Second Week

Evening, in the Great Hall.

The last class of the afternoon had just ended, and there was still some time before dinner. Some of the young wizards sat at the long table chatting, while others took the time to do some homework.

Harry and Ron are making up their horoscopes for the next few weeks.

"I might cough Monday because Mars and Jupiter will unfortunately align."

Loren paused for a moment, then earnestly advised, "Ron, although Hogwarts doesn't have math classes, you can't be without basic common sense. You know, no matter what, two planets can always be aligned."

"Who cares? Professor Trelawney won't mind." Ron waved his hand. "You know her. She loves watching us make up stories of misfortune more than planetary trajectories."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed, "Exactly... Next Monday, I'll be facing... well, the risk of getting burned."

"Yeah, we're going to see the Blast-Ended Skrewts again on Monday, you're taking that risk," Ron muttered. "Alright, on Tuesday, Mercury is moving away from the sun, I'm going to... lose money."

"That's good. You can say you lost a bet... come see me, Venus in the zodiac... I'm going to fall down the stairs?" Harry paused, "That's already been used."

"How do you feel if someone you thought was a friend stabbed you in the back?"

" On Wednesday, I lost a fight."

"..."

The atmosphere of tragedy around the Gryffindor table grew increasingly tragic; the young wizards who hadn't taken the Divination Class were unaware that so many unfortunate things could happen at the school.

Monday?

He's going to have a big meal Monday, a top-notch meal!

Loren glanced at the entrance of the Great Hall, took out his Goblin Silver Coin, and sent a message to Hermione.

Loren: Why aren't we at the Great Hall yet? Did you get caught sleeping in class and the professor caught you and keep you after class for a lecture, huh?

Hermione did not reply.

Fifteen minutes later.

Hermione arrived at the Great Hall late. She had just finished her discussion with Professor Babbling and was feeling a little dazed. Everything she saw looked a bit like Ancient Rune.

But looking at her plate piled high with lamb chops, roast chicken legs, Cod, and mushroom slices... the wavy runes in Hermione's head dissipated. She turned to look at Loren: "Just because I didn't reply to your message, you're taking revenge on me like this?"

"How could you think that?" Loren said seriously. "I was worried you wouldn't make it to dinner, so I got your food for you."

"..."

Hermione rolled her eyes, expressionless, and picked up her knife and fork to start eating the lamb chop. Her movements were fierce and somewhat ruthless.

But Loren didn't care at all. After Hermione cut a piece of mutton, he picked it up with his fork and put it in his mouth. While chewing, he mumbled, "Harry and Ron were just making up their horoscopes for the next few weeks. Ha, how stupid... I'm planning to go to the Hospital Wing when I have time and ask Madam Pomfrey for a copy of her medical record book. It's full of all sorts of different bad luck."

"..."

I'll go to the Hospital Wing later and expose his plot to Madam Pomfrey so he can't borrow the medical records.

Hermione looked up and caught a glimpse of his smug smile, noticing the teeth hidden at the very back.

Hmm, his wisdom teeth are starting to erupt. Let Madam Pomfrey check them out; if they're growing crooked, we'll pull them out.

Hermione silently cut the lamb chops, picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. The lamb was fully cooked, with a strong fibrous texture on the outside and a tender interior. With each bite, savory and savory juices burst out, along with a hint of sweetness, though the spices were a bit overpowering.

It's delicious, just as good as any Muggle upscale restaurant.

But the texture wasn't her favorite, nor was the flavor.

After eating Loren's cooking for a while, Hermione's tastes have changed along with his. She now prefers slightly charred, even crispy, roasted meat with a stronger flavor of spices, preferably with a numbing and spicy taste.

The plate looked piled high, but with this person chattering beside them and occasionally grabbing a few pieces of meat, their appetite was surprisingly good. They finished the food completely in half an hour, without wasting a single bite.

Hermione noticed her lower abdomen was a little bloated, and after a moment of silence, she said, "I talked to Professor Babbling about Magic Power."

"Oh?"

"Professor Babbling said that the Magic Power of Fantastic Beasts is different from that of wizards. Their Magic Power only has one effect, Magic Power of wizards can be used to perform all kinds of magic."

"Headmaster Dumbledore said something similar." Loren sipped his chocolate mousse dessert and waved his hand casually. "This kind of thing, involving bloodlines and Magic Power, has been done thousands of years ago. Let's not have too high expectations."

"Oh."

Hermione nodded belatedly.

Nighttime, the Edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Rolf followed Luna, tiptoeing through the bushes at the Edge of the Forbidden Forest. Every now and then, Rolf would look back toward the Castle.

I want to return promptly, but I also want to continue exploring further.

Rolf hesitated, then said, "Luna, how about we come see the Unicorn during the day instead..."

"No, I made a promise with Fred to meet him tonight under the 17th Beech Tree on the path. We can't break our promise." Luna calmly parted the weeds, her voice even more ethereal in the quiet moonlit forest.

Fred is Unicorn friend of Luna's, and he's said to be a juvenile Unicorn, or, in the words of the Centaur, a foal. Of course, Centaur refer to all juvenile creatures as foals.

Rolf asked instinctively, "The 17th Beech Tree?"

"Yes, there are 41 beech trees from the intersection to the fork in the road. I counted them from this side, and Fred counted them from the other side. We counted them five times, so there's no mistake."

Luna hummed happily, "We're going to start naming them next month. How about we name them after the stars? I'm going to call the tallest tree Morning Star."

On a September night, a thin mist already hung over the edge of the forest, making it somewhat chilly. But listening to the girl's carefree voice, Rolf's worries seemed to vanish completely.

How's Polaris?

"This is a good name."

"..."

Fifteen minutes later, the burly Hagrid emerged from the Forbidden Forest, carrying a young wizard in each hand, his beard bristling with anger. "I have to tell your Head of House! Filius and Pomona will never believe that their good student would venture into the Forbidden Forest at night and even provoke Unicorn!"

"I didn't mean to anger the Unicorn," Rolf said, covering his face, extremely ashamed.

His magic robes were somewhat disheveled, with a shallow hoof print on his chest and a puddle of mud on his backside. Anyone could tell he had been kicked down by some kind of hoofed animal, but was unharmed.

Luna shifted her shoulders slightly, finding a comfortable position as Hagrid grabbed her by the back of her collar. "We didn't know Fred would be angry; we were just curious whether Unicorn would hatch Basilisk eggs."

"Merlin's beard!" Hagrid trudged along the ridge of the field. "That little fellow must be furious. Unicorn value their purity more than life itself, and you've defiled it with an evil Basilisk."

Rolf felt even more ashamed upon hearing this, and covered his face, refusing to let go.

"Why must Basilisk be evil, Hagrid? Are kind-hearted Basilisk also evil?"

Hagrid thought of Aragog and laughed gruffly, "I think you have a point, but your Unicorn friend must be very sad. You'll have to go and persuade him."

"I will."

Luna nodded, then suddenly remembered something, and her swaying body stopped. "Hagrid, what are those people doing in the forest?"

Hagrid asked in surprise, "You saw those people?"

"No, but I saw Nargles flies everywhere, even more than during the final exams in the Castle."

"Yes, those people must be incredibly annoyed." Hagrid chuckled twice. "I'll tell you in a few days, but stay away from the Forbidden Forest, little one..."