no one was paying attention, then whispered, "Don't make a sound. This is top secret. What are you guys up to?"

"We want to know what kind of mechanism is guarding the Philosopher's Stone beneath the living plank?" Hermione said.

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Hagrid quickly glanced around again, then said guiltily, "Listen, come find me at the hunting grounds later. But I didn't promise to answer any of your questions, so don't go around making things up. There are some confidential things that young wizards shouldn't know."

"Well then, see you later."

Hagrid looked at the smiling face of the dark-eyed boy and felt a chill run down his spine. He thought it was because he was too guilty. He shook his beard, then turned around and walked away in his leather boots.

"What book is he holding?"

Harry stared at Hagrid's retreating figure, lost in thought.

"Go look through the bookshelf that Hagrid came out of and see which books have been moved, then you'll know."

A few minutes later, the four of them returned to the table by the window, carrying a pile of books.

As Luo Bin placed books on the table, he read aloud: "Things You Didn't Know About Raising Fire Dragons," "The Complete Guide to Peruvian Fire Dragon Species," "Hatching Techniques for Hundreds of Fire Dragon Eggs," and "Analysis of the Confusing Behaviors of Fire Dragon Hatchlings." Um, these books are all related to fire dragons.

"Um, I suddenly remembered that when I first met Hagrid, he told me he wanted to keep a fire dragon. Could it be that he wouldn't?"

Harry threw away "Hellfire: The Hungarian Hornet," clearly horrified by his own assumptions.

"Keeping a dragon as a pet is illegal. I read in a book that at the Wizarding Convention of 1709, the Ministry of Magic officially passed a resolution banning the keeping of dragons, which every literate wizard knows."

"Just imagine, a fire dragon the size of a detached villa, the flames it breathes would be incredibly destructive. Hagrid, what... what is he trying to do?"

Hermione's brow furrowed more and more as she spoke, worried that Hagrid might actually do something "illegal".

"What he's planning to do, just go to the stone house in the hunting grounds and you'll find out," Robin reassured him.

One hour later, in front of the stone house in the hunting grounds.

dong dong!dong dong!

Harry knocked on the door and called out, "Hagrid, it's me, Harry, we've come to see you."

Squeak!

Hagrid opened the door halfway, and after the group went in, he quickly closed it.

"Please make yourself at home. I'll go get some hot tea."

While Hagrid turned to pour water, Robin looked up and surveyed the cabin.

All the curtains in the room were drawn tightly, preventing any natural light from getting in.

However, the room was still very bright, because four or five oil lamps were lit, the large fireplace was burning, and even the small stove used for boiling water and cooking had a very strong flame.

The flames continuously released heat, making the cabin as hot as a sauna, so hot it was suffocating.

"Here, hot tea and freshly made ferret sandwiches," Hagrid said.

Sweltering heat + hot tea + awful food – can we still be friends?

After the four politely declined, Harry cut to the chase and asked, "Hagrid, can you tell us what other mechanisms, besides Fluffy, are guarding the Philosopher's Stone?"

Hagrid put down his teacup and plate and said, "I can't. First, I don't even know what's under the living plank. Second, you already know too much; a junior wizard shouldn't know top-secret information. So, even if I did know something, I can't tell you."

"I guess you already know what the thieves were trying to steal from Gringotts vault on July 31st last year. I can only say that it makes perfect sense to move it from Gringotts to under the Living Plank. I really don't understand how you can be so curious."

Hermione knew Hagrid was easily swayed, so she glared at him with her round, brown eyes and said in a sweet, flattering tone, "Oh, Hagrid, don't joke around. You probably just don't want to tell the truth. You definitely know what kind of traps are under the Living Plank. What happens at Hogwarts can escape your eyes?"

The adorable, precocious little genius appeared, much to Hagrid's delight; he laughed so hard his beard trembled. Hermione, seeing this, continued, "We'd love to know, besides you, who else does the great Headmaster Albus Dumbledore believe can help him guard the Philosopher's Stone?"

Subtext: Dumbledore trusts Hagrid.

Hearing this, Hagrid puffed out his chest and a proud expression appeared on his face. Hermione winked at Robin, signaling him to continue.

"Hagrid, tell us. We promise to keep this a secret and not tell anyone else. Besides, if you don't tell us today, we'll come looking for you tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. We'll make it so you can't work," Robin said, looking at the water heater.

"Uh, well, it's no big deal to tell you. Let me think... The gentleman took Luwei from me and hired a few other professors. Let me think who they are... Oh, I remember now, there's Sprout who teaches Herbalism, Flitwick who teaches Charms, McGonagall who teaches Transfiguration, and... Snape who teaches Potions."

"The master himself also cast a spell, that's all. Wait, I seem to have forgotten to count one, who is it? Oh, right, it's Quirrell, who teaches defense against dark magic."

"Kirlo?" the three little ones exclaimed in unison, shocked.

"Yes, so you still doubt Quirrell? Look, the master trusts him and asked him to cast a spell. He won't steal the Philosopher's Stone."

"The traps Quirrell set up are related to trolls, right?" Robin asked.

Hagrid paused for three seconds before stammering, "No, no, I mean, I...I'm not really sure either."

This answer further convinced the group that Quirrell was involved in last year's Halloween troll invasion of the castle, and that he most likely had placed a troll under the living plank.

"Hagrid, you're the only one who knows how to get past Cerberus, right?" Harry asked.

"No, sir, you know that. Don't ask anymore. Even if I had a wand pressed against my forehead, I wouldn't reveal Fluffy's weakness."

Robin: (￢д￢。) If pressing the wand to your forehead doesn't work, just pour a few buckets of mead over your head, right?

"That's good~"

Harry believed Hagrid's words, and his previously tense nerves immediately relaxed, his senses returning to normal. He suddenly felt the air was stuffy and asked, "Hagrid, it's too hot in here, can I open a window?"

Hagrid, who was usually easy to talk to, refused with a stern face. This made the others realize that he was hiding something in the house that required a high-temperature environment and that he was hiding something that was not meant to be seen. They couldn't help but think of the books that Hagrid had found in the library.

"Hagrid, what kind of egg is that?"

Luo Bin pointed at the blazing stove and asked a question he already knew the answer to.

(End of this chapter)