Night Visit to Hagrid

Inside the Suitcase Space.

Seeing that the girls were still busy building relationships with the Dragon, while he himself seemed to have nothing to do, Skylar left.

Not far from the mountains where the Dragon dwells, on a vast plain, a uniquely shaped small wooden boat is moored in the center of the grass. Faint runic light emanates from its hull, clearly indicating that it is a magic boat that has been enchanted.

That was the small magical airship, the Sleeping Dragon, that Skylar had obtained from Durmstrang.

As Skylar approached, he could see from a distance two figures standing on the side of the ship, intensely discussing the modification plan.

One of them was a burly man with a thick, red beard and arms so strong they looked like they could break iron bars with their bare hands. He was one of "Redbeard" Ji Lufan's men, an experienced Viking shipwright whose craftsmanship was renowned throughout the North Sea.

Standing opposite him was a short Goblin dressed in a magnificent gold-threaded robe, with a high-bridged nose, sharp eyes, and an awe-inspiring aura of a craftsman—he was an extremely rare high-level blacksmith among the Goblin. As far as Skylar knew, Goblin placed great importance on the level of their forging skills, and there were no more than ten Goblin in the entire Great Britain who could be promoted to high-level blacksmith.

Both of them were talents that Skylar borrowed from his allies. He didn't hesitate to owe a favor to Ji Lufan and the Goblin, all for the purpose of transforming the Sleeping Dragon, a small magical airship, into a medium-sized magical warship.

At this moment, the two were gesturing and discussing the structure of the Sleeping Dragon, occasionally erupting into a debate. The Viking shipwright insisted on strengthening the ship's physical defenses, using the bones of sea monsters from the North Sea to reinforce the hull and enhance its resistance to impact; while the Goblin blacksmith advocated using Goblin Mithril combined with runic magic to maximize magical defenses and give the ship greater maneuverability.

"If your ship relies solely on brute force, what's the difference between it and those Muggle warships made of scrap metal?" the Goblin blacksmith scoffed, brandishing his carving knife in mid-air. "To truly make it a king of the battlefield, it must incorporate advanced magical craftsmanship, allowing it to more skillfully evade attacks, rather than simply taking the hits head-on!"

"Haha! You Goblin are too obsessed with magic!" The Redbeard giant laughed heartily, patting the hull of the ship. "On the battlefield, nothing is more important than thick armor! I've seen countless warships; a ship that can be cleaved in two with a single strike is useless, no matter how fast it is!"

"Please hear me out," Skylar said slowly, standing quietly to the side and listening to their argument.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced the two people who were arguing fiercely, causing them to turn and look at him.

"The best choice is to balance both."

He raised his hand, gesturing for them to calm down, and then continued in a steady tone, "To transform the Sleeping Dragon into a true warship, simply reinforcing the hull or imprinting magical protection is not enough. First, we must solve the space problem—the ship's size needs to be significantly expanded. In my vision, it must be able to carry at least fifty people to meet future combat needs."

Upon hearing this, the Viking shipwright frowned and said, "Young Master Malfoy, that's no simple project."

"That's precisely why I've invited you here." Skylar's tone was unhurried, his gaze calm yet sharp. "Time, money, materials—these are not issues. The only thing I need is your technology."

As he said this, a slight smile played on his lips, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, as he slowly surveyed the two men. "As far as I know, you two are arguably the most knowledgeable experts on warships in the entire Europe and even global wizarding world. I went to great lengths to invite you here, naturally because I have complete confidence in your abilities."

The two exchanged a glance, each seemingly seeing a stirring of pride in the other's eyes, but neither immediately made a statement.

"Therefore—" Skylar paused slightly, his tone steady yet undeniable, "I hope you can set aside your differences of opinion and combine your respective strengths to ensure that this magical spaceship possesses both powerful physical and magical defenses."

He stepped forward slowly, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through their hesitation. "Besides that, I have an even further request."

The two listened intently, holding their breath.

"I hope this ship will have self-awareness."

Skylar's voice remained calm and measured, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority. His gaze fell upon the Goblin blacksmith, and he said in a deep voice, "The Hohenheim Family is already studying Arthur Weasley's alchemy. They are attempting to replicate his work, hoping to imbue this ship with a lifelike consciousness, making it a semi-living entity."

"A half-living being?" the Viking shipwright repeated in a low voice, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The Goblin blacksmith frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "If we could master that kind of magic, we could indeed imbue this warship with a certain degree of self-awareness... but that would far exceed the concept of an ordinary magical warship."

Skylar nodded and said calmly, "Yes, my goal is not an ordinary magical warship, but a warship capable of making autonomous decisions, assisting in combat, and even protecting itself and its crew in times of crisis—just like Arthur Weasley's Flying Ford Anglia."

A moment of silence fell over the two craftsmen, their expressions complex. They were clearly aware of the difficulty of the task, but at the same time, they were drawn to this unprecedented challenge.

"So—" Skylar looked at them, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Are you two willing to accept this challenge?"

Upon hearing this, the Goblin blacksmith's eyes flashed with a hidden excitement, then he revealed a thoughtful expression. "The 'life' bestowed by alchemy... if combined with Goblin craftsmanship, perhaps we really could create an unprecedented magical spaceship."

The Redbeard giant laughed heartily, excitedly pumping his fist. "That's an interesting idea! If it could consciously and proactively evade attacks, it would definitely be an ace up its sleeve on the battlefield!"

Skylar nodded slightly. "I plan to hand over this spaceship to Savannah and her army of Inferius for use and operation. We also need to equip it with six magical cannons—a model replica of the Durmstrang Ghost Ship."

Durmstrang's Ghost Ship requires twelve people to operate it simultaneously. Although the Inferius lack intelligence, under the control and command of Savannah, a tactical mastermind, piloting and operating a magical ship with "intelligent driving" capabilities is absolutely no problem.

