novel-bin Chapter 29 A Well-thought-out Analysis, Like a Wise Master
Chapter 29 A Well-thought-out Analysis, Like a Wise Master
Picking up where we left off, Harry wanted to teach Hagrid a single sentence that would surely make Dumbledore nod willingly. Hagrid asked eagerly, "What sentence?"
Harry said, "When you see Professor Dumbledore, all you need to do is say, 'You owe Harry a life, and now you'll pay for it with this dragon.'"
The reason for this is that the giant monster barged into the women's restroom and nearly took Hermione's life.
Harry and Dumbledore had a vow to live and die together; how could they not owe this life to the White Lord?
Ron and Hagrid, unaware of the oath, were stunned when they heard Dumbledore say he owed Harry a life.
"Ha, Harry, does Professor Dumbledore owe you a life?"
"Oh, Harry, you can't joke about things like that."
Hagrid was skeptical, but Harry laughed and said, "Why would I lie to my brother?"
Hagrid had no other choice but to remember these words, scratching his disheveled hair, and said, "Oh, thank you for helping me solve such a big problem, Harry. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"Brother, you're mistaken. Our brotherly friendship needs no thanks," Harry said with a grin. "If you feel bad about it, then tell me where the Philosopher's Stone is."
Hagrid was alarmed. "This is absolutely not going to happen! Harry, I can't tell anyone!"
"This is my promise to Professor Dumbledore."
Hagrid, though burly, was gentle by nature. Having just received a favor from Harry, and now being given evasive answers, he feared Harry would be angry and stammered, "I'll handle this dragon egg matter myself."
Harry, disgruntled, retorted, "Brother, you're so unfriendly! Do you even consider me a brother?"
"As the saying goes, a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. My brother is a man of his word, and this is exactly what a true gentleman does! How could I possibly do something as despicable as forcing my brother to break his promise!"
Poems as proof:
Hagrid's commitment to his promise is as heavy as a mountain, yet he is torn between his vow and his loyalty.
Harry was a man of great righteousness and broad-mindedness; Meng Chang was a man of unparalleled loyalty in his time.
These words struck Hagrid like a thunderbolt, filling him with unbearable shame. He realized he had been judging a gentleman by his own petty standards and hastily offered his apologies.
Harry laughed and said, "Brother, you are so refined. I am but a rough man. I only know that a bowl of wine is better than a thousand words." With that, he took the hot wine from his pocket.
Hagrid was impressed by these words and realized that he was petty and lacked the grandeur that Harry had described.
Ignoring his comment about wanting strong liquor, he went to the crossbeam on the wall, took a dried, fatty pork, and chopped it into a large plate of sashimi.
"You're right, Harry, I—let's have a drink, the three of us!"
The three of them devoured the liquor and meat in a whirlwind, leaving nothing behind. Harry and Ron, their mouths bulging and bellies full, then bowed deeply, clasped their hands in farewell, and left.
After seven or eight days, the Christmas holidays came to an end, and the students returned to school. Upon seeing Hermione, Harry casually set up a feast in the common room to welcome her back.
Now that Hermione has realized the importance of choosing between the Cognition and Morality Credits, she sees this forbidden liquor but doesn't make a fuss, instead taking a sip herself.
"Ouch~ It's so spicy."
Harry and Ron both laughed.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Harry recounted the story of Hagrid and the passerby, saying:
"My brother and I have been racking our brains for days, but we haven't come up with a solution. Elder sister is wise, so please think it over carefully so that I can understand whether this passerby is an awkward person."
Hermione pondered for a moment and said, "It doesn't sound like he's definitely a bad person, but he doesn't seem like a good person either."
"If we assume he was the thief who wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone, then the Philosopher's Stone must be guarded by a magical creature."
Harry asked curiously, "What do you mean by that, elder sister?"
"Think about it, he must have contacted Hagrid to extract information, but they only talked about magical creatures, which can only mean that the Philosopher's Stone is related to one of the magical creatures they mentioned."
As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and if we're talking about analysis, then Hermione, the brilliant strategist, is the one who should be in charge. With just a few words, she enlightened Harry and Ron.
Harry poured her a glass and said admiringly, "Big sister is truly resourceful and wise, comparable to Zhang Liang in intelligence, and she even outwitted Fan Li."
Although Hermione didn't know who Zhang Liang or Fan Li were, she appreciated their words.
She tilted her head back and snorted, "It's nothing. We just need to figure out the size of the magical creatures they mentioned, find a place where they can hide, and then we can find the Philosopher's Stone."
Harry had long since given up on finding the Philosopher's Stone, but now that he had seen a clue, his interest was rekindled.
Having deciphered the secrets of those magical creatures from the library, the three began searching the castle.
Harry lamented the heavy workload that left him little free time. And those winding staircases, ever so unpredictable, seemed determined to trip him up, repeatedly igniting Harry's rage.
If Dumbledore hadn't intervened, he would have chopped him down.
After some time, Hagrid suddenly sent Snow White with a letter. Harry opened it and saw that the parchment was covered in flowing, elegant handwriting, with only one sentence: He is to be born.
Although no name was mentioned, Harry and his two companions knew perfectly well what it was. If it wasn't a dragon, then what was it?
After evening classes that day, the three of them rushed out of the castle like a gust of wind and headed straight for Hagrid's cottage.
Now that spring has arrived, Hagrid's house is even more tightly covered, not even a crack is visible.
Once inside, they saw Hagrid wearing only a vest, yet he was still drenched in sweat.
"Oh, you've finally arrived! Any later and we wouldn't have seen you again."
Hagrid wiped his sweat and led the three of them to the hearth. There, they saw that the black egg had cracked and was making a cracking sound.
"I've never seen a dragon before," Hermione said expectantly. "Hagrid, have you decided what to name it?"
"Oh, I've decided to call him Norbert. If it's a girl, then Norberta."
As the two were talking, a sharp cracking sound suddenly rang out, as the black egg split open and the baby dragon was born.
It was a creature of jet-black, iron-like form, thin and wiry like a charred iron spear shaft. Two large, spiky wings, like inverted iron umbrellas, spread across its back. Several bumps bulged on its head, and its strange eyes were wide open. It resembled a demon departing from the underworld, a malevolent star bursting forth from the gates of heaven.
The fledgling dragon was only the size of a palm, but it was vicious. Hagrid stroked it with his thick fingers and then swallowed it whole.
"Oh, look! This little guy knows his mother."
The baby dragon's milk teeth were tender and could not harm anyone in the slightest. Hermione also took a liking to them and reached out to touch them.
"Look, it's licking my hand."
Hermione continued teasing the little dragon, but it suddenly got annoyed, sneezed, and two sparks came out of its nostrils.
It should be known that breathing fire is a natural instinct for dragons. This young dragon learned this instinctively with just one sneeze, opened its mouth for a moment, and suddenly spewed out a burst of fire!
The flames were thin and long, heading straight for Hermione's face. She couldn't dodge in time, and several strands of her hair were singed.
Seeing that the fledgling dragon was inhuman and behaving like a wild beast, Harry's face turned cold. He drew his sword and shouted, "You wicked beast, how dare you hurt my eldest sister!"