章節 152: Chapter 151 "Hagrid"s Replacement"

Harry's post-holiday return to school was far from delightful. The mystery of the golden egg, the elusive second clue in the competition, lingered unsolved, adding a layer of frustration to his days.

The wintry landscape, draped in a thick blanket of snow, greeted the students on the first day back. The cold wind nipped at the little wizards, who shivered through their classes.

Within the Slytherin common room, anticipation for the upcoming Care of Magical Creatures lesson was anything but positive. A chorus of complaints filled the air, as the prospect of braving the bitter weather to confront the ghastly Blast-ended Skrewt loomed over them.

In a surprising turn, Draco rose with a self-satisfied grin. "Fear not, everyone. That inept fellow won't conduct today's class."

Puzzled, Pansy inquired, "Well, that's a relief, but why—"

Draco unveiled a folded newspaper in his hand, showcasing a report by Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet with the headline "Dumbledore's big mistake."

With an air of intrigue, each little wizard employed a copying spell to reproduce the article and delved into its contents.

The report not only lambasted Dumbledore for appointing Mad-Eye Moody, a seemingly deranged individual, as a professor but also unveiled Hagrid's concealed identity as a hybrid giant.

It accused Hagrid of using a slew of frightening creatures to terrify his students, resulting in the severe injury and death of many. The report further contended that Dumbledore turned a blind eye to these incidents.

Rita Skeeter's shrewdness was undeniable. While overhearing Hagrid's giant lineage in the rose bush, she even managed to uncover the identity of Hagrid's mother, the giant Fridwulfa.

This demonstrated her possession of a sophisticated and extensive intelligence network. A spark of realization flickered in Skyler's eyes; it seemed he had found the talent he sought to establish and manage an intelligence network for him. The answer, in fact, had already been hinted at in the original book.

Upon finishing the report, Pansy expressed disbelief, "I never expected Professor Hagrid to be a giant, let alone Dumbledore hiring him!"

"What's so peculiar about this," Draco snorted. "That old man with the white beard is simply a doddering fool. He's got some issues. Our pure-blood family has sacrificed so much to elevate the wizarding world to its current status finally, but he's only concerned about Muggles and those inferior creatures. Our rights!"

Daphne, holding her chin with her hand, spoke calmly, "With a report written like this, I'm afraid Professor Hagrid won't be able to teach in the short term. Professor Dumbledore needs to handle parents, the media, and the public carefully. Explaining this matter won't be easy!"

"Don't worry!" Skyler said composedly. "Even though I don't appreciate Professor Hagrid's teaching style, Professo rDumbledore won't let anything happen to him. At most, it'll be allowing him to step out of the limelight temporarily. With Professor Dumbledore's current reputation, even if Rita writes roses, it won't be able to shake his foundation."

Nott interjected, "So, who will be teaching us today? Are we having classes? Skyler, you're a member of the faculty appointment committee. Do you have any news?"

Skyler replied, "It's Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank. She's a highly skilled magizoologist, born into the Grubbly family and the Plank family..."

"Ah, I know her," Daphne said. "The Plank family has extensive connections with mine. When my father was adding a unicorn department to the magical animal farm, he even sought her advice. It seems she's an expert in the field of unicorns."

Slytherin's young wizards are generally well-versed in well-known figures in the wizarding world. While they may not immediately recall them upon hearing their names, they quickly realize them.

Pansy inquired, "Are the two families you mentioned, the Plank family, known for breeding unicorns, and the Grubbly family, famous for breeding magical owls? Is this professor a descendant of these two families?"

Skyler nodded, confirming, "Yes, that's her." Then Skyler smiled, "I have a hunch that the unicorn you girls are most interested in for today's class will be the topic. Let's go! There are still ten minutes before class starts. Let's not be late."

