Chapter 180: Hippogriffs
After class, while Dylan was eating in the Great Hall, he idly twirled the Time-Turner in his hand, pondering his assessment of its operating principles.
"Although I haven't used the old headmaster's Pensieve much, the Time-Turner and the Pensieve might not be that different after all." Both rely on incredibly profound ancient runes. However, unlike the Pensieve, the Time-Turner incorporates some alchemical techniques that he couldn't quite grasp yet.
"Alchemy... my research in this area is truly shallow." Dylan took a sip of orange juice.
"Perhaps it's time I applied to old Dumbledore for tutelage?" It was well-known that Dumbledore's alchemy skills were quite extraordinary.
If he could learn from Dumbledore—no, study abroad with him—and also pick up Goblin-made Fire, his alchemy mastery would surely reach a sufficient level.
"Sigh, the content of these classes, while indeed offering perspectives I haven't seen in books from the professors, but..." Dylan wasn't keen on spending too much time on electives.
At the very least, he couldn't finish this semester and still not understand the true operating principles of the Time-Turner, only to have to repeat it next year. That would truly drive him crazy!
Such continuous learning, for him, wasn't proving very helpful. Therefore, Dylan didn't want to invest too much time and energy into these elective courses.
After lunch, classes continued in the afternoon. This particular class was Care of Magical Creatures. Neville wasn't there. Harry, however, did come to class. Besides Gryffindor, there were also Slytherin students present.
Hermione leaned closer to Dylan, only to find that the book he held was perfectly still, looking like an ordinary book, not one that would bite. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Why don't you have to restrain it to keep it quiet?"
Dylan turned his head and immediately saw Hermione's copy of The Monster Book of Monsters.
It was tightly bound with rough bandages, wrapped around it countless times. It looked like a restrained wild dog. A faint rustling came from between its pages, still struggling and squirming.
"Hmm, it's simple. I just dispelled the Transfiguration Charm on this book. You can try it." Dylan said, raising his hand and reaching for Hermione's chest.
"You're..." Hermione froze, her cheeks flushed, about to recoil. However, Dylan's hand had already touched the spine of the book she held to her chest.
His touch was light, but it made the restless Monster Book tremble violently, as if shrugging. Then it immediately quieted down. It no longer struggled or shook, instead lying obediently in Hermione's arms.
"Or if you want it to remain active but only quiet when needed, then you can do this."
Hermione's eyes lit up: "I understand!" As soon as the book in her hand quieted, she paused for a moment, carefully untying the bandages wrapped around it.
At the same time, she remained vigilant, ready to throw the book away at any moment. However, the biting she anticipated didn't happen; the Monster Book still lay quietly in her hand. Hermione immediately excitedly flipped the book open.
She had bought this book a long time ago, but had never actually read it! The book was like a lunatic; every time she got close, it tried to bite her! It made it impossible for her to prepare for class! This was also the only course among all her classes that she hadn't reviewed beforehand!
Dylan watched her hurried movements and blinked. "What are you reading that for now?"
"Of course, so I can answer any questions when class starts!"
"Uh... alright, you go ahead and read." Dylan smacked his lips.
The students standing beside them, seeing their actions, immediately imitated them with surprise. Since Hagrid hadn't noted how to handle the Monster Book in his list, almost no student knew how to make the unruly book quiet. Even many Slytherins didn't know—because they never read such books.
Their parents didn't either. Of course, perhaps some pure-blood young wizards' families knew how to tame the Monster Book.
But due to their pride, these young wizards preferred to secretly wrap the Monster Book with tape or bandages rather than ask their parents for help, lest they be criticized again for being unable to handle such a small matter themselves.
So, not only Gryffindors, but also many Slytherin students would bind their Monster Books like Hermione. Or they would wedge them into the crevices of their backpacks. Some even chose to clamp them with tweezers or pliers.
In short, they tried every possible way to curb the movements of these Monster Books.
..
Leaving the castle, Dylan followed Hermione and Harry. They arrived at Hagrid's hut. This class, being taught by Hagrid, was naturally set here.
"Hi! Little 'uns, hurry up, quick!" From afar, they could see Hagrid standing at the door of his hut, his eyes gleaming. He waved to them. It was clear Hagrid was very excited.
When the group reached him, Hagrid's hearty laughter rang out. "I've prepared something special for this lesson—believe me, this class is going to be incredibly exciting!"
Hagrid looked around, pretending to count the students, then impatiently waved his hand. "Looks like everyone's here. Follow me, don't fall behind! Otherwise, I can't guarantee you won't run into any dangers in the Forbidden Forest!"
Hagrid turned his tall frame, glanced at Dylan, then stepped into the Forbidden Forest. Dylan looked straight ahead, pretending not to see his gaze.
Hagrid had secretly asked Ron yesterday to tell Dylan if he wanted to arrange a time to meet up in the Forbidden Forest late at night. But Dylan, thinking about how busy he was going to be and that Hagrid had just started working and wouldn't be able to pay much, simply refused.
He followed Hagrid unhurriedly. Although Hagrid's strides were large, Dylan, unlike the other young wizards who were panting from the walk, remained calm and composed.
Malfoy lagged at the end of the group, glancing at Harry who walked swiftly past him. He suddenly grabbed the strap he used to bind his Monster Book and sharply whipped his own book with it. This thing had been trying to bite him earlier; now it was finally going to get a taste of its own medicine!
Meanwhile, Draco insinuated, "I can't believe Hogwarts would let such an ignorant fool teach class!"
"I think this school is really done for. They might as well let the Dementors be students!"
