"What's this 'Q' business? It's obviously Quirrell. Acting all mysterious, as if I don't know… Ugh, and I can't tell anyone else either. It's driving me mad, honestly…"
Qin Yu walked along, muttering to himself, his Nimbus 2000 slung over his shoulder.
That Professor Quirrell would target Harry didn't surprise him in the least. With Voldemort lurking behind the scenes—someone who'd hated Harry with a passion for years—stirring up trouble was only natural. It wasn't even really "the hand of fate" at work.
From the way Snape had spoken, he clearly suspected something too. That "Be careful of Q…" was just an unfinished "Be careful of Quirrell." What Qin Yu couldn't figure out was why Snape and the others were still holding back.
"Put away your cleverness! You know nothing about what you're facing!"
Qin Yu mimicked Snape's voice, repeating the words to himself, guessing that was probably the root of it.
He had to admit, the noseless one was infamously hard to kill—so many ways to come back, so much power. Far trickier than that seventy-something-year-old Eastern guy who still hiked mountains and live-streamed with his young wife.
Lost in this tangle of half-baked thoughts, Qin Yu glanced up at the sky. There was still some daylight left, so he turned toward the Great Hall.
Earlier, in the post-match rush, he'd asked a teammate to leave a message for Hermione: wait for him in the entrance hall before dinner.
But when he arrived, there was no sign of her.
"Well, I guess my legs are just too long. I always outpace little short-legs Granger."
He tossed out the joke, then lounged back on a bench in the entrance hall, already plotting to tease the girl with it later. He could picture her hopping in frustration, waving her tiny fists and threatening to scratch him.
Just imagining the scene brought a grin to his face.
—Honestly, what's life without a little mischief? Who doesn't enjoy riling up a little witch now and then?
His "evil" daydreams were cut short by the arrival of a dazed-looking owl. The bird seemed to freeze when it spotted Qin Yu, its already round eyes growing even wider in surprise—it had finally found its recipient.
Plop!
A thin letter landed on Qin Yu's lap.
Mission accomplished, the owl flapped its wings and took off, as if it were a tired office worker clocking out—finally free to loaf around.
Well, only time spent loafing truly belongs to oneself. Work is just… bird-alienation.
Qin Yu chuckled, watching the owl's jaunty flight toward the owlery.
The envelope was thin, but inside were two short letters.
One was from Hermione: "Had to go to Hagrid's. Please come find me after the match."
The other was from Hagrid: "Get over here, Qin! Three little ones are bombarding me with questions—my head's about to burst!"
Qin Yu tucked the letters away, sighing at his fate as a perennial problem-solver. Then, resigned, he set off for Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
...
On the way, he ran into plenty of people. The school was still buzzing with excitement about the match—everyone wanted to congratulate him and praise his performance.
Qin Yu accepted their good-natured greetings with a smile.
Not everyone was so friendly, of course. Some Slytherins—Jerome, Malfoy, and their ilk—glared at him from afar, radiating "Hogwarts has suffered under Qin for too long" energy.
He ignored them completely. They could scowl all they liked, as long as they didn't get in his face—and so far, none of them dared.
Following the familiar path through grass and over hills, Qin Yu soon reached Hagrid's wooden hut.
Inside, he found Hagrid planted in his oversized chair, facing the fireplace, his massive back to the room. He was snorting and sulking, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with anyone.
The ones he was ignoring? Hermione, Harry, and Ron, all huddled behind him.
"What's going on here?" Qin Yu asked, stepping inside and surveying the scene.
Hermione opened her mouth, then hesitated, clearly unsure where to start.
Harry glanced at his nervous friend, then at Hermione, who seemed at a loss for words. He finally stepped forward, answering in a small voice, "We came to ask Hagrid about something. He doesn't want us to know…"
At those words, Hagrid turned, looking utterly put-upon. "Qin, thank Merlin you're here!"
Qin Yu nearly laughed out loud. In his head, he was already writing the headline: Shocking! Three First-Year Wizards Reduce Ten-Foot Giant to Tears!
"All right, let me have a cup of tea first, and we'll sort this out," he said, settling in at the table.
Hermione noticed the empty space in front of him and quickly handed over her steaming mug, flashing him a wide, silly grin.
He rolled his eyes at her, gesturing for her to sit beside him.
Hermione stuck out her tongue, bit her lip, and slid into the seat next to him.
He motioned for Harry, Ron, and Hagrid to join the circle as well, so they could all get to the bottom of things together.
...
"So, what's happened?" Qin Yu took a sip of tea and glanced at the others. "Hermione, you start. I'm guessing this whole thing was your idea."
He wasn't just accusing her for fun—it was obvious. From the way everyone else was acting, Hermione was clearly at the center of it all.
The girl drew a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as if she wanted to protest his "accusation," but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to argue.
"I just wanted to know if what happened today was Snape's doing, because Harry overheard Snape's secret the other day… The only person I could ask was Hagrid, but he's been tight-lipped, didn't want to talk about it. He said a few things, then just ignored us." She rushed through her explanation, finishing with a look at Hagrid.
Qin Yu followed her gaze, taking in Hagrid's conflicted, helpless, and frustrated expression. He guessed the "tight-lipped" giant hadn't been as silent as he thought.
"So, Hagrid, how much did you tell them?" Qin Yu asked.
"He told us about Fluffy! That's the three-headed dog we ran into last time!" Harry blurted out.
"And a name—Nicolas Flamel!" Ron added.
"I already knew about Fluffy," Hermione chimed in.
She'd heard all about Qin Yu helping Hagrid buy the dog ages ago, so that part wasn't news.
"Fluffy's guarding something really important, and Snape got bitten because he was trying to steal it!" Hermione pressed on, her eyes shining with deduction.
Hagrid bristled. "I told you, Snape wasn't trying to steal anything!"
"But Harry heard him say he was bitten by the three-headed dog!" Hermione insisted.
"That's right, I heard it myself. You two were talking about getting bitten by a dog in the corridor," Harry backed her up.
"He was protecting that thing… Anyway, Snape's not the sort to steal," Hagrid muttered, clearly uncomfortable.
"So what exactly is that treasure?" Ron asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"...Nothing! I told you, it's none of your business!" Hagrid said, a little too forcefully.
"It's got something to do with Nicolas Flamel, hasn't it?" Harry pressed.
"No, it hasn't, and stop guessing!" Hagrid snapped, slamming his huge hand on the table.
The table rattled dangerously, and Qin Yu shook his head. Honestly, the fact that Hagrid had only let slip this much was a minor miracle.
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]