Upon arriving at Hagrid's hut, an elderly witch was standing at the door. Her gray hair was cut short, and her prominent chin caught the eye. Daphne recognized her; indeed, it was Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Hello, Miss Greengrass, you are truly becoming more and more beautiful," Professor Greengrass greeted the young wizards with a smile, even playfully teasing Daphne.

Pansy and several other girls couldn't wait to inquire, "We've heard that you're an expert in the field of unicorns. Are we learning about unicorns today?"

"Yes," Professor Grubbly-Plank responded with a smile in her eyes. "It seems some of you are quite well-informed!" After saying that, she cast a meaningful glance at Skyler.

"But you have to wait; the Gryffindor students haven't arrived yet." She checked her watch and displayed some impatience. "Really, it's already been 5 minutes. Gryffindor lacks discipline; I may need to talk to Minerva about this."

At this moment, the Gryffindor students, led by Harry, arrived. Unlike the Slytherin students who had expected this, they didn't see Hagrid. Instead, they all wore surprised expressions upon encountering the unfamiliar witch.

Professor Grubbly-Plank noticed their slow approach and couldn't help but speak sharply, "Hurry up, hurry up! The class bell has been ringing for five minutes."

"Who are you?" Ron stared at her, questioning, "And where is Hagrid?"

"I am Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank," she said simply, "the temporary substitute teacher for your Care of Magical Creatures class."

"Where is Hagrid?" Harry asked again loudly.

"He is not feeling well," Professor Grubbly-Plank replied curtly, avoiding further details.

A malicious chuckle suddenly sounded in Harry's ears; it was Draco and several Slytherin wizards looking at him with mocking eyes.

"What happened to Hagrid?" Harry persisted, taking a few steps to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Don't pursue this matter further," she dismissed, as if considering him nosy.

"I want to visit him," Harry insisted, "What happened to him?"

"That's enough! Mr. Potter, is this the attitude you should have towards a professor?" Professor Grubbly-Plank finally couldn't bear it and shouted, "Ten points from Gryffindor because of you! Now, follow me immediately!"

Ignoring Harry's inquiries, she led the students through the stables.

The massive Beauxbatons horses stood there, conversing with each other, huddled against the cold. They walked towards a big tree at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, under which a beautiful large unicorn was tied.

Many girls gasped in admiration at the sight of the unicorn.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" Lavender exclaimed. "How did she get it? It is said that unicorns are difficult to catch!"

The unicorn was dazzlingly white, making the surrounding snow appear a bit gray. It pawed the ground restlessly with its golden hooves and lifted its horned head.

"Boys, stay back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank shouted sharply. "Unicorns prefer women's touch. Girls, stand in front and approach it carefully. Come here, relax..."

She and the girls walked slowly towards the unicorn, while the boys stayed by the stable fence, watching them.

Harry noticed that Professor Grubbly-Plank had moved far away, making it impossible for her to hear, so he turned to Ron and said, "What do you think happened to him? It couldn't be a Blast-Ended Skrewt—"

"Oh, Potter, if that's what you're worried about, I can assure you he wasn't attacked," Draco said softly. "No, he was just too shy to show his big ugly face."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked sharply.

"I don't need to tell you," Draco's face turned cold, and he ignored Harry, focusing on the interaction between the girls and the unicorn, leaving Harry to sulk.

This kind of anger was the most painful for someone like Harry, to be treated as a joke.

He would rather pull out his wand and have a fight with Draco, but with Skyler here to take care of the situation around him no matter what, it allowed him to regain a little composure. He didn't want to be pressed to the ground and rubbed in the dirt; that would be embarrassing.

When the girls finished their unicorn-petting adventure, Professor Grubbly-Plank called the boys over.

"Now that the unicorn's emotions have calmed down, you can go over and try to pet it but don't get too close. If it feels offended, it may still get angry and hurt others," Professor Grubbly-Plank cautioned. "Now, who will come first?"

Several boys exchanged shocked glances, realizing there was a risk of injury.

"I'll do it!" Skyler stepped forward.