Whap! Malfoy slapped the Monster Book again. The book trembled, but didn't open its mouth to bite him. Seeing this, Malfoy whipped it even harder.
"If my father knew about this—he'd be so angry his blood pressure would skyrocket! He'd have a heart attack!"
Harry, who had just walked past him, listened to the guy who seemed to be endlessly chattering. He stopped, frowned, and glared at him. "Enough, Malfoy! You talk too much!"
Malfoy immediately curled his lip, looking at Harry with disdain. "Well, well, if it isn't Harry Potter, the savior who wet himself on the train! Those Dementors aren't going to actually eat you!"
Ever since he learned that Harry was scared by the Dementors on the train, Malfoy always tried to mock him about it. This time, he finally caught an opportunity.
Harry gritted his teeth and glared at him. Hermione, walking beside Dylan, glanced at him. Dylan still looked straight ahead. He wasn't someone who would casually insult people; that was too impolite. Speaking harshly was not something an elegant gentleman should do.
Of course, in reality, Dylan hadn't even noticed what was happening with Harry.
He was contemplating the Time-Turner and the Dementors. This time, he had managed to capture seven Dementors, yet he hadn't received any decent achievement rewards.
This greatly displeased Dylan. He planned to find some time when he was free to severely torment those Dementors in his space. He would torture them to death to see if he could trigger any other achievements—after all, these Dementors wouldn't truly die.
...
At this moment, Hagrid, walking at the very front, stopped. Their group had entered the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. "Stand here for a moment; I'll be right back."
The midday sun filtered through the treetops, breaking into golden fragments. Gnarly branches snaked out from piles of decaying leaves. The air was filled with a strange scent, a mixture of animal droppings and trees.
Hagrid had all the students stand still, while he himself quickly walked behind an extremely wide tree.
"Look at this!" When Hagrid's towering figure emerged from behind the giant tree, the rustling of bushes continued. Moss brushed off his shoulders fell rustling to the ground.
A group of young wizards looked towards Hagrid. They saw him clutching a dozen thick iron chains—these chains were almost as thick as a wrist. Their links clanked together, glinting coldly, making a rattling sound.
Tied to the other end of the chains was a group of Hippogriffs. A rough count revealed at least a dozen. These creatures emerged from the bushes, pawing with their front hooves.
Each of them had a sharp, hooked beak with a honey-colored keratin layer, and when they opened it, deep red mucous membranes could be seen inside their mouths.
Their horse bodies were covered in glossy gray fur, looking like silk, and their manes were curled and flared like burning copper wire. The shoulder blades of these peculiar creatures were all bulging with sinewy muscle.
"Oh my goodness, these are..." Hermione's eyes widened, her face filled with surprise.
"Hippogriffs!" She had just read about them in a book! She never expected to see them in real life in a flash!
Hagrid heard her, immediately nodded, his face excited. "That's right, these are Hippogriffs! Aren't they beautiful? Look at their amber eyes, and those fluffy feathers!" Hagrid pointed at the Hippogriffs, gesturing to the group of young wizards. "But their attacking power is very strong!"
Hermione frowned, her scattered curly hair on her forehead almost twisting into knots. "I read in the book that these creatures can break a person's bones with just one flap of their wings! How can we, in our very first class, come face-to-face, and at such close proximity, with such dangerous magical creatures?"
Hermione was not unfamiliar with Hagrid; in fact, thanks to Harry, they were quite well-acquainted. Therefore, she directly posed her question. Hagrid, unconcerned, merely chuckled heartily: "But they are beautiful, aren't they?"
—That's true. Dylan muttered inwardly. He had to admit, these Hippogriffs, though strangely shaped, were indeed pleasing to the eye. Especially their large wings; even when not spread, one could still discern the powerful muscles of their pinions.
"I really want to catch a few." Dylan almost drooled. He had explored the Forbidden Forest several times at night, but he never encountered any rare creatures, which frustrated him. And if he made too much noise—it would be one thing to attract Hagrid's attention.
But if he attracted Dumbledore's attention, that would be truly troublesome.
"No matter how beautiful, it doesn't make them any less dangerous!" Hermione finished speaking.
The Hippogriff closest to them, which Hagrid had led over, suddenly raised its head, its amber vertical pupils scanning everyone, its gaze falling on Hermione. Its nostrils flared twice, and it instantly snorted out two streams of white mist.
"Hehehe, calm down, little fella." Hagrid tugged on the chain.
Dylan observed these magical creatures. He suddenly thought of Newt. "If the professor for this Care of Magical Creatures class were him..."
Dylan couldn't imagine how interesting this class would be. Because Newt's understanding of magical creatures must far surpass Hagrid's.
Moreover, Newt would be more likely to tell them the living characteristics of these magical creatures in a more detailed and precise manner.
"It's just that there's a good chance you'll suddenly be asked to dance during class." Like the Unicorn Mating Dance. Or the Scorpion Dance. Dylan smacked his lips. So... why would humans be asked to perform mating dances?
Hagrid came before the group. "Listen, children, what I'm about to say is very important."
"Regarding these beautiful little creatures—they are very proud beings, and proud beings are always more prone to tantrums."
"Therefore, never insult these little creatures with unpleasant remarks—that could very well lead to your death!"
"After all, their attacking power is indeed very strong. I don't want to see any of you break a bone here—I might not be able to get to you in time to help." After all, he wasn't very good at it either.
Hagrid maintained a distance and explained some key points to all the students. Only then did he lead the group of Hippogriffs closer to the students.
"Remember, you must wait for these little creatures to make the first move—understand? That's the politeness you should show."
....
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