Chapter 192: Hagrid

“longbotton……”

Wizard Sean Green murmured softly,

“It means forever at the bottom—but even ordinary, mediocre people can sometimes forge greatness.”

His eyes gleamed, causing Minerva McGonagall to hesitate before looking away.

Soon the professor strode down the corridor, furious:

“Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle—you’d better give me a reasonable explanation!”

……

Wizard Sean “bumped into” Neville at the corner of the corridor.

He couldn’t believe what he’d done, yet couldn’t suppress his joy; at the same time, he stared silently at his father’s wand, tears falling.

A handkerchief appeared beside his hand; Wizard Sean, clutching his books, seemed merely to be passing by:

“I think… he’s proud of you.”

In mid-January, everyone clearly noticed Neville’s change; though he still stammered, he studied Dark Arts Defense spells harder than anyone else.

The day after Malfoy and his friends were confined, the Quidditch pitch remained drizzly.

Under a spruce tree, Wizard Sean directed piles of snow to transform into a group of tiny snowmen, each wielding weapons made of twigs, fighting each other; as he did, he heard the sound of increased proficiency:

【You practiced an advanced Transfiguration spell to expert standard—proficiency +1000】

Following Minerva McGonagall’s notes, Wizard Sean’s Transfiguration had steadily improved; he could now channel five elements to cast transformations:

Flame, snow, water, stone, and earth.

Though only flame and snow were truly proficient, this didn’t hinder his offensive options from becoming far more varied.

After a while, Wizard Sean grew weary; he picked up a potion bottle and transformed the flame inside the jar into a fire lizard.

The fire lizard clutched the potion bottle; within seconds, the liquid warmed. Wizard Sean drank it, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice flight, just like the Gryffindor spectators watching them.

But his attention lingered on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where strange sounds occasionally emerged.

The weather was damp and cold.

The mountains surrounding the school were gray and blanketed in ice and snow.

Minutes later, Wizard Sean perked up slightly—he saw a giant, moving like a hill.

The giant was wrapped in a long mole-skin coat, wearing rabbit-fur gloves and enormous beaver-fur boots, stepping slowly through the mud.

Wizard Sean tucked away his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but Hagrid’s eyes lit up instantly as he rushed over:

“Oh, Wizard Sean Green, lad, so glad to see you here!”

Wizard Sean heard Hagrid say.

He was momentarily baffled—he didn’t recall ever having met Hagrid before.

“I’m Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Minerva McGonagall has mentioned you several times, lad. Oh, I hope I haven’t frightened you.”

Hagrid’s hands had been in his pockets; now he pulled them out, unsure where to put them.

Wizard Sean shook his head, indicating he wasn’t frightened. He realized now—Minerva and Hagrid seemed on good terms. He remembered how, on Halloween night, Hagrid had been drunk enough to kiss the professor.

“Some rock cakes? A pity—if you’d been in my hut, you’d have tasted them at their best.”

Hagrid was awkward, but when he pulled out the rock cakes, his confidence returned.

“Hmm.”

Wizard Sean took the rock cake, then produced a neatly wrapped box labeled 【Animal Party Series】.

The box was large, yet looked tiny in Hagrid’s massive hands.

“Oh, oh! This is…”

His eyes widened like copper bells.

Wizard Sean had underestimated just how popular the Animal Party series was—especially when one young wizard had little interest in it and production was extremely low—by now, it was sold out at Weasley & Green’s Magical Pranks.

Some wizards had even protested loudly outside Shop 93:

“Without Catnip Cookies, my rats have overrun the house!”

Beneath the spruce tree.

Hagrid instantly recognized it as the full set—a rare find. Too bad he’d heard about it too late; by the time he reached Diagon Alley—ha!—everything was gone.

As Keeper of the Grounds, he couldn’t leave Hogwarts for long, so he’d always wanted to experience becoming an animal—but never had the chance.

Now, an entire series had landed in his hands.

“This is too valuable!”

He wanted to return the gift, yet couldn’t bear to let it go.

Watching his enormous frame fumble with indecision, anyone would have to suppress a laugh.

“I hope you like it. I still have more.”

Wizard Sean said.

“Oh! You must’ve waited in line for ages!”

Hagrid was touched.

Wizard Sean didn’t know whether to nod or shake his head—he’d queued with the professor, but the Transfiguration Cookies hadn’t come from a queue.

“Want to try? The Transfiguration Cookie makes you lose consciousness—perhaps I can watch over you.”

Wizard Sean offered the suggestion—it was genuinely his idea, though his motives ran deeper.

“Of course! I’m so glad I met you, Mr. Green! In return, you must take as many rock cakes as you want—no amount is too much!”

Hagrid beamed like a three-meter-tall child, pulling Wizard Sean toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Wizard Sean walked naturally beside Hagrid—though not truly beside; Wizard Sean only reached his waist.

When Wizard Sean looked up, he couldn’t even see Hagrid’s chin.

They trudged through the snow to a patch of pumpkin field. Beside it stood a small wooden cabin.

Located at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, outside Hogwarts Castle, it was Hagrid’s home as Keeper of the Grounds.

Also known as Hagrid’s hut.

It had only one room. Pushing open the door, Wizard Sean saw hams and wild chickens hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle boiling over the hearth.

Before the fire stood a massive wooden table and chairs; in the corner lay a large bed covered in a quilt stitched from scraps. Hagrid kept his pet Fang, food ingredients, and household items here.

Here, Wizard Sean had completed the first step of his plan.

Next, he only needed to maintain good contact with Hagrid and wait for the Norwegian Ridgeback’s arrival.

As soon as he reached the hearth, Wizard Sean wanted to summon a fire lizard for warmth—or even pull a small portion of the fire over to him.

But he held back, watching Hagrid hum a tune as he packed rock cakes.

Soon, Hagrid ate a Catnip Cookie.

Wizard Sean silently thought: Hagrid truly did trust people easily—he’d only met Wizard Sean once, yet invited him into his hut and entrusted him with his unguarded animal form.

And Hagrid? He was grateful to have met Minerva’s generous child, who’d given him the Transfiguration Cookies he’d longed for, who wasn’t afraid of him, and had entered his hut with him.

In short, both men seemed to misunderstand each other.

Two minutes passed. Hagrid looked at his hands, then his feet.

It didn’t change at all!