As is customary, Lorne would stay at Hogwarts for a week after the school holidays to complete his independent final exams. Hagrid knew this and specifically came to talk to Lorne on the first day.
"Guess where I'm going, Lorne?"
Lorne, holding his textbook, was quite familiar with Hagrid and didn't care about formalities or rules of respect. He remained engrossed in his knowledge and casually remarked, "Anyway, it's not Azkaban."
"Heh heh," Hagrid continued, "You'd never guess, and even if you did, I wouldn't tell you, because I have important business to attend to this time, just like when I helped Dumbledore retrieve the Philosopher's Stone."
Lorne glanced at Hagrid, assuming he was heading to Diagon Alley, and guessed, "Want to grab some ice cream while you're there?"
"How could that be?" Hagrid chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "If I went in holding an ice cream cone, it would melt in less than a second. Who knows what kind of peculiar quirks those dragons might have..."
Hagrid's voice trailed off until his teeth and tongue stopped moving, then he shrugged helplessly. "I don't think I said anything."
Lorne remained silent.
"Alright, but you can't tell anyone else," Hagrid regretted not keeping his mouth shut earlier and decided to just let it go. " Dumbledore asked me to look after some dragons and choose their species. Apparently, the Triwizard Tournament, which has been interrupted for two hundred years, will be held next school year. You know about that tournament—I'd like to take a trip to Norway to see my Norbert; it must be absolutely stunning right now."
Looking at Hagrid, whose eyes were filled with longing and a thousand thoughts, Lorne couldn't help but wonder.
Triwizard Tournament?
He only knew a little about the competition, but that didn't stop him from guessing from the name that the Fire Dragon was probably a magical tool that would be used in the competition.
While inwardly marveling at the extravagance of the Wizarding World, Lorne remained outwardly composed. "Going during the holidays?"
Hagrid nodded. "We're leaving tomorrow. Dumbledore only told me to investigate the different types of dragons and choose the less dangerous ones, but I want to observe their habits and how they're raised, and ideally, get to know them personally. You remember Norbert, right? I still can't forget the feel of his scales."
Lorne was also eager to see those bizarre and wonderful dragons, but he had more important things to do during his vacation.
etc!
He suddenly remembered something.
Race Certification!
[ Race Certification: Add a drop of blood from a special race other than wizards, and you will gain natural affinity with all creatures of that race.]
Lorne took out the small, medal-like item from his system space and held it in his palm.
If we could gain the dragon's favor, wouldn't defeating the Death Eaters be a piece of cake?
" Hagrid, I need your help with something," Lorne said, his previous composure vanishing as he stood up and fawned, "If you're going to make contact with a dragon, could you get me a drop of dragon blood and drip it into this thing?"
Lorne placed the Race Certification on the table, and the smile on his face reminded Hagrid of Lorne's expression on the day the Magic Mobile Phone went on sale—an expression that looked like he wanted to stuff the thing into your arms.
"What's this?" Hagrid pinched the Race Certification between two fingers and examined it closely under his eyes. "A badge? What's it for?"
Hagrid was eager to help Lorne, so his questions were very practical. "Where should the blood be dripped? There doesn't seem to be a groove on it. Should I just stick it into the dragon's body? There seems to be a needle here, ouch--"
Hagrid merely touched the pin on the badge with his finger, and a bead of blood immediately welled up in his rough, hard skin. He put his finger in his mouth, wincing in pain, "This little thing is really sharp."
Are you alright? I have some tissues here--
Hagrid's series of actions gave Lorne no time to react. The moment he saw Hagrid injured, he instinctively reached for a tissue, but as he handed it over, he suddenly remembered that his Race Certification could only be used once?
Now wouldn't that mean...?
[Ding-- Race Certification successful. You have obtained affinity with the Giant race.]
Lorne, who had been in high spirits, plopped back into his chair. He looked resignedly at the Race Certification Hagrid had placed back on the table, and said weakly, "No need, I was just joking..."
Hagrid's eyes, which were somewhat hidden by his massive frame, suddenly narrowed. He stared at Lorne and blurted out, "Why do I suddenly smell ice cream on you?"
Lorne: "!"
During the break between his third and fourth year at Hogwarts, Director Miles Lorne Miles, full of ambition but overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work, stumbled and fell into a series of mishaps.
Fortunately, through subsequent conversations with Hagrid, Lorne learned that the Giant were also a race with great potential.
Although they don't have a high affinity for magic, they are incredibly strong, have physical resistance, and are exceptionally skilled in construction.
Most of Hogwarts Castle was built using Ancient Magic, allowing it to self-repair and conceal itself. However, the additional facilities and spaces built on top of the skeleton were created using modern magic and Muggle craftsmanship.
For example, the tower, the Quidditch Pitch, the pipes, the toilets, the greenhouse, and the special mechanisms set up by the professors throughout history to cope with various crises—if any of these parts are damaged, a magical construction team must be contacted to repair and rebuild them.
"Excuse my bluntness," Hagrid said, shaking his head, "They're slow and incompetent; I could do all their work by myself. And they're not even good enough at safety. Don't they consider what would happen if some Giant bent down to play with his Magic Mobile Phone and bumped into him?"
Lorne wanted to finish building the theme park this summer, and a good construction team was essential. He looked at Hagrid: "Do you know any other Giant? If so, could you introduce me to them?"
Hagrid hadn't seen any other Giant since his mother abandoned him and returned to the Giant Mountains. His knowledge of Giant and their Giant Tribe came entirely from books, so he shook his head. "I only know one Half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid."
Lorne found the joke a bit lame and couldn't laugh at all, "Okay, just keep an eye out for me. The main thing is that I want to build a big project, and it would probably be much easier and faster if it were the Giant construction team."
"Haven't you read any books about it?" Hagrid asked curiously. " Giant don't have construction teams."
Lorne was about to ask a question in surprise when he saw Hagrid lean back tactically, proudly boasting, "Because every Giant is a construction crew."