Hogwarts Lion Girl

"I didn't mean to say she was half-giant," Hagrid's voice was full of sadness, "I just... I just got used to calling her that... because everyone calls me that... I want to apologize, but... she has refused to see me..."

Harry patted Hagrid's arm gently and said sincerely, "Hagrid, don't say that. You're very good, really. You're brave, kind, and good at taking care of magical animals. Anyone who is with you will be very happy."

Hagrid put down his hand and looked at Harry and Ron, his eyes moistened. "Thank you, kids. You are such good kids."

Ron also realized that he had said the wrong thing. He scratched his head, took out a chocolate frog from his pocket and handed it to Hagrid: "Eat some chocolate, Hagrid. When you are in a bad mood, eating something sweet will make you feel better."

Hagrid took the Chocolate Frog and forced a smile. "Thank you, Ron."

As the sun sets, its golden afterglow shines on Hagrid's hut, adding a touch of warmth to the sad scene.

Harry and Ron stayed with Hagrid until nightfall. They believed that time would heal everything and Hagrid would eventually get out of the shadow of broken love.

……

The next day, in the Protection of Magical Creatures class, the students were surprised to find that Hagrid had regained his former vitality.

He strode into the enclosure, followed by a herd of furry, flat-nosed little animals, whose round, sparkling eyes peered nimbly about.

"Today we're going to learn about Nifflers!" Hagrid announced vigorously, with a smile on his rough face. "They are interesting little creatures!"

As soon as the Nifflers landed, they began to run around excitedly, digging up the fallen leaves and soil on the ground and making "squeak" sounds from time to time. Their furry appearance attracted everyone's attention, especially the girls, who were fascinated by these cute little animals.

"Oh, they're so cute!" one girl screamed, and the other girls echoed her with shining eyes, wishing they could rush up and hug one and rub it.

"But don't be fooled by their appearance!" Hagrid warned loudly, waving his huge fist in warning. "They are notorious for loving money, and they especially like shiny things!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a Niffler snatched a silver Sickle from Colin's pocket and slid into the ground.

Colin was stunned for a moment, and there was a burst of laughter around him.

"Don't worry, Colin!" Hagrid grinned, showing his smoke-yellow teeth. "They're just hiding things. They can't get hurt."

He cleared his throat and continued, "In fact, Nifflers are very useful treasure hunters! Come on, kids, take out all the things you have paid for, pick a Niffler, and let them help you find treasures!"

As he spoke, Hagrid pulled a heavy purse from his pocket, untied the string, and spilled the gold coins on the grass.

The golden coins sparkled in the sun, instantly attracting the attention of all the sniffers. They rushed to the gold coins and dug them excitedly.

Salina's sniffing movements were particularly quick. It quickly dug out a gold coin from the soil, placed the coin in Salina's palm like a treasure, and rubbed her fingers affectionately, making Salina giggle.

The other Nifflers also gained something, and for a while, the grass was filled with cheerful laughter and the crisp sound of gold coins colliding.

"See?" said Hagrid triumphantly. "I told you the Nifflers were born explorers!"

Hagrid laughed and said, "So, in order to prevent them from digging out the Hogwarts Castle, I have buried a hundred gold coins on the ground. Let these little guys take you to experience the fun of treasure hunting!"

Before he could finish his words, the Nifflers scattered in all directions like arrows shot from a bow, throwing themselves into the frenzy of treasure hunting.

The students also joined in excitedly, running around following the Sniff, hoping to find the most gold coins.

In the end, Ginny became the biggest winner of this treasure hunt game. She found thirty-five gold coins by herself!

……

When the bell rang for the end of get out of class, the students left the paddock reluctantly and returned to the castle in groups of three or four.

Salina, Ginny and Colin were walking back to the castle. They were excitedly discussing the treasure hunt game they had just played. Ginny was even more excited as she described her own "achievements".

"I ran after my Niffler, and it suddenly stopped under a big tree and started digging the soil. I kept digging and finally found eight gold coins!" Ginny said excitedly, "It's really amazing!"

"My Niffler found a gold coin and wouldn't let go," Colin said with a smile. "It took me a lot of effort to pull it out of the pile of gold coins."

They walked along the path, and when they passed a dense oak forest, Salina suddenly stopped.

She felt something strange, as if someone was watching them in the dark.

"What's wrong, Serena?" Ginny asked.

Salina didn't answer, she motioned for Ginny and Colin to be quiet.

"rustle……"

A slight sound came from behind the oak tree, like someone whispering, or like the sound of clothes rubbing against leaves.

Salina's heart beat faster, she gripped her wand tightly and looked over cautiously.

They saw a tall and thin man standing behind a tree with his back to them. The man seemed unaware of the arrival of Salina and others. He was still muttering to himself, his tone sometimes rapid and sometimes low, as if he was arguing with an invisible person.

"Who are you?" Colin asked courageously.

The man turned around suddenly, and Salina and the others could see his face clearly.

It was Barty Crouch, but at this moment he looked disheveled and haggard. His originally meticulous hair was now a mess on his head, and his robe was covered with dirt and fallen leaves, as if he had been hiding in the woods for a long time.

Salina subconsciously tightened her wand. She whispered to Ginny and Colin, "I think we should go inform Headmaster Dumbledore."

Crouch seemed to have regained some consciousness. He looked around blankly, and when his eyes fell on Salina and the other two, he suddenly seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and said excitedly: "Go find Dumbledore quickly, I have done something stupid..."

Ginny was startled by Crouch's sudden action. She asked nervously, "What? What do you mean?"

Colin also asked worriedly, "Do you want us to go find Headmaster Dumbledore?"

But the next moment, Crouch's eyes became empty again. He slowly turned around, with his back to Salina and the others, and continued to whisper something to the thick oak tree as if he was possessed.

Colin took a breath and subconsciously took a few steps back. He pulled Ginny's sleeve and said in a low voice: "He looks... not right. Let's go."