Chapter 184 Don't Think It's a Big Deal

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Dumbledore's big mistake!

The eccentric Albus Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Witchcraft and Wizardry, has always dared to hire controversial teachers, our special correspondent Rita Skeeter reports.

In September, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a decision that surprised many at the Ministry.

Moody is a notoriously malevolent, former Auror who has been known to attack anyone who makes a sudden movement in his presence.

However, compared with the half-human, half-demon Dumbledore hired to teach the Protection of Magical Creatures class, Mad-Eye Moody was serious, responsible and kind.

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The news of the "Daily Prophet" is very timely. The Christmas holiday has just ended, and the news about Hagrid's giant blood has already been put on the headlines of the newspaper by Rita Skeeter.

She lashed out at a whole bunch of things about the dangers of giants and passed them all on to Hagrid. To boost her persuasiveness, she even conducted a small interview with one of the students.

"I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe was bitten by a Flobber caterpillar." In the interview, a man named Draco Mal "We all hate Hagrid, but we don't dare to speak out," said Fow's fourth grader.

Obviously, in the middle of the dance last night, it wasn't just those who showed up who eavesdropped on the conversation between Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

On the day the newspaper was published, Hagrid took leave of absence, and the substitute professor was a witch named "Wilmina Graplan".

To be honest, regardless of her methods of dealing with magical creatures, at least her teaching level is indeed much better than Hagrid. She brought everyone a practical lesson related to beautiful unicorns. Those beautiful and pure creatures made a very good impression on the students.

But Harry and the others seemed very anxious. They were fine a few days ago! Where's Hagrid?

When Professor Graplan led the girls closer to the unicorns, Harry turned to Ron and said, "What do you think happened to him? It can't be a schreck—"

"Oh, Potter, if you're worried about that,

I can tell you he wasn't attacked," Malfoy said softly, "no, he's just too shy to show his big ugly face. "

"What do you mean?" Harry snapped.

Malfoy reached into the pocket of his robes and produced a folded newspaper.

"See for yourself." He said with a smug smile, "I really don't want to break the news to you, Potter..."

It was the headline article, with a picture of Hagrid with the furtive look on his face.

"How did she find out?" Ron asked quietly.

But that wasn't what Harry had in mind.

"What do you mean? 'We all hate Hagrid'?" Harry snapped at Malfoy. "What the hell is that?" He pointed at Crabbe again. Bite hard? They don't even have teeth!"

Crabbe smirked, obviously very pleased.

"Okay, I think it's time to end this idiot's teaching career." Malfoy said, his eyes sparkled, "the half-blood giant... I thought he just drank a bottle of oxytocin when he was a child... the parents of the students would not Promised...they were worried that he would eat their baby lol..."

"you--"

Soon it was time for get out of class to end again, and the girls came back with Professor Graplan.

"It was a good class," said Hermione, as they entered the Great Hall. "I don't know half of what Professor Graplan told us about unicorns—"

"Look at this!" Harry growled angrily, shoving the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose.

Hermione opened her mouth in surprise as she read the article. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's.

"How did that nasty woman Skeeter find out? Hagrid didn't tell her?"

Recently, Ron and Hermione seem to have reached a tacit understanding that they both keep quiet about their fight. Now they are very friendly to each other, but they are polite and seem a little unnatural.

Just a few days ago, they discussed the giant's height together. Hermione remembered that the book said twenty feet, but Harry remembered that Maca had mentioned thirty feet.

But today, they no longer have the leisure to discuss those issues.

"We've got to go see him," said Harry, "just this evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back... do you want him back?" he asked Hermione coldly.

"I - well, I don't want to lie, it's nice to have a decent Care of Magical Creatures class once in a while, for a change - but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione was told by Harry. The angry eyes were frightened, and hurriedly added.

So, after dinner that day, the three of them left the castle again, crossed the snow-covered field, and walked towards Hagrid's hut—they wanted to go with Maca, but who knew, Maca didn't know Where did you go.

When they reached the door of Hagrid's cabin, Harry knocked on the door, and Fang's muffled barking sounded from behind the door.

"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry yelled, banging on the door hard. "Open it!"

Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door and whining, but the door didn't open. They pounded hard for another ten minutes. Ron even went and knocked on a window, but there was no answer.

This time, Hagrid seemed to have made up his mind not to come out.

"I always feel that Maca should be inside right now..." Harry couldn't help turning his head back, "He always does this, every time he pops up at the most critical place, scaring us all. Jump."

But unfortunately, Maca is really not here this time.

He knew about the news in the Daily Prophet, and he even saw Rita Skeeter in Animagus form that night, but he had no intention of preventing this episode from happening.

Hogwarts needs a little chaos right now - if the water is too clear, no hand will be willing to reach in and catch fish.

Of course, the premise is that Skeeter doesn't lead the flames to him...

At least for now, Maca's warning to Rita Skeeter is still very useful, which can be seen from the fact that Maca's name has not even appeared in news reports.

When Harry and the others were worrying about Hagrid, Maca was walking alone in an alley in Hogsmeade.

"coming?"

Just ahead, in a dark corner, a figure whose face could not be clearly seen suddenly spoke.

"Tarino, how is the situation?" Maca asked calmly.

"The target of this mission is not easy to deal with," the man whispered. "Up to now, several targets have been lost-but what is certain is that their actions are still very cautious. There is still a while!"

"Very good, keep watching..." Maca said, and suddenly handed out the box in his hand, "These things you take away are all useful things - keep an eye on the target's movements Let’s try not to miss any clues.”

The figure took the suitcase, opened it slightly for a look, and then closed the suitcase firmly again.

"To be honest, your potions are almost spoiling us..." He said tactfully, "The old guys in charge of those key targets have said that with these supplies, tracking is easier than walking. "

"During the mission, you won't be asked for a copper Knut for these consumptions. Don't waste it," Maca waved his hand. "As long as the mission is completed well, I can give you some more."

"Just say this to you, next time there is a task, we will give you a half discount!"

After the two quickly finished their conversation, they left separately, as if nothing had happened here just now.

Time passed quickly, and it was already mid-January in a blink of an eye.

The students were all going to visit Hogsmeade Village, and Harry wanted to go too. He thought that he might meet Hagrid there, so that he would have a chance to persuade him to come back.

But Hermione disagreed, because the problems left to them by the first project of the Triwizard Tournament were still waiting for them! That box was very depressing, and Hermione had been researching it, but she just couldn't think of any good idea to get it open.

"I'm going to take this opportunity to think about it, and I think you should do the same!" She persuaded Harry seriously, "Remember? We have to complete the task!"

In fact, regarding how to open the box, Dumbledore's setup is not complicated. To open them, you just need to find the right place-this test is only the warriors' mobility and understanding of ancient runes.

The places where the four boxes can be opened are different, but all are within the school grounds.

Just like Maca's snow-white ice box, he only needs to go to the Hogwarts ice cellar to easily find the rune altar for opening the box.

This kind of magic mechanism makes use of the combination and replacement characteristics of runes - none of them exist independently, and each of them can be replaced by other runes to obtain another completely different effect.

But how could Maca have time to find some altar?

He drew a few simple rune formations by himself, and easily completed the rune replacement.

When the ice box in front of Maka suddenly burst into blue flames, the lid of the box opened automatically...

Inside each crate is an irreplaceable clue that will become the true goal of each warrior in the upcoming second project of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Dumbledore really doesn't think it's a big deal..." Maca looked at the things in the box and murmured.