Under Skylar's plan, after installing magic cannons, the warship itself would have a certain combat capability. Even after landing, the Inferius could still engage in close-quarters combat. In this way, the Sleeping Dragon would simultaneously possess both long-range combat and troop transport functions.

Upon hearing this, both the Goblin blacksmith and the Redbeard giant's eyes lit up.

"Ghost Ship's magic cannon? That's no ordinary thing..." The Redbeard giant stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "If we can successfully replicate it, this spaceship will truly become a weapon of war."

"I will personally supervise the forging." The Goblin blacksmith pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "However, I need some special materials, such as Dragonblood Crystal and Primordial Stone."

A sharp glint flashed in Skylar's eyes. Neither of these items were ordinary, but they were no challenge for him. Since he took control of the Pure-blood families and Knockturn Alley, there was nothing in Great Britain that he couldn't obtain. As for foreign items, Ali Bashir, Karkaroff, Maxime, his international allies, and the International Confederation of Wizards could all help.

"You don't need to worry about the materials; I've got them covered," Skylar said in a deep voice. "Just go ahead and do your work. Once it's done, I won't be stingy with your rewards and compensation."

--The Magical Dragon Rider Corps, coupled with a magic warship possessing a life force and six magic cannons, will become a major trump card in Skylar's hands, a truly elite force capable of Cleansweep all obstacles.

The Black Dragon's low roar echoed through the canyon, while the distant Sleeping Dragon gleamed faintly with runic light in the setting sun, as if it were brewing some kind of storm that would soon sweep across the entire Wizarding World.

That night, Harry, Harry, and Hagrid sneaked out of the castle to visit Hagrid.

Ever since Harry lost the Cloak of Invisibility, he had wanted to buy a new one. Unfortunately, the materials and craftsmanship of the Invisibility Cloak were extremely precious, making it a rare and highly sought-after item. Although Harry was wealthy, he had no way of acquiring one.

Fortunately, the trio still had Hermione as their strategist. Without the Invisibility Cloak, she spent a lot of effort and finally managed to teach Hermione the Disillusionment Charm during the summer vacation.

Night fell, a light rain shrouded the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and the lights of Hogwarts flickered with a warm glow in the darkness.

In a spacious but cluttered little hut, Hagrid warmly served several pieces of burnt cake and a pot of steaming tea. Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat around him, listening quietly as he recounted his experiences.

"... You didn't see the scene; it was utter chaos." Hagrid shook his head, his voice low and weary. "We originally wanted to negotiate with Karkus, after all, he was the old leader of the Giant and relatively more friendly to wizards. Unfortunately, just a few days later, the Golgomath launched a rebellion."

"Golgomath?" Hermione frowned.

"Karkus must be dead." Hagrid's voice turned heavy, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. "Among Giant, might makes right. Golgomath and his men raided Karkus's camp, and he was barely alive before I left."

Hermione gasped, her face turning pale.

"And what about you?" Harry asked eagerly. "You and Madame Maxime? Weren't you going to find allies?"

Hagrid sighed, his brow furrowing even more deeply.

"That was the plan, but who knew... then suddenly a group of dark wizards appeared." His voice lowered, his eyes becoming deep. "We were completely caught off guard. They initially tried to capture us, and Olympe and I fought our way out. Phoebe was there too; she ran faster than me, and that's how we... got separated."

Ron looked at Hagrid with a complicated expression. "Those dark wizards... who are they?"

Hagrid shook his head and whispered, "I don't know either, but he's definitely not a good person."

Silence fell over the cabin for a moment, with only the crackling of the burning firewood echoing in the air.

As night deepened, after returning to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione stood by the window of her bedroom, gazing at the night outside, her heart filled with turmoil.

She had expected to be worried because of the news Hagrid brought, but when she closed her eyes, a different scene appeared in her mind—a scene that she had never anticipated.

Skylar Cho Chang. That sudden kiss.

She thought she had let go. She really had tried.

She mustered the courage to confess her feelings to Skylar, but was rejected. On the surface, she accepted the outcome, telling herself to let go and move on, but reality proved to be much harder than she had imagined.

She tried to fill the void with her heavy schoolwork, trying to convince herself that it was just a temporary infatuation that would eventually pass. But tonight, that image pierced her mind— Cho Chang kissed Skylar without hesitation, and Skylar did not refuse.

Hermione closed her eyes, her breathing a little rapid. She didn't want to admit it, but the bitterness rising in her heart was crystal clear—she was jealous.

She envied Cho Chang's courage, envied her ability to express her feelings without restraint, and Skylar's apparent acceptance of her. In comparison, her courage and her efforts seemed so ridiculous—she tried her best to get close to Skylar, but could never enter his heart.

She kept wondering if things would have turned out differently if she had persisted a little longer.

She took a deep breath, her nails digging lightly into her palms, forcing herself to calm down.

"Hermione Granger," she murmured her name to herself, as if reminding herself, "Forget him! There's no future for you two."

She wasn't Cho Chang; she wouldn't let her emotions get out of control. Her pride wouldn't allow her to do so.

Even so, she still couldn't stop herself from tossing and turning all night because of that image, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

On the other side, Harry lay on the bed, his hands behind his head, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

His feelings were far more complicated than Hermione's.

He knew that there was nothing between Cho Chang and him—they were just ordinary classmates, nothing more. But when he saw her take the initiative to kiss Skylar, he felt an indescribable anger and disappointment.

He wasn't even sure if he was jealous of Skylar or simply frustrated by Cho Chang's complete indifference towards him.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, then finally turned over, burying his face in the pillow, trying to drift off to sleep—but the image lingered in his mind, keeping him tossing and turning.