Chapter 240: Hagrid Returns

"So, Ryan, after seeing Harry's performance, do you have the confidence to beat him?"

After the match ended, John laughed as he spoke to Ryan.

"I do!... But not much."

Ryan shouted with high spirits at first, but immediately added a timid correction.

John laughed and patted him on the shoulder, offering him a trick.

"Let me tell you, you just need to interfere with Harry and annoy him to death."

"Their Keeper's mentality collapsed after just a few rounds; he's no threat at all."

"Wait until we're leading by 160 points, then let Harry catch the Snitch."

John didn't even try to hide it from Hermione, openly suggesting dirty tactics to Ryan right in front of her.

Hermione's eyebrows instantly twisted into a knot of tangled yarn.

"Do you not take me seriously at all, dear Mr. Merrick?"

John immediately raised both hands, as if he'd been disarmed: "My dear Miss Granger, I am merely providing an objective analysis of the opponent's tactical weaknesses, nothing more."

Hermione pinched John's arm—not hard, more like a flirtatious gesture.

Ryan and the others were speechless.

Could you two stop flirting so blatantly?

They suddenly lost all interest in continuing the discussion.

They left John behind, leaving him to continue flirting with Hermione.

After leaving the Quidditch pitch, the two didn't return to the castle immediately.

Since it was still early, they strolled slowly along the path by the Black Lake.

"I wrote to Mom and Dad, saying we'd spend Christmas together."

"They don't have any objections, just said that when we come back, we should stop by my place first."

As they walked, they continued to chat about their Christmas holiday plans.

They were discussing the result of the arrangement John had made after writing home.

"Sounds good. I'll tell Mom and Dad not to pick me up, and I'll go to your place first."

Hermione had no objections to this arrangement and agreed readily.

After all, it was Christmas; she certainly wanted to go home and visit.

Maybe in the future, they would be one big family.

Hermione thought happily.

Just then, John noticed a wisp of smoke rising from somewhere near the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

This sight wasn't uncommon last year, but this was the first time it had appeared this term.

Because the smoke was rising from the chimney of Hagrid's Hut.

As everyone knew, Hagrid had been missing since the start of the term.

They only knew that Hagrid had gone out to take care of some business.

Other than that, they knew nothing.

And Hagrid's Hut hadn't seen a wisp of smoke since the term began.

But now, the smoke was rising again.

"Hagrid's back?"

John blurted out.

Hermione, who had been lost in thought, was startled by John's words and followed his gaze toward the smoke at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The next moment, her eyes lit up.

The two exchanged a look and ran toward Hagrid's Hut in unison.

John missed Hagrid terribly; he had been looking forward to going into the Forbidden Forest with him to collect magical creature drops.

Hermione missed Hagrid too; the gentle, kind half-giant had once been her sanctuary for venting her grievances at Hogwarts.

The two ran all the way to the hut.

Their voices arrived before they did.

"Uncle Hagrid!"

John shouted into the hut first.

Hagrid's familiar, deep voice came from inside.

"Oh, John? You're here? Come on in."

Hagrid didn't come out to greet them, instead calling for them to enter.

The two pushed open the wooden door, and the familiar scent of smoked meat and steaming pumpkin juice rushed out to meet them.

"Hermione's here too! It's good to see you two, haha."

Hagrid sat by the hearth, smiling at them.

But unlike Hagrid's cheerful expression, the two gasped in shock the moment they saw his miserable state.

"Hagrid, what happened to you!?"

Hermione was the first to react, stepping forward quickly to ask.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing, just ran into a bit of a small problem." Hagrid scratched his messy beard, his tone dismissive.

"That doesn't look like a 'small problem' to me..."

John also stepped up to Hagrid's side, looking worried.

Hagrid's tangled hair was matted with dried blood, and his left eye was swollen into a slit, bruised blue and purple.

His hands and face were covered in wounds, some still oozing blood, clearly fresh.

In his right hand, he held a piece of bloody green raw meat; John recognized it from pictures as some kind of dragon meat.

Applying it to wounds could stop bleeding and ease pain.

John pulled three test tubes from his small carry-on pouch.

These were healing potions he had brewed with Professor Snape.

"Uncle Hagrid, although the effect on a giant might be limited, it's better than nothing."

"Oh, thanks, John."

Hagrid didn't refuse, as he was indeed in pain; he took the potions and downed them all in one go.

"Oh, that feels much better. Thank you, John."

After drinking, Hagrid grinned, his swollen eye relaxing slightly as he thanked John again.

Hermione had already silently pulled out her wand, her fingertips trembling slightly as she cast a gentle Cleaning Spell to clear away the blood and debris.

The hearth crackled, casting light on their three silent profiles.

"So, Uncle Hagrid, where have you been all this time?"

"And coming back with all these wounds."

After some tidying up, all three sat by the hearth.

John was the first to ask Hagrid.

"Actually, I went on a long journey because I received a commission from Dumbledore."

Hagrid scratched his head, not hiding anything.

"Last year, after Harry brought back the news of the Dark Lord's return, Dumbledore entrusted Madame Maxime and me to go to the giants' settlement..."

The giants' settlement?

Hearing this term, both were stunned, but immediately understood.

Dumbledore had clearly foreseen that war was coming, so he had sent Hagrid, who possessed giant blood, to try and secure an alliance.

Sure enough, Hagrid continued.

"Dumbledore hoped we could persuade some of the giants to join the Order of the Phoenix and fight against the Dark Lord's forces together."

"Everything was going smoothly at first..."