Fortunately, Glenn had secretly prepared well in advance. Tonight's meal was exceptionally sumptuous. Not only did Hermione eat to her heart's content, but even Hagrid, the big guy, was thoroughly stuffed.
"Ah, I can't take it anymore. I'm so full," Hermione said blissfully, lazily rubbing her small belly as she collapsed onto the sofa. "I don't want to do anything right now. I'm way too full."
"Same here," Hagrid chimed in, slumping onto the sofa as well. "It's so strange," he thought to himself. "Why does Glenn's cooking taste completely different from mine?"
After all, we followed the same recipes!
Magic! It must be magic!
While cleaning up the dishes, Glenn said without turning his head, "Since that's the case, we'll cancel tonight's cooking practice. Instead, we'll take a walk in the Forbidden Forest to digest and check on Norbert."
The little girl thought for a moment and gave a thumbs-up in agreement. Hagrid nodded as well.
Glenn: Mission accomplished.
Every now and then, Hagrid would take them to visit Norbert in the cave where the dragon resided in the Forbidden Forest. Initially, Hagrid had opposed the idea, as the Forbidden Forest was far too dangerous for young wizards—even adult wizards could lose their lives there.
But Hermione and Draco were simply too persuasive. Time and again, they made solemn promises that they would absolutely obey Hagrid's orders and instructions. If Hagrid said east, they would never go west. They swore not to wander off or attract any dangerous magical creatures.
"We're not reckless like Potter and Weasley," Draco couldn't resist adding, taking a jab at Harry and Ron, who seemed to occupy his thoughts constantly. This made Hagrid puff out his cheeks in frustration, almost reconsidering his decision.
Of course, in the end, he still agreed.
"Alright, alright, you've convinced me. Norbert will surely be happy to see you again," Hagrid said, rubbing his forehead, unable to withstand their persistence. "But! You must remember that the Forbidden Forest is extremely dangerous. Once inside, you absolutely cannot act on your own. Do you understand?" Hagrid's tone turned serious. He didn't want Glenn, Hermione, or Draco to get hurt in the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione nodded obediently. Having thoroughly read Hogwarts: A History, she was well aware of the dangers of the Forbidden Forest. Besides, she wasn't the mischievous type—Hermione was a good girl!
Although she protested against Hagrid's suspicion that she might cause trouble in the Forbidden Forest, Hermione said nothing more. She understood that Hagrid was only concerned for their safety.
"I understand, Hagrid. Trust me, I know exactly how dangerous the Forbidden Forest is," Draco said, patting his chest and vowing to follow orders.
How dangerous was the Forbidden Forest? Draco had firsthand experience. He could write a tearful account of it, all thanks to Glenn. Readers, feel free to imagine the rest (lol).
In any case, Hagrid had taken the three of them to visit Norbert in the Forbidden Forest numerous times. Tonight, upon hearing Glenn's suggestion, Hagrid thought for a moment and agreed.
"Alright, but wait a moment. I'll go get some snacks I prepared for Norbert," Hagrid said as he got up from the sofa and headed outside the hut.
After drying his hands with a cleaning spell, Glenn sat down beside Hermione, waiting for Hagrid to return.
The little girl was still rubbing her belly, full and content, yet worried about whether Glenn's constant feeding would eventually turn her into a chubby little girl.
Glenn watched with interest as Hermione's small hands traced circles on her slightly rounded belly. Taking advantage of her daydreaming and her worries about her figure, he reached out with a finger and gently poked her.
Poke~
?
Hermione felt a strange sensation on her belly and turned her head in surprise to stare at Glenn.
The latter remained motionless. His face, hidden beneath the black satin-like mask, was as calm as still water. His hands were naturally clasped in front of him.
What just happened?
Hermione was puzzled. Was it just her imagination?
Shaking her head slightly, she looked up at the ceiling, continuing to mull over her thoughts.
Poke~
Glenn's hand struck again, but this time, Hermione was ready. She quickly grabbed his hand.
"What are you doing?!" The little girl was both shocked and angry. Why was Glenn poking her full belly?!
"Nothing. It was a sudden whim. Don't mind it," Glenn replied, shaking his head with a serious expression, as if he truly just wanted to poke.
(╬?w?)
Hermione was rendered speechless by his words.
So infuriating! Glenn always said these strange, clueless things with such a serious face. Didn't he know that one shouldn't casually touch another person's body?!
Especially when I'm in such an awkward state! My belly is all round from eating too much!
Hermione took a deep breath. Calm down. Stay rational. Glenn is just a child; I can't lose my temper at him.
Keep calm. Stay calm. Anger is bad for your health.
Closing her eyes, Hermione began deep breathing exercises to calm herself.
Just as she was about to regain her composure, she felt another poke on her belly.
Poke~
(╬?д?)
Rationality? What rationality?!
Just as Hermione was about to explode, a terrified shout came from outside Hagrid's hut.
"Ah! My chickens! What happened to you?!"
The two immediately exchanged glances and quickly got up from the sofa, cautiously stepping outside Hagrid's hut.
In the backyard, they found Hagrid holding a bloodied object in his hands.
It was the corpse of a chicken, its body a mess. Many feathers seemed to have been violently plucked, taking large patches of skin with them. The entire chicken was battered and torn.
Moreover, several other chicken corpses lay scattered in the coop Hagrid had built. Feathers were strewn everywhere, and the remaining chickens huddled together, trembling in fear.
"Hagrid, what's going on here?" Glenn asked in a deep voice. As soon as he heard Hagrid's shout, he had activated his heightened perception to scan the surroundings but found no suspicious individuals.
Furthermore, the chicken corpses were already cold and stiff, with dried blood on the ground. It seemed they had been dead for several hours.
"I have no idea," Hagrid said, his expression a mix of sorrow and confusion as he looked at the dead chickens in the coop. "I fed them at noon, and they were fine. How could this happen by evening...?"
By now, Hermione had walked briskly into the coop to examine the dead chickens.
She frowned slightly and said in a serious tone, "All the chickens killed are roosters, and the injuries on their bodies are all caused by tearing and bruising. There's no trace of magic, nor do the marks resemble bites or claw slashes from wild animals..." Hermione's expression darkened as she stood up and said coldly, "...These injuries were caused by someone using brute force to tear them apart."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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PS:"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I took a few days off for myself, haha. Moving forward, updates will be stable. The new book will also be launched within three days. Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend."