Hears a Rumor, Takes It as Fact

"Does Professor Flitwick also read forums?"

Neville came over and handed everyone a few bags of Muggle chips he'd swiped from Harry.

"Who knows, maybe some student is impersonating someone else." Ron tore open the packaging and started crunching away like he was eating from a stove. "But I think it's probably real, after all, the tone is quite familiar."

Then, Ron continued playing clips from other groups, with a variety of comments.

The general response to the Hufflepuff fourth-year group's defeat was one of sympathy and encouragement.

"Fourth graders are already very brave!" "You can do it next time!" "Don't cry, badger, we are the bravest Badger!"

The internal reaction to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw mixed group was full of disappointment and frustration.

"Can't we discuss our offensive and defensive strategies beforehand? Can we please stop using these flying broomsticks?"

"A classic case of total annihilation caused by poor communication."

"I recommend retaking the 'Fundamentals of Teamwork' course."

Finally, the scene switched to the seventh group, the legendary Slytherin and Hufflepuff Century Combination.

Actually, it was Ron who gave them the nickname "the Century Combination".

Besides eating, Ron is also quite skilled at giving people nicknames.

Hermione edited the seventh group's video into a dramatic and suspenseful piece, creating a highly engaging and even tense atmosphere, complete with a catchy tune.

"Merlin's beard! What am I seeing?! Slytherin and Hufflepuff are fighting together?!"

"That final move, though rough, was effective."

"I almost fell off my chair when Macmillan yelled at Zabini."

"Zabini actually listened?! Although he seemed very reluctant----"

Millicent's "long-haired cat" looked so cool when it pounced!

"Susan Bornes' Squirrel Patronus is so agile! It reassembles so quickly!"

"Tactical adaptability: Poor; Individual willpower: Excellent (Exceeds expectations); Interdisciplinary collaboration: Outstanding (Excellent) —Professor Potter's assessment is incredibly accurate!"

"Putting aside prejudice and fighting for survival is a lesson a hundred times more effective than preaching."

"Honestly, seeing them supporting each other to their feet at the end actually moved me a little."

Ron clicked his tongue in amazement as he munched on potato chips. "To be honest, the comments are much more interesting than the videos."

"After all, the comments are the core," Neville shouted. "As long as AC is here, love will always be here—"

The dormitory room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Zabini is notoriously shrewd and self-serving," Seamus commented. "His decision to cooperate in the end was probably because he calculated that if they didn't cooperate, everyone would be doomed, while cooperation offered a glimmer of hope, which is why he made his move."

"That's the effect we wanted to achieve, isn't it?" Harry said with a chuckle. "Of course, that's what Dumbledore always wanted to do. He didn't succeed, but we did."

"Theoretically speaking," Ron cleared his throat, "It's actually Dumbledore who did it—look, he's still the Headmaster of Hogwarts, isn't he?"

Thinking about it that way, it does make sense.

The epic reconciliation between the Houses was achieved during Dumbledore's tenure—this is undoubtedly the Headmaster's achievement, no matter how you look at it.

One can imagine the smug look on Dumbledore's face as he watched the video in the Headmaster's Office.

This made him much happier than becoming a major shareholder of Honeydukes.

The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met in the Common Room as usual, and then went downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Ron and Hermione walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally brushing together.

Ron wore a smug expression, as if he were inspecting something.

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly, and she occasionally straightened Ron's not-too-messy robe collar, her eyes brighter than usual.

But the moment he notices Harry's gaze, he immediately becomes serious, or quickly turns to Ron and whispers a reminder that "your robe is buttoned up wrong."

Harry suppressed a laugh and walked behind the couple.

These two----

Even though they've already established a relationship, they act like normal friends, but little do they know that the more they do this, the stranger it seems.

Of course, he understood, since the male and female Prefect of the academy were together—and it really shouldn't be shown to the younger students—at least not to the first-year students.

The Great Hall was already quite full of students, and the plates on the tables in front of them were piled high with bacon, sausages, fried eggs, roasted tomatoes, black pudding, as well as steaming oatmeal and milk.

The three of them had just sat down at their usual spot at the Gryffindor Long Table when they felt gazes coming from all directions.

Of course, Hermione and Ron received the most attention.

Hermione was the most prominent, since she was responsible for editing all those videos, so it was only natural that she became the center of attention.

"Look," Ron said in a low voice to Harry and Hermione as he piled sausages onto their plates, "Lots of people are watching us. It's definitely because of that video."

"No," Harry said, suppressing a laugh, "It's more because of you two. Look at you two, so awkward. Why can't you just relax a bit? Hogwarts doesn't forbid students from dating."

"But we need to set a good example for the younger students." Hermione sat up straight, but the suspicious blush on her face betrayed her true feelings.

Forget about being a role model; look at your face, it's so red it could be a traffic light at a crossroads!

Harry poured himself a glass of Pumpkin Juice and glanced around the Great Hall.

He saw Anthony and his classmates, who had successfully fended off the Dementor, being congratulated by their fellow students at the Ravenclaw Long Table, each with a tired but proud smile on their face.

Over at Hufflepuff, Ernie was gesturing wildly, seemingly indicating something to those around him, while Susan smiled and nodded beside him.

At the Slytherin Long Table, Blaise remained as languid and arrogant as ever, eating slowly and methodically, as if he weren't the one who had lent a helping hand to Hufflepuff in their desperate situation the night before.

But Harry noticed that when Miss Freckles Millicent sat down next to him with her plate, he didn't show his usual obvious disdain. He simply turned slightly to the side and gave her a polite smile.

As breakfast was drawing to a close, a familiar little owl flew in and tossed a rough little package in front of Harry, nearly spilling his Pumpkin Juice.

Inside the package was a note with messy handwriting and several pieces of Rock Cakes that were hard enough to be used as bricks.

"Hey, Hagrid's Rock Cakes?" Ron grinned and came over. "Give me a piece, I'll soak some in it and have a bite."

Harry handed him a piece of Rock Cakes and unfolded the note.

Harry: Are you free at noon? Come sit in my cottage. Madame Maxime wrote a few days ago, mentioning some interesting things from America; I think you might find them interesting. —Hagrid

"Shall we go?" Ron put the Rock Cakes in a bowl and poured hot milk over it.

"Of course." Harry folded the note and put it away. "Hagrid wouldn't call us for no reason, especially not with regard to Madame Maxime and America."

The morning classes passed in a cheerful atmosphere. During Charms Class, Professor Flitwick, as expected, mentioned Ravenclaw's "outstanding performance" the night before with a smile and rewarded them with some fun snacks, which drew envious sighs from the other houses.

Of course, Professor Flitwick didn't neglect one aspect and also gave some rewards to students from other colleges.

Around noon, they left the castle and followed the familiar path to Hagrid's Hut.

Under a clear sky, a gentle breeze brought a refreshing and comfortable feeling.

After all, it's early summer now, so it's inevitable that it will be a bit hot.

Of course, if there are intelligent coolers like Dementor, that's a different story.

However, this gave Harry a clue: if he felt cold, would putting Dementor in the room have a good cooling effect?

That sounds great. I'll borrow a few more Dementor to try it out when I have time.

This time it should go smoothly, right? At least that Dementor leader knows I'm actually using the Dementor to do something legitimate.

As they walked down the stone steps, Fang was the first to spot them. It barked happily and rushed over, almost knocking Ron over, and licked his face enthusiastically with its big tongue.

"Okay, okay, Fang! Get down!" Ron laughed as he struggled, not forgetting to rub Fang's head in return.

If you didn't know better, you'd think Fang was his pet.

However, Fang and Harry aren't very close, probably because Harry wrongly accused him in their first year.

No, it's probably because they wrongly accused the dog family of being cowards.

Hagrid's massive figure appeared at the doorway of the cabin, a brand-new apron tied around his waist, and his beard, which appeared to have been freshly trimmed, made him look much more energetic.

"You've arrived! Come in quickly, I just brewed a pot of strong tea."

The cabin remained unchanged, with a roaring fire burning in the huge fireplace, and several rough-looking teacups and a plate of Rock Cakes on the table.

"Sit down, sit down!"

Hagrid gestured for them to sit down, then picked up a cup the size of a small bucket and blew on it to warm it.

"Olympe —oh, I mean, Madame Maxime," he coughed, his cheeks slightly flushed, "she went to America last month for a conference of Magizoology. You know, she's always very interested in those large magical creatures—"

"Did something happen to her, Hagrid?" Hermione asked with concern.

Hagrid's expression turned serious.

He put down his large teacup and lowered his loud voice—though it was still quite loud in the small room.

"She encountered several wizards who had escaped from the ruins of the Ministry of Magic near a desolate area in Wyoming. They were terrified, saying that strange noises had been frequently heard from the ruins since the attack."

At this point, Hagrid became mysterious.

"Sometimes at night I can see strange flashes, hear the whispers of Goblin, and roars that don't belong to any known magical creatures."

"Is that so?" Harry and the other two exchanged glances.

"Yes, haven't you heard?" Hagrid asked, "Is it about the attack on the American Ministry of Magic?"

"I haven't seen it mentioned in the newspapers, but we've heard about it." Hermione nodded and said, "Go on."

"Madame Maxime was bold; she took two assistants and went closer to investigate," Hagrid continued, his beetle-like eyes gleaming. "She said that deep within the ruins, on the remnants of the blasted walls, some markings had appeared that weren't there before. They were ancient, complex, like some kind of map, or perhaps the guidance of some ritual. Moreover, those markings glowed faintly in the moonlight, emanating an aura different from Dark Arts, but equally unsettling."

Harry quickly recalled the things he'd seen a hundred years ago, and immediately declared, "They must be Goblin runes, right?"

Hagrid nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Olympe said the same thing. She also said that giant footprints were found nearby, but they didn't seem to be from giants—"

"I know that," Harry nodded. "It's not actually a giant, but—well, it's Runcorn himself. After being enhanced by magic, his body is almost as big as a giant's."

"Huh?" Ron said in surprise, "I thought he was like those normal Goblin, all little dwarfs—"

"No," Harry shrugged. "Magic is still amazing; it can make certain changes to your body."

"Perhaps, but they found some metal scraps next to the footprints, and she even sent me some to show them."

After Hagrid finished speaking, he stood up, took a small box wrapped in thick cloth from the mantel, and carefully opened it.

Inside, lined with soft velvet, were several fragments that shimmered with a dull silver light. They looked like remnants of some exquisite artifact, but their edges were very irregular.

"What could this be?" Ron asked with interest. "My instinct is that it's not something good. What do you guys think?"

"We'll have to test it to determine exactly what it is," Hermione said confidently, pinching her nose. "But at least we can confirm that this metal is likely some kind of Goblin technology, or at least a technology unknown to us."

"So, you think the Goblin are secretly funding them?" Harry asked, instantly alert.

Ha, Goblin!

Your double-dealing doesn't surprise me at all!

"That possibility cannot be ruled out," Hermione nodded. "However, this is just my guess. We'll have to wait for professional assessment and analysis to determine the exact situation."

She pressed further, "Did Madame Maxime say anything else? What has the Ministry of Magic or the America. Ministry of Magic's reaction been to these findings?"

Hagrid shook his head. "The Ministry of Magic is also overwhelmed with its own problems right now. You know, the reconstruction of the American Ministry of Magic is a complete mess. They're blaming each other, shifting responsibility, or trying to pass the buck. Hmm— Olympe said they seem to be trying to cover it up, claiming it's just the instability of the ruins and traces of wildlife—but she has a feeling it's not that